Five Takeaways: Centaurus vs. Niwot
With only a few games left in Colorado preps’ regular season, the Niwot and Centaurus boys met up on Monday in a critical Northern League contest for both teams. The Centaurus Warriors held tight to what could be a first-round…
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Continue ReadingWith only a few games left in Colorado preps’ regular season, the Niwot and Centaurus boys met up on Monday in a critical Northern League contest for both teams. The Centaurus Warriors held tight to what could be a first-round bye. The Niwot Cougars, who remain on the postseason bubble, made a statement.
Niwot’s Thomas Bounds could play college ball if he wanted to
Reports are that Bounds has not expressed much, if any, interest in playing basketball in college. But that hasn’t stopped the senior guard from shining for the Cougars this season. Already the proud owner of a 46-point game against Mountain View on Jan. 25, Bounds averages over 17 points a night and has a shooting stroke that definitely would play at the next level.
Bounds scored 22 points against Centaurus on Monday.
This is the year Centaurus has been building towards
Two years ago, the Warriors won just four games. Last year, they were the 48th and final team to make it into the Class 4A state tournament field. But with the emergence and continued improvement of players like Owen Koonce, Nick Vaver and Nate Totel, the Warriors have all but solidified their position as one of the top 16 teams that will receive a first-round bye in this winter’s playoffs.
Owen Koonce is a beast, but that’s not all
In postgame interviews, several opposing coaches have mentioned the fact that Centaurus has “special” players. Most of the time, they’re talking about Owen Koonce.
When Centaurus head coach Travis Maron talks to people about star player Koonce, it’s rarely about the junior’s physical tools and basketball skills. Those things are fairly obvious to anyone who has seen Koonce play. When it comes to bragging about his 6-foot-4 wing, Maron emphasizes Koonce’s character, team attitude and desire for continued improvement.
“When your best player is your hardest worker, that’s a great thing to have,” Maron says.
Take your pick, Centaurus has plenty to offer
There’s Koonce – an athletic 6-foot-4 junior guard who averages 19.1 points a night and still managed 27 with a tough Niwot squad keying on him Monday. Then there’s Vaver – a skilled senior at 6-2 who could probably play college golf but also has posted a double-digit scoring average over the past two seasons and has a pitching-wedge shooting stroke from 3-point range. Also, the Warriors have Nate Totel – he’s a physical post player at 6-foot-4 with a perimeter game that’s been developing since he arrived late to basketball as a high school freshman.
Don’t let the record fool you, the Niwot boys are tough
The Cougars play in a league with defending champion Longmont and No. 1-ranked Centaurus, not to mention talented clubs like Silver Creek and Greeley Central. This 8-14 club has lost five games this winter either by fewer than five points of in overtime, and pushed Centaurus through three and a half quarters on Monday night. Bounds is the Cougars’ catalyst but senior forward Dominik Luthens is also a physical presence in the post.
If Niwot’s RPI score is enough to earn the Cougars a spot in the 4A state tournament bracket, that quadrant might want to be on upset alert.