Event Preview: Metro State Team Camp (Session 2)
The second and final session of the Metro State Team Camp will tip off on Friday and runs through Sunday, with about 90 varsity teams from across the state participating. You can find the schedule for pool play and bracket…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe second and final session of the Metro State Team Camp will tip off on Friday and runs through Sunday, with about 90 varsity teams from across the state participating.
You can find the schedule for pool play and bracket play here. Let’s get right to it with some things to watch for this weekend, as summer high school season continues:
Will Regis Jesuit Repeat?
The young, talented Raiders were impressive last week during a championship run that culminated in a 70-62 victory over an experienced Lakewood squad in the title game. We documented the upside of 2019 guards Payton Egloff and Jamil Safieddine and 2018 guards Sam Bannec and Elijah Martinez, but a big-time X-factor for Regis is a player with big experience under his belt — 6-0 2017 guard Connor Hobbs. The sharpshooter has a knack for hitting big shots when his team needs them most, but his offense is never forced. He’ll be a key leader for a team with championship aspirations. Levi Dombro, a 2019 guard, is another player to watch. Regis opens pool play at noon Friday against Horizon.
Can Smoky Hill Continue Strong Offseason?
Beset by injuries and the inexperience of youth, Smoky Hill finished out of the playoff picture a season ago. But sleep on the Buffaloes at your own peril. Second-year coach Anthony Hardin has instituted a disciplined, competitive offseason program that has yielded some impressive results. Smoky went 13-1 and won the Rangeview spring league.
Led by our top-ranked 2019 player, 6-4 guard Kenny Foster, emerging 6-7 2018 small forward John Harge (who missed most of last season with a knee injury) and rapidly rising 6-7 2018 standout Will Becker (who also missed much of 2015-16 with various injuries), the Buffaloes can match talent with most teams in the state. This summer is about facing top competition and building confidence they hope will prepare them for the cutthroat Centennial League.
Smoky will be without Foster, Harge and Becker on Sunday as they attend CU Elite Camp, but look for the Buffs to do damage out of the gates early.
Kent Dertinger Era Begins At Cherry Creek
Mike Brookhart resigned his long-held post at Cherry Creek this past winter, surfacing as the new coach at Denver West. Now, Kent Dertinger has slid up from his position of junior-varsity coach to take Brookhart’s role, and he’ll have some good talent to work with.
Gone is sharpshooter Will Halfon, who nearly shot the Bruins into the 5A Final Four himself last season. But Creek returns a number of athletic guards, including Dimitri Stanley (6-0 2018) and Jalen Meeks (6-1, 2017). The Bruins will also benefit from the arrival of 6-4 sophomore-to-be shooting guard Alec Pell, a tough, physical player who will bring good skills and size to his position.
Cherry Creek opens action at 1 p.m. Friday against Coronado. After two wins a season ago, the Cougars are looking to take a big step up under second-year coach David Thomas. They have a promising 6-3 2018 guard/forward in Ashton Rogers, who averaged 12.8 points and 6.9 rebounds last season.
Just How Good Can Grandview Be?
One of the teams that really surprised some people last season was Grandview, which rode the dynamic 2017 duo of 5-11 guard Lechaun Duhart (19.4 points per game in ’15-16) and 6-6 forward Gage Prim, to a 7-7 mark in the Centennial League that included an upset of two-time state champ Overland. That earned the Wolves a bye to the second round of the 5A playoffs, where they lost a 56-54 heartbreaker to Arvada West. Here’s guessing Grandview will use that setback as motivation, and Michael Rogers’ squad could very well be among the league’s favorites this season.