High school girls basketball: Sky View favored to repeat in 4A

Sky View girls basketball coach Paul Hansen didn't want his team to hide from the expectations he knew awaited them this winter.

The defending 4A champs enjoyed the luxury of having nearly all of last year's title team return this season, so Hansen knew what everyone from parents and friends to opposing teams would expect. So instead of trying to ignore the elephant on the court, he and his players have embraced it.

They designed and now wear T-shirts that look like a half a bull's-eye and say "Right where we want to be." Hansen said the players understand they're the team to beat and the best way to deal with that fact is to just play hard everyday — regardless of whose wearing the other jerseys.

The Bobcats return nearly all of last year's 4A state championship team. Led by junior forward and reigning 4A MVP Amy Andrus, the Bobcats are deep, athletic and quick. Nicole Hansen, Megan Hansen, Dani Egbert, Kelsey Naylor and Audrey Boehme are just some of the weapons Hansen has in his line-up.

Timpview was voted the No. 2 team in the classification based in large part on the way the T-Birds have performed the last two years.

"We only have one returning starter, though," coach Kawika Akina is quick to point out. "We've got a lot of new girls, a couple of freshman and sophomores, we're trying to get into the mix."

Senior forward Chelsea Bridgewater is the only returning varsity starter. Other contributors are Kimmy Bramble, Maryanne Morrow, but the T-Birds will operate much as they have in the past with a lot of players contributing to the team's success.

Timpview travels to the Nike Tournament of Champions on Wednesday, as does Lone Peak.

"That really gets us prepared for region play," Akina said. "The kids get to play really good competition; they get to see a different brand of ball. It's been really good for us the past two years."

With a team of inexperienced players, it is sometimes a difficult task to test them so they grow but not so much they get discouraged. Akina said he's not worried about that with this group.

"They're young, but they have a good attitude toward it all," he said. "They don't know any better ... They just play hard. That's one of the things I'm happiest about."

He knows that if his team doesn't improve everyday, they won't have a chance in the very competitive Region 7.