Centennial

Favorite: Mullen

Contenders: Cherry Creek, Smoky Hill

Top players: Andrew Abrahamson, Grandview, 6-1, Sr.; David Burns, Mullen, 6-9, Sr.; Jake Campbell, Grandview, 6-0, Sr.; Arden Dennis, Eaglecrst, 6-0, Jr. Terrance Dent, Mullen, 6-2, Sr.; Trey Eckloff, Cherry Creek, 6-10, Sr.; Mitch Fraser, Boulder, 6-3, Sr.; Beau Gamble, Fairview, 6-0, Jr.; Stan Jones, Mullen, 6-6, Sr.; Ryan Perry, Smoky Hill, 6-1, Sr.; Travis Shepherd, Fairview, 6-5, Jr.; Josh Turner, Eaglecrest, 6-2, Jr.; Leon Whittington, Smoky Hill, 6-1, Sr.; Gage Wooten, Eaglecrest, 6-4, Jr.

Outlook: Mullen starts out as the No. 1 team in the league, ranked fifth overall, but it’s never going to be easy in the Centennial. The Mustangs are led by Dent, a guard bound for Weber State. Mullen also has good size with Burns, an Air Force Academy recruit, and Jones.

Cherry Creek, which checks in just behind at No. 6, also has a big man who signed with a Division I team. Eckloff, a University of Colorado recruit, leads the Bruins this season.

Smoky Hill is going to be one of the most interesting teams in the state this year. The Buffaloes lost head coach Ken Shaw, who moved over to Regis, but Russ McKinstry is back to head up the program once again. McKinstry was at Pomona last season.

The Buffaloes have graduated a lot of talent in the past three seasons, but still have some left with point guard Leon Whittington and shooting guard Perry. Former Skyview star Xavier Howard also supposedly is enrolled at the school, but his eligibility is in question because of academics and the transfer.

Grandview checks in as another league threat, but not because of experience or height. The Wolves bring back senior guards Campbell and Abrahamson, but 6-3 center Matt Parker is about the size of other teams’ backcourt players. Wolves coach Gary Childress thinks his team is very athletic and will compete for the league title.

Eaglecrest certainly has a few players who can score. Wooten is an impressive small forward who made all-league last season while scoring 16 points a game. Shooting guard Turner has had big games and the Raptors seemed to have depth, so coach John Olander has a squad that should strongly contend for the top.

Fairview doesn’t quite have one player to match someone like Wooten, but two can take the place of one. Guards Gamble and Shepherd both averaged double figures last season, while Steven Cartwright, Zack Shockley, Jonathan Morse and Ryan Donnel all figure to produce for coach Frank Lee.

Boulder, with Mitch Fraser, and Overland, said to be improved, round out the league.

Colorado Springs Metro

Favorite: Doherty

Contenders: Palmer, Air Academy

Top players: Eric Bandt, Rampart, 5-10, Sr.; Will Bell, Sand Creek, 6-5, Sr.; Ron Burton, Air Academy, 5-9, Sr.; Nick Fox, Sand Creek, 6-6, Jr.; LaShawn Hamilton, Mitchell, 6-4, Jr.; Levi Harris, Coronado, 6-0, Sr.; V.J. Holmes, Doherty, 6-3, Sr.; Reggie Jackson, Palmer, 6-3, Sr.; Josh Jordan, Ramaprt, 5-9, Sr.; DaJaun Mitchell, Mitchell, 6-4, Jr.; George Pollard, Mitchell, 5-6, Sr.; Ross Roggow, Pine Creek, 6-1, Sr.; Cody Schuman, Sand Creek, 5-9, Sr.; Dammian Terry, Sand Creek, 6-8, So.; Bryse Velasquez, Doherty, 5-8, Jr.; Kwame Washington, Palmer, 6-0, Sr.; James Webb, Doherty, 6-2, Sr.

Outlook: It might be worth an hour’s drive for Denver-area basketball fans to check out this talent-rich league. Doherty starts off the season ranked No. 1, as coach Dan McKiernan has a solid squad even without three pretty good players who graduated last season.

