Mountain Pointe (dark jerseys) battle 2020 champ Desert Vista in last year's 6A final has the pieces to secure unfinished business. (AzPreps365 photo).

Where were we when the zeroes were up for the 2020 boys basketball season? The champions crowned were - Desert Vista (6A), Ironwood (5A), Salpointe (4A), ALA-Queen Creek (3A), Rancho Solano (2A) and Fort Thomas (1A). Chances of repeats? Pretty good. Five of the six conferences have seen a repeat champion over the past four seasons. Only one without a repeat in that span is 3A. 

Hard to know what to expect this time as COVID-19 has intervened now in all three sports seasons dating back to last spring. Below are capsules of teams from the East Valley, Northeast Valley and a few others who relayed info on their teams via questionnaire. They are broken down by conference.

6A

Basha: The Bears finished 14-14 last year bowing in the second round in the 6A state tourney.  Coach Mike Grothaus has a trio of returning starters and one player with meaningful bench minutes. Veteran of the starters back is senior Trenton McLaughlin, who averaged 17 ppg.  returns after averaging 17 ppg. Junior post Brady Reynolds managed 10 ppg and junior Thomas Hastings is likely to be a double-figure scorer in 2021. Ty Sandoval returns after playing as a freshmen.  Move-in from New Jersey - Torin Boisch - is a 6-4 athletic wing and should step in right away. Simeon Spiller, Mason Blankenship, Lucas Fischiera and freshmen Christian Warren will also contribute.

Brophy Prep: The Broncos finished 17-9 last year and won the 6A Premier Region.  Coach Matt Hooten's team graduated some size from last year,'s  but return a lot of their rotation and have added some talented younger players to that mix.  This is probably the most perimeter oriented group in the last five seasons. Returning starters are senior guard Desi Burrage, juniors Patrick Chew (wing) and Miles Nash (guard).  Burrage averaged 13 ppg and Chew 12 ppg. Other returners are senior guards Roosevelt Bryant, and Quentin Cibulka and wings Arman Madi and J.P. Musselmann, who alternated between varsity and JV. Newcomers to watch are freshman Braeden Speed, billed as one of top frosh in the state by Hooten and sophomore guard Leonard Romayor.

Chandler: The loss of four players who transferred out from a 19-9, final four team hasn't dampened coach Jon Rothier's spirits. The Wolves welcome back senior point guard Carson Kelly, the Premier Region POY. Kelly (19 ppg, 5 apg) is the key to the team's success as a pass-first point guard making everyone else on the team better.  Another first-team, all-region returner is senior post Nick Riley (14 ppg, 10 rpg). Senior forward Elijah Johnson gets a full season this year after sitting out half of last year. Was second-team, all-region. New to the lineup are junior guard Jamison Crispin, speedy and lock-in defender. Sat out last season after transferring. Freshman guard-wing Ezias Steffen is being counted on to contribute in a big way quickly. Junior wing Eydruse Muse must sit half the season after transferring from Maryvale. Size to get to the rim and finish plays.

Corona del Sol: This season the Aztecs return much of a 14-13 squad that has added young guys to the mix that will be solid contributors. More size than in past years. Corona has three returning starters in seniors Roberto Yellowman, Elijah McDaniel, and RJ Richey. Also back playing significant minutes in 2nd half of 2020 are juniors Brandon Lee and Quinn Thorne. All of these players are capable scorers who will all be counted on, in some form, to make up for the loss of graduating seniors Eric Blackwell and Anthony Irvin. Newcomers who can contribute are senior transfer Gabe Pesqueira - depth at small forward position. Sophs Ollie Hinder (6-9) and Michael Dehorney (6-7) and junior Peyton Beauer (6-5) will add strength and an inside presence. Frosh point guard Preston Lee, younger brother of Brandon, may wedge way into varsity role.

Dobson: Longtime coach Rick McConnell says  the Mustangs will sport a completely new ball club. Returning seniors are 6-4 forward Logan Blanchard, 6-0 forward Quinten Phillips and 6-2 forward Colten Spencer.  Phillips averaged nearly 10 points a game but has missed most of the pre season from football so he will need to get into basketball shape. Our young guards will be junior Denton Latimore, sophomore Jashawn Kinney and freshman Donovan Beard and senior guard Fisher Griffith. Ball handling, passing and shooting is improved which will make for a versatile and balanced team. Possess quickness but not much size so have to put emphasis on rebounding with all players.

