5A boys high school basketball: Lone Peak is team to beat

WEST VALLEY CITY — Basketball pundits have raved all season about the overall quality of basketball in Class 5A.

Yes, two-time defending champion Lone Peak is still the team everyone is gunning for, but unlike last year when Davis was the only team with a realistic hope of beating the Knights, this year there appears to be seven or eight teams capable of knocking off the champs.

Pegging down who the top contenders are among that group is virtually impossible. Beginning back in late November, they've all taken turns looking like the top challenger at various points this season, each enduring hot and cold spells.

Lone Peak would just assume everyone stay cold in its quest to make history this week. The Knights are looking to claim their fourth state title in the past five years, a feat that hasn't been done since Jordan won four of five from 1951 to 1955.

Now a senior, Tyler Haws led Lone Peak to titles in 2007 and 2008, whereas it was Jackson Emery that led the school to a title in 2005.

Ironically enough, Jordan is Lone Peak's first-round opponent today at 5:50 p.m. in the opening round of the 5A boys basketball state tournament at the E Center. Lone Peak coach Quincy Lewis believes there's circumstances are much different for his team this year.

"There's a much different feel than there was last year. Last year it felt the only thing we could do was lose. There was just such a high expectation last year, but this year we really don't feel like we've been in the spotlight that much this year," said Lewis. "We've had our own roller coaster for the first month and a half of the season."

The festivities begin at 9:30 a.m. with Skyline taking on Pleasant Grove in the first of eight first-round games. Skyline and Pleasant Grove are each in the discussion of potential Lone Peak slayers along with Davis, West Jordan, Riverton, Alta and Bingham, but one of the two won't even make out of the first round.

With most of the first round games including at least one team hovering around .500, Skyline and Pleasant Grove probably feel a bit unfortunate to be meeting in the first round with a combined 33-9 record.

There are several uncertainties for both teams. Pleasant Grove senior C.J. Wilcox is one of the best players in the state, but his career first round record with the Vikings is 0-2 — and his career record against Lone Peak is 0-6. Skyline, meanwhile, has big injury concerns to over half its starting line-up.

The good news for the winner, it wouldn't meet Lone Peak until the championship game assuming both parties are fortunate enough to win their first three games.