On the passing of Bob Knight...

Definitely the end of an era, as if the turning of the page in basketball across the nation meant that he could no longer be part of this world. He could not exist in the same place with NILs and transfer portals taking over the game that he loved.

It was my great fortune as a coach to meet and spend time with John Wooden, Dean Smith, and Bob Knight- three of the four spots on the Mount Rushmore of basketball coaches that almost everyone agrees on. My fourth spot would go to Royce Youree, who I had the luck to play for, coach with, and have as a lifetime mentor. I saw the respect that coaches at all levels had for Coach Youree, who was also named by the Arizona Republic as the Coach of the 20th Century in Arizona, so it's not just me.

I met Coach Wooden at an ASU practice one day when his former player, Steve Patterson, was the head coach. He was sitting alone and so I wandered over to him and introduced myself. He immediately invited me to sit down and we talked about many things- in basketball and out, for the next hour. When we parted, he even invited me to come visit if I was ever in Santa Monica. I know he meant it, but I never was so presumptuous as to take him up on it, as much as I wanted to.

I met Dean Smith at the first coaching clinic I ever attended, which was at Mission Bay in San Diego. I got to the session with Bill Foster, the then head coach of Duke University, and was late. The room was full, so the only place I could find to sit was a long table that had a large coffee maker and some fruit juice containers. I sat down and a few minutes later, someone came in and sat next to me. I turned to say hello and to my shock, it was Dean Smith. He was going to be the next speaker and had gotten there early. After saying a polite hello, I noticed that Coach Smith had a cigarette tucked inside his curled up fingers, obviously smoking it and then trying to hide it. It was a great segue to open a conversation and I said "I didn't know you smoked." Brilliant, right? But, he said "Yes and it is a very bad habit that I wish I could quit." We then talked for the next thirty minutes- just like with Coach Wooden- about basketball and other things.

In the fall of 1987, I knew Coach Youree's system well, having assisted him. I wanted to see someone in the profession who everyone said was great and have some basis for comparison with what I had learned. Bob Knight was considered great and was just coming off an improbable national championship earlier that spring. I mentioned to my good friend and coaching colleague Bill Farrell that I wanted to see Coach Knight in action- at practices. Bill was intrigued and one thing led to another and we found ourselves in Bloomington, Indiana for the first practices of the '87-'88 season. We had to fly to Indianapolis and rent a car to get to Bloomington. The route took us through Martinsville, the hometown of John Wooden. The movie "Hoosiers" had just come out and the drive to Bloomington in October brought the movie home to us. We even passed by Larry Bird Ford, which had a parquet wood showroom floor. For guys who loved basketball like we did, this was Mecca.

When we got to Bloomington, the first practice was just starting. Coach Knight has closed practices and for a person to get in, you had to be on a list, which we fortunately were. It was the first day of the new season and we were two of the four people who were allowed in. One of the others was the President of the University. We were taken to some seats that were reserved for us. Now, this was in Assembly Hall, which seats 18,000, and us four had designated seats. Talk about dotting every i and crossing every t.

To make a very long story short, we spent five days in Bloomington and it was one of the greatest experiences of my life. Here is what you should know about Coach Knight. He used profanity extensively in practice to prepare his players for the crowds in the Big Ten, who are to this day some of the most obscene and unruly fans anywhere. He used profanity with most of the media- not with the few who he respected. He did that because he had a contempt for the media and knew they would have to bleep his answers. When you spoke to him in his office or in other private settings, he rarely said a bad word. He was a brilliant coach and tactician and reminded me of Coach Youree in his understanding of how important the little things were to teach. His players loved him, because he put them in positions to win games, because he demanded the best from them and himself, because he helped them off the court in so many ways including years after their time in Bloomington was done, and because they became part of his extended family. Families can have issues here and there as we all know, and certainly when Steve Alford became a coach, he and Coach Knight butted heads, but a few days ago I saw Steve get choked up just looking at a picture of him and Coach Knight on the bench together after winning the 1987 title. After regaining his composure, Alford said how much he loved the man and how much he had meant in his life. That is what sports is supposed to do for us.

Finally, Bob Knight gave me the best single piece of advice I ever got. I had questions as to why Indiana would put so much pressure on the perimeter players, but allow the ball to be passed to the post, which put the ball right in the middle- the most dangerous area. I thought, as I had been taught by Coach Youree, that you must deny the entry pass to the post. I still believe that. We were out on the court after one of the practices when Coach Knight came up to me and pondered my issue with his technique. He then put his arm around my shoulder and gently, but firmly, turned me to where the gigantic national championship banners were hanging from the ceiling in Assembly Hall and said: "you know, coach, when it comes down to it, there's all kinds of ways to get it done." That stuck with me my entire career and made me respect how other coaches do their work. It was not up to me to criticize them, but it was up to me to prepare for them. It made me a better coach and I thank him for that.

Rest in peace, Coach. A job well done.

So what does it look like ?

Some teams may look a little different but for the most part here we go..

The 1st initial Preseason rankings...

So what does it look like ?

Some teams may look a little different but for the most part here we go..

The 1st initial Preseason rankings...

So what does it look like ?

Some teams may look a little different but for the most part here we go..

The 1st initial Preseason rankings...

This Thursday begins the first round of the 4A-6A playoffs and I'll be making my 2nd trip to an ALA school this year. Heading out to Gilbert to see ALAGN play against Marana. A huge receiver matchup and there should be plenty of points.

Marana (5-5) has been one of the most schizophrenic teams this year. The Tigers trampled Buena 55-0, clobbered Casa Grande 42-9, and gave top-seeded Higley a tough battle before falling 29-24. Marana also lost games to a pair of non-playoff teams in Marana Mountain View & Sunnyside, which explains why they have to get on the bus for this one. MHS averaged 33.5 points per game this year and have WR Dezmen Roebuck (105 receptions, 1260 yards, 10 TDs scored). He also plays defense and has 4 interceptions.

