Colorado hoops has risen in recent years and the current upswing looks to continue. The 2016, 2017, and 2018 classes could produce record numbers of Division I recruits and the depth of talent beyond the D-I level prospects has increased.
While the latest group is extremely promising, it is time to give credit to those who played high school hoops in Colorado and are still competing at some level to this day. They’ve helped set the stage for the ongoing success of Centennial State basketball.
Without further ado, here’s Prep Hoops Colorado’s second Where Are They Now article in an ongoing series.
Dominique Collier: A four-time All-Colorado selection and two-time Mr. Basketball winner at Denver East, Collier had a bit of a frustrating true freshman season for Colorado while averaging 4.7 points and 1.5 assists and battling an ankle injury. But, sophomore year holds plenty of promise as Collier has added upper body strength and might become the starting point guard for the Buffaloes. He is extremely talented and should become an impact player in the Pac-12 sooner than later.
Jorge Gutierrez: Gutierrez, one of the best Class 4A players in Colorado history and a state champion at Lincoln High School in Denver, earned Pac-12 Player of the Year honors as a senior for the California Golden Bears. The guard is making a living on the defensive end and has appeared in 35 NBA games with the Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks. The 26 year old recently resigned with Milwaukee. Gutierrez is the fourth Mexican-born player to compete in the NBA.
Matt Bouldin: The 6-foot-5 guard, a big-time talent at ThunderRidge in the mid-2000’s, led Gonzaga to four consecutive West Coast Conference titles, earning first-team All-Conference honors each time. He was also the Player of the Year as a senior. Bouldin has spent time playing professionally overseas and in the NBA Development League and was a D-League champion and the Finals MVP in 2014 for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. He has yet to appear in an NBA game, but could be on the verge.
Wes Gordon: A former All-Colorado forward at Sierra, the 6-foot-9 and 240 pound Gordon has been a defensive stalwart for the Colorado Buffaloes. He blocks shots, can defend one-on-one, grabs rebounds, and plays well off Josh Scott. CU would love for him to become more aggressive offensively as a junior as he was efficient, but only attempted 4.4 shots and scored 6.6 points. Either way, Gordon is putting together a nice college career.
Carlton Hurst: Hurst was a freakish athlete at guard at Aurora Central and averaged 24.3 points, 11.8 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 4.1 steals as a senior. At Colorado State, he never seemed to get comfortable and only played limited minutes before transferring to South Dakota this June. He will have two years of eligibility remaining after sitting out next season. Hurst has potential to be a very good player in the Summit League.
