Ten Colorado boys basketball games to watch for January

Fresh off Thursday's strong start to 2019, here is a quick look at 10 games to watch across the state's five classifications for the remainder of the month:

Class 5A
• ThunderRidge (9-2) at Rock Canyon (9-2), 7 p.m., Jan. 11
The Continental League is chock full of big games each year, and two key ones this season will come in the next two weeks. ThunderRidge (Highlands Ranch) and Rock Canyon (Highlands Ranch) are off to identical 9-2 starts, and each team has a non-league loss against a league opponent. The Grizzlies fell to Chaparral on Dec. 8 in the teams' tip-off tournament, and the other loss came in three overtimes to Smoky Hill. ThunderRidge went 3-0 in a tournament in Florida to close December though, and open 2019 against George Washington (Denver) on Saturday. Four players are averaging at least nine points, paced by senior Austin Holt at 11.9. … Rock Canyon's only in-state loss came to undefeated Mountain Vista, with the other happening while in Florida. The Jaguars have moved on without Player of the Year Sam Masten, with senior Jaylen Eikenberg averaging 14.1 points through 11 games. Grant Figueroa has been a steady presence in the middle, going for 12.1 points and 9.3 rebounds.
• Mountain Vista (9-0) at Chaparral (9-2), 7 p.m., Jan. 15
Another big Continental League matchup this month comes in the middle of January when Mountain Vista visits Chaparral. The Golden Eagles finished just 15-10 a year ago, but a 9-0 start has the team entering 2019 with some momentum. Senior Ben Grusing is averaging 17.9 points a game, and had two clutch performances in impressive victories over Rock Canyon and Eaglecrest. … Chaparral is coming off the loss to Lewis-Palmer, but the Wolverines can right the ship again before league play with two big non-league games coming against Denver East and Columbine (Littleton). Junior Kobe Sanders has continued to develop into one of the state's top players, averaging 21.7 points through 11 games. Lewis-Palmer limited him to a season-low nine points Thursday.
• Overland (8-2) at Smoky Hill (9-1), 7 p.m., Jan. 16
Switching gears to the Centennial League, Overland and Smoky Hill have the first of two meetings in the middle of the month. Both teams are on a roll, and both came away with big victories Thursday. Overland's two losses came by a combined nine points to ThunderRidge and Chaparral, but the team has won five in a row headed into Saturday's tilt with defending state champion Grandview (Aurora). Junior Graham Ike is averaging a double-double at 17.6 points and 10.8 rebounds, and junior Hezekiah Swanson's 13.6 points are complemented by five assists a game. … Smoky Hill has won nine of 10, with the only loss coming to Chaparral. The Buffs have won six in a row since that game, including a 15-point victory over Cherokee Trail on Thursday. Foster and Rock have led the way as the team prepares for Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village) and Grandview in the next week.

Class 4A
• Cheyenne Mountain (8-1) at Lewis-Palmer (8-0), 7 p.m., Jan. 23
The Pikes Peak League will see some great games over the next two months, and the first meeting between these two teams figures to rank right up there. Cheyenne Mountain (Colorado Springs) appears to have shrugged off some recent struggles by winning eight of its first nine games. Junior Javonte Johnson has played a big role in that success, averaging 25.6 points and 10.4 rebounds thus far. Johnson scored 40 points in the season opener, and has hauled in 16 rebounds three times through nine games. … Lewis-Palmer has reached the 4A state title game two years in a row, and the Rangers have been dominant through eight games this season. No victory was more impressive than Thursday night's 12-point triumph over 5A's Chaparral. Senior Joel Scott averaged 19 points through the team's first seven games, and Matthew Ragsdale has provided a big boost since returning from injury in late December.
• Greeley Central (7-1) at Longmont (9-0), 6:30 p.m., Jan. 25
With Northern League play getting going this month, Greeley Central is attempting to prove a strong December was only the start. The Wildcats have endured four consecutive losing seasons, but have been steadily improving. After a three-point loss to Skyline (Longmont) in the opener, the team has shown it can win close games, including three nail-biting victories in a row in the Greeley Invitational to close 2018. Senior Jackson Hayslip is averaging 25.1 points a game, including a 40-point showing in a 58-57 victory over Fruita Monument. … Longmont has backed up its state championship last March with nine consecutive victories to open the season. Save for a five-point victory over Glenwood Springs, each win has come by double-digit margins. The Trojans graduated Player of the Year Luke Johnson, but have three players averaging at least 10 points a game. Senior Beck Page has nearly 16 points a game thus far, and senior Brady Renck is averaging 12.6 points and is among the state leaders with 7.3 assists a game.



