Colorado’s Postseason Stock Risers, Part I
The postseason offers a time for players to shine on a big stage and make themselves known. There are a handful of players around Colorado who have taken advantage of that opportunity with big performances in the playoffs. We are…
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Continue ReadingThe postseason offers a time for players to shine on a big stage and make themselves known. There are a handful of players around Colorado who have taken advantage of that opportunity with big performances in the playoffs.
We are taking a deeper look at that group of players, beginning with the biggest stock risers in Class 4A.
We’ll take a look at 5A stock risers tomorrow.
Hunter Maldonado, 6-5 junior wing, Vista Ridge
In three playoff games, Maldonado has poured in 70 points to go along with 25 rebounds. Maldonado is a player who simply knows how to get to the basket and relishes the opportunity to put his team on his back. We’ve been watching Maldonado since back in June, when he impressed at a camp run by Colorado Chaos, and he’s only improving since. Has a chance to be a Division I player and clearly loves the game. His performances have helped third-seeded Vista Ridge surge all the way to the Final Four, where they are the lone team without a No. 1 seed.
Dylan Mileto, 6-3 junior guard, Mesa Ridge
Mileto played only one game this postseason, but it was a dandy. He poured in 29 points on 11-of-17 shooting in a narrow loss to Pueblo West (a Final Four entrant) in the first round. Ridge had West on the ropes early, up 14-0 thanks to seven quick points from Mileto, who hit 5-of-7 3-pointers in the game. For the season he averaged 15 points and four rebounds per game. He’s an under-the-radar player to watch this spring.
Kolton Bachman, 6-1 senior guard, Longmont
Bachman, who we chronicled in a recent recruiting report here, has averaged 16 points per game during Longmont’s 3-0 start to the playoffs. Bachman’s ability to penetrate continues to lead to scoring opportunities for himself and Trojans teammates. The unsigned guard should certainly be on the radar of Division II coaches in the state.
Jeremy Randle, 6-2 sophomore guard, Valor Christian
With a team full of talented juniors, Randle can fly under the radar at times, but he has been a key component for the 24-2 Eagles all season. In Valor’s nail-biting 73-69 victory over Windsor in the state quarterfinals on Saturday, Randle came up with 16 huge points, hitting 6-of-7 free throws and also coming up with a pair of assists. The future is bright for Randle.
James Maher, 5-10 senior point guard, Mead
Though Mead fell short in a quarterfinal loss to top-ranked Longmont, Maher was excellent during the postseason for the Mavericks. Never was he bigger this season then in a second-round victory over Sierra and talented guard CJ Jennings. Maher, an unsigned guard, scored 25 points, a performance that was preceded by his 17-point outing a first-round victory over Green Mountain.
David Simental, 6-2 junior guard, Pueblo West
The state is about to see what the sharpshooter from Pueblo is all about. Simental, whose sister Haley plays for the University of Denver, scored 29 points in West’s quarterfinal victory over Denver South on Saturday, continuing a trend of high-scoring, big-time late season performances. His craftiness with the ball in his hands, allowing him to score from almost any position on the offensive end, will make him one of the most intriguing players to watch among the eight teams — 4A and 5A combined — playing in Boulder this weekend.