6A Final Four Preview

On Tuesday, March 3rd, the 6A conference's Final Four takes place. The #1 seed Hamilton Huskies will host the #4 Highland Hawks in one contest. The other will be the #2 Gilbert Tigers hosting the #6 Valley Vista Monsoon. There will be lots of talent on the floor between these two games. Here, I take a look at some of the key players from these contests    Emilee plays with poise, but more importantly, she plays with belief. There's no panic in her game. Highland is going to lean heavily on her experience and leadership if they're going to knock off top-ranked Hamilton. She understands pace. She understands situational basketball. And she knows when to assert herself. She gets to her spots, makes the right reads, and she's comfortable taking big shots.     Sipfle might not be 100 percent physically, but she's still the anchor in the paint for Hamilton. She rebounds at a high level. She protects the rim. And around the basket, she's extremely efficient. She doesn't need 15 dribbles. One move, strong base, finish through contact. If Hamilton is going to defend its title, it starts with her presence inside. She changes shot selection just by being there. Teams have to account for her every trip down the floor.     Bremer is the piece that makes Valley Vista dangerous. She's efficient around the rim, has strong hands, and plays with balance. What stands out is her touch — especially in that mid-range area. For a sophomore post, that's advanced. If the Monsoon is going to advance, she has to control the paint offensively and stay disciplined defensively.     Tess is the catalyst for the Tigers. She can create her own shot whenever she wants. She's explosive off the bounce and plays with a scorer's mentality. But what separates her is the defensive end. She's one of the top perimeter defenders in the state — quick hands, strong lateral movement, and relentless pressure.     Anderson is the engine that keeps Hamilton running smoothly. She's the consummate floor general. She understands time and score. She distributes the ball at the right moments and keeps everyone involved. With this much talent around her, her job is to feed the right hot hand — and she does that well. If she continues to control tempo and limit mistakes, Hamilton will be tough to beat.     Williams is coming off a huge quarterfinal performance against Mountain View. She was aggressive, confident, and she made winning plays. For Highland to knock off the defending champs, she'll need a similar outing. When she's attacking downhill and knocking down perimeter shots, it opens everything up for the Hawks. The question isn't whether she can do it — she already showed she can. The question is whether she can replicate it against Hamilton's discipline and length.     Murray draws a lot of attention — and rightfully so. She handles pressure well. She reads traps well. And she's comfortable being the decision-maker late in games. Everything runs through her. If Gilbert tries to speed up the Monsoon, Murray's poise will be tested. But she's shown all season that she can manage tempo and make winning plays.     On a relatively young team, Wily provides maturity beyond her years. She brings composure. She brings stability. And she competes. Even as a sophomore, she understands how to settle a game down when things start to speed up. That kind of presence is valuable in semifinal matchups where inexperience can be a factor.

On Tuesday, March 3rd, the 6A conference's Final Four takes place. The #1 seed Hamilton Huskies will host the #4 Highland Hawks in one contest. The other will be the #2 Gilbert Tigers hosting the #6 Valley Vista Monsoon. There will be lots of talent on the floor between these two games.

Here, I take a look at some of the key players from these contests