AURORA | A capsule look at the first round matchup involving an Aurora team in the Class 4A boys state basketball playoffs, which begin on Feb. 23, 2022:
Courtney Oakes is Sentinel Colorado Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@sentinelcolorado.com.Twitter: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
No. 34 Aurora Central (10-11) at No. 31 Roosevelt (13-10), 6 p.m.
BREAKDOWN: Aurora Central has qualified for the state playoffs for four consecutive seasons, including the last two since moving down from Class 5A to 4A prior to the 2021 season. Coach Marcus Shelton’s Trojans won their first state tournament game last season before they lost in the Sweet 16. Aurora Central comes into the postseason on a three-game losing streak, including the last two in the Colorado League tournament. The Trojans are paced by explosive junior Cai’Reis Curby, who has averaged more than 17 points per game this season, while he is regularly joined in double digits by seniors Jaelan Johnson (15.4 ppg) and Brian Weatherford (11.5). Weatherford and senior Marcus Howard are multi-sport athletes from the football team who provide toughness and rebounding on the interior with averages of 7.7 and 9.1 rebounds per game, respectively. Those four spent a lot of time on the court as does versatile junior Trevon Simmons-Adams. …Roosevelt had a two-game winning streak snapped with a loss to Riverdale Ridge in its regular season finale. Coach Matthew Geniesse’s Roughriders got a big start to the season from senior captain Brock Saya, a guard who averaged 23 points per game in the first three and showed a penchant for shooting from the perimeter. …WINNER GETS: The Aurora Central-Roosevelt winner moves into a 4A second round matchup on Feb. 26 against second-seeded Pueblo South (23-0).