The Class 5A boys' basketball tournament won't be like 2008. It won't be like 2009, either.
In both of those seasons, there was a huge shadow of invincibility hovering over the field in the form of Lone Peak. In both of those seasons, the Knights were prohibitive favorites to win the tournament, and to do so in blowout fashion, even if West Jordan upset Tyler Haws and crew in the championship game.
It won't be that way a month from now.
This season, the tournament is wide open. There is Bingham. There is Davis. There is Fremont. There is Brighton. There is West Jordan. Heck, there is West High, which after winning the Class 4A title last season, has made the jump and is acquitting itself quite well. There is ... you get the picture. There are plenty of teams who can win it all.
"Really, the entire Region 4 can win it," said Miners coach Mark Dubach. "There are so many good teams out there that it's hard to say what will happen. It should be a fun tournament."
Of course, Bingham has as good a chance as any. The Miners feature Utah State signee Ben Clifford. They also have a solid complement of shooters and guard play to surround the 6-foot-9 big man, who for three years has been one of the best rebounders in the state.
You could make a case for Brighton, which features the shooting of Corbin Miller and the all-around skills of 6-4 senior Sam Wunderli. The Bengals have the athleticism and the length to challenge anyone.
Or how about West? Nobody talks about the Panthers much. But they are a threat to win Region 2, they have a championship pedigree and they have Tyrell Corbin, one of the best guards in the state and a player who can take over games.
"There are a ton of teams that can win this thing," Davis coach Jay Welk said. "There is a lot of parity this season, and that's a good thing."
So what's it going to take for a team to run the table? "It's going to be the team that can get hot at the right time," Dubach said.
It's also going to depend on matchups. Avoiding Region 4, with Alta, Jordan, Pleasant Grove, Lone Peak and Brighton, will probably be a good thing. Or maybe, just as in football, the super league will beat itself up so badly that it won't have much remaining for the postseason.
