And then there were six . . .

With a few exceptions, most teams have already suffered one or more losses during the 2008-09 boys basketball season. Only six unbeaten teams remain. Why are they undefeated? What makes them so good at this early juncture?

I aim to find those answers in my first-ever unbeaten watch:

5A

Skyline (10-0)
Key Victories: West Jordan, Highland, Mountain Crest, Olympus.
Why the Eagles are unbeaten: In a nutshell, Skyline is a defensive powerhouse thus far. Region 2′s preseason no. 1 team has allowed only 45.2 points per game in its ten victories. Only three teams (Judge, Juan Diego and Olympus) have posted 50 or more points on the Eagles and none have eclipsed the per game average (56 points) of coach Derek Bunting’s Princeton offense. Ryan Osterloh, in particular, has really shined for the Eagles. Osterloh averages 19.0 points per game, an average which is good for fourth among 5A scoring leaders.

4A

West (8-0)
Key Victories: Woods Cross, Clearfield, Hurricane, Logan.
Why the Panthers are unbeaten: West has been saddled with the perception that it navigated a marshmallow soft preseason schedule. While it may not have been as difficult as the slate other teams faced, the Panthers do have a fair share of victories over quality opponents. Sophomore point guard Tyrell Corbin has come into his own as a floor leader and forward Chris Barnes has shown himself to be an explosive scorer. Barnes is the no. 2 scorer in 4A at 20.6 points per game. West has the speed and athleticism to make it a tough matchup for most teams.

Provo (10-0)
Key Victories: Lone Peak, Lehi, Pleasant Grove.
Why the Bulldogs are unbeaten: The better question is will anyone actually beat Provo this season? It’s hard to keep a perfect record intact from start to finish but the Bulldogs might have the chops to do it. They average 60.8 points per game and allow only 36.4. Leading the way is Kyle Collinsworth, a talented shooter (20.4 ppg) who appears to be even better than his older brother Chris. Brandon Davies, who is BYU-bound at season’s end, has the kind of post presence that gives a defense fits. You can bet no one is looking forward to meeting Provo in the state tournament this year.

Orem (10-0)
Key Victories: Wasatch, Snow Canyon, Logan.
Why the Tigers are unbeaten: In any other year, Orem would be generating a lot of buzz for its surprising start. But when you share a region with two-time defending state champion Provo, it is hard to get people to notice you. Orem has a perfect record mainly because the Tigers can flat out pour out points on a consistent basis. The Tiger offense averages 64.0 points per game, which ranks it third among 4A teams. Orem has four players who average at least 11 ppg, led by Jordan Egbert (13.5 ppg) and BYU-bound forward Ian Harward. If they can keep the gaudy offensive numbers intact, the Tigers have a chance to offer Provo some competition within Region 7.

3A

Bear River (11-0)
Key Victories: Wasatch, Sky View, Timpview, Box Elder (twice).
Why the Bears are unbeaten: Bear River enjoys fantastic inside-outside balance and it makes the Bears a matchup nightmare. Wade Bronson is a solid scorer and rebounder in the post. Guards Issac Ericksen and Matt Weyland are dead-eye shooters at mid-range and on the perimeter. Experience is a huge factor as eight seniors play a role for Bear River. An explosive offense is definitely the team’s calling card. The Bears have scored 60 points or more in nine games so far. Only Bonneville has managed to hold them below 50 points.

2A

South Sevier (11-0)
Key Victories: Richfield, San Juan, Enterprise, Beaver, Juab.
Why the Rams are unbeaten: Simply put, South Sevier overwhelms opponents on both ends of the court. The Rams have the top offense in 2A (69.1 ppg) and the no. 3 scoring defense (45.6 ppg). A big three of McKay Blackburn, Seth Taft and Dillon Bishoff have forced opponents to play the always unsuccessful game of pick-your-poision on defense. The trio combine for roughly 44 points a game between them, which is better than the entire offensive output for several teams. Scott Hunt looks to have the makings of another state title favorite with the Rams yet again. Remind me again, South Summit, why you replaced Hunt as your basketball coach more than a decade ago?

How long will these teams stay unbeaten? At least one is guaranteed to suffer a loss when Orem and Provo play on Friday. It will be fun to see who can keep their perfect record intact the longest and who can translate this early success into a state title at season’s end.

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