Round 1 Standout Performances 5A

<p>The first round of playoffs is over and we saw many players put it all on the court to keep their teams’ chances alive. Here are our picks for the top performers from the 5A playoffs round one.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="918906" first="Aidan" last="Kuhl"]- Rocky Mountain</strong></p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="918906" first="Aidan" last="Kuhl"] made sure his team was getting to the next round of playoffs by dropping 40-bomb. Aidan was on fire hitting every other of his threes, shooting 50% from beyond the arc. He also had a big two-hand throw down off of two feet. This is more proof backing up the statement of Aidan being arguably the best scorer in the state. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1284572" first="Silas" last="McCurnin"]- Poudre</strong></p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1284572" first="Silas" last="McCurnin"] led Poudre to the first-round win against Arapahoe with 25 points. Silas was very calm and composed on the floor and kept a tight handle on the ball through tough situations. He also did a very good job drawing fouls, even finishing some and-1s. Silas was also able to spread the floor for his team as he is a three-point threat, defenders stayed glued to him rather than playing help defense. He also hit some big free throws for his team to seal the game.</p> <p><strong>Sasha Stelkic- Highlands Ranch</strong></p> <p>Sasha Stelkic has been a senior who has flown a bit under the radar but balled out to help his team make it to the second round. He had 25 points and was able to get past defenders with a quick first step. Sasha is 6’4 and a good athlete, near the rim he uses this to his advantage, he is able to float around defenders for the best finish. Near the basket, he had a move where he stopped on a dime then turned around for an easy fade-away jumper.</p> <p><strong>Ty Afraimi- Columbine</strong></p> <p>Ty Afraimi had a very efficient performance leading Columbine to the win against Prarie View. Ty had a great night shooting making 3 out of his 4 three-pointers attempted. He made sure to only take good shots and was not forcing any hard shots. Ty also pulled down six rebounds, doing a bit of everything for his team. From outside, he was able to get defenders in the air with head fakes then drive to the basket.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1284415" first="Asher" last="Nofziger"]- Cherry Creek</strong></p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1284415" first="Asher" last="Nofziger"] was just too big for Castle View to handle as he took over the game. Asher had a super-efficient night making 70% of his shots. In the post, he was able to bully his way to easy lay-ins. Asher also hit 3 three-pointers and only missed one. On the defensive end, he was a good presence inside scaring smaller players away from the rim.</p>