Second team

F — Quentin Guliford, (Senior), Liberty

F — Anthony Garza, (Sophomore), Shadow Ridge

G — K.J. Patrick, (Junior), Willow Canyon

G — Andrew Augustine, (Senior), Northwest Christian

G — Deven Breckner (Senior), Deer Valley

Underclassmen to watch: Dominic Gonzalez, G, (Sophomore), Ironwood; Tanner Mayer, F, (Sophomore), Sunrise Mountain; Isaac Monroe, G, (Sophomore), Peoria; Ben Seale, G, (Sophomore), Cactus; Jalen Scott, G, (Freshman), Paradise Honors; David Teibo, F, (Sophomore), Centennial.

Player of the year

Bryce Davis – The spoke of the Skyhawks’ wheel offensively, Davis forced double teams and opened up the court for Deer Valley’s veteran guards. Or he feasted on single coverage, with the ability to pull bigger men out of the paint and blow by them, and the post moves to dominate smaller defenders along the baseline and inside. After showing flashes of dominance, he was consistently the best player on the floor.

Runner-up

Koby Jones – Centennial’s ascent was fueled by a lot of hard workers and a deep roster. But they relied on Jones’ ability to create his own shot when the offense bogged down. He has always been a scorer and one-on-one player, but this year Jones fit better into the team concept and scored those points more often in clutch situations during the Coyotes’ finishing kick.

Centennial's Koby Jones (#10) dunks the ball against Shadow Ridge on Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2018 at Centennial High School in Peoria. [Jacob Stanek/West Valley Preps][/caption]

Coach of the year

Randy Lavender, Centennial – A tough choice but the tiebreaker was a similar criterion as West Valley Preps’ football coaching award — the coach that led the most surprising standout season. Most people would have predicted a veteran Deer Valley squad to at least reach the semifinals. Neither the Coyotes’ first-year coach nor most people connected to the program entered the season expecting a spot in the 5A final four. Michael Gahan deserves credit for giving the program stability in his final three years, but Lavender and his defensive strategies took Centennial to the next level — far faster than anyone expected.

Runner-up

Jed Dunn, Deer Valley – Dunn’s best team lived up to, and probably exceeded, its top five expectations, earning the top seed and beating the best of 5A. Only loaded defending champion Phoenix Sunnyslope prevented the Skyhawks from claiming the first state title in school history. Deer Valley’s big four seniors picked up their first three career playoff wins by playing the type of defense Dunn has ingrained in them.