Class 2A Boys Basketball League Predictions
The official start to basketball was last week and most teams will kick off play sometime next week. We dive into each league that we are putting as Class 2A. Some mixed Classes will be in the 3A League Predictions. Remember, for Class 2A you now must be ranked inside the top 32 of the CHSAA Seeding and Selection Index to make it to Regionals or win your league (Minimum of 5 teams). Regionals will still be first two rounds with the highest seed as the host and the brackets will not be reseeded before state. Class 1A will still play a full Consolation Round.
3A/2A/1A Mile High
1. Bishop Machebeuf
2. Flatirons Academy (1A)
3. SkyView Academy (3A)
4. Heritage Christian
5. Lyons (3A)
6. Union Colony Prep
7. Dayspring Christian
8. Dawson School (3A)
9. Front Range Christian
10. Estes Park (3A)
11. Belleview Christian
12. Clear Creek (3A)
13. Gilpin County
The Mile High League will get an automatic berth into regionals. Only the top team regardless of Class will get the automatic berth. Bishop Machebeuf is my pick to win the Mile High League. Machebeuf returns 6 of their 7 top scorers from last season including their top scorer. Machebeuf drops from Class 3A down to Class 2A. Flatirons Academy, Heritage Christian, Lyons, SkyView Academy, Union Colony Prep, Dayspring Christian, and Dawson School in my opinion are the main challengers to the league crown and will all be regional contenders. Front Range Christian and Estes Park could also be considered regional contenders in their respective classes.
My predictions for 3A/2A/1A/ MileHigh
League Champion: Bishop Machebeuf
Regional Contenders: Machebeuf, Flatirons Academy, Heritage Christian, Lyons, SkyView Academy, Union Colony prep, Dayspring Christian, Dawson School, Front Range Christan, Estes Park
Dark Horse: SkyView Academy
Preseason-Player of the League: Miles Edgar-Parchman Sr. Machebeuf
Others to watch for: John Menke Sr. Machebeuf, Jack Menke Sr. Machebeuf, Landon Sulser Sr. Machebeuf, Pistol Chavez Jr. Flatirons Academy, Jude Meyer Jr. Flatirons Academy, Parker Wilson Sr. Flatirons Academy, Brandon Ewing Sr. Flatirons Academy, Levi Hermsen Sr. Heritage Christian, Alex Lundy Jr. heritage Christian, Caleb Christiansen Sr. Lyons, Payton Bolkovatz Sr. Lyons, Jake Lacrosse Jr. Lyons, Isaac Dove Sr. SkyView Academy, Markus Lloyd Sr. SkyView Academy, Josiah Rodriguez Sr. Union Colony Prep, Tanner Sarchet Jr. Union Colony prep, Jesiah Chairez Sr. Union Colony Prep, Owen McClanahan Sr. Dayspring Christian, Hudson Weigt Sr. Dayspring Christian, Peter Ernst Sr. Dawson School, Isaiah Tu Jr. Dawson School, Zach Woo So. Front Range Christian, Haedan Morton Jr. Front Range Christian, Isaac Hill Jr. Estes Park, Hayden Powell Sr. Estes Park, Josh Norman Sr. Belleview Christian, Collin Polson Sr. Belleview Christian, Riley Allen So. Denver Academy, Luc Stanley So. Denver Academy, Taurean Paxton So. Gilpin County, Drew Starkey Sr. Gilpin County, Zephyr Schuessler Jr. Clear Creek
2A Southern Peaks
1. Sanford
2. Crested Butte
3. Sargent
4. Del Norte
5. Center
6. Trinidad
The 2A Southern Peaks will get an automatic berth into regionals since they have over 5 teams. Sanford will once again be the heavy favorite to win the Southern Peaks League and a contender to reach the State Tournament. Sanford will have key holes to fill but return plenty of talent and youth to make a deep push. Crested Butte seems to be the main challenge for the league title and push for a regional spot. Center, Sargent, Trinidad and Del Norte all will look to push for regionals, but we will see who rises and pushes for a top 3 finish in league. Could be a down year for the SPL unless teams rise this year.
