Class 2A Boys Basketball District Predictions Week 9
We have about a month left of the regular season and for some teams we will see them jam a lot of games in before the district tournament. Still plenty to figure out as we head toward District Tournaments. Seeding will be key in most district tournament to try and push for an automatic berth. Here is a quick reminder of how-to quality for Regionals; Each District qualifies 3 teams to regionals, with the remaining 8 teams determined by the next highest RPI scores.
District 1
Automatic Regional Qualifier Predictions:
1. Sanford
2. Crested Butte
3. Del Norte
Regional Contenders:
4. Lake County
5. Custer County
6. Center
7. Monte Vista
Sanford stays as my pick to win the District 1 tournament. Sanford has won 6 straight games since their 3-game losing streak including key wins over Buena Vista, Monte Vista, Custer County, and Escalante last night. Sanford will look to lock up a top 3 seed in the District Tournament when they host Crested Butte tonight. Sanford still must play Center and Del Norte but a win over Crested Butte should minimally give them a top 3 seed. Crested Butte moves back into my #2 spot. Crested Butte defeated Del Norte on Tuesday 53-39. Crested Butte as mentioned will face Sanford tonight but key games remain against Center and Monte Vista. Del Norte falls into the #3 spot. Del Norte lost to Crested Butte on Tuesday and should bounce back tomorrow night when they host Sargent. Del Norte still cannot lock up a seed in the tournament till they face Monte Vista, Center, and Sanford. Custer County looks to be one of the main contenders for an at-large berth or a top 3 seed. Custer County bounced back from back-to-back losses defeating Center 66-45. Custer County will face Monte Vista tonight and a win should give them a #4 seed but will depend on how Lake County will be seeded. Lake County is another at-large/top 3 contender. Lake County defeated Custer County early in the season and fell to Del Norte in a hard-fought game. Lake County has played well in the 3A Frontier and I am very interested to see how Lake County is seeded into the District Tournament. Center falls into the #6 spot but are also in a good spot to compete for an at-large berth. Center fell to Custer County last night but a very key stretch of games could see Center drop all the way to the #7 seed. Center will face Monte Vista on Saturday, Crested Butte next week then end the season against Del Norte and Sanford. Monte Vista is listed but mainly because they still have plenty of league games remaining and they have played everyone in league tough. Monte Vista would need a big run of wins to get into regionals.
RPI for District 1
#7 Sanford, #23 Del Norte, #24 Custer County, #26 Crested Butte, #27 Center, #32 Lake County, #55 Monte Vista
District 2
Automatic Regional Qualifier Predictions:
1. Yuma
2. Wray
3. Holyoke
Regional Contenders:
4. Wiggins
5. Sedgwick County
6. Akron
Yuma holds onto my pick to win the District 2 tournament. Yuma is currently 14-1 and look to lock up the top seed in the district tournament when they travel to face Holyoke tonight. Yuma still has a 2A game against Sedgwick County to end the year but a win over Holyoke should give them the #1 seed in the District Tournament. Wray holds onto my #2 spot. Wray is in a very good spot to finish with the #2 seed especially after defeating Holyoke a few weeks back. Wray will look to bounce a two game losing streak when they host 1A Haxtun tonight. Wray still must face Sedgwick County and Wiggins in league so they could drop a seed if they don’t take care of business. Holyoke is my pick to finish in 3rd and snag the final automatic regional spot. Holyoke is 9-5 overall and will have some key games down the stretch to try and lock up the #3 seed for the District Tournament. Holyoke will face Yuma tonight and Merino on Saturday. Holyoke key game against Wiggins on 2/10 and Akron on 2/11 will determine if they finish with the #3 thru #5 seed in the District Tournament. Wiggins stays in my #4 spot. Wiggins sits at #22 in the RPI and in good contention to reach the Regional tournament as an at-large team. Wiggins is 5-7 overall and some key games remain. Wiggins will face 1A Caliche tonight a must win game before a key league matchup against Akron on Saturday. Wiggins must also face Holyoke, Wray, Merino, and Haxtun to end the year so Wiggins RPI is still in position to increase or decrease. Akron is another contender for an at-large regional spot. Akron sits at #30 in the RPI and avoided a loss last night defeating Burlington by 2. Akron will face Wiggins tomorrow before their final 4 games. Akron regional hopes could depend on defeating Sedgwick County to end the season. Sedgwick County is also listed but they are sitting at #38 in the RPI. Sedgwick County has 7 games remaining and they need some key wins to help lock up a at-large berth. Sedgwick County will face Merino tonight then 3A Liberty Common tomorrow. Sedgwick County will have opportunities to improve their RPI.
