Class 1A seniors to watch for in 2020-21 Part 2

Whether it’s a matter of geographical isolation, lack of social media presence or simply an enrollment numbers game, smaller schools often get overlooked when it comes to scouting and media attention. Not at Prep Girls Hoops. If you missed Part 1, <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/2020/07/class-1a-seniors-to-watch-for-in-2020-21-part-1/">check it out here</a>. With things starting to open back up and hope for a 2020-21 season rising, here’s a look at five more soon-to-be seniors who will have a major impact on how things shake out in Colorado’s Class 1A this winter. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="116798" first="Grace" last="Hatfield"], 5’6, G/W, Dove Creek </strong> Hatfield put together another huge season this past winter and it led to a District 1 league title for the Bulldogs. After putting up 22.5 points as a sophomore, Hatfield’s versatile captain was third in all of Class 1A in scoring, averaging 20.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 4.1 steals per game as a junior. Hatfield is aggressive on defense and a good catch-and-shoot shooter who can finish in the paint over taller defenders. Look for her to have yet another big season whenever high school basketball returns to Colorado. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="116808" first="Shelby" last="Hoffman"], 5’6, PG, Briggsdale</strong> Another versatile player who does a bit of everything for her squad, Hoffman is a lefty-shooting point guard who is the primary driver for her team. She excels at drawing defensive attention and setting her teammates up to score, and Hoffman averaged four assists a night as a junior. She also averaged 3.2 steals and often converted those turnovers to points by running the fast break to the other end. As a scorer, Hoffman can finish through contact with either hand and averaged 14.8 points last winter. The only rising senior on a talented young squad, expect Hoffman to shine in 2020-21 while leading the Falcons on a hopeful title run. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="116811" first="Kendyl" last="Kirkwood"], 5’10, F, Fleming</strong> Kirkwood is part of a scary one-two scoring punch at Fleming and gives the Wildcats a strong presence in the post at both ends of the floor. A smart player who moves well without the ball and knows how to get set up in her spots, Kirkwood averaged a double-double with 18.2 points and 12.3 rebounds per game. She is also a good passer out of the post and average 1.5 blocks a night. The Wildcats won 21 games last season and with their tone-setter returning to lead a very strong team, they’ve got to be eagerly anticipating the upcoming campaign. <strong>Macy Rowan, 5’6, G, Wiley</strong> In 2019-20, Rowan led Wiley in just about every statistical category. The soon-to-be senior averaged 13.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.8 steals a night, posting a 20-11-10 triple double in those three stats against Kit Carson on Dec. 13. Also a good volleyball player, Rowan is a scrappy athlete who always competes and relishes doing the little things like fighting for loose balls that help her team win. Rowan is another player on this list who will return in 2020-21 to lead an experienced roster and should be pushing for a playoff run. <strong>Taylor Vandenburg, 6’0, W/SF, Longmont Christian</strong> Vandenburg has great height and length, and she gets a lot out of it on in the floor. She moved well without the ball and score with her back to the basket, but Vandenburg can also put the ball on the deck and drive to the basket where she finishes consistently through contact. After shooting 20 percent (12 for 60) from long range, Vandenburg is reportedly stepping out and shooting the ball much more consistently third summer with her NoCo Triple Threat Elite club team. Vandenburg averaged 14.7 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game in 2019-20, and could be a dark-horse candidate to challenge some of the returning all-state players for player of the year in Class 1A. https://x.com/taylorvan_13/status/1289013000809009152 <strong>Other names to know: </strong> Maddie Castro (Evangelical Christian) Lindsey Gammill (Creede) Audrey Gibbs (Ouray) Alissa Hebberd (South Baca) Olivia Lay (Elbert) Talara Nittler (Kim/Branson) Emme Rushing (Nucla) Tessa Smith (Genoa-Hugo/Karval) Ally Spady (Eads) Sarah Wuellner (Cripple Creek-Victor)