Holmes, a powerful forward, is one of the best and smoothest players in the state and he’s got two strong guards to work with. Velasquez and Webb comprise probably the state’s best backcourt. McKiernan also points out that 6-2 junior guard Marquise Burleson has major college potential.

Palmer’s guard duo of Jackson, a Boston College recruit, and Washington is the one likeliest to challenge Doherty for supremacy. Coach Jim Grantz also will be looking to seniors Jon Burnley, Patrick Gardia and Earl Harden to compete, along with 6-7 junior forward Micah Edwards and 5-10 junior guard Zach Hawkins.

Pine Creek had a fine 17-8 record last season, but graduated star player Dario Hunt. The Eagles have only Roggow returning to the varsity, but 6-foot senior guard Kelvin Kosbab and 6-5 senior Cory Collison were quite productive on the junior varsity last season.

Two other veteran talents will lead other CSML teams. Air Academy has Burton, who averaged 20 points a game last season, while Coronado has Harris, who scored about the same. The Kadets and Cougars will advance as far as their supporting casts determine.

In the Kadets case, coach Chad Velveal also has 6-6 senior Brennan Price, 5-11 junior Robbie Belveal, 6-7 senior Dexter Price and 6-4 junior Jason Goins, so things really look good.

At Coronado, coach Dan Hugill has 6-3 junior Adam Kloos to rebound when Harris misses and a couple of nice sophomores guards in 6-3 Devon Burnett and 6-1 Ben Foley.

Mitchell has experience other league teams besides Doherty, Palmer and Air Academy seem to lack. The Marauders will count on seniors Pollard, Angello Borrello and Traymayne Randall. Other classes will get representation from juniors Mitchell and Hamilton, while sophomore MonDarrius Benson, a 5-7 guard, is quite promising.

Rampart’s Bandt is the only Rams player who averaged in double figures in scoring last season, mostly because of his good three-point touch. The 5-10 guard is joined by fellow seniors Jordan, a point guard, and Calvin Lyons, a 6-4 power forward. Jacob Kimsey, who started in the playoffs last season, is an improving 6-2 sophomore.

Sand Creek has a new coach in Otis Johnson, but he has no varsity starters returning. Johnson is encouraged, however, by Bell, a strong forward, and Schuman, a guard. Terry is a promising big-man center, one of a very strong crop of sophomores in the city this season. Fox, a forward who transferred from Golden, could be a very welcome addition to the Scorpions lineup.

Continental

Favorite: ThunderRidge

Contenders: Rangeview, Gateway

Top players: Dave Arnold, ThunderRidge, 6-2, Jr.; Justin Becker, ThunderRidge, 6-8, Sr.; Tim Billingsley, Chaparral, 6-3, So.; Justin Clark, Rangeview, 5-9, Sr.; Jace Davis, Highlands Ranch, 6-3, Jr.; Kevin DeWitt, Regis, 6-4, Sr.; Drew Gelroth, Douglas County, 6-0, Sr.; Clayton Goggins, Gateway, 5-9, Sr.; Jeff Hahl, Arapahoe, 6-3, Sr.; Kyle Henning, Ponderosa, 6-1, Sr.; O’Rion Hughes, Gateway, 6-2, Sr.; Kyle Mack, Highlands Ranch, 6-5, Sr.; Kellan McLemore, Rangeview, 6-3, Sr.; Nik Pavlich, Chaparral, 6-3, Jr.; Jack Sadowy, Arapahoe, 6-0, Sr.; Tyler Samuelson, Douglas County, 6-4, Sr.; Jordan Smith, Mountain Vista, 5-10, Jr.; Zach Tiedgen, ThunderRidge, 6-6, Sr.; Chad Vorwaller, Ponderosa, 6-4, Sr.; Scott Winter, Mountain Vista, 6-4, Sr.; Steve Wylie, Regis, 6-6, Sr.

