Recent 1,000 Point Scorers at season’s end

<p>There is a prestigious club that not many players get invited to in their careers and it is only open to a select few. Reaching 1,000 points in a high school basketball career is a benchmark every top scorer hopes to achieve and it is no easy task.</p> <p>Yet, with only a couple of days until the state playoffs, we have recently had a few players accomplish that task.</p> <p>Below is a look at those hoopsters that have recently reached that magic number.</p> <h3><strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/reece-johnson/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/reece-johnson/">Reece Johnson</a></a> – Resurrection Christian  </strong>       </h3> <p>Resurrection Christian is one of the top teams in the entire state and heading into the state tournament will most likely head in with the top seed. They are the No.1 team in 3A with a perfect 20-0 record and when you take a look at their roster it is easy to see why they are having so much success. Their leading scorer this season is the same one they have had for three straight years now, senior combo-guard <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/reece-johnson/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/reece-johnson/">Reece Johnson</a></a> who is one of the most balanced and all-around players in the state. In only three years he was able to surpass the 1,000 points scored feat that not many players are able to do and it is a triumphant story of a player that dealt with injuries and ailments of his own but still persevered. He is currently having a season where he is putting up 17.6 points a game while shooting an impressive 49% from beyond the arc and while he doesn’t shoot a ton of 3-pointers that is not something that you see very often. He gets to the rim, runs the floor, excels in not only iso situations but is great in the PnR and he also is a two-way player that buys in on the defensive end of the floor. Johnson is a leader that continues to get better and a school at the next level will be getting one of the state’s best.</p> <h3><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/keyshawn-maltbia/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/keyshawn-maltbia/">Keyshawn Maltbia</a></a> – Fountain Fort-Carson</h3> <p>If you have ever seen Maltbia play the one thing that you will ALWAYS see is buckets. He knows how to score that basketball and he is an assertive guard that looks for his shot no matter what. However you want it, he can give it to you. He can shoot the ball with a reliable jumper, he gets to the lane for easy finishes and occasional dunks and scores with ease in iso situations as he makes the right play that usually ends with him scoring the basketball. He does not back down and ups his game with better competition and this was a season that he put it all on display yet again that led to wins. Maltbia averaged 18 points a game and broke the 1,000 points scored barrier earlier in the season but we did not get around to it. Maltbia should be making his decision soon about where he will be playing at the next level but the 6’3 guard, for now, is one of the state’s best-unsigned seniors.</p> <h3>Ladarius Mays – Coronado</h3> <p>Mays is a player that was simply not discussed enough over the past four seasons and a lot of that had to do with the fact that Coronado did not have a winning season in his career. But that does not take away from the fact that this four-year starter was one of the most consistent players in his conference for his tenure. No matter if the Cougars were winning or losing they knew they had them a 6’1 wing that was going to go out and try his best. Mays created mismatches and used his athletic talents to get the best on defenders each night. This season Mays is averaging 16.1 points a game and is a two-way player that got his hands on balls for deflections and steals that led to fast-break opportunities for his teammates. He rebounds hard and that led to easy second-chance points and it was a bittersweet end to his career as he did not make the state tournament but went out with an accolade of his own of surpassing the 1,000 points scored mark. He will play football at the University of Wyoming next season but ended his hardwood career with somewhat of a positive.</p> <h3><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/luis-miera/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/luis-miera/">Luis Miera</a></a> – Bear Creek</h3> <p>Miera is a player that scored plenty of baskets at Alameda and then had a change of scenery and continued to shine as he landed at Bear Creek. Bear Creek did not have the season that they wanted but was one of the more entertaining teams in the state and a big reason for that was their crafty guard that lit teams up night in and night out. This season he put up 16.7 points a game as he ran circles around defenders but was also one of the better shooters in the state this season shooting 45% from beyond the arc. Miera has a good handle and that freed him up to either get to the basket and finish or he dished it off to open teammates. He is a guard that is able to create for himself and he also played off of the ball for looks as well as he has a good motor and is always on the move. What stood out most when watching Miera is his leadership. He is a verbal leader that gets on his guys and holds others accountable, he is poised and is a calm to the storm that they had this season and I truly feel he is a player that can thrive at a small school at the next level.</p> <h3><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jalen-page/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jalen-page/">Jalen Page</a></a> – Fairview</h3> <p><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jalen-page/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jalen-page/">Jalen Page</a></a> is a player that it feels like has been in high school for quite some time as he has been an impactful player over the years that alter games with not only his scoring but defense and rebounding. He is a player that works hard on both ends of the floor and while defense and rebounding are what stand out most, he is a consistent basket-getter that finds ways to score. He has good footwork, soft touch and is aggressive down low that likes to bang with smaller defenders. In his three years on varsity, his scoring trajectory was a bit different as he scored less and less each season but his game evolved in that time. Page is a leader that epitomizes team-first and he truly did everything that was asked of him. He took a score-first approach early on but now he is a more complete player that does what is needed. He takes pride in his defense, he uses his size and he is also a player that can face-up for a basket or back a defender down. Page surpassed the 1,000 points scored against Broomfield on the final day of the regular season when he went off for 26 points. His work had led to plenty of wins as the Knights were crowned league champions yet again and he will take that momentum into the state tournament where Fairview has a legitimate chance at doing something special.  </p> <h3><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/julian-hammond/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/julian-hammond/">Julian Hammond</a></a> – Cherry Creek</h3> <p>It is as if we speak about <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/julian-hammond/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/julian-hammond/">Julian Hammond</a></a> every single week, but it is hard not to. The No.2 junior in the state had himself one of the best overall years in the state and honestly has made a case for being named the Gatorade Player of the Year. Hammond is a smooth offensive player that shoots lights out from outside but also can get inside of the paint and be just as dangerous. He is not a guard that forced much and he is always looking to make the right play which makes him even more difficult to defend. His consistent jump-shot opens up the rest of his game and he also is a player that you have to stay on as he can blow by for an easy finish with a solid layup package, he turns defense to offense and he also boards heavy which gives him shots at the basket. Hammond plays in undoubtedly the toughest conference in the state and he led that conference in scoring with 22.5 points a game and also grabbed 7.0 boards a game as well. Hammond helped the Bruins be named the conference player of the year and in a win against Grandview to be crowned conference champs surpassed the 1,000 points scored mark. What is most impressive about him accomplishing such a feat is it essentially only took the junior guard two seasons to get it done. He is a player that continues to get better each and every time that I have seen him and he is hands down one of the state’s top athletes. He’s having a sensational career.</p> <h3><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/darius-hornbuckle/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/darius-hornbuckle/">Darius Hornbuckle</a></a> – Thomas Jefferson</h3> <p>Hornbuckle has been a consistent source of scoring for the Spartans since being named a starter his sophomore season. From that time frame to now – buckets. Hornbuckle is a volume-shooter that once he gets into a rhythm there is really not much else you can do. He shoots the ball on the move which makes it difficult for the defender to limit shots, he can break a defender down with his ballhandling and he is also an underrated passer as well that will most likely be shown at the next level. Hornbuckle is currently averaging 16.4 points a game while shooting a career-best 42% from beyond the arc. He just surpassed the 1,000 points scored list in a win against FNE Warriors and has the Spartans ready to make a deep tournament run.  </p>