Previewing Class 5A boys basketball Great 8 at Denver Coliseum
A look at each of the Great 8 boys basketball matchups Saturday at the Denver Coliseum:
No. 6 Valor Christian (19-6) vs. No. 19 George Washington (18-8)
Time: 12:30 p.m.
Players to watch: Valor — Roger Rosengarten, sr., F/C (11.6 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 2.2 apg); Amondo Miller, jr., G (12.1 ppg, 2.7 apg, 1.1 spg). GW — Kendale Johnson, jr., F (13.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 3.0 apg); Jarmell Johnson, jr., G (12.0 ppg, 1.4 spg).
Breakdown: Fresh off an upset of No. 3 seed Ralston Valley, the Patriots get a second crack at a Valor Christian squad that beat them by 11 on Feb. 20. Valor has won nine in a row, including a 60-52 nailbiter over Eaglecrest in the quarterfinals. Find a way to contain Kendale Johnson, who’s scored 20-plus in four straight GW wins, and that streak may rise to 10.
No. 5 Grandview (19-6) vs. No. 29 Regis Jesuit (13-13)
Time: 2 p.m.
Players to watch: Grandview — Caleb McGill, sr., F/C (17.3 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 1.4 bpg); Lian Ramiro, sr., G (15.3 ppg, 4.6 apg, 1.5 spg). Regis — Michael Wolf, jr., G (11.7 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.0 spg); Blakeley Stoughton, jr., F (10.2 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 1.5 spg).
Breakdown: With upset wins over No. 4 Cherry Creek and No. 13 Denver East, the Raiders are the Cinderellas of the 5A boys bracket. After starting the season with nine consecutive losses, Regis has won 13 of 17 to climb back to .500. Standing in the way of the school’s first Final Four trip since 2011 is the Wolves’ talented inside-outside duo of McGill and Ramiro.
No. 2 Fairview (22-3) vs. No. 7 Chaparral (19-6)
Time: 5 p.m.
Players to watch: Fairview — Greysen Carter, jr., G (17.6 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 1.8 spg); Jalen Page, sr., F (13.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.1 bpg). Chaparral — Kobe Sanders, sr., G (20.2 ppg, 4.5 apg, 1.0 spg); Jeremiah Coleman, so., G (10.3 ppg, 2.5 apg, 1.8 spg).
Breakdown: A rematch of both teams’ season opener (Fairview won 66-60) features two squads riding double-digit win streaks, with Chaparral at 10 and Fairview at 16. The Wolverines are one win away from a second straight Final Four appearance after surviving Tuesday’s 85-82 double-OT thriller against Smoky Hill. The long, athletic Knights, led by Page and 6-foot-4 Vanderbilt pitching prospect Carter, offer an even tougher test.
No. 1 Rangeview (25-0) vs. No. 9 Columbine (21-4)
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Players to watch: Rangeview — Obi Agbim, sr., G (13.0 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 3.1 apg); Christian Speller, sr., G (11.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.0 apg). Columbine — Luke O’Brien, sr., G/F (25.6 ppg, 12.6 rpg, 3.3 apg); Justin Lohrenz, sr., F (12.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg).
Breakdown: The defending champion Raiders have won 44 straight games dating back to 2019. Bidding to become 5A’s first unbeaten champ in more than a decade, they boast a balanced and experienced roster with four players averaging double-digit points per game. On the other side stands Columbine’s O’Brien — a 6-foot-8 scoring machine and CU recruit who has been held under 20 points just four times all season.