Underclass standouts in the 3A state playoffs

<p>With the season over, we want to look back at a season before we head onto the grassroots scene. Here we focus on the 2023 &amp; 2024 class, and out of all of the classes in the state playoffs, this had the most representation out all of the classes for players that stood out. Here are some underclassmen that stood out in the 3A state-run. </p> <h2><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1137807" first="Max" last="Howery"] – St. Mary’s</strong></h2> <p>Howery is only a freshman but based on his poise and comfort in tough situations; it is difficult to tell. Howery did not only get a bit of playing time for St. Mary’s but was an important part of their offense and core. In his first year of varsity, he was a primary ball-handler who was not afraid to take the open shot, set teammates up for easy baskets, and offered relief from his brother at times with a great Howery-to-Howery connection. He is a high IQ guard that can score from anywhere on the court and, in the playoffs, was consistently scoring the basketball. He went on a scoring run of 19 points, 16 points, 14 points, and then had nine in the championship game. He spaces the floor with his shooting, but his ability as a playmaker and a defender that plays the passing lanes had his team in better positions to win. He is a player that I am excited to watch moving forward and was one of the state’s top freshmen.</p> <h2><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1048509" first="Nathan" last="Davies"] – Colorado Springs Christian</strong></h2> <p>Colorado Springs Christian had a solid season as they finished with a 12-4 overall record and got a taste of what the playoffs feel like, which paid dividends for a young player like Davies. Davies was not only pretty good for the Lions, but he showed glimpses of the future as he was the second-best option in only his freshman season, and the 6’6 standout will be given the keys next year in which I expect him to truly dominate, which is bizarre considering the season he had this year. Davies put up 14.5 points and 7.7 boards a game which was amongst the top in both categories for the 2024 class around the state. He uses his size inside, finishes over the trees, and competes on both ends. In the playoffs is where you saw a bit of the youth come into play, but he was still able to put up 15 points and seven rebounds in their win over The Pinnacle and followed it up with 10 points in a loss to Sterling. Davies had moments where he popped out, and he will look to duplicate those moments as he is a player that we will keep an eye on moving forward.</p> <h2><strong>Colton Steinke – Highland</strong></h2> <p>Highland put up over 80 points a game, so stats were not too hard to come by. They had a team full of players that could create on their own and took pride in finding the open guy, and that is contagious energy to be surrounded by. A player that stood out in only his sophomore year was 5’10 combo-guard Colton Steinke. Steinke was the team’s X-factor who starred in his role but brought different elements that the team needed. He’s not a player you have to run for as he understands how to operate in the offense and not disrupt the flow, and he became a swiss-army-knife type of player. He kept his steady pace in the playoffs as he had nine points, six rebounds, and three assists in a win over Denver Christian. Had an important seven points, five rebounds, and four assists against University and broke out for 11 points in their loss to Manual that ended the season. Next year there will be a huge void that needs to be filled, and I’m guessing that Steinke fills it.</p> <h2><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1164009" first="John" last="Maynard"] – Manitou Springs</strong></h2> <p>Manitou Springs was one of the most steady all season long with excellent senior leadership that ran the table. They scored the ball and had an inside and out attack that took teams by surprise and had them in the driver’s seat for the entire year. An underclassman that stood out was 6’5 forward, [player_tooltip player_id="1164009" first="John" last="Maynard"]. Maynard uses his strength and size to get himself going. He’s aggressive on the boards and scores clean-up baskets. Manitou was a balanced group that played the right way, and the open man was rewarded. If he did not score off of rebounds, he would run the floor, find creases in the defense, and go right up with the ball. Maynard played well all season long but looked to be their best scorer in the playoffs, which let others know that he steps up in big games. Maynard upped his scoring in the playoffs to 15.6 points a game. He was who the team relied on, and they knew that if they needed a basket, they could dump it off to him. He plays hard, uses his body, and has a great motor. He’s a player to watch moving forward, and hopefully, we see some of him this season.</p> <h2><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="921100" first="Baye" last="Fall"] – Lutheran</strong></h2> <p>Fall has already been named the MaxPreps player of the year for the entire state of Colorado as the No.3 player in the country for the class of 2023 dominated the 3A scene and brought his school back the gold trophy. You do not see that kind of size and athleticism in the 3A class, and he stuck out like a sore thumb. Fall has incredible timing on blocks, a relentless motor on both ends of the floor, and whatever abilities he lacks offensively, he makes up on the court’s defensive end. The 6’11 sophomore finished with an impressive 21.3 points and 10.6 rebounds a game while adding 3.7 blocks a game. He puts fears into opposing teams and is a player you have to game plan for every night. He was the best underclassmen in the state.</p> <h2><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1139829" first="Geo" last="Velarde"] – Faith Christian</strong></h2> <p>We were able to see Faith Christian this year because they had one of the best production years in the entire state, but not only that, a talented sophomore that stood out in every game that we watched as well. Velarde was their second-best player on the year in only his second year, and he showed that he is a player to watch moving forward with moments that popped off of the page. Velarde put up 15.5 points a game and showed poise with the ball and the ability to control the pace. Velarde makes the right play, takes on the ball-handling duties when needed, and can play off the ball and create for himself. He was the team’s playmaker that they allowed to operate freely, and it ended in baskets. In the playoffs, he continued on his scoring streak as he put up 17 points in a win over Strasburg and had 10 points and four boards in the loss to Aspen. He’s a player that I circled down and want to see more of moving forward.</p>