My predictions for Southern Peaks
League Champion: Sanford
Regional Contenders: Sanford, Crested Butte, Sargent
Dark Horse: Center
Preseason-Player of the League: Ben Sittler Sr. Sanford
Others to watch for: Trason Gartrell Jr. Sanford, Colter Canty Jr. Sanford, Travis Canty Jr. Sanford, Adin Kurak Sr. Crested Butte, Eli Hulm Sr. Crested Butte, Luke Jennings Sr. Crested Butte, Anjel Palma So. Center, Damian Casanova Jr. Center, Rico Garcia-Luna Sr. Center, Fernando Venzor Sr. Sargent, Lucas Garcia Sr. Sargent, Kade Temple Sr. Sargent, Tytus Atencio Sr. Del Norte, Lashawn Trujillo Sr. Del Norte, Noah Bailey Jr. Del Norte, Nathan Sandoval Sr. Trinidad, David Romero Sr. Trinidad, Jerome Schultz Sr. Trinidad
2A Santa Fe
1. Crowley County
2. Hoehne
3. Fowler
4. Swink
5. Swallows Charter
6. Rocky Ford
7. Las Animas
8. Walsenburg
The 2A Santa Fe League will get an automatic berth into regionals this year because they have over 5 teams in the league. The Santa Fe League could be very competitive were 6 if not 7 teams are pushing for a regional spot. Crowley County is my pick to win the Santa Fe League and push for a state tournament berth. Crowley County has a big hole to fill losing their #2 scorer and rebounder. Crowley County returns 6 of their top 7 scorers and if they play like they did last year in the 5th place game could push for the title. Hoehne and Fowler I believe are the main league title threats to Crowley County with Swink, Swallows Charter, Rocky Ford, and Las Animas all being in the mix for a regional berth. Fowler is my dark horse, they are always well coached and that could easily push them into the league title mix.
My predictions for Santa Fe
League Champion: Crowley County
Regional Contenders: Crowley County, Hoehne, Fowler, Swink, Swallows Charter, Rocky Ford
Dark Horse: Fowler
Player of the League: Gunner Hughes Sr. Crowley County
Others to watch for: Anthoni Walter Sr. Crowley County, Malaki McNeal Jr. Crowley County, Aiden Vowles Sr. Crowley County, Levon Bachicha Sr. Hoehne, Jayson Guzzo Jr. Hoehne, Nathan Zamora Sr. Hoehne, Hagen McCuistion Sr. Fowler, Cael True Sr. Fowler, Dominic Armijo Sr. Fowler, Nate Cabrera Sr. Swink, Nick Paolucci Sr. Swink, Andrew Breedlove Jr. Swallows Charter, Charles Perry Jr. Swallows Charter, Christian Garcia Jr. Swallows Charter, Isaiah Vazquez-Gallegos Sr. Rocky Ford, Fabian Ortega So. Rocky Ford, Tayton Coulter Sr. Las Animas, Kollin Reyher Sr. Las Animas, Jadyn Barela Jr. Walsenburg
2A/1A Lower Platte
1. Akron
2. Sedgwick County
3. Holyoke
4. Haxtun
5. Merino
6. Caliche (1A)
The 2A/1A Lower Platte will get a automatic berth into regionals because they have more than 5 teams. The 2A/1A Lower Platte could be very competitive this season as the top 4 teams all return plenty of talent. Akron is my pick to win the 2A/1A Lower Platte. Akron returns their top scorer from last season plus 4 of their top 5. Akron will have to replace their #2 scorer but should be a team to watch this year. Sedgwick County, Holyoke, and Haxtun are league title threats this season and regional contenders. Merino is my dark horse pick as they lose a very talented senior class, but you cannot count out a team who has the tradition of Merino. I also think Caliche could be a regional contender in Class 1A.
