Who foresees otherwise? Bet you it will be one of those seasons in Class 5A boys basketball, when coaches will be more willing than usual to roll out the ball and see what happens.
Why not? We’re all but devoid of schoolboy stars in demand nationally, at least entering the season, and there is nothing resembling a definitive team favorite. There appears to be balance if not parity, along with a lower amount of senior power. Add the projection for a down season overall to the 86th entry into Colorado annals that will culminate in Boulder in March.
“This could be a year to get one (a state championship),” East coach Rudy Carey said. “A lot of teams feel that way.”
From the Centennial League to the Southwestern, 5A boys playing basketball at 63 schools again will have opportunities to play as many as 23 regular- season games to qualify for the 48-team postseason bracket.
There has been minimal movement between 5A and the lower classifications. As usual, there is overlap with football playoffs, a widespread round of tournaments throughout December and a generally crabby bunch once we hit the mandatory holiday break. Most of it will go away when league play begins in earnest in January.
Let’s hoop:
Centennial
It was as if the league turned into college basketball’s Big East Conference of the 1980s. Centennial teams accounted for the 5A’s final four in 2005-06 as they essentially turned the last three games of the postseason bracket into a quickie league tourney.
Mullen arose as champion, downing Cherry Creek in their fourth meeting of the season for the Mustangs’ – and league’s – first Colorado title since 2001. To defend, Mullen expects rough play overall early as well as a quick changeover from football by Devin Aguilar, the state tournament’s MVP last season. It will be good practice for the gifted 6-foot-2 senior, who will try to play both sports at Washington.
The Mustangs’ considerable losses to graduation have been thinned by two transfers, 6-6 junior Stan Jones from George Washington and junior guard Terrance Dent, late of Wyoming. Add in the athleticism from a usually long Mustangs bench and Porter Cutrell may have something significant by tournament time. Said the coach, “I think we can come together.”
Right now? Not necessarily. That will be up to Smoky Hill and Cherry Creek, the other serious league contenders with material returning and chances to get out of the gate quickly. Smoky Hill (Josh Cassaday, Sam Huebner and Scott May) is coached by Ken Shaw, whose career record is 300 games above .500, at 491-191. The Buffs also figure to be good. Cherry Creek has an inside force (senior Taylor Montgomery) who may prove devastating on a team drawing from the state’s largest pool of players. Do the math – the Bruins have a chance to return to the title game.
Grandview (senior Chris Fernandez), which has been in three of the past four final fours, is revamped as much as Boulder (junior Mitchell Fraser), Eaglecrest (senior Bryson Creighton) and Fairview. Overland (new coach Mike Gibbs) seeks its first winning season since 1997-98.
Colorado Springs Metro
“We could be very, very good,” Doherty coach Dan McKiernan said.
He’s not kidding. Led by 6-8 Garrett Fiddler, a senior who will play next season at Yale, the Spartans have returning size, athleticism and experience. Fiddler has yet to smooth his offensive game, but his speed, quickness, strength, rebounding, shot-blocking, effort on defense and consistent free- throw opportunities make him a handful. There’s more for the Spartans – 6-9 Jeremy Carlston, 6-3 V.J. Holmes, 6-4 Travis Moritz, David Lucero and James Webb among them.
The news will be available immediately – the Spartans host East on Friday in their opener.
Take your pick with the rest of the 10-team league, which adds Pine Creek (6-7 Dario Hunt), up from 4A.
Air Academy, Coronado (Levi Harris), Lewis-Palmer, Mitchell (Alan Paul and Andreas Braxton), Palmer (Reggie Jackson and Daniel Blackledge), Rampart (Alex Kislich), Sand Creek (6-7 Troy Peterson) and Wasson provide the southern big-school competition.
Continental
There are a dozen reasons the Continental, which had its lower tier do well in the early rounds of last season’s bracket, will be deep, balanced and worth watching. About a half-dozen teams rate as challengers.
“It’s going to be one of those years where, after you see somebody, you say, ‘Yeah, yeah, I can see them winning the league,”‘ Heritage coach Mike Broyles said.
Let the games between programs of varying styles begin.
Arapahoe will open with University of Colorado-bound Levi Knutson and, hopefully, enough around him to warrant contender status. Chaparral (Blake Schraufnagel) has openings for multiple replacements, as does Douglas County (Keiffer Garton). Younger Gateway (junior O’Rion Hughes), as usual, will be difficult to play. Heritage (Brennan Degner) will head what could be a rest-of-the-roster rotation. Highlands Ranch (Blake Olson) may be looking at its best contending chance. Littleton (Chris Wharton), Mountain Vista (Kyle Behrens), Ponderosa, Rangeview (Kellan McLemore) and Regis (Kevin DeWitt and Steve Wylie) all see opportunities in front of them.
Meanwhile, ThunderRidge, the perennial league and state power, returns only one starter (Zach Tiedgen) and will enter without a highly touted player for the first time in the 2000s.
Denver Prep
The city split will be wider this season with only five teams in 5A, though the Denver game remains the same – trying to unseat East.
The Angels will not have great height, but can create defensive pressure and transition.
“We’re going to be small and fast,” Carey said.
Donell Wells, Mookie Gilbert, Blake Swain, the Thornton brothers (DaVaughn and Demetrius), Jermiko Vermer and Jordan Martinez-Doublin figure to occupy most of the Angels’ playing time. East has another ambitious nonleague schedule, including a tournament in Las Vegas and games against Brighton, Chaparral, Columbine, Grandview and ThunderRidge.
