Boys basketball preview: 4A-6A wide open

By Jacob Seliga

Lead Writer

Starting Wednesday, the run to championship weekend begins for boys basketball. 

With the first two rounds of the Open Division wrapped up, the 4A-6A brackets start throughout the state. With that, different teams hope to get to Veterans Memorial Coliseum to hoist the gold ball. 

The 4A bracket appears to be a top heavy, talent rich tournament with some of the best players and prospects on the west coast.

Up in 5A, for the third time in four years it looks like it could be a West Valley celebration, continuing the trend Centennial and Ironwood started not long ago.

Lastly, the 6A bracket is wide open with many teams hoping to stake a claim for a championship that was won by a 10-seed just last season. 

4A bracket

Round One

No. 1 Sahuaro vs No. 16 Bradshaw Mountain

No. 8 Dysart vs No. 9 Paradise Honors

No. 4 Deer Valley vs No. 13 Cholla

No. 5 Cactus Shadows vs No. 12 ALA-Queen Creek

No. 3 St Mary’s vs No. 14 Arcadia

No. 6 Salpointe Catholic vs No. 11 Mica Mountain

No. 7 ALA Gilbert North vs No. 10 Saguaro

No. 2 Prescott vs No. 15 Mesquite

Quarterfinals 

No. 1 Sahuaro vs No. 8 Dysart

No. 4 Deer Valley vs No. 5 Cactus Shadows

No. 3 St Mary’s vs No. 11 Mica Mountain

No. 2 Prescott vs No. 10 Saguaro

Semifinals

No. 8 Dysart vs No. 4 Deer Valley

No. 2 Prescott vs No. 3 St Mary’s 

Finals

No. 2 Prescott vs No. 4 Deer Valley 

The top of the 4A bracket may be the best the conference has seen since the COVID-19 season, as each of the top four seeds enter the bracket with the ability to win a championship.

Sahuaro, behind do-it-all guard Cisco Llamas and center Jamal Ali, rolled through its southern Arizona competition to a home game in the Open Division and the No. 1 seed in the 6A bracket.

Prescott is led by one of the best guards on the West Coast in Uriah Tenette, who turned heads at the Damian Classic as he and the Badgers squared off against five-star Alijah Arena, where Tenette looked like the best player on the court. 

St Mary’s and the trio of 6’11” wing Cameron Williams, Carter Bagley and Brody Postorino has hit its stride since suffering a few bumps early in region play. The Knights went on the road to knock off West Point in round one of the Open and nearly defeated No. 2 Sunnyslope on the road in the Sweet 16. 

Deer Valley returns to the 4A bracket as the defending champion and arguably the hottest team in the conference. The Skyhawks went on the road in the Sweet 16 of the Open and nearly defeated No. 4 Basha, losing in the final seconds. Behind the Gonzalez brothers, Deer Valley may very well be the team to beat.

5A bracket

Round One

No. 1 Willow Canyon (Bye)

No. 8 Cienega vs No. 9 Carl Hayden

No. 4 Central vs No. 13 Paradise Valley 

No. 5 Catalina Foothills vs No. 12 Desert Mountain

No. 3 Mountain Pointe vs No. 14 Centennial

No. 6 Campo Verde vs No. 11 Verrado

No. 7 Buena vs No. 10 Horizon

No. 2 Canyon View (Bye)

Quarterfinals

No. 1 Willow Canyon vs No. 9 Carl Hayden

No. 4 Central vs No. 5 Catalina Foothills

No. 3 Mountain Pointe vs No. 11 Verrado

No. 2 Canyon View vs No. 7 Buena

Semifinals

No. 1 Willow Canyon vs No. 4 Central

No. 2 Canyon View vs No. 11 Verrado

Final

No. 1 Willow Canyon vs No. 2 Canyon View

Just as is the case on the girls’ side, the boys’ side of the 5A bracket appears to be heading towards a Westside coronation.

The top two seeds in the bracket have been two of the consensus top three teams in the conference all season alongside Ironwood, which advanced to the Elite 8 of the Open Division. 

Willow Canyon and Canyon View, outside of a few select games, have been dominant against competition this season. The domination has been most notably against the 5A Conference, as the teams have combined for one loss to teams in the conference. 

Willow Canyon, like multiple teams in the state this year, has benefited from a strong freshman class. Mo Carter II and Jaydon Hayes have led the way for the Wildcats alongside senior Kaleel Kelly as Willow Canyon is in the midst of its best season in program history.

Canyon View is on its third head coach in three years, but oddly enough has improved every year in spite of the inconsistency at the lead position. Quincy Kirk and DeNali McNeal may be the best duo in the entire conference and when healthy, rolled through in-state competition outside of the matchup against Basha at the beginning of the season.

6A Bracket

Round One

No. 1 Highland vs No. 16 Cesar Chavez

No. 8 Williams Field vs No. 9 Casteel

No. 4 West Point (Desert Vista Forfeit)

No. 5 Brophy Prep vs No. 12 Apollo

No. 3 Higley vs No. 14 Pinnacle

No. 6 Tucson vs No. 11 Mesa

No. 7 Hamilton vs No. 10. Red Mountain

No. 2 Liberty vs No. 15 Mountain View

Quarterfinals

No. 1 Highland vs No. 8 Williams Field

No. 4 West Point vs No. 5 Brophy

No. 3 Higley vs No. 6 Tucson

No. 2 Liberty vs No. 7 Hamilton

Semifinals

No. 1 Highland vs No. 5 Brophy 

No. 2 Liberty vs No. 3 Higley

Finals 

No. 5 Brophy vs No. 2 Liberty

Like the 4A bracket on the girls side, the 6A boys bracket may be the most wide open tournament.

A strong handful of teams can make a case to win this bracket, starting with the top two seeds Highland and Liberty.

Both teams have been up and down at different points of the season, with the Lions hitting their inconsistent streak in the second half of the year. The Hawks and Liberty each have the talent to make a deep run to the championship.

Brophy has been battle tested with one of the toughest schedules in the state coupled with the injury bug, but enters the bracket close to healthy for the first time this year.

Higley and West Point are each led by great guard play and have looked great against tough competition.

Tucson, Williams Field, Casteel, Hamilton, Red Mountain and Mesa all have the talent to make a run to the championship, as each team has at least one player capable of getting hot and carrying them as far as needed.

With the right talent and matchup, almost any team can make the championship, making this bracket the most entertaining overall.