Senior Sleepers: Who could shake things up in Colorado

The opening weeks of the league slate in Colorado’s girls basketball season are up and gone. Many of the questions leading into 2020 — Which team will flourish? Who will stand out? How many 20/20 references can I make? — have played out, at least at some level. And while not early, and not quite late, games at the prelude of the season's final stretch mean all the same. Here are three players who could shake things up in their respective leagues as we flip the calendar to February. &nbsp; <strong><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/kaitlyn-day/"><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/kaitlyn-day/">Kaitlyn Day</a></a>, 5-6, G/F, The Dawson School  </strong> The Mustangs senior averaged nearly 16 points a game coming into the week and was one of the leading scorers in the 2A/1A Mile High League. Day, ranked 80th by PGH Colorado, has proven more than capable of taking over a game since she arrived on the basketball scene as a freshman four years ago. She's totaled over 1,000 points in her career while averaging more than 13 points per game in each of her four seasons. She’s a threat from deep, where she hit three or more 3-pointers in five of her first 10 games, and has 12 in her previous three coming into Tuesday. And she’s a skilled ball handler with 20/2 -- uh, strong vision of the court, averaging a career-best 3.8 assists per game. “She’s an alpha,” said Dawson’s Matt Johnston, the program’s fourth coach in four years. He highlighted her competitive drive, which can also be seen on the soccer field, where she’s a gifted playmaker with 112 points in three seasons. “From what I’ve heard, she’s been an alpha since day one,” Johnston said, “so, the day she was born. She just has that mentality. She’s a great competitor, very high-IQ basketball player and wants to play against the best.” The Mustangs benefit from an experienced group that also includes junior <strong>Maddy Timms</strong> and Kaitlyn’s sister, <strong>Madison Day</strong>. They came into the week undefeated in league alongside Heritage Christian and Denver Christian. &nbsp; <strong>Jordynn Lee, 5-10, F, Longmont</strong> A C-team player as a freshman to Longmont’s most-proven scorer and rebounder this year, Lee has found her stride as a senior. Lee came into the week averaging a near double-double for the Trojans, who reached .500 last week for the first time this late in the season in four years. She’s a strong presence at the rim, hitting 46 percent of her field goals, and has grabbed double-digit boards in seven of her first 15 games. Last Friday, in a lopsided loss to Northridge, she had 15 points on 63 percent shooting and hauled in 19 boards. “She is super crafty around the basket,” Longmont coach Wade Kingsbury said. “She is one of those kids who have natural instincts of where the ball is going to go. She’s averaging something like 13 (points) and nine (rebounds). And probably six to eight of those points a night are off of three or four offensive rebounds.” Fellow-senior <strong>Emmelia Ashton</strong> has also been strong for the Trojans, averaging nearly seven points and nine boards per game.  She also has taken 18 charges (the most in the state, per MaxPreps). Longmont came into the week tied with Centaurus, Greeley Central and Northridge at 4-2 in the 4A Northern League.  Eyes are on Thompson Valley, which was perfect through six league games. &nbsp; <strong><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/celsey-selland/"><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/celsey-selland/">Celsey Selland</a></a>, 6-0, F/C, Berthoud</strong> Berthoud came into the week ranked third in scoring in the state (66.3 PPG) behind Colorado Springs schools St. Mary’s (75.5) and Sand Creek (68.4). And while <strong><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/emily-cavey/"><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/emily-cavey/">Emily Cavey</a></a></strong> (17 PPG) and <strong><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/breanna-fowler/"><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/breanna-fowler/">Breanna Fowler</a></a></strong> (13.1) can absolutely frustrate the opposition at will, Selland is a nightmare cover in her own right. Selland came into the week averaging a near double-double with 9.3 PPG and 9.1 rebounds. She can be physical, with an overwhelming presence at the rim and on the glass. And yet she’s also proven to be nimble, with savvy moves under the bucket and a nice touch from deep. “She’s another long, athletic presence we love,” Berthoud head coach Alan Gibson told PrepGirlsHoops prior to the year. “She can shoot from the perimeter and she can score down low because she has really good post moves. She’d make a good stretch three or four because she plays a lot bigger than six foot and she can score.” Berthoud will contend in perhaps the deepest league in Class 4A, the 5A/4A Tri-Valley League. The Spartans’ only loss in league coming into the week was to Holy Family, which held them 20 points below their scoring average. Erie and Windsor should provide a four-way race for the crown down the stretch.