Postseason preview: Orem, Lone Peak lead local hopefuls at girls tournaments

It's that time of year again as frenetic February finishes just in time for the madness of March. The girls high school basketball tournaments are just around the corner, and it should prove compelling as usual with plenty of surprises thrown in for good measure.

Last year, the biggest shocker came when the Orem Tigers took complete control and grabbed the state championship after an up-and-down year. This year the Tigers are expected to do well, and another title wouldn't be considered a surprise in the least.

Region 7

The Tigers have both a solid defense and an explosive offense. They get to the boards with abandon, and their precision is what wins them ball games. They should be the favorites in the first round, most likely against Highland. Their second round shouldn't provide many problems either, but the probable semifinal matchup against Mountain Crest is a very entertaining proposition.

But the Tigers aren't bulletproof. They proved it's possible for them to lose to anyone when Lehi topped them last week, and much of their playoff success depends on the prognosis of Natasha Martin. If she plays, they'd have to be considered the favorites. If she's riding the bench, it'll be a much tougher road, especially since this team is short on bench players as it is.

Much of the season they've only dug six players deep, and that rotation was cut when Martin went down with a foot injury against Payson two weeks ago. They've been struggling a bit since. She provides defensive intensity, attacks the boards and knows how to finish a shot. But their other four starters are so balanced it still makes them frightening as Delyse Downey, Jamie Sagers, Brianne Larsen and Jessica Saliby take turns destroying the competition.

But the Tigers aren't the hottest team in the state right now, they aren't even the hottest team in their league. That mantle belongs to the Timpview Thunderbirds. This team has been rocking through the second half of the season. They lost a tight one to Orem early in the second half of the league play, but they've shown all other teams just how tough they can be. With their only losses in league coming to the No. 3-ranked Tigers, and themselves sneaking in with the No. 5 ranking, this team is building to a big finish, and it could provide some fireworks come tournament time.