ALA-Gilbert North (6-4) made the 3A semifinals in 2021 and was the 4A champion in 2022. Now the Eagles are in the 5A playoffs. ALAGN is averaging 39 points per game this year and have a 1,000-yard receiver of its own in Brandon Phelps. The senior had 65 catches for 1228 yards and scored 14 TDs. He holds career marks for receiving yards (4,530), receptions (263), and receiving touchdowns (58). The Eagles scored at least 21 points in losses to ALAQC, Desert Mountain, Higley, and Horizon. If you're keeping score, those losses were to 2 Open teams, the #1 seed in 5A, and the #3 seed in 5A. A rematch with the Huskies could be on the "horizon" as the winner of this one plays the Canyon View-Horizon winner in the quarterfinals next week.

This week could be the week I finally get a game closer than 12 points. We'll see. Out of 10 games I attended, every one was decided by 12-24 points except for one blowout.

OK here we go

I am sure to get this wrong

I will do 1-2 at a time.

65 team breakdown:
20 6A
26 5A
13 4A
5 3A
1 2A

Well it is that time of year

for college and HS lol

Well here we go for another year...

I am slowly piecing my schedule together...

It's the last week of the regular season and I'll be in Gilbert at Highland HS to see if the Hawks can (finally) get themselves into the Open Division. Highland, the 6A East Valley champ, hosts Desert Ridge.

Desert Ridge (5-4) has won 4 straight and currently sits at #13 in the 6A bracket. The Jaguars should be safe even with a loss, but you never know. An upset win could vault DRHS all the way to a top-8 seed and a home game.

Highland (7-2) finished #10 in Open rankings in 2022 and #9 in 2021, despite most of the public feeling that the Hawks were worthy. The Hawks went on to claim the 6A title both seasons. This year, it looked like the Hawks were IN (a 22-21 win over Basha in Week 2), and then OUT (a 35-24 loss to Lone Peak, Utah in Week 3). A 2-point loss to Chandler in Week 5 showed that the Hawks can play at this level. 4 straight wins after that (all by double digits, including ALA-Queen Creek) have put Highland in a position where they can take it out of the computer formula and into its own hands.

This week, I'll be making a visit to the PXU and checking out the top program in the district - Central. The Bobcats are hosting North.

There are 10 schools in the PXU and the only one I've never seen play live is North. That changes this week and the Mustangs have earned a look with a 3-game winning streak to even up their record at 4-4. Remember, North has had to do it without Luke Haugo and Ezy Brown, who both transferred out (to Higley). North hasn't posted any stats all year, so I have no idea who's been doing what. They do list a roster with 40 players, so we'll see if any of them can make plays at Central.

There might only be 2 more chances for people to see the 2023 Central Bobcats (7-1). That's because, despite playing Mountain Pointe to a 28-21 game, the rest of the schedule (the other 90 percent) is so bad that the Bobcats are ranked No. 17. With only one team currently slated to go to the Open, that puts Central in that last spot. They really need Desert Mountain and Mountain Pointe to win out. The offense has been amazing as CHS has scored at least 40 points in all 7 wins and even busted 60 three times. Freshman QB Cam Allen has 24 TD passes and just 3 interceptions. Tennessee transfer Khameron Athy went over the 1,000-yard mark last week and just got his first offer from Southern Utah. Breon Ballard has 10 TD catches and 721 yards receiving.

I've been watching Chandler Hovik build this program up over the last few years. His first full season in 2019 was a 2-8 one. Then the Bobcats had to endure the COVID year (1-2). I checked them out in 2021 against Verrado and they weren't ready yet, falling 47-7. Went back to Central last year as it defeated Fairfax for the first time in program history (27-20). The team has improved to 5-4 in 2021 to 9-1 last season and is primed for a 9-1 mark this year (and is even better than last year). I just hope the numbers break in such a way that they at least get a chance to win that first playoff game since 1972. Yes, it will probably be a rout (just my 2nd one all season), but I gotta see this offense at full throttle (47.9 ppg) and will probably get an early ending to my night.

Pay for coaches, respect for assistant coaches, and the club scene- here we go....

I will really be preaching to the choir on pay for coaches. People who coach generally do it because of their love of a sport, or sports; and because of their desire to help young people. The vast majority of these people do not get compensated fairly for their efforts on behalf of society, and many do not receive any financial renumeration at all, but are simply called "volunteers". The two major reasons for coaching transiency are lack of institutional support- administrators- and poor pay. Any head coach at a high school who is also a teacher will tell you that doing both is like having two full time jobs. The schools pay you a "stipend" that starts with the first day of regular practice and ends with the last game of the regular season. If that is all the work the coach is putting in to his/her sport, then they are not going to be successful. Coaching has become a year-round endeavor. Coaching contracts include language that says someone can be let go without cause, so when you are two or three athletic directors or principals down the road from the ones who hired you, that is some very thin ice you are walking on. Here's an example- when I was hired at Mountain Pointe in 1997 by Harold Slemmer, the other people in the room with him were the District Athletic Director and the school's AD. At that moment Harold promised me the three things that it would take to have a top program- and pay wasn't one of them. He would give me a basketball PE class, would get my assistant coaches jobs on campus, and make the gyms available to our program in the summers for camps, clinics, and leagues. The District AD nodded his approval, which was instrumental in me accepting the job, even though I was actually going to take a $12,000 a year pay cut to leave the Phoenix Union High School District. Being penalized for jumping districts is another detriment to coaching longevity, but that's different story. That's how important those promises from Harold and the District AD were to me. Harold left for the AIA two years later, and within two years after that, all three of the things he had promised were taken away. I appealed all the way up to the Superintendent to have the district abide by Harold's promises. They said Harold's promises left with Harold. Now can you understand why coaches bounce around?

Assistant coaches get almost no respect from administrations, get very low pay, and in most cases volunteer all their time. If they don't have or get a job on campus, it is almost impossible to retain them for any length of time. Their status on the staff is even more tenuous than the head coach, because an administrator can have you get rid of them at any moment- without so much as a hearing. A parent complaint is usually the nexus. I had one AD at Camelback call me in and tell me to let one of my assistants go, because he wanted to replace him with a friend of his. He talked to me like it was no big deal to tell my coach he was out. I resisted and he backed down, but you can see the regard that administrators have for assistants in many cases. Junior colleges aren't any better when it comes to assistant pay and esteem. At MCC, I had $4700 to spend on assistant coaches. How can you get anyone to stay for $4700 a year? If you have multiple assistants, they expect you to split the $4700 accordingly. They need a job on campus. One of my first assistants there was Mike Grothaus. We all know what an outstanding coach he is. I went to a VP at Mesa and told her that Mike would take over for me when I moved on and he would nail that job for the next thirty years with great success. He was someone you just couldn't let get away, but he needed a job on campus. She basically told me that he "was just a coach" and dismissed my whole argument. He left and won a state championship at Basha. How is MCC doing?

