With the 2019-20 girls basketball season closer than you might think, let’s take a look back/forward at how things shook out and what to look forward to in each of Colorado’s conferences. Here’s a snapshot of the Northern League.
<span style="color: #3366ff;font-size: 14pt"><strong>How it all shook out in ’18-19</strong></span>
Greeley Central ran the table in the Northern League last year, posting a 14-0 conference record on its way to a league title. Runner-up Thompson Valley lost just two games in league play, both the Greeley Central.
<span style="color: #3366ff;font-size: 14pt"><strong>Which playoff team advanced the farthest?</strong></span>
After winning the Northern, the Greeley Central girls put together a solid postseason run against some solid teams. The Wildcats won their way through to the 4A state Great 8 before eventually losing there to a Holy Family team that went on to reach the Final Four.
<span style="color: #3366ff;font-size: 14pt"><strong>A few returning players to watch</strong></span>
<strong>Kelsey Basart, 2021, 5-3, PG, Mountain View</strong>
Basart had to do a lot to help the Mountain Lions win just seven of 23 games last season and after a solid sophomore season, the 5-foot-3 point guard finish third in the league in scoring behind two seniors. She averaged 14.3 points while getting to the free-throw line consistently and shooting 28 percent from 3-point range. Basart also averaged 3.2 rebounds, 3.4 steals and 1.1 blocked shots.
<strong>Seneya Martinez, 2022, 5-8, SG, Northridge</strong>
In 2018-19, the Grizzlies could count on 12.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.3 steals from Martinez. She was just a freshman then, so there’s reason to be excited about what she might be able to do as a sophomore, or a junior, or a senior. Martinez made 17 of the 82 3-point shots she attempted in ’18-19 and scored 20 or more points four times.
<strong>Julia Mischke, 2021, 5-6, PG/SG, Centaurus</strong>
Another underclassman who was outstanding in ’18-19, Mischke enters her junior season as a potential breakout candidate. As a sophomore, she averaged 12.0 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.7 steals a game, and shot 33 percent from the field. Fellow sophomore and teammate Natalie Kramer also averaged 10.8 points last winter.
<strong>Sydney Durtsche, 2020, 5-10, F, Thompson Valley</strong>
Durtsche averaged a double-double with 11.8 point and 11.1 rebounds for the Eagles last season. She really showed her versatility by also averaging 3.2 assists, 3.0 steals and 1.9 blocks. Her coaches have said they believe Durtsche could be due for a big step forward this winter and there’s no reason to think they’re wrong.
<strong>Micaela Hidalgo, 2021, 5-8, G, Greeley Central</strong>
She may not have taken a ton of 3-point shots but when she did, Hidalgo made 17 of the 43 attempts she did make. That’s 39.5 percent. Hidalgo averaged 9.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.8 steals last season and is the only returning member from last year’s Greeley Central team that was among the team’s top four scorers.
<span style="color: #3366ff;font-size: 14pt"><strong>A quick, early look to ’19-20</strong></span>
It’s difficult to pick against a team that went 26-2 last season but Greeley Central graduated enough significant players that there might be some upheaval in the Northern League this winter. If the door is open, expect teams like Centaurus, Northridge and Thompson Valley to be the most likely to enter.
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