Some sleeper teams to watch this coming season in Utah!

In Utah high school basketball, the upcoming season holds a lot of buzz, especially for teams flying under the radar. While many people focus on the perennial powerhouses (Timpview, Davis, Olympus, Highland, AF, etc), there are several programs poised to make some noise. Let's break down some of the teams and players who could surprise us all.

First off, keep an eye on Cyprus, Juan Diego, Westlake, Cottonwood, Logan, and Pine View. These are teams that aren't getting a lot of preseason hype but have the potential for deep playoff runs. They have a solid core of players who put up impressive numbers last year.

For Cyprus, Koli Fosita and Beckham Bayles will be key players. Fosita is a versatile SF with a high motor, while Bayles, a G, is a sharpshooter from the outside. Big man Alen Hadzialijagic improved a ton this summer and should be one of the best bigs in the state. With a high level of talent, Cyprus will be a fun team to watch.

Pine View will be led by senior Jelani Odjegba, a versatile player who can play multiple positions. Last season, Odjegba averaged 11.6 points, 3.8 assists, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game. His all-around game will be a major factor in Pine View's success as they look to build on their summer after making a run to Section 7

Similar to Pine View, Westlake won a chance to go to Section 7 in Arizona and they have exceptional guard play with Graydin Anderson returning as a 12/4/4 guy as a Junior along with Malik Sika who’s athleticism and strength is going to be a huge addition. Westlake plays exceptional team defense and has offensive sets that force their opponents to stay disciplined…which is tough for most high schoolers.

Juan Diego will look to play a more up tempo brand of basketball this year with their guard play. They also have one of the biggest stock risers in the state in Deng Deng, a forward who has grown in both height and skill over the summer playing for Team Utah. His development will be a huge boost to the team's frontcourt.

Don't sleep on Cottonwood either. They have a talented trio of returning players in senior Tengis Bayasgalan and juniors Malei Atem and Luka Cecez. Bayasgalan, a PG, averaged 8.1 points per game last year, while Cecez, a 6'8" SF, averaged 11.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. Atem, also a SF, will provide solid contributions, particularly on the defensive end, with 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks per game last season. Transfer Itay Lustgarten from Skyline will give them a Senior in the backcourt who will push the pace and cause havoc defensively as well.

Pleasant Grove brings back a ton of talent from last year with Jaxon Brown, Brennan Blackett, Preston White, Cooper Crocket, and Milo Johansson. I watched them play in Colorado this summer and they will be a team nobody wants to see come playoff time. They share and shoot the ball at a high level and when they need a bucket, Jaxon Brown is a guy who can go create his own shot.

Now, let's talk about the big question for the 3A classification: "Who can beat Morgan?" Morgan is stacked with talent, and it all starts with their offense. Last season, Jake Hansen, a PG, averaged 14.0 points per game, and Bracken Saunders, a SG, averaged 18.4 points per game. Look for them to try and get to the state championship once again.

Richfield, with Jorgen Southwick, could be a threat. Southwick, a SG, put up 14.1 points per game last year. Might we see a repeat of last years final? Another team to watch is Grantsville, with their big center Dresden Jensen, who averaged 6.6 rebounds per game. He will be a huge presence on the court and a challenge to any team in the paint.

Watch out for Logan in 3a as well. They drop down in classification (and lost the walking double double, Reed Olsen) and also bring back Sade Nenbee from injury (averaged 15.6 ppg before his injury), Ethan Woolley and Grayden Olsen. Their length along with Sky View transfer, Easton Mills, might make things interesting for the defending state champions in Morgan (who did beat Logan by 23 last year FYI).

With a lot of talent returning to high school basketball in Utah, this season is shaping up to be a good one!