PRESCOTT — Three teams from northern Arizona have qualified for the AIA’s inaugural Open State Championship basketball tournament.

On the boys side, Prescott and Bradshaw Mountain have qualified, while the Flagstaff girls will represent their city proudly.

PRESCOTT BOYS

Receiving a No. 23 seed in the Open, Prescott (20-2, 11-1 4A Grand Canyon) will play at No. 10 Sunnyslope (21-5, 8-2 6A Desert Valley) on Wednesday. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.

Travis Stedman, head coach of the Badgers, said the Open tournament is going to be an “awesome event.”

“It does a great job mitigating some of the previous issues. Nothing is perfect and there will always be something for someone to nitpick, but all in all, the opportunity to pit the best teams against each other is awesome,” Stedman said.

The Badgers are led by a dynamic sophomore duo in guard Uriah Tenette and 6-foot-10 center Zane Gaul. Tenette averages 24.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 3.9 steals per game, while Gaul comes in at 13.8 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.

BRADSHAW BOYS

The Bears (22-3, 11-1 4A Grand Canyon) cut the nets down in their own gym last week after claiming the Grand Canyon region title with a 68-49 win over Lee Williams.

Bradshaw Mountain head coach Cain Atkinson, who used to run the Volunteers program, said his club is “extremely excited” to be playing in the Open.

“We’ve been looking forward to it all season. A goal for us was to have a home game in the playoffs, and to be able to also compete in the Open tournament is a great opportunity,” Atkinson told AzPreps365.com on Tuesday night.

Atkinson’s club as a No. 15 seed will host No. 18 St. Mary’s on Wednesday. Tipoff in Prescott Valley is set for 7 p.m.

The first-year Bears coach said he expects his kids to play loose and confident.

“We’ll use tomorrow as another game for us to play a talented team. If we win, great. We’ll be ready, and it will be a great experience for us,” Atkinson said.

Mason Hunt leads the team in scoring 13.2 points and grabs 5.0 rebounds per game. Dante Landis leads the club in rebounds at 9.2 per game and scores 6.4 points per game.

St. Mary’s (14-12, 9-1 4A Desert Sky) has won eight of their last nine contests, including a 84-54 win over Arcadia to wrap up the regular season Feb. 3.

FLAGSTAFF GIRLS

A perennial 4A powerhouse out of the Grand Canyon region, it’s no surprise Flagstaff (21-5, 12-0 4A Grand Canyon) is in the Open this season.

The No. 10-seeded Eagles are scheduled to host No. 23 Mountain Ridge (17-7, 5-5 6A Desert Valley) on Tuesday night.

Longtime Flagstaff head coach Tyrone Johnson said he loves the Open concept, especially on the girls basketball side.

“I always say, 4A, 5A, 6A, teams from each league are competitive. I always think 4A can compete with anyone. So, going to this format, it’s put up or shut up [time],” Johnson said with a laugh. “We can show we can play with the 5As and 6As. I think it says something about our program to be the only northern Arizona school to make it on the girls side.”

The Lions are led by Miyah Verse with 15.6 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. The 6-foot senior is a Top 50 recruit in the nation and has already committed to Georgia for basketball. She also was a one-time Eagle, playing for Johnson as a freshman.

“It’s ironic we’re going to see her,” Johnson said.

Bella Burcar leads Flagstaff with 12.9 points per game and 5.6 rebounds per game, while Sage Begay comes in at 11.8 points per game and 4.1 rebounds per game.

HOW THE OPEN WORKS

• There are 32 teams in the boys and girls Open State Championship basketball tournament. Each bracket it made up of eight 6A, eight 5A, eight 4A teams (24 total) and eight at large bids.
• Once a team reaches the Open quarterfinals, it will stay in the tournament. If any team loses in the first two rounds, it goes back to its respective conference state tournament for a shot at the 6A-4A title.
• Play-In Round: The eight play-in winners (6A-4A) will be placed in conference bracket. Remaining teams for each bracket will come from the losing teams in the first and second rounds of the Open.
• Follow @AzPreps365 on Twitter for scores, or visit azpreps365.com.

Brian M. Bergner Jr. has covered professional, collegiate and high school sports for more than 20 years. Follow him on Twitter @AzPreps365Brian. Have a story idea? Email Brian at bbergner@azpreps365.com.