Ball Fever: Seeding Index’s February Top 10
By Thomas Trotman
Photo: David Harvey
Welcome back, hoops fans! Things are starting to heat up as our big school 5A & 6A boys can start to see the possibility of league titles and we approach our last couple weeks before #MileHighMadness Bracket Play kicks in. Let’s jump right in to looking at some of the big games for our Seeding Index (S.I.) Top 10:
THE LOOK AHEAD
Tuesday 2/6:
This week kicks off with 14-4 Rock Canyon tangling with rival Ponderosa. The Jags are the 6A No. 5 in the SI and Macoy Terry is on a late season “Stat-Stuffin” tear with 15 points, six rebounds, and five assists per game! Noah Wilhelm and his 18 points per game aren’t afraid as Pondo is 6-0 on the road this season. If the Jags have Continental League title hopes that have to bring home the “dubb” here.
6A Top 10 Alert! Did we mention league title implications were going down? Gets no better than No. 2 ThunderRidge hosting No. 7 Chapparal, when both teams are 6-1 in Continental play! Seniors Charlie Spann for T-Ridge and Gavin Carter for Chap are both averaging over 20 points for their respective squads and this one will come down to the final minutes.
The Ball Fever Crew’s getting their first look at Regis Jesuit, who enters the CHSAA’s 6A Seeding and Selection Index Top 10 at No. 10 this week. The Raiders had been hovering just outside the top 10 for weeks and their first test after arriving in the Top 10 is on the road vs. rival Highlands Ranch. Big Man “super soph” Eric Fielder is leading the way for the Raiders at 19 points and seven rebounds per game and Regis is 13-6 overall scoring 68 points per game as a squad.
Mountain Vista, now coming in as 6A’s No. 3 team, is a hot 15-3 with Cal Baskind doing the scoring at 16 points per game and Oliver Junker, who boasts a great rebounding name, bringing down the “boards” at 11 per game. Vista suffered a surprising five-point loss to Legend last week but bounced back with the ultra-impressive 13-point win over league rival Rock Canyon! Vista looks to keep Heritage winless on this night…
6A Top 10 Alert! Valor Christian, 6A’s No. 4 team, will take their strong 17-2 record on the road to Ralston Valley, who sits at No. 9. The Eagles are unbeaten in league play and the Mustangs have just one loss, so there are true league title implications here!
Our 6A No. 1 team, Fruita Monument, is still trucking along at 20-0! This Tuesday will be a GREAT test as they tangle with 5A’s No. 9 team, Montrose. Fruita won the first matchup in January by 15, so we’ll see if Montrose steps up on the home floor!
Our 5A No. 2 Vista Peak will end our Tuesday action with their game against Regis Groff. Vista suffered a six-point home loss to 5A No. 1 Northfield last week, so they will be hungry to get back on track. Vista and Northfield’s 80-74 classic gives us hope they may see each other again come bracket play.
Wednesday 2/7:
Mead, 14-5 overall, has moved up two spots in CHSAA’s Seeding and Selection Index rankings to No. 7 and travel to Centaurus. The Mavs won the first match up by a massive 37-point margin and look to remain unbeaten in league play.
The high-flying Smoky Hill Buffaloes come in at No. 6 again this week and take their show to Grandview this week. It will be tough for the Wolves to keep pace with Smoky’s 68 per game point pace. The Buffaloes have two league losses and don’t plan on another!
5A Top 5 Alert! Ohhhhh we’ve been waiting for this one! #4 Windsor beat #3 Silver Creek by a whopping 37 points in their early-season meeting. This time, Silver Creek is the home squad and must look for a better showing in front of the home crowd. There’s nothing the Raptors would love better than to give Windsor their first league loss.
Eaglecrest drop one slot in 6A to No. 8, and will look to protect home court vs. Mullen on Wednesday. The Raptors have only one league loss and are currently sporting a five-game win streak.
5A’s No. 6 team, Palmer, has dropped a couple spots after their 15-point loss to Doherty last Saturday. That said, they still boast a 16-3 overall record and look to bounce back at Widefield on Wednesday.
Watch out for 5A’s No. 1 squad, Northfield, folks! The Fever Crew believes this is our best “city” squad regardless of classification. Unbeaten in league play, and led by lead guard Justus Michael’s 18 points per game, they will look to take down Kennedy.
Thursday 2/8:
5A’s No. 2 team, Vista Peak, will get a challenge from Thomas Jefferson, as they scrap every night out. Alante Monroe-Alazier is pacing the Bison with 15 points per game but watch out for the Spartans scorer William Perkins, who is pouring in 19 per outing. Both squads have one loss in league play so something has to give!
6A’s No. 4 Valor Christian looks to stay unbeaten when Arvada West pays a visit Thursday. Valor won the first match up by eight points early season and Cole Scheher’s 20 points per game looks to keep Valor perfect on their home floor.
A little 5A and 6A fun here as 6A’s No. 3 team, Mountain Vista, tangles with Ponderosa, 5A’s No. 9 team. Statistically these two are eerily similar but Pondo has five league losses, so this one is much more important to Vista, as they look to keep their league title hopes alive.
Lutheran is new to league play vs. 5A’s No. 8 team, Lewis Palmer, regularly a mainstay at the top of the division. This time, however, Lewis Palmer comes in with two league losses, while Lutheran is unbeaten. Watch out for the Rangers late season experience here, though.
Friday 2/9:
6A Top 10 Alert! No. 2 ThunderRidge will host No. 10 Regis Jesuit, to kick off Friday’s action, in one of those Continental battles where you can throw the records out the window!
It’s always a fun matchup when Holy Family and Mead rekindle their fiery rivalry. One of those league matches where you can throw records out the window. This time, Holy Family hosts 5A No. 7 Mead who won their initial match by nine points back in January. The Mavs look to remain spotless in league play!
Back to back nights for No. 3 Mountain Vista, and this one has even more intrigue. Dakota Ridge is a perfect 8-0 in their league play but Vista is about as hot as any team in the state right now. Dakota, averaging 68 points per game, won’t be afraid to get up and down the floor and meet Mountain Vista’s electric pace.
5A No. 1 Norhtfield will look to remain unbeaten in league play as well in their annual meeting with the Denver North Vikings. Northfield remains on a tear whether it’s against 5A or 6A competition!
Saturday 2/10:
Ralston Valley holding steady at No. 9 in 6A will face a Columbine squad who only has two wins on the season so look for the Mustangs to continue rolling. Look for Caiden Braketa and crew to keep the score keeper busy as they ran up 90 points on the Rebels in their first match up early in the season!
This next one might not be a Top-10 matchup, but, for the City of Denver, it is always a fun, fast-paced, and entertaining game, with lots of points! Denver East vs. George Washington is always a must-see regardless of records. Both squads are having down seasons but this rivalry always seems to produce a gem!
OK, hoop fans! There are clear league title implications on the line this week and some fun rivalries that seem to always live up to their billing. Get out and enjoy the big ones or simply support your neighborhood squad! The #MileHighMadness is quickly approaching…
#BallFever
