Boys, girls basketball teams get serious about division play

Spencer Patterson

With the myriad of holiday tournaments in the rear-view mirror, it's time for local prep basketball teams to re-focus on the race for playoff berths.

Certainly, with over a month remaining in the regular season, every area boys and girls squad still has a mathematical chance to make the postseason.

Nevertheless, coaches know the next couple of weeks will go a long way toward determining who is in and who is out when mid-February's Southern Zone tournament rolls around.

So here's a look at how each division is shaping up:

* BOYS SUNRISE: A tough conference to call, with the favorites struggling to this point.

Green Valley and Eldorado were everyone's preseason picks to dominate, but the Gators' coaching carousel and the Sundevils' lack of consistent guard play have opened the door for the rest of the conference.

Rancho, Chaparral, Basic and Las Vegas all have a legitimate chance to reach the postseason, depending how long it takes Green Valley and Eldorado to right their ships.

The Rams were severely outsized in the Holiday Prep Classic last month, but bounced back with a strong showing in the Las Vegas Prep Championship the following week. Their dangerous guards should be enough to get them into the playoffs.

If their performance during the break is any indication, the Wildcats will likely also be there when the zone tournament opens on Feb. 16. After showing signs of breaking out of an early-season funk at the Holiday Prep, Las Vegas took second place at its own event.

That means two spots could be up for grabs between Green Valley, Eldorado, Basic and Chaparral. The guess here is that the Sundevils, who finished fourth at the Las Vegas tournament, will improve faster than the Gators and that the consistent Cowboys will edge the other two for the final spot.

Predicted order of finish: 1. Eldorado, 2. Rancho, 3. Chaparral, 4. Las Vegas.

* BOYS SUNSET: The fifth-place team here would likely wind up first in the Sunrise, and that means that either Bishop Gorman, Cheyenne, Cimarron-Memorial, Clark or Durango will be home for the playoffs.

The Desert Shields appear to be the cream of the crop this year, and barring a serious injury to one of their three starting guards, should win the division title and challenge for the 4A state crown.

The Gaels were the top local finishers at the Holiday Prep, then got more valuable experience at the Energy Classic in Wyoming. With 6-8 sophomore Jason Carter starting to come into his own, Gorman gets a playoff nod.

The Spartans probably will also be there, thanks in large part to the play of Marcus Banks. When the point guard is on his game, few teams in town can contain him, and his decision making seems to be improving.

So the final spot will likely come down to Durango and Clark. The Trailblazers may have the most talent in Nevada, while the Chargers clearly have the most talented player in senior Kevin Gaines.

But as holiday tournament action showed, when defenses make up their minds to stop Gaines, Clark has few options. Durango, on the other hand, has a deep lineup of capable scorers, defenders and ball handlers.

Predicted order of finish: 1. Cheyenne, 2. Bishop Gorman, 3. Cimarron-Memorial, 4. Durango.

* GIRLS SUNRISE: A conference of haves and have-nots, with the order of finish the only thing not all but set in stone.

With a rare (for Southern Nevada) mix of size and quickness, Silverado is the only team with a chance to challenge Gorman for this year's zone title, and should wind up atop the division for the second straight year.

Las Vegas, with 6-1 center Lillie Williams, is clearly the area's most improved club, while Basic guard Jennifer Kline continues to give her team a legitimate chance to beat anyone.

And despite early season struggles against the likes of Rancho and Eldorado, Green Valley has enough talent to return to the postseason, as evidenced by a four-point loss to Gorman.

Predicted order of finish: 1. Silverado, 2. Basic, 3. Green Valley, 4. Las Vegas.

* GIRLS SUNSET: The division is Bishop Gorman's for the taking, but from there things get a little interesting.

Five teams -- Bonanza, Cheyenne, Cimarron-Memorial, Durango and Palo Verde -- have a shot to make the playoffs, although none are likely to fare particularly well against northern opposition.

The Bengals would seem to have the best shot behind the one-two scoring punch of shooter Shastian Gago and post player Ronda Williams.

Despite losing zone player of the year Yolanda Banks to graduation, the Desert Shields have shown signs of life thus far, as have the Trailblazers and talented guard Danielle Boyack.

Predicted order of finish: 1. Bishop Gorman, 2. Bonanza, 3. Cheyenne, 4. Durango.

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