As for club ball, I can't believe I am going to say this, but it is the inevitable future of basketball. I tried to fight the culture, but in the end, it is like a terminal disease- it wins. I played basketball in Europe in the 70's and the club system was how sports was done. There was no interscholastic athletics. I didn't think I would ever see it take hold here, but it has and it is the future. The genie is out of the bottle. The club system in Europe brought about the end of "amateur" athletics in the Olympics. Transfer portals and NILs are integral parts of the club system and have now begun to take over colleges and, soon, high schools. The difference between the haves and have-nots in college and high school will eventually become so egregious that schools will begin to abandon interscholastic athletics, because paying athletes is just not their mission, just like the Euros have. Prep schools will be the mark for serious athletes and the rest will feature intramurals. Right now, the best coaches aren't there, but someday they will be, and they will be compensated accordingly, as will their staff. Look around you- there are European players gaining a lot of traction in American sports, as well as European coaches. Their club systems are set up for it.

As a side note, I just came back from Michigan, where I had the opportunity to watch Michigan State men's basketball practice. I sat next to a high school coach from a school in Michigan, who was taking copious notes for about the first 15 minutes of the practice. He quietly closed his notebook and slumped back in his seat and I put my hand on his shoulder and said "yeah, I get it. We just don't have anything in common with this, do we?" The Spartans had superior athletes at every position, had at least fifteen managers, cameras all over the gym that could film each individual player, basketballs with computer chips in them to jive with the chips in each player's shoes to do live stats, and a huge video screen where those live stats were instantaneously seen by the coaches- of whom there were six assistants, all full time employees of the university. These will be the last bastion schools for interscholastic sports and they are right now grouping up into "super-conferences", to the detriment of smaller universities. Down the road, they will be the last to give way to the inevitable.

See you soon...

I've got a busy week of local high school sports this week. I'll be at soccer and volleyball matches on Wednesday and Thursday, then at the Walkup Skydome Friday as the Flagstaff Eagles host Lee Williams.

Saturday is NAU football's bye, so I'll be catching up on some much-needed sleep and probably just watching some other football on TV.

We're officially in week eight of the big school season and 60/78 5A & 6A teams are on a bye week this week. With that being the case, there's not many options for quality games in the West Valley this week. That is why I'm taking advantage of Salpointe Catholic making the trip to North Peoria and checking them out against Liberty. A lot of attention will be on this game as Keona Wilhite and Elijah Rushing both have decommitted from the University of Arizona recently and have a LOT of top tier schools interested in where they end up. I wouldn't be surprised if the sidelines are littered with Power Five assistants and probably a few BIG coaches from Arizona State as well since they're on a bye... Navi Bruzon has looked like one of the top talents in the state so far once again and this will be the toughest pass rush that the Lions OLine and Bruzon have faced so far and it'll be interesting to see if they can force some pressure onto the Lions who haven't been tested by an in-state team so far... Can't wait... Jim Barnett also said he's only playing 80's & 90's rap so it'll be a fun vibe in the NoPo.

Here we go again.

Already know of 2 job openings!
I can only comment on 1 though

I'll be in Prescott watching the Flagstaff Eagles play in a road game against the Badgers.

The Eagles need a win pretty badly at 2-4. Interestingly, Flagstaff has won both of its road games this season and have gone without a win at home. Thus, the Eagles could benefit from a road contest. Both the Eagles and Badgers are looking for their first 4A Grand Canyon Region victory.

4A Desert Sky Region
1. Arizona College Prep (8-2, 5-0) W vs Combs, Desert Sunrise, Mesquite, Arcadia
2. Arcadia (9-1, 4-1) W vs Mesquite, Combs, Vista Grande, L vs ACP
3. Vista Grande (8-2, 3-2) W vs Rincon/University, Mesquite, Combs, L vs Arcadia
4. Mesquite (4-6, 2-3) W vs Desert Sunrise, L vs Arcadia, Vista Grande, ACP
5. Combs (2-8, 1-4) W vs Desert Sunrise
6. Desert Sunrise (0-10, 0-5)

4A East Sky Region
1. Eastmark (8-2, 4-0) W vs Region
2. Snowflake (7-3, 3-1) W vs AJ, Poston, MdN, Sierra Linda, L vs Eastmark
3. Poston Butte (6-4, 2-2) L vs Snowflake, W vs AJ, GR, MdN
4. Marcos De Niza (5-5, 1-3) L vs Snowflake, Eastmark, PB, W vs Lake Havasu
5. Apache Junction (1-9, 0-4) L vs Coconino, region

4A West Valley
1. Northwest Christian (10-0, 5-0) W vs Region
2. Yuma Catholic (9-1, 4-1) L vs NWC
3. Thunderbird (7-3, 3-2) L vs YC, NWC
4. Buckeye (7-3, 2-3) L vs TBird, YC, NWC
5. St Mary's (4-6, 1-4) W vs Moon Valley, Lake Havasu
6. Lake Havasu (1-9, 0-5)

4A Skyline Region
1. Youngker (8-2, 5-0) W vs Region
2. Glendale (7-3, 4-1) L vs Youngker
3. Peoria (6-4, 3-2) L vs Glendale
4. Greenway (5-5, 2-3) W vs Moon Valley, Carl Hayden
5. Moon Valley (3-7, 1-4) W vs Carl Hayden
6. Carl Hayden (0-10, 0-5)

4A Southwest Region
1. Independence (8-2, 4-0) W vs Region
2. Sierra Linda (5-5, 2-2) L vs Indy, Snowflake
3. Seton Catholic (3-7, 2-2) W vs Gila Ridge, La Joya
4. La Joya (1-9, 1-3) W vs Gila Ridge
5. Gila Ridge (1-9, 0-4) L vs Region

