Prairie View Hoopfest Scouting Report
The Prairie View HoopFest was a showcase for hidden gem upperclassmen and a few freshmen and sophomores already making an impact at the varsity level. In an all-Broomfield rivalry game, not to mention a Front Range League final, the Broomfield…
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Continue ReadingThe Prairie View HoopFest was a showcase for hidden gem upperclassmen and a few freshmen and sophomores already making an impact at the varsity level. In an all-Broomfield rivalry game, not to mention a Front Range League final, the Broomfield Eagles had a 61-59 comeback win over the Legacy Lightning to claim the tournament championship. A seasoned group, the Eagles improved their record to 6-1 on the season. For a school with proud basketball tradition, December was full of promise for Broomfield after back-to-back losing seasons, unusual for their program, one with a number of Final Four appearances on their resume. Monarch took care of business against Douglas County to earn third place.
Without further ado, here’s a breakdown of some of the more notable players at the tournament:
Broomfield
Jack Burgesser, 6-6 senior forward
Burgesser has a thick body and a fairly versatile face-up game. He has a soft touch on his shot and can get hot from the outside. The senior is an intriguing small-school prospect.
Devon Martinez, 6-6 sophomore forward
Martinez has good length and looks like he might be able to sprout a few more inches even. He’s dangerous on mid-range jumpers and is a coordinated young big man. Pretty light, he’ll look to add muscle to his frame and continue to advance his skills.
Kyle Rynearson, 6-4 senior wing
In the tournament, Rynearson’s ultimate strength was spot-up shooting. He was a scoring threat.
Sam Foster, 6-1 junior guard
A pretty smooth left-handed combo guard, Foster knows how to find weak spots in the defense and typically makes wise decisions on when to attack or pull-up. He’s a good scorer.
Nate Lehnerz, 6-4 senior wing
Lehnerz is solid height-wise and in length. He also displayed a bit of leaping ability and he’s aggressive on the glass. The senior competes with an extra oomph of energy and passion and is an efficient, intelligent player. As is the case with his fellow Broomfield Eagles listed, he projects to the next level, probably at a smaller program, as well.
Legacy
Tyler Converse, 6-2 senior guard
Against both Douglas County in the semifinals and Broomfield in the finals, Converse lived up to his billing as an elite shot-maker. He buried 5-of-8 three-pointers against DC and 7-of-13 against Broomfield. His ability to spot up or shoot off the dribble is second to none and, while his mechanics are excellent, his confidence level is just as impressive as he’s able to take and make shots during the most critical stretches of games. Converse has grown into a tough defensive guard and has a fairly muscular build with solid strength and athleticism. He could be an RMAC (high Division II) recruit.
Dalton Royer, 6-4 senior forward
Royer, in an exhibit of his leaping ability, nearly jammed in a tip during the third quarter buzzer of the championship game. The senior, a face-up forward, can knock down shots, but also plays bigger than his size in the paint with a no-fear attitude while mixing it up for rebounds and tallying blocks. He can put the ball in the hoop in multiple ways and is a decent scorer, but, as of now, his greatest attribute seems to be the energy he brings, especially defensively.
Jeffrey Salazar, 5-9 senior guard
Salazar has a couple elements to his game that make him a solid floor general for the Lightning. He’s a good facilitator, as highlighted by his beautiful no-look assist in transition. He can handle it and usually makes good decisions. Salazar doesn’t do too much in the way of scoring, but picks and chooses when to slash, something he also does well, and he feeds off steals. Royer and Salazar are both worth a look for smaller school programs.
Monarch
Mac Rowan, 6-0 senior guard
A recent Johns Hopkins University commit, Rowan displays intelligence on the court, as well. With a quick release, he’s always ready to shoot. Probably the best player on this year’s Coyotes team, Rowan is lethal from deep with one of the best strokes around. He’s highly skilled and is athletic enough to hold his own against most players at either end of the court.
TJ Jones, 6-2 senior wing
Jones is an effective spot-up shooter. He’s relatively built and plays with poise.
