Thompson Valley senior Brady Kennison appears to still be unsigned, though the traction for his college services should be picking up soon thanks in part to his stellar start to the winter season.
Most outlets have him at 6-foot. He lists himself at 6-1 on his X account. He’s measuring up either way.
The point guard is averaging 32.3 points per game for the Eagles (5-2), who won four straight going into winter break. He is 53% from the field and even more efficient from deep, starting the year 39 of 69 (57%) from behind the arc.
Needing 105 points to cross 1,000 points in his career coming into the season, it took Kennison just four games to hit the milestone, which included a 48-point, three-quarter performance in a blowout win over Fort Morgan Dec. 7.
Blessed to hit 1,000 points 🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/kQvgdlKdkN
— Brady Kennison (@BradyKennison3) December 8, 2023
In this week’s look at basketball, here is a focus on a couple early stock risers in Class 6A, 5A and 4A after the first month of the season.
Class 6A
Jayce King, Fort Collins: He’s one of three players in the state along with Pueblo South’s Maurice Austin and TV’s Kennison who are currently averaging more than 30 PPG.
An all-state honorable mention last season, King is averaging 30.1 PPG on 46% shooting. He scored 37 and 36 on consecutive nights last week, then went 11-for-11 from the line as part of 29 points in a win over Green Mountain Monday, the third straight win for the Lambkins (4-3).
Spencer Brown, Fairview: The junior shooting guard, who averaged just 3.7 PPG a year ago, is currently third in the classification at 21 PPG through eight games.
He scored 18 on 6-of-10 shooting Saturday as the Knights (4-4) closed their December schedule with a win over Rangeview.
Class 5A
Kennison, Thompson Valley: Before the break Kennison had six straight games of 27 or more points, a span where he shot above 55% from both the field and from 3.
His 39 3-pointers are the most in the state. His 32.3 PPG would place him inside the top 20 in the nation’s scoring, per MaxPreps.
Kenneth Jones Jr., Harrison: The senior, who didn’t make the all-state team a season ago, has the Panthers out to a 6-1 start to the year thanks in part to his 27.9 PPG.
Jones had a career-high 43 points in a win over Liberty last week. In it, he shot 60% and went 5 of 8 from deep to go along with eight rebounds, five assists and four steals.
Class 4A
Jeremiah Parker, Denver West: Last week, we touched on his teammate Jacob Dallas (19.4 PPG, 12.5 RPG), who has a state-most eight double-doubles in eight games.
Parker is right behind him with seven.
As part of a skyscraping duo that has the Cowboys 8-0, the junior is averaging 13.6 points and 12.6 rebounds. He had a career-high 26 points and 13 rebounds in a win over DSST: College View on Saturday.
Jeffrey Sturges, Steamboat Springs: Sturges is doing a lot of scoring for the Sailors (3-5), and much of it is thanks to ability to get to the line where he’s been among the state’s best.
Sturges is averaging 20.6 PPG and is 46 of 56 from the stripe.
In his last three games, he has missed just one free throw in 18 attempts, going a perfect 5-for-5 in a December-closing loss to Lewis-Palmer Saturday.