Why Timpview will win 5A this year!
It’s no secret the TBirds are loaded and ready for another deep run. After coming up short vs Alta in 2023 and then Olympus in 2024, I think this is the year they don’t just get a view of the top of the mountain, but they ascend it
The biggest reason, the growth of Dean Rueckert’s game over the summer was impressive to watch. He was a leader on the Utah Prospects who had a great season during their first on the EYBL. He averaged over 14 ppg while shooting 36% from 3 against the best high school players in the world. The BYU commit will be asked to carry a heavy load offensively, but he’s up for the task and has put in the work.
If it were just the Dean show, I don’t think Timpview would be the favorites. Basketball is a team game and Timpview has the pieces in the right places and one of the better coaches in the state in Coach Kitchen who came to Timpview from Snow College this year. Mason Ford is an absolute sniper who can get off his shot over anyone with the high release and he has a calming pace as a ball handler and distributor as well.
Will Openshaw joins Dean in the front court and will also be joining him at BYU. Dean and Will have developed a chemistry after playing AAU and high school together for 2 straight years. Will is one of the best help side defenders in the state who can finish with both hands around the rim and step out and knock down pick and pop 3’s as well.
Don’t sleep on Lincoln Holcombe either. He’s a tough nosed, physical guard with bounce and if a team’s 4th best defender is trying to lock him down it’s going to be a long night.
Speaking of tough, Braxton Wilkerson, aka Swaggy B, is a lefty who can knock down shots from anywhere. Like Lincoln, he’s a fierce competitor who can get hot from 3 and also lock down the other teams best guard.
The biggest question marks for Timpview are how well they adjust to a new system and depth (also Olympus is the defending champion with the returning Gatorade Player of the Year…and 5A is pretty loaded again overall). In the limited interaction I’ve had with Coach Kitchen, I think he’s a great hire there. But a new system is a new system and it’s a legit question. Injuries, foul trouble, all sorts of things come up during the year and losing a guy like Aisa to Orem really puts a dent in the depth of the Timpview squad. Will they have young guys step up?
Ultimately, I think the talent at the top of the roster will be enough to push them over the top and cut down the nets this year. They’ve gotten so close the last 2 years and that experience and hunger is huge.