Season Preview: Top scorers in Colorado (1-10)

<p>Believe it or not the start of official high school basketball practice in Colorado is only a little more than a month away. As the season nears, we continue our preview package looking at teams, players and trends.</p><p>Today, we take a look at the top scorers in Colorado. Obviously, statistics are a factor when compiling these lists. We also factor level of competition, role in an offense, improvements since last season, etc. These are the players most adept at putting the ball in the basket: Today: Scorers 1-10. Later this week: Scorers 11-20.</p> <p>To the list:</p> <p><strong>1. Michael Ranson, Pueblo Central.</strong> At 25.6 points per game last season, nobody in the state scored more than Ranson. His biggest attribute on offense: An ability to get his shot off in any situation. Ranson has great leaping ability and a capability of hanging in the air that allows him to get his jump shot off against even taller defenders. He also has great toughness that allows him to finish well at the rim.</p> <p><strong>2. Nathan Davis, Mullen.</strong> Davis has a great support system around him as he recovers from an ACL tear he suffered during the spring. This dynamic 6-foot-7 wing is playing his rehab smart and won’t rush back to the court. Still, Davis has a good chance of making it back at some point in the season and when he does, watch out: His smooth, effortless game allows him to score in a multitude of ways, and he was having an eye-popping spring before the injury.</p> <p><strong>3. Justinian Jessup, Longmont.</strong> Recently committed to Boise State, Jessup has perhaps the best natural feel on the basketball court of any player in Colorado. That means he is able to score without having to have the ball in his hands all the time. Jessup, who averaged 17 points per game last season in a heavy ball-sharing offense, shot superb percentages of: 54 percent from the field, 42 percent from the 3-point line and 80 percent from the line.</p> <p><strong>4. Justin Bassey, Colorado Academy.</strong> Bassey, a muscular, broad-shouldered, 6-foot-5 guard has the body of a Division I player and the skill set to match. He has great form as a jump shooter and the strength and creativity to get to the basket against any type of defender. His size and speed help the Harvard commit create mismatches against anyone he faces. He scored 23 points per game last season and has averaged nearly 20 since his freshman season.</p> <p><strong>5. De’Ron Davis, Overland. </strong>Davis’ 16.3 points-per-game average might not jump of the page, but he’s the only player in the state who has been facing double and triple teams on nearly every offensive possession since his sophomore season. Even in the face of that kind of defensive scheming, this national top-50 prospect manages to put the ball in the basket with great consistency thanks to a low post game that should be even more explosive as Davis has trimmed body fat. His mid-range game also continues to make great strides.</p> <p><strong>6. Kolton Peterson, Lakewood. </strong>Only three people in the state averaged more points per game than Peterson last season. The three ahead of him were seniors -- Peterson was just a sophomore. Peterson is a pure shooter who hit 44 percent (93-of-212) of his 3-point attempts last season. He has a quick handle on the perimeter that allows him to shake free from his defender for the split second he needs to fire a shot, and he’s made even further strides this summer at attacking into the lane and finishing at the rim. Peterson has already received mid-major Division I offers and his poised for a breakout season.</p> <p><strong>7. Kobi Betts, Pueblo Central.</strong> Like his backcourt teammate Ranson, Betts is a player who can score in bunches. Betts averaged 19.8 points per game last season, scoring on mix up transition opportunities, pull-up jump shots and drives to the basket. Betts, an Air Force commit, is one of the most, if not the most, athletic basketball players in the state, giving him the ability to create offense for himself when plays break down.</p> <p><strong>8. Colbey Ross, Eaglecrest. </strong>Averaging 17 points per game as only a sophomore, Ross showed during the state tournament last season that he is already one of the state’s best scorers. Ross is only 6-foot, but his size is of little concern once the ball is in his hands. An explosive ball-handler who can leave a defender in a split-second, Ross is constantly at the rim where he finishes at an incredible rate through contact for a player his size. Expect Ross to have a long list of mid- to-high-major offers by the time he enters next summer.</p> <p><strong>9. D’Shawn Schwartz, Sand Creek. </strong>Another junior, Schwartz’s 15.6 points per game as a sophomore were likely only scratching the surface of what this crafty 6-foot-6 lefty can do on the offensive end. Schwartz is a creative finisher who has also worked hard to hone an improving jump shot. Invited to the Team USA Junior National minicamp next month that features some of the country’s top players, Schwartz is eager to show he belongs.</p> <p><strong>10. Chris Helbig, Holy Family. </strong>Helbig is another player who&#39;s great scoring ability -- 18.2 points per game last season -- comes from an innate ability to get where he needs to be on the court. Watching Helbig this summer, he marveled with his knack for putting up points in bunches without having to slow the game down by holding or taking possession of the ball for long stretches -- whether he was scoring on back cuts, quick jumpers or decisive, one-dribble moves to the hoop, he constantly keeps defenders guessing. There is no doubt Helbig, also a star football player, could play basketball productively at the Division I level.</p>