3A high school girls basketball preview: Talented teams should result in tight races

Editor's note: The 4A basketball preview will be in Sunday's Deseret News

Delta coach Kurtis Topham knew his basketball team could be special.

But wins over Morgan, Carbon, Wasatch, Snow Canyon and Canyon View have put the Rabbits at the top of the rankings and instilled in fans high expectations.

"I felt like we had some talent coming back," said Topham. "We felt like we had a chance to be pretty good. Where we are right now, that might be a little bit of a surprise."

With the return of senior guard Kaity Diaz, senior guard Maklee Bliss and senior forward Jamie Burton, Topham knew the team could play with the state's best squads, but the preseason can be unpredictable. It can also be brutal when more than half the teams on your schedule are ranked in the top 5 or are perennial powers.

By far the most impressive wins have been against Carbon (in overtime) and against Morgan, voted No. 1 in preseason polls.

"Morgan is tradition," he said. "They're at the top every year. I felt like it was a huge statement win for us and for our program. Hopefully we can build on it because you're not only beating the good teams they have now, but also the tradition of those teams. We do have good athletes at Delta and I'm hoping we can build on it."

Diaz is proving to be one of the state's best point guards as she averages nearly 19 points per game and still involves her teammates in the offense. Bliss is averaging 11.5 points per game and Burton is averaging 6.2 points per game.

Diaz also leads the defense with more than five steals per game.

Region 12 rival Juab is also off to an undefeated start, and has also earned some wins over impressive programs. With Richfield, Emery, North Sanpete and Manti in the region, the battle for a region title will be daunting. That competition in region play is something Topham believes will benefit his team in the long run.

"Any time your region is good, it's going to help you going forward into the playoffs," he said. "You might beat each other up a little bit, and hopefully no one gets injured, but the competition can help you improve when it comes to playoff time. I do think one of our fourth-place teams is going to be pretty good."

Juab's unbeaten start promises to make the Region 12 race one of the most exciting. The top Wasps are Kiz Farrer, averaging 16.2 points per game, and Tessa Bradford, averaging 8.3.