Colorado 4A Tournament Stock Risers To Know For Spring
As soon as Eaglecrest lifted the last state championship trophy nine days ago, focus immediately shifted forward to the spring AAU season.
Prep Hoops Colorado is thrilled to bring extensive coverage of the club scene throughout the spring, including wall-to-wall coverage during the top tournament you’ll find out West the weekend before the live period: The Prep Hoops Spring Kick Off.
To begin that coverage, today we are looking at players who raised their stock during the 4A Tournament earlier this month and have become names to watch for schools this spring:
Joel Scott, 6-4 2019 forward, Lewis-Palmer
The sophomore was instrumental in carrying his team all the way to the state title game. Even while playing under the weather in the championship game, Scott led the Rangers with 15 points. That was about the season average for the young forward, who also averaged about seven rebounds per game. Scott will be a key member of a Billups Elite 16U team alongside players like Ronnie DeGray, Bryce Matthews, Kobe Sanders and Joseph Dalton, a group that figures to make some noise on the Adidas Gauntlet circuit this year.
Marcel Barbee, 6-3 2018 guard/forward, Pueblo South
The Colts were one of the surprise teams of the tournament, running all the way to the final four and beating defending champ Pueblo West in the elite eight for the second time this season. Barbee, an athletic player capable of playing and defending multiple positions, was a major catalyst. His 20 points in the quarterfinal game against West helped South earn a 64-62 victory. Barbee will have a big stage to show his talent this spring as he joins the Colorado Chaos on their top 17U team.
Chase Rogers, 6-0 2018 guard, Evergreen
Rogers averaged 10.7 points per game, but his scoring came secondary to his deft playmaking abilities. He averaged 3.7 assists this season, and his willingness and ability to make the right play was a big reasons the Cougars ran all the way to the quarterfinals before falling to league rival Golden. Rogers has a strong outside shot. He hit 40 percent of his 3-point attempts this season and projects as a strong D-III/NAIA guard prospect.
Charles Dinegar, 6-5 2018 forward, D’Evelyn
It was a special season for the Jaguars, and Dinegar was in the middle of it all on both ends of the court. Dinegar is a solid big who you can run offense through. He has good ball skills at the high post, able to find cutters and be strong with the ball while making dribble handoffs. He’s got strong post footwork, so he can make isolation plays when offense breaks down. Defensively, he has a strong base and does a good job keeping opponent big men from establishing deep position. Dinegar will get to test himself against top competition this spring while playing with the Colorado Chaos.
Adam Thistlewood, 6-5 2018 guard, Golden
It was a monster junior season for Thistlewood, who averaged 19 points, seven rebounds and two assists per game. He was excellent in the tournament, and his 21 points in the elite eight win over Evergreen helped Golden reach the state semifinals out of the No. 12 seed. Thistlewood demonstrated the ability to take over a game in big moments when he had to. His length and extension allows him to get his jump shot at any time, and he knocks it down with efficiency. The anchor of the B&B Academy 17U squad figures to turn Division I heads this spring.