4A Copper Sky Region
1. Estrella Foothills (7-3, 5-0) W vs Region
2. Deer Valley (6-4, 4-1) L v EF
3. Copper Canyon (4-6, 3-2) W vs Maryvale, Alhambra
4. Washington (5-5, 2-3) W vs Carl Hayden, Alhambra, Maryvale
5. Maryvale (2-8, 1-4) W vs Alhambra
6. Alhambra (0-10, 0-5)

4A Gila Region
1. Amphi (8-2, 6-0) W vs Region
2. Cholla (7-3, 5-1) W vs remaining region schedule
3. Rio Rico (5-5, 4-2) L vs Amphi, Cholla
4. Douglas (4-6, 3-3) L vs Cholla, Rio Rico
5. Empire (3-7, 2-4) W vs Rincon/University
6. Rincon/University (3-7, 1-5) W vs Sahuarita
7. Sahuarita (1-9, 0-7)

4A Kino Region
1. Canyon Del Oro (10-0, 5-0)
2. Mica Mountain (9-1, 4-1) L vs CDO
3. Walden Grove (6-4, 3-2) L vs MM, CDO
4. Catalina Foothills (4-6, 2-3) L vs Top 3
5. Pueblo (4-6, 1-4) W vs Sahuaro
6. Sahuaro (2-8, 0-5)

4A Grand Canyon Region
1. Coconino (8-2, 5-0)
2. Bradshaw Mountain (8-2, 4-1)
3. Lee Williams (7-3, 3-2) L vs Top Two
4. Mingus Union (5-5, 2-3) L vs Top Three
5. Prescott (3-7, 1-4) W vs Flag
6. Flagstaff (2-8, 0-5) L vs Region

4A sends CDO to the Open.

4A Playoffs would look something like:
1. Northwest Christian 10-0
2. Mica Mountain 9-1
3. Yuma Catholic 9-1
4. Arcadia 9-1
5. ACP 8-2
6. Eastmark 8-2
7. Thunderbird 7-3
8. Buckeye 7-3
9. Coconino 8-2
10. Bradshaw 8-2
11. Lee Williams 7-3
12. Youngker 8-2
13. Vista Grande 8-2
14. Walden Grove 6-4
15. Amphi 8-2
16. Poston Butte 6-4

Same this as yesterday with 6A, Let's do this! (one key difference, we'll go region by region)

5A Desert West Region
1. Desert Edge (9-1, 5-0) W vs Sunrise Mountain, Canyon View, Cactus, Verrado
2. Cactus (6-4, 3-2) W vs Verrado, Sunrise Mountain, Millennium, L vs Desert Edge
3. Sunrise Mountain (5-5 3-2) W vs Millennium, Canyon View, L vs Cactus, Desert Edge
4. Millennium (5-5, 2-3) W vs Canyon View, Verrado, L vs Sunrise Mountain, Cactus
5. Canyon View (4-6, 2-3) L vs Millennium, Sunrise Mountain, Desert Edge, W vs Verrado
6. Verrado (3-7, 0-5) L vs Cactus, Millennium, Canyon View, Desert Edge

5A Northwest Region
1. Apollo (9-1 4-0) W vs Shadow Ridge, Willow Canyon, Agua Fria, Goldwater
2. Agua Fria (7-3, 3-1) W vs Willow Canyon, Goldwater, L vs Apollo, Cactus Shadows
3. Goldwater (5-5, 2-2) W vs Ironwood, Willow Canyon, L vs Agua Fria, Goldwater
4. Willow Canyon (2-8, 1-3) W vs Ironwood, L vs Agua Fria, Apollo, Goldwater
5. Ironwood (1-9, 0-4) L vs Goldwater, Desert Vista, Willow Canyon, Apollo

5A Central Valley Region
1. Kellis (9-1, 5-0) W vs North Canyon, Paradise Valley, Westview, Cibola
2. Westview (6-4, 4-1) L vs Kellis, W vs Paradise Valley, Cibola, West Point
3. Paradise Valley (4-6, 3-2) L vs Westview, Kellis, W vs West Point, North Canyon
4. North Canyon (3-7, 2-3) L vs Kellis, Paradise Valley, W vs Cibola, West Point
5. West Point (1-9, 1-4) W vs Cibola, L vs North Canyon, Paradise Valley, Westview
6. Cibola (0-10, 0-5) L vs remaining region opponents.

5A Northeast Valley Region
1. Desert Mountain (9-1, 4-1) L vs Higley, W vs ALA Gilbert North, Cactus Shadows, Notre Dame Prep
2. Higley (8-2, 4-1) L vs Horizon, W vs ALA Gilbert North, Notre Dame Prep, Desert Mountain, Williams Field
3. Horizon (8-2, 4-1) W vs Notre Dame Prep, Cactus Shadows, ALA Gilbert North, Higley
4. Notre Dame Prep (5-5, 2-3) W vs Cactus Shadows, ALA Gilbert North, L vs Horizon, Higley, Desert Mountain
5. ALA Gilbert North (5-5, 1-4) W vs Cactus Shadows, L vs Notre Dame Prep, Higley, Desert Mountain, Horizon
6. Cactus Shadows (4-6, 0-5) W vs Agua Fria, L vs Region

5A Metro Region
1. Central (9-1, 5-0) W vs Region
2. Camelback (5-5, 4-1) W vs North, Betty Fairfax, North, L vs Central
3. Trevor Browne (4-6, 3-2) W vs North, South Mountain, Betty Fairfax, L vs Central
4. North (3-7, 2-3) W vs South Mountain, L vs Camelback, Central, Trevor Browne
5. South Mountain (2-8, 1-4) W vs Betty Fairfax, L vs Camelback, North, Trevor Browne
6. Betty Fairfax (0-10, 0-5) L vs Region

5A San Tan Region
1. Campo Verde (6-4, 5-0) W vs Region
2. McClintock (7-3, 4-1) L vs Campo Verde, W vs Gilbert, Dobson, Sunnyslope
3. Sunnyslope (4-6, 3-2) W vs Dobson, Skyline, L vs Campo Verde, McClintock
4. Gilbert (4-6, 2-3) L vs McClintock, Campo Verde, W vs Dobson, Skyline
5. Skyline (4-6, 1-4) W vs Dobson, L vs Campo Verde, Sunnyslope, Gilbert
6. Dobson (1-9, 0-5), L to Region

