Colorado’s Most Recent 1,000 Points Scored Players

<p>There’s a prestigious club that not many players get invited to in their careers and is only open to a select few as reaching 1,000 points in a high school basketball career is a benchmark every top scorer hopes to achieve. It’s no easy task.</p> <p>In a condensed season, it is even more difficult, but we had some players do it.</p> <p>Below is a look at those hoopsters that have reached the magic number.</p> <h2><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="770447" first="Greyson" last="Carter"] – Fairview</strong></h2> <p>Carter is a player that I undoubtedly feel could’ve played basketball at the next level. But when you are a division I athlete and the diamond is calling you, you listen. Carter will play baseball at the next level, but the 6’4 wing was one of the state’s top players for the last few seasons. Carter has been consistently scoring the ball and also is a rebounding monster that uses his size to get what he wants. He can space the floor with his outside shot but is not afraid to throw his body around as well and score over helpless defenders. The best part about his game is how easy it comes to him. He’s setting hard screens and rolling, getting to his spots, and also scoring in various ways. Carter averaged 10.6 points as a sophomore, 17.5 points as a junior, and exploded for 22.2 points a game while being a force on both sides of the ball. In Fairview’s win over Fort Collins late in the season, he scored his 1000^th point on the first basket of the game, and lucky for him, I am not the coach, or we would’ve called a timeout and had a celebration. Incredible feat.</p> <h2><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="965759" first="Jase" last="Bessire"] – Highland</strong></h2> <p>Bessire has been one of the top 2A in the states in his four-year tenure, and he was a player that had to learn the ropes on the fly since Day 1. Bessire is a four-year varsity player that has seen the good and the bad, and through it, all one thing has remained the same; his willingness to get a bucket. Bessire is a stat-stuffer that ended his high school career with 1,245 points in total. He reaches the 1,000 points scored mark early in the season. It is remarkable to see his rise and progression over the year as he led his team to an impressive 14-2 record by stuffing the stat-sheet nightly despite being bulletin material every single night and emphasis on the defense. Bessire progressed from 6.2 points as a score-first option as a young freshman, 11.0 points as a sophomore who was learning the game, 19.0 points a game as the second-best player on the team, and then exploded for 21.0 points while averaging over 5.0 rebounds and assists a game. Bessire averaged 6.0 steals a game and had one of the best seasons of anyone in the state and for him to be on the list is no surprise.</p> <h2><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="916954" first="Kendale" last="Johnson"] – George Washington</strong></h2> <p>Johnson is a player that saw plenty of meaningful wins when it mattered, and in essentially three years, we saw the full evolution of a very talented player. Johnson came in as a hyped freshman good enough to play varsity and had his moments on a solid team that made it all the way to the championship game. He had excellent size, and aggression inside that made it difficult for others to try and contain him, and he dominated at his age. Sophomore season was a breakout year for him as he showed that he was the top dog in the class and could not be contained both inside and out as he put up a career-high 18.6 points a game. His junior season, he added the outside shooting to his game and took a slight dip at 13.6 points a game but became more of a facilitator that saw the game a bit better and got others involved. His senior year, he had an up and down season but showed up when it mattered in the playoffs, and in the biggest win of his tenure against a team that had just reeled off 60 wins in a row, Johnson hit a milestone of 1,000 points scored. It has been about timing and opportunity for Johnson, and when he has been a focal point of the offense, he has succeeded. He has to get back into the aggressive young man that made opposing teams pay with his aggression and size. Incredible accomplishment for him at a powerhouse school that did not have many players accomplish such a feat.</p> <h2><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="917030" first="Camden" last="Smithburg"] – Limon</strong></h2> <p>Smithburg is a player that has not gotten the attention that he deserves as he has been one of the most consistent players and constant buckets over the last four seasons and is coming off of another solid season. Smithburg led Limon to the state championship before falling to a very talented Wray squad. Smithburg is a player capable of catching fire from anywhere on the floor and feels as he has a mismatch on him each time out. Smithburg is a four-year varsity player that has played plenty of minutes and scored plenty of big baskets in games that have meant a ton. He is a fearless leader that is comfortable with the ball in his hands, is not afraid to take the big shot, and can score in multiple ways. Connelly averaged 15.6 points and 4.0 rebounds a game for his career, which is difficult to do. Great career for him.</p>