Games to watch this week!
Here’s a look at the week’s biggest games!
Check out rankings.utahbasketball.net for up to date player and team rankings!
The season is starting up and early season games can always be a bit interesting. Football is still going for some schools who might be missing key players. Upsets and blowouts can occur as teams get to know each other and possibly new systems. But, at the end of the year, the games matter for a record just as much as games at the end of the season so let’s get ready!
Tuesday
Timpview at Bingham
Neither team decided to duck the smoke and is coming out the gate with challenges. Both teams return a ton of talent but the big question I have is how will Timpview adjust to their new head coach and new system? They’ll get an early test in a hostile gym in South Jordan. Dean Rueckert and Luke West are the headliners but far from the only names to watch. I want to see if Utah State football commit Lucas Neidig can neutralize BYU basketball commit Will Openshaw and if Parker Snedaker’s length can bother Mason Ford. Should be a good one!
Lone Peak at LCA
LCA has a loaded national schedule this year and for good reason. Lone Peak is certainly a team who can go up to Layton and steal a win early. The combination of Crew Fotheringham and Saxon Young is going to be a handful for the Eagles.
Wednesday
Orem at Timpanogos
Get your popcorn ready for this one! I expect this to be a fast-paced and high-scoring game. Orem won’t have their football guys, but their guard play is exceptional. Can Simeon Suguturaga keep Jaxen McCuistion under 20 pts? How will Cooper Harris play back in his old stomping grounds? Early season popcorn getter for sure!
Thursday
Green River at Tintic
Let’s give the small schools some love here! Both of these schools return their leading scorers in Haygen Jameson for Tintic and Jason Hernandez for Green River. 1A is wide open and this will be a good early season test for both schools with a lot of made 3’s.
Provo at Dixie
2 teams at the top of my 4A rankings play each other. Dixie is loaded, and matchups featuring names like Collin Simmons and Calen Tollestrup will be highly intriguing. Is Asher Spence suiting up for Dixie? If so, he’ll have his hands full with trying to lock down Makai Allen and keep him from getting 2 feet in the paint.
Friday
Viewmont at Layton
I’m not sure how many people are talking about Viewmont this year, but I really liked what I saw this fall. They play extremely smart basketball and have a bunch of underdogs with something to prove. Which is what they’ll have to do out of the gate against potential Utah POTY Karter Miller and team. Both of these teams play fast, physical, and disciplined.
Syracuse at Pleasant Grove
Similar to Viewmont, I suspect not too many people realize what Skyler Orton and Carter Robinson are capable of at Syracuse. The loss of Rees to Riverton hurts and we’ll get to see how much in this Friday night game. Jaxon Brown, Brennan Blackett, and Preston White are gunning for a state title this year but don’t overlook Syracuse early on.
There are a ton of great games this week! Please tag the page on highlights and shout out players who are coming out of the gate hot. You can see who put in the work this summer and fall and who…watched a lot of reels on IG and Tiktok.
Play hard.
Respect the refs.
Have fun.