5A Sonoran Region
1. Ironwood Ridge (9-1, 5-0) W vs Region
2. Mountain View Marana (5-5, 4-1) L vs Ironwood Ridge, W vs Flowing Wells, Tucson, Nogales, Maricopa
3. Tucson (4-6, 3-2) L vs Mountain View Marana, Ironwood Ridge, W vs Maricopa, Flowing Wells, Nogales
4. Maricopa (4-6, 2-3) L vs Tucson, Mountain View Marana, Ironwood Ridge, W vs Flowing Wells, Nogales
5. Flowing Wells (2-8, 1-4) W vs Nogales, L vs Tucson, Mountain View Marana, Ironwood Ridge, Maricopa
6. Nogales (0-10, 0-5) L to Region

5A Southern Region
1. Marana (6-4, 5-0) W vs Region
2. Casa Grande (7-3, 4-1) W vs Region besides Marana
3. Cienega (6-4, 3-2) L to Marana, Casa Grande, W vs Buena, Desert View, Sunnyside
4. Buena (7-3, 2-3) L vs Cienega, Casa Grande, W vs Desert View, Sunnyside
5. Sunnyside (3-7, 1-4) W vs Desert View
6. Desert View (3-7, 0-5) L vs Region

Assuming this is how it plays out; I think Desert Edge gets the edge (no pun intended) as the lone 5A team to go to the open division. With that being the case, let's breakdown how the 5A bracket would most likely look like.

1. Desert Mountain
2. Higley
3. Horizon
4. Apollo
5. Ironwood Ridge
6. Notre Dame Prep
7. Central
8. Kellis
9. ALA Gilbert North
10. Campo Verde
11. Cactus
12. McClintock
13. Marana
14. Casa Grande
15. Sunrise Mountain
16. Millennium

First Teams Out: Cienega, Canyon View, Mountain View Marana, Agua Fria

Prior to the season, I predicted the schedule and records of each team in the 6A conference based off what I knew about each team heading into the season. For some teams, I was right on the money. For others, not so much. With five weeks remaining in the season, I've decided to predict the rest of season and to see if I can do better than I did before. For each team I'll put their current record and what I predicted them to finish alongside their updated prediction.
The teams are listed 1-31 in order of the AIA rankings. Afterwards, I'll predict who makes the open and the 16 teams that would make the 6A playoff bracket.

1. Centennial (6-0): W vs Chandler, vs Chaparral, vs Pinnacle, L vs Liberty. (9-1, Pre: 7-3, I was wrong about the offense)
2. Chandler (6-0) L vs Centennial, W vs Basha, Perry, Hamilton. (9-1, Pre: 8-2)
3. Liberty (4-1) W vs Pinnacle, Salpointe, Saguaro, Chaparral, Centennial (9-1, Pre: 9-1)
4. ALA Queen Creek (5-1) W vs Red Mountain, Williams Field, Queen Creek, L vs Highland (8-2, Pre: 3-7... Sorry Patriots, I was wrong about everything)
5. Basha (5-1) W vs Hamilton, Casteel, Perry, L vs Chandler (8-2, Pre: 9-1)
6. Pinnacle (5-1) W vs O'Connor, L vs Liberty, Centennial, Saguaro (6-4, Pre: 7-3)
7. Hamilton (5-1) W vs Casteel, Red Mountain, L vs Basha, Chandler (7-3, Pre: 9-1)
8. Highland (4-2) W vs Williams Field, ALA Queen Creek, Queen Creek, Desert Ridge (8-2, Pre: 8-2)
9. Saguaro (3-3) W vs Chaparral, Salpointe, Pinnacle, L vs Liberty (6-4, Pre: 7-3)
10. Williams Field (5-1) W vs Perry, L vs Highland, ALA Queen Creek, Higley (6-4, Pre: 6-4)
11. Red Mountain (4-2) W vs Queen Creek, Mountain View, L vs ALA Queen Creek, Hamilton (6-4, Pre: 6-4)
12. Salpointe Catholic (5-0) W vs Corona Del Sol, Mountain Pointe, L vs Liberty, Saguaro, Brophy Prep (7-3, Pre: 6-4)
13. Brophy Prep (4-2) W vs Desert Vista, vs Corona Del Sol, vs Salpointe, L vs Mountain Pointe (7-3, Pre: 5-5)
14. Casteel (4-2) W vs Corona Del Sol, L vs Perry, Hamilton, Basha (5-5, Pre: 7-3)
15. Corona Del Sol (2-3) W vs Desert Vista, L vs Salpointe, Mountain Pointe, Brophy, Casteel (3-7, Pre: 5-5, Woah Was I OFF...)
16. Mountain View (4-2) W vs Mesa, Tolleson, Chavez, L vs Red Mountain (7-3, Pre: 4-6, I was wrong again)
17. Perry (5-1) W vs Casteel, L vs Williams Field, Chandler, Basha (6-4, Pre: 6-4)
18. Mountain Pointe (4-2) W vs Corona Del Sol, Brophy, Desert Vista, L vs Salpointe (7-3, Pre: 7-3)
19. O'Connor (3-3) W vs Boulder Creek, Valley Vista, Mountain Ridge, L vs Pinnacle (6-4, Pre: 8-2)
20. Mesa (4-2) W vs Westwood, L vs Mountain View, Chavez, Desert Ridge (5-5, Pre: 4-6)
21. Boulder Creek (2-4) W vs Valley Vista, Shadow Ridge, Chaparral, L vs O'Connor (5-5, Pre: 3-7, I was wrong about the rushing attack)
22. Desert Ridge (2-4) W vs Tolleson, Westwood, Mesa, L vs Highland (5-5, Pre: 7-3)
23. Queen Creek (2-4) W vs Brighton, L vs Red Mountain, Highland, ALA Queen Creek (3-7, Pre: 6-4)
24. Chaparral (2-4) L vs Saguaro, Centennial, Liberty, Boulder Creek (2-8, Pre: 4-6)
25. Cesar Chavez (3-3) W vs Westwood, Mesa, Tolleson, L vs Mountain View (6-4, Pre: 4-6)
26. Desert Vista (1-5) W vs Ironwood, L vs Brophy, Corona Del Sol, Mountain Pointe (2-8, Pre: 2-8)
27. Mountain Ridge (0-6) W vs Valley Vista, Shadow Ridge, Goldwater, L vs O'Connor (3-7, Pre: 1-9)
28. Westwood (1-5) L vs Chavez, Desert Ridge, Tolleson, Mesa (1-9, Pre: 2-8)
29. Shadow Ridge (1-5) W vs Valley Vista, L vs Apollo, Mountain Ridge, Boulder Creek (2-8, Pre: 4-6)
30. Valley Vista (1-5) L vs Mountain Ridge, Boulder Creek, O'Connor, Shadow Ridge (1-9, Pre: 2-8)
31. Tolleson (1-5) W vs Westwood, L vs Desert Ridge, Mountain View, Chavez (2-8, Pre: 6-4) This was the biggest L I took hands down

