5A Playoffs: Stars Certain to Decide the Kent Smith Region

<p>The 5A playoffs got started on Wednesday evening with some exciting matchups. But now we set up for the second round of the playoffs with some very intriguing matchups in a tournament that multiple teams genuinely have a chance at being crowned champion. Here, we take a look at the Chuck Williams region in a balanced quadrant that has numerous teams that look like they can take it home.  </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 24pt; font-family: impact, sans-serif;"><u>The Matchups</u></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: impact, sans-serif;">#4 Cherry Creek v. Regis Jesuit</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: impact, sans-serif;">#13 Denver East v. #Legend</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: impact, sans-serif;">#5 Grandview v. #37 Hinkley</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: impact, sans-serif;">#12 Pine Creek v. #21 Broomfield</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Top Player: </strong></p> <p><strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/julian-hammond/">[player_tooltip player_id="608058" first="Julian" last="Hammond"]</a> – Cherry Creek </strong></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/julian-hammond/">[player_tooltip player_id="608058" first="Julian" last="Hammond"]</a> had himself a year. Not just on the hardwood but also on the gridiron. He won the championship in football as the star QB and went straight to basketball season and had quietly one of the best seasons of anyone in the state. Hammond led the Bruins to the No.4 team in the state as Cherry Creek won the most challenging conference in the state and is looking to add another trophy to the school wall. Hammond averaged 22.7 points and 7.0 rebounds a game while also dishing the ball as well. Where he improved most was as a defender as he took it upon himself to defend at a high level and defend the opposing teams best player each game. I expect him to shoot the ball well and also attack the rim as he typically does and say in the rhythm that he has had all season long. In a very deep conference, I have him as the top player.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Top floor general: </strong></p> <p><strong>Lian Ramiro—Grandview </strong></p> <p>Ramiro also had a wonderful season, and CSU-Pueblo should be happy with their commit. Ramiro elevated his game his senior season with a target on his back and outplayed almost every guard that he went up against. He is an elite ballhandler that reads defense and plays within the flow of the offense, he takes care of the ball, and he also excels in the pick and roll. Ramiro can shoot it off of the dribble or even find the open man. He gets everyone involved, but the bulk of the work goes to him and McGill, which is a heavy load to maintain. Still, the senior guard ended up averaging 15.5 points and 4.0 assists a game while getting through the Centennial league and Grandview will be ready to get after the trophy as they feel last year they were not able to fully defend their title from the year before that they wanted to. This 1x champion has been one of the standout guards on the season and will have all eyes on him as Grandview looks to make another deep run. With Ramiro at the guard spot, I’d like my chances.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Top combo-guard:</strong></p> <p><strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/boston-stanton/">[player_tooltip player_id="770414" first="Boston" last="Stanton"]</a> – Denver East </strong></p> <p>Stanton is a player that jumped on the scene and never looked back. He is in full effect now and is getting plenty of attention as the 6’4 junior is putting up 21.3 points and 5.8 rebounds a game. Stanton checks off all of the checkboxes when creating a player. High IQ guard on and off of the court with good size and can play inside and out. Stanton is stepping into a big game against Legend for his first big playoff game, and with his ability to do it all will create opportunities for others but also show exactly what makes him special. I expect him to have a great game as Legend does not have a wing with his size to match him in what should be a high-scoring affair. </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Top Big: </strong></p> <p><strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/caleb-mcgill/">[player_tooltip player_id="915288" first="Caleb" last="McGill"]</a> – Grandview </strong></p> <p>McGill is the most skilled big man in the entire state, and the UC-Davis commit is back healthy after missing the playoffs last season and on a redemption tour. McGill is an all-around big man that proved night in and night out why he is considered the top big man in the state. He can dribble and get around defenders, back defenders with his strength and size and also step out and shoot the ball as well. We see how good he is now, but his best basketball is ahead of him, as he does not have many limitations. He is putting up a team-high 17.7 points and 7.3 rebounds a game while also patrolling the paint and altering plenty of shots. Grandview will look to get out to a hot start and ride a wave as they navigate through a tough region</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>X-Factor:</strong></p> <p>Just think about being in a quadrant where you cannot fit in players such as arguably the best perimeter defender in the state in <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/myles-purchase/">[player_tooltip player_id="770403" first="Myles" last="Purchase"]</a> or Legend guards <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/cam-le-van/">[player_tooltip player_id="915296" first="Cam" last="LeVan"]</a> or <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/tanner-lamb/">[player_tooltip player_id="916979" first="Tanner" last="Lamb"]</a>, who will have to be extremely good if they plan on getting by a talented Denver East team. I was not able to go in-depth about Pine Creek senior guard <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/peyton-westfall/">[player_tooltip player_id="770339" first="Peyton" last="Westfall"]</a> who is at 14.3 points a game or Broomfield’s duo of Ryan Collins (15.5 ppg) or <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/grant-swenson/">[player_tooltip player_id="915334" first="Grant" last="Swenson"]</a>(14.8 ppg) which shows just how great this region is. But the player that I am going to say is the X-factor and is one of the most important players in the entire quadrant is the top sophomore in the whole state. Denver East guard <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/langston-reynolds/">[player_tooltip player_id="618882" first="Langston" last="Reynolds"]</a> is averaging 18.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 2.8 steals a game and refuses to be stopped on his way to the rim. He finishes well in the paint, has good size and is an athletic guard that does a bit of everything. The East v. Legend game is between two teams that want to get after it and play up and down, and that is the perfect situation for a guard like Reynolds. Expect Reynolds to have a big game with huge numbers.</p>