Colorado players who standout on and off the court
Being a student-athlete is a difficult task as it is a position that comes with many responsibilities. Too often overlooked is the academic accomplishments of high school athletes. Stars on the court have even more pressing things to accomplish at…
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Continue ReadingBeing a student-athlete is a difficult task as it is a position that comes with many responsibilities. Too often overlooked is the academic accomplishments of high school athletes. Stars on the court have even more pressing things to accomplish at school but somehow balance both. There are some high school basketball players that are able to star on the court while they also excel at school. Let’s take a look at some of those young men.
In our quest we wanted to find high academic players that not only make an impact on the hardwood but also inspire others in the classroom as well as education is the gateway to a better future. Here are some players that are on our newest rankings, some high, some low but they have stood out both with and without a basketball as they are some of our state’s brightest stars.
Elijah Knudsen –Mead –2022
First up, we have Elijah Knudsen, a sniper out of Mead High School. Mead is arguably the most complete team in the state as they seem to have it all. A big man that affects the game down low, a scorer that gives them a high flying option, players that know their role and shooters that can space the floor. One thing that really makes that group more unique is their willingness to step over and allow a young player to lead them in scoring. Knudsen is a sophomore and he is leading a Top-3 team in scoring. Knudsen is averaging 14.5 points a game and is shooting 44% from beyond the arc. He has entered the conversation as one of the best shooters in the entire state and while all of those stats are cool what impresses me most is he gets it. Often times young players are having issues with handling it all and pushing themselves on and off of the court and the entire grind of being a student-athlete. He takes the time to lead by example even as an underclassman, has worked extremely hard to get better as he has catapulted up our rankings and has entered the Top-20 in our newest rankings after being unranked and is still able to be a standout while thriving in the classroom. He has a 3.71 gpa while taking four honor classes. He has set himself up for now – and the future.
Kobe Roedel –Fort Lupton — 2021
Fort Lupton is a team that is making some noise this season as they just got a win over undefeated at the time Jefferson Academy and Roedel was the star in that game. He put up a game-high 12 points in a low scoring defensive game where he also showed how he can impact the game on the defensive end as well. On the season, he is putting up 8.0 points, four assists and 2.2 steals a game while being able a junior guard that can run the offense or also be the player that the offense goes through as he can score in different ways. He can score the ball at the rim, shoot the ball from deep and also is locked in on the defensive end as he just had seven steals against Alameda earlier this week. This is a hard worker with high upside and is thriving in his junior season and while all of those numbers are cool and all the stat that matters most when it comes to Roedel is his 3.4 gpa. He has his head in the right place and knows that there is life after basketball.
Brad Kerr – Denver East –2021
Brad Kerr is a player that jumped on the scene and has stepped out and had a solid summer where he starred at a few of our showcases. He has taken that big summer and gained confidence through it to help out in spurts for Denver East who are a top-5 team in the state. With his size at 6’6, he gives East the option of putting him in for small portions of the game and matching up with opposing teams as he has the size and can also shoot the ball as well. What you’re going to get out of Kerr is a big guy that gives good minutes, does not get attacked on defense and goes after boards. While he is a player that stars in his role on the basketball court he is by far the best that there is in the classroom. I will go on to say that there is not a player in the state as smart as he is and his 5.0 GPA backs me up. He is going to change the world in one way or another.
Cheick Kouyate – George Washington –2021
Cheick Kouyate is the type of basketball player who is willing to accept any role and do whatever it takes for his team to be successful. He is one of the hardest working players for the Patriots and is youthful and improving. He is not a starter but is a player that remains ready as he is a spark plug off of the bench that is always going to outwork the opposition and can be placed in the game when it is gut-check time to make the winning play rather that is diving for a loose ball, setting up for a charge or hitting a big shot. He has great court vision, has a nice and smooth feel for the game and is able to score from all three levels. He takes pride in his defense and is extremely versatile on both ends of the floor.
What separates him is his willingness to do whatever it takes to be successful in the classroom as well. No project, assignment, and amount of studying is intimidating to him just like on the hardwood and that is shown with his 3.7 gpa. He will accept the task and master the challenge in front of him and that will take him far in life.
Jeremiah Warren – Hinkley — 2021
Warren is a workhorse on the basketball court. He averages a team-high 15.9 ppg and also just under three rebounds a game as well. Warren is a player that put up double figures in all but one game and is a volume shooter that is not afraid to take the big shot. He can create his own shot and score but is also a lockdown defender who accepts the challenge of guarding elite opponents. He is looking forward to a future that involves playing college basketball.
While he is only getting better on the court, he has already earned a reputation as a workhorse at school. He has a 4.0 gpa and accepts only the best from himself in the classroom and puts in the work needed to excel.
Gino Corridori – Dakota Ridge — 2021
It is a bummer that Corridori suffered an injury because before that he was having a sensational year and Dakota Ridge was off to a great start with him leading the way. He played six games this year and in those six games, the 6’7 forward was averaging 14.8 points and 9.0 rebounds a game while also patrolling the paint and refusing to let defenders score inside with 3.2 blocks a game. He has now stepped into the leadership role of helping on the sidelines as he roots his teammates on in anticipation of getting back healthy and also picking up exactly where he left off going into his senior season. Corridori is not a player that you have to worry about as he will work vigorously to get back to dominating as he was pre-injury. Corridori is a leader academically as well athletically and as he works to get back on the court and has a 3.6 gpa that will help him get to where he wants to go.