PARKER — For various reasons, Colorado has never been confused with any of the nation’s prime breeding grounds for interest and talent in boys basketball.
Then again, in-staters enter the 2011-12 season, which tips off today, with nine players headed to Division I programs, an unusually high number for locals over recent decades.
Consider Class 5A Chaparral as a microcosm of the current state of the state — the Wolverines are set to unleash an unprecedented two D-I players on big schools.
Josh Adams, 6-foot-2, is signed, sealed and will be delivered to Wyoming. Ditto for Cory Calvert, 6-3, who will play at BYU.
Color the Wolverines interesting out front. They mean it when they say, “On guard!”
“I’m pumped,” Calvert said. “I think we have a good team this season, and we want to see what we can do.”
Adams hopes he doesn’t burst before hosting Monarch tonight in nonleague. “I definitely think we can do something,” he said. “We’re looking forward to this.”
Expectations have been building, coach Rob Johnson knows.
“In our history, we haven’t had signings like this, more than we’ve ever had,” Johnson said. “We’ll have basketball players on the court.”
The Wolverines, one of the newer wave of suburban schools from the boom of the 1990s in Douglas County, haven’t exactly been a hoops haven. They have stayed within the competitive range — Chaparral was 14-10 in 2010-11 before going out in the second round after an opening bye. The school has been a factor in various sports, but has only consecutive volleyball titles in its trophy case.
Leaving its mark in the form of a Continental League title or 5A crown has crossed its star guards’ minds.
“Yes, I think so,” Adams said. “In my opinion, we have the talent to go places. We’ve never had that work ethic and heart to do it. People may think we’re the same old Chaparral, but we’ve joined together and (have) kind of a chip on our shoulder.”
Calvert is confident “we have something special.”
Expect an up-tempo attack from the Wolverines, who also plan to employ pressure defense.
Their schedule includes a mini-run through the Centennial League, a Las Vegas trip, Palmer in Colorado Springs, consecutive games at Denver’s East and George Washington, and then Continental matchups late in the season that include ThunderRidge, three-time defending state champion Regis Jesuit and Highlands Ranch, a semifinalist last season.
“It’s definitely a strong league,” Adams said. “So if we can do something, they can’t say it’s a fluke. We just want to get going.”
Top 10 players to watch
Player, School, Class
Josh Adams, Chaparral, Sr.
Canyon Barry, Cheyenne Mtn., Sr.
Cory Calvert, Chaparral, Sr.
Dominique Collier, East, So.
Wesley Gordon, Sierra, Sr.
Kaileb Rodriguez, ThunderRidge, Sr.
Tanner Samson, Regis Jesuit, Sr.
Josh Scott, Lewis-Palmer, Sr.
Xavier Talton, Sterling, Sr.
Alex Welsh, Pomona, Sr.
