2022 playmakers that stood out in the 3A state playoffs
In this article:
With the season over, we want to take a look back at a season that was before we head onto the grassroots scene. Here we focus on some junior guards that stood out in 3A during their state-run. Jordan Reed…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingWith the season over, we want to take a look back at a season that was before we head onto the grassroots scene. Here we focus on some junior guards that stood out in 3A during their state-run.
Jordan Reed Jordan Reed 6'5" | CG Manual | 2022 State CO – Manual
Reed has been a focal part of the Manual team for the past few years and got his feet wet on the state championship team but his work in his junior season was something to look back at. Reed truly dominated as the lead guard and put up some massive stat lines. Manual was an entertaining bunch that played the right way, and his ability to do it all made it easy for players around him to navigate. He padded the stats in every category and, in the playoffs, looked extremely comfortable. Reed put up 15 points, and six rebounds in the ThunderBolts win over Highland. He was efficient, got to his spots and started out the break, and got himself involved. Against Lutheran, he did not back down and attacked mismatches. He scored 16 points, defended multiple positions, and had his team in a situation to win, but they came up short. Big summer for him, and he will be one of the players to keep an eye on moving forward.
Duke Benson Duke Benson 6'3" | SF Kent Denver | 2022 State CO – Kent Denver
Duke Buckets lived up to his name in every sense of the word. He is a player capable of scoring from anywhere on the court, and sometimes it is by accident. But that is because he plays so hard on every possession, and his teammates trust him and feed him on every possession. In a nailbiting win over Brush, Benson was not only the difference-maker but player of the game. He came up with a stat-stuffing line of 16 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists, 6 steals, and a block. That just shows you the type of ways he can impact the game and the contagious effort and is not matched. Benson followed that up in a loss to the eventual state runner-ups with a 17-points and 8 rebounds performance, and he did not quit hustling until the final whistle. Benson is a player to watch this summer that plays the right way.
Cesar Hinojos – Brush
Brush is not a team that we are too familiar with, but their 6’1 wing that is asked to play center and big man at moments made it so that everyone knows who they are. Hinojos was sensational in 3A this year and is the player that went under the radar but absolutely checked off the boxes for us all the way until the final buzzer of the season for the Beetdiggers. Hinojos put up 20.5 points and 11.5 rebounds a game that was amongst the top in 3A. In the playoffs, he finished with video game numbers in a loss to Kent Denver, where he put up 26-points and 20 rebounds in a three-point loss, and all of those baskets came either at the rim or the FT line. Hinojos is a hard worker that has a great understanding of the game, and he turned plenty of heads along the way.
Tayt Chacon Tayt Chacon 6'4" | PF University | 2022 State CO – University
Chacon is a player that we have grown to know over the years as he is a three-year varsity player that has been an important piece for the Bulldogs since the beginning. Chacon has great size at 6’5 and a motor to match it. Chacon is a skilled wing that can get to his spots inside and is a downhill attacker. He uses his strength to finish through defenders, blows by bigger players, and also is not easily stopped once he is at the rim. In a year that University had a bit of a dropoff, he did not. Chacon finished with some huge scoring games, and although they hobbled into the playoffs by their standard, he excelled. Chacon had a career-best year as he passed the 1,000 points scored mark. He averaged 22.6 points and 5.6 rebounds a game through the regular season to get them there and in the playoffs, finished with 23-points, 7 rebounds, and five assists in their loss to Highland. Chacon will look to add pieces to his game, get better and come back senior year ready to lead the team again.