My predictions for 2A/1A Lower Platte
League Champion: Akron
Regional Contenders: Akron, Sedgwick County, Holyoke, Haxtun, Merino, Caliche
Dark Horse: Merino
Player of the League: Anderson Filla Sr. Akron
Others to watch for: Caleb Poss Sr. Akron, Tucker Stahn Sr. Akron, Tate Renquist Jr. Sedgwick County, Jace Ehmke Sr. Sedgwick County, Jaxon Carlson Sr. Sedgwick County, Reid Sprague Sr. Holyoke, Colby Weber Jr. Holyoke, Chase Goddard Jr. Haxtun, Ryland Wolff Sr. Haxtun, Colin Cone Jr. Haxtun, Reb Heller So. Merino, Zander Yost Sr. Caliche, Avery Bell So. Caliche
4A/3A/2A Foothills
1. Golden View Classical
2. Loveland Classical
3. Addenbrooke Classical (3A)
4. STEM Highland Ranch (3A)
5. Twin Peaks Charter
6. Ascent Classical
7. Nederland
8. Poudre Community
9. William Smith (3A)
10. Aurora West Prep (4A)
11. Two Roads Charter
12. Vanguard Classical East
The 3A/2A Foothills League will get an automatic berth into regionals. Only the top team regardless of Class will get the automatic berth. Golden View Classical is my pick to win the Foothills League. Golden View Classical gained key experience last season reaching regionals and will now look to push for the State Tournament. Golden View Classical returns 3 of their top 5 scorers plus some key bench pieces. Loveland Classical, Addenbrooke Classical, STEM, and Twin Peaks Charter look to be the main challengers for the league crown and regional contenders. Ascent Classical is my dark horse as they only have stats for one game in and they do look like they have solid pieces back.
My predictions for 4A/3A/2A Foothills
League Champion: Golden View Classical
Regional Contenders: Golden View Classical, Loveland Classical, Addenbrooke Classical, STEM Highlands, Twin Peaks, Ascent Classical
Dark Horse: Ascent Classical
Player of the League: Jacob Walker Jr. Golden View Classical
Others to watch for: Luke Chronowski Jr. Golden View Classical, George Hermanson Jr. Golden View Classical, Trevan Coberly Sr. Loveland Classical, Hudson Ruppert Jr. Loveland Classical, Jackson Jensen Sr. Loveland Classical, Calum Michelsen Jr. Addenbrooke Classical, Riley Summers Sr. Addenbrooke Classical, Diego Jaramilio Sr. Addenbrooke Classical, Joseph Wingrove Sr. Addenbrooke Classical, Avi Thakkar Sr. STEM Highlands, Braden Calme Sr. STEM Highlands, Matthew Wurth So. Twin Peaks, Angel Ortega Jr. Twin Peaks, Iain Embry Sr. Ascent Classical, Liam Flanigan So. Ascent Classical, Vann Rogers Jr. Ascent Classical, Maddox Gioia Sr. Nederland, Heilan Barrick Jr. Poudre Community, Avonte Holsey So. William Smith
2A/1A Western Slope
1. Plateau Valley
2. De Beque (1A)
3. Vail Mountain
4. North Park (1A)
5. Rangely
6. Vail Christian
7. West Grand
8. Hayden
9. Caprock Academy
10. Soroco
The 2A/1A Western Slope League will get an automatic berth into regionals. Only the top team regardless of Class will get the automatic berth. Plateau Valley is my pick to win the Western Slope League and is a State Tournament contender. Plateau Valley will have a fire light this year as they were a top team going into regionals and missed going to the state tournament. Plateau Valley returns their top 3 players but lose key depth and that is my main concern for Plateau Valley. De Beque is the main contender for the league title and they also return key pieces from last season. Vail Mountain, North Park, Rangely, and Vail Christian could be regional contenders if they step up this season. Rangely is my dark horse pick this year as they return their entire roster plus found some success with Football.
