Colorado Player of the Week: Daylen Kountz (2018)
Daylen Kountz has always been the kind of player who prefers to let his play on the court do the talking.
This season, his game is speaking louder than ever.
The 6-foot-5 lefty sophomore wing at George Washington, the No. 1 player in the Prep Hoops Colorado 2018 class, has been one of the most productive players in the state this season, regardless of class. Kountz is averaging 22.3 points over the Patriots’ first 18 games of the season, the second-highest total among all Class 5A players.
That average is more than double his output from what was already a strong freshman season.
“Most of it is confidence,” Kountz said of the biggest reason behind his rise during his second high school season. “My confidence is way up from where it was last year. I didn’t have to do as much last year, but this year I have to step it up more.”
Kountz was a model of efficiency last week in a victory over Thomas Jefferson. He scored a season-high 35 points on 12-of-15 shooting from the floor. He followed that up with a 23-point, three-assist effort in a rout of Denver South.
Behind those performances, Kountz was voted the Prep Hoops Colorado Player of the Week.
Kountz’s strong play, along with that of guards Jon’il and Calvin Fugett and wing Jervay Green, has helped George Washington win five of its last six games, the only loss in that stretch a narrow defeat to undefeated Rangeview.
“I think selling out on the defensive end and the extra passes on offense, sacrificing so we can all do well,” Kountz said when asked about the keys behind the Patriots’ strong resurgence.
Kountz said he has received Division I recruiting attention throughout this season, and that attention is sure to take off beginning this spring as a focal point for the Colorado Hawks’ talented 16U group.
For now, though, Kountz and the Patriots are in focusing on what is front of them. Right now, that means a good shot at the Denver Public League title. George Washington is currently the only unbeaten team left in the league.
“We’ve still got to make sure we take every game real serious,” Kountz said.