Season Preview: Pikes Peak League

With the 2019-20 girls basketball season right around the corner, 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 Pikes Peak League. &nbsp; <span style="color: #3366ff;font-size: 14pt"><strong>How it all shook out in ’18-19</strong></span> Air Academy has dominated this league for the past three years to the tune of three straight conference championships, 40-2 combined league record over the past three seasons and back-to-back unbeaten conference seasons in ’17-18 and ‘18-19. The Kadets ran the table with seven points being their smallest margin of victory in any conference game. &nbsp; <span style="color: #3366ff;font-size: 14pt"><strong>Which playoff team advanced the farthest?</strong></span> This category also clearly goes to Air Academy, as the Kadets played their way into the Final Four of the 4A state tournament. Their run ended there, unfortunately, with a 45-42 loss to eventual runner-up Pueblo South. &nbsp; [caption id="attachment_103791" align="alignright" width="203"] Kylee Blacksten[/caption] <span style="color: #3366ff;font-size: 14pt"><strong>A few returning players to watch</strong></span> <strong>Kylee Blacksten, 2020, 6-3, G, Air Academy</strong> The University of Colorado commit was incredible in ’18-19, finishing second in the league behind Ashton Prechtel in scoring with 14.6 points per game. Nearly impossible to stop as a 6-foot-3 perimeter player, she also averaged 7.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.8 blocks throughout her junior season. &nbsp; <strong>Hannah Burg, 2021, 5-8, G, Falcon</strong> A big-time stock riser, Burg broke out in a big way last winter. As a sophomore, she was third in the league with 14.2 points per game to go with 3.8 rebounds and 2.4 steals. Lightning quick and aggressive, Burg has looked in the preseason like she’s ready to take yet another step forward as a senior alongside teammates Billie Fiore (2022), Kayla Harkema (2021), Trinity Grant (2020) and Kilee Wood (2021). &nbsp; <strong>Nikki Derrell, 2021, 5-2, G, Sand Creek</strong> Sand Creek has one heck of a backcourt with Derrell and senior teammate Krystina Hagood, who is PGH Colorado’s 27^th-ranked player in the 2020 class. Ranked No. 16 in her own graduating class, Derrell has been on the radar since her freshman year and has <em>career</em> averages of 14.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.3 steals over 43 varsity games. She actually shot the 3-pointer better as a freshman (35 percent) than she did her sophomore season, during which she went 47 for 175 for an average of 27 percent. Also keep an eye on Sand Creek senior Malena Portillos, a 5-foot-4 shooting guard who shot 32 percent from long range last winter. &nbsp; <strong>Sydney Day, 2020, 6-1, F, Palmer Ridge</strong> Forming a solid one-two punch with teammate Eden Bonser, Day was no scoring machine last season but did nearly average a double-double. She was counted on for a nightly 8.6 points and 7.7 rebounds. Bonser averaged 8.5 points a game. &nbsp; <span style="color: #3366ff;font-size: 14pt"><strong>A quick, early look to ’19-20</strong></span> Air Academy graduated three of its four leading scorers but the Kadets haven’t lost Blacksten to CU just yet, and it’s hard to pick against them when she’s still on the roster. Discovery Canyon took a big hit when Prechtel, who is playing well at Stanford, walked out the door on graduation day. Sand Creek has some exciting players. Susanna Robinson (2021) and Vista Ridge could be better, as could Ally Delange (2020) and Lewis-Palmer. Palmer Ridge is seasoned and Falcon has lots of young talent. Still, it’s hard to pick against the Kadets so we won’t.