Basketball playoff roundup: Quarterfinal games could produce exciting finishes in balanced Sunrise Region

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Published Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2012 | 7:30 p.m.

Updated Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2012 | 9:33 p.m.

We’ve never seen a basketball postseason like this.

When Sunrise Regional playoffs start Wednesday night with four quarterfinal games, the general consensus is that each of the tournament’s eight teams have an equal chance to win the title. Yes, there is that much parity.

In the Henderson-based Southeast Division, all four playoff teams finished with identical 11-3 record in league games to force a tie-breaker to determine the playoff seeding. Foothill took the top spot after beating Silverado by 14 or more points on the final day of the regular season — if not, Foothill would have been seeded No. 3. Absolutely unreal.

Silverado coach Martin Ferriter summarized it best last week: “It doesn’t matter where we end up or who we play (in the postseason),” he said. “And it doesn’t matter for Coronado or Foothill where they end up or who they play. The Sunrise is wide open. If anyone says any different, I beg to differ. Next week (in the regional quarterfinals), will be crazy those four games.”

Foothill will host Desert Pines, which is seeded No. 4 from the Northeast Division. Northeast champion Valley hosts Southeast No. 4 Coronado, Southeast No. 2 Green Valley will host Las Vegas High and Northeast No. 2 Canyon Springs is matched against visiting Silverado.

In the Sunset Region, the most intriguing quarterfinal game Wednesday is host Clark, the No. 2 seed from the Southwest Division, against Northwest Division No. 3 Palo Verde. Clark has stayed close with perennial power Bishop Gorman twice this year, while Palo Verde was one victory away from winning the Northwest league.

In the other Sunset games, Gorman (the Southwest champ) hosts Cimarron-Memorial, Legacy takes on visiting Durango and Northwest champion Centennial hosts Spring Valley.

Check back all night for scores as they become final. And, buckle your seat belts for what should be a wild postseason.

• Legacy scores 101 points to win school’s first playoff game

• Ben Carter leads Gorman to lopsided quarterfinal playoff win

• Green Valley hangs on to top Las Vegas, advance to Sunrise semifinals

• Palo Verde’s big fourth-quarter comeback seals win over Clark

• Defending state champion Canyon Springs peaking at right time, knocks off Silverado

• Foothill to have home court advantage for the rest of the playoffs

• Valley turns to freshman Burton for fourth-quarter spark, rallies past Coronado into regional semifinals

Ray Brewer can be reached at 990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21.