Games of the Weekend: Week 5
A solid week of basketball with a few upsets and plenty of blowouts but looking ahead into the weekend there are even better matchups with some pretty good conference games. Here are a few games that stand out for me…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingA solid week of basketball with a few upsets and plenty of blowouts but looking ahead into the weekend there are even better matchups with some pretty good conference games. Here are a few games that stand out for me on the weekend.
Friday
Cherry Creek v. Arapahoe
Two of the better guard battles of the day as both teams are 9-3 on the season. The Bruins are back and fully implemented and when they are at full strength there might not be a better set of guards than what they have. Junior guard Julian Hammond III is their leading scorer at 22.9 points a game but have backcourt running mates Myles Purchase, Sebastian Cole and Thomas Hawley all battle-tested and ready to explode at any minute. Size is their only downfall but Chance Hausman has helped in that regard at 7.6 rebounds a game.
For Arapahoe, it is no surprise. They have Korey Hess (17.2 ppg) and Bryson Stephens (20.2 ppg) that are a dynamic backcourt duo but in league play have had to do a bit too much without much help elsewhere which have led to some ugly losses. They look to bounce back against a team that they match up with very well and this should be the highest-scoring game of the night.
Eaglecrest v. Grandview
This is the game of the weekend for sure. It is two of the best teams in the state and a Top-10 matchup that does not disappoint going at it for the first time this season in a top of the Centennial league battle.
For Eaglecrest it is a deep team that plays for one another and is locked in on both sides of the ball. Zion Ruckard has led the way and as quiet as kept has snuck into the conversation as a dark horse Mr. Basketball candidate. He is putting up 17.9 points, 5.8 assists, and 4.5 rebounds a game while leading his team to eight straight victories. Ty Robinson (13.7 ppg) and Skylar Wilson (12.8 ppg) have gotten into a rhythm and have started to take over. They both are able to get inside and finish off with dunks or also extend the defense with their jumpers. This will be a battle where the stars will stand out.
For Grandview, while they had started out the season as just a two-man show with Caleb McGill (15.9 ppg & 8.2 rpg) and Lian Ramiro (13.8 ppg & 4.8 apg) leading the way and doing it all, as of late Tanner Holtman and CJ Thomas have upped their game and contributed in ways that have led to wins. Holtman is at 9.7 points a game and his confidence is growing with him being a marksman from downtown. He is coming off of back to back games where he put up 17 and 16 points while knocking down 3-pointers and Thomas has been a glass cleaner that has helped as well. X-factors are key for this team to win and if they get off to a good game early they will have a chance at knocking off one of the hottest teams in the state.
Centaurus v. Longmont
This is a 4A battle of two teams that have gotten off to a hot start.
Longmont is 9-2 on the season and has one of the best starting units in all of 4A. They have four players averaging in double figures Dallas Dye (13.7 ppg), Eddie Kurjak (13.7 ppg), Ryan Schneider (10.7 ppg) and Devon Nowells (10.6 ppg) and all are capable of exploding for a big game at any moment. They are a team that it is difficult defending because of having so many weapons with everyone knowing their role as well and they are locked in on both sides of the ball.
Centarus is 9-3 and has risen in the 4A Top-10 with their solid play. Owen Koonce is one of the top players in the state and the defending Northern League player of the year is off to another great season where he is doing it all for the Warriors. He is putting up 17.9 points and grabbing 7.4 rebounds as well and he has a team that has good chemistry around him also chipping in when they can. Dashiel Walker (7.8 ppg), Carson Hill (9.3 ppg) and Mario Everett (9.7 ppg) can match up with anybody and have starred in their roles as of late. They can score and defend and when all four are going at the same time this Centarus team is dangerous. Koonce will have to get scoring help early to get some of the attention off of him and loosen him up.
This one will come down to the fourth quarter and executing.
Saturday
Golden v. Green Mountain
Golden is 9-4 and had a disappointing loss to George Washington earlier this week so are looking to get back right. Golden is led by their freshman combo-guard Alan Acevedo (12.1 ppg) and Kevin Mulligan (11.5 ppg) has also stepped up with him as well. Both guards get after it and attack teams in different ways. Acevedo can shoot the ball and Mulligan gets his way inside. When Ben Mclaughlin and Nathan Wiggins are also aggressive then this team opens up a new element and part of themselves. I expect this to be a high scoring affair where the outside shots will be the difference in the game.
Green Mountain began the season hot but has begun to sputter losing two games in a row and are desperately looking to avoid their third straight and it starts with guard Blake Schell (11.5 ppg). He is a shifty guard that the offense goes through that can create for himself as well as others. He is best used off the ball but can bring the ball up as well. Austin Peterson (11.0 ppg) is the team’s X-factor. When he scores 15 or more points they win games and him being aggressive is the key to opening up the offense and Matt Schlieper is their man in the middle as he is putting up 7.5 points and 6.7 rebounds a game. Green Mountain will need all to step up in which will surely be a close game.
Fountain Fort-Carson v. Doherty
This is not a Top-10 matchup or anything but is a game that will surely be interesting as it is two Colorado Springs teams that always seem to play each other tough. Both teams have had up and down seasons but have interesting players that know how to turn it on and show up for big games. Keyshawn Maltbia (16.9 ppg) is still a walking bucket that can create for himself and others in multiple ways. He has a nice jump shot, uses his size and athleticism to finish at the rim and also is hard to contain in the open court. Junior forward Isaiah Thompson has been a surprise standout as he is averaging a double-double on the season (14.8 ppg & 12.2 rpg) and gives the Trojans an inside presence that will surely be needed against a Doherty team that has size.
Doherty remains one of the most difficult teams in the league to figure out. They are so off and on this season with some very good wins but some questionable losses and their inconsistencies have led them to a record that they should not have. They will have to get it together soon and get in a zone as they are a team fully capable of winning their conference and getting ready for a tournament run. They have the size with Air Force commit Lucas Moerman being the inside presence and making every single shot difficult for opposing teams. (state leader in blocks). He’s a player whose impact does not show up on the box score but believe me when I say that he is talked about at length when discussing how to slow Doherty down and combat them. Schaefer Reichart has seemed to come back as strong as ever and has been putting up some big scoring games. He is leading the team at 14.3 ppg and is coming off of a season high 23 points so his confidence is booming. Brody Gish just made his long-awaited return to a solid 13 points and AJ Guiao is the floor general that every team wants. This is a balanced team that has to pull it together very soon as they have the players capable of making some noise, it just has to start clicking for them.
This is a solid slate of games so make sure to get out and check at least one of them out.