A look at each of the Class 4A Great 8 matchups set for Saturday at the Denver Coliseum:
BOYS
No. 1 Kent Denver (23-2) vs. No. 9 DSST: Green Valley Ranch (19-5)
Time: 10:15 a.m.
Players to watch: KD — Caleb Fay, 6-6, so. (21.1 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 3.7 apg, 1.1 bpg); Alex Padalino, 6-2, sr. (9.4 ppg, 2.9 rpg); Nicholas Buchenau, 6-5, sr. (8.4 ppg, 6.6 rpg). GVR — Jovonnie Babineaux, 5-10, sr. (17.6 ppg, 2.8 apg); Tong Bot, 6-4, jr. (11.0 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 1.1 bpg); Shalom Abioye, 6-0, sr. (10.8 ppg, 2.2 spg).
What to know: A year after falling as the top seed in the Sweet 16, Kent Denver rampaged its way to the Coliseum with 194 points over two playoff wins. Armed with the most explosive offense in the bracket (81.0 points/game), the Sun Devils are deep and talented. Now they get a rematch with Green Valley Ranch, which gave them all they could handle in a 72-69 Kent Denver win on Jan. 25 that saw Babineaux (28 points) and Fay (23) trade haymakers.
No. 5 Colorado Academy (20-5) vs. No. 4 Pagosa Springs (24-1)
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Players to watch: CA — George Buyers, 6-0, sr. (16.7 ppg, 2.3 rpg); Clyde Love, 6-2, jr. (12.6 ppg, 2.9 apg); Jason Bratis, 6-7, sr. (10.8 ppg, 5.7 rpg). PS — Blake Laner, 6-2, sr. (14.2 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 1.3 bpg); Colt Lewis, 5-10, jr. (13.0 ppg, 5.1 apg).
What to know: There may not be a hotter team in the state than Pagosa Springs, which enters its first Great 8 trip in 11 years riding a 23-game win streak capped by a 51-45 takedown of defending champ Holy Family in the Sweet 16. The Pirates bring the bracket’s stingiest defense (37.8 points allowed/game) to the Coliseum and now get a stern test vs. a Colorado Academy squad making its fourth straight Great 8 appearance under head coach Steven Hyatt.
No. 2 Resurrection Christian (23-2) vs. No. 7 DSST: Montview (23-2)
Time: 1:15 p.m.
Players to watch: RC — Ty Yoder, 5-11, jr. (13.0 ppg, 5.7 apg); Jacob Barker, 6-11, sr. (12.8 ppg, 7.0 rpg); Cade Crutcher, 6-3, jr. (11.2 ppg, 3.8 apg). MONT — Harun Hamma, 5-9, jr. (17.8 ppg, 4.4 apg); Tara Majok, 6-2, jr. (16.0 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 3.2 apg); Tegra Kongolo, 5-10, sr. (13.9 ppg, 3.1 apg).
What to know: The 4A runner-up a year ago, Resurrection Christian arrives in Denver set to finish what last year’s team started. With size in the paint and playmakers on the perimeter, the Cougars are a serious threat. Standing in the way is DSST: Montview, which returns to the Great 8 for the first time in five years. The Knights can score in bunches (71.3 points/game), but struggled in losses to Great 8 qualifiers Colorado Academy (77-58) and DSST: Green Valley Ranch (44-34).
No. 6 Riverdale Ridge (22-3) vs. No. 3 Lutheran (22-3)
Time: 8:30 p.m.
Players to watch: RR — Kameren Davis, 6-6, sr. (13.8 ppg, 7.0 rpg); Marcus Hinh, 5-9, sr. (13.6 ppg, 4.9 apg); Marcus McFadden, 6-1, sr. (12.6 ppg, 6.6 rpg). LUHI — Braydon Jacob, 6-1, sr. (21.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.2 apg); Hunter Caldwell, 6-10, sr. (16.0 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 1.2 bpg); Kade Speckman, 6-9, so. (11.9 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 2.5 bpg).
What to know: Making its seventh Great 8 appearance in nine years under coach Bill Brandsma, Lutheran is no stranger to the big stage. The Lions’ big three of Jacob, Caldwell and Speckman all contributed to last year’s Final Four run and are looking to win the program’s second title in four seasons. First they must get past a rising Riverdale Ridge team making its first Great 8 trip. A 62-52 win over Resurrection Christian on Jan. 27 proved the Ravens can hang with 4A’s best.
