Top of the Rockies: Saturday Morning Standouts
We were out at Alameda High School for the second day of the Top of the Rockies tournament. There were several good games early, including a double overtime contest between the Colorado Hawks 17s and the Kansas City Pacers. Prep Hoops…
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Continue ReadingWe were out at Alameda High School for the second day of the Top of the Rockies tournament. There were several good games early, including a double overtime contest between the Colorado Hawks 17s and the Kansas City Pacers.
Prep Hoops Colorado contributor Cody Ulm will have his own list of standouts from Saturday evening’s action at Green Mountain.
For now, here is a look at a few of the players who caught our eye:
Brendan La Rose, 6-7 2018 forward, Colorado Hawks 16 Red
La Rose got some nice run in as the Hawks cruised to a pool-play victory over Colorado Fire Elite 17 Black, and he made the most of it. La Rose was aggressive around the rim. He has decent athleticism and had a couple emphatic blocks. He also stepped out and showed that his range can extend to the 3-point line. La Rose is a decently skilled big who will be intriguing to watch next season as he steps into a larger role as a junior at Rampart. The Hawks also had strong play in the paint from physical, 6-6 forward Momar Fall.
Casey Fowler, 6-1 2018 guard, Colorado Chaos 16 Elite
Fowler played well in the game we saw play against a very solid Kansas City Pacers 2018 Blue team. He’s a strong, muscular guard who can really do the dirty work for a team. He’s a get-after-it type of player who can create extra possession for a team. Should get an opportunity to have a role for ThunderRidge as a junior this coming season, and he could be a small-college prospect to watch.
Julian Espinoza, 5-10 2018 guard, Colorado Fire Elite 17 Black
The Fire was considerably outmatched in its game against the high-flying Hawks, but Espinoza had some nice moments. He made a couple shots from way deep and showed good vision in transition. Should be a good scorer this upcoming season for Thompson Valley, where he averaged 8.9 points per game as a sophomore.
Oscar Maldonado, 6-2 2017 guard, Colorado Titans 17 Gold
Maldonado seems to be getting better each time we see him. The crafty lefty knows how to get in the lane and score and he has a great knack for creating turnovers. The Titans found themselves in a 14-point hole early against the top Shining Stars 17U team Saturday, but Maldonado sparked a comeback — and eventual victory — with sheer hustle and playmaking, also showing an ability to knock it down from distance. Has the look of a potential RMAC player with some improved growth.
Umar Jalloh, 6-7 2017 wing, Colorado Hawks 17
Jalloh was strong inside on Saturday, moving well along the baseline and creating scoring opportunities. He must have had nearly a dozen putback buckets in the two games the Hawks played by virtue of his quickness. When Jalloh plays with that kind of aggression, he can be a real problem for opponents.
Michael Dillon, 6-6 2017 forward, Shining Stars Black 2017
Dillon has been a strong addition to the Shining Stars thanks to his versatility. He can score inside and has a decent mid-range game. Plays hard on the defensive end and is a good passer. Looks like he could still grow a bit physically.
Dylan Mileto, 6-3 2017 guard, The Force 17s
With David Simental not in action this weekend, Mileto took an impressive lead role in The Force’s victory over an athletic Colorado Connect team that had beaten the Colorado Miners (sans Hunter Maldonado) earlier in the morning. Mileto really had it going from distance. As his 15 points per game for Mesa Ridge last season would suggest, the strong guard with good size really has a knack for scoring the basketball.