Hidden Gems Who Made Noise in the 4A Great 8 at the Coliseum

The Coliseum stage tends to bring the best out of players, and the 4A Great 8 was no different. While the big names often grab the headlines, several under-the-radar players stepped up in big moments and made their presence felt. These performances helped swing games, kept seasons alive, and put a few new names on the radar across the state. Here are 5 who caught my eye.    De Bates is a player who just continued to stand out when I was watching their game due to his ability to just read the moment. He knew what to do in each situation, and his IQ stood out. He is long and lanky, he played hard the entire time and played hard. That got him some easy baskets in the game early on, and then he worked himself into hiitting 3-pointers later in the game. De Bates was the player who stepped up when things weren't going their way and gave them a chance, and is a player that we enjoyed seeing.     Eggleston is another prospect who came in under the radar, but with his play was another standout on the day. He used his size, he finished around the rim, had timely cuts, and understood angles. He was playing hard the entire time he was out there. He mixed it up with some inside baskets, he knocked down a couple of 3-pointers, and his intensity kept them in the game. He finished with 10 point,s and although their season came to an end, he's a player who caught our eye.     Peak to Peak's season as a Cinderella story continues as they were able to knock off another top team, and their guard play is the biggest reason for that. They have a dangerous backcourt duo, and Kalenzi was the under-the-radar weapon who got it done against Aspen. Kalenzi's speed was the difference in the game. He was getting downhill as an attacker, he could not be denied getting to the rim, and he also knocked down a 3-pointer to open things up for him. Kelenzi was attacking gaps and getting out on the break, and they will need more of that from him to keep the season alive. He's a player who has caught our eye as of late, and his play continues to get better in each game.     Kent Denver continues to cruise all the way to state as they have depth, they speed you up, and they're much more than just the [player_tooltip player_id='1509234' first='Caleb' last='Fay'] show. [player_tooltip player_id='2419981' first='Liam' last='Ash'] has added his name to the mix as a player who can light it up if you decide to send the double team. He's not shy as a scorer, he uses his length to finish down low, and his versatility is on full display. He finished with 13 points, was on fire from the FT line, and that was a plan that backfired and helped get them to the next round. They'll need more from him as he continues to star in his role as they look to try and get another state title. He's a player to know.     I walked away from the Great 8 battle between University and Montezuma-Cortez as a Trace Hartsoe fan. That game was an incredible one from start to finish, and the player who caught my eye was Hartsoe. He moved well without the ball, he was confident as he understood where to always be to make a play, and he finished in transition. He had good chemistry with teammates because he did a bit of everything. There was a time that he was knocking down 3-pointers, banging inside, finishing over bigger player and, grabbing boards and going right up with the ball. He had his hands all over this one.

The Coliseum stage tends to bring the best out of players, and the 4A Great 8 was no different. While the big names often grab the headlines, several under-the-radar players stepped up in big moments and made their presence felt. These performances helped swing games, kept seasons alive, and put a few new names on the radar across the state. Here are 5 who caught my eye.