Here’s what we know about Class 5A this season: Regis Jesuit is good.
Here’s what we don’t know: Which teams, and in what order, will be most prominent chasing the Raiders?
Regis Jesuit won consecutive, thrilling overtime games in the final four in March for its first basketball title, and many of the driving forces return for the long road to a repeat.
There have been four back-to-back winners over the past two decades: Manual won in 1990 and 1991; Chauncey Billups-led George Washington in 1993 and 1994; emerging suburban power ThunderRidge in 2002 and 2003; and ever-present East in 2007 and 2008.
Regis Jesuit coach Ken Shaw, in his 35th season overall, begins his third year with the Raiders. He has a 558-204 career record along with high expectations and nice height in a season generally devoid of it.
“We’ve got some size, and the guys are skilled,” Shaw said, “as opposed to just size smothering you.”
Top returnee Bud Thomas is 6-feet-6, the returning Mr. Colorado Basketball by The Denver Post, adept at playing inside or outside and savvy enough to handle the ball. He has an array of shots, including long 3-pointers, and is part of a top free-throw shooting squad.
The Raiders also have guard Joey Ptasinski and a couple of junior down-low players, 6-6 bruiser Drew Dyer and 6-7 defender and rebounder Ryan Winters. Point guard Michael Clark, a 6-1 junior, is being asked to be the driver.
Here’s where it remains interesting: There are multiple teams that will begin with promise, but the order is as about as open as Eastern Colorado.
Of the most serious contenders, a smaller, quicker East, Abraham Lincoln, Montbello and George Washington are poised to make the Denver Prep League its usual entertaining group.
The upper end of the Centennial should have Arapahoe, Eaglecrest and Overland heading the mix; ever-challenging ThunderRidge and pesky Gateway in the Continental race. The always-athletic Colorado Springs Metro has Doherty, Fountain-Fort Carson, Rampart and Palmer as early leaders. Fort Collins is the Front Range favorite, Chatfield heads Jefferson County, it may be Aurora Central in the Skyline, and a TBD for the big-school portion of the 5A-4A Southwestern.
5A BOYS HOOPS
5A top 10
1. Regis Jesuit
2. Arapahoe
3. Chatfield
4. East
5. Rampart
6. Fort Collins
7. Palmer
8. Overland
9. Montbello
10. Doherty
5A players to watch
Name School Ht. Yr.
Deandre Clayton Montbello 6-6 Sr.
Austin Maag Fort Collins 6-5 Sr.
Andre Marquez Eaglecrest 6-3 Sr.
Wes McKenzie Liberty 6-1 Sr.
Joey Psatinski Regis Jesuit 6-3 Sr.
Parker Semin Arapahoe 6-5 Jr.
Bud Thomas Regis Jesuit 6-6 Sr.
Malcom Thomas Ftn.-Ft Carson 6-3 Sr.
Tyler Velasquez Doherty 5-11 Sr.
Trevor Wages Chatfield 6-8 Sr.
