Colorado boys basketball POY candidates abound through first half

In a little more than a month, the regular season will come to a conclusion for prep boys basketball, and the postseason will be on its way.

The first several weeks of the 2014-15 season have brought about some incredible performances, from 40-point efforts to triple-doubles. The most difficult part of the season – the heart of the league schedule – is yet to come? Nearly two-thirds through the regular season, which athletes have tossed their names into the mix for Player of the Year?

Here is a look at five potential POY candidates from each classification headed into the final five weeks of the regular season:

Class 5A

• Brian Carey, Sr., Denver East – It's been an up-and-down season for the Class 5A defending state champions, but Carey's play has been a bright spot. The state leader with an average of 35 points per game, Carey scored 44 and 46 points in the first two games back from the break. He was nearly lights-out at the free-throw line in those games at a combined 39-of-41 and is averaging 3.6 assists and 3.4 steals.

• De'ron Davis, Jr., Overland (Aurora) – The Trailblazers have won five of their past six, and the 6-foot-10 junior has been big in the middle of it all. Davis is averaging a double-double of 17.3 points and 10.1 rebounds, along with 4.5 blocks. In a victory against Smoky Hill on Jan. 14, Davis went for 10 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and four blocks.

• Zach Pirog, Sr., ThunderRidge (Highlands Ranch) – Not to be outdone, Pirog has helped the Grizzlies to a 13-1 start and a No. 2 ranking in 5A. The senior has averaged 15.1 points and nine rebounds, including three consecutive double-doubles coming out of the break. He put 32 points on the board against Aurora Central on Jan. 9.

• Jake Holtzmann, Sr., Chaparral (Parker) - The Wolverines have three players scoring in double figures, but Holtzmann is leading the way. The University of Denver-commit is averaging 18.5 points and eight rebounds a night and has scored at least 20 points in each of the past four games. He also leads Chaparral with 3.5 assists per game.

• Thomas Neff, Sr., Arvada West – Neff, another DU commit, started strong and hasn't looked back. Through 13 games the Wildcats senior is scoring at a rate of 24 points a game to go along with 6.9 rebounds. Neff has hit at least 30 points on five occasions, and the team has won six of the past seven. The wing has double-doubles in each of the past two games.

Class 4A

• Justinian Jessup, Jr., Longmont – The Trojans are off to a blistering start with 12 wins in a row and a top ranking in 4A. Jessup has averaged 18 points through 11 games, adding 3.9 steals and 2.9 assists per game. The junior is shooting an impressive 56 percent from the field.

• Michael Ranson, Jr., Pueblo Central – A strong 4A junior class also includes Ranson, who leads all of 4A in scoring at 25.7 points per game. The high-scoring Wildcats also have junior Kobi Betts averaging 20.1 points, but Ranson has the been the steadiest of hands. He has scored at least 20 points in each of the team's 13 games with a season-high of 38 back on Dec. 11.

• Josh McNair, Sr., Thomas Jefferson (Denver) – After a slow start in his first four games, McNair has averaged 21.6 points over the past 10 games. He has six double-doubles in that span and is averaging 9.7 rebounds and has 23 steals over the past six games. He was just short of a triple-double in a loss to Denver South on Jan. 17 after a 20-point, 16-rebound, eight-assist evening that also included four steals and three blocks.

• DShawn Schwartz, So., Sand Creek (Colorado Springs) – The third-ranked Scorpions have relied upon the hot-hand of the sophomore, who is averaging 17.9 points and 8.7 rebounds a game. Schwartz is also getting his teammates involved with 34 assists on the season.

• Chris Helbig, Jr., Holy Family (Broomfield) – A 1-2 scoring punch of Helbig and senior Luke Golter has the defending 3A state champions off to a strong start in 4A. Helbig has scored in double figures in each of his 10 games and has been precise, shooting at least 60 percent from the field in four of those contests. His assists and steals have been steady as well, with Helbig averaging 3.2 of each per game.

Class 3A

• Justin Bassey, Jr., Colorado Academy (Denver) – One of the most complete players in the state regardless of classification, Bassey continues to put up big numbers across the board. The 3A leader in scoring at 26.2 points per game, he's also averaging 9.9 rebounds and 6.3 assists. Over his past six games, Bassey has averaged 31.5 points, and he has two triple-doubles on the season.