Class 3A
• Faith Christian (5-3) at Manual (5-2), 7 p.m., Jan. 23
A rematch of a state quarterfinal game last March features two teams looking to keep up in a competitive Metro League. Manual (Denver) has made the state tournament in each of the three previous seasons, including a semifinal run three years ago. The Thunderbolts went 2-1 against 5A teams in the Fairview Festival, and the only other loss came by three points to top-ranked Sterling. Senior Jaedon Bowles, who has paced the team's offense for four years now, is averaging 24.3 points and 8.9 rebounds. Senior Adontre Thompson averages a double-double at 12.1 points and 11 rebounds. … Faith Christian (Arvada) had to reload after graduating two all-state talents in Jonah Gardner and Benjamin Hawkins. The team's record is a bit deceiving, given that all three losses came to 3A's current top three ranked teams. The Eagles fell to The Vanguard (Colorado Springs) by only two points and took undefeated Coal Ridge to overtime before falling 89-84. Junior Caleb Ruter has filled the scoring void with 18.5 points a game.
• Kent Denver (5-0) at Sterling (7-0), 4 p.m., Jan. 26
This is a can't-miss match up in 3A between two heavyweights. Kent Denver won 19 games a year ago, but a loss to Faith Christian in the Metro League District tournament gave the Sun Devils the No. 11 overall seed at state. The team lost to Faith Christian again in the second round, ending its season. But with Doyle and Gold leading the way again for Kent Denver, opposing teams will be hard-pressed to slow down the Sun Devils' offense. … Enter Sterling, the 2016-17 state champion which won 26 in a row last season before getting upset by Lutheran in the semifinals. Reigning Player of the Year Bodie Hume graduated, but the Tigers are riding a balanced offense thus far. Senior Carter Keil is averaging 13.3 points, and the team ended 2018 with victories over Manual and Faith Christian.
• Colorado Springs Christian (6-1) at The Vanguard (4-2), 8:30 p.m., Jan. 29
The Tri-Peaks League will be in the thick of things by the time these two teams meet at the end of the month. Colorado Springs Christian, which was handed a first-round exit last season, has looked good early. The Lions defeated last year's runner-up, Lutheran (Parker), 72-67 early in December and the only blemish came to Roaring Fork. Three players are averaging at least 13 points a game, with seniors Kolby Walker (16 points) and Brandon Pitt (15.7) surging early. … The Vanguard School is hoping this is the year the team breaks through. A 21-win season ended abruptly in the second round last winter with a loss to Lutheran. The Coursers' only two losses this season came in an out-of-state tournament late last month, and both were four-point games. Seth Fuqua, who has averaged just shy of 25 points during his four years with the team, is sitting at 25.3 points through six games.

Class 2A
• Fowler (5-2) at Holly (7-0), noon, Jan. 5
Holly hasn't skipped a beat since making the move up a classification. After winning at least 21 games in each of the previous five seasons in 1A – including two state titles in that span – the Wildcats have won their first seven games of the season by at least 11 points. Three players are averaging at least 13 points a game, led by Jarett Rushton at 15.2. … Fowler is coming off back-to-back winning seasons after struggling for more than a decade. The team's two losses this season have come to 3A squads in La Junta and seventh-ranked Colorado Springs Christian. The Grizzlies also handed Limon its only loss so far this season. Sophomore Val Leone leads the team at 11.1 points a game.

Class 1A
• Front Range Baptist (4-1) at Cornerstone Christian (8-0), 7:30 p.m., Jan. 29
While Holly is no longer in 1A, there is no shortage of talented teams in the classification. That includes undefeated Cornerstone Christian (Westminster), which continues its resurgence. The team went 17-8 a year ago after a string of eight consecutive losing seasons, and the Bulldogs have already beaten 2A Byers and 3A Grand Valley (Parachute) this season. Seniors Brandt Vos (18 points a game) and Eddie Cruz (16.4 points) are leading the way. … Front Range Baptist (Fort Collins), coming off a run to the state semifinals last winter, has started strong again. The team's only loss came 2A's sixth-ranked Heritage Christian (Fort Collins) by three points. Senior Deric Woods is averaging 21.2 points and 14.4 rebounds a game.