Top of the Rockies: Saturday 17U Highlights
With a good pool of talent from more than 30 programs, the Top of the Rockies tournament has drawn more than a dozen college coaches from across to region into the event, which is hosted by Colorado Chaos.
Prep Hoops Colorado was on hand at Bear Creek High School on Saturday to take in the 17U action. Here were some of the highlights. We’ll follow with more individual standouts later.
Game of the Day
Colorado Chaos 17 Elite vs. B&B Academy 11th. Chaos won this game 63-62, an entertaining and well-played matchup with a handful of players who will play at the next level.
B&B built a nice lead early behind the play of Adam Thistlewood, the 6-foot-6 Golden guard. Thistlewood was on fire in the first half. He was hitting 3-pointers from deep, burying contested turnarounds and generally having his hand in just about everything his team did.
Adam Thistlewood already on FIRE for B&B. Already with a couple deep 3s and some contested finishes. Drained this fadeaway. pic.twitter.com/DTgMK30XHQ
— Prep Hoops Colorado (@PrepHoopsCO) May 6, 2017
Chase Rogers carried the torch for B&B in the second half. The 6-foot-1 Evergreen guard was lights out from long range, demonstrating the quick release and heady play that makes him an ideal Division III/NAIA prospect.
But Chaos made a big push in the second half. Tyson Gilbert, the 6-foot Rock Canyon guard, kept getting to the rim. He scored eight points in less than a minute during one stretch, helping his team turn a narrow deficit into an eventual 60-53 lead.
Still, Thistlewood kept coming. He knocked down a 3-pointer and was fouled with 40 seconds left. He completed the four-point play to draw B&B to within 62-60. B&B was then down just one with six seconds left, inbounding under its own basket. But the Chaos defense held firm on the final possession to preserve the nail-biting win.
.@ColoradoChaos 17U hangs on for a 63-62 win over B&B in an entertaining, well-played game. pic.twitter.com/KaqDDI3N28
— Prep Hoops Colorado (@PrepHoopsCO) May 6, 2017
A big stock riser for Chaos on Saturday: Jeremy Cody. The 6-foot-7 forward from Pueblo demonstrated his athleticism with a series of above-the-rim finishes. He plays with a great motor and is active on both ends.
Best Team Performance
The Colorado Hawks faced off with the Colorado Miners in a marquee afternoon 17U game, and the Hawks put the pedal to the medal from the start. A suffocating and trapping defense, keyed by guards Jon’il Fugett and Xai’Vion Jackson, turned into transition offense early. When a steal turned into a thunderous dunk by Daylen Kountz midway through the first half, the Hawks had built a 22-8 lead. They cruised from there to a 24-point win.
.@DaylenKountz2 with the HAMMER to put @ColoradoHawks up 22-8. pic.twitter.com/AYsazKGWt7
— Prep Hoops Colorado (@PrepHoopsCO) May 6, 2017
Leading the way for the Hawks was Sam Masten, whose excellent spring can’t be overstated. The 6-foot-2 Rock Canyon guard was among the most consistently effective players on the Adidas Gauntlet during the two live periods. He shot roughly 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3-point line and 80 percent from the line. Masten, who picked up his third offer from Northern Colorado last week, has worked tirelessly to reduce any weaknesses in his game, and his growing consistency from long range will have more programs taking a very close look come July.
Tre Pierre had some nice minutes off the bench for the Hawks. The 6-5 forward from Widefield played with good energy on the glass, creating a number of second-chance opportunities.
Breon Harper carried the bulk of the scoring for the Miners. The 6-4 guard struggled with his shot early but kept attacking, and he knocked down five 3-pointers.
Shot of the Day
Josh Walton of Denver Elite, a 6-6 unsigned senior from state champion Eaglecrest, hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from half court to pull Elite within two points of the Miners in an earlier game. The Miners went on to win that contest, but Walton impressed Saturday with his ability to affect the game in multiple ways. He plays hard and has shown that he can handle the ball a little bit. Walton is a smart player who has simply been a key part of a highly successful high school program, and he’s certainly worthy of a late look from a Division III/NAIA/juco program.
Program Making Strides
The Colorado Cardinals, in their third year as a program, are starting to put a few things together. They had a nice win over Colorado Premier on Saturday morning and then battled the Colorado Hawks 17U Prospects, champions of the Prep Hoops Spring Kick Off, before falling 66-61.
Mozamil Doria, the 6-3 guard out of Liberty, was impressive all day, particularly in his ability to finish once he got to the rim. With his length and quickness, getting a beat on his defender comes easy, but it was the toughness and touch he showed around the rim that helped him carry the Cardinals.
Quincy Sanders, an unsigned senior out of Vista PEAK, did an effective job running the point, and the Cardinals got good production out of 6-8 big man Joe Bryson, who has worked hard on his game and his becoming a more mobile force on the block.