My predictions for 2A/1A Western Slope
League Champion: Plateau Valley
Regional Contenders: Plateau Valley, De Beque, Vail Mountain, North Park, Rangely, Vail Christian
Dark Horse: Rangely
Player of the League: Jack Vig Sr. Plateau Valley
Others to watch for: Jackson Bevan Sr. Plateau Valley, Colter Ralston Jr. Plateau Valley, Burke Largent Jr. De Beque, Jace Graham Jr. De Beque, Hunter Iverson Sr. Vail Mountain, Charlie Vidal Sr. Vail Mountain, Grant Iverson Jr. Vail Mountain, Gavin Pittington Sr. North Park, Chris Reyes Sr. North Park, Aiden Pittington Jr. North Park, Clay Allred Sr. Rangely, Marcos Quintana Sr. Rangely, Lincoln Harris Jr. Rangely, Asher Leonard Jr. Vail Christian, Wyatt Fisher Sr. Vail Christian, Oliver Neumann So. Vail Christian, Stran Lechman So. West Grand, Jared Gonzales Sr. West Grand, Cameron Morrison Jr. Hayden, Zach Jordan Jr. Caprock Academy, Nick Clark Jr. Soroco
2A/1A West Central (Will not get an automatic berth into regionals)
1. Cotopaxi (1A)
2. Custer County
3. Cripple Creek (1A)
4. South Park
The 2A/1A West Central will not get an automatic berth into Regional and will have to qualify for Regionals by being ranked inside the top 32 of the CHSAA Seeding Index. Going forward I will move the 2A/1A West Central into Class 1A. Cotopaxi is my pick to win the West Central. Cotopaxi returns their top two scorers from last season and both are vital to Cotopaxi having a big year. Depth must step up this year for Cotopaxi to push for the state tournament. Custer County is the main contender for the league title and probably the only team with regional contention. Custer County is also my dark horse as they return 4 of their top 5 scorers from last season.
My predictions for West Central
League Champion: Cotopaxi
Regional Contenders: Cotopaxi, Custer County
Dark Horse: Custer County
Player of the League: Terrance Evans Sr. Cotopaxi
Others to watch for: Joel Tezak Sr. Cotopaxi, Dylan Bond Sr. Cotopaxi, Grant Rusk Jr. Custer County, Christopher Mullett Sr. Custer County, Levi Caricner Sr. Custer County, Luciano Varas Jr. Cripple Creek, Chase Lohmeier Sr. Cripple Creek, Blake Basnett Sr. South Park
2A/1A Union Pacific
1. Byers
2. Stratton (1A)
3. Limon
4. Flagler (1A)
5. Burlington
6. Deer Trail (1A)
7. Genoa-Hugo (1A)
The 2A/1A Union Pacific will get an automatic berth into regionals. Only the top team regardless of Class will get the automatic berth. Byers is my pick to win the Union Pacific League. Byers has fallen short the past two seasons in the regional finals and will be looking to get over the hump this year. Byers returns 6 of their top 7 scorers including their top two scorers. Stratton and Limon look to be the main contenders for the league title and are regional if not state tournament contenders. Flagler is my dark horse pick. Flagler returns their top 4 scorers from a year ago and can they improve enough to push for a regional berth and be a top 4 team in the league.
My predictions for Union Pacific
League Champion: Byers
Regional Contenders: Byers, Stratton, Limon
Dark Horse: Flagler
Player of the League: Chase Long Sr. Byers
Others to watch for: Quincy Eacret Jr. Byers, Cameron Eastwood Sr. Byers, Von Isenbart Jr. Stratton, Gage Levin Sr. Stratton, Brody Webb Sr. Stratton, Aiden Kollath Jr. Limon, Keegan Mellott Jr. Limon, Brayden Hill Jr. Flagler, Cody Homm Jr. Flagler, Keegan Isenbart So. Flagler, Rowdy Humrich Sr. Burlington, Adan Lopez-Mitchell Sr. Burlington, Dylan Bertram Jr. Deer Trail, Kooper Eldringhoff Sr. Deer Trail, Eddy Franey Sr. Genoa-Hugo, Teghan Seymour Sr. Genoa-Hugo
3A/2A/1A San Juan
1. Mancos
2. Dove Creek
3. Nucla (1A)
4. Ridgway
5. Ouray (1A)
6. Dolores
7. Telluride (3A)
The 3A/2A/1A San Juan League will get an automatic berth into regionals. Only the top team regardless of Class will get the automatic berth. Mancos is my pick to win the San Juan League. Mancos has been the dominate team in the league and they will look to keep that rolling this season. Mancos will have some reloading to do losing a lot of key seniors, but they do return a pair of leaders to help Mancos push forward. Dove Creek, Nucla, Ridgway, and Ouray will be the main league title contenders and regional contenders as well. Ridgway is my dark horse pick. Ridgway did not do well last season and return their entire roster which was mainly sophomores a year ago.
