POY Candidates for the Denver Prep League
We’re almost there as the end of the season is upon us with most schools already having had senior night. There are some tight races with conference winners and some that teams that already have the league won. With that,…
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Continue ReadingWe’re almost there as the end of the season is upon us with most schools already having had senior night. There are some tight races with conference winners and some that teams that already have the league won. With that, we focus on who we believe has the chance to be the conference MVP. For the 5A/4A Denver Prep League, it was a league where Denver East ran the table but there were some standouts that really stepped out this season as this was one of the most difficult conferences to choose the top five players. Here we take a crack at who we think will win the conference POY.
The Favorite:
Boston Stanton – Denver East
Denver East is having another great season and is playing their best basketball right now. They are 20-2 on the season and a perfect 8-0 in the conference as they just won the Denver Prep League. They have a really young and talented bunch and their leading scorer is combo-guard Boston Stanton III who has burst onto the scene and has not looked back. Stanton is a player that stands out off of pure size alone. He has a nice base and a solid build and he uses that to compliment his 6’4 frame. He does it all on the court and that versatility is why he jumped into the Top-10 out of nowhere and in all honesty, he’s a top-5 player in his class. He shoots the ball, finishes in traffic, rebounds, reads the defense and gets teammates involved. He is a high IQ guard on and off of the court and that is why he is starting to garner so much attention. Stanton is averaging 21.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists a game while shooting 40% from beyond the arc. The numbers definitely back him up but once you see it in person it is easy to see why everyone is buying stock around Stanton. I’ve got my shares.
The Second Favorite:
Langston Reynolds – Denver East
The top sophomore in the state has looked like the top sophomore in the state. Reynolds has been a player that impressed last season and this year has really put the state on notice and opened up a gap. There just might not be another guard with his size and ceiling that can do some of the things that he can do. He glides to the rim for easy baskets as he gets to the rim easier than any other guard in his class, he finishes with either hand, he can back smaller defenders down and has the strength and confidence to do so and is also a player that buys in on the defensive end of the floor. He has an improved jump shot that he is working on which makes him a more dangerous weapon, he is a great rebounder that uses his athleticism and he is helping lead only as a sophomore with a group that is going to be good this year, the year after and certainly by his senior season. He is putting up 18.8 points and 6.8 rebounds a game but the 3.7 assists and 2.7 steals to go along with it is what makes it all that much more pressing. Reynolds is a bit new to basketball and that is only alarming to the competition as I can only imagine what he will become senior season. He has a legitimate chance at being named as the POY this season as well.
The Third Favorite:
Nahsyah Bolar – Northfield
The surprise team in all of 4A has been Northfield. They are the runner-ups in the Denver Prep League and have been in the 4A top-10 all season long with their 18-5 overall record. A reason for their success has been their best player, Nahsyah Bolar. Bolar was good last season as a junior but has got even better. He is averaging a double-double of 18.3 points and also 11.1 rebounds a game to go along with it. He is a skilled 6’7 big man that crashes the boards for easy baskets and also runs the baseline. He’s gotten a bit more attention this season as his consistency has led to more wins and he now has to get the Nighthawks ready for hopefully a deep playoff run. The next maturation in his game is being a more all-around player as if he becomes a more complete player, he will be extremely difficult to slow down. I liked what I saw from Bolar this season and feel like a school will take a chance on him and be happy with what they get.
The Longshot:
TJ Bamba – Lincoln
Tijani Bamba is a division I player that will be continuing his playing career at Washington State University next season and he proved that he really is a bit different with the year that he had. I am unsure that anybody else in the state had to carry such a load as he did and each game he began and finished with the same energy despite having to play with full intensity for the entire game. He has applied himself on both ends of the court, rebounded well and also was a consistent force for the Lancers who needed everything that they got from their senior captain. He was also an emotional leader that kept his team at bay even when they were down, he is a calming force and nonchalant player that just wants to win. He put up 24.7 points and 9.3 rebounds a game and is coming off of two games where he scored 35 and 39 points heading into the state tournament. Now with his team going up against 4A teams, this will be his opportunity to take the Lancers somewhere they have not been with his Lincoln tenure—to the Denver Coliseum and advancing in later rounds. He might not win the conference player of the year based on team success but it was a successful season nonetheless where he really impressed this season.
Won’t win, but still a great season:
Turumbil Zaki – Denver South
There were a few candidates that made a case for the 5th spot as players were putting up numbers in the DPL this season, but none were quite like Zaki’s. The 6’4 senior did it all and was one of the more underrated players in the state this season that would’ve been the topic of conversation had he went anywhere else. Some of the games that he had this season – incredible. Like when he posted 49 points in a close loss to Denver North. Zaki did it all. He scored the basketball(22.3 ppg) and rebounded (6.0rpg) and anything else that the Rebels needed. South did not win many games this season but what they did get was a player that left it all out on the floor as he has a good motor and is a great defender that will do anything in his power to change the game. A small school will be lucky to have a player like Zaki that leaves it all out on the floor no matter if they are winning or losing.