As we can see, I wasn't exactly accurate on each prediction but I wasn't entirely wrong either. Nevertheless, based off these predictions the open would probably take these 6A teams:
1. Liberty
2. Centennial
3. Chandler
4. Basha
5. ALA Queen Creek
6. Hamilton
7. Highland

That leaves 24 teams fighting for 16 playoff spots. I'd assume the bracket would look like:
1. Saguaro
2. Pinnacle
3. Williams Field
4. Red Mountain
5. Brophy
6. Salpointe
7. Perry
8. Mountain Pointe
9. Mountain View
10. O'Connor
11. Casteel
12. Mesa
13. Desert Ridge
14 Boulder Creek
15. Cesar Chavez
16. Queen Creek

Earlier this week I created a football version of March Madness and as I sit here today, I'm thinking to myself... Why not make March Madness with high school hoops in September? So that's exactly what I did. I created a 64-team bracket with four regions of 16 teams just like they do in the NCAA tournament and seeded all 64 teams in order. With our guy @Gregg Rosenberg releasing his list of the top 73 teams in the state as we get closer to tip off, I used his rankings in order to determine teams 32-64 in the bracket. That only left teams 1-31 to decide and for the most part, the top 10-12 teams in the state are pretty consistent amongst the people who love and cover AIA hoops. The order of those teams may not be the same but they're in the same ballpark. That left close to 20 spots up in the air for me to decide. So, I used my knowledge of who hasn't been ranked by Gregg yet, who has a decent bit of returning talent and showed out at events such as Section 7 and fall leagues like the ones at O'Connor and Central to determine the rest of the list.

*This is just for fun, and this is all hypothetical. So we're going to have regional sites, a final four, the whole nine yards... Why? Because I want to*

The "Seliga & Smith" Region (Desert Diamond Arena, Glendale, AZ) *Winners are listed in bold*

1. Sunnyslope vs 16. Arizona College Prep
8. Hamilton vs 9. Carl Hayden
5. Tucson vs 12. Thunderbird
4. Canyon View vs 13. Mica Mountain

6. Peoria vs 11. Cienega
3. Brophy Prep vs 14. Catalina Foothills
7. Mesa vs 10. Central
2. Ironwood vs 15. Walden Grove

"Open 32"
1. Sunnyslope vs 9. Carl Hayden
4. Canyon View vs 5. Tucson

3. Brophy Prep vs 6. Peoria
2. Ironwood vs 10. Central

"Sweet 16"
1. Sunnyslope vs 4. Canyon View
2. Ironwood vs 3. Brophy Prep

"Open Elite 8"
1. Sunnyslope vs 2. Ironwood

The "Rosenberg & Alvira" Region (Desert Financial Arena, Tempe, AZ)

1. Perry vs 16. Arcadia
8. San Tan Charter vs 9. Gilbert
5. Valley Christian vs 12. Pueblo
4. Liberty vs 13. Paradise Honors

6. Prescott vs 11. Dysart
3. O'Connor vs 14. Mountain View (Mesa)
7. Highland vs 10. Willow Canyon
2. Notre Dame Prep vs 15. Salpointe Catholic

"Round of 32"
1. Perry vs 8. San Tan Charter
4. Liberty vs 5. Valley Christian

3. O'Connor vs 6. Prescott
2. Notre Dame Prep vs 10. Willow Canyon

"Open Sweet 16"
1. Perry vs 4. Liberty
2. Notre Dame Prep vs 3. O'Connor

"Open Elite 8"
1. Perry vs 3. O'Connor

The "E-Vision & Videographers" Region (Footprint Center, Phoenix, AZ)

1. Millennium vs 16. ALA-Ironwood
8. Valley Vista vs 9. Sunrise Mountain
5. Centennial vs 12. Bradshaw Mountain
4. Pinnacle vs 13. Campo Verde

6. Mesquite vs 11. Sahuaro
3. Boulder Creek vs 14. Gilbert Christian
7. McClintock vs 10. Highland Prep
2. St Mary's vs 15. Chaparral

"Round of 32"
1. Milennium vs 9. Sunrise Mountain
4. Pinnacle vs 5. Centennial

3. Boulder Creek vs 6. Mesquite
2. St Mary's vs 7. McClintock

"Open Sweet 16"
1. Millennium vs 5. Centennial
2. St Mary's vs 3. Boulder Creek

"Open Elite 8"
1. Millennium vs 3. Boulder Creek

The "Prep Hoops" Region (McKale Center, Tucson, AZ)

1. Basha vs 16. Queen Creek
8. Mountain Pointe vs 9. Cactus Shadows
5. Cesar Chavez vs 12. Red Mountain
4. Deer Valley vs 13. Phoenix Christian

6. Chandler vs 11. Desert Ridge
3. ALA Gilbert North vs 14. Scottsdale Christian
7. North Canyon vs 10. Cactus
2. Desert Mountain vs 15. Desert Vista

"Round of 32"
1. Basha vs 9. Cactus Shadows
4. Deer Valley vs 5. Cesar Chavez

3. ALA Gilbert North vs 6. Chandler
2. Desert Mountain vs 7. North Canyon

"Open Sweet 16"
1. Basha vs 4. Deer Valley
2. Desert Mountain vs 6. Chandler

"Open Elite 8"
1. Basha vs 2. Desert Mountain

The Final Four (Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, AZ)

1. Sunnyslope vs 2. Desert Mountain
1. Perry vs 1. Millennium

If this was the hypothetical final four in the open division, who would y'all have winning it all? Which of these matchups or the ones in the bracket do you think would be the best? Personally, Perry vs Millennium would be enjoyable due to the level of talent on the court same with a potential Boulder Creek/St Mary's matchup. Obviously we're still a month and a half away from the season starting but it'll be here faster than we may think and it'll be a wildly entertaining and enjoyable season.

