Rocky Mountain Fall Showcase: Recapping Top Twenty Game

The top twenty game at the Rocky Mountain Fall Showcase was the perfect finale to a great day of hoops at the Coliseum, home of the Legend Titans.With our No. 1 ranked player in 2016 (De’Ron Davis), our No. 2 (Colbey Ross) and No. 3 (Jaizec Lottie) ranked players in 2017, our No. 1 player in 2018 (Daylen Kountz), and numerous other top 10 prospects and potential Division I recruits, the contest was up-tempo with players oozing athleticism. Team White was able to fend off Team Black 126-117 as two of the winning squad’s stars, Davis and Ross, shared co-MVP honors with Hunter Maldonado. Davis—a 6-foot-10 forward with a final list of Indiana, Texas, Arizona, Arkansas, Mississippi State, and Uconn—started the game with a flurry of baseline jumpers and jams. By the way, the Overland big man was playing in his fifth Rocky Mountain Fall Showcase, a record, and earned his second consecutive top twenty game MVP award. And yes, he did his thing again by tying Lottie with a game-high 20 points. Davis’ mid-range has grown tremendously and his explosiveness also improved over the summer, two strengths that could help him lift Overland to back-to-back Class 5A state championships. He was a force Saturday. Ross, coming off a special summer with the Colorado Chaos, had 18 points, 10 assists, and 7 rebounds and continues to make his case as the premier guard in the state, regardless of class. Much has been said about his recent play and he didn’t disappoint at the RMFS. The Eaglecrest guard could challenge Davis and company for Mr. Basketball Honors this winter. Sekou Cisse (17 points) was scary in transition with his size and athleticism. The physical 6-foot-4 guard will likely attend a junior college, but could eventually sign with a Division I program with continued seasoning. LaDarius Thomas (15 points) looked confident and capable as an all-around guard, Reggie Gibson wowed the crowd with his ball handling skills, perhaps the best of any in Colorado, Tyrei Randall was silky, and Jordan Phillips attacked the rim with ferocity. In a game with so much talent, the list goes on. Lottie, a pure point guard with incredible awareness on the court, scored plenty and showed off his multi-faceted game with 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals. Kountz, just a sophomore, is dynamic going left. The southpaw will need to develop his right hand more, but he can be dominant going left and was Saturday, despite being one of only two, along with Jon’il Fugett, non-juniors or seniors in the game. Kountz had 19 points and 4 steals and, when he’s aggressive, he might already be one of the state’s very best players, no matter the age. Clay Verk was active, showing off that motor college coaches love, and had 17 points. The 6-foot-8 thick-bodied ThunderRidge Grizzly seems to be a good fit for a high Division II program, but has also received some low Division I interest. Braxton Bertolette, a magician with the ball, had 12 points. There are a few in the conversation, especially Luke Neff, but you would be hard pressed to find a better pure shooter in the Centennial State than Bertolette. Finally Maldonado, 6-foot-5 and a point-forward, played with as much effort as anyone. In a day and age where young players sometimes, for stretches, get by on their pure athleticism and natural gifts alone, Maldonado is a breath of fresh air. It’s refreshing to watch a young player compete with such tenacity and such a hungry demeanor. Of course, he’s not just an energy guy alone. The Vista Ridge wing poured in 18 points, snatched 14 rebounds, shot 8 of 10 from the field, and did about everything else you could ask for. Maldonado is the type of kid who is determined to maximize his talent and he has plenty of that, as well.