3A teams with the pieces to improve this season
As we dive deeper into teams looking to bounce back a year ago, there are a few 3A teams who look promising coming tip-off of the new season. Although these are smaller schools, the competition can be just as legitimate…
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Continue ReadingAs we dive deeper into teams looking to bounce back a year ago, there are a few 3A teams who look promising coming tip-off of the new season. Although these are smaller schools, the competition can be just as legitimate as 4A/5A schools. Some of Colorado’s best reside in the 3A league and these players and their teams should definitely be on your radar.
University High School (Greeley) | 20-21 Record: 8-7
To say this team was put through the wringer in terms of their schedule last year would not be saying enough. They played countless winning teams including Saint Mary’s, Sterling, and Brush. The most promising thing this team has going for them is their starting guard Tayt Chacon Tayt Chacon 6'4" | PF University | 2022 State CO who stands at 6’5″ tall and averaged 22.3 PPG last season. The highlight of their previous year was only losing to Saint Mary’s by one point early into the year. The team as a whole put together a winning season, however, there are some expectations to see them advance somewhat in the postseason. If the supporting cast around Chacon is improved, this team could be in the top five 3A teams.
Platte Canyon High School | 20-21 Record: 1-12
With all due respect to the Huskies, they’ve hit rock bottom, now the only way is up. This is the first team I’ve seen with only one senior on the varsity squad. The real kicker? The senior only played appeared in five games. The Huskies have managed to put together a youthful team capable of draining three-point shots with three of them shooting roughly 40% or higher from three. A 1-12 record is not eye appealing to anyone, except this is not a typical 1-12 team. A typical 1-12 team would be described as having a lack of general knowledge for the game and failing to put these players in a position to succeed. This is not the case with the Huskies. Four, maybe five games were winnable for them, they just did not seal the deal. Platte Canyon is most likely not going to have a winning season due to trying to continue to grow their young core. Five to six wins seems like the most realistic expectation for Huskie fans as they will continue to develop their young players.
Bruce Randolph High School | 20-21 Record: 5-7
One particular name comes to mind when discussing Bruce Randolph High School. Alejandro Wright. Last year as a junior Alejandro finished as the second-leading scorer in Colorado’s 3A basketball at 23ppg. Sadly, the Grizzlies are losing their second and third-leading scorer for a season ago, but that is not much of a concern. The first reason is being that one of them was unable to play part of the season and the second is because of Alejandro Wright. What seemed like a rough year should not be taken to heart because they weren’t getting blown out against a schedule consisting of mostly winning teams. Nothing is more terrifying than a player of that skill level entering what will be his final season of high school basketball. Bruce Randolph should more than likely get off to a fast start this season against two teams who struggled last year in which one of them lost seven of its players from a season ago.
Prospect Ridge Academy | 20-21 Record: 6-7
If you take away the game against Lutheran High School, Prospect Ridge Academy averaged 50 points per contest. This is one of those teams that was faced stiff competition early into their season and still managed to keep their composure after a rough start. Andrew Cuss is expected to return for the Miners, putting them in a good position to make a potential push for a post-season spot. The team appears to be well-coached as all players contribute to each stat line and no one is a stranger in terms of moving the ball around. Undoubtedly the biggest question is have they polished their three-point shooting? This year is set to have more games and unlike some teams, the Miners are rarely inconsistent in their performances which can benefit them later in the season.