Ryan’s 6A Rankings: Tier Two

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tier two consists of teams just outside of the top five but are teams I could still see making a deep playoff run. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>1. Highlands Ranch</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Highlands Ranch has passed all expectations this year playing like one of the best teams in the state. Highlands Ranch has impressive wins under their belt beating Legacy, Vista Ridge, and ThunderRidge and their two losses of the season are a close loss against Rock Canyon and an early season loss to highly ranked 5A team Mead. Leading the team is stock-boosting senior [player_tooltip player_id='1754346' first='Aiden' last='Krusoe'], who has been a crafty go-to bucket-getter. [player_tooltip player_id='1441491' first='Jack' last='Bakken'] has been the glue for this team leading them in both assists and rebounds and being a true team-first player. [player_tooltip player_id='1754349' first='Jeremy' last='Jacob'] is a scrappy guard who makes tough shots through contact at the rim. Payton TerEick and [player_tooltip player_id='1754348' first='Travis' last='Bray'] are solid scorers from the wing adding to this team's depth. Also, [player_tooltip player_id='972415' first='JJ' last='Williams'] has returned to the court adding some length and versatility from the forward position for the team. Highlands Ranch has a big match-up tonight facing their rival Mountain Vista.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2. Fort Collins</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Fort Collins is a big team who has proven to be one of the top teams in the state. Fort Collins has good wins taking down Windsor, Vista Ridge, and Monarch. Leading the team is big-man standout [player_tooltip player_id='1578040' first='Luke' last='Wagstaff']. The Carroll College commit has been a stat sheet stuffer averaging 21.4 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 3.9 assists, he has even recently put up a triple-double with 24-18-10. Running the guard spot is junior standout [player_tooltip player_id='1578011' first='Jayce' last='King'] who has been a good three-level scorer off of the dribble and a lockdown on-ball defender. These two make a great duo both nearly averaging 20 points per game with Jayce averaging 19.3 points per game. 6'6 F [player_tooltip player_id='1432264' first='Jamar' last='Mitchell'] adds great size on the boards and some versatility on both ends of the floor. Joe Cottingham adds good length on the wing and plays his role well. Fort Collins faces Fossil Ridge on Tuesday, this will be a huge test for Fort Collins and a great crosstown rivalry game. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>3. ThunderRidge</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>ThunderRidge has faced a tough schedule so far this year but still is a top team in the state. ThunderRidge has the best prospect playing in the state of Colorado, 6'6 CG [player_tooltip player_id='1577941' first='Andrew' last='Crawford']. Andrew has the ability to take over games, as shown by his stat line averaging 19.6 points, 11.1 rebounds, 6.8 assists, and 1.9 blocks per game. Next to him is classmate [player_tooltip player_id='1369780' first='Charlie' last='Spann'] who is one of the best scorers in the state due to his outside shooting and creative scoring off of the dribble, using his bulky frame to score through contact at the rim. They also have another impressive junior 6'8 F, [player_tooltip player_id='1360566' first='Tommy' last='Wight']. Tommy adds good length and can knock down jumpers off the catch. [player_tooltip player_id='1463534' first='Ryan' last='Doyle'] is a lengthy wing who adds some complimentary scoring for the team. They also have some sophomores to keep an eye on with [player_tooltip player_id='1578025' first='Kael' last='Carney'] and Ulysess Brown. [player_tooltip player_id='1578025' first='Kael' last='Carney'] has a great, consistent shooting stroke from three-point land. Ulysess is an elite athlete and has a ton of potential on the defensive end. ThunderRidge has a big match-up tonight facing cross-town rival Rock Canyon.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->