After having gone to games in Goodyear, Queen Creek, and Mesa the past three weeks, I'm staying closer to home this week. I'll be up at Goldwater for the Bulldogs' matchup against Apollo.

I saw Apollo early last season (Week 3 against Campo Verde) and the Hawks weren't quite ready yet for postseason. Apollo dropped that one (42-27) and ultimately finished at #18 despite a 6-4 record. This year the region is a little weaker with Canyon View now in the Desert West, so with the Hawks at 4-1 and the only freedom game left against Shadow Ridge (1-4), there isn't room for error. The opponents for Apollo are a combined 18-32 this season. There is a quality win over Thunderbird (4A) on the schedule, but the Sunnyslope loss (38-33) still stings as the Vikings are 1-4. It will be interesting to see where the computer ranks Apollo next week. Of course, it's a chance to see Adam Mohammed (853 rushing yards, 15 total TDs). The odds are good that he gets 147 yards and goes over the 1,000-yard mark for the 3rd straight year.

Goldwater is a surprising 3-2 this year. Granted, the Bulldogs haven't beaten any heavyweights (combined record of those 3 teams they've beaten is 3-12). Last year, Goldwater went into this game at 4-1 and lost to Apollo, 49-20. HC Frank Lautt runs the Double-wing T offense and the Bulldogs defeated Flowing Wells last week 54-28. BGHS had 44 carries for 452 yards (10.3 ypc). Dylan Hayhurst and Marvin Larry each went for over 100 yards. The Bulldogs' last playoff appearance came way back in 2007 and they probably need to win out to end that drought. In last year's game against Apollo, Goldwater rushed for 239 yards, but 214 of those yards came from a back that is debuting with Desert Edge this week. Still, it's an offense the Hawks had trouble stopping last year, so it will be interesting to see if they pick anything up from last year's film on the retro-offense.

I've yet to see a game come down to the final minute this season, but I also haven't had any running clocks. Games I've been at have been decided by 13, 14, 14, 19, and 24 points. Usually still in doubt at halftime, but the winner pulls away either late third quarter or early fourth. On the surface, Apollo is probably a 26.5 point favorite, but we'll see if Goldwater can pull a surprise or hang in there long enough to provide a scare.

As I sit here watching the AZHSFB top 25 show by @Ralph Amsden and @ChillyASU ( Login to view embedded media ) I had a wild idea come to my mind... What if we had a 64 team March Madness style bracket for AZHSFB? Luckily the show gives us the top 25 according to Ralph and Chilly as well as five teams on the bubble. The only issue is that leaves 34 spots open. To fill those spots, I used CalPreps rankings for the remaining teams (31-64). The next question I had was, how do I balance the bracket so one "region" isn't overly stacked compared to the other? To answer that, I used the NCAA selection committee model of bracket making by giving the 1 seed the lowest #2 but highest #3, etc... That way the lowest #1 seed gets the highest #2 but lowest #3 for example.

But what's the point of making a bracket if you're not going to go all out and pick a winner? In order to avoid anything resembling personal bias, I used the CalPreps prediction model on their website for each matchup until a champion is crowned.

Let's introduce each "region" including the bracket in each one!

The "WhatUpWestside" Region (Liberty HS Peoria, AZ) *The Score is inside of the parentheses with the bolded score the winner*

1. Liberty *#1 Overall Seed* (62) vs 16. Casa Grande *last team in* (0)
8. Buckeye (28) vs 9. Mohave (35)
5. Brophy Prep (42) vs 12. Snowflake (7)
4. Williams Field (38) vs 13. Campo Verde (13)

6. Canyon Del Oro (42) vs 11. Paradise Honors (31)
3. ALA Queen Creek (42) vs 14. Arizona College Prep (7)
7. Horizon (38) vs 10. Boulder Creek (17)
2. Desert Edge (35) vs 15. ALA West Foothills (8)

"Round of 32"
1. Liberty (48) vs 8. Mohave (7)
4. Williams Field (28) vs 5. Brophy Prep (34)

3. ALA Queen Creek (35) vs 6. Canyon Del Oro (21)
2. Desert Edge (24) vs 7. Horizon (21)

"Sweet 16"
1. Liberty (40) vs 5. Brophy Prep (17)
2. Desert Edge (21) vs 3. ALA Queen Creek (28)
"Elite Eight"
1. Liberty (41) vs 3. ALA Queen Creek (17)

The "C-Town Rivals Podcast" Region (Chandler HS. Chandler, AZ)
1. Chandler (63) vs 16. Sabino (0)
8. Mountain View (23) vs 9. Chaparral (24)
5. Notre Dame Prep (42) vs 12. Verrado (22)
4. Perry (42) vs 13. Sunrise Mountain (27)

6. O'Connor (35) vs 11. Desert Ridge (20)
3. Desert Mountain (38) vs 14. Pusch Ridge (0)
7. Arcadia (31) vs 10. Cactus (33)
2. Saguaro (49) vs 15. Thunderbird (14)

"Round of 32"
1. Chandler (42) vs 9. Chaparral (6)
4. Perry (35) vs 5. Notre Dame Prep (36)

3. Desert Mountain (24) vs 6. O'Connor (17)
2. Saguaro (50) vs 10. Cactus (22)

"Sweet 16"
1. Chandler (42) vs 5. Notre Dame Prep (12)
2. Saguaro (31) vs 3. Desert Mountain (28)

