Five guards to watch in the 5A/4A Continental League
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There have been changes to the world as we know it, and the Colorado high school basketball scene has taken its fair share of changes as well. Typically, we will have already started with some tournaments at this time of…
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Continue ReadingThere have been changes to the world as we know it, and the Colorado high school basketball scene has taken its fair share of changes as well. Typically, we will have already started with some tournaments at this time of the year to get things kicked off, but there has to be a compromise on both ends. Not only will the season start late, but it will be a condensed season, so teams and players must get off to hot starts. Here we will focus on the new leagues across the state. One conference that had a shake-up this offseason and will have plenty of talented teams, and my projected state champion will come out of this league. Let’s take a look at the 5A/4A Continental League.
Alonzo Paul Alonzo Paul 5'8" | PG Regis Jesuit | 2021 State CO – Regis
Paul is a creative and shifty guard that ran the Regis offense last year, got the team into their sets, and is the reliable ball-handler that the team goes through. Paul uses his speed to create advantages, is a downhill runner, and applies pressures to defense as he gets inside of the lane and makes teams pay. Paul had explosive games in his junior year where he would explode for points and others where he would just get others involved and probe the defense for the right play. With how many scorers he has around him this season, it would not surprise me to see an uptick in assists as he had a solid summer where he showed that he has great court awareness and the ability to make plays for others. Paul is a top guard to watch in the conference that will have his work cut out for him each week.
Luke Williams Luke Williams 5'9" | CG Dsst Green Valley | 2022 State CO – Chaparral
Williams makes the switch over from DSST: Green Valley Ranch, and the jump from 3A to 5A will be about proving that he belongs, and if there is a guard ready to make the jump – it is Williams. Williams was one of the top-scoring sophomores in the state in his second varsity season as he put up 15.0 points a game and had 3.4 assists and 2.5 steals to go along with it. Williams has proven to be a solid two-way guard with experience that is a natural scorer. Williams sees plays before they happen, and while he is a playmaking guard that likes to have the ball in his hands, he also can play off of the ball and create space with his gravity. Williams is a capable 3-point shooter, gets going in bunches, and also makes the right plays when it comes to him. Williams is excellent in the open court and stays in front of his man, and when you look at how he led his DSST team and the Colorado Hawks team this summer, he is a proven-winner that competes at a high level. He will be the newcomer of the league, and this will be the toughest league in the state this year, so he will be able to show what he is worth quickly. Big season ahead for him.
Jaeton Hackley Jaeton Hackley 5'11" | PG Douglas County | 2022 State CO – Douglas County
Hackley is one of the top guards in the entire state, and the scary thing is he is only a junior. In Hackley’s sophomore season, he was able to put up huge numbers, and that is while being the focal point for opposing teams each night. Hackley reads defenses and is a high IQ guard that scores when he wants. He also is an incredibly gifted passer that brings the best out of teammates, and when all things are clicking, this Douglas County team has a chance to be the best offensive team in the state this year, and Hackley will be leading the way. Hackley takes matchups personally, improved as a shooter over the summer, and also creates for himself off of the dribble. Hackley has a great feel for the game, gets after it defensively, refuses to let opposing guards score, and leads by example. He put up 14.2 points, 3.6 assists, and three rebounds a game as a sophomore, and I feel he has gotten exceptionally better in one year. Junior season should be difficult for anyone up against Douglas County. Each night will bring something new when you’re up against Hackley.
Michael Wolf Michael Wolf 6'0" | PG Regis Jesuit | 2021 State CO – Regis
When discussing one of the best offensive summers from any player in the state during this time, Wolf’s name will enter the conversation very quickly. Opposing teams had nightmares thinking of how the 6-foot guard lit them up. Wolf was hanging 30 on each big-name team in the state in tournaments, private scrimmages, and also open runs. Wolf is one of the better shooters in the state, which it doesn’t get talked about enough. For Regis, the Raiders got off to a languid start last season before going on an absolute tear to close out the season and coming up with what some called” upsets.” Wolf led the team with 11.5 points a game and also had 4.4 rebounds to go along with it. Wolf shared his best for last when he led Regis past two of the top teams in the state in Cherry Creek and Denver East, and that is while playing in a slow-paced offense. When Wolf has the keys to do whatever it is he wants is when he is at his best, and he is best used as an off-guard that the team can run plays for to get his shot off, and he also gets to the rim and finishes well around the rim. If Wolf applies himself as a playmaking defender that takes on opposing guards and sets up teammates, he will certainly go down as one of the most interesting players in the conference. Regardless opposing teams need to know that when they are up against Wolf, it is going to be a difficult outing.
Garrett Arnold Garrett Arnold 6'0" | PG Thunderridge | 2021 State CO – ThunderRidge
Arnold is the best and most creative passer in the conference, and he will be the most experienced as well. Arnold has been the starting guard and important piece for the Grizzlies over the years and will be handed the keys in his senior season. Arnold has progressed as a floor general, scorer, shooter and defender over the years and is ready to see it all come to life in a senior season where T-Ridge will be the favorites to win it all. Arnold is the primary ball-handler who puts his teammates in positions to score, dissects the defense as a high IQ passer, and can go and get it independently. He can push the pace in an up and down game and control it in a methodical game. He also can finish it in traffic and competes at a high level. This summer, he was on a tear with Colorado Hoops Academy as he proved himself to be a crafty guard with upside. The Grizzlies will go as Arnold goes as guard play will determine if they take home the ship or not, so he could quite frankly be the most important player in the state this season. I’m sure he enjoys being the target.