2023 Rankings Update: New Additions

<p>The 2023 class is showing a lot of intrigue with athletes who possess incredible reaction speed combined with strong frames. The talent pool along the front range is growing quickly, as this post feature players all the way from the northern state in Fort Collins down to the San Luis Valley in Salida. Combo guards and wings appear to be the group steadily rising, due to positional versatility on both ends. One common area of improvement is going to be shooting consistency off the catch, as is found so often with taller athletes.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1325651" first="Tristan" last="Jackson"] - Salida</p> <p>Starting at center for Salida, Jackson appears to be a dependable stretch big at the high school level. Coming off an improved season, averaging 6.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game, Jackson looks to solidify himself as a well known big man throughout the state. Standing right around 6’7, his shooting confidence rose significantly between year 1 and 2, shooting 6-17 from beyond the arc at a 35% rate. Another intriguing shooting number is his free throw consistency, knocking down 17 of 20, at 85%.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="970688" first="Jathan" last="Alston"] - Riverdale Ridge (pictured above)</p> <p>Alston is an intriguing athlete possessing the ability to finish strong above the rim and even serve as an effective weakside shot blocker. Strength is Alston’s main calling card, on defense he showed his power through two hand rips that lead to steals. Alston also flashed a variety of above the rim plays, making athletic blocks in the half-court and transition. Another aspect of his verticality is rebounding, he posted 4.3 rebounds a game as a sophomore, quite a few times he jumped all too high for anyone else to reach. Alston’s reaction speed is impressive, as he averaged 1.3 steals per game, most often tipping outlet passes. Alston is most confident going with his right hand, where his fluidity is evident on double clutch layups. The next step for Alston will be speeding up his standstill jump-shot, as the floor will open up considerably for him.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1325652" first="Theron" last="Coleman"] - Air Academy<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/04/Theron-Coleman-Ryder-Mcconnell.jpg"><img class=" wp-image-1180065 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/04/Theron-Coleman-Ryder-Mcconnell-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="244" height="162" /></a></p> <p>An athletic combo guard who uses his subtle acceleration to create opportunities around the rim. Getting to the paint is where Coleman makes his living, where he aggressively attacks closeouts and has even shown potential to create scoring opportunities off of screens. Like so many his age, focusing on becoming a more consistent shooter off the catch will open up driving lanes for him. </p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/84-Master-Diggins.jpg"><img class=" wp-image-1281589 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/84-Master-Diggins-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="234" height="156" /></a>[player_tooltip player_id="1285205" first="Master" last="Diggins"] - Faith Christian</p> <p>The wiry guard out of Faith Christian is dependable in a variety of ways as a creator. He uses his quickness well to score around the rim, proving to get quality looks when jumping off two feet. His reactionary timing is already dependable, likely due to his play on the football team. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1168984" first="Matthew" last="Boldt"] - Fossil Ridge<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/04/Matthew-Boldt1.jpg"><img class=" wp-image-1172086 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/04/Matthew-Boldt1-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="206" height="137" /></a></p> <p>The 6’4 guard proved that he has the strength necessary to take big hits and continue going. Capable rising for at-rim attempts off either leg, Boldt will be a steady riser on rankings throughout the next upcoming updates. Given Fossil Ridge’s winning pedigree of late, there is not doubt we will be seeing a lot more of Boldt in high level conference play. </p>