Class 2A Boys Basketball League Predictions
The official start to basketball was this week and most teams will kick off play sometime this week. We dive into each league that we are putting as Class 2A. Some mixed Classes will be in the 3A & 1A 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 2A will still play a full Consolation Round.
3A/2A/1A Mile High
1. Heritage Christian
2. Estes Park (3A)
3. Dawson School (3A)
4. Union Colony Prep
5. Clear Creek (3A)
6. Flatirons Academy (1A)
7. Denver Academy
8. Front Range Christian
9. Belleview Christian
10. Lyons (3A)
11. Dayspring Christian
12. SkyView Academy (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. Heritage Christian is my pick to win the Mile High League. Heritage Christian returns 4 of their 6 top scorers from last season including their top scorer. Estes Park, Dawson School, Union Colony Prep, Clear Creek, Flatirons Academy, Denver Academy, and Front Range Christian in my opinion are the main challengers to the league crown and will all be regional contenders. Belleview Christian & Lyons could also be considered regional contenders in their respective classes.
My predictions for 3A/2A/1A/ MileHigh
League Champion: Heritage Christian
Regional Contenders: Heritage Christian, Estes Park, Dawson School, Union Colony Prep, Clear Creek, Flatirons Academy, Denver Academy, Front Range Christian
Dark Horse: Clear Creek HS
Preseason-Player of the League: Alex Lundy Sr. Heritage Christian
Others to watch for: Samuel Hanson Jr. Heritage Christian, Phineas Smith Jr. Estes Park, Isaac Hill Sr. Estes Park, Milo Richtel Jr. Dawson School, Isaiah Tu Sr. Dawson School, Tanner Sarchet Sr. Union Colony Prep, Pablo Mendoza-Munoz Sr. Union Colony Prep, Zephyrus Schuessler Sr. Clear Creek, Donovan Duke Sr. Clear Creek, Jackson Schulz Jr. Flatirons Academy, Caleb Doughty Jr. Flatirons Academy, Luc Stanley Jr. Denver Academy, Riley Allen Jr. Denver Academy, Chris Janssen Jr. Denver Academy, Haedan Morton Sr. Front Range Christian, Zach Woo Jr. Front Range Christian, Justus Cunningham Jr. Belleview Chrisitan, Kentrell Beasley jr. Belleview Christian, Zeke Paznokas Sr. Lyons, Jake LaCrosse Sr. Lyons, Max Krehbiel Jr. Dayspring Christian, Nathan Kamman Sr. SkyView Academy, Jack Fisher So. Gilpin County
2A Southern Peaks
1. Sanford
2. Center
3. Del Norte
4. Trinidad
5. Sargent
6. Crested Butte
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 lost just 1 senior from last year but it was their leading scorer and top guard. Center & Del Norte seem to be the main challenge for the league title and push for a regional spot. Trinidad could be in the mix for a regional spot as well but will need players to step up.
My predictions for Southern Peaks
League Champion: Sanford
Regional Contenders: Sanford, Center, Del Norte
Dark Horse: Trinidad
Preseason-Player of the League: Trason Gartrell Sr. Sanford
Others to watch for: Ben Faucette Sr. Sanford, Travis Canty Sr. Sanford, Colter Canty Sr. Sanford, Jaiden Martinez So. Center, Anjel Palma Jr. Center, Yanixan Padilla Jr. Center, Noah Bailey Sr. Del Norte, Julian Vigil Jr. Del Norte, Calvin Quintana Sr. Del Norte, Jeremiah Romero Jr. Trinidad, Isaiah Moreno Jr. Trinidad, Corbin Castillo Sr. Sargent, Mitchell Peterson Sr. Sargent, Tyus Fischer Jr. Crested Butte
2A Santa Fe
1. Crowley County
2. Swallows Charter
3. Las Animas
4. Fowler
5. Hoehne
6. Rocky Ford
7. Walsenburg
8. Swink
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 few big holes to fill from last year’s runner up team. Swallows Charter is the main contender for the league title and also could push for the State Tournament. Swallows Charter returns their entire roster from a season ago. Las Animas, Fowler, and Hoehne all could be in the mix for a regional berth, with Rocky Ford also looking to get their name into the conversation.