John F. Kennedy (Robert Gray-McFalls), Montbello (Quincy Hairston and Anthony Porch), George Washington (new coach Mike Rogers and senior Sean Stokes) and West (Javay Wade) complete the city’s smallest big-school league in years.
Front Range
A year after veteran coach Bruce Dick landed at senior-laden Rocky Mountain and won the league championship, the Lobos (Korey Jones and Kaipo Sabas) find themselves experienced. Picking up the pace is a must.
“We’re going to play fast,” Dick said.
Poudre could be fast as well as good with junior Dallas Elmore. Northglenn (Steve Moore) and Monarch (Brooks Bajcar) also may have the talent to pick up the Front Range pace.
Fort Collins (Sydney Jones), Horizon (new coach Marty Tonjes), Legacy (junior Trevor Noonan), Loveland (Collin Klein) and Thornton (no returning varsity players from an 0-20 team) account for the nine-team group.
Jefferson County
“This league hasn’t been successful in the postseason in recent seasons,” Standley Lake coach Jon Baskin said.
True, Jeffco has had mostly early exits from the bracket and been stagnant after a significant run throughout the 1990s. Only Wheat Ridge’s runner-up finish in 2001-02 was memorable.
However, Baskin’s Gators could be a bright spot on the west side of the Denver area for a school (only one state title, 2001-02 wrestling) and a league that would appreciate it.
Seniors Anthony Gibbs, Matt Soukup and Andrew Zehnder are entering their third year as starters for a Gators squad that will have multiple chances to help ease the Jeffco drought. The battle for the league’s top seed also will involve Chatfield (Ryan Biggie and Brian Kenshalo) and Wheat Ridge, long on experience and led by Lucas Nelson and Ryan Routzen.
That leaves it up to Arvada, Arvada West (Chris Biren), Bear Creek (Tommy Flanagan), Columbine (junior Ben Tedford and seniors Tyler Holtzinger and Sean Miller), Dakota Ridge, Green Mountain (Jeff Aspregren and Trent Lovell), Lakewood (Garrett Graff) and Pomona to keep it interesting.
Skyline
Philadelphia native Stephen Franklin changed his mind about attending CU just before the early signing period, so count the Aurora Central senior among the season’s more motivated players. The 6-5 wing is now fair recruiting game.
“He does everything well,” Trojans coach Bob Caton said.
So does senior guard Sean Cunningham. Josh Bond, Joe Goyen and Tyler O’Connor are other players who should make the Trojans go.
Adams City will be led by Tyler Cirwithian and Kyle Grady. Brighton’s promising core includes seniors Kit Hensel and Martell Jackson. Hinkley has a talented transfer (Josh Green) and a lot of underclassmen in a 5A-4A league.
Southwestern
For Durango to repeat as 5A-4A league champion, seniors Robbie Baier, Matt Morris (6-6, 240 pounds) and Trey Stastny must lead a younger roster.
The Demons, 20-5 in 2005-06, will have to deal with Fruita Monument (Lane Ennis and Hunter Martin), now led by former girls coach and 10-year boys assistant Dave Fox.
Central (G.J.), with Brad Davison and sophomore Clay Kame, hopes to erase the memory of a 4-17 season. Grand Junction is the fourth 5A school (4A Montezuma-Cortez and Montrose round out the league).
Class 5A boys top 10
1. Doherty
2. East
3. Aurora Central
4. Smoky Hill
5. Mullen
6. Arapahoe
7. Cherry Creek
8. Montbello
9. Poudre
10. Standley Lake
Players to watch
Devin Aguilar Mullen Sr. 6-2
Brooks Bajcar Monarch Sr. 5-10
Kyle Behrens Mountain Vista Sr. 6-5
Andreas Braxton Mitchell Sr. 6-5
Josh Cassaday Smoky Hill Sr. 6-6
Tyler Cirwithian Adams City Sr. 6-3
Sean Cunningham Aurora Central Sr. 6-2
Brennen Degner Heritage Sr. 6-8
Dallas Elmore Poudre Jr. 6-4
Lane Ennis Fruita Monument Sr. 6-3
Chris Fernandez Grandview Sr. 6-5
Garrett Fiddler Doherty Sr. 6-8
Bryan Franklin Highlands Ranch Sr. 6-7
Stephen Franklin Aurora Central Sr. 6-5
Mookie Gilbert East Jr. 6-5
Garrett Graff Lakewood Sr. 6-4
Quincy Hairston Montbello Sr. 6-2
Karl Heimbrock Cherry Creek Sr. 6-1
Kit Hensel Brighton Sr. 6-3
Sam Huebner Smoky Hill Sr. 6-6
O’Rion Hughes Gateway Jr. 6-2
Dario Hunt Pine Creek Sr. 6-7
Martell Jackson Brighton Sr. 6-10
Levi Knutson Arapahoe Sr. 6-4
Taylor Montgomery Cherry Creek Sr. 6-8
Matt Morris Durango Sr. 6-7
Lucas Nelson Wheat Ridge Sr. 6-0
Blake Olson Highlands Ranch Sr. 6-3
Anthony Porch Montbello Sr. 6-4
Blake Schraufnagel Chaparral Sr. 6-0
Sean Stokes G. Washington Sr. 6-0
Blake Swain East Sr. 6-0
Zach Tiedgen ThunderRidge Sr. 6-5
Donell Wells East Sr. 6-0
Andrew Zehnder Standley Lake Sr. 6-4
