Five Forwards/Bigs to watch in the 5A Front Range League

<p>There have 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 at this time of the year to get things kicked off, 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 teams and players must get off to hot starts. Here we will focus on a league that should be much improved and balanced, the 5A Front Range League.</p> <h2><strong>Tyson Spradling – Legacy</strong></h2> <p>Spradling is a 6’3 wing that also spent plenty of time on the block this year as he was one of the few legacy players that could match up with bigger players. He averaged 6.7 points a game as a reliable source of points that will step into a position that he has to score more and bring the same defensive awareness and grabbing boards as well. Spradling averaged 4.2 boards a game that was close to a team-high, and in his senior year, he gets the opportunity to prove himself. He will be a player that certainly gets to boost his stock.</p> <h2><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="916961" first="Greg" last="Gerhardt"] – Monarch</strong></h2> <p>Gerhardt will surely step into his final season as the best big man in the conference and, standing at 6’8, should be able to have his way with the smaller players. Gerhardt is a bit unique as he is not a traditional, back-to-the-basket big but has the ability to step out and knock down the 3-ball and space the floor, which opens things up for his teammates.  In his junior year, he averaged 7.2 points and 4.2 rebounds, numbers that will surely have to increase, but he builds on that after having a great summer for Billups Elite. We saw Gerhardt get a bit more aggressive and use his physicality. He also is starting to rebound the ball better and use his length to his advantage. Once it all comes together, Gerhardt is going to be a unicorn type of player, and is why he will be one of the most-watched players in the conference this season.</p> <h2><strong>Connor Hindson – Mountain Range</strong></h2> <p>Hindson played way above his size and was the team's interior defender that helped out on that side of the floor. Hindson is an athletic two-way player that scored the ball in bunches as a natural scorer as well as used his size and speed to create mismatches. Hindson put up 13.8 points a game as one of the underrated standouts in the state and was also active on the boards with 4.0 boards a game. Hindson saved his best games for conference play as he found a zone and remained in it. Hindson didn’t take many 3-pointers this season, but when he did, he knocked them down at a high clip; he also had great footwork and knew where to be on the floor to get easy baskets. This is a year that he will have to show that he is a balanced player that provides versatility and is one of the better forwards in the conference.</p> <h2><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="759287" first="Rhys" last="Travis"] – Poudre </strong></h2> <p>Travis is a wing that will have to step down on the block at times if he continues to grow. In Travis’s sophomore season, this 6’4 versatile player was thrown into the fire early and had to adapt. Travis put up 11.0 points and grabbed four and a half boards a game as well. He also protected the paint, and altered shots, and plenty came his way. Poudre got to see plenty of different looks this way and will want to bounce back after a very tough season. Travis was an important piece on a very young team, but a year older and wiser should do the trick. Hopefully, Travis has worked on his game both inside and out, as he will have the green light to make it happen. Efficiency, getting others involved, and winning his individual matchup will go a long way for him. Big season ahead.</p>