Aside from Mr. Basketball, it was the year of the guard in the state of Utah.
From Escalante to Tooele, from Salt Lake County to Monroe, all five Deseret Morning News boys basketball MVPs played the role of guard on their team, and they did it exceptionally well. They put the team before themselves, and as a result, four led their teams to state titles, while the other played in the state championship game.
Here's a list of this year's MVPs as picked by the Deseret Morning News. The first-team selections were voted on by coaches:
5A MVP:
Brett Sommerville, Bingham
Sommerville will surely be a legend at Bingham High for years to come.
His 8-foot jumper at the buzzer capped an incredible 5A championship game and won the Miners their first boys state title since 1990.
"I couldn't have scripted it better," said Sommerville after the game. "That stuff doesn't happen in life; that's movie stuff."
The moment came with 10 seconds remaining, and Bingham ahead by one. Riverton's Eric Dearden made 1-of-2 free throws, but instead of calling a timeout, Sommerville came racing up the court with his coach's blessing.
"Brett was shooting the ball no matter what because he's the best player in the state of Utah," said coach Mark Dubach.
For his all-around play throughout the season, Sommerville was definitely one of the elite players in 5A.
Despite playing on a team loaded with talent, Sommerville was unequivocally the team's premiere player. He occasionally led the team in scoring, but that didn't really matter. Bingham was at its best when Sommerville was bringing the ball up the floor and setting up the offense.
He finished his senior season averaging 11 points, six rebounds and five assists, and he was also an outstanding defender.
4A MVP:
Jake Orchard, Highland
Prior to the beginning of this season, Highland coach Keith West had a chat with this returning first-team All-Stater and said he probably wouldn't average 19 points like he did the year before.
Deep down, Orchard didn't believe it. However, as the season wore on, and the Rams kept winning game after game, Orchard noticed his coach was correct. Orchard's scoring was indeed down (16.0 ppg), but with the talented supporting cast around Orchard, it didn't matter. His rebounds and assists were up, and that balance helped the Rams capture the 4A title with a 24-1 record.
"We became a lot better team when he scored less, and when he started sharing the ball and focused on defense as well," said West. "Jake was all about winning."
Throughout the year, a good chunk of Orchard's points came from the foul line. In four state tournament games alone, Orchard made made 15-of-19 free throws. Several times, those free throws capped off a three-point play, because Orchard was very good at finishing after the foul as well.
"He brought toughness to the game every time he played," said West. "He just competes so hard, and just goes really hard. Other players usually wear down, but Jake doesn't wear down."
3A MVP:
Mike Holt, Tooele
Several times this year, Tooele's coaches joked that with this senior point guard, they could just put it on autopilot.
"He knew our system so well," said Tooele coach Danny Medina. "He knew what plays to run and what to stick with."
Holt's expertise on the hardcourt is a big reason why the Buffaloes came within one win of capturing their second straight 3A championship this year.
Holt finished the year averaging 14.2 points, five assists and three steals per game.
In a semifinal win over Dixie, Holt helped blow the game wide open by scoring nine of his game-high 15 points during a three-minute stretch in the third quarter. He didn't dominate like that often, but the potential was always there.
"If you test him in agility (drills), he won't score real well, but he's very cerebral with the game," said Medina. "He knows when to penetrate, knows who the hot shooters are and knows when to get it to the big guys."
2A MVP:
Carson Christensen, South Sevier
For three years now, this senior has been garnering All-State honors in football, basketball and baseball, but contrary to logic, Christensen isn't some unusual athletic specimen.
"I wouldn't say he's special," said South Sevier basketball coach Scott Hunt. "I think he's a good athlete who maximizes potential with hard work and competitive nature."
That hard work paid off handsomely this year as 2A's second-leading scorer (16.6 ppg) led South Sevier to its first state title since 1991.
Hunt believes "competitor" is the best word to describe Christensen. Even in practices, Christensen would be diving after loose balls and going after every rebound like it was a championship game.
"He was our only returning senior who played a lot, and I thought maybe he would try and be the man, but he was our leader in the way he played team basketball," said Hunt.
1A MVP:
Chad Cottam, Escalante
In the 1A state tournament this year, as luck would have it, two of the premiere teams were paired up in the first round. This senior guard embraced the challenge, and proved why he was clearly the elite player in 1A.
Cottam poured in 32 points to lead his team to an 11-point win over Layton Christian, and it was smooth sailing after that for the Moquis.
"That ought to tell you something about him," said Escalante coach Greg Allen. "In that game, he took it upon himself."
Throughout the season, however, it was his unselfishness that helped Escalante dominate the 1A ranks. Even though he led the team in scoring with 16.3 points per game, he also averaged 10 rebounds, five assists and three steals.
"He was certainly versatile," said Allen. "He played everything from point guard to post-up center, and he played it all well."
E-mail: jedward@desnews.com