Mountain Pointe: Last year's runners-up are loaded. Senior guard Jason Kimbrough, massive senior post Zeroue Williams and sophomore Mark Brown headliners. Kimbrough has a couple years of quality varsity time behind him. Williams is a two-sport athlete likely to make his name in football. Brown made a name for himself last year. Kimbrough and Brown are double-digit scorers and Williams a rebounding machine and blockade in the lane. Sophomore transfer Tru Washington (Cesar Chavez) is a multi-talented addition and averaged 13 ppg, 5 rpg in 2020. Coach Kaimarr Price has ample depth to help the aforementioned players. Many coaches tab the Pride as the favorite to bring home the 6A crown.

Mountain View: The Toros were a tick better than .500 last year (14-13), and the state's winningest coach Gary Ernst said it's hard to tell what's in store with the long lull in action and games. Ernst does know it's a group who will give it their all. Senior guard Cooper Arnett was an early starter but suffered an early ankle injury. Other returnees were in the rotation at some time during the season due to a large number of injuries. Up from the JV team are 6-1 Conner Cook, a sharp shooter and also sophomore Brigg Wolfe a 6-3 point guard. Seniors Davis Banks, Davis Rush, Brayden Lamm and Nolen Christensen should help also. Size will come from 6-2, 240 Malaki Ta'ase, a tenacious player and sophomore center Jackson Bowers (6-5, 220). 

Perry: The Pumas finished 15-14 and reached the state quarters last year.  Four returning starters, a bench player and half a dozen newcomers (lower levels and transfers) could mean vast improvement. Returning starters are 7-foot junior Dylan Anderson, senior guards Christian Tucker and Demarco Wiley and sophomore guard Cody Williams. Anderson and Tucker averaged 12 points each and coach Sammy Duane Jr. forsees a much more up-tempo team than in 2020. With limited practice time and scrimmages in offseason, Duane unsure how rotations, playing time will come together.

Pinnacle: A sub-.500 season wasn't the plan for the Pioneers who thrive on 20-plus win campaigns, but by season's end a 13-16 mark and trip to 6A quarters was a decent finish. A group of young players saw significant playing time last year off the bench and return -- sophomore Duce Robinson, seniors Elias White and Max McEuen and junior Joey Grady. JV players and sophomores Devon Dampier and Bryce Ford will also help along with out-of-state transfers senior Dorian Singer (Minnesota) and junior Asher Rasquiza (Washington).

Red Mountain:  The Mountain Lions finished 8-19 last season, but coach Chris Lemon likes the balance of players rostered with the extra practice time afforded by the season's delay. Four seniors, a junior and a couple sophomores are the nucleus. Seniors are shooting guard Cameron Oltmans, wing 6-4 Nolan Kurtz, forward 6-3 Bennett Moore and center 6-5 Evan Svoboda. All bring leadership and can shoot. Point guard is junior Zachary Working and sophomores are wing Ja'kobi Lane and shooting guard Braeden Moore. Lemon says there is no star or one player who is a standout. There is some length which has been lacking in recent years.

Sunnyslope:  Wouldn't matter what conference the Vikings compete in as they are routinely an automatic contender. Coach Ray Portela's crew moves up from 5A and offers an array of returning and new talent. Slope was 23-6 last year bowing out in the semifinals to eventual champ Ironwood. Solid talent from 2020 are senior guard Oakland Fort (10 ppg, 4.5 rpg), senior forward Grady Lewis (10 ppg, 4.5 rpg) and quite seasoned junior Elijah Saunders (6 ppg, 4 rpg) and senior guard Malcolm Olexa (5 ppg, 2.2 apg). Newcomers to watch are Quinn Thompson, Liam Thompson and Mason Taylor.

Valley Vista: The Monsoon has played .500 ball the last two seasons and inched their way up in postseason. A play-in-game loss e3nded 2019 and first-round loss at state last year was to Desert Vista. Coach Ben Isai is looking for more this year, perhaps an extended stay at state. Lots of returners saw action in 2020 with three averaging just above double-figures in scoring - guard Dwight McKnight (10.8 ppg), sophomore Aadem Isai (10.6 ppg) and senior Elijah Thomas (10.4 ppg). Senior forward Demari Hackett, senior guard David Aysho, junior Dwayne Porter and sophomore guard Clayton Werner picked up varsity experience in 2020.

Arcadia: The Titans move up from 4A on the heels of a 23-6 season in 2020. So it's a transition year adding the fact seven seniors graduated from last year's team. Still the cupboard is far from bare with two, three-year starters in Max Majerle and Owen Shaw and three-year varsity player Kieran Carr. First-year starter Trey Brown, on his way to Duke to play football is a great athlete. Incoming to varsity are juniors Luke Traynor, Bradon Austin and Tyler Rosenfeld plus sophs Ethan Faas and Nate Parras.

