Centennial League Pre-Season Rankings Top 5

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Centennial is always one of the most competitive leagues in the state filled with some of the top talent in the state. This year there are a ton of young prospects who will soon be the face of Colorado basketball that make this league a must-watch event.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>1. Eaglecrest</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Won the centennial league last season only losing one game to Smoky Hill in league play. While Eaglecrest lost three big contributors due to them graduating this is a deep squad with younger guys ready to step up into larger roles. Eaglecrest has two of the top sophomores in the state Garret Barger (ranked #2) and [player_tooltip player_id='1369808' first='LaDavian' last='King'] (ranked #3), both of these guys saw good minutes last year and will be in bigger roles this season. Running the point guard spot is gritty defensive-minded guard [player_tooltip player_id='973002' first='Peyton' last='Taylor'] who showed off his ability to compete at a high level this AAU season. Josh Ray is a good rim protector that will help this team be one of the best defensive teams in the state. This is a deep squad that will be one of the top teams in the state once again. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2. Smoky Hill</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Smoky Hill will once again have one of the best and most deep talent pools in the state. Senior leadership will come from the smooth-scoring guard Ricky Mitchell who can straight up put the ball in the basket. They also have two of the most exciting incoming freshman [player_tooltip player_id='1509229' first='Kai' last='McGrew'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1509237' first='Carter' last='Basquez']. [player_tooltip player_id='1509229' first='Kai' last='McGrew'] is a big forward who can play down low and has the potential to play from the wing. [player_tooltip player_id='1509237' first='Carter' last='Basquez'] is a big wing with guard-like skills looking to make an immediate impact. [player_tooltip player_id='1318394' first='Kevin' last='Sylla'] is a 6'7 big man that will help them bully teams down low. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1369816' first='Lorenzo' last='Contreras'] will run the point guard position, he is a super quick and shifty guard that will be an exciting player to watch this year. Another sophomore to know on the team is a guard/wing Kaylen Graham, he is looking like another elite athlete attending Smoky Hill.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>3. Cherry Creek</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While Cherry Creek is losing a few players to prep schools they still have the talent to make some noise in the centennial division. [player_tooltip player_id='973211' first='Trevon' last='Chambers'] will be Cherry Creek's go-to guy, he has great size for a guard standing at 6'3 and is a great shooter in rhythm. Oregon football commit [player_tooltip player_id='965780' first='Blake' last='Purchase'] will bring good size and athleticism to his squad. This team also has a duo of exciting freshmen Frank Belibi and [player_tooltip player_id='1510473' first='Jeremiah' last='Hammond'] who will both likely see good court time.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>4. Arapahoe</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Arapahoe in recent times has not been one of the top teams in a tough centennial league but has a bright future with a good class of 2024. Combo-forward [player_tooltip player_id='1577964' first='Cass' last='Henry'] is one of the most intriguing prospects in his class with a unique ability to play inside and out. [player_tooltip player_id='973223' first='Quentin' last='Gardner'] is a big guard who has a knack for getting to the rim and will be the senior leader for the team. Watch out for guards Brady Bergstrom, [player_tooltip player_id='1429703' first='Josh' last='Acker'], and [player_tooltip player_id='1420308' first='Rifky' last='Sedhom'] to be impact players for Arapahoe. Also, knockdown shooting wing [player_tooltip player_id='1578199' first='Miles' last='McMonigle'] will look to step into a bigger role as a sophomore.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>5. Cherokee Trail</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cherokee Trail will be an exciting squad to watch this upcoming year as they have brought in the new Head Coach Brandon Brown who has built a reputation as a great coach in Colorado. Leading this team will be do-it-all senior [player_tooltip player_id='1284456' first='Keean' last='Lloyd'], who can play multiple roles on the floor from the guard spot or from the wing. His classmate Tony Niyongabo is a lengthy, raw athlete with explosive finishing around the rim who can make an impact on both ends. They also have one of the most exciting sophomores in the state [player_tooltip player_id='1369817' first='Josiah' last='Sanders'], he is a big guard who is a crafty scorer when getting downhill using finesse and force to score.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->