Colorado June Stock Risers: Forwards, Part I
It’s been a big month of June for high school teams around the state. We’ve made our way to a number of summer events to evaluate players as they compete ahead of July’s live periods.
And while we can’t be everywhere, we’ve seen a good deal of prospects take the court this month. Here’s some of the forwards who have elevated their stock in our eyes over the past month:
Lalou Oke, 6-5 2018, Overland
No team has had a stronger June than Overland, which has lost only one game — and that was on a questionable foul call at the buzzer in a one-point defeat against ThunderRidge. While guards Tucson Redding, Daijon Smith and Stephen Hayes have led that charge, I’ve been particularly impressed with the do-it-all game of Oke. He’s not a guy that demands the ball or even really needs to be effective. He is a blur of long arms and activity. He’ll get you putbacks, make the smart pass, get his hands in the passing line, finish with authority in transition. He’s a glue-guy type player every championship team needs, and I expect he’ll have a big senior season as he continues to maximize his potential.
John Harge, 6-8 2018, Smoky Hill
Harge has dealt with a number of injuries during his high school career, but watching him play this month it is clear to see he looks healthy, a bit more trim and certainly more bouncy. When Harge is on his game, he has the inside-outside tools few at his size in the state, if any possess. He still needs to work on seeing the floor when he has the ball in his hands, but there’s a lot to like already about the various tools he has.
Dawson Carper, 6-11 2018, Rampart
Carper is starting to really ramp up his motor. He’s a little more agile and his ultimately playing with more confidence then we saw even a season ago. Add those elements to his size and he has a chance to be one of the state’s most dominant players this season, not to mention the chance to pick up a Division I offer in July as the attention from that level continues to increase.
Caleb McGill, 6-4 2020, Grandview
McGill is still growing into a quickly growing frame, but you can see nice potential. He’s got nice touch on a mid- to long-range jumper. He catches it and passes pretty well and he’s got length that can cause some trouble defensively. He’s got good framework that should allow him to develop as he continues to add size and strength.
Tray Pierce, 6-8 2018, George Washington
Confidence is the name of the game for the extremely long big man, who is continually adding offensive tools to a defensive game built on protecting the rim that makes him a load to deal with. Pierce is clearly beginning to understand the impact that he can have on a basketball game in various ways, and it’s great to see him affect the action. His solid mid-range game adding improved post footwork and a long step off the dribble. Pierce could be in line for a big senior season, and we would not be surprised to see him land an offer while playing with the Billups Elite 17U squad on the Adidas Gauntlet Circuit this summer.