Ball Fever: Seeding Index’s Mid-January Top 10
By Thomas Trotman
Photo: David Harvey
Welcome back, hoops fans! A ton of excitement in the first two months of our CHSAA big school boys hoops which is a sign of things to come as we are in the New Year and sooner than we think our #MileHighMadness March playoff fun will be upon us!
We started with our preseason Coaches Poll, the RPI initial standings and now the CHSAA RPI/Max Preps MPI give us our weekly Seeding Index!
Let’s dive right in and see how our Top 10 teams have been performing and what’s on tap for this week!
THE LOOK AHEAD
Tuesday 1/14:
Why not start with unbeaten and #2-ranked Rangeview in 6A, who will host a tough 5A opponent in 7-2 Northfield? A classic Denver vs. A-Town match up to get the week going! The Raiders are averaging a hot 75 points per game led by senior point guard LaDavian King’s 16 points per game, and the future is bright as well with “FRESHMAN ALERT” Marceles Duncan contributing 6 rebounds and 4 blocks per game for the 10-0 Raiders.
Super solid action down south as 5A #2 Discovery Canyon hosts 6A Liberty, who is playing good ball behind Cameron Cunningham’s 18 points and 3 assists per game. Both squads come in with only one loss and Discovery Canyon will look to force Liberty’s 70-point per game pace to slow down!
Very intriguing non-conference match this night at #3 Eaglecrest, who is hosting Mountain Vista, two teams the Fever Crew expect to have a strong impact come playoff time. The Eagles head to Eaglecrest at 8-3 but two of those losses came in out-of-state competition and their star duo of Cal Baskind and Oliver Junker have the tools for a March run. The Raptors lost a ton of fire power in a transfer but they have their own duo of big man Garrett Barger and Ant Nettles’ 15 points per game leading the way.
Our guys at Dry Creek & University playing some ball early this season as Arapahoe comes in as 6A #6 and hosting Douglas County, who’s struggling at 3-7 so far. As a big guard at 6-4, Miles McMonigle is the Warriors’ lead man at 16 points per game while the team is shutting teams down defensively!
If you’re following along out west, Eagle Valley, 5A #8, is headed even further west to tangle with Grand Junction Central, who are struggling early on with only 2 wins. Dylan Zoller’s 17 points per game helped Eagle Valley take down GJC by 12 points in early-season tournament play and now the rematch is set.
Check out the big fella, 6-9 Kade Speckman, averaging a “monsta” double-double of 20 points and 11 rebounds per game for 5A #3 Lutheran, who has played a super impressive early schedule vs. 6A teams and this night they host Pueblo County.
If up north is more your flavor, settle into 6A Fossil Ridge visiting 5A #7 Windsor and lefty junior Madden Smiley (20 points, 9 rebounds per outing). Windsor has faced tough Fossil Ridge once already this season and pulled off the first victory 63-58.
Montrose, #4 in 5A, and “Stat-stuffin” Kaleb Ferguson will have the first of two matches this season with Palisade. Montrose at 10-2 will look to get back to its winning ways after a loss to 10-0 Centauri last week.
Wednesday 1/15:
6A defending champ Valor Christian dropped just a bit from #5 to #7 this week, still riding the “stat-stuffin” Mr. Do It All Cole Scherer’s 30 points per game average, and faces conference foe Columbine for the first of two battles this year.
Speaking of “stat-stuffin,” class of 2026 6-6 junior forward Mason Bonner is averaging a 17-point, 10-rebound double-double for the 5A #5 Mullen Mustangs, who host Holy Family this week in a private-school tilt!
There’s our 5A #1 squad Mesa Ridge, led by another player who fills the stat sheet in Bryce Riehl. The 6-1 senior guard is averaging 21 points per game and leads Mesa Ridge vs. Harrison in the first of their two conference games this season.
