A preview of Wednesday's 5A-I and 5A-II boys state basketball championship games:
5A-II boys basketball championship
No. 7 Chaparral (18-9) vs. No. 1 Boulder Creek (27-2)
When: 4 p.m. Wednesday
Where: Wells Fargo Arena, Tempe
Outlook: This is the first boys basketball state championship game for each of these schools, who also haven’t faced each other this season. It’s been a great run for Chaparral, which fought through three consecutive losses late in the regular season playing in the brutal Desert Valley Region. The Firebirds beat region foe Pinnacle twice, Tucson Ironwood Ridge and Marcos de Niza to reach this point. Not much surprise that Boulder Creek is here. The Jaguars lost to Goodyear Millennium by eight points at the beginning of the season, and in the Horizon Invitational championship game to 2A Scottsdale Christian (don’t laugh, Scottsdale Christian rolled to a state title and beat bigger schools along the way). Both teams have good guard play, with the Firebirds led by Nick Tomsick, Zeke Chapman and Jarett Upchurch, who each average in double figures. Ryan Crane averages 17 points per game and is an excellent outside shooter for the Jaguars, and 6-foot-6 Alex Dykhuizen is tough inside (14.6 ppg, 10.7 rpg). Limiting him will be key for Chaparral. The Firebirds can’t afford to double Dykhuizen and then try to chase after Boulder Creek’s guards, but it’s very much a pick-your-poison scenario defensively for Chaparral.
5A-I boys basketball championship
No. 4 North (27-3) vs. No. 3 Cesar Chavez (26-3)
When: 8 p.m. Wednesday
Where: Wells Fargo Arena, Tempe
Outlook: Track meet anyone? Both teams love to run, apply full-court pressure, trap, and get out in transition. You could get whiplash watching these two teams race back and forth. Both teams want to make history, as North would like to win a second consecutive championship and be the first school to do it immediately after changing divisions, and Chavez has never won a state championship in any team sport. North is led by Arizona commit Daniel Bejarano (21.3 points, 4.6 assists per game) and Robert Arvizu (10 points, six assists per game). North beat Chavez 88-75 in the Phoenix Union District tournament at Christmas time, as five North players scored in double figures. Still, those type of scoring numbers wouldn’t be a surprise again the second time around. The guards will be fun to watch in this one, with Bejarano and Arvizu against the ultra-quick-but-smaller Brandon Brown and Marcus Bennett. Brown shot 10 of 30 from the field in the teams’ previous meeting. The team that commits fewer turnovers and is better at getting back defensively has the edge.
