Outplaying Expectations: 5A Teams Moving Up

Games are back on this week and league seasons are getting under way! Let's look at some overachievers from 5A so far in this young season. Here are the programs that have stood out over and above the <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/2021/05/who-returns-the-most-scoring-5a-graduation-adjusted-rankings/">Graduation Adjusted Rankings (GAR)</a>. The GAR are an index factoring two things: Where did a team finish last year? And how much scoring did they graduate? Check out the other pieces in this series here: <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/2022/01/outplaying-expectations-4a-teams-moving-up/">4A</a>, <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/2021/12/outplaying-expectations-3a-teams-moving-up/">3A</a>, <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/2021/12/outplaying-expectations-2a-teams-moving-up/">2A.</a> <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/2021/05/who-returns-the-most-scoring-5a-graduation-adjusted-rankings/">5A GAR (Click Here):</a> <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 42.4729%; height: 246px;"> <tbody> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 19.0134%; height: 21px;">1</td> <td style="width: 85.3897%; height: 21px;">Chaparral</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 19.0134%; height: 21px;">2</td> <td style="width: 85.3897%; height: 21px;">Regis Jesuit</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 19.0134%; height: 21px;">3</td> <td style="width: 85.3897%; height: 21px;">Grandview</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 19.0134%; height: 21px;">4</td> <td style="width: 85.3897%; height: 21px;">Doherty</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 19.0134%; height: 21px;">5</td> <td style="width: 85.3897%; height: 21px;">Valor Christian</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 19.0134%; height: 21px;">6</td> <td style="width: 85.3897%; height: 21px;">Rangeview</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 39px;"> <td style="width: 19.0134%; height: 39px;">7</td> <td style="width: 85.3897%; height: 39px;">Highlands Ranch</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 39px;"> <td style="width: 19.0134%; height: 39px;">8</td> <td style="width: 85.3897%; height: 39px;">Fruita Monument</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 19.0134%; height: 21px;">9</td> <td style="width: 85.3897%; height: 21px;">Arapahoe</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 19.0134%; height: 21px;">10</td> <td style="width: 85.3897%; height: 21px;">Columbine</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> &nbsp; <a href="https://chsaanow.com/news/2022/1/3/girls-basketball-rankings.aspx">Actual CHSAA Rankings as of Jan. 3rd.</a> <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 42.1909%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 14.9801%;">1</td> <td style="width: 60.019%;">Valor Christian</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width: 14.9801%;">2</td> <td style="width: 60.019%;">Highlands Ranch</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width: 14.9801%;">3</td> <td style="width: 60.019%;">Grandview</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width: 14.9801%;">4</td> <td style="width: 60.019%;">Arapahoe</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width: 14.9801%;">5</td> <td style="width: 60.019%;">Monarch</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width: 14.9801%;">6</td> <td style="width: 60.019%;">Ralston Valley</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width: 14.9801%;">7</td> <td style="width: 60.019%;">Regis Jesuit</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width: 14.9801%;">8</td> <td style="width: 60.019%;">Chaparral</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width: 14.9801%;">9</td> <td style="width: 60.019%;">Cherry Creek</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width: 14.9801%;">10</td> <td style="width: 60.019%;">Columbine</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> &nbsp; Valor Christian - GAR 5 up to #1 <ul> <li>Valor's GAR was off because Reagan Beers (6'3" senior, 20.7 PPG, 14.4 RPG) wasn't able to play last year. She's back and the Eagles are right back on top of the rankings where everyone knew they'd be. Familiar faces with Beers and [player_tooltip player_id="210292" first="Macey" last="Huard"] (6'2" junior, 13.6 PPG, 33% 3-point shooting) leading the team in scoring. But welcome [player_tooltip player_id="366427" first="Quinn" last="VanSickle"]'s basketball genes to the Eagles' lineup (5'8" freshman, 11.8 PPG, 35% 3-point shooting).