Outlook: ThunderRidge is ranked third to start the season, and the Grizzlies certainly have all the ingredients to content for their third state championship. There is muscle up front with the 6-6 Tiedgen, 6-8 Becker and 6-7 Corey Stern. Coach Joe Ortiz also will have a couple of prime shooters in Arnold, who will run the offense, and 6-2 Austin Foote.

Rangeview has one of the state’s most productive all-around players in McLemore and he’s complemented by Clark, a jet at point guard. Raiders coach Shawn Palmer noted that another guard, 6-3 Reggie Evans, grew 3 inches during the summer and developed a great shooting touch.

The Raiders will rely on 6-4 senior M.J. McPeek and 6-2 junior D’Anthony Campos for inside strength, but could be on the minus side against big teams such as ThunderRidge, Cherry Creek and Legacy. Still, Denver East won the Class 5A title last season without a real post player.

Gateway is one of those teams orbiting just outside the top 10, but the Olympians still have an astronomically talented forward in Hughes. Although standing only 6-2, Hughes loves to work in the paint. He is joined by Goggins, a guard, and 6-2 swingman Josh Pleasant.

Chaparral doesn’t have the experience of other Continental schools, but Pavlich should be a weapon and the Wolverines have a do-it-all player in Billingsley. Steve Bonda is a 6-4 senior front-liner with point guard skills and Mykel Morse, a 5-10 sophomore, will actually handle the point. Wolverines coach Robert Johnson likes his team’s quickness.

Douglas County will count on Gelroth this season and the senior guard will be aided by Samuelson, a senior forward, and Dahsan Gary, a 6-5 senior center.

Highlands Ranch should have a whole new look. Not only have the Falcons lost all but one starter, but their new coach also is Bob Caton, who rebuilt Aurora Central and led the Trojans to the state finals last season.

Highlands Ranch will look to Davis, a guard who also starred at running back for the football team. Mack, a forward, will handle the rebounding, along with a pair of 6-4 juniors, Phil Brown and Greg Sullivan. Jack Fay and Ben Goebel will supply a senior element to the team, while 5-10 freshman guard Brett Olson should get some playing time.

Mountain Vista also graduated its best player, but coach Brandon Brookfield does return a senior forward in Winter, plus Smith and 6-4 junior guard Eric Anderson.

Regis landed the other big-name coach in the offseason, Ken Shaw, who formerly was at Smoky Hill. The Raiders are blessed with good size and return leading scorer DeWitt, a 6-4 guard. Wylie, a 6-6 forward, and Bud Thomas, a 6-5 sophomore, fill in the front line.

Another sophomore, 6-foot guard Joey Ptasinski, is the Raiders’ best shooter, while a couple of transfers, 6-4 junior Neil McCahill from ThunderRidge and 5-9 junior R.J. Demps should fit in.

Opposing fans labeled 19-5 Arapahoe a one-man team last year, because player of the year Levi Knutson was such a force and the Warriors wisely fed him the ball. Knutson now starts for the University of Colorado.

Those chants were not accurate, because Sadowy is quite a capable guard who should lead the Warriors this season. Arapahoe coach Dan Snyder also is encouraged by the return of forward Hahl and Kevin Mackey, a regular at guard.

Denver Prep

Favorite: Denver East

Contenders: George Washington, Montbello, Kennedy, Denver West

Top players: Ashaun Drumgo, George Washington, 6-6, Sr.; Mookey Gilbert, Denver East, 6-6, Sr.; Jose Hernandez, Denver West, 5-11, Sr.; Quentin Hildreth, Denver East, 5-9, Sr.; Ivan Lugan, Denver West, 6-0, Sr.; Nate Nelson, Montbello, 6-3, Sr.; Mario Silva, Denver West, 5-7, Sr.; DaVaughn Thornton, Denver East, 6-5, Jr.; Demetrius Thornton, Denver East, 6-5, Jr.; Jamiko Verner, Denver East, 5-9, Sr.

