PARKER, CO – A player who has probably hit a lot of shots from the very spot on that court nailed a huge 3 pointer down the stretch Saturday evening at Legend High.
Jared Small, a 6-foot-7 junior who attends Legend, dropped in the 3 from the left corner with 40 seconds to play to put the white jersey-wearing team up a point over its gray shirt-wearing counterparts in the Top 20 all-star game of the West Coast Elite Camp/Colorado.
After Jordan Phillips (a 6-6 junior at San Creek in Colorado Springs) missed a jump shot at the other end of the floor, 6-8 junior Austin Mueller (ThunderRidge in Highlands Ranch), was fouled with 8.3 seconds to go and hit both ends of a 1-and-1 free-throw opportunity to seal the 92-89 victory.
The bulk of the better in-state underclassmen were on hand Saturday for the Ryan Silver-front event, which attracted approximately 120 players.
Small joined Legend classmates Danny Garrick, Riley Matticks and Monroe Porter in the Top 20 contest.
The four helped their squad advance to the quarterfinals of the State 5A playoffs. The Titans could be the preseason favorite in the division in 2016.
There was one non-Colorado player in the Top 20 game (and Top 40 all-star contest was also play; each player played two “camp” games prior to the all-star affairs).
That player, 6-2 left-handed junior Grant Arthur (La Canada High in Southern California), is an “A” student whose 4.0 jump shot was on display Saturday.
Arthur (whose older sister attends the University of Denver) also demonstrated how diversified the rest of his game has become, showing off solid play-making skill and much more formidable ability to score in and around the lane.
Four other left-handers also were among the standouts, in the camp games as well as the Top 20 game.
*Austin Fritts (a 6-5 junior from Green Mountain in Lakewood who will play with the aforementioned Small, Garrick, Matticks and Porter for the “Next Level” travel squad in the Southern California Hoop Review in Garden Grove this weekend, knocked in wing jumpers and also powered his way to a lot of buckets and rebounds in the key.
*D’Shawn Schwartz (a 6-6 sophomore at Sand Creek in Colorado Springs) may have the most versatile player in the camp and could be the best college prospect in the state’s Class of 2017.
If such a thing had been selected – by me or anyone else in attendance – Schwartz would have been as logical choice as any for Most Outstanding Player honor for the day.
*Daylen Kuntz (a 6-2 freshman at George Washington in Denver) isn’t as tall as Schwartz but has a lot of skills and feel for the game in common with him.
They were matched up for much of one of the first games Saturday morning. Schwartz used his strength and size edge to solid advantage.
But their on-court futures are certainly equally promising.
*Another outstanding freshman left hander with multiple ways to beat defense with the ball in his hands is 6-2 Sam Masten (Rock Canyon in Highlands Ranch) and he beat a lot of opponents with his jump shot and with his ability to take the ball anywhere he wants on the dribble or pass.
Like Legend High, George Washington was also well-represented in the Top 20 game with brothers Calvin Fugett Jr. (a sophomore) Jon’il Fugett (a freshman), as well as sophomores Jervay Green and Rodolzo Lewis also participating in the final contest.
Along with J. Fugett, Kountz and Masten, three other freshmen – 6-6 Brendan LaRose (Rampart in Payton), 6-2 Keonte Kennedy (Aurora Regis Jesuit) and 6-5 William Becker (Smoky Hill in Aurora) – were also chosen to the Top 20 (actually 24 players were selected) game.
LaRose rebounded well throughout the day and Kennedy hit a lot of jumpers while also slithering his way to the rim on short drives.
Becker is as thin as dental floss – I’m guessing he tips at the scales at something approaching 160 pounds – but blocked at least five shots in one of the camp games.
And no one played any harder than did 6-6 Jalen Sanders (Valor Christian in Aurora), who scored on a couple of jump hooks but also showed off his ability to launch – and hit – jumpers from near the arc.
He was also as good a rebounder as was on display Saturday.
And rivaling Grant Arthur as the best jump shooter at the event was 6-1 sophomore Braxton Bertolette (Fossil Ridge in Loveland) who could be the best jump shooter anywhere, and in any class, in the state.
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