4A’s Top-10 Teams headed into Week 2

<p>4A Rankings: Week of  2/1</p> <ol> <li>Golden</li> <li>Mead</li> <li>Lewis-Palmer</li> <li>Windsor</li> <li>Longmont</li> <li>Pueblo Central</li> <li>Erie</li> <li>Pueblo South</li> <li>Pueblo East</li> <li>Montrose</li> </ol> <p><strong>Golden</strong> has been lighting teams up this year. They score with ease and cannot be slowed down. They are 3-0 on the year and are led by sophomore standout [player_tooltip player_id="921096" first="Alan" last="Acevedo"]. He’s averaging a jaw-dropping 18.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and five steals a game to go along with it. He has had help from sharpshooter Richie Pruett (15.0 ppg) and [player_tooltip player_id="921098" first="Aliou" last="Diallo"] (12.3 ppg) as well, and when all three are on, they are going to be tough to beat.</p> <p><strong>Mead</strong> has continued on their winning streak with a win over a 5A squad in their first game. It was the [player_tooltip player_id="918899" first="James" last="Shiers"] show in their win as he had his best game since entering high school. Shiers had 20 points, 20 rebounds, and four blocks to go along with it, and if he is playing anywhere NEAR this for the year, this will be the team that wins it all. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="921097" first="Nick" last="Basson"] scored 19 points, and [player_tooltip player_id="1047506" first="Will" last="Tenore"] added 14 points and nine boards. [player_tooltip player_id="918902" first="Elijah" last="Knudsen"] showcased the ability to facilitate, something that he has been working on tremendously as he had a career-high seven assists. This is a young team, but they get it.</p> <p><strong>Lewis-Palmer</strong> is who I projected as the top team in 4A, and once they get their best player, [player_tooltip player_id="1046034" first="Cameron" last="Lowe"], back, I expect them to lead the charge. They are off to a 2-0 start, and senior big, [player_tooltip player_id="965743" first="Eddie" last="Speller Jr."], has been a big reason why. Speller Jr. is averaging 18 points, six boards a game, and has had fellow seniors, [player_tooltip player_id="965754" first="Colin" last="Westfall"] (11.5 ppg) and [player_tooltip player_id="1050938" first="Noah" last="Ragsdale"] (9.5 ppg) helping apply pressure to opposing teams. Lewis-Palmer appears to be a unit that meshes well together and only get better with each game.</p> <p><strong>Windsor</strong> has a dangerous duo for 4A. [player_tooltip player_id="916987" first="Ben" last="Hageman"] scored 23 points while also grabbing eight boards and throwing seven assists, and [player_tooltip player_id="966339" first="Jaden" last="Kennis"], who had a career-high 25 points in the opening game. They have five players who scored in double figures and are a team that can bring it on both ends of the court. Excited to see how they fare this week with a challenging stretch ahead.</p> <p><strong>Longmont</strong> is all about the team. They have role players who know what to do and not a standout scorer that takes every single shot, making them a difficult team to gauge early on. [player_tooltip player_id="965739" first="Eddie" last="Kurjak"] is the player that everyone spoke highly about heading into the season, and he is averaging 12.5 points and 6.5 rebounds a game. The surprise standout that has led the way for the 2-0 Trojans is Keegan Patterson. Patterson is averaging 19 points a game and showcasing that he belongs. I am eager to see them respond as they get challenged in the coming weeks.</p> <p>For <strong>Pueblo Central</strong>, it has been the [player_tooltip player_id="969431" first="Kadyn" last="Betts"] and Adonis Reynolds show. Both players are averaging 18.3 points a game, and the way that they are getting them is what stands out. It is an inside-out attack with two of the team’s biggest players. Both are attacking the basket and creating mismatches. Betts is handling the middle, and Reynolds is doing everything in between.</p> <p><strong>Erie</strong> is a team that has catapulted into the Top-10 this week as they have looked great in their first two games. The Tigers have four players: Kevin Loy(16.0 ppg), Kayan Hargrave (15.0 ppg), Jordan Nguyen (14.0 ppg), and Blake Barnett (10.0 ppg), all looking to score and averaging in double figures. They also have excellent role players and spark plugs in twins Cole Rademacher and Tristan Rademacher to fall back on. This is a deep squad that feeds off of one another.</p> <p><strong>Pueblo South</strong> continues to rise and, after their 3-0 start, is a team to take seriously. Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id="618889" first="Tarrance" last="Austin"] looks as good as any junior in the state as he is averaging 24 points and 4.7 steals a game. His defense is turning to offense, and with players like [player_tooltip player_id="965560" first="Ray" last="Aragon"] (16.0 ppg), Micaiah Smith (13.0 ppg and 6.0 rpg), and Maurice Austin (12.7 ppg and 6.0 rpg) all chipping in and playing their role, this is a team to watch moving forward.  </p> <p><strong>Pueblo East</strong> has to be one of the most experienced teams in the entire state. They are comprised of mostly seniors, and the senior trio of Jaxson Herring (17.5 ppg and 9.0 rpg), Brenden Harding (13.0 ppg and 8.0 rpg), and [player_tooltip player_id="917012" first="Kyle" last="Miller"] (10.0 ppg) has been a bit too much for opposing teams and seemed to be getting more comfortable in each game. This group attacks the glass like no other team, is unselfish, and sticks to the game plan. This is a group that I was high on heading into the season, and they look great in two games.</p> <p><strong>Montrose</strong> does not have stats up quite yet, and we have not been able to watch them, but looking at their first two games, they have rolled. They have an 18 and 19 point win, and looking ahead; they should have a full head of steam heading into league play. They still have players like [player_tooltip player_id="967537" first="Luke" last="Hutto"] and [player_tooltip player_id="918926" first="Trey" last="Reese"] on the team, and they have been known to put up some big games and win at all costs. They round out the Top-10.</p>