Prep Hoops Spring Kickoff Preview: 16U Division (Part II)
With tournament time just a little more than 24 hours away, we continue our Prep Hoops Spring Kickoff preview with the second part of our look at the 16U Division.
You can read Part I here. Check out the schedule here.
Colorado Miners: The Miners 16U squad is loaded with talent in the backcourt, including Thomas Jefferson duo Xavier Cooper and Breon Harper. Cooper had a strong sophomore season for the Spartans, playing with solid toughness and coming into his own as an attacker with the ball in his hands. Dimitri Stanley is a 6-0 point guard who was a strong floor general for a Cherry Creek team that reached the state quarterfinals, and Mue Muewwakkil is another athletic attacking guard, as is Pomona’s Ryan Marquez. That’s great depth at the position. Up front, the Miners have one of the top bigs in the class in 6-11 Dawson Carper. And 6-5 forward Ben Boone played a big role for this season’s resurgent Grandview team.
Colorado Hawks White: The Hawks have intriguing talent on their second team, including Shareer Robins of Centaurus, who tallied six points and four rebounds per game for the varsity squad as a sophomore. They get athleticism in 6-4 Mohammed Diallo, the younger brother of Hawks alums Alpha and Umar Diallo. Freddy Gomez is a 6-1 small forward who had a strong season for Westminster, averaging 10.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. And the Hawks also have an under-the-radar point guard in Tucson Redding, who ran the show for Overland’s talented junior varsity this season and could compete for a spot in its varsity backcourt next season.
Iowa Elite Mason: Elite is led by Sam Ingoli, the No. 2 player in Iowa’s 2018 class, according to Prep Hoops Iowa. The 6-4 point guard has great size for a floor general, has great floor vision and can hit from long range. Ingoli has received an offer from North Dakota and has garnered some high-major Division I interest. Hunter Strait is a 6-0 guard who is ranked in the top 15 in Iowa in his class and has also received Division I interest.
ABA Elite: Connor Hawk is a 6-3 guard who saw action in 17 varsity games as a sophomore for Ponderosa. Much of ABA is comprised of players who could be key members of next winter’s varsity squad. The group also includes several players from crosstown rival Chaparral who are aiming to prepare to compete for varsity spots next season.
Colorado Vipers: This group will bring great speed to the table with a stable of athletic backcourt players. Jalen Talbott is a 6-0 guard who was a strong floor general for Eaglecrest’s strong junior varsity team last season. He’s a strong ball-handler and isn’t afraid to attack. Shawntrel White, a 6-1 George Washington guard, showed strong flashes during his sophomore season. He’s a good athlete who likes to defend.
South Central Elite: The South Central squad is comprised by a number of players from Pueblo West’s Class 4A state champion team. Key among them is point guard Nieyeme Smyer-Williams, who was excellent in the Cyclones run to the title. He was one of the best players in the tournament, proving he could handle the ball under pressure and distribute to scorers, as well as playing stingy defense. The 6-0 guard ended the season averaging 11.5 points per game. The group also has good size in 6-9 La Junta big Zeb Jacquart.
Team B.A.N.G: The team is comprised of a number of players in the talented Vista PEAK pipeline, including 6-1 guard TreJon Hamilton and 5-9 guard Nathan Cisneros. This group enters the tournament under the radar and eager to make some noise.