My predictions for Santa Fe
League Champion: Crowley County
Regional Contenders: Crowley County, Swallows Charter, Las Animas, Fowler, Hoehne
Dark Horse: Las Animas
Player of the League: Andrew Breedlove Sr. Swallows Charter
Others to watch for: Majestic McNeil Jr. Crowley County, Malaki McNeil Sr. Crowley County, Ghett Hughes So. Crowley County, Charles Perry Sr. Swallows Charter, Christian Garcia Sr. Swallows Charter, Mike Vazquez Jr. Swallows Charter, Aaron Vargas Jr. Las Animas, Kree Wallace Sr. Las Animas, Nicholas Duran Jr. Las Animas, Bruley McCuistion Sr. Fowler, Joe Salvo Jr. Fowler, Caden Marquez Jr. Hoehne, Shayne Gonzales Jr. Rocky Ford, Fabin Ortega Jr. Rocky Ford, Landon Eccher Jr. Walsenburg, Adrian Vallejos Sr. Walsenburg
2A/1A Lower Platte
1. Sedgwick County
2. Haxtun
3. Merino
4. Caliche (1A)
5. Holyoke
6. Akron
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 all 6 teams in the League will be in the mix for the league title and a spot at regionals. Sedgwick County is my pick to win the 2A/1A Lower Platte. Sedgwick County returns 3 of their top 5 scorers from last season but do have a few holes to fill losing their #3 scorer from last year. Sedgwick County returns their top 2 scorers and should be in the mix for a state tournament berth. Haxtun and Merino are league title threats this season and regional contenders. Caliche, Holyoke, and Akron are also regional contenders and look for them to pull an upset or two of the top 3 teams in the league.
My predictions for 2A/1A Lower Platte
League Champion: Sedgwick County
Regional Contenders: Sedgwick County, Haxtun, Merino, Caliche, Holyoke, Akron
Dark Horse: Holyoke
Player of the League: Josh Palic Jr. Sedgwick County
Others to watch for: Tate Renquist Sr. Sedgwick County, Noah Harens Jr. Sedgwick County, Chase Goddard Sr. Haxtun, Madden Larsen Jr. Haxtun, Colin Cone Sr. Haxtun, Zavier Trenkle Jr. Merino, Reb Heller Jr. Merino, Coltyr Goss Sr. Merino, Avery Bell Jr. Caliche, Mason Hernandez So. Caliche, Amman Adolf Sr. Caliche, Colby Weber Sr. Holyoke, Mason Sprague Sr. Holyoke, Kolten Randel So. Akron, Jakzon Livesay Sr. Akron
3A/2A Foothills
1. Golden View Classical
2. Twin Peaks Classical
3. Two Roads Charter
4. Loveland Classical
5. Ascent Classical (3A)
6. Poudre Community
7. William Smith (3A)
8. Addenbrooke Classical (3A)
9. Nederland
10. STEM Highlands (3A)
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 the State Tournament and will now look to make a deep State Tournament run. Golden View Classical returns 3 of their top 5 scorers but must find some depth losing two seniors from a season ago. Twin Peaks Classical & Two Roads Charter look to be the main challengers for the league crown and regional contenders. Loveland Classical, Ascent Classical, and Poudre Community look to also be in the mix for a spot at Regionals.
