Five Utah boys basketball teams enjoying breakout seasons

Video: Brayden Johnson's highlights vs. Bishop Hendricken High School
See the Corner Canyon player in action.

One of the best parts of a basketball season is seeing an underdog team rise out of nowhere and exceed preseason expectations. Quite a few Utah boys basketball teams are making that journey this year. These teams opened eyes during the preseason and entered region play in the mix for playoff berths – and even region titles in some cases.

Westlake (Saratoga Springs)
Nothing has stopped the Thunder from rolling through their schedule thus far. Westlake is one of two Class 5A teams, along with Copper Hills, to open the season with 11 straight wins. That 11-0 start included three wins over a trio of quality California teams – Mission Bay, Woodcreek and Granite Bay – at the Surf N Slam tournament in San Diego in December.

What Westlake has accomplished becomes even more impressive when factoring in that the Thunder won just 10 games a season ago and missed the Class 5A tournament. Westlake has not finished with a winning record since the school opened in 2009.

Seniors Maizen Fausett and Asa McCord have provided an effective one-two punch around the basket. Fausett is enjoying a breakout season, averaging 18.5 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. McCord is second on the team in both categories, scoring 16.7 points and pulling down 6.0 rebounds per contest.

Corner Canyon (Draper)
A strong defense has helped the Chargers turn the corner this season and show signs of being a legitimate region title contender. Corner Canyon is allowing just 50.1 points per game and has held all but two opponents under 60 points. It has helped the Chargers put together a 10-2 start.

Corner Canyon is well positioned to reach the Class 4A tournament for the first time. The Chargers have a balanced offense led by senior Brayden Johnson. The 6-foot-6 forward leads his team with 12.4 points and 8.2 rebounds per game.

Braxton Coon has also made an all-around impact in the backcourt for Corner Canyon. The 6-foot senior is averaging 8.8 points, 6.2 assists and 3.7 rebounds. Coon ranks second in the state in both assists per game and total assists.

East (Salt Lake City)
After a pair of mediocre seasons, East has the look of a team that can make some serious noise in Class 4A again. The Leopards are 8-3 after winning their region opener and are enjoying their best start since the 2012-2013 season, when they reached the Class 4A quarterfinals.

Dacian Spotted Elk is a huge driving force behind East's rise this season. The 6-4 senior can light up the scoreboard against virtually any opponent. Spotted Elk ranks second in Class 4A in scoring, averaging 22.5 points per game. It is a 10 point jump from his junior season, when he averaged 12.8 points in 23 games.

Weber (Pleasant View)
Three years removed from a 20-win season, the Warriors appear poised to be a contender once again this season. At 8-2, Weber is off to its best start since the 2012-13 season, when it went 20-4 and reached the Class 5A quarterfinals. Only one other team in Region 1 currently has a winning record, so the Warriors should not face much opposition in their quest for a region title.

Strong guard play is aiding Weber's rise. Senior Grant Ellison leads the team with 18.3 points per game. Connor Shaw, a junior, is chipping in 9.0 points, 4.3 assists and 3.3 rebounds per contest. In the frontcourt, Spencer Campbell is a force on the glass for the Warriors. The junior forward leads Weber with 7.2 rebounds per game.

Ogden
Only two years after enduring an 0-22 season, Ogden has made significant strides in becoming a competitive basketball team again. The Tigers won four games over three days to win the Pepsi Classic at Ben Lomond High in December. With a 6-5 record, Ogden has already equaled its victory total from last season.

One reason why the Tigers are doing so well is the contributions of Hunter Mikel Clarke and Jaxon Clarke. Jaxon is averaging a team-best 16.7 points per game. Hunter isn't too far behind, chipping in 14.6 points per contest. He is also Ogden's best perimeter threat with 28 3-pointers through 11 games so far.

John Coon covers Utah high school sports for MaxPreps. You can contact him at john_coon@hotmail.com and follow him on Twitter at @johncoonsports