2A is four regions and a lot of gyms that hold a few hundred people and still get loud. Kanab went 22-3 and 12-0. North Summit was 20-4. ALA was 20-6. South Sevier was 19-8. Rowland Hall was 19-8. Then Kyle Brown, Carson Visser, Kestin Richins and a pile of other seniors walked out. The classification did not get smaller. The first options just got younger.
Region 15 is the Back and the mid-state valley. Region 16 is the Salt Lake charters. Region 17 is the valley privates. Region 18 is the south. All four send teams that can win a Friday in February.
Region 15
North Summit, South Summit, Gunnison Valley, Millard, North Sevier, Duchesne.
North Summit went 20-4 and 10-0 under Aaron Preece. Kestin Richins and Chase Padfield graduated. Tayton Pace did not. He averaged 20 a night as a sophomore on that team. Cru Richins added 9.2 as a junior. Coalville is not starting over. First in this region still runs through that gym.
South Summit dropped from 3A and won 17 games. Blake Osguthorpe and Maddox Welch are gone. Malachi Skinner is back. Kamas has been a playoff program for a long time. They belong in the top three of any 2A region they land in.
Gunnison Valley won 17 and made the quarters. Tyson Moosman kept size: Daxton Knudsen at 6-4 and Bronson Allen at 6-5, both juniors. The Bulldogs have been trending up. Millard and North Sevier both have kids who already saw varsity in this league. Duchesne is a long trip and a proud gym. Nine wins last year is a start.
How I see Region 15: 1. North Summit 2. South Summit 3. Gunnison Valley 4. Millard 5. North Sevier 6. Duchesne
Region 16
APA West Valley, UMA Camp Williams, Rockwell, Vanguard, Salt Lake Academy, Freedom Prep.
APA-WV went 19-4 and made the quarters. Mark Vialpando’s Eagles have been the most finished roster in this group. UMA Camp Williams won 20 against a lighter slate and still found the bracket conversation. Rockwell can score in bunches. Vanguard has athletes. Salt Lake Academy and Freedom Prep are building. This region is APA-WV’s until somebody takes a night, and the kids in those smaller programs are the reason the next two rows stay interesting.
How I see Region 16: 1. APA West Valley 2. UMA Camp Williams 3. Rockwell 4. Vanguard 5. Salt Lake Academy 6. Freedom Prep
Region 17
Rowland Hall, American Leadership Academy, Draper APA, Waterford, Maeser Prep, Intermountain Christian, UMA Hill Field.
Jrue Miller changes this region. 24.8 points, 643 on the year, 101 threes, 42 at Draper APA, 41 at South Summit. He is a sophomore. Zack Alvidrez already had Rowland Hall in the quarters at 19-8. With Miller back, the Winged Lions sit first.
ALA went 20-6 and was a title threat and they return 2028 G Kobe Ross,one of the top playmakers in the state regardless of class in . Spanish Fork still has size and pace. Draper APA won 15 and brings Urban Baldwin back after 16.1 a night. Waterford and Maeser are organized. ICS will surprise some people if Ben Wanner returns to the Lions. and UMA Hill Field will take their lumps and steal a night when the shots fall. This is the deepest 2A region on paper.
How I see Region 17: 1. Rowland Hall 2. ALA 3. Draper APA 4. Waterford 5. Maeser Prep 6. ICS 7. UMA Hill Field
Region 18
South Sevier, Kanab, San Juan, Parowan, Enterprise, Beaver, Grand County.
South Sevier went 19-8 and 9-3 and played in the mix all year. Raidon Barney is an absolute stud and should keep them in the mix all year long and might even make them the favorites to take it all! Monroe always has athletes. San Juan went 16-11 and 8-4 with a young group that is about to be a year older. Andrew Nielson is the junior holdover. Jonah John, Max Stearns and Beau Yeomans already got varsity run.
Kanab was the measuring stick — 22-3, 12-0, the gym everybody else pointed at. Kyle Brown went for 18.2 and 4.5 assists. Carson Visser went for 15.4 and 7.8 boards. Tyce Hill and Trey Castagno left with them. What Jerron Glazier kept is Latimer Glover (5.2 boards, 3.0 assists, 2.3 steals) and Easton Gilberg. The standard in that gym does not leave with one senior class.
Parowan was 11-11 and a handful of possessions from the next tier. Enterprise and Beaver both won 11. Grand County had a hard year and still has kids who want the next one to look different. Blanding to Kanab is a long bus ride. Those Friday nights are the best part of this region.
How I see Region 18: 1. South Sevier 2. Kanab 3. San Juan 4. Parowan 5. Enterprise 6. Beaver 7. Grand County
Players to watch
Jrue Miller, Rowland Hall — 24.8 a night, 643 points, 101 threes. Sophomore. Might be the best returning player in the class.
Raidon Barney, South Sevier - Raidon is a difference maker and will be in the running for POTY in 2A with Jrue, Tayton, Kobe, and Ben
Tayton Pace, North Summit — 20.0 as a sophomore on a 20-win team. 6-4. Coalville’s next first option is already here.
Kobe Ross, ALA — Expect a big growth year in game and size for Kobe at ALA. He could average 20/10 this year for Coach Ronnie Ross.
Ben Wanner, ICS — Last season the 2029 PG flirted with a move to Anthem Prep before returning to the Lions. After a great summer with the Mountain Stars, he’ll be great wherever he lands.
Latimer Glover, Kanab — 5.2 boards, 3.0 assists, 2.3 steals next to Kyle Brown. Brown is gone. Glover is the Cowboy who already did the dirty work.
Cru Richins, North Summit — 9.2 on that same 20-win roster. Junior guard who already knows Preece’s gym.
Easton Gilberg, Kanab — 4.6 and 21 threes off the bench for a 12-0 region champ. The next Kanab guard is not a mystery.
Daxton Knudsen, Gunnison Valley — 6-4 junior. The Bulldogs won 17 and made the quarters. He is the size that stays.
Bronson Allen, Gunnison Valley — 6-5 junior. Gunnison has two bigs coming back. That matters in this class.
Urban Baldwin, Draper APA — 16.1 last year. One name from the valley privates, and he already produced.
Andrew Nielson, San Juan — junior on a 16-win team. Blanding’s holdover.
Malachi Skinner, South Summit — junior guard in Kamas after a 17-win drop from 3A. The Wildcats still belong in the conversation.
Miller and Pace already scored like aces. Glover is why Kanab is more than a rebuild. Gunnison’s size is the sleeper pair. San Juan and Draper still have a name each. 2A is going to be decided in Coalville, Kanab, Spanish Fork and a Rowland Hall gym that just handed the keys to a sophomore who already dropped 40 twice and South Sevier has Barney. Really good 2A class this year!