| By James Edward, Deseret News Published: Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2011 9:00 p.m. MST | Before any team — except perhaps No. 1 Wasatch — can get excited about the prospects of playing in the Huntsman Center next week, first they must take care of business in the opening round of the 3A boys basketball state tournament this Friday.
Perhaps more than anything other year too, nothing can be taken for granted.
Of the eight first-round games played at home sites, only Morgan and Wasatch seem to have easy draws into next Thursday's quarterfinals at the University of Utah.
The other six games are full of intriguing story lines that should make for some exciting finishes, none more so than Judge hosting Hurricane.
Semifinalists a year ago, both Judge and Hurricane had legitimate region title aspirations entering the season but they finished second and third respectively. It's a brutal first-round draw for both teams.
"This is why it was so important to win our league, to avoid a game like this. We'd definitely prefer to be in Morgan's spot," said Judge coach Dan Del Porto. "Not anything against who Morgan is playing, but they're not playing Hurricane."
Judge's tallest contributors are 6-foot-3, while Hurricane features a 6-foot-9 center and a 6-foot-7 forward.
"Even with some of the teams we've played (this preseason), we haven't had to play against this size. We definitely have our hands full Friday night," said Del Porto.
This game is one of several Region 9-Region 11 showdowns that could go either way.
Cedar hosts a Bear River team that was one victory away from the Region 11 No. 1 seed, but that now must travel 300-plus miles to face the Region 9 runner-ups.
Region 9 champ Desert Hills hosts Juan Diego in a game that on paper it should win comfortably, except for one tiny significant detail — Juan Diego beat the Thunder back on Dec. 2 in overtime
A repeat seems unlikely as Juan Diego enters the playoffs on a four-game losing skid an 8-13 record. Desert Hills, meanwhile, is 17-2 since that loss and many believe the only real challenger to No. 1 Wasatch for the 3A state title.
Fresh off its first region title in 27 years, North Sanpete hopes it isn't just a one-hit wonder when it hosts Carbon. The Hawks need to refocus otherwise it might be.
North Sanpete beat Manti last Wednesday to clinch the Region 12 title, and the team celebrated with fans afterward by hoisting a region championship banner. Two nights later it lost to an Emery team fighting for its playoff life.
"I think there was a little letdown mentally with the kids," said North Sanpete coach Russ Keisel. "That's what I've been making an emphasis on at practice, this is the most important game we've got right now."
North Sanpete's size could be a big issue for Carbon.
Two other intriguing games are Juab at Union, the only opener featuring two teams with losing records, and Park City at Richfield, one of only two games featuring teams with winning records.
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