What a weekend it was at the Colorado state basketball championships. Overland, with its dominant big man De'Ron Davis and electric point guard Jervae Robinson, repeated as Class 5A champions, establishing itself as a top team in the state's prep history.
Pueblo West, behind rising junior point guard David Simmental and under-the-radar and unsigned senior forward Kenny Tack, captured the school's first boys basketball title in Class 4A after knocking off a talented Valor Christian team.
Throughout the two days and six games, a number of under-the-radar players raised their stocks. Let's take a closer look at some of those hoopers:
<strong>Kenny Tack, 6-5 senior forward, Pueblo West</strong>
Tack has a strong motor and good athleticism. He demonstrated ability throughout the weekend to penetrate and finish with a nice mid-range game. He's long defensively and can guard multiple positions. Has a nice outside shot, as well. Tack told us he has received interest from a few junior-college programs but has yet to receive an offer. We believe his skill set could give him a chance to succeed at that level.
<strong>Nieyeme Smyer-Williams, 5-11 sophomore guard, Pueblo West</strong>
Much of West's success came with having to excellent ball-handlers in the backcourt to handle pressure in Smyer-Williams and Simental. Smyer-Williams played great in both the semifinal and title game. He's got a nice crossover and a quick first step. Good on the attack and has the athleticism to get to the rim and finish. The lefty can also shoot it. He knocked down two huge 3s in the semifinals that helped West pull away from Vista Ridge. It's a bit early to project his next-level potential, but he's certainly a player to watch.
Check out some highlights of Smyer-Williams here: http://www.hudl.com/v/RCYBH
<strong>Tyler Stevenson, 6-2 senior guard, Overland<img class=" wp-image-51749 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2016/03/stevenson-300x188.jpg" alt="stevenson" width="270" height="169" /></strong>
Stevenson was a huge factor in Overland's championship victory over Eaglecrest on Saturday. He had 14 points and provided great perimeter defense. Stevenson is still unsigned but is just now starting to take off. His defensive ability should give him a D-II, D-III level type of shot. He also plays
with great energy, has good body language and displays strong leadership qualities. Stevenson is a high-achieving student who carries a 4.1 GPA.
<strong>Ikenna Ozor, 6-3 junior forward, Eaglecrest</strong>
Ozor seems to always be at the basket. He's good at cutting hard off the pick and roll and catching and finishing in traffic. Strong rebounder, particularly for his size. Good quickness and endurance. Ozor demonstrates soft touch from mid-range, and he's a pest defensively. He turned a lot of heads with his play this weekend. Could be in for a big spring.
<strong>Kayle Knuckles, 6-6 junior forward, Valor Christian</strong>
Knuckles hit the biggest shot of his life in the semifinal victory over Longmont on Friday, a 3-pointer from the corner that put Valor ahead to stay in their comeback win. It was an appropriate highlight for a player who has made huge strides in the four short years since taking up organized basketball as an eighth grader. Knuckles is strong and physical and runs the floor very well. He has soft hands around the basket and finishes at an extremely efficient rate. He's also added range to his jump shot and has solid form. Playing with the top Billups Elite 17U squad on the Adidas Gauntlet circuit this spring, we expect Knuckles to gain significant recruiting attention.
<strong>Padiet Wang, 6-4 senior wing, Overland</strong>
Wang's athleticism was impressive throughout the tournament, and he drew a handful of collective oohs and aahs with his ability to finish above the rim, whether in transition on his own or off of well-designed lob plays. While Wang will certainly need to bolster a bit a thin frame, he has deceptive strength and is already and aggressive and capable rebounder. His return to Overland midseason after playing out of state half the year was a huge boon to the Trailblazers.