My predictions for San Juan
League Champion: Mancos
Regional Contenders: Mancos, Dove Creek, Nucla, Ridgway, Ouray
Dark Horse: Ridgway
Player of the League: Kaiden Wyatt Sr. Mancos
Others to watch for: Spencer Eschallier Sr. Mancos, Sheldon Gardner Sr. Dove Creek, Liam Hassell Sr. Dove Creek, Josh Kibel Jr. Dove Creek, Brycen Rummel Jr. Nucla, Slade Gillen Sr. Nucla, Henry Deppen Jr. Ridgway, Isaac Baskfield Jr. Ridgway, Jonathan rytlewski Jr. Ridgway, Cavan Pasek Jr. Ouray, Keaton Nelson Jr. Ouray, Trayton Traweek Sr. Dolores, Koby McClellan So. Dolores, Sam Herman Sr. Telluride
2A Black Forest
1. Simla
2. Calhan
3. Kiowa
4. CS School
5. Monument Academy
6. Liberty Tree
The 2A Black Forest will get an automatic berth into regionals due to having more than 5 teams. I am curious if the 2A Black Forest and 3A Black Forest will be combined if anyone has that answer please shoot me a message or email. Simla is my pick to win the 2A Black Forest League. Simla returns a ton of talent from their 3rd place finish a year ago. I consider them to be the front runner for the state title. Simla returns 6 of their top 8 scorers from a year ago including their top 3. Simla will have to find depth this season as that was a key weakness from a year ago. Calhan will be the main challenger for the league title and they will also look to contend for a regional spot. I am also going with CS School, Monument Academy, and Liberty Tree as dark horses because they either don’t have a roster from last year or are new teams this year.
My predictions for District 8
League Champion: Simla
Regional Contenders: Simla, Calhan
Dark Horse: CS School, Liberty Tree, Monument Academy
Player of the League: Tatum Kocerha So. Simla
Others to watch for: Caston Cox Sr. Simla, Treven Kocerha Sr. Simla, Wyatt Stanko Sr. Simla, Tj Eurich Sr. Simla, Patrick Glaser Sr. Calhan, Jeremy Billington Jr. Calhan, Riley Cochran Jr. Calhan, Austin Brogger Sr. Kiowa, Antonio Vigil Jr. Kiowa
Regional Predictions
I am going to pick the 32 teams I think qualify for Regionals. Remember to qualify for Regionals you either need to win your league or be in the top 32 of the CHSAA Seeding & Selection Index.
Black Forest
Simla, Calhan
Foothills
Golden View Classical, Loveland Classical, Ascent Classical
Lower Platte
Akron, Haxtun, Holyoke, Sedgwick County
Mile High
Machebeuf, Dayspring Christian, Heritage Christian, Union Colony Prep, Front Range Christian
San Juan
Mancos, Dove Creek, Ridgway
Santa fe
Crowley County, Fowler, Hoehne, Swink, Swallows Charter, Rocky Ford
Southern Peaks
Sanford, Crested Butte, Sargent
Union Pacific
Byers, Limon
West Central
Custer County
Western Slope
Plateau Valley, Rangely, Vail Mountain
MileHigh Prep Report 