Class 5A Preview: Legend
2014: 19-7, 7-3 in Continental; lost 64-49 to Eaglecrest in Great 8
Top 100 players: Jared Small (2016 No. 12); Danny Garrick (2016 No. 19); Monroe Porter (2016 No. 20); Riley Matticks (2016 No. 27); Connor McCord (2016 No. 55).
Key Losses: None.
Key Returners: See the top 100 players above.
Outlook: Don’t expect the Legend Titans to go running from expectations.
“This is without question the most talented team we’ve had,” Legend coach Kevin Boley said. “We had a special player in Derrick White that graduated four years ago, but collectively as a team, this is the most talented Legend team we’ve had.”
The Titans return five senior starters who are all ranked in the top 100 of the 2016 class by Prep Hoops Colorado. Now other team in the state can make that claim.
And much of the Legend team, Boley said, has been playing together since their Gold Crown days in fourth grade. And four of the five Legend starters (Small, Garrick, Porter and Matticks) also played together all summer for the Next Level club team.
“It was always that group that we looked at and said, ‘This group has a chance to be special,’” Boley said. “There’s no question, because they’ve played so much together, they have that chemistry, a good feel for playing together.”
Monroe Porter, who averaged 13.2 points per game last season, is a Swiss Army Knife of a guard who does everything on the court. He’s the only Legend player to have mapped out his college plan so far, having committed last week to Western State. The other four starters, though, likely aren’t far behind. They’ve all received strong interest from college programs at various levels.
For all that talent, though, Porter said the biggest key for Legend this season will be rising the occasion every night, embracing the pressure of playing with a target on its back.
Boley agrees.
“Being a year older, you expect that your seniors are going to be a little more mature,” the coach said. “We have to clean up some of things we weren’t great at last year. Each night coming to play regardless of the opponent. Can we defend consistently at a high level? Can we be more consistent with our shooting? Can we get some post play? Those are the things that could help us get to the next level.”
In the post-play aspect, Connor McCord could be an important piece for the Titans. After averaging 4.4 points and 3.0 rebounds per game as a junior, McCord has grown to 6-foot-7 and has added strength and explosiveness to his profile, attributes that were on display during Saturday’s PHC Prime Time Prospects Combine at Gold Crown Fieldhouse.
“I described him as the X-factor for us coming into the year,” Boley said of McCord. “He’s a guy that’s incredibly athletic, long, a hard worker. If he can have a good year for us, I really think it changes the dynamic of our team, because you’ve got the four guys who can shoot or drive or whatever, but if we can add a post presence to that and a rim protector and rebounder that lets us get out and run a little bit, I think that really changes the game for us.”
Boley mentioned Blake Fields, Bradley Caldwell and Brody McCord has underclassmen who could have an impact this season, and seniors Nick Irwin and Andre Hogan will be key contributors off the bench.
Boley said he’s been impressive with how much more physical his team has looked during the fall. Matured frames have begun to coalesce with more mature mind-sets. Will it all be enough to bring Legend to Boulder?