2021 Rankings Update: Top 5, Top 5, Top 5

<p>The class of 2021 rankings have been updated, and there is plenty of movement throughout the entire list. We added the most players that we have ever had and did our most thorough observations to choose what we deem to be our most thought-out rankings yet. This season was a bit different as it was condensed, so we took summer ball and mixed it with what we were able to see throughout the season as well.</p> <p>Here’s a look at the brand new Top-5 list as we close a chapter on the 2021 rankings.</p> <h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="608058" first="Julian" last="Hammond"] –Cherry Creek</strong></span></h2> <p>Hammond will conclude his high school career as one of those special two-way players that dominated in both sports and did not take many losses along the way. In the most difficult conference since the second that Hammond entered high school, he went out and competed nightly and showed that he would not be denied. Hammond began his CHSAA career as a freshman swinging onto varsity and got his feet wet in that year to putting up 20.5 points a game in his sophomore seasons. One of the biggest jumps I have seen made in a year’s time. By junior year, he showed how easily the game came to him as he put up 21.9 points and 7.0 rebounds a game and was named to the 1^st Team All-State and in his junior year reached new heights. Hammond put up a balanced stat line of 22.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 2.3 steals a game as a senior and saw his game elevate a bit more. He led his team to the No.1 overall seed in the playoffs and progressed as both a facilitator and defender, two areas that he seemed to take pride in and work at. Hammond will finish his CHSAA career with 1439 points and 415 rebounds. He will go down as one of the state’s best scorers and true competitors and will be a player to root for as he heads up the road to the University of Colorado next season. Tad Boyle is getting Colorado’s best player.</p> <p>https://twitter.com/JulianHammond15/status/1304933099017510918?s=20</p> <h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1050066" first="Mo" last="Mbaye"] – Colorado Prep</strong></span></h2> <p>When you think about athleticism and how a player can take over with his strength, speed, and talent, Mbaye is in a class of his own. Nobody can match Mbaye in-state, and he dominated in every way on the Grind Session. He was the standout player in each game, and from what we have seen from him in highlights and showcases, he cannot be denied. Mbaye relentlessly attacks the rim, goes up and dunks on or over defenders, and has excellent footwork in the post. He easily gets to his spots, and either he is finishing it with a basket or heading to the FT line. The 6’9 forward is as locked in defensively as he is on offense. He refuses to be scored on, plays with great energy, and will be a player that makes an impact at the next level. He just recently committed to George Mason, and former Colorado Buffalo great Kim English will have a new toy that will help him win games. Solid get for the Patriots.   </p> <p>https://twitter.com/TheLamine10/status/1380324102313930753?s=20</p> <h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="759207" first="Ben" last="Bowen"] – Mountain Vista</strong></span></h2> <p>Bowen has the drive and story and to see him finish his high school career as a top-three player in the state speaks volumes to putting your head down and doing the work. Bowen entered high school unknown for his first two seasons, to being a player low in the rankings to putting the state on notice for the last couple of seasons. Bowen’s competitive nature would no longer allow him to be behind the scenes any longer and he has been proving himself ever since. He might easily be the toughest player in the state that played through injuries and other setbacks and gave his all nightly. Bowen put his team in positions to win during his senior year while being public enemy No.1. Bowen was one of the first players in the state to sign and continue playing at the next level, and with that, the target on his back grew. But so did his will to win. Mountain Vista had the toughest schedule in the state, and each night Bowen proved what separates him from the pack. He was the only player on his team to average double figures on the year as he put up 20.5 points a game through double teams and grabbed 5.9 rebounds and 4.3 assists a game. Bowen made others around him better and set the tone on both ends of the floor while being the team’s top option and sometimes the only option. Bowen was one-of-a-kind, and Jeff Linder knows what type of player he has coming over to the University of Wyoming for the next few seasons.  </p> <p>https://twitter.com/benbowen40/status/1326561937950339074?s=20</p> <h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="770427" first="Brayden" last="Carter"] – Mullen</strong></span></h2> <p>Carter will finish his highs school career as arguably the most skilled big man in the state, and the 6’8 forward brought it each time out. Carter is a finesse big man with a smooth game, and opposing bigs had no answer for him these past couple of seasons. Carter averaged a double-double of 18.7 points and 10.3 rebounds a game as a junior on a team that underachieved but had a bright spot that competed no matter who was in front of him. He took that letdown and worked on his game to have a breakout summer and remarkable senior year, leading to more wins for the Mustangs. In Carter’s senior year, he was the top big man in the Centennial league as he put up a career-best 19.5 points and 8.5 rebounds a game to go along with it. He protected the paint, finished through double teams, made the right play, and also led his team to more victories. There were buzzer-beating finishes and Brayden takeovers all season long. Carter helped his team pick up two wins in the playoffs before falling to a loaded George Washington team but turned plenty of heads along the way. He finishes up his high school playing days as the No.4 player in the class, and Brady Bergeson and the Regis Rangers understand that they got better for the foreseeable future. He will be an RMAC great and has the chance to play in his freshman season.</p> <p>https://twitter.com/BraydenCarter_/status/1362979528235048961?s=20</p> <h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1050067" first="Zach" last="Bloch"] – Colorado Prep</strong></span></h2> <p>Bloch finishes out our Top-5 players in the state after a stellar season in the Grind Session, and from what we were able to see, was a player that Colorado Prep relied on heavily. Bloch played with full composure against some very talented guards, navigated through the defense, and kept the offense flowing. Bloch has a unique ability to take what the defense is giving him, and the game seems to slow down for him. He has excellent court awareness and can make plays for others, but he also has times where he explodes for big scoring games as he is a creative and craft finisher that gets inside and scores and creates off of the dribble. Bloch is a 6’2 guard that can play on and off the ball, has a great motor and controls pace, and competes at a high level. He will be playing at the University of Northern Colorado with Coach Linder, and I know he will only challenge him and make him a better player.</p> <p>https://twitter.com/blochzach1/status/1377798738488528897?s=20</p>