5A Breakout Players

Kincaid Bimler

November 11, 2021 @ 03:47 PM

Many players had great summers with their clubs and a solid fall league with their high school teams. Here are some under the radar players who are poised to become major contributors this season. Emily Allison Emily Allison 5'8" | SG Columbine | 2024 CO - 2024 - Columbine Emily is a do-it-all player. She can play and defend all five positions on the floor. She has a quick first step on her drives, can get to the basket, and finish through contact. She is an aggressive rebounder who can put it right back up for a score. Emily has improved her shooting over the summer and will provide another threat at Columbine to go along with Senior and fellow Sophomore . She will get more three-point looks and scoring opportunities this season with so much focus going on Bollwahn and Gentry. Look for Emily to make huge improvements on her 4.3 ppg, 3.8 rpg, and 1.6 spg averages from last season. Katie Wilkinson Katie Wilkinson 5'7" | CG Legend | 2024 State CO - 2024 - Legend Katie is a great shooter, takes care of the ball, and is a surprisingly good shot blocker for a guard. Katie's best skill is her ability to shoot the ball. She can shoot both mid-range and 3-point shots at a high clip. She thrives in transition, pushing the ball up the floor, or running out wide for transition layups. She is a key piece in the young Titans core who is going to advance up the Continental standings over the next couple seasons. Katie averaged 1.9 ppg last season and was 4th on her team in three-point attempts. Katie played extremely well over the summer and she will increase her scoring to give the Titans another threat alongside Senior and Sophomore . Olivia Loveland Olivia Loveland 5'8" | SF Castle View | 2024 State CO - 2024 - Castle View Liv has been one of the most talked about rising players in Colorado over the summer. She appeared in 6 varsity contests last season but will have one of the biggest impacts in 5A this season. Liv is a crafty lefty who can shoot the lights out and can take people off the dribble. She has shown growth in her ability to find open teammates, push the ball in transition, and finish around the rim with a variety of moves. She had numerous games this summer and fall where she would hit threes on multiple plays in a row. Look for Liv to take a dramatic jump in scoring and be one of the top scorers in the Continental league. Sydney White - 2023 - Arapahoe Sydney White is a well known player in Utah but a newcomer to the Colorado scene. She will have an immediate impact on a talented Arapahoe team already featuring Senior . Sydney is a 5'10" lengthy point guard who defends tenaciously and is a matchup problem offensively. Last season at Mountain View High School in Utah, White averaged 15 ppg, 4.4 rpg, and 2.7 spg. Look for her to keep up that same production out in Colorado and help Arapahoe make a state title run. Ellie Pugliese Ellie Pugliese 5'7" | CG Arvada West | 2023 State CO - 2023 - Arvada West Ellie is a slashing scorer, a crafty dribbler, and a big part of a talented Arvada West team. She can break presses with ease, find open teammates, or take it herself for a nice finish at the rim. She is the top returning scorer for the Wildcats and will look to take on more of a scoring load this season. Ellie can finish around the rim with both hands and will look to involve teammates , , and . Pugliese averaged 7.3 ppg and 2.9 rpg last season.