Outlook: Denver East again should finish on top, but Angels coach Rudy Carey said most of the other city teams should be improved. The Angels lost a ton of talent, though, including All-Colorado guard Donell Wells, defensive ace Blake Swain, and hard-working Jordan Martinez .

“We were a guard-oriented team last year and we’ll be a forward-oriented team this year,” Carey said.

The Angels, ranked second in 5A, do have so much talent on the wing that they probably will run a three-forward lineup. All-around talent Gilbert, a senior forward, can do damage outside with his shooting and inside with his driving and rebounding. DaVaughn Thornton, a 6-5 junior, proved himself last season, while older brother Demetrius, a 6-5 senior who struggled after a knee injury last year, is almost back to his formerly dominant self.

Playmaker Verner and Hildreth will man the backcourt, while senior Koree Ross and junior Troy Weise also will see time.

George Washington is rated as the best 5A challenger to East’s dominance, although 4A Lincoln also should figure into the DPL race, as the Lancers won a share of the city title and went on to capture the state championship as well. The Patriots are led by Drumgo, one of the best big men in the league.

Denver West is looking to a trio of seniors to lead the way. Hernandez is a tough post player, but he’s only 5-11. Lujan will swing and is a strong defender, while Silva is a point guard with good court sense. Coach Richard Chainhalt is encouraged by some other young players.

Kennedy won’t have much experience to draw upon. Coach Randy Mulder has only one returning starter and two returning lettermen and he said the team has so many eligibility issues, he isn’t sure who will play in the opener. Montbello split the DPL championship with East and Lincoln last season, but coach David Carey saw most of his squad graduate and the Warriors are going to miss that talent this season.

Front Range

Favorite: Poudre

Contenders: Monarch, Rocky Mountain

Others to watch: Fort Collins, Horizon, Legacy, Loveland, Northglenn, Thornton

Top players: Ben Bosunga, Northglenn, 5-10, Sr.; Sabatino Chen, Monarch, 6-2, Sr.; Anthony Crenshaw, Poudre, 6-3, Jr.; Dallas Elmore, Poudre, 6-5, Sr.; Jaime Fulgencio, Poudre, 5-7, Sr.; A.J. Gilbert, Loveland, 6-0, Sr.; Brien Glenn, Rocky Mountain, 5-10, Sr.; John Harshman, Loveland, 5-11, Sr.; Collin Klein, Loveland, 6-5, Sr.; Austin Maag, Fort Collins, 6-5, So.; Nate McAuliff, Fort Collins, 6-2, So.; Nick Noffsinger, Legacy, 6-0, Jr.; Trevor Noonan, Legacy, 6-8, Sr.; Kaipo Sabas, Rocky Mountain, 6-0, Sr.; Trevor Shaw, Poudre, 6-5, Sr.

Outlook: Poudre and Dallas Elmore are the class of this league and the Impalas are taking a high ranking into the season. Elmore has signed with Boston College and he is featured in the Class 5A preseason preview.

Impalas coach Jeff Schelly has a good complement to Elmore in forward Trevor Shaw, and the guy who can get them going in Fulgencio. Add in promising junior forward Crenshaw plus 6-foot guard Anthony Rodriguez and Poudre has the starting material for a league and state championship.

Loveland has a top forward in Klein, skilled at scoring, rebounding and just doing things on the court. Indians coach Shawn Pitts also sees good things coming from his guards, Hutsell and Gilbert.

Klein, by the way, also quarterbacks the Indians’ football team and is headed to play that sport at Kansas State.

Legacy also has a player with a major college future, although 6-8 Trevor Noonan will stick to basketball at the Air Force Academy. The Lightning has another notable player in 6-foot junior guard Nick Noffsinger.

Fort Collins gets a new coach in former Windsor boss Monty Alcaraz and he’s inheriting an empty cupboard as far as returning varsity players is concerned. Still, Alcaraz does believe in the talents of a couple of sophomore guards, McAuliff and 6-5 transfer Maag.

