Forwards/Bigs to watch in the Denver Prep 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 been a few games in determining who we deem as the top teams in the state. Well, good news, we are a couple of weeks removed from the start of the season. With a late start and condensed season, getting off to a quick start is important. One conference that saw many of their best players either graduate or transfer and will have to reinvent itself is the Denver Prep League. There are a couple of teams that will head into the season as darkhorse favorites to win it. Let’s look at the DPL.</p> <h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1053581" first="Aguir" last="Dioum"] – Denver East</strong></span></h2> <p>Dioum will be one of the state’s newcomers, and his arrival takes Denver East to new heights. Dioum is a talented 6’8 big man who can affect the game on both ends of the floor. From what we saw from Dioum on the Colorado Hawks this summer, he is an explosive big that can put the ball on the floor to get himself inside. He also anticipates where rebounds are going and goes right up when he gets it. Dioum has improved every time we have seen him, and his size and length are disruptive as he is a mobile big that alters shots. Offensively, he easily backs down defenders with his strength, hustles as he is active on the boards, and is a physical player that lets opposing players feel him. He will be used plenty in the PNR, dumped to in the post, and found in transition for dunks and finishes. Dioum is one of the better prospects in the 2022 class, and with the year that I am expecting from him, he will be able to prove it.</p> <h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="967538" first="Trevea" last="Bolden"] – Far Northeast Warriors</strong></span></h2> <p>Bolden is one of the conference’s taller players, and his size makes him an interesting prospect. Plenty of what he does goes beyond the scoreboard, and having a mobile big at 6’7 with his kind of motor creates advantages for the Warriors. Bolden is a traditional big that protects the rim and also is a glass cleaner. He put up near two blocks a game and also recorded five rebounds a game. Once he finds himself on the offensive end is when he will become a complete player, but with the size and effort, mixed with being a year wiser, this 2022 big man will be a player to watch in the conference.</p> <h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1050956" first="Sander" last="Squibb"] – Denver East</strong></span></h2> <p>There is no player in the conference that plays as hard as Squibb, and it is not close. Squibb gives his all on every single possession, and having a player who is as selfless as him and committed to winning creates quite an atmosphere. Squibb has a great understanding of his role and does not often step out of his comfort zone. You know what you are getting from Squibb, and that is a player that will lead by example and make others around him better. He is a relentless defender, grabs boards in bunches, and sets hard screens. He seemed to have improved as a scorer for Pro Skills this summer and brings in an added aspect to his game. As long as a team has a player like Squibb on the team, they are in good hands as he is one of the most coachable players that I have witnessed that is about “we” as much as “me.” Excited to see how he is used this year.</p> <h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="916990" first="Fred" last="Edmonds"] – George Washington</strong></span></h2> <p>Edmonds comes into his senior season as one of the quickest stock boosters in the conference. The 6’7 big man is a bruiser that lets his presence be felt from the opening tip. Edmonds is coming off a season where he made the All-Conference team and was an All-State honorable mention after putting up 7.2 points and a team-high 5.0 rebounds a game. Edmonds excels in PNR situations as he sets hard screens and rolls with a purpose. He has good feel around the rim and soft touch from inside. Edmonds had a few athletic finishes when we saw him last season as he is an athletically gifted athlete with a  great motor. He backs defenders down, gets it out of his hands once he feels the double-team, and re-establishes position. Edmonds has proven to be at his best when he is on the move, so getting him the ball early and clearing the way will have to be a bigger part of the offense this season. Also, putting him in the dunker’s spot and throwing it up for him to go up and get it will give him a few more scoring opportunities. I am expecting Edmonds to have his best season yet and solidifying himself as one of the better two-way options in the state.</p>