"Elite 8"
1. Chandler (42) vs 2. Saguaro (21)

The "Inside The Numbers" Bracket (Centennial HS. Peoria, AZ)

1. Centennial (50) vs 16. Marana (0)
8. Apollo (24) vs 9. Corona Del Sol (35)
5. Casteel (34) vs 12. Eastmark (20)
4. Higley (48) vs 13. Pima (17)

6. ALA Gilbert North (52) vs 11. Cactus Shadows (31)
3. Pinnacle (42) vs 14. Walden Grove (8)
7. Mica Mountain (42) vs 10. Northwest Christian (34)
2. Hamilton (52) vs 15. Cesar Chavez (7)

"Round of 32"
1. Centennial (42) vs 9. Corona Del Sol (6)
4. Higley (35) vs 5. Casteel (31)

3. Pinnacle (42) vs 6. ALA Gilbert North (21)
2. Hamilton (50) vs 7. Mica Mountain (21)

"Sweet 16"
1. Centennial (41) vs 4. Higley (19)
2. Hamilton (35) vs 3. Pinnacle (34)

"Elite 8"
1. Centennial (28) vs 2. Hamilton (24)

The "Take It EZ Show" Bracket (Basha HS. Chandler, AZ)
1. Basha (50) vs 16. Mountain Ridge (6)
8. Millennium (28) vs 9. Queen Creek (34)
5. Mountain Pointe (31) vs 12. Mesa (28)
4. Red Mountain (42) vs 13. Valley Christian (6)

6. Central (28) vs 11. Bradshaw Mountain (31)
3. Salpointe Catholic (49) vs 14. Canyon View (28)
7. Buena (14) vs 10. Yuma Catholic (34)
2. Highland (56) vs 15. Lee Williams (7)
"Round of 32"
1. Basha (49) vs 9. Queen Creek (14)
4. Red Mountain (35) vs 5. Mountain Pointe (8)

3. Salpointe Catholic (42) vs 11. Bradshaw Mountain (17)
2. Highland (42) vs 10. Yuma Catholic (13)

"Sweet 16"
1. Basha (31) vs 4. Red Mountain (21)
2. Highland (40) vs 3. Salpointe Catholic (22)

"Elite 8"
1. Basha (31) vs 2. Highland (24)

According to CalPreps, they (in this scenario) would predict the Open Division to look like:
1. Liberty
2. Chandler
3. Centennial
4. Basha
5. Highland
6. Hamilton
7. Saguaro
8. ALA Queen Creek

Now we've reached the "final four" AKA: The Open Semifinals and our matchups are:

Liberty (35) vs Basha (21) @NAU
Centennial (17) vs Chandler (27) @UofA

Now AZHSFB Madness comes down to the championship game! Liberty vs Chandler (Let's say it's at State Farm Stadium just for fun). Also we shortened the season by three games to seven total regular season games that way the championship would still be game #14 that was people don't lose their mind at a possible 17 games... Remember this is just for fun!

CalPreps predicts that on a neutral field for the championship, the winner of AZHSFB Madness is...

Liberty in a 28-24 victory over Chandler!

You can predict any possible matchup you want for fun with this link: http://www.calpreps.com/cgi-bin/2023/project_matchup.pl

Let me know what you think and what your favorite hypothetical matchup was?

Mason Bray beat him out at Saguaro and is having a good season. Clearly deserves to be the starter. Did the young man who tried to take his job, head back to California?

There's a region game on the schedule this week in the 6A, and that's where I'll be as Red Mountain is hosting Williams Field. I was at RM the last time those teams met there in 2021 and on that night, Williams Field won the region. This one could be a factor as to who wins the 6A East Valley Region in '23.

Williams Field (4-0) followed up its miracle Week 1 comeback over Brophy with three more wins. The Black Hawks have already equaled their 2022 win total and have likely surprised most of the outsiders. It's no surprise that Dylan Lee is leading the way on offense. The RB was averaging 154 yards per game in the first three for WFHS (no stats posted for Week 4 yet).

Red Mountain (3-1) is also undefeated against Arizona competiton. Junior QB Simon Lopez is completing 75 percent of his passes for 711 yards and 7 TDs with just one interception. A dual-threat, Lopez also has five rushing touchdowns. The Mountain Lion defense has 9 takeaways through the past 4 games.

Both teams have faced Desert Ridge over the past 2 weeks with Williams Field defeating the Jaguars (35-12) easier than Red Mountain did (36-30). The Black Hawks have been installed as a 2.5 point road favorite in the Arizona Varsity pick 'em contest. Can they keep the unbeaten string going? I'll be out in east Mesa to find out!

Going to bring back the popular "Question of the Week" segment on Twitter next Monday. I will then create a thread on these message boards and we can further discuss and debate. What are some popular questions/topics related to AZHSFB that you want to see asked/discussed!?

Making my first trip out to ALAQC this week to see if O'Connor & the host Patriots can return to the Open Division. Both were surprise qualifiers last year. Both teams come in with 2-1 records.

O'Connor scored TDs in all 4 quarters last week in a 55-21 win over Cactus. It's as big of a disparity as you'll ever find. These Eagles' wings are clipped as they ran the ball 50 times for 541 yards & 7 TDs while throwing it just 4 times. It was a 3-headed monster at RB with Nathan Bayus (214 yards & 6 TDs), Kaden Armstrong (153 yards), and Bentley Corbin (112 yards & a TD). On defense, cornerback Jackson Barton is a Nevada commit.

ALA-Queen Creek has scored at least 35 in each game this season. The Patriots scored 32 in the second half to rally for a 49-28 win over ALA-Gilbert North last week. ALAGN led 21-7 midway through the second quarter. Quarterback Enoch Watson has embraced the aerial offense with HC Ty Detmer and OC Max Hall. Watson has 13 TDs and just 1 INT, with at least 4 TD passes in each game. He's a BYU commit. Jayden Williams is the team's top receiver (321 yards, 2 TDs) and safety Nate LaDuke (31 tackles) is one to watch in the secondary.

Can ALAQC do damage through the air against the Eagles like Liberty did? Will this OC O-Line be too much for the Patriots to stop? I'll be on hand at American Leadership Academy to find out!