Top forward/bigs from the 4A state playoffs

<p>With the season over, we want to take a look back at a season that was before we head onto the grassroots scene. Here we focus on some forwards/bigs that stood out in 4A during their state-run.</p> <h2><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="918899" first="James" last="Shiers"] – Mead</strong></h2> <p>The 7’0 big man has the toughest job in 4A because he has the most critics. It is not easy to be the biggest player in the state on most nights with high expectations every night and have to deliver. Still, it appears that Shiers accepted them all this season as he had an incredible year that helped Mead be named state champs. Knudsen was the team’s top scorer, Shiers was the team's most valuable player as the ship went as he allowed it. Shiers protected the rim as well as anybody in the state, altered plenty of other shots, and in the state championship run, had some impactful plays that helped determine games along the way. Shiers averaged 11.8 points and 11.2 rebounds in the playoffs alone, including a 10 point, 21-rebound effort against a talented Pueblo South squad. Shiers racked up 22 blocks in only five games and starred in his role, and while he was in foul trouble for a majority of the championship game, he still kept a positive attitude and rooted his teammates on. Shiers continues to get better, and after his playoff run, the doubters do not seem to be as loud.  </p> <h2><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1151695" first="Ashden" last="Oberg"] – Montrose</strong></h2> <p>Oberg was one of the players that I did not know heading into the playoffs that I want to know the most about heading into the grassroots season. Oberg is a 6’5 forward that showed that he could take over a game while staying within the flow of the offense. He was uber-efficient in the playoffs with not many misses, ran the floor well, and finished with soft touch around the rim. What stood out was his spacing and understanding of where to be on the floor. He found holes in the defense for finishes, worked hard on the board, and scored in bunches. Oberg was a perfect 6-6 to begin the playoffs as he finished with 13 points, followed that up with 18 points against Steamboat Springs, struggled offensively against Longmont but made up for it with his work on the boards and defensively and in the team's loss to the eventual state champs finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and a block. Oberg looked great in the run and is a player that I want to see more of.</p> <h2><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="969431" first="Kadyn" last="Betts"] – Pueblo Central</strong></h2> <p>Betts had the best season of any 2023 player at the 4A level and showed why he is one of the top bigs in the class and, quietly, the state. Betts has excellent size at 6’7 and a motor to go with it. He is a skilled big that can score on the block with a back-to-the-basket game or get out and run the floor for easy flushes. Betts uses his size as an advantage and hardly shies away from contact. He tries to go through guys and is getting more comfortable with his body in only his sophomore season. He finished with a double-double and nearly every game, and that spilled into the playoffs, where we saw him explode with a 31-points, 13 rebound performance to cap off his playoffs. The Wildcats lost to a talented Longmont squad, but you see the glimpses of a bright future in Betts, and he is the real deal.</p> <h2><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1150078" first="Brady" last="Jones"] – Lewis-Palmer</strong></h2> <p>Jones is a 6’7 player that has been under the radar for far too long. Jones is a three-year varsity player that has been consistent every year that he has played. He uses his length and long wingspan to his advantage and is a new age forward with bounce and a good feel for the game. He found his own with this talented Lewis-Palmer squad and got very comfortable down the stretch. In the playoffs, he was scoring in bunches and affecting the game in different ways. He started the playoffs with 14 points and four rebounds against Elizabeth, followed it up with 17 points and five boards against D’Evelyn, and although he slowed down against Mead, he still made his mark on the game with six rebounds and a steal. We saw how efficient he could be this year, and he is a player that had a coming-out party and is on our radar. What will he do from here?</p>