RPI for District 2
#1 Yuma, #6 Wray, #14 Holyoke, #22 Wiggins, #30 Akron, #38 Sedgwick County
District 3
Automatic Regional Qualifier Predictions:
1. Mancos
2. Ignacio
3. Cedaredge
District Contenders:
4. Dolores
5. Ridgway
6. Olathe
Mancos stays as my pick to win the District 3 tournament. Mancos is a near lock for winning the San Juan league and probably a #1 seed in the District Tournament. Mancos picked up a key win over Ignacio 55-36. I think District 3 could seed their tournament by RPI and if that is the case Mancos is your #1 seed. Mancos will still need to face Telluride, Ridgway, and Dolores in league play but are on pace to be a top seed. Ignacio stays as my pick to finish second in District 3. Ignacio did fall to Mancos on 2/1 but did bounce back the next night defeating Telluride. Ignacio has a key game tonight against Dolores. Ignacio must face Dolores again, Ridgway, and Telluride in league but they will hope to improve their RPI and try and get the #2 seed in the District Tournament. Cedaredge is my pick to finish in 3rd place in the District and get the final automatic berth. Cedaredge is 8-5 overall and on pace to finish top 3 in the Western Slope league. Cedaredge has won 3 straight games and improving their RPI could be key to getting the #2 or #3 seed in the District Tournament. Dolores and Ridgway are two contenders but more to push for a top 3 finish in league. Dolores, Ridgway, and Olathe all sit outside the top 45 in the RPI so upsetting a top 3 team is probably their only way to get into regionals.
RPI for District 3
#4 Mancos, #20 Cedaredge, #21 Ignacio, #46 Dolores, #49 Ridgway, #53 Olathe
District 4
Automatic Regional Qualifier Predictions:
1. Denver Christian
2. Limon
3. Lotus School
Regional Contenders:
4. Byers
5. Platte Canyon
6. Front Range Christian
7. Golden View Classical
8. Clear Creek
My guess is the District 4 Tournament will be seeded by RPI. This is very important as to avoid early tough games. Denver Christian stays as my pick to win the District 4 tournament. Denver Christian has played well in 2022 and they have won 6 straight games including a huge win over Highland 72-63 last week. Denver Christian will have to hold Limon off for the #1 seed but own the head-to-head win. Denver Christian still has some key games against Byers and Heritage Christian before they end the regular season. Limon is my pick to finish in second place in the District. Limon is 11-3 overall and they have won 5 straight since their upset loss to Strasburg. Limon has picked up 4 impressive wins in a row with their latest coming over Merino. Limon will face Stratton on Saturday before 3 straight tough games against Burlington, Byers, and Fowler. Lotus School is my pick to finish in 3rd place and probably will get the #3 seed in the District Tournament. Lotus School is 12-3 overall and they look to bounce back from a loss when they face DSST-Byers tonight. Lotus School has just 2 games left on their schedule and neither will help improve the seed. Byers is my pick to finish in 4th and be in contention for an at-large berth to the regional tournament. Byers sits at #17 in the RPI and in very good position to reach the regional tournament. Byers is 9-3 overall and they have a key game tomorrow against Denver Christian. Byers will end the year with some tough games but should be on pace to reach the regional tournament. Byers key games could be against Front Range Christian, Limon, Akron, and Calhan. Byers holds the keys to reaching regionals. Front Range Christian is my pick to finish in 5th place. Front Range Christian sits at #28 in the RPI and also a contender for the regional tournament. Front Range Christian would enter the District tournament right now as the #5 seed. Front Range Christian still must face Byers next week and could improve their seed. Front Range Christian has 3 tough games remaining and an upset could push them to a high RPI and a shot at regionals. Golden View Classical is also a contender for the regional tournament. Golden View Classical sits at #31 in the RPI. They need some key wins down the stretch to improve their RPI and they have a chance on Saturday when they face Thomas MacLaren. Golden View Classical will need key wins to get into regionals. Platte Canyon is also a contender for regionals, but they sit at #35 in the RPI. Platte Canyon will need a strong finish to their regular season but having a big run in the District Tournament could be key to them reaching the regional tournament. Platte Canyon needs to win 2 of their final 3 games to help their RPI.