The lone senior for the Lambkins is 6-2 guard Beau Rice. Cody Spicer, a 5-11 sophomore, is expected to score from the outside and Hayden Ahlbrandt, a 6-5 junior, from the inside.

Northglenn has a familiar name in Harshman, the only returning starter for coach Kevin Knudsen, and the brother of former Norse star Mike Harshman. Bosunga, a senior guard, and Raphael McCreary, a 5-10 junior guard, are also going to play important roles.

Rocky Mountain has four returning starters and 10 lettermen back, so the Lobos depth is an asset. Besides star players Sabas and Glenn, Rocky also should get production from 6-3 junior Jake Steward, 6-8 senior Austin Donnelly and 6-2 junior Mike Liss.

Jefferson County

Favorite: Wheat Ridge

Contenders: Arvada West, Chatfield

Top players: Brent Aga, Lakewood, 6-5, Sr.; Jeff Aspergren, Green Mountain, 6-4, Sr.; Trent Bishop, Chatfield, 6-0, Sr.; Richard Brown, Arvada West, 6-3, Sr.; Ryan Buchanan, Arvada West, 6-6, Sr.; Vince Dowd, Wheat Ridge, 6-1, Sr.; Mike Gearhart, Wheat Ridge, 6-6, Sr.; Connor Osborne, Columbine, 6-8, Sr.; Jeff Popick, Lakewood, 6-4, Sr.; Ryan Routzon, Wheat Ridge, 6-5, Sr.; Ben Tedford, Columbine, 6-7, Sr.; Wayne Wallace, Wheat Ridge, 6-7, Sr.;

Outlook: A lot of people think Wheat Ridge will run away with the league championship this season, and there is ample evidence to support that. Arvada West still might prove that players on the court and not on paper make the difference.

Wheat Ridge coach Tom Dowd might be able to sit back a few times this season and just watch his starting five operate. The Farmers have three starters back from a very good 18-6 team from last year, and add in plenty of depth.

Routzon, a senior guard, has twice been picked first-team all-league while Wallace has some memorable games of outside shooting prowess from last season - and he’s 6-7. Vince Dowd, Tom’s son, also can hit threes and will set up his teammates. Gearhart is the other big guy at 6-6, and 6-foot guard Parker Orms has enormous athletic ability. Eric Achatz, a 6-3 junior forward, and Jacob Nelson, a 6-3 junior guard, also have great potential.

The problem at Arvada West - only one returning starter - also might be the solution. Brown, a senior forward, probably is the league’s best player. Coach Eddie Reeves is looking to Buchanan, a senior center, to emerge this season, along with a pair of 6-2 senior guards in Jeremiah Waters and Drew Barnes. Reeves knows the Wildcats can score, but is looking for improvement on defense.

Chatfield also has a lone returning starter in Bishop, so it’s up to a trio of sophomores to fill out the lineup. Kyle Slavin and Jordan Carter are both 6-4 forwards, while 6-2 Landon Vermeer is a guard. Tyler Haidaris, a 6-2 junior, is another strong candidate to start in the backcourt, but coach Steve Schimpeler probably wishes he had a few more bigger and more experienced players.

Columbine gets a new coach in Jeff Wennberg and he thinks Tedford will return. A 6-7 senior, Tedford is a talented basketball player whose sports future is football at Colorado State. Tedford also has a bit of an injury history, so the Rebels also will look to Osborne, a big center, plus 6-5 junior power forward Gannett Hurlbut and 6-foot junior point guard Beau Smith for production.

Lakewood is another of those teams that has everybody wondering where all the starters from last season went. Well, they graduated, but that doesn’t mean coach Clay Thielking still doesn’t have a pair of nice seniors. Aga, a 6-5 forward/center, and Popick, a 6-4 forward, both earned honorable mention all-conference honors last season. The Tigers bring in a couple more senior who could make a difference in 6-3 guard Joey Magee and 6-1 guard Mike Haraldson.

