Top of the Rockies: Top Performers
The Top of the Rockies went on this past weekend and had some of the state’s best talent all battling it out at Gold Crown. The Top of the Rockies is a wonderful event put on by the Colorado Chaos…
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Continue ReadingThe Top of the Rockies went on this past weekend and had some of the state’s best talent all battling it out at Gold Crown. The Top of the Rockies is a wonderful event put on by the Colorado Chaos that pits together some of the best organizations across the state to go at it. Here are the top breakout performers from the event.
Luke O’ Brien – Colorado Miners
O’Brien had 18 points in a blowout championship win and he continues to impress and lead the way as the state’s best player. He gets it done in every single way but his consistency in scoring from virtually everywhere on the court separates him from the rest. He uses his size to his advantage and picks the defense apart with precision. This Miners team will continue to win as they play together as a group and when O’Brien is playing to his full potential there will not be many losses for this bunch. Was excited to see him look as the best player on the court against a talented Hawks team.
Dominique Clifford – Colorado Miners
Clifford has popped up on the scene and become a top ten player in the class no matter the class. He has been on a tear for the past year and joined one of the best teams in the state in the Colorado Miners as a perfect fit. Everything that Clifford does is so effortless as his nonchalant game stands out as one of the smoothest. He glides through the paint and finishes at or above the rim with ease. He can shoot the ball, stop and pop for a mid-range pull up and is a player that see’s the court well and knows exactly where he is going. Clifford has made the most strides for any player from his freshman season to now and it is great to see it all starting to come together. He is a top player in the state and will only continue to grow and in the Top of the Rockies he put it all on display as the Miners were able to win another tournament. His 16 points in the championship helped lead the way.
Graham Ike – Colorado Hawks
There are not many players in the entire state with the type of upside and ceiling that Graham has and the scary part is he has not even began to scratch the surface. He has so many positives that cannot be taught such as size and work ethic and on top of that is very skilled and wants it. Ike is one of the toughest players in the entire state to defend because of his size and ability to score at will with that size. He also has very soft touch inside and possesses the ability to knock down the mid-range which adds to his already deep arsenal. Ike continued his onslaught in the Top of the Rockies and the game that stands out is the game against the Colorado Chaos. He was able to put up 13 points and also snag 8 rebounds in game to take them to championship where the Hawks run finally came to the end. Ike continues proving why he is amongst the state’s best.
DeAngelo Horn – Colorado Mayhem 16U
Horn continues to impress. He is jumping on our radars and proving that he belongs to be amongst the top names in the class. He has been consistent for the Grassroots circuit and has been leading the Mayhem to victory after victory. This Mayhem 16U team won the Gold bracket of the Top of the Rockies and he was their most valuable player as he has remained a constant source of production. Horn averaged 15 points, eight rebounds and five assists a game in the Top of the Rockies and is a player to keep on your radars as a player that approaches the game in a different way and is able to really slow the game down. Very interesting prospect.
TJ Bamba – Pluto Prospects
Bamba switched teams and looks as if he has found a new home as Pluto has given him the green light. He typically runs with KC Run GMC but he got with Pluto Prospects for the Top of the Rockies and was able to have one of the most incredible games of the entire tournament. He put up 49 points and showcased exactly what makes him special. He knocked down jumpers, got into the lane and finished in traffic and had a highlight body bag dunk that sent the gym in a frenzy. When Bamba is playing at this kind of level it is very difficult to slow him down and for the weekend there were no answers for him as he easily averaged over 25 points a game. Bamba has to continue this kind of run.