ST. GEORGE — The boys basketball Region 9 season was filled with parity across the board. Along with exciting games, the amount of talent across the region was on display nightly. While it was a difficult task to select from so much talent, here are St. George News’ all-region picks.
Region 9 MVP – Dixie’s Isaac Finlinson
Isaac Finlinson was the Flyers’ leading scorer this year, averaging 16.8 points per game, and he capped off his junior season with a 17-point performance in the game that saw Dixie win their second state title in five years.
“Super happy with Isaac and all of the time and effort that he put into his skill development,” Dixie head coach Tyler Roberts said. “Last year, he was only a three-point specialist, but this year we really dialed in his game and got him to the basket. My famous quote this year was, ‘Isaac is Isaac.’ Every single night he’d quietly come with 17 to 20 points, and he was just tough to guard. ”
Finlinson attracted a lot of attention each game, which also helped open up the floor for the Flyers. This gave other players chances to score and opened up their patented lob play to Lemke. Finlinson has one more year left with the Flyers.
First team
Senior Mason Chase – Desert Hills
Mason Chase finished the season averaging 16.7 points per game and was a big piece of Desert Hills’ run into the semifinals of the state tournament. Chase showed flares of his athleticism with his ability to jump out of the gym while also showing his finesse and touch, both around the rim and from deep.
Senior Jared Koller – Pine View
Jared Koller was the heart and soul of the Pine View Panthers this season. On a team that had its ups and downs, the one constant was Koller. He played tough and when matched up against post players that were bigger than him, he never backed down. On offense, he was crafty around the rim with an added touch from deep. He also shot 60% from the field, which was second among region players with at least 100 attempts.
Junior Dallin Grant – Cedar
Only a junior, Dallin Grant helped lead the Reds to their highest win total since the 2011-12 season, which gave them an appearance in the state quarterfinals. Grant used his size and his athleticism to get to the rim with ease while shooting 41% from beyond the arc to average just over 14 points per game. Grant is the most touted recruit in Region 9, with a number of Division I scholarship offers. He will return for the Reds next season.
Senior Daxton Dayley – Hurricane
Daxton Dayley was a consistent double digit scorer for Hurricane this season, averaging 15.9 points per game in region play. Dayley blew up down the stretch for the Tigers and scored 18 points or more in their last 9 games. Dayley also led the Tigers in rebounding, averaging 7.3 per game, which put him in the top 5 in rebounding for the region.
Senior Noah Lemke – Dixie
Noah Lemke added an element to the Flyers that no other team had. His size and ability to finish above the rim led to a number of highlight dunks, but his length on defense also caused problems for opposing teams. He may not have had the block statistics to show it, but the way that he altered shots and caused players to think twice about going to the rim was a huge factor for the Flyers. His presence down low also had a big impact in their state championship game where Lemke finished with 17 points to help Dixie win the Class 4A state title.
Second team
- Senior Trevor Farrow – Canyon View
- Senior Bryce Thomas – Hurricane
- Senior Jared Sudweeks – Pine View
- Junior Trei Rockhill – Crimson Cliffs
- Freshman Lyman Simmons – Snow Canyon
Honorable mentions
- Junior Peyton Holmes – Desert Hills
- Senior Cole Warner – Snow Canyon
- Junior Gaige Savage – Cedar
- Senior Jordan Matthews – Dixie
- Senior Ryan Hopper – Pine View
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