Cactus Shadows: A 22-5 season for coach Zach Walshut that featured a 20-game winning streak, ended abruptly to McClintock in the round of 16. It was the Falcons' third consecutive 20-win campaign. Key players for 2021 are a core group of seniors - two baseball commits in Cole Caruso (8.6 ppg) and Nate Williams (4-5 ppg) plus Carson Woods, Noah Dutcher, (7.5 ppg), Connor Benson (5.5 ppg), and Tate Roderick. 

Casteel: The Colts bring on Aaron Windler, a veteran head coach in the past decade-plus from Chaparral and Mountain Pointe. Windler likes the balance he's equipped with and calls it the deepest team he's ever coached. Casteel was 11-16 last year and fell a game shy of reaching the 5A state tournament. Three seniors and a junior were the most productive scorers back from last year. The seniors are guards Drey Sherwood (5 ppg) and Mason Moseley (6 ppg) and forward Tyson Coleman (9 ppg). Junior forward Carson Ledbetter checked in averaging 6 ppg. Four more juniors, two sophomores and a freshman will compete for playing time with the veteran cast.

Desert Mountain: The Wolves will compete in one of 5A's toughest regions top to bottom with Horizon, McClintock, Arcadia, Cactus Shadows, and Paradise Valley. Coach Mark Schumaker is fortunate to return his top two scorers from 2020 in seniors Carson Biggs and Tony Elliott., who averaged nearly 13 points a game each. Varsity role players back are Easton Reagan and Will Dubuc plus sophomores Ryan Ginsberg and Chris Washkevich from an 18-1 JV. 

Gilbert: The Tigers return six seniors plus one senior transfer, but only two saw significant floor time. The lone starter from a 23-5, 5A quarterfinal team, is Tampa Scott. Scott is a top-notch guard., who averaged nearly eight points a game. Senior Nikko Pentelute played in a reserve role on varsity in 2020. Players up from lower levels who will contribute are juniors Reed Shuey, Elijah Johnson and Shade Kerr. A trio of transfers are senior Carter Korab, move-in from Washington state and local transfers Trey Hollis (Chandler) and Tyler Lubash (Basha).

Higley: It's the second season for coach Kenneth Drake as the program undergoes culture change. The Knights won one game last year, lost a few seniors and some players transferred out. Returning varsity players are Kameron Bender, Kollin Owens, Dallen Nelson Chevon Troutman and Javory McCloud. All had varied varsity playing time in 2020. Three transfers from out of state will boost athleticism in the program. Checking in from Chicago are Coblie Morgan and Jediah Jones. Chuck Bailey moved in from Detroit. Another transfer locally - Will Morgan (Liberty) - will help as well.

Horizon: The Huskies have a new coach, Andrew Doss, who comes to Arizona from Northern California with 16 years experience in coaching. Doss assumes a squad with one returning all-region player Croix Sweeney (12 ppg, 6 rpg) and nine first-year, varsity players. Starters likely to join Sweeney from the 2020 varsity are Cameron Coraggio, Landon Mumford and Josh Rodgers. 

Ironwood: Graduation took some toll on the Eagles, the defending 5A state champs. But coach Jordan Augustine returns two cogs to last year's title in senior guards Bailon Black and JJ White.  who will lead the charge for a title defense. Both averaged nearly 13 ppg with complete floor games. Augustine will also count on players who did not have huge roles or are new to varsity for 2021. They are junior guard Ringo Aguek, senior combo guard Alex Elam, senior Steinar Christianson and sophomores Julius Williams, Adonis Thomas, Nael Al-Masri and Jamaal Dean. A junior transfer who could help at the midpoint is DeOtis Nunn (South Mountain), who averaged 9 ppg for the Jaguars. 

Williams Field: The Black Hawks were 13-13 last year and second in the 5A San Tan Region. A standout they will rely on is senior point guard Montez Taylor, a first-team, all region pick. Taylor averaged 15 ppg, 5 astpg and 3 stpg. A transfer from Buckeye who sat out all of last year is 6-7 forward Leroy Williams. Taylor and Williams have juco letters with Saulk Valley Dixon, IL. Others to watch are senior forward Khari Dunn and senior Charles Temple. New to the team are senior wing Kyler Kasper (football) and freshman guard Isaiah Bronson.