My predictions for 4A/3A/2A Foothills
League Champion: Golden View Classical
Regional Contenders: Golden View Classical, Twin Peaks Classical, Two Rods Charter, Loveland Classical, Ascent Classical, Poudre Community
Dark Horse: Loveland Classical
Player of the League: Jacob Walker Sr. Golden View Classical
Others to watch for: Luke Chronowski Sr. Golden View Classical, George Hermanson Sr. Golden View Classical, Matthew Wurth Jr. Twin Peaks Classical, Jace Ross Sr. Twin Peaks Classical, Angel Ortega Sr. Twin Peaks Classical, Kevyn Feldon Sr. Two Roads Charter, Weston Berhow So. Two Roads Charter, Beau Work Sr. Two Roads Charter, Hudson Ruppert Sr. Loveland Classical, Lincoln McFadden So. Loveland Classical, Mason Jones Jr. Ascent Classical, Vann Rogers Sr. Ascent Classical, Jack Colberg Jr. Ascent Classical, heilan Barrick Sr. Poudre Community, Kevin Swanson jr. Poudre Community, Kalin Morris Jr. Poudre Community, Jordan Osei Jr. William Smith, Mirza Isakovic Jr. William Smith, Calum Michelsen Sr. Addenbrooke Classical, Corbin Burge Jr. Addenbrooke Classical, Mason Ivey Sr. Nederland, Drew Hertzfeld Sr. Nederland, Dylan Figueroa Sr. STEM Highlands
2A/1A Western Slope
1. De Beque (1A)
2. Plateau Valley
3. Vail Christian
4. Rangely
5. Caprock Academy
6. Hayden
7. Vail Mountain
8. West Grand
9. Soroco
10. North Park (1A)
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. De Beque is my pick to win the Western Slope League and is a State Tournament contender. De Beque is looking to get back to the State Tournament and return key pieces. De Beque returns 5 of their top 6 scorers from last year. Plateau Valley & Vail Christian look to be the main contenders for the league title this season and return plenty of talent to challenge. Rangely, Caprock Academy, and Hayden could also be regional contenders this season.
My predictions for 2A/1A Western Slope
League Champion: De Beque
Regional Contenders: De Beque, Plateau Valley, Vail Christian, Rangely, Caprock Academy, Hayden
Dark Horse: Caprock Academy
Player of the League: Burke Largent Sr. De Beque
Others to watch for: Jace Graham Sr. De Beque, Manual Soto Sr. De Beque, Colter Ralston Sr. Plateau Valley, Cash Salazar Jr. Plateau Valley, London Mitchell Jr. Plateau Valley, Oliver Neumann Jr. Vail Christian, Asher Leonard Sr. Vail Christian, Rayman Romanin Jr. Vail Christian, Lincoln Harris Sr. Rangely, Landon Billinger Sr. Rangely, Kacey Allred Jr. Rangely, Tristin Bird Jr. Caprock Academy, Justin Hardies So. Caprock Academy, Zach Jordan Sr. Caprock Academy, Jace Bene Sr. Hayden, Cameron Morrison Sr. Hayden, Justin Prerston Sr. Hayden, Cole Lewis Jr. Vail Mountain, Grant Iverson Sr. Vail Mountain, Sanjay Geffers Jr. West Grand, Stran Lechman Jr. West Grand, Brayden Dudley Jr. Soroco, Joseph Cordova Jr. Soroco, Aiden Pittington Sr. North Park, Graham Cornelison Jr. North Park
2A/1A West Central (Will not get an automatic berth into regionals)
1. Custer County
2. Cotopaxi (1A)
3. South Park
4. Cripple Creek (1A)
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. Custer County is my pick to win the West Central League. Custer County could be a contender to reach the State Tournament as well. Custer County returns their top 4 scorers from last year. Cotopaxi is the main contender for the league title and probably the only team with regional contention. Cotopaxi will have to find new top scorers but look for them to still be competitive.
My predictions for West Central
League Champion: Custer County
Regional Contenders: Cotopaxi, Custer County
Dark Horse: Cotopaxi
Player of the League: Grant Rusk Sr. Custer County
Others to watch for: Kal Tunnell Jr. Custer County, Agi Thomas Jr. Custer County, Kenny Teter So. Cotopaxi, William Fong Jr. Cotopaxi, Dylan Reyes Sr. Cotopaxi, No Stats for South Park
2A/1A Union Pacific
1. Stratton (1A)
2. Limon
3. Byers
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. Stratton is my pick to win the Union Pacific League. Stratton looks poised to contend for a State Championship and return plenty of talent. Stratton returns 4 of their top 5 scorers from last year including their top 3. Byers 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 return their top 4 scorers from a year ago and can they improve enough to push for a regional berth.
