Denver Prep League Preview w/ Predictions
With the high school season just around the corner it’s time for us to take a look as some of the conferences across the state. Next up is the Denver Prep League conference with powerhouses such as George Washington and Denver East. This is a loaded conference with plenty of expected change and even a new favorite. Here is my prediction on how the conference will look.
Favorite: Lincoln
Lincoln!?!?! Yes, I said it, Lincoln is my pick to win the Denver Prep League this year as they are arguably the most loaded team in the entire state and are my favorite to win the 4A championship as well. This is a team that has the best starting five in all of Colorado basketball and the scary part is the core is going into their junior season. At the guards they have Ty Foster and Jahuale Veazy that can penetrate and kick off. They attack guards off of the dribble and can create for themselves. Their big men down low are James Felton and Kwaheem Brown. They are both ultra-athletic big men that get inside the paint and wreak havoc. They are an unstoppable force when both get going and teams will have nightmares trying to figure out what to do with them. On the wing they have a player that I believe sneaks into the top three players in the state for his class in T.J. Bamba. He is a combo guard that plays above the rim, is dangerous in the open court and will dominate in transition. He finds the open man and has that “it: factor. If this team plays to their full potential I don’t see them losing more than twice and Foster and Bamba might be the best backcourt duo in the state and this year they will prove it.
Contender:Denver East
East loses a top three player in the class in Daylen Kountz but still returns a top player heading into senior year in Kwane Marble who just de-committed from the University of Wyoming and understands he has to have a very big year if he wants to go to another division I school. Marble had a solid junior year as he put up 16 points and four assists and rebounds on the year and that was also while being the second option, this year he is the go-to guy and will be asked to carry the scoring load. He is surrounded by a group of seniors. Clayton Finley-Ponds should have a great year with Caulin Swain and Yusef Washington also contributing. Expect young talent to also emerge and put them right back to where they always are—dangerous when it matters.
Should Compete: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson
GW is a team that should still compete despite losing some very good seniors last year that led the team. It will be up to JoVon Nelson and Kendale Johnson to lead the way and attempt to get George back to the state championship where they have lost for the past two seasons. There will surely be growing pains and a drop off as they have a very young bunch. Kendale is only a sophomore and will be the heavy favorite in most improved player in the state. As a freshman he only averaged five points a game but I fully expect him to be a 20 point per game player that the offense will go through. This is a young team, but they should still compete with their big men and young talent.
TJ is going to be good and will run their offense through Darius Hornbuckle who I fully expect to be amongst the top five in scoring in the league. Alongside him is twin brothers Ryan and Logan Cecil. Logan had a standout summer where he made the All-Star team at the 250 Expos. He is a bruiser that needs to be guarded on every possession. This is a team that can push for the top three in the league if another player emerges.
Ready to surprise: Denver North, Denver South, Far Northeast
North gets back Eddie Durant, Aidan Lindstrom and Santana Angel all heading into Senior year. They didn’t have a very good year last season and are looking to change that. They were one of the worst teams when it came to league play and will be looking to turn the tide.
Denver South didn’t have a great season, but it also wasn’t that bad. They are ready to prove that they have some good young talent on the team as they will have one of the most inexperienced varsity teams in the state. They return Mager Majok and Freedom Fletcher who both got some varsity minutes in the second half of the season and should be able to produce on the scoring end. Their best player is Deshon Carter who will try and get his name out and be a stock booster.
Far Northeast is going to be a fun bunch as they will have plenty of Seniors on the team and will be interesting to watch as they get after it. Dechaun Davis Jr. and Myron Hamilton will most likely lead the team in points with Tylon Page manning the middle. Naijhaie is also a guard that gets after it and they have underclassmen ready to step up as well. This is a team I expect to surprise.
Denver Prep League will be difficult to predict with new teams that we haven’t seen now joining. Here are my predictions.
- Lincoln
- Denver East
- George Washington
- Thomas Jefferson
- Far Northeast
- Denver South
- Denver North
- Kennedy
- Denver West
Unsure about Regis Groff, Northfields