Ryan’s 5A Rankings: Tier One

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For the 5A rankings, I wanted to try a new format and break the rankings into three tiers for 5A. The first tier consists of the four teams that have stood out as the top four and are looking to be the most likely teams to be in the final four at this point in the season. Each of these teams has had good starts to the season and all have a solid argument to be the 5A state championship favorites</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>1. Mesa Ridge</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mesa Ridge has started their season in a dominant 8-0 fashion. The team is led by the Riehl ([player_tooltip player_id='1318379' first='Tevin' last='Riehl'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1369853' first='Bryce' last='Riehl']) brothers who have been putting the scene on notice ever since this summer playing AAU together with Rising Stars. They are also accompanied by another AAU teammate [player_tooltip player_id='1318392' first='Tanner' last='Widic'] who has been a solid bucket-getter and one of the better passers on the team. The Riehl brother both knockdown shooters from outside who have been shooting over 40% from three-point land. Cyprus Woodley is another solid shooter on the team who can find open spots in the defense to get points. Mehki Hubbard-Pitts is a gritty guard who may not stand out on the stat sheet but he brings a great presence on the defensive end due to his great on-ball defense. If I had to choose the grittiest team in the state it would probably be Mesa Ridge, they play in-your-face defense to disrupt the flow of the offense and have held three teams to underneath 25 points this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2. Mead</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mead is led by the top senior playing basketball locally in Colorado [player_tooltip player_id='969439' first='Tucker' last='Mills'], who has an impressive combination of size, skill, and mobility. Mead's only loss of the season came in their season opener against their cross-town rival and #3 team in 5A Frederick, they have since added some impressive wins beating Lewis-Palmer, Monarch, and Fruita Monument. Tucker's classmate [player_tooltip player_id='1284601' first='Nick' last='Basson'] is another impressive scorer who helps take pressure off of Tucker with ability to catch and shoot or create for himself off of the dribble. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='1369791' first='Dominic' last='McLawrence'] adds a good presence on the defensive end and is a solid third-scoring option for the team. Senior guard Aiden Herrera has been a pleasant surprise for the team due to his jumper off the catch and crafty scoring ability near the rim. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>3. Frederick</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Frederick is off to a 6-0 start with impressive wins taking down Mead and Denver South. This team is led by the show-stopping lefty guard [player_tooltip player_id='1420272' first='Luke' last='Justice']. Once Luke is in a rhythm he is one of the hardest guards in the state to guard due to his knockdown jumper and crafty scoring ability near the rim. Forward [player_tooltip player_id='1432263' first='Matias' last='Aldana'] is a versatile piece that can play down or on the perimeter on both ends of the floor. [player_tooltip player_id='1577997' first='Harry' last='Singh'] is a guard who is a true glue guy putting the team first and doing the dirty work like rebounding and guarding the opposing team's top guard. [player_tooltip player_id='1586166' first='Rylan' last='Cram'] adds a great presence off of the bench as he brings high energy and is an unselfish player leading the team in assists. This team has great chemistry and plays together, they are looking set up for a deep run this year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>4. Air Academy</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It is hard for me not to put Air Academy higher as they have the most depth and size across the board of any 5A team in the state. Their only two losses this year come from two 6A opponents, Valor Christian (top 10 6A team) and Arapahoe. Leading the team is the senior standout, [player_tooltip player_id='921102' first='Corbin' last='Garver']. Corbin is a lengthy forward who is nearly averaging a double-double this season, he does a good job of using his athleticism and size to finish tough through contact at the rim. His classmate [player_tooltip player_id='1284469' first='Finn' last='Horsfall'] has been the heart and soul of the team always bringing great energy to the team and being a leader for the squad. Down low big framed forward, Grant Featherson mans the paint and is able to spread the floor with his jumper on the offensive end. Their junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1137808' first='Noah' last='Hellem'] has been having a breakout season showing off his knockdown jumper and ability to score off of the dribble. [player_tooltip player_id='1137807' first='Max' last='Howery'], [player_tooltip player_id='973039' first='Ryder' last='Banks'], and [player_tooltip player_id='1325652' first='Theron' last='Coleman'] add great depth to this squad which is looking like one of the top teams from Colorado Springs regardless of class this year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->