4A Northern League POY Candidates

We’re almost there as the end of the season is upon us with most schools already having had senior night. There are some tight races with conference winners and some that teams that already have the league won. With that, we focus on who we believe has the chance to be the conference MVP. For the 4A Northern League, it looks like Longmont won the conference with an 11-1 conference record but there are a few teams that had great seasons with players that seriously made a case. Here is who I feel will win the conference player of the year. The Favorite: Dallas Dye – Longmont Unsure why, but it seemed like Longmont was having a rough year. They started out a bit slow but from there they have gone into a groove and are playing their best ball right now. Longmont is 18-3 on the season and 11-1 in the conference and a reason for that is their balance. They have stellar guard play with guards that know their role and stick with it and two bigger guys that are capable of turning games around from the inside. The Trojans leading scorer is 6’4 forward Dallas Dye. Dye is a skilled big man that scores with his back to the basket, can face up and create and also goes through defenders. He is a physically gifted player that is agile enough to get around defenders but is not shy about his strength He’s also a great rebounder that boxes out and can start the break. He is averaging 14.6 points and also 7.2 rebounds a game to go along with it. He passes from the block and has a good feel for the game and is my pick for the player of the year with a close second being his teammate. The Second Favorite: Eddie Kurjak – Longmont The runner-up who legitimately has a chance at also being the player of the year is Eddie Kurjak. Kurjak is a high flier that uses his springs to his advantage. He soars for rebounds, plays above the rim with finishes as a high aerial attacker and also is 6’8 so it comes a bit different for him. He is light on his feet and has a long wingspan and pans out as a junior that jumps on our radar as a player that needs to be further evaluated. He is averaging 14.0 points a game and also is grabbing 6.6 boards a game. He does not go outside of his norm and knows where he wants to get on the floor. He is improving as the season progresses and has looked really good this season. The Third Favorite: Andrew Duquette – Silver Creek Silver Creek is having a great season and has seen things come together. In the conference, they have proved that they can play with anybody in the state. They are led by senior combo-guard Andrew Duquette who is up to 18.2 points a game. He scores with ease and his confidence with the ball is very high. He can shoot the ball from outside of the arc which opens things up for his teammates and also makes the right play as the lead guard. He is a two-way guard that stays in front of his man, plays the passing well and his 2.3 steals a game is leading the team and Longmont is starting fast-breaks with them and his play is leading to wins. They will be a tough team to go up against come playoffs. The Longshot: <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/owen-koonce/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/owen-koonce/">Owen Koonce</a></a> – Centaurus Centaurus is a team that has been in and out of the Top-10 this season and has been in a rough patch but one thing that you can be sure of is they will be ready when it comes to the tournament. Although they have been losing games, the team is coming together and fighting in games. Their senior captain <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/owen-koonce/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/owen-koonce/">Owen Koonce</a></a> has been their most consistent player on the team and who they rely on for offense. The senior wing is the only player averaging in double figures as he is the teams leading scorer (17.5 ppg), rebounder (6.6 rpg) and also leads the team in steals a game at 2.4 a game as well. He is a player that leads by example as he plays hard no matter who he is up against and he makes teammates around him better as well. He is an unsigned senior that has a few schools after him now but should have more and a school will be lucky to get him. Won’t win, but still a great season: Cooper Sheldon – Niwot Niwot is having the surprise season out of any of the teams in the Northern League but it is no surprise that they are having a strong season as they have a solid group of seniors that are teaching the young guys the ropes. Of their seniors on the team, their captain has been the player that has stepped up and been the go-to guy for the Cougars. Niwot is 12-9 on the season and although they have a few tough losses, they know that they have Cooper Sheldon that can carry them to a victory. The 6’3 guard gets to the rim and foul line to disrupt the defense and also crashes the boards for easy putback opportunities. He is at 12.3 points a game and 5.5 blocks as well and while he will not win the conference player of the year, what he was able to do this season should not go unnoticed.