Colorado girls basketball Player of the Year candidates

With girls basketball entering the final month of the regular season, it's time to take inventory of the Player of the Year candidates in each classification.

Some have a clear-cut frontrunner while others are a bit more convoluted. Here's a look:

Class 5A

It's starting to appear like it will be an upset if anyone other than Grandview (Aurora) sophomore Michaela Onyenwere is named the big-school MVP. She plays for a bona fide state contender in the No. 4 Wolves (11-1) and leads the state in scoring, all classes, with 24 points a game. The ultra-talented Onyenwere also averages 9.9 rebounds and 4.4 steals per contest for the Wolves.



Who else is in the chase? Perhaps Broomfield's Colorado State-bound senior Callie Kaiser, who averages 17.6 points per game for the No. 2 Eagles. Taylor Rusk, the top scorer for top-ranked ThunderRidge (Highlands Ranch), deserves some consideration, and Monarch (Louisville) guard Raegen Rohn could work herself into the conversation if the No. 5 Coyotes (13-1) keep up their torrid pace.

Alyssa Rader averages 17.6 points and a state-best 12.3 rebounds for No. 6 Horizon (Thornton) and also is on the radar. From a sheer numbers standpoint, Courtney Smith of Legacy (Broomfield) (22.8 points, 11.8 rebounds) and Jonnae Richardson of Denver East (18.9 points, 11.7 boards) also are in the conversation.

Class 4A

If the season ended today, it'd be tough to justify giving POY honors to anyone but Kendall Bradbury. She's the classification's leading scorer and plays on the No. 1 team, Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch) (12-1).

Of course Pueblo West guard Haley Simental might have something to say about that, considering she averages 20.2 points for the No. 4 Cyclones. All-everything point guard Katie Chavez of No. 3 Holy Family (Broomfield) also might have a beef. Chavez averages 16.5 points, 6.3 assists and 4.4 steals for the Tigers (10-2).

Canon City senior Nicole Archambeau also makes a good case while averaging 15.8 points and 8.7 rebounds for the lone unbeaten team in 4A (14-0). And just because Mesa Ridge (Colorado Springs) is down a bit this season, don't count out talented center Kylee Shook, who is averaging a monster double-double of 17.9 points and 15 rebounds.



That also means Glenwood Springs post Madi Spence deserves a look (16 points, 15 boards a game). Thomas Jefferson (Denver) standout Essence Reece and Air Academy's Kassady Huffman also are averaging hefty double-doubles in the middle.

Class 3A

Could the MVP come from a team well outside the top 10? If the answer is yes, then Maya Love of Kent Denver (Englewood) could be a runaway winner. No one comes close to touching the junior's numbers of 23 points, 15.6 rebounds, 5.2 steals and 2.8 blocks per game.

That includes a hefty 42 points in a 76-72 win against 4A Thomas Jefferson on Jan. 7, a keynote win for the Sun Devils (7-4).

In regard to players among the top teams, Jenna Knudson of top-ranked Sterling will be right in the mix with her 16.4 scoring average. No. 3 Manitou Springs has two candidates in forward Angala Jensen (16.3 points, 9.4 rebounds) and guard Shelby Megyeri (15.1 points).

No. 2 Pagosa Springs star Payton Shahan could make a late charge, as could Lutheran (Parker) standout Kaleigh Paplow. A dark-horse candidate: Carsen Cambier of Faith Christian (Arvada).



Class 2A

With four teams still unbeaten in the classification, MVP candidates are abundant. Among them:

Sarah Logar of top-ranked Peyton averages 17 points; Cydney Kreutzer of No. 2 Hoehne fills up the box score with 13.8 points, 5.4 steals and 4.8 assists; Shayln Johnson of third-ranked Caliche (Iliff) also has gone big (17.4 points, 5.2 steals).

The straight-up statistical edge has to go to Meeker's Sydney Hughes, who leads 2A in scoring (20.1) and steals (7.9) for the No. 7 Cowboys. AJ Miller of No. 4 Akron and Logan Hixon of No. 6 Yuma each average 16.7 points and are in the conversation, as is standout Nellie Freeman of No. 5 Cedaredge.

Two players from unranked teams average big-time double-doubles: Anna Schwecke of Clear Creek (Evergreen) (19.1 points, 13.3 rebounds) and Calhan's Mikaela Parker (15.2 points, 13.9 boards).

Class 1A



Two names immediately leap atop the list. Norwood senior Jordan Williams is averaging 19.8 points and 11 rebounds as she tries to help the No. 4 Mavericks repeat as champs. As far as the MVP race, she is receiving hefty challenge from South Baca [Campo/Vilas/Pritchett] junior Shaelynn Wood, who is averaging 22.8 points and 14.8 rebounds for the No. 7 Patriots.

Others in the mix include Abbey Stagner, who averages a double-double for No. 2 Sangre de Cristo (Mosca), Briggsdale guard Darian Hale and Genoa-Hugo junior Ariel Bray.

Of note, statistics for top-ranked Kit Carson are incomplete, but sisters Aurelia Isenbart and Micayla Isenbart are top-tier commodities who easily could enter the POY talks.