The Fort Collins Big 3

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Fort Collins these past few years has been a hot spot for talent in Colorado and this upcoming season have three teams with big expectations coming into the year. When each of these teams plays each other they will be must-see matchups.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Fossil Ridge</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Last season Fossil Ridge had a big run in the playoffs becoming the 2022 5A state runner-ups, this upcoming season they will be a successful team once again. This team is very deep and has excellent length which makes them one of the favorites coming into the year. Leading the charge will be forward down low [player_tooltip player_id='1167509' first='Nick' last='Randall'], he is a good cutter and mover off of the ball who has a knack for finishing at the rim. [player_tooltip player_id='1285212' first='Colin' last='Hayes'] last year was one of the best role players in the state and will be stepping into a bigger role still doing all the dirty work for his team. The guard random of [player_tooltip player_id='1325692' first='Tyler' last='Brown'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1178359' first='Domenic' last='Leone'] will be one of the best backcourts in the state with their ability to affect the game on both ends of the floor. [player_tooltip player_id='1168984' first='Matthew' last='Boldt'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1285232' first='Drew' last='Larson'] are forwards who can both play inside and out and will be impact pieces for Fossil Ridge this year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Fort Collins</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Fort Collins is a team expected to have a big year as some of their top players who very impressive this spring and summer. The big man down low, [player_tooltip player_id='1578040' first='Luke' last='Wagstaff'], will be a match-up problem for opposing teams due to his massive size and skill on the floor. [player_tooltip player_id='1432264' first='Jamar' last='Mitchell'] was another huge stock booster from this off-season, He brings it on both ends of the floor being a good defender on the wing and down low, then offensively he uses simple moves to get buckets with ease. The junior guard, [player_tooltip player_id='1578011' first='Jayce' last='King'] will be a big contributor as he has good instincts guarding defenders on-ball and quick, snappy moves offensively that can shake defenders.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Rocky Mountain</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rocky Mountain will be one of the biggest teams in the state as they have many talented big men on the roster. Leading the team will be senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='1577965' first='Charlie' last='Dortch']. Charlie has the ability to score inside and is one of the best stretch big men in the state. His classmate Ethan Thomasen is a top football prospect in the state due to his huge frame and size, which allows him to bully defenders down low when given the ball in the post. Likely one of their top scorers this year will be knockdown shooter [player_tooltip player_id='1420271' first='Dylan' last='Larson'], he is a knockdown spot-up shooter who can put up big scoring performances. They also have one of the most exciting freshmen in the state [player_tooltip player_id='1509233' first='Ryan' last='Van Alsburg'], he has great size and fluidity for his age and has the potential to make a big impact right away.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->