• Sam Parker, Sr., Grand Valley (Parachute) – The Cardinals moved up to No. 6 in 3A this week and have four players scoring in double figures. Parker has hit at least 30 points three times, is shooting 90 percent from the free-throw line and also averages six rebounds a game.

• Samuel Howard, Jr., Colorado Springs Christian – Both Howard and sophomore Justin Engesser have dominated opponents this season for the No. 1 Lions. Engesser leads the team in scoring and assists, but Howard has averaged a double-double at 16.0 points and 10.1 rebounds. The 6-7 junior has 31 blocks to his name, and what's more, he has shot 68 percent from the field.

• Gabe Hegarty, Jr., Faith Christian (Arvada) – The undefeated Eagles are loaded with talent, and Hegarty is a big factor in the team's strong start. While he's second to Spencer Bazz in scoring, Hegarty has averaged 16.2 points and 7.5 rebounds. Over his last three games he's averaged 21.7 points while shooting 73 percent from the field, and he has four double-doubles to his name.

• James Willis/Josh Clausen, Sr., Lutheran (Parker) – Since moving up to 3A, the Lions have won 10 of their first 11 games. Willis (18.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists) and Clausen (17.7 points, 7.6 rebounds) have been so good it's difficult to give one the edge over the other.

Class 2A

• Kadyn Hicks, Sr., Highland (Ault) – With five unbeaten squads, 2A is loaded. Hicks and Highland have won 11 in a row, with the senior putting up huge numbers at 25.6 points and 10.5 rebounds a game. Hicks has scored at least 30 points in four of his past five games, including a monster 35-point, 24-rebound effort in a victory over Akron on Jan. 16. He also averages 3.5 steals a game.

• Jared Clarkson, Sr., Akron – Speaking of Akron, Clarkson and sophomore Jordan Herder are in the top-five in 2A in scoring. Clarkson has averaged 25 points, 7.4 assists, 6.4 rebounds and 3.1 steals; on Jan. 9, he scored 42 points in a victory over Merino. He has recorded 10 assists on three occasions.

• Connor Fiscus, Sr., Merino – The 6-foot Fiscus is nipping at Clarkson's heels in terms of numbers. The senior has averaged 22.6 points, 8.7 rebounds and 7.8 assists while shooting 52 percent from 3-point range. He notched a triple-double earlier this season against Haxtun.

• Cody Norris, Sr., Simla – The undefeated Cubs feature a similar talent in 6-4 guard Norris, who like Clarkson and Fiscus has been an assist-machine. Norris leads the team at 17.3 points a game, and has dished out 7.4 assists. The senior also goes for 5.7 rebounds and 2.3 steals each game.

• Tanner Ervin, So., Resurrection Christian (Loveland) – Yet another unbeaten in 2A, Ervin has paced the Cougars in scoring, assists and steals. Ervin averages 19.0 points, 4.5 assists and 2.7 steals.

Class 1A

• Ross Dunlap, Sr., Springfield – Dunlap and his Longhorns teammates climbed to No. 2 in the 1A polls, with five players averaging at least nine points or better. Dunlap is at the top of that group, averaging 13.4 points through 11 games to go along with 7.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.4 steals. He has been the model of consistency when it comes to scoring and has four double-doubles to his credit – one of which was a 10-assist game against Granada.

• Tanner Smith, Sr., Jim Elliot Christian (Englewood) – Smith's all-around game has the Warriors ranked third in the state. His 19.6 points per game is impressive, but it's the 8.0 rebounds, 4.9 steals and 4.4 assists that really stands out. Smith has tallied eight steals three times this season.

• Casey Barrett, Sr., Peetz – The Bulldogs have a scoring-machine in Barrett, who sits third in the state overall at 27.2 points per game. The guard has a 47-point game to his credit earlier in the season against Pawnee, and he's scored at least 29 points on five occasions.

• Austin Littlefield, Sr., Prairie (New Raymer) – Littlefield has averaged 20.1 points over nine games this season. The 5-7 guard has been known to pick opponents' pockets – he averages 3.3 steals a game – but can crash the boards as well when needed (3.3 rebounds a game).

• Benton Ahalt, Sr., Denver Waldorf – The Spartans have the toughest portion of the schedule upcoming, but Ahalt has the team playing well. He leads the team with 15.0 points per game, but his 16 rebounds a game lead the entire state, regardless of classification. The 6-4 senior went for 18 points and 24 rebounds Jan. 16 in a victory over Cornerstone Christian.