Rocky Mountain Fall Showcase: Recapping freshman game

<p>Some of the best young basketball talent in the state descended upon Legend High School on Saturday for the Rocky Mountain Fall Showcase, hosted by Colorado Chaos.</p><p>Our kudos to Chaos director Dave Matthews for putting together an entertaining, well-run showcase, which was a lot of fun to watch.</p> <p>I was there for the freshman, sophomore and junior games, with Brock taking in the senior and top-20 games, so our coverage is divided that way.</p> <p>Here were some of my observations from the freshman game:</p> <p><strong>Top of the class.</strong> The statement is no hype. <strong>Kenny Foster</strong> is already one of the best players in the state. The 6-foot-3 Smoky Hill guard dominated competition in the freshman game, finishing with 20 points, 15 rebounds, 10 assists and three steals to earn the game’s most outstanding player honors.</p> <p>“It was such a blast,” Foster said. “I love playing with all these guys. They’re all terrific people and great players. I felt it was great to have everyone come out here, play together and have fun.”</p> <p>Foster already displays the maturity of a player who grew up around the game. He deflects praise, encourages teammates and competes relentlessly. Both of Foster’s parents played college basketball, and his older brother, Chase Foster, plays at the University of San Francisco – “I admire him so much; I want to be like him when I’m older,” Kenny said of his older brother.</p> <p>Foster’s maturity is physical too. His 6-foot-3 frame supports about 180 pounds of lean muscle. He’s always balanced on the court, and his coordination is ahead of his years. Then there is his skill component. Foster is a fantastic ball-handler, a lightning-quick first step and devastating step back. His athleticism is easy to observe – he flushed four dunks in the game.</p> <p>Foster is eager to put his skills to the test as he prepares for his first high-school season.</p> <p>“I’m more than excited,” he said. “I’m anxious every day as it gets closer and closer. We have a great team, great players. Everybody is young, so it will take time, but we’re going to be good.”</p> <p>Some other notes from the freshman game:</p> <p><strong>Point of attack.</strong> There are some very talented point guards joining the high school ranks this year. Behind Foster, the most consistent performer was Regis Jesuit’s <strong>Payton Egloff</strong>, a strong 6-foot guard who displayed superb ball-handling skills and great range. At one point, Eggloff nailed three straight 3-pointers in the span of about a minute.</p> <p>Eggloff made great decisions in transition and played well on the ball defensively. He’s definitely a talent to watch.</p> <p>Thomas Jefferson 6-foot guard<strong> Jodaun Dotson</strong>, a solid performer at our PTP Combine last week, was once again a standout. Dotson too is quick off the dribble and can really create. Rock Canyon 5-foot-8 freshman <strong>Jaylen Eikenberg</strong> and Montbello’s 5-foot-9 point <strong>JoVon Nelson</strong> displayed solid, speed, athleticism and ball skills, and Greeley West 5-foot-8 guard <strong>Andre Sepeda</strong> is a tough-nosed point who distributed well and made life difficult for opponents on defense.</p> <p><strong>Size all around.</strong> They may be freshmen, but not all of them looked that way.<strong> Steven Hayes</strong>, at 6-foot-2 and wide, has the look of a player who could eventually do a lot of things for Overland down the road. He twice grabbed a rebound on the defensive end and went coast-to-coast while finishing in traffic. He handles it well and certainly has toughness down low.</p> <p><strong>Caleb Tamminga</strong>, another standout performer at our combine who, at 6-foot-3 with solid ball skills already has the look of an ideal wing component for Legend. He can stroke the ball well at all spaces on the floor and can create mismatches with his combination of speed and size.</p> <p><strong>Bailey Verk</strong>, at a stout 6-foot-4, is already a load to deal with. The ThunderRidge freshman penetrated the lane time and time again Saturday and got to the line continuously. He has soft touch and an aggressive streak that complements an already impressive skill set.</p> <p>Holy Family’s <strong>Kyle Helbig</strong> and <strong>Chase Hettinger</strong> of Castle View were another pair of big guards at 6-foot-3 who showed promise.</p> <p>The tallest of the bunch was 6-foot-8 Highlands Ranch forward <strong>Seth Dry</strong>. Like many young players who are that tall, that fast, Dry has some raw elements to his game that will need to develop over time. But his footwork shows promise. He doesn’t hesitate when he gets the ball in the paint, decisiveness that will pay dividends once he hones his post instincts. Has the potential to be a solid rim protector. He runs the floor pretty well for that size.</p>