Ernesto Chavez, 5’10 sophomore guard
Chavez is very athletic. He’s quick and can be disruptive to defenses as he is difficult to guard on the perimeter. He attacks the rim aggressively and, while he does get a bit out of control at times, he’s an intriguing guard with some upside.
Douglas County
Soloman Stark, 6-0 junior guard
Stark gets great height on his jumper and is pretty explosive. A lefty, the junior can get on hot streaks scoring the ball. He’s also a tenacious defensive player with a pretty good wingspan for only being a shade over six-feet. Stark has the talent to be a huge riser in the junior class. He has natural athletic gifts that give him nice potential for the future.
CJ Cetta, 6-3 senior wing
Cetta, a slashing force, is tough to keep out of the lane. He’s sinewy and has decent speed. For an undersized team, he does much of the labor in the paint for the Huskies and was bullish on the glass during the tournament. If he keeps developing his all-around repertoire offensively, Cetta will continue to raise his game. He’s another small-school prospect.
Davon Walker, 5-7 freshman point guard
Easily one of the best freshman I’ve watched this month, Walker is small but lightning quick. He’s a streaky lefty shooter who has solid mechanics that should carry into the future nicely. Already averaging 8.8 points as a first-year, Walker is a strong scorer for his size and youth, but he can also distribute pretty well. For as young as Walker is, he’s already a very capable varsity player. He has excellent potential.
Mountain Range
Tyler Smith, 6-5 junior forward
At 225 pounds, Smith is a large presence. Against Loveland, undersized in the post, the junior took full advantage while muscling up defenders and earning several trips to the charity stripe. And there’s no such thing as hack-a-Smith, because he’s a commendable free-throw shooter. Overall, Smith is an active big man at both ends of the court.
Loveland
Ayden Eberhardt, 6-2 senior guard
A first team all-state quarterback in 4A this fall, Eberhardt wreaked havoc in the first round of the tournament against Northglenn as a fast guard who caused issues for the Norsemen in transition. The senior is a very good all-around athlete who has received quite a bit of college interest for football and baseball.
Ben Newton, 6-2 senior guard
Another dual-sport athlete, a baseball player, Newton has a superb basketball body with long arms and legs. He takes huge strides while attacking the rim. He also shoots it smoothly and, above all else, defends at a high level. Newton could grow an inch or two more, as well. With his frame, it seems possible. He has a couple of baseball offers, but is interested in possibly hooping at the next level if all falls into place.
Avery Rembao, 6-2 freshman guard
Rembao has good basketball bloodlines. His brother, Cam Michael, is a Loveland grad who is a standout at Northern Colorado. His sister, Tatum, is a junior guard for the Indians who is tearing the state up to the tune of 28.8 points per game through nine games. Avery has a body much like Newton’s, but as a freshman. With likely several more inches to grow, Avery could be in the same mold as Cam as a large wing with major scoring ability. He’s a good spot-up shooter who is already a weapon for Loveland.
Prairie View
Trey Marble, 6-0 junior guard
I was only able to catch the fourth quarter of the ThunderHawks’ close loss to Mountain Range in the first round, but Marble went off in the game for 31 points, seven assists, six rebounds and two blocks. He is absolutely one to keep an eye on throughout the season.
Northglenn
Isaiah Pratt, 6-3 senior forward
Maybe the best athlete on the team, Pratt possesses some favorable physical dimensions. He’s a rangy swingman who scored and rebounded well against Loveland.
Kevin Jimenez, 5-11 sophomore point guard
Jimenez is another young player who looks like he could have a few more inches of growth in him. His shot wasn’t falling consistently against Loveland, but he’s been a productive scorer this season while averaging over 15 a game.
Prairie View All-Tournament Team by Prep Hoops Colorado
Nate Lehnerz, 6-4 senior wing, Broomfield
Sam Foster, 6-1 junior guard, Broomfield
Tyler Converse, 6-2 senior guard, Legacy
Tyler Smith, 6-5 junior forward, Mountain Range
Mac Rowan, 6-0 senior guard, Monarch
MVP: Tyler Converse