Colorado boys basketball standouts making presence felt

It isn't always easy to define what makes an individual worthy of Player of the Year status.

Is it numbers alone that make someone MVP-worthy? Or how they elevate their team/teammates to a higher level? How important is a team's record in the discussion?

No matter which side of the discussion you come down on, one thing that can be agreed upon is that a number of prep boys basketball players in the state are enjoying strong seasons after a little more than a month of play. From returning all-state talent, to players who are entering the Player of the Year conversation for the first time, there is no shortage of potential POY candidates headed into the final two months of the season.

Case in point: ThunderRidge (Highlands Ranch) senior Corey Seng. As a junior, Seng finished fourth on the team in scoring for a Grizzlies squad that won 21 games. But with the first three players having each graduated, Seng has filled that void this season and then some.

The 6-foot-5 forward ranks fourth in Class 5A with 23.1 points per game as ThunderRidge has won 11 of its first 12 contests. The team is coming off an impressive 71-61 victory over previously top-ranked George Washington (Denver) in which Seng notched a season-high 30 points.

"I've learned to pace myself over the years, to keep it up the whole game," Seng told CHSAANow.com's Ryan Casey after the game. "That's really helped me, especially this year."

With league play underway, here is a look at a handful of POY candidates in 5A and 4A through the first half of the season. (Note: Only players who had played in a majority of their teams games up and had their statistics entered into MaxPreps.com were considered).

Next week we'll take a look at POY candidates in Class 3A, 2A and 1A.

Class 5A
• Jervay Green, Sr., George Washington
There was no doubt that the Patriots would be good this season, but with Daylen Kountz now at Denver East the question was who would be the team's top scoring threat? That would be Green, who averages just shy of 20 points a game to go along with 5.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 3.5 steals. Green had a stretch where he scored 83 points over three games and has helped George Washington start the season 10-2.
• Hunter Maldonado, Sr., Vista Ridge (Colorado Springs)
The Wolves moved up to 5A, and after a slow start have won six of their past seven games. Maldonado is averaging 22.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and three steals a game for Vista Ridge, which made the 4A semis a year ago. His last game might have been his most impressive: In a victory against Lewis-Palmer (Monument), Maldonado went for 32 points, seven rebounds, five steals, four assists and four blocks.
• Sam Masten, Jr., Rock Canyon (Highlands Ranch)
Masten was a first-team all-state selection as a sophomore and has continued to get better. The 6-3 guard is averaging 23.4 points for the 10-2 Jaguars, and he's tied for second on the team in rebounds per game and is first in assists. Masten scored 42 points early in December, and he's coming off a 30-point showing in a victory over Rangeview (Aurora) that included a 16-of-18 effort from the free-throw line.
• Colbey Ross, Sr., Eaglecrest (Centennial)
The case could be made that the Pepperdine-bound Ross was the early favorite to claim POY honors after the Raptors made the title game last March. He hasn't disappointed, leading Eaglecrest in points (19.1 ppg), assists (4.5) and steals (2.7), while currently sitting second in rebounds (4.9). In a victory over Durango (Nev.) last month, Ross went for 19 points, nine rebounds, six assists and six steals.
• Corey Seng, Sr., ThunderRidge
The afore-mentioned Seng has averaged 23.1 points per game, and also goes for 5.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists and more than two steals. His first two games this season he shot an astounding 22-of-28 from the floor, and while he hasn't been able to maintain that pace, he's knocked down at least eight shots in each of his previous seven games.

Class 4A
• C.J. Jennings, Sr., Sierra (Colorado Springs)
Jennings averaged 22 points a game as a junior, but is finding ways to elevate his game as a senior. The 6-2 guard has been the model of consistency thus far (his 43-point effort in a loss to Denver South in early December does stand out), averaging 23.1 points a game. In a two-point loss to Sand Creek on Dec. 16, Jennings finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds.
• Jalen Sanders, Sr., Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch)
On an Eagles team loaded with talent, Sanders has done a little bit of everything this season. He is first on the team in points (21.4), rebounds (7.6), assists (4.2), steals (2.5) and blocks (3.4). Sanders has three double-doubles to his credit, and put together an impressive 21-point, 13-rebound, seven-block performance Jan. 5 in a victory over Green Mountain (Lakewood).
• D'Shawn Schwartz, Sr., Sand Creek (Colorado Springs)
How good has Schwartz been thus far? The 6-6 senior sits fifth in the state in scoring – regardless of classification – at 26.9 points. He opened the season with a 50-point performance, and had 44 points in the team's first game back from winter break. He's also averaging a double-double with 10.5 boards a game, and went through a recent stretch with four consecutive double-doubles for the third-ranked Scorpions.
• Adam Thistlewood, Jr., Golden
As a sophomore, Thistlewood ran the Demons' offense at the point but didn't need to be the go-to guy. He finished fourth on the team in scoring, but one year later leads the team in points (18.3), rebounds (6.3), assists (2.2) and steals (2.0). He scored 23 points to go along with seven rebounds and four steals in a loss to new 4A No. 1 Valor Christian on Saturday.
• Michael Ward, Sr., Mead (Longmont)
Ward is in his fourth year on varsity for the No. 6 Mavericks and has improved with each season. The senior averages 21.3 points through 10 games, and is coming off a season-high 32 points and six steals in a victory over Erie. His 31 steals this season are tied for fourth-best in 4A.