Gabe Colisimo has established himself as an offensive power, but has put more emphasis on his defensive game lately.
Photo by Steve Carnahan
Scoring alone isn't what makes
Gabe Colosimo such a dangerous basketball player. It is just one of the things he can do when the ball is in his hands.
The 6-foot-1, 175-pound guard has a knack for finding his
Juan Diego Catholic (Draper) teammates in all the right places. Get him the ball and good things follow for everyone. Colosimo takes some satisfaction in knowing he does not need to always score to make an impact as a point guard.
"You have to have great vision," Colosimo said. "That's what I pride myself on – knowing I can get other guys the ball as well as score myself. Just having great vision, and being able to see things other guards can't see, is a big bonus for me."
Colisimo's ability to score from any spot has madehim the go-to option for Juan Diego.
Photo by Dave Argyle
Everything the junior does has been a big bonus for Juan Diego this season.
The Soaring Eagles are 12-3 entering region play and have the look of a Class 3A title contender. Juan Diego is averaging 60 points per game as a team and has done it with a schedule loaded with 5A and 4A teams.
The Soaring Eagles are 5-1 versus Class 5A opponents and 3-2 against Class 4A teams. Colosimo is a huge reason they are competitive at all levels.
He averages 22.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 3.8 steals per game. Colosimo also leads Class 3A in points and steals and ranks second in assists behind Morgan guard Matt Murdock.
His ability to make plays for himself and others has turned Colosimo into a defensive matchup nightmare.
"People really have to play him honestly because he's such a good passer," Juan Diego coach Drew Trost said. "They know he can score, but he's so unselfish that it makes it so teams are not able to double him as much or be on the help side as much. A lot of times, people will cheat to the best player. With Gabe being such a great passer, they can't do that."
Colosimo showed flashes of his potential as a freshman, when he averaged 9.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.9 rebounds. A year later, he enjoyed a breakout season, boosting his per game averages to 18.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 3.7 steals.
The one area where Colosimo has focused the most on improving has been on the defensive side of the ball, as he has worked hard to raise his defense to the same level as his offensive game. For him, that will be the aspect that determines his future in basketball.
"If I want to play at the next level – Division 1 basketball – which is my goal, I have to be able to guard quicker guards," Colosimo said. "You have to be able to move your feet. With my offense, I can keep up with a lot of guys. But in terms of defense, that's been my main focus. I've been working on boxing out and moving my feet and athleticism in general."
Colisimo has multiple college offers to consider.
Photo by Steve Carnahan
Colosimo has made significant strides on defense and is starting to draw some recruiting attention. Harvard, Brown, Utah State, Portland, Oregon State, Utah and UC Davis have all shown interest in the junior during the past season.
Trost believes Colosimo is strong enough offensively to be effective at the NCAA's top level. He also feels like his defensive game is catching up.
"I don't think he gets near enough credit for how good of an athlete he is or how quick he is," Trost said. "I consistently put him on the best player on the other team and I think he does a great job. He's improved a lot and he can still improve."
With Colosimo leading the way, Juan Diego is in good shape to return to the Class 3A playoffs after missing them by a single game last season. The Soaring Eagles are also playing strong enough to potentially win a playoff game for the first time since 2010.
Colosimo and his teammates are all hopeful a strong start to the season is simply foreshadowing greater things ahead.
"It's exciting to be the building block and the stepping stone," Colosimo said. "We can say we started it. That's what we're trying to do. We're trying to get as many wins as we can and try to do well in the playoffs and see where this can go."
John Coon covers Utah high school sports for MaxPreps. He is a former prep sports reporter with the Salt Lake Tribune and the Deseret News. You can contact him at john_coon@hotmail.com or follow him on Twitter at @johncoonsports
