Predicting breakouts in Class of 2023: 6 players to watch

<p>With his team in the midst of a playoff push a year ago, Mead’s [player_tooltip player_id="1284601" first="Nick" last="Basson"] had a stroke and survived.</p> <p>The 6-foot-2 combo guard could only watch as the Mavericks finished off their state title that spring, in part dedicating the win to the ailing young star. He returned as a junior last winter on a team with 4A player of the year Elijah Knudsen and touted 7-footer James Shiers, healthy, and further carved his own legacy on court.</p> <p>“I’m not even going to look at his shooting right now, I’m going to preach his defense,” Shiers said after a win over Silver Creek in the winter. “We put him on their No. 1 guy (Andrew Scott) and he did a hell of a job guarding him. Andrew hit some tough 3s, but we won that game because of Nick and his defense.”</p> <p>Basson is among the state’s Class of 2023 players with a ceiling not yet realized. Below are six players whose stock should continue to rise in the coming year.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1284601" first="Nick" last="Basson"], Mead and Rocky Mountain Select: Commonly regarded as the best defender on Mead’s star-studded roster in 2022, the 35^th-ranked player in the state’s Class of ‘23 had the assignment of slowing down the opponent’s best player last winter. He did it well, too. Basson also possesses an offensive game that mixes a strong driving ability with a pure deep shot. His 12.8 points per game last season should rise next winter as the Mavericks graduated their top-two offensive threats in Knudsen and Shiers.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1285202" first="Quin" last="Galka"], Broomfield and Mile High Magic: The 41^st-ranked player in the rankings is a breakout candidate in 2022-23. At 6-5, he led the Eagles in scoring last winter at 10.2 PPG. He shot 50% inside the arc and 32% from the perimeter. He was an honorable mention player in his region.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1420272" first="Luke" last="Justice"], Frederick and Colorado Anarchy: The guard, 59^th in the rankings, is an offensive explosion in a 5-11 frame. Last winter, he helped lead Frederick to its first Final Four appearance in 66 years while averaging a team-leading 13.4 points per game. With the team’s top-three scoring seniors gone, he could be among the top scorers in his region this winter.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="970689" first="Myles" last="Moskowitz"], Fairview and RoughRiders: The combo guard headed a young Fairview team that struggled in the winter and won just five games. But Moskowitz looked the part of a promising prospect. He hit 53 3s inside 20 games in his first year with the Knights and scored 15-plus points in 10 games. He’s currently 91^st in the ’23 rankings.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1285227" first="Eric" last="Quintana"], Holy Family: Quintana, 104^th on the list, has started at point guard for the Tigers since his sophomore year, taking the torch from former standout Dom Nellis. Quintana isn’t a high-volume shooter in high school but an expert decision maker with the ball. He led the team with 4.3 assists per game and 2 ½ steals.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1420274" first="Zakkai" last="Smith"], Skyline: Smith had a slow start to last winter before scoring 15 or more points in 12 of his final 15 games. The now-senior is a talented scorer inside the perimeter, where he uses his versatile 6-3 frame to attack the rim. If he can find some consistency from behind the arc and at the free throw line, the 115^th-ranked player will skyrocket up the ‘23s chart.</p>