Five wings to watch in the 5A/4A Pikes Peak League

<p>There has been changes to the world as we know it, and the Colorado high school basketball scene has taken its fair share of changes as well. Typically, we will have already started with some tournaments to get things kicked off at this time of the year, but there has to be a compromise on both ends. Not only will the season start late, but it will be a condensed season, so it is critical that teams and players get off to hot starts. Here we will focus on the 5A/4A Pikes Peak League, which will be much improved and has some really talented players in it.</p> <h2><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="916958" first="Wade" last="Jones"] – Cheyenne Mountain</strong></h2> <p>Jones is a player that we were very intrigued about last season as he was having a sensational year, but an injury derailed his season. Before he went down, he was averaging 16.8 points a game in seven games and proving that he was one of the conference’s better all-around players. Cheyenne Mountain went on to have a solid season but sorely missed his presence. He came back at the end of the season but was not the same, but that speaks about his resiliency as a player. He goes out in every setting and leaves it all out on the court. Jones had a great offseason where he appeared to be in everything. He was at private workouts, runs, open gyms across the state, and was a defensive anchor for Colorado Chaos. Jones is willing to play as well as defend every position on the court. He has a relentless motor, a tenacious defender, and a microwave scoring option whose scrappiness wins most of his battles. He is diving for loose balls, throwing his body out on the line, and is dangerous in the open court. Jones is extremely athletic, dunks in open space, has a consistent 3-pointer, and will look to lead the way in his final season. Expect Cheyenne Mountain to go through their talented senior as he is the standard for a junkyard dog that plays the right way. I am high on Jones and think he will have a solid season.</p> <h2><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1046034" first="Cameron" last="Lowe"] – Lewis-Palmer</strong></h2> <p>If it were not for an injury to begin the summer, I feel that Lowe would be a household name across the state. Lowe is a bucket in every way and has the perfect size and mindset to goes along with it. Lowe does not turn down open shots and uses all of his 6’5 frame to do whatever he wants on the court. In his sophomore season, Lewis-Palmer was the team’s second-leading scorer and a reliable rebounder that could step down and defend bigs and guards on the perimeter. He is a strong and athletic wing that brings toughness to the team. He is looking to score and attacks mismatches. He is a high IQ scorer that can get going in bunches, and when he is on, it isn’t easy to slow him down. For Pluto, once he was able to play to conclude the summer, he filled a void that they needed. A ready-scorer that can create for himself, is a knockdown shooter, and has a college-ready body. In his junior season, I expect Lowe to tear up the state and prove why he is regarded as one of the best players in the class. Lowe took a huge jump in our rankings, and with the expectations, we have for him this season will show everyone else why we are so high on him.</p> <h2><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="967556" first="Caden" last="Monson"] – Vista Ridge</strong></h2> <p>Vista Ridge had a ton of losses, but they played teams tough if you look into their games. They have to find ways to close teams out, and a lot of that has to do with youth. Now a year older and wiser, they will have the chance to make up for some of those games. The player that Vista Ridge will go through and lean on this season will be 6’2 wing, [player_tooltip player_id="967556" first="Caden" last="Monson"]. Monson put up 9.8 rebounds and 4.2 rebounds a game as a sophomore. He gets to the rim, FT line, and penetrates the defense. He knows his ways inside and has soft touch around the rim. He can knock down the 3-ball but will have to progress in that department if he wants the defense to stay honest but surely has what it takes to open things up and will be a player to watch this upcoming season.</p> <h2><strong>Trent Pasvogel – Discovery Canyon</strong></h2> <p>Discovery Canyon had a winning season and lose some valuable players this upcoming season due to graduation. That opens up the door for other players that fit in where they can. One of those players was Pasvogel, the team’s swiss-army-knife ad arguably the most valuable player. Pasvogel put up 8.4 points a game and also dished out 2.2 assists a game as a sophomore. He is a playmaking wing that could have the ball in his hands, play off the ball, and create for himself and others. He was also the team’s best rebounder and secured seven boards a game as a glass-cleaner that could start the break. Pasvogel is most used on the block but can step out on the wing as well. He is a mobile big that makes the extra pass and will look to have an improved season.</p>