Spring Kick Off (2017): What We Learned
It’s no stretch to say the 2017 Prep Hoops Spring Kick Off was a major success. With double the teams and venues from the 2016 version, it was great to see a rise in talent and competition at the event.
Hopefully by now you’ve read our extensive class-by-class, position-by-position breakdowns from the three day event. If not, you can check all of those out HERE.
We wanted to take a final look back at the Kick Off by examining what we learned:
Our region has some ATHLETES!
Overtime we turned on our phones to record action during the tournament, we tended to find a player getting above the rim. There were some great, athletic plays made throughout the tournament that showcased the kind of talent in the area that keeps growing.
The Las Vegas Prospects, who ran threw the 16U Platinum Division, played their part.
https://twitter.com/PHSpringKickoff/status/851112507574026241
The KC Spurs were getting up all weekend like …
https://twitter.com/PHSpringKickoff/status/851104877791113221
You knew Denver East was going to represent …
https://twitter.com/PHSpringKickoff/status/851101007660683264
New faces make big impact
As sure as the ball bounces, there are always shakeups on club teams each season. Players switch teams, move into the area or play the circuit for the first time.
There were plenty of these newcomers who stood out. Among the players in that group who stood out the most:
Filip Rebraca, 6-7 2017 forward, Colorado Titans 17U Gold: The strong athletic forward from Serbia has some great natural tools. He plays with good toughness and gets after it on the defensive end. He protects the rim and also has good touch around the basket. It will be an intriguing spring for the unsigned senior.
Jodaun Dotson, 5-11 2019 guard, Colorado Premier 16U National: Dotson is a smart, efficient point guard who seems to be thriving already in his first season with Premier. He looks to get other players involved consistently, but he can also got get you a bucket when you need one.
Levi Dombro, 6-0 2019 guard, Colorado Chaos 16U Elite: Dombro is proving himself to be a very capable lead guard after coming off the bench last spring and summer. He can heat up in a hurry and continues to improve.
Jalen Talbott, 6-0 2018 guard, Colorado Hawks 17U Prospects: Talbott, who last year played with the Rocky Mountain Vipers, led the second unit for the Hawks to the 17U title, a great underdog story throughout the tournament. Talbott is a smart guard with a good feel and a quick first step. He should make a big impact at Eaglecrest as a senior under first-year coach Jarris Krapcha.
Top-to-bottom success
Three programs put a 15U, 16U and 17U teams in at least the Platinum Championship Bracket quarterfinals: SSA Elite (Manhattan, Kan.), the Colorado Hawks and the Colorado Titans.
You could see the same identity in each team these programs had competing. The Titans brought mental toughness and strong defensive energy, the Hawks shared the ball and created havoc with their press and SSA played smart, largely turnover-free basketball throughout the tournament.