</li> </ul> Highlands Ranch - GAR 7 up to #2 <ul> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="117699" first="Emily" last="Hovasse"] is having by far her best season, exploding for 15.7 points and 2.5 assists a game. The senior has made 29 threes already, hitting 38%, complimenting the 6'3" senior center superstar [player_tooltip player_id="95179" first="Alex" last="Pirog"] (11.5 PPG, 10.2 RPG) well. Freshman [player_tooltip player_id="118719" first="Tori" last="Baker"] (7.5 PPG, 3.9 APG) and junior [player_tooltip player_id="95212" first="Katie" last="Johanning"] (7.4 PPG, 3.4 APG) give the Eagles balanced scoring and outstanding passing and ball movement.</li> </ul> Arapahoe - GAR 9 up to #4 <ul> <li>The addition of junior transfer Sydney White (11.8 PPG, 3.3 APG) and the emergence of freshman [player_tooltip player_id="374158" first="Gianna" last="Smith"] (5.9 PPG) as weapons around staple senior [player_tooltip player_id="117684" first="Sam" last="Crispe"] (12.8 PPG, 6.4 RPG) have Arapahoe (5-3) in the state's top tier of teams. Big game against Cherry Creek tonight!</li> </ul> Monarch - GAR 13 up to #5 <ul> <li>With four scorers emerging, [player_tooltip player_id="222378" first="Natalie" last="Guanella"] isn't having to do all the work, yet she's still scoring 18.0 points a game. Monarch (8-0) isn't crushing opponents, playing close games with Littleton and Lakewood, but has enough old school inside/outside action to have now beaten a number of different types of opponents. [player_tooltip player_id="318873" first="Amelia" last="Rosin"] (6'1", 11.0 PPG, 10.6) and [player_tooltip player_id="318878" first="Arezo" last="Safi"] (6'0", 9.1 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 3.0 APG) are crazy good forwards and the Coyotes have had 5'11" sophomore Hayley Luther step up as a shooter (8.9 PPG). They have a brutal January schedule so we'll know more about Monarch's potential in a few weeks.</li> </ul> Ralston Valley - GAR 12 up to #6 <ul> <li>No surprise to see the Sabus sisters dominating but [player_tooltip player_id="118733" first="Finley" last="Timon"] crushing it is a huge development for Ralston Valley (5-2). The 5'8" junior barely contributed last year and is now scoring 13.4 a game! The Mustangs get almost 30 a game from the Sabus girls. Senior Saya (16.9 PPG, 3.7 APG) is so hard to guard and is shooting 33% from three. Her sophomore sister, Sophie, adds 11.4 points and leads the team with 6.0 boards a game.</li> </ul> Cherry Creek - GAR 32 up to #9 <ul> <li>After just one down season, the Bruins welcome one of the best freshmen classes in Colorado, led by 6' point guard [player_tooltip player_id="361564" first="Tianna" last="Chambers"]. I coached against her with a 17U team this summer and she is already one of the state's top point guards in any grade. She leads the team in points (12.6), assists (3.4) and steals (2.6) per game. Just as active defensively is fellow freshman [player_tooltip player_id="327638" first="A'Neya" last="Chambers"] (5'10" and no relation to Tianna) slicing and dicing her way to 8.0 PPG and 2.6 SPG. Watch for another freshman in six-footer [player_tooltip player_id="361565" first="Braelynn" last="Barnett"] at 5.3 PPG. With 6' sophomore Sophia Baldessari (6.5 PPG, 5.5 RPG) doing so much work around the rim, the Bruins are balanced and back this year.</li> </ul> Eaglecrest - GAR 27 up to #12 <ul> <li>The talented junior trio of [player_tooltip player_id="95227" first="Laci" last="Roffle"] (11.9 PPG, 3.6 SPG), [player_tooltip player_id="95223" first="Nia" last="McKenzie"] (11.8 PPG, 2.9 APG), and [player_tooltip player_id="95210" first="Anjolene" last="Ramiro"] (9.4 PPG, 2.8 APG) has the Raptors off to a 7-2 start.</li> </ul> Fountain-Fort Carson - GAR 19 up to #13 <ul> <li>The Trojans are looking good this year with another trio of talented juniors highlighted by 6'4" [player_tooltip player_id="145428" first="Aiyana" last="Mitchell"]'s 15.0 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 2.7 SPG, and 2.4 BPG. What a stud. She's complimented by 5'10" inside/outside threat of Michaela Bosmans scoring 12.2 a game and 5'7" Soniah Evans at 6.4 PPG. Senior Nikkia Jones (5'7") is also chipping in 5.9 PPG.</li> </ul>