RPI for District 4
#2 Denver Christian, #3 Limon, #8 Lotus School, #17 Byers, #28 Front Range Christian, #31 Golden View Classical, #35 Platte Canyon, #43 Clear Creek,
District 5
Automatic Regional Qualifier Predictions:
1. Vail Mountain
2. Vail Christian
3. Meeker
Regional Contenders:
4. Rangely
5. Plateau Valley
6. Soroco
Meeker is my pick to win the District 5 tournament. Meeker has been a huge surprise this season and wins over Vail Mountain and Caprock Academy has put them in a position to snag the #1 seed. Meeker will still need to face Cedaredge, Plateau Valley, and Hayden but I believe are in good position for the #1 seed. Vail Mountain falls into the #2 spot. Vail Mountain is 11-3 and sit at #12 in the RPI. Vail Mountain has a huge key matchup against Vail Christian tomorrow. Vail Mountain has just 3 games left of their schedule and a top 3 seed is all but locked up. Vail Christian has lost 3 straight games and will try to break that tonight vs Soroco. Vail Christian has been hit by the injury bug. If they can get healthy, they probably would be the favorite to win the league. Vail Christian is still on pace to reach regionals but some key games still remain. Rangely sits at #39 in the RPI, with Soroco and Plateau Valley right behind them. These 3 teams are the best shot for an at-large berth to regionals but all 3 need to start getting some key wins. Rangely will have a shot at Cedaredge tomorrow but they do have 2 more big games against Caprock Academy. Plateau Valley has must win games against Hayden, Olathe, and De Beque before they end the season against Vail Christian, Caprock Academy, Meeker, and Soroco. Plateau Valley looks to have a good shot at regionals but must get some key wins. Soroco also has some key games they face Vail Christian tonight. Soroco has a must win against Hayden next week but close the season with winnable games against De Beque, North Park, and Plateau Valley. It’s crunch time for these 3 teams.
RPI for District 5
#9 Meeker, #12 Vail Mountain, #16 Vail Christian, #39 Rangely, #40 Soroco, #41 Plateau Valley
District 6
Automatic Regional Qualifier Predictions:
1. Holly
2. Fowler
3. Crowley County
Regional Contenders:
4. Rye
5. Las Animas
6. Hoehne
7. Swallows Charter
Holly is my new pick to win the District 6 tournament. Holly has played well in 2022 and their 45-43 win over Fowler should give them the #1 seed in the District Tournament. Holly still must face Swink, Las Animas (2x), and Rocky Ford in league. I feel Holly and Fowler are on a collision course again in the District Championship. Fowler falls into the #2 spot. I considered leaving Fowler as my pick to win it all but the loss to Holly plus the close game to Rocky Ford a week ago made me drop them. Fowler has not locked up the #2 seed yet as they still have games against Rye (tonight), Swink, Crowley County, and Hoehne. Crowley County is my pick to finish in 3rd and get the final automatic berth. Crowley County had a rough stretch at the end of January but have since won 3 straight games including a key win over Rye last weekend. Crowley County will face Las Animas tonight but key games remain against Fowler and Rocky Ford. Rye is my pick to finish in 4th but are in good position to get an at-large berth to regionals. Rye sits at #19 in the RPI and an upset of Fowler could even give them a shot at one of the automatic berths. Rye still has some key games remaining against Hoehne, Swink, and Rocky Ford all are key to Rye keeping their high RPI. Las Animas sits at #25 in the RPI and a shot at a at-large regional berth. Las Animas still has a tough schedule ahead and they face Crowley County tonight. Las Animas has 2 must win games against Swallows Charter and Swink. I am not sure if Las Animas RPI can stay in the top 30 if they dop those two games. Las Animas also will face Holly twice so if they drop a game they probably need an upset of Holly. Swallows Charter has the next best RPI at #34. Swallows Charter is 4-7 and they have must win games against Trinidad, Rocky Ford, and Kiowa. Swallows Charter game vs Las Animas on 2/10 could be for one of the final at-large regional berths. Hoehne sits at #36 in the RPI. Hoehne is barely hanging on for a shot at regionals and have a must win game tomorrow vs Rocky Ford. Hoehne probably needs to beat Primero on 2/15 but might need an upset of Rye or Fowler to try and boost their RPI.
