2020 standouts on the court & in the classroom
Being a student-athlete is a difficult task as it is a position that comes with many responsibilities. Too often overlooked is the academic accomplishments of high school athletes. Stars on the court have even more pressing things to accomplish at…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingBeing a student-athlete is a difficult task as it is a position that comes with many responsibilities. Too often overlooked is the academic accomplishments of high school athletes. Stars on the court have even more pressing things to accomplish at school. but somehow balance both. There are some high school basketball players that are able to star on the court while they also excel at school. Let’s take a look at some of those young men.
In our quest we wanted to find high academic players that not only make an impact on the hardwood but also inspire others in the classroom as well as education is the gateway to a better future. Here are five Seniors that shine both on and off of the court.
Owen Koonce – Centaurus
Centaurus is 9-3 on the season with a couple of interesting losses but also some solid wins. By the end of the season, I have a feeling that they will be in the top 10 and it is behind the play of their Senior captain. Koonce is a four-year varsity player that is coming off of a stock boosting season and summer which catapulted him onto the national scene with him helping lead his Colorado Titans team to the Prep Hoops Hustle League championship and winning it all. In Koonce’s junior campaign he was able to lead Centaurus to the Class 4A Great 8, the school’s best finish since 2006 as he averaged 18.5 points and 5.6 rebounds where they fell to the eventual state champs. He was named the BoCoPreps.com boys basketball player of the year as well as the Northern League player of the year and came into his senior season with high expectations. He has not disappointed as he has picked up exactly where he left off. He is putting up 17.9 points a game and also grabbing 7.4 boards a game as well. The 6’5 forward is a versatile big man that uses speed and strength to get himself loose. He is too big for the smaller guys but too quick and agile for bigger players which creates a mismatch. He has natural leadership abilities and is a high IQ player that outthinks and outhustles defenders which only made sense when finding out about his grades. Koonce currently holds a 3.71 gpa while also earning a 4.0 gpa in the fall of 2019. He is currently ranked at No.15 in the class and is only getting better. He is one of the state’s best-unsigned seniors still remaining and he is turning heads on the court and in the classroom.
Gabe McDevitt – Ponderosa
Ponderosa is a darkhorse unit that is going to surprise a few teams as they have a solid group of players that play together and for one another. How does a team build that much chemistry? Well, good coaching, as well as a solid leader and they, have that with their best player being senior captain Gabe McDevitt. McDevitt is a do-it-all guard that leads by example. He is a hard worker that gets after it on both ends of the floor, does the dirty work inside and also scores the basketball in bunches. On the season he is averaging a team-high in points at 16.9 a game but also 3.5 assists and 4.9 rebounds as well. He is the team’s best shooter and is shooting an alarming 45% from beyond the arc. McDevitt is a bigger guard that can put the ball on the floor, score at the rim as well as shoot lights out and that versatility extends into the classroom as well. McDevitt is a bright scholar that has a 3.5 gpa and a school at the next level is getting a lights out gym rat that also understands the importance of quality education.
Agustin Rivas – Liberty
Liberty is a very young team that is off to an up and down start of the season. They have a few tough losses but play teams tough and also have a few resume building owns over some pretty talented teams which is great seeing as they only have one returning varsity player since last season. That player is also their leading scorer and rebounder in wing Agustin Rivas. Rivas is putting up 13 points a game and also just came off of a 28-point explosion against Heritage. He is a two-way player that also does the dirty work inside as well. He is an above-average 3-point shooter that cannot be left open but he is also a downhill runner that gets into the lane and scores as well. This three-year senior captain is a player to add to the mix for a small school that is looking for a versatile wing that is also capable of defending multiple positions and it only helps that he is also a brainiac that also stands out in the classroom as well. He is going into his second semester of his final year with a 3.5 GPA as well.
Antonio Marquez – Fort Lupton
Fort Lupton is a scrappy bunch that took a couple of losses early on but seem to be finding a rhythm and coming into their own. One player in particular that has started to shine for the Bluedevils is swiss-army-knife Antonio Marquez. At 6’1 he is one of the taller players on the team and it is evident that he works on every single part of his game as there is not a position that he does not play. He is inside of the post, he is on the perimeter he is handling the ball and slashing and now showcasing his athletic abilities with dunks as well. He is the second-leading scorer(10.9 ppg) and top rebounder (6.4 rpg) on the team. He is a defender capable of guarding multiple positions and plays with a chip on his shoulder as he feels as if he has to work for every single thing that he has. That work ethic applies not only on the court but in the classroom as well where his accomplishments far exceed anything that he has done on the court. He has a 3.82 gpa and wants to be an engineer one day. I think he will be anything he aspires to be.
Tommy Rau – Rock Canyon
At 6’11 Tommy Rau is the biggest guy in almost every single room that he steps into. He is a big guy that can overpower smaller defenders but he is also an agile big that can put the ball on the floor. What I enjoy about the game is he sees the floor well and can pass as a big man with good vision. He is an important piece to Rock Canyon who is getting ready to get league play started averaging 5.9 points and 5.6 rebounds a game but a lot of what he does do not show up on the stat sheet. That vision and high IQ that is helping his team win games is also on full display in the classroom where he is a standout as well. He currently holds a 3.7 GPA and he has one of the best test scores of any athlete in the entire state as he put up a 33 out of 36 on the ACT and also posted a 1410 on the SAT as well. This is incredible and he was already one of my favorite big men to watch as he is an unselfish and versatile player with size but it also makes sense on why he is able to affect the game in other ways than his physical acumen. He is a player that stands out in every gym but he also stands out in the classroom as well as one of the best that the state has to offer.