Wednesday night’s big time scorers
Mountain Vista beat Heritage 71-49 and got a big contribution by one of their best players in Simon May. May showed that when he is asked to score he can light it up and get it going and not many…
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Continue ReadingMountain Vista beat Heritage 71-49 and got a big contribution by one of their best players in Simon May. May showed that when he is asked to score he can light it up and get it going and not many can guard him when he is comfortable and in a groove. What May did was not only show that he can get to the rim when he wants but also that he has a touch on the perimeter as he dropped 20 points while knocking down five 3-pointers. Mountain Vista will need him to continue knocking down shots at an alarming rate and show that he can do this in big games.
Regis beat Douglas County 75-65 and it was the unsigned big man that dropped the game high of 34 points. Daniel Carr was 13-19 from the field and also only knocked down one 3-pointer which means all of his work came from inside and DC had no answers for him. He has been incredible on the season and has to let that momentum get the Raiders going so that they are ready for the playoffs. What separates Carr from other bigs is his ability to knock down jump shots. His ability to knock them down consistently provides gravity away from the rim and he rebounds well so any misses that he does have usually ends up with a rebound and basket.
Ralston Valley hung 82 points on Valor Christian in a close battle. The Mustangs came out victorious by a score of 82-75 and they were paced by junior Caden Gigstad. When it is your night it is your night and he had a night as he knocked down three 3-pointers and got out on the fast break as well as finished some baskets at the rim. He had a big 28 points on 7-11 shooting and also got to the free-throw line a ton which he knocked down 11-14.
This is not going to surprise many but one of the best scorers in the state finished with another big game to lead Manual to another big-time victory. This time the Thunderbolts won 62-56 and it was behind Jaedon Bowles 27 points. Bowles got his baskets as he always does. With a few jumpers here, a few mid-range pullups and then dominating at the rim. Bowles is a player that schools should have their eyes on as he is capable of getting going and is not afraid to shoot the ball. He is a confident player that understands that he is going to have to take over to win the game and he did again on Wednesday.
Sophomore sensation Julian Hammond III is as real deal as they come and is a division I player. I truly believe that. For where he is at this age and his understanding of the game it is scary to think of where he will become senior year. He is aggressive offensively, tenacious as a defender, can go inside and finish in traffic and is showing improvement on his jumpshot (although it was a bad game shooting). This is a player that is so versatile and open things up and when he gets going can score in bunches. Cherry Creek needed all 25 of his points on the night as he set the tone. He had it going and did not slow down all night and is a player that can be relied on. He is getting more confident as the season progresses and is having as great of a sophomore year as any in the state.
Here is a name that I haven’t said in a while, Trevor Baskin. If you have not got to see the junior play, he is a player that you must get out to. He has some of the best footwork in the state and knowns how to move with his length. He is not ultra-athletic but boards as well as any player in the stat as you can see with his 11 rebounds a game. He also patrols the paint and does not allow offensive players to get decent looks at the rim as he also is one of the state leaders in blocks as well. Trevor is a player to keep an eye on for next year as I expect another dominant year and for him to ride this momentum to close out the season. On Wednesday he finished with an impressive 22 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks in Pomona’s 74-68 win over Chatfield.
When you score 96 points in a game just know that there are some big-time scorers in that game. In Lewis Palmer’s 96-61 win over Cheyenne Mountain it was no other than Joel Scott that led the way. He finished with a big 24 points on the night and had his way with the big men of Cheyenne Mountain. He finished at the rim, got comfortable on the block and made them pay all night and that was while taking the foot off of the gas and being limited due to it being a blowout. Scott has picked up exactly where he left off of last year and has the Rangers undefeated and ready to stake their claim as 4A state champs.
That Smoky Hill versus Eaglecrest game ended up being the game of the night and had gems in both. Kenny Foster and Aaron Bokol were sensational in the game and did not slow down as Eagle crest pulled an upset. Bokol was the reason why as he finished with a game high 34 points on the night. He had his shot falling, he plays with control and understands situations. He uses his picks, moves without the ball and has unlimited range which really opens things up for him. Great player that schools can use. On the other side of him was prolific scorer Foster. Foster finished with 32 points on the night and has continued his dominant streak. He is the favorite for Mr. Basketball and he finished with 19 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter to keep the Buffaloes in the game. These two will face off again to conclude the season and I expect it to be just as good of a game.