Welcome back, hoops fans! Things are starting to heat up as our big school 5A & 6A boys begin to face some very familiar foes in league play. Let’s dive in and see how our Seeding Index (S.I.) top 10 are faring and what’s on deck for this week:
The Look Ahead:
Tuesday 1/23
Our theme this week is league play, but we start with an intriguing non-league battle, with 5A’s No. 7 ranked Lewis Palmer taking their 12-4 record to 12-2 Lutheran. Lutheran is averaging 70 points per game so LP cannot look past the squad from a smaller classification. The Lions’ undefeated 5-0 record at home is on the line here!
5A’s No. 1 squad is Silver Creek and they have a “Stat-Stuffin machine” in 6-foot-3 guard Gabe Selby. He leads the squad in EVERY statistical category including scoring, where he’s averaging 15 points per night. The Raptors suffered a huge loss to Windsor recently so, against 9-5 Longmont, they’ll be out to prove their play on the court is the reason the Selection and Seeding Index has them flying high.
Tuesday also features 5A’s No. 8 ranked Ponderosa, led by Noah Wilhelm’s 19 points per game, hosting a league game vs. 6A Highlands Ranch.
More Continental League action features 6A’s No. 6 Rock Canyon heading over to Legend. Easy to argue that the Jags are playing much better than a No. 6 ranked team, as they’re on a five-game winning streak and fresh off an 87-point outing in an overtime win over Douglas County.
We’ve discussed previously that it wouldn’t take long for Smoky Hill to climb the 6A rankings and the Buffaloes come in at No. 3 this week and are headed over to Mullen to remain unbeaten in state competition. The Fever Crew got a chance to see Smoky’s huge comeback win at Eaglecrest last week and believe us when we tell you they are A LOT more than just high-flying dunks. They are a complete squad inside and out. It’s worth getting out and taking a look for yourself!
Regis is in need of a league win as 6A’s No. 5 Mountain Vista is coming to pay a visit. Mountain Vista is 2-0 in league play and coming in on a three-game winning streak including a tight one-point win over Chaparral most recently.
There’s also the top-ranked 6A squad, Thunder Ridge, playing Tuesday night! They’re riding senior guard Charlie Spann’s 20 points per game, and undefeated records in league play, and at home, where they host Heritage tonight.
Vista Peak remains the No. 2 ranked 5A squad, as they sit at 11-2 overall. The Bison look to remain unbeaten at home, but can’t take 12-3 Denver North lightly, coming in with an excellent record.
6A TOP 10 ALERT! A big one for early league standings as No. 8 Chaparral travels to No. 10 Douglas County. The Huskies are 1-2 in league play and, in that tough conference, can’t afford to drop a third league game. This will be competitive to the end.
5A TOP 10 ALERT! No. 4 Mead is coming in with a slightly better record at 10-3 but they visit No. 10 Windsor. The Wizards are 5-0 in league play and own a five-game win streak that includes an ultra-impressive 84-47 win over Silver Creek.
Wednesday 1/24
Lakewood travels to Valor Christian, 6A’s No. 2 that owns a 13-2 record, for their first of two league games. Cole Sherer’s 20 points per game has the Eagles unbeaten at home and in league play.
The Fever Crew got to check out 6A’s No. 7 ranked Eaglecrest, as they jumped out to an impressive 25-10 first-quarter lead over Smoky Hill last week. The Raptors ended up losing that game but their ability to play with the best in the state was on full display, especially point guard LaDavian King, who returned to the court fully healthy after a recent health scare. So great to see LaDavian back playing the sport he loves.
Caden Braketa, a ‘super soph’, leads 6A’s No. 9 Ralston Valley into Chatfield. The Chargers are a surprising 2-12 in a down season, while the Mustangs are on a five-game winning streak following back-to-back losses to Cherry Creek and Valor Christian, and there’s no shame in those non-league losses.
Golden, 5A’s No. 9 team that dropped from No. 4, still touts an outstanding 11-2 record. Slade Pike’s 12 points per game leads Golden’s balanced attack, as they look to stay unbeaten on their home floor.
5A’s No. 3 Palmer won’t be a very gracious host to Coronado! The Terrors are coming off what was only their second loss of the season. They are powered by Walker Asp’s 14 points per game and scoring 70 per outing as a team.
Thursday 1/25
5A’s No. 1 Silver Creek is back in action for the second time this week. This is the first of two matchups with Greeley West, and Silver Creek is home for this one!
6A’s No. 3 Smoky Hill takes the show on the road to Arapahoe with Kevin Sylla averaging 15 points per game, with many of those coming in the paint for the versatile big man. This will be interesting as Arapahoe has some big bodies to throw at Sylla and will try to slow the Buffaloes’ 70-point pace.
7-0 on their home floor, 5A’s No. 4 Mead will host Greeley Central on Thursday night. The Mavs have one league loss and plan on keeping it that way. Matthew Angelo, who is averaging 15 points and 2 steals per game this season for Mead, will help them chase that goal.
‘Super soph’ Madden Smiley leads 5A’s No. 10 ranked Windsor in scoring, with 17 points per game. That squad will look to remain unbeaten at home again with league foe Holy Family coming in at 3-2.
Denver South is a young program that is on the rise fresh off a win over city foe Denver East. They now have a potentially even tougher task vs. 5A’s No. 2 Vista Peak. Denver South has the home-court advantage for this nice non-league action.
Friday 1/26
5A’s No. 8 Ponderosa is back in action again this week, as they play Heritage. With a 1-2 record in league play and Heritage at 2-1, this is an opportunity for Ponderosa to gain ground.
No. 2 Valor Christian, now 13-2, with those losses coming to No. 1 ThunderRidge and No. 3 Smoky Hill, looks to remain unbeaten at home, against Bear Creek, in their third game of this busy week.
Cal Baskind’s 15 points and 2 steals per game are leading 6A’s No. 5 Mountain Vista this season and they’ll have another shot to stay unbeaten in league play when they host Highlands Ranch.
6A TOP 10 ALERT! Mark this matchup between No. 1 ThunderRidge and No. 6 Rock Canyon on your calendar…serious Continental League title implications and the student sections will be “rockin”! Get to ThunderRidge early this night folks. Not a lot more needs to be said other than the Grizzlies are unbeaten at home and neither team has lost in league play as of yet. There is Game of the Week potential here!
If you like strong point guard play, senior Gavin Carter leads Chaparral in just about every statistical category and he’s a joy to watch play. The Wolverines host Legend Friday night with Carter averaging 22 points per game.
Speaking of strong guard play, there’s a #CentennialTough battle here, with Cherry Creek hosting 6A’s No. 7 Eaglecrest. The Raptors’ junior LaDavian King will tangle with the Bruins’ ‘super soph’ Jeremiah Hammond…both averaging over 15 points per night.
Saturday 1/27
5A’s No. 4 Mead is on the road at Longmont — a tough place to win. The Mavericks have one league loss thus far and look to stay among the elite. Mead won the first match two weeks ago by 12 points, thanks to a defensive effort that held Longmont to only 33 points in total.
Silver Creek, 5A’s No. 1, closes a busy week on the road vs. Holy Family. Silver Creek only won the first battle between these teams, at home, by seven points, so expect Holy Family to be even tougher on their own home floor.
It’s also No. 9 Golden’s turn to face a tough lower-division opponent in Lutheran, and the Lions will be tough, regardless of classification.
OK, hoops fans! Our Seeding Index is not letting us down and, regardless of the rankings being human or computer-generated, the Fever Crew believes the cream will always rise. That’s what we’re seeing as league play heats up! Get out and enjoy the hoops…
#BallFever