4A

ALA Queen Creek: The Patriots enter 2021 as 2020 3A state champs and  move up to 4A and the Desert Sky Region. With that is a new coach in Silas Mills, who takes over for Ryan McCurdy. Mills will rely on returning seniors Barrett McCann, a senior forward and team captain, shooting guard Kristian Silva and forwards Jackson Wright and Landyn Ward. JV players who can help, most with size are Ashton Earl and Brooks Jones, both 6-6; point guard AJ Moss plus Hudson Werlich and Nate Holmes.

Combs: Coach Ben Johnson is seeking back-to-back winning seasons after last year's 15-11 finish. There are holes to fill with nine seniors graduating and accounting for a huge chunk of scoring and rebounding. The 2021 squad will be led by two-year, first-team region standout Isaac Lujan. Lujan, a senior, averaged 13 points a game each of those seasons. The other senior back is a two-year varsity player in wing Levi Tuckfield. The only other player with varsity experience is Tanner Price, who alternated between varsity and JV.  Sophomores up from the lower levels and to be counted on are Isaac Guevara and Hunter Clare. Looking to add scoring punch are juniors Alex Aikens and Brodee Tucker.

Marcos de Niza: David Stark enters year 23 as head coach with a young team in a tough Desert Sky Region. The Padres will be a scrappy, inexperienced club. They lost nine seniors and only two returners who did not start - senior Nehemiah Washington and senior Jace Langley. JV players moving up and contributing are juniors Aiden Baker, Tony Mottola and Wesley Salter. Sophomore transfer Jamaal Young (Cholla) and freshman Anthony Semaneu round out the impact players.

Mesquite: Shawn Lynch returns to the head coaching stage after years as coach at Mesa High and an administrator (principal) at a couple others. Lynch inherits a program that was senior-heavy last year, 20-8 record and Desert Sky Region champs with one returning varsity letterman. That one is a good one - junior guard Nate Calmese (22 ppg, 2.5 astpg and 4 rpg). Seven players rise from lower levels to compete for spots as well as two senior newcomers and a freshman guard. Rounding out the competitors are a trio of transfers - senior guard Eric Lira (Central), junior guard Tre Cushenberry (NFL Yet) and junior post Drew Owens (Leading Edge Academy).

Peoria: Two top players from the Panthers' 4A state runner-up team of 2020 that posted a 26-4 mark headline the team's bid for the prize they just missed. They are sophomore Andrew Camacho (14.7 ppg) and senior Corey Perry, (8.1 ppg). Arriving from the JV is sophomore Calvin Windley, who averaged 8.1 ppg. Youngker sophomore transfer De"Marion Anderson figures help out once eligible. Anderson averaged 20.6 ppg and 9 ast pg.

Poston Butte: The Broncos graduated the bulk of their scoring and begin the season lacking in varsity experience from 2020. Three players will be counted on to lift the team early. Varsity veterans Jimmy Brooks, DeAngelo Roberts and Travalle Beckwith. Sophomore center Conner Lopez played on the freshman team last year and offers size.

Saguaro: A new staff, led by new coach Lucas Ramirez, aims to get the program back on a normal track of .500 or better seasons and lots of success replacing longtime coach Bob La Rue. The Sabercats were 4-21 last year.  Ramirez and staff will have 13 seniors on their roster and eight from the football team. Returning players are Darrion Dalton, Matt Robles and Kamden Sekaquaptwea. Junior coming back is Tristan Monday. Players new to the program and all transfers are Troy Allen, Donovan Thomason, Kaveon Irby, Kyle Onisile

St. Mary's: The Knights were one of the top teams in the conference last year reaching the semis in a 24-4 season. Expectations are equally high again awith the ability to nab a title. The 2021 year starts with experienced returners  - senior Keiren Brown (16 ppg, 8 rpg, 8 astpg), juniors Garrison Phelps (13 ppg, 5 rpg, 5 astpg) and Jeremiah Cherry (10 ppg, 8 rpg) and soph Jason Fontenet (9 ppg, 4 astpg). Add potential of three new players - 6-8 junior Foune Doucoure 6-7 sophomore Seydou Tamboura, who didn't play last year plus freshman point guard Styles Phipps. Lots of opponents mark Knights as the favorite.

Tempe High: The Buffaloes return five players with varsity experience of which four are seniors among a 13-man squad. Tempe will be led by senior captain David Galeana Sanchez, a 6-2 post. The rest of last year's varsity players back are senior forward Nathan Robinson, senior post Michael Cherry, senior forward Juno Leggett and junior guard Torian Gant. Coach Tom Saltzstein believes he can go 8-10 players deep in games as the Buffs try to improve on last year's 5-18 record.