Skyline

Favorite: Aurora Central

Contenders: Brighton, Hinkley, Adams City

Top players: Ryan Clark, Hinkley, 6-1, Jr.; Joe Elliott, Hinkley, 5-6, Sr.; Alex Flores, Adams City, 6-3, Sr.; Joe Goyer, Aurora Central, 6-6, Sr.; Caston Mabin, Aurora Central, 6-5, Sr.; Nevin Marshall, Hinkley, 5-8, Sr.; Joe Rodriguez, Adams City, 6-0, Sr.; Brock Veasley, Aurora Central, 5-8, Sr.;

Outlook: It’s really anybody’s pick in this league, as Skyline powers Aurora Central and Brighton both had severe graduation losses and the Trojans also lost program builder Bob Caton, who left to coach Highlands Ranch.

Adams City, therefore, might be ready for improvement. Coach Dan Ellis has four starters back, but little height as usual. The Eagles will be led by Flores, a center who was just short of double figures for scoring last season.

Rodriguez, a 6-foot swingman, is the other returning starter and Ellis said he has good defensive skills and leadership. Zack Muck sounds like an ideal banger on the front line, but the 5-9 junior actually is a quick playmaker. Jon Rodriguez, a 6-foot junior, has good quickness and athleticism, while 5-8 junior guard Mike Duran possesses the Eagles’ best shooting eye.

Ian Calvert, an assistant who helped coach Montbello to a stellar season last year, takes over the top job at Aurora Central. The Trojans will have senior talent along the front line with Goyer, who had a couple of strong rebounding games last season, and Mabin, who destroyed junior varsity opposition a couple seasons ago.

Veasley is the mainstay at point guard and he had quite a bit of playing time last year. Kilen Venable, a 6-2 junior guard, is the newcomer to the varsity. Calvert said Chris Kelly, a 6-2 senior, also should contribute this year and he is hoping New York transfer Kojo Mensah, a 6-3 senior guard, and Davy Johnson, a 6-foot senior guard, resolve some issues and contribute to the team.

Hinkley has many of the same positives and negatives of Adams City. The Thunderbirds do have a lot of quickness and a dearth of height. Coach Dan Jarvis will get offensive sharpshooting from his two senior guards, Marshall and Joe Elliott.

At 6-1, Clark is the Hinkley’s best rebounder and second tallest player. Aaron Jones, Riccardo Morrison and Aaron Phelka all have talent as well.

Southwestern

Favorite: Grand Junction

Contenders: Fruita Monument, Grand Junction Central, Durango

Top players: Jeff Baldwin, Grand Junction, 6-5, Jr.; Sean Citlau, Grand Junction Central, 5-8, Jr.; Beau Coit, Fruita Monument, 6-4, Sr.; Cody Derner, Grand Junction Central, 6-1, Sr.; Clay Kame, Grand Junction Central, 5-11, Jr.; Everett Robinson, Grand Junction, 6-4, Jr.;Calvin Rock, Grand Junction, 6-2, Sr.; Corey Schultz, Fruita Monument, 5-10, Sr.

Outlook: Known for its excellent forwards in the past, this league now has some well-regarded point guards.

Kame of Grand Junction Central was second team all-league as a sophomore last season and the junior can score and pass. He will be joined by defensive ace Citlau and Derner, a 6-1 senior, as part of the Warriors’ guard triumvirate.

Fruita Monument has the height Central lacks, so the Wildcats appear to be the best-rounded 5A team from the Western Slope. Coach Dave Fox thinks Schultz is a good small college prospect. He has high averages for assists and steals.

Coit, a 6-4 senior post player, will get the green light to shoot more this season, as the Wildcats adjust to a rehabilitated Nick Hensley, a 6-3 senior forward coming back from a knee blowout. Colton Warneke, a 6-foot senior guard from California, and Brandon Bingaman, a 6-4 post player from Tennessee, are intriguing transfers.

Grand Junction is the favorite to win the league. The Tigers have all-league returnees in Rock, a 6-2 senior, and Baldwin, a 6-5 junior. Robinson is another quality player for the Tigers and coach Dutch Johnson.

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