GIRLS
No. 1 Holy Family (23-2) vs. No. 9 Peak to Peak (21-4)
Time: 8:45 a.m.
Players to watch: HF — Essynce Contreraz, 5-6, sr. (11.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 5.0 apg); Jennifer Altshuler, sr. (10.2 ppg); Gracie Ward, 5-4, so. (9.0 ppg, 3.1 apg). PP — Alexandra Eschmeyer, 6-5, jr. (23.9 ppg, 13.1 rpg, 5.0 bpg); Megan Wagner, 5-10, sr. (10.9 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 2.3 apg).
What to know: With Holy Family head coach Ron Rossi staring down history, the defending 4A champion Tigers come into the Coliseum battle-tested with a 5-2 mark against 5A/4A Great 8 qualifiers. Add three more wins to that total and they’ll hand Rossi a record-breaking eighth state title as a girls coach. Peak to Peak should offer plenty of resistance in the first round, however. All-everything post Eschmeyer, a Stanford commit, is a handful for any team.
No. 5 Pagosa Springs (21-4) vs. No. 4 Resurrection Christian (22-3)
Time: 4 p.m.
Players to watch: PS — Elizabeth Currier, 5-7, jr. (14.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.6 apg); Karsyn Shahan jr. (9.4 ppg, 4.1 rpg 3.2 spg); Annie O’Donnell, 5-9, sr. (8.0 ppg, 5.8 rpg). RC — Olivia Klein, 5-6, jr. (16.6 ppg, 2.9 apg, 3.4 spg); Mackenzie Flikkema, 6-0, sr. (12.2 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 1.1 bpg).
What to know: Resurrection Christian’s rocky 2-3 run midway through the season — punctuated by a 58-31 loss at University — has given way to a 16-game win streak that has the Cougars in the Great 8 for the first time in more than 17 years. They will face a Pagosa Springs program that just ended its own four-year state quarterfinal drought. The Pirates took their lumps in a 10-14 campaign last winter, then started this season 1-3 before winning 20 of 21.
No. 2 D’Evelyn (22-3) vs. No. 7 University (21-4)
Time: 11:45 a.m.
Players to watch: DE — Peyton Marvel, 5-8, sr. (18.9 ppg, 13.5 rpg, 3.9 spg); Macy Scheer, 6-0, sr. (14.6 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 3.0 apg). UN — Addison Harding, 6-2, jr. (12.2 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 2.2 bpg); Natalie Moore, 6-1, sr. (12.0 ppg, 4.9 rpg); Janay Kravig, 6-1, jr. (8.2 ppg, 4.0 apg).
What to know: A year ago, D’Evelyn came within a half of pulling off a 28-0 season, only to fall in heartbreaking fashion to Holy Family. With the two stars of that squad (Marvel and Scheer) back in the fold, the Jaguars are primed to make another run at the program’s first state title. University, which saw its 2022-23 season end in a five-point Final Four loss to D’Evelyn, has unfinished business of its own.
No. 6 Colorado Academy (20-5) vs. No. 3 Riverdale Ridge (22-3)
Time: 7 p.m.
Players to watch: CA — Anna Johnson, jr. (13.8 ppg, 4.0 rpg); Alex May, 6-0, sr. (10.5 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 3.5 spg, 1.0 bpg); Naomi Wolff, 5-5, sr. (10.1 ppg, 4.6 apg). RR — Brihanna Crittendon, 6-3, so. (29.3 ppg, 10.7 rpg, 3.4 spg, 2.5 bpg); Brooklynn Charlo, 6-0, jr. (12.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 4.1 apg); Payton Meineke, 5-6, so. (8.0 ppg, 2.7 spg).
What to know: Riverdale Ridge may be carrying the No. 3 seed, but with five-star recruit Crittendon and wins over 5A Great 8 qualifiers Air Academy, Roosevelt and Frederick, the Ravens have every reason to believe they can walk away with their program’s first state title. Colorado Academy played a challenging schedule as well, going 2-4 against 6A/5A/4A Great 8 teams, and is making its first Great 8 appearance under fifth-year coach Reggie Morton.
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