AURORA | A look at both of the Class 5A boys state basketball semifinals involving Aurora teams set to played on March 13, 2015, at the Coors Events Center in Boulder. Games times are 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.:
Courtney Oakes is Sports Editor of the Aurora Sentinel. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. FB: Aurora Prep Sentinel
7 p.m. — NO. 1 EAGLECREST (21-5) VS. NO. 1 THUNDERRIDGE (23-3)
Breakdown: Coach John Olander has his Eaglecrest team back in the 5A Final Four for the third time in the past seven seasons and has split the two previous semifinals, losing to Denver East in 2008, but beating Mountain Vista in 2013 on its way to winning the school’s first-ever boys state basketball championship. The Raptors’ opponents, ThunderRidge, is in the semifinals for the first time since 2009, but made the 5A Final Four six times in an eight-year span prior to the five-season drought and made the state championship game four times (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005), winning titles in 2002 and 2003. …This will be the third meeting in the postseason between Eaglecrest and ThunderRidge since 2004, with the Grizzlies winning both other meetings in the 2004 Sweet 16 and in the 2009 Great 8. The teams haven’t played each other since the 2009 postseason contest …The top-seeded Raptors (21-5) come into the semifinal on a five-game winning streak, which includes playoff wins over Heritage (68-46), Fossil Ridge (56-49) and Legend (64-49) following a first round bye. Eaglecrest’s Big Three of senior Blend Avdili and brothers Colbey and Elijah Ross — who were all selected to The Show all-star game this week — came up huge in the Great 8, as they combined to score 58 of the Raptors’ 64 points. Colbey Ross, the team’s leading scorer at more than 17 points per game, led the way with 23 points against the Titans and has been in double figures in all three postseason games (15.7 ppg average) and is just a shade in front of Avdili (who was tallied 15, 15 and 16 points – 15.3 ppg average) in the playoffs. Elijah Ross, who along with Avdili is a holdover from Eaglecrest’s 2013 state championship team, has scored at a 14 point per game clip in the postseason and been big at the free throw line in close games. Senior Peter Anderson didn’t score in the Great 8 contest, but the sharpshooter scored 10 points in each of the first two playoff games. Senior Anthony Karmazyn, sophomore Nate Bokol and versatile senior Darian Turner all serve important roles for Eaglecrest as well, especially against opponents with a lot of size. …Top-seeded ThunderRidge lost its last two regular season games to Continental League rivals Chaparral and Mountain Vista, but came off a first round bye to beat Horizon (46-35), Rampart (59-21) and Chaparral (52-47) in the playoffs. The Grizzlies didn’t need a lot of production from 6-foot-10 big man Zach Pirog in the first two playoff games (12 points combined), but he racked up 21 points to go with nine rebounds in the Great 8 win over the Wolverines and the Nebraska (Omaha)-bound standout is averaging 14.8 points, 10.3 rebounds and 3.1 blocked shots per game on the season. A pair of 6-6 juniors, Austin Mueller and Clay Verk, give the Grizzlies a size advantage over nearly every team they face, while senior guard Elias Tiedgen does something in just about every phase of the game to help his team win. Senior guard Noah Szilagyi averaged a shade under 8.0 points per game in the regular season, but has scored 12.7 ppg in three postseason contest, including a season-high 17-point effort against Horizon. …The winner gets a berth in the 5A state championship game scheduled for 8:30 p.m. Saturday against the winner of the other semifinal between No. 1 Overland and No. 6 Denver East. Eaglecrest split two games with Overland and beat Denver East this season, while ThunderRidge lost to Denver East.
8:30 p.m. — NO. 6 DENVER EAST (17-10) VS. NO. 1 OVERLAND (21-5)
Breakdown: Coach Danny Fisher has guided his Overland team to back-to-back 5A Final Fours after the program had a lengthy absence from playing this deep in the postseason. The Trailblazers have never won a state basketball championship and haven’t played in a state final since 1990, when they lost to Manual. Overland finds itself with the same opponent as it faced in last season’s semifinals — defending state champion Denver East — which won 77-65 in that meeting on the same floor. While the Trailblazers seek their first title, the Angels are looking to become the most decorated boys basketball program in Colorado history. Winners of four of the last 11 state championships, Denver East has 11 all-time titles, tied with Manual for the most in the state in any classification. The teams did not meet during the regular season. … Top-seeded Overland, the Centennial League champion, comes into the Final Four on a 15-game winning streak that includes comfortable postseason wins over Castle View (71-50), Grand Junction (71-36) and Mountain Vista (64-36) following a first round bye. The Trailblazers have been locked in during the postseason, playing with a maturity Fisher didn’t see in virtually the same team a year ago. Against the Golden Eagles in the Great 8, junior Reggie Gibson scored 14 points, senior University of Wyoming signee Austin Conway 12 and senior Air Force recruit Ryan Swan 10, while four other Overland players tallied six or more. With 6-foot-9 junior big man and double-double machine De’Ron Davis saddled with some foul trouble, senior starter Padiet Wang and tireless junior reserve Alijah Halliburton made sure the Trailblazers didn’t fall off on the glass and gave them plenty of energy in needed spots as they both have many times this season. Davis (16.4 ppg, 10.8 rpg), Gibson (11.0 ppg, 4.5 apg) and Conway (10.7 ppg, 4.5) are driving forces, but Overland has tons of depth with Swan, Wang, Halliburton, senior King Grant-Perry and others able to keep the level of play high all times. … By virtue of entering the postseason as a No. 6 seed, Denver East has played more postseason games than the other three teams left in the Final Four. The Angels lost their regular season finale to Denver South on Feb. 20, but have beaten Fairview (69-39), third-seeded Rock Canyon (69-61), second-seeded Rangeview (84-75) and top-seeded Regis Jesuit (53-48) to win the Jim Baggot Region title. The play of senior guard Brian Carey, the lone starter returning from last season’s championship team, is the chief reason the Angels have been so dangerous in the postseason, as he has scored 23.8 points per game in the postseason — including a 35-point outing against Rangeview — and most importantly has been difficult for opposing defenses to keep up with, which allows plenty of opportunities for his teammates. Junior Jack Buckmelter, a transfer from Colorado Academy, has averaged 14.6 points per game in 15 games after sitting out half the year and junior Deron Harrell — late of Aurora Central — is just outside double figures regularly at 9.6 points per game. Senior Jordan Willis is arguably the state’s most difficult player to keep off the boards — 11.2 rebounds per game — and chips in 8.9 points as well, while senior Ben Potts and junior Samba Dioum have made Denver East more difficult to attack on the interior with their play in recent weeks. …The winner gets a berth in the 5A state championship game scheduled for 8:30 p.m. Saturday against the winner of the other semifinal between No. 1 Eaglecrest and No. 1 ThunderRidge. Overland split two games with Eaglecrest, but did not play ThunderRidge this season, while Denver East beat ThunderRidge, but did not play Eaglecrest.