RPI for District 6
#5 Holly, #10 Fowler, #18 Crowley County, #19 Rye, #25 Las Animas, #34 Swallows Charter, #36 Hoehne
District 7
Automatic Regional Qualifier Predictions:
1. Heritage Christian
2. Lyons
3. Union Colony Prep
Regional Contenders:
4. Dayspring Christian
5. Loveland Classical
6. Dawson School
Heritage Christian stays as my pick to win the District 7 tournament. Heritage Christian has solidified their position with key wins over Dayspring Christian and Union Colony Prep. Heritage Christian still must face Lyons and that will probably be for the #1 seed in the District Tournament. Heritage Christian will face Lyons on 2/5. Lyons stays as my pick to finish second in the District Tournament. Lyons has played well in 2022 winning 6 of their first 7 games. Lyons still must face Heritage Christian and Union Colony Prep but should grab a top 3 seed in the District Tournament. Union Colony Prep moves into the #3 spot. UCP picked up a 66-59 OT win over Dayspring Christian a few weeks ago. UCP still must face Lyons but I think are in good position for a top 3 seed in the District Tournament. Dayspring Christian has hit a bit of a rough patch losing 6 straight games. Dayspring Christian schedule does get a bit easier with games against Clear Creek, Twin Peaks Charter, and Longmont Christian. Dayspring Christian will face Peyton and Highland to end the year so grabbing wins before that are key to Dayspring Christian trying to push for a at-large regional spot. Loveland Classical sits at #45 in the RPI and Dawson School sits at #54. Both are sitting way back in the RPI and getting key wins down the stretch are key to try and push for an at-large berth.
RPI for District 7
#11 Heritage Christian, #33 Union Colony Prep, #37 Lyons, #42 Dayspring Christian, #45 Loveland Classical, #54 Dawson School
District 8
1. Peyton
2. Thomas MacLaren
3. Calhan
4. Fountain Valley
5. Dolores Huerta
6. Colorado Springs School
7. Atlas Prep
Peyton stays as my pick to win the District 8 tournament. Peyton lost a tough game to Yuma last weekend but bounced back nicely beating rival Calhan 82-47. Peyton will face another rival in Simla on Saturday. The game to keep an eye on is against Thomas MacLaren on 2/17. That game will be for the #1 seed in the District Tournament. Peyton should cruise besides their game against Thomas MacLaren. Thomas MacLaren stays as my pick to finish in second. Thomas MacLaren has won 5 straight games but have a big RPI game Saturday vs Golden View Classical. Thomas MacLaren should cruise until their game against Peyton on 2/17. Calhan is my pick to finish in 3rd. Calhan has had a rough 2022 but a key win over Fountain Valley last week should give them the #3 seed in the District. Calhan has big games upcoming against Dolores Huerta (2/7), Colorado Springs School (2/9), and Peyton (2/19). Calhan must beat Dolores Huerta and Colorado Springs School. Finishing in the top 3 in this District is the only way for a team outside of Peyton and Thomas MacLaren to get to regionals.
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