My predictions for Union Pacific
League Champion: Stratton
Regional Contenders: Stratton, Limon, Byers, Flagler
Dark Horse: Flagler
Player of the League: Von Isenbart Sr. Stratton
Others to watch for: Ricky Schillig Sr. Stratton, Judson Isenbart So. Stratton, Keagan Mellott Sr. Limon, Drey Tacha Sr. Limon, Aiden Kollath Sr. Limon, Quincy Eacret Sr. Byers, James Maes Jr. Byers, Brayden Hill Sr. Flagler, Keegan Isenbart Jr. Flagler, Weston Schaal Jr. Burlington, Darian Mcdonough Sr. Burlington, Chauncy Gudenkauf Jr. Deer Trail, Mursal Hussein Jr. Deer Trail, Ryker Lockhart So. Genoa-Hugo
3A/2A/1A San Juan
1. Ridgway
2. Nucla (1A)
3. Ouray (1A)
4. Telluride
5. Dove Creek
6. Dolores
7. Mancos (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. The San Juan League could be very competitive this season with possibly 6 teams fighting for a regional spot. Ridgway is my pick to win the San Juan League. Ridgway returns their top 3 scorers from last season but lose some depth and will look for some new players to step up this year. Nucla and Ouray look to be the main league title contenders and regional contenders as well. With Telluride, Dove Creek, and Dolores in the mix for regional contention.
My predictions for San Juan
League Champion: Ridgway
Regional Contenders: Ridgway, Nucla, Ouray, Telluride, Dove Creek, Dolores
Dark Horse: Ouray
Player of the League: Henry Deppen Sr. Ridgway
Others to watch for: Brodie Musgrove Sr. Ridgway, Isaac Baskfield Sr. Ridgway, Brycen Rummel Sr. Nucla, Holten McCluer Jr. Nucla, Austin Gravey Jr. Nucla, Cavan Pasek Sr. Ouray, Conner Hill Sr. Ouray, Wesley Rhoades Jr. Ouray, Alex Nieto Sr. Telluride, Langston Silbergeld Sr. Telluride, Danny Romo Sr. Telluride, Josh Kibel Sr. Dove Creek, Trevan Ivie Sr. Dove Creek, Koby McClellan Jr. Dolores, Michael Rantz Sr. Dolores, Miguel Derizotis Sr. Mancos
2A Black Forest
1. Simla
2. Liberty Tree Academy
3. Calhan
4. Kiowa
5. CS School
6. Monument Academy
The 2A Black Forest will get an automatic berth into regionals due to having more than 5 teams. Simla is my pick to win the 2A Black Forest League. Simla will lose a lot from their State Championship team but return their leader from last season. Who steps up for Simla will be key for Simla to defend their State Championship. Liberty Tree, Calhan, and Kiowa will be the main challenger for the league title, and they will also look to contend for a regional spot.
My predictions for Black Forest
League Champion: Simla
Regional Contenders: Simla, Liberty Tree, Calhan, Kiowa
Dark Horse: Kiowa
Player of the League: Tatum Kocerha Jr. Simla
Others to watch for: Evan Guy So. Simla, Ty Stanko So. Simla, Kaleb Mendez So. Liberty Tree, Jaydence Smith Jr. Liberty Tree, Wesley Rains Jr. Liberty Tree, Ethan Whitener Jr. Calhan, Joey mast Jr. Calhan, Brock Burnside Jr. Calhan, Zayden Kalisch Sr. Kiowa, Myles Erker Sr. Kiowa, Antonito Vigil Sr. Kiowa, Lawrence Galka Jr. CS School, Cotin Bridgmon Sr. CS School, Matthew Smith So. Monument Academy
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 District or be in the top 32 of the CHSAA Seeding & Selection Index after Districts.
Black Forest
Simla, Liberty Tree
Foothills
Golden View Classical, Twin Peaks Classical, Loveland Classical, Two Roads Charter
Lower Platte
Sedgwick County, Haxtun, Merino, Holyoke, Akron
Mile High
Heritage Christian, Union Colony Prep, Denver Academy, Front Range Christian
San Juan
Ridgway, Telluride, Dove Creek
Santa Fe
Crowley County, Swallows Charter, Las Animas, Fowler
Southern Peaks
Sanford, Center, Del Norte
Union Pacific
Limon, Byers
West Central
Custer County
Western Slope
Plateau Valley, Vail Christian, Caprock Academy, Rangely
MileHigh Prep Report 