2021 Rankings Update: High-Scoring Guards

<p>With the 2019-20 high school basketball season officially over we finally shift over our focus to our latest update. Prep Hoops has released its latest Colorado Class of 2021 rankings based on the 2019-20 season. This is one of our deepest classes in the state so it took us a while to look at the full season and break it down. We had drastic movement and also added over 25 new players. Here, we focus on some of the classes' top scoring guards that we have ranked.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Greysen Carter – Fairview</strong></p> <p>Carter jumped on our scene last year and had one of the most incredible seasons we have seen from a player that was relatively unknown heading into the season. The 6’4 wing is one of the best scoring threats in the entire state as he led Fairview to a 23-3 record as the teams leading scorer, and the craziest part is basketball is not even his best sport. The Division I baseball commit does it all on the court as the 5A Front Range First Team member was also an All-State Honorable Mention after putting up 17.5 points a game as well as eight rebounds a game. Carter shot the ball well from beyond the arc, got in the post and finished on smaller defenders as well as found holes in the defense for mid-range jumpers as well. Carter can get going in a hurry and does not take forced shots, and if he does choose to play senior year will go into the state as one of the top wings in the entire state and exactly why he is a Top-20 player in the state.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="916970" first="Wes" last="Ryan"] – De Beque</strong></p> <p>When you think 1A basketball, one of the first names that come to mind is [player_tooltip player_id="916970" first="Wes" last="Ryan"]. Ryan has been one of the most consistent players in the entire state, as he has already been named the 1A basketball player of the year as only a sophomore. The 6’1 do-it-all guard followed that up by being named to the 1A First-Team as a junior. He is already a state champion, and this season he did all that he could to defend the title as he led De Beque to a 20-3 overall record. Ryan put up a stat-stuffing 23.4 points a game with 10.1 rebounds a game to go along with it. Ryan is a dual-threat option that has his way with smaller defenders and possesses the ability to create for himself. He can shot off of the dribble, create for himself and others in the backcourt, and also has good size and strength to bang inside with the bigs. Ryan is a player that would benefit by coming to play in big tournaments against the top players as well as displaying his skills against some of the best at showcases but nonetheless is one of the best scorers in the state. He comes in as the No. 24 ranked player.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="770437" first="Colton" last="Gillingham"] – Greeley West</strong></p> <p>Gillingham is a player whose ranking was a bit pushed down due to team success, because if you are looking at statistics and ability to affect a game, Gillingham was one of the more creative finishers in the state last season. Imagine averaging 19.3 points a game while shooting over 40% from deep and also getting out on the break and finishing when the opposing team’s entire gameplan is to slow you down by any means necessary. Gillingham was efficient despite his team not winning many games and still found ways to get himself going. He grabbed near six rebounds a game and started the break off of those boards to generate quick offense. If Greeley West can find ways to get others around him going with him being a marksman from deep and playing off of the ball more, Gillingham can take over in new ways. He is No.44 for now with room to grow.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="770425" first="Michael" last="Bennett"] – Lakewood</strong></p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="770425" first="Michael" last="Bennett"] made that Lakewood team pretty fun. Lakewood made the playoffs on the back of their junior tri-sport athlete, and he happened to showcase that he was more than a one-trick pony. Bennett was one of the higher scoring guards in the state as the 6’2 combo-guard was the team’s primary ball-handler and also a playmaker that put his teammates in great positions to score. Bennett led his team in every single category as he had a balanced stat-line of 17.6 points, 3.8 assists, 5.7 rebounds, and also 2.2 steals to go along with it. He shot the ball a bit, got to the basket, and finished in traffic and got to the FT line as well. Heading into an all-important senior season, Bennett will walk in as one of the better all-around scorers, and that is exactly why he is the No. 41 ranked player in the class.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="965765" first="Mikey" last="Babi"] – Bennett</strong></p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="965765" first="Mikey" last="Babi"] is making his PHC rankings debut as a lowly ranked player for now. Still, when you take into account the type of season he was able to have on a middle-of-the-pack Bennett squad where he was able to overcome constant double teams and still able to put up high-scoring games, he is a player that can certainly rise. Babi put up 18.3 points a game and was also able to contribute in other areas. Babi had 3.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and also showed to be a great perimeter defender who played the passing lanes well too as he averaged just under three steals a game. Babi is a tough shot taker, but a tough shot maker. He is a volume shooter that looks to find his rhythm early and remain aggressive throughout the game. He let it fly from deep, pushes the pace in the open floor, and is always looking to score. He is a player to watch that not many have gotten to see.</p>