Rare gems, small towns and big dreams

Utah boasts one of the most beautiful and diverse landscapes of anywhere on the planet.  Within hours you can go from the tree lined granite peaks of Mount Olympus, to the sand dunes of the Little Sahara. From the red rocked arches of Moab to the barren Bonneville Salt Flats. Wonders and beauty can be found in every corner of this great state, and the basketball landscape is no different.    Utah boasts everything from the high flying 5-star phenom A.J. Dybansta of Utah Prep, to the little known sharpshooting long range bomber Jason Hernandez of 1A Green River High. Whether it's the defensive nightmare of the state's steals leader in Milford's [player_tooltip player_id='2721990' first='Sadler' last='Barnes'] or the shot blocking talent of Highland's big man [player_tooltip player_id='1278440' first='Soren' last='Ries'], Utah has it all.    It is not common knowledge, but Utah is home to one of the rarest gems on the planet, the red beryl. The Utah Geological survey says it is so rare that 150,000 diamonds are found for every single red beryl discovered. So why do I bring that up? This is Prep Hoops for crying out loud! Why am I talking about Utah's precious stones and not the state's elite basketball players? Well that's just it, everyone knows about diamonds, but I am not here just for diamonds. I want to find the red beryl of Utah Prep Hoops. The hidden gems that are off the beaten path and out of the spotlight.   Five star recruits shine bright on the AAU circuit, but small town Utah ballers light up gyms in the dark skies of small one horse towns across this state. So who are they? Where are they?    Let me put the spotlight on a few notable 1A players:    With a smooth and effortless three point stroke he has knocked down 57 threes on the season ranking him 8th in the state from downtown. With quick hands and tremendous court vision he leads 1A in assists per game at 6.8 per game and is ranked 3rd in the state in that category. Couple those stats with 4.9 rebounds per game and 18.8 points per game and yes, the kid is flirting with a triple double every night. Just ask Altamont fans after he dropped 21 points, had 3 rebounds, 10 assists and 11 steals against them. This kid can play! He has scored 1339 points during his career and that number is still climbing.      There are shooters and then there is Jason Hernandez. The state's current leader, regardless of classification, has made 69 threes on the season. Hernandez in 19 games has gone over the 20 point threshold 11 times.  Two weeks ago, Hernandez dropped 35 points against Escalante High School.  That included 7 shots made from behind the arc. Despite being the state's leading scorer in 1A Hernandez is not just a bucket.  He draws so much defensive attention at times and he knows how to move the rock and find open teammates. This is evidenced by 4.8 assists per game which ranks him 3rd in the 1A as a dime dropper.     If you're looking for a hard-nosed, no nonsense, six-foot-three power forward, look no further than Daxton Miller. Stat sheet verified, Miller is serving up double-doubles nightly for the 16-3 Bobcats. With 12 double-doubles on the season the kid is a menace on the glass averaging 9.79 rebounds per game.  He has a nose for the ball and excellent timing to snag busted shots off the rim.  Miller drops 14.95 points per game to lead the Bobcats in scoring.       You can't have any legitimate conversation about 1A basketball in Utah with out [player_tooltip player_id='2721982' first='Jace' last='Cox'] name coming up. This forward from Orderville, UT just get its done. With long arms and some athletic bounce Jace tracks down his teammates misses and turns them into highlights. He has a prototypical frame for a wing. He excels in transition and is a very good finisher with contact around the rim. At 17.7 points per game Cox is 3rd in 1a in scoring. His Valley Buffaloes are 12-3 on the season in a loaded region 20. Given the opportunity Jace could easily make his way onto a college roster and make and continue to make believers with his talent and work ethic.     Its not often you hear about a post player getting a triple-double. So let me introduce you to Gavin Rhoades. Tabiona High's Gavin Rhoades, showed everyone how to get it done just before Christmas break scoring 13 points, pulling down 10 rebounds and patrolling the paint with 10 blocks. Rhoades 56 blocks on the season rank him first in 1A and second in all classifications. Rhoades quick instincts and ability to anticipate from the help side position make him a premium rotation shot blocker. When you enter the paint against Tabiona, you better have an idea of where he is. Because if you don't find him. He is going to find you.     It didn't take long to see why the Rich High Rebels are off to a 16 and 2 start. Lundgren spaces the floor, knocks down open shots and heats up from the three point line in a hurry. Recently he knocked down a half-dozen threes on the road at Tabiona. Lundgren gets his hands in the passing lanes and creates a lot of deflections. He is top 15 in 1A in points per game, rebounds and three pointers made. Lundgren has a great skillset and you can see that his game is continuing to evolve.    I want to wish each of these small town ballers every success as they continue to lead their teams and chase their dreams of a Utah 1A State Championship Title. I will see you down at the Sevier Valley Center on March 1st at the State Title game.

Utah boasts one of the most beautiful and diverse landscapes of anywhere on the planet. Within hours you can go from the tree lined granite peaks of Mount Olympus, to the sand dunes of the Little Sahara. From the red rocked arches of Moab to the barren Bonneville Salt Flats. Wonders and beauty can be found in every corner of this great state, and the basketball landscape is no different.