Week 3 Games of the Week
A new week presents: new rankings, new preparation, new teams to focus on for the week—but still, a great slate of basketball games to attend if given the chance, so here are the best games for each day of the week.
Monday, December 11th
Thomas Jefferson vs. Valor Christian @ TJ
Thomas Jefferson is a team that’s started out better than expected and look as if they mean business this year. After having a less than stellar year last season, it looks as if this team is ready to reach new heights and have what it takes to be 4A’s dark-horse team. They’re 3-1 thanks in part to a balanced approach from Kahlil Clark (11.8 ppg, 10.3 rebounds), Darius Hornbuckle (12 ppg), Abdul Locke ( 8.5 ppg) and Logan Cecil (8.5 ppg). They hope to carry over that momentum when they face-off against last year’s 4A state champs who have started out the year just 1-2 and are looking for a win after dropping their last two games. Through three games, Senior Jeremy Randle (17 ppg) and Hunter Shkapich (14.0 ppg) have been carrying the scoring load and will be try to knock the Spartans off of their hot streak. Should be a fun game.
Tuesday, December 12th
Montbello (Far Northeast Warriors) vs. Chatfield @ Montbello
Far Northeast Warriors currently sit at 3-2 on the season. They’ve been led by do-it-all Seniors Sindou Cisse(18.8 pts, 5 ast and 5 rbs) and Malik Fofana (16.4 pts, 7.4 rbs). They’re coming off of a heartbreaking 75-73 loss to Rampart and look to get back going against a stumbling Chatfield Chargers team that’s now 0-4 on the season. The Chargers have had Liam Mann (13.5 pts, 4.5 rbs); Isaiah Reed and Connor Vernon do all that can to try and secure a win and maybe this is the day that they finally get them their first win. This will be an entertaining game between two teams both ready to start winning games.
Wednesday, December 13th
George Washington vs. Smoky Hill
George Washington is coming off of a nail-biting win against the Overland Trailblazers in which Tre Pierce had maybe the best game of his career. The senior big man finished with 14 points, 16 rebounds and a whopping 7 blocks that showcased how he can truly dominate a game from both ends of the floor if needed. The Patriots hope that strong play carries over as they face one of the best teams in the state in Smoky Hill. This will be the Buffaloes first game back in Colorado after going 2-1 in Utah and they look to continue their in-state trek towards taking home the gold ball. The Buffaloes might have the deepest team in the state and are very balanced bunch as they’ve had great guard play from sophomore sensation Quinten Rock that’s surrounded by a solid surrounding cast in Kenny Foster, John Harge and William Becker. If there’s any question as to what’s the best game of the week—this is it. There will be highlight plays galore and I expect this one to be a shoot-out. Be there early.
Friday, December 15th
Overland vs. Thunderriidge @ T-Ridge
Overland is coming off of a barn burner against GW in which they barely fell but showed grit and fight throughout the entire game. They’ve preloaded the front end of their schedule to prepare for conference play and are a lucky few bounces away from a victory or two; this is where they take their stand. Senior Tucson Redding (15.3 pts, 4.3 rbs) is a guard you’ll want to get out and see play, Daijon Smith’s highlight dunk in last week’s game made its round across social media and is a player worth going out to see and they have nice stability with Ryland Clark III, Goy Wang, Alexander Pena-avila and a player that’s my personal favorite in Jalone Rice. Overland is better than their record indicates. T-Ridge is off to yet another great start of the season as they are 6-1. They’re coming off of a disappointing performance against a talented Chaparral team, but other than that it’s been another great year that they look to build off of. Senior standout Kaison Hammonds is leading the way with 18.0 points and Tyson Cruickshank has added 11.6 points per game as well. They must continue to provide that strong backcourt presence if they intend on winning the conference and having luck in the playoffs. This will be a bounce back game for them and a fun one to end the week, a thing to watch for will be the battle of the guards.
Saturday, December 16th
Eaglecrest vs. Chaparral
The Raptors are a fun bunch. Senior Branden Bunn (11.6 pts, 4 rbs) and Morgan Brown (11.3 pts, 3.8 rbs) is a duo worth going to see. The team plays an up-tempo and fast paced brand of basketball that applies pressure on the defensive end of the court on almost every possession which will be needed when they face off against an undefeated Chaparral squad who has been blowing teams out of the water. They have five players averaging double digits in the team and have averaged 75.8 points per game. They’re led by Senior Ronnie DeGray III (19.8 pts, 5.5 rbs) and Junior Joseph Dalton (15.8 points, 6.8 rebounds) but have had notable contributions from Sophomore Kobe Sanders, Tanner Giles and Bryce Matthews. This game will be one of the most faced paced up and down games you’ll see this week.