Seniors dominating Colorado play

  No doubt the higher end of Prep Girls Hoops-Colorado prospects will figure heavily into this week’s semifinals and championship rounds of the Centennial State’s finales for five classifications, particularly in the top two groups. Eight of the top 10 seniors ranked by PGH are still playing. However, the upper ends of PGH-CO’s Classes of 2023 and 2024 will only be meagerly represented. It’s obvious in Class 5A, where No. 3 seed Grandview will meet No. 2 Highlands Ranch and top-seeded Valor Christian, the defending champion, will take on No. 5 Arapahoe. The four account for five of the top-seven PGH-CO 2022 players. Grandview is headed by PGH-CO ’22 No.1 [player_tooltip player_id="95167" first="Lauren" last="Betts"], the 6-foot-7 Stanford signee and National Team player who has 41 points and 31 rebounds in her past two postseason outings. Thje Wolves also have PGH-CO ’22 No. 3 [player_tooltip player_id="117679" first="Marya" last="Hudgins"], the Santa Clara signee who has gone for 42 points and 11 rebounds in the Sweet 16 and quarterfinals. For Highlands Ranch, the 6-foot-3 [player_tooltip player_id="95179" first="Alex" last="Pirog"], PGH-CO ’22 No. 6 and bound for Montana, has compiled 21 points and 26 rebounds in her past eight quarters. Valor Christian, rolling behind the 6-3 Oregon State signee, Raegen Beers, PGH-CO ’22 No. 2, 49 points, 22 rebounds in the Sweet 16 and quarters, will have to deal with Arapahoe and the 6-1 [player_tooltip player_id="117684" first="Sam" last="Crispe"], PGH-CO ’22 No. 7, Boston U, signee, 24 points. The three others are on 4A semifinalist Mullen, which will take on Green Mountain. The Mustangs’ [player_tooltip player_id="95172" first="Gracie" last="Gallegos"], UC-San Diego, PGH-CO ’22 No. 4, 25 points, 13 rebounds; [player_tooltip player_id="117681" first="Kilah" last="Freelon"], Texas Tech, PGH-CO ’22 27 points, 14 rebounds nine assists; and [player_tooltip player_id="95170" first="Imani" last="Perez"], Hawaii, PGH-CO ’22 No. 9, 21 points, 18 rebounds. The only other PGH top-10s of their class still playing extra basketball are Valor’s [player_tooltip player_id="210292" first="Macey" last="Huard"] (No. 1) and [player_tooltip player_id="95213" first="Ali" last="Wetta"] (No. 3), and Green Mountain’s [player_tooltip player_id="95215" first="Jayda" last="Maves"], No. 6, of 2023. Mullen’s [player_tooltip player_id="216722" first="Allison" last="Schwertner"] is No. 11 in the Class of 2024 and if the Class of 2025 had a ranking – PGH-CO lists freshmen without rankings; they are in alphabetical order – Grandview’s 6-3 [player_tooltip player_id="352917" first="Sienna" last="Betts"] probably would head it. So what does this say about the current state of Colorado play? For one thing, it underlines the commanding senior power relevant to an in-state girls game that ordinarily has major contributions from lower classmen. For another, this particular senior class is regarded as top-heavy and the concentration of more than one top PGH-rated player on a team makes a huge difference (see: Grandview, Mullen and Valor Christian). And for another, by the end of the week the Class of 2022 will be finished and Colorado’s current juniors, sophomores and freshmen will head to off-seasons dotted with club play, traveling, the weight room and further development. And we get to start rating them all over again.