Previously unranked 6A Arvada West is now 8-2 and jumps into the Top 10 at #10 this week. Keegan Balisteri is the top contributor to A West’s outscoring opponents with their average of 72 points per game, and he’s averaging 16 per outing. A West starts its conference campaign at Lakewood, who hasn’t won a game so far this season.
Last week’s 6A #2, Ralston Valley, continues its winning ways and now at 9-0 has moved up 1 slot to that top #1 spot. Tanner Braketa is leading the way at 20 points and 5 assists per game and looks to get conference play off to a good start vs. an always game Chatfield.
Thursday 1/16:
5A “TOP 10 ALERT!” in #3 Lutheran vs. #9 Cheyenne Mountain. Lutheran and stud big man Kade Speckman has been covered and it’s time for a battle from 9-1 Cheyenne Mountain in the Springs! Alex Treglia is leading the scoring for Cheyenne Mountain and Cayden Cooper is all over leading the squad in three statistical categories. The first of two match ups this season should be a good one!
We covered Eagle Valley’s hot start to the season previously and now the Devils have a real challenge coming their way in 9-2 Evergreen, who heads west for this match.
Following 5A #2 Discovery Canyon’s tough Tuesday match vs. 6A Liberty they are right back in action this night vs. Palmer Ridge in the start of conference play.
Kaleb Ferguson looks to keep 5A #4 Montrose hot as they head west to Grand Junction Central for their second game of a busy week.
Friday 1/17:
Friday brings us the beginning of Continental League play and Regis is one of the conference’s top teams, currently at 6A #4 this week. The Raiders are led by their big man, 6-8 junior Eric Fiedler, who along with being a baseball stud is averaging a massive 24 points per game for Regis, whuih heads south to Douglas County.
Mesa Ridge, 5A #1, and Bryce Riehl’s hot hand, who we covered earlier in the week, are at it again, and this time it’s conference play vs. 6A Palmer.
Did we say Friday night Continental League??? How about a 6A “TOP 10 ALERT!” as #5 Chaparral hosts #8 ThunderRidge in a rematch of their December tournament title game that Chap won by 8 points at T-Ridge. Nothing more the Grizzlies would like to do than settle the score, but they’ll have to deal with super soph Christian Williams’ 21 points per game for the Wolverines, who will be on their home court this time around!
At 7-4 overall, we welcome Frederick to the 5A Top 10 after previously being unranked. They are riding Jovan Aldan’s 16 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks per game into this conference match up with rival Mead.
Friday night is treating us to multiple 6A Top 10 thrillers and this one between former #1 Rangeview (now our 6A #2 this week) and #9 Denver South, who is new to the rankings this week. Rangeview’s leader LaDavian King and young talent at Rangeview has been covered, but the D South Ravens have veteran leadership and young talent of their own who are coming on strong, led by senior Dominic Rhoades-Martinez’s 17 points, 5 assists, and 4 steals per night!
“6A Top 10 Alert” If you are in need of some 7:30 p.m. late Friday Night Action, how about #1 Ralston Valley vs. defending champ #7 Valor Christian? We’ve covered the scoring machines on both sides of this battle, and get your popcorn ready as this could easily be the Fever Crew’s “Game of the Week!” Both squads averaging 70 points per outing should guarantee some sweet, fast paced action…
Saturday 1/18:
Game 3 of the week for 5A #1 Mesa Ridge. This time a short trip to Monument vs. conference foe Palmer Ridge.
Mullen, the 5A # 5 squad we’ve covered, will head over to Heritage for a Continental League Saturday tilt.
“5A Top 10 ALERT!” We’ve covered #3 Lutheran’s ultra tough early season schedule, and this is another to add to the list as it travels to #8 Eagle Valley for this Top 10 match to close out our coverage for the week!
OK, folks! There it is. A TON of action this week to get out and support as league play starts up. Some extreme cold temps coming our way, BUT: It’s always 72 & Sunny In The Gym! Get out and enjoy!
#BallFever
