Game of the Week: George Washington at Overland
It’s finally here! The 2015-16 Colorado high school basketball season tips off in earnest on Tuesday night with a slew of enticing games. We’ll release an article later this weekend detailing some of the best opening night matchups, but for…
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Continue ReadingIt’s finally here! The 2015-16 Colorado high school basketball season tips off in earnest on Tuesday night with a slew of enticing games. We’ll release an article later this weekend detailing some of the best opening night matchups, but for now we’re focusing on one …
The Prep Hoops Colorado Game of the Week is George Washington at Overland — 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 1.
De’Ron Davis and the Trailblazers begin their Class 5A title defense against the ferocious backcourt of the Patriots. This game is chock-full of players dotted along the PHC rankings, and you can bet there will be a number of college coaches in the attendance. There will be great familiarity between these teams even though they play in different leagues, because a large majority of both rosters has competed together with the Colorado Hawks. There is great friendship there, but expect that to be put on pause once the ball goes up.
Here’s a closer look at the matchup:
THE PROSPECTS
Overland: De’Ron Davis, 6-foot-10 forward (No. 1 in 2016); Jervae Robinson, 6-foot-1 guard (No. 18 in 2016); Reggie Gibson, 5-foot-10 point guard (No. 22 in 2016); Alijah Halliburton (No. 64 in 2016); Asad Yousuf, 6-foot guard (No. 24 in 2017); Nick Holmes, 6-foot-1 guard (No. 60 in 2017); Steven Hayes, 6-foot-2 guard/forward (No. 9 in 2019).
George Washington: Jervay Green, 6-foot-1 guard (No. 8 in 2017); Calvin Fugett Jr., 6-foot guard (No. 12 in 2017); Dante Anderson, 6-foot-7 center (No. 74 in 2017); Daylen Koontz, 6-foot-5 wing (No. 1 in 2018); Jon’il Fugett, 5-foot-11 guard (No. 5 in 2018).
MATCHUP TO WATCH
Davis vs. Kountz
No, these two won’t be matched up together one-on-one, but anytime you have two top players in a given class going against one another, you can expect some big moments.
Davis has pledged to “dominate” this season, hungry to prove he’s a player who is determined to get better every day rather than one who is content now that he has chosen a college landing spot. Kountz, meanwhile, is as competitive as they come. Don’t let his status as an underclassmen fool you. He is one of the very best players in the state, regardless of class.
X-FACTOR
Alijah Halliburton, Overland
Now that his football season is over, Halliburton seems to have acclimated quickly back to the basketball court. It helps to have great athleticism. Perhaps most importantly, Halliburton brings a great competitive edge to the Blazers.
Halliburton can defend multiple positions and excels in transition, so he'll be a guy who can be a fly in the Patriots' collective ointment.
SCOUTING REPORT
The only way Davis was ever really slowed down last season was when he encountered foul trouble. Expect the talented and athletic Patriots guards to attack the paint and go at Davis in the early going. Both of these teams like to run and be fast and physical at the point of attack, so it will be interesting to see how the referees monitor and call the action.
George Washington will likely use multiple defenders against Davis, including Sha’heem Speer and Tre Pierce. They, like most frontcourts, will be undersized against the 6-foot-10, 235-pound Davis, but the Patriots will have a backcourt edge in nearly every game this season. I suspect that Robinson and Gibson will up to the challenge for Overland.
PREDICTION
This game should be fast, physical and exciting. Both teams are expecting deep playoff runs, so this will be a great early barometer of their early season progress.
PHC prediction: Overland 74, George Washington 65