Nobody in the state has had a more dominant start to 2024 than Fort Collins’ Jayce King.
Heck, it’s to find anyone in the country with a better past two weeks.
The 6-foot-1 senior guard is averaging 37 points per game this month, lifting his season average to 32.9 — good for second in the state behind Pueblo South’s Maurice Austin (34.6) and 18th-most in the nation.
Over his last three games, he’s gone for at least 40 points — this after not reaching that milestone previously in his preps career.
King put up 40 Jan. 12, shooting 63% from the field in a win over Broomfield. He then reset his career high with 44 on 65% shooting in a win over Prairie View last Friday, and added another 41 against Monarch Tuesday, halting the Coyotes’ month-long winning streak.
In this week’s look-in on big-school boys’ basketball, let’s focus on a few notable individual standouts across the state.
Class 6A
Jayce King, Fort Collins: Behind King’s three straight 40-point games, the Lambkins (7-5) are playing their best basketball of the season with recent double-digit wins over Broomfield, Prairie View and Monarch.
King’s points per game average is up from 18.5 as a junior, when he was the secondary scoring punch behind outbound forward Luke Wagstaff.
He’ll look to add to his torrid streak at home against Loveland Friday.
Jordan Leslie, Mullen: The 6-1 senior is averaging a near triple-double this winter, with 13.9 points, 9.5 assists and 9.7 rebounds per game.
His 9.5 assists is only behind Strasburg’s Landen Martin’s 10 per game in the state, and is 10th-most in the country.
Leslie flirted with a triple-double each night of the Mustangs’ recent three-game losing streak. He had 15 points, eight boards and nine assists in Tuesday’s loss against No. 2 Smoky Hill, which erased an 11-point halftime deficit.
Mullen (9-7) regrouped to beat Grandview Thursday night, but no stats were immediately available.
The Mustangs are home against Cherokee Trail Wednesday.
Class 5A
Maurice Austin, Pueblo South: His 34.6 PPG are 11th-most in the nation. His 6.1 steals are second-best in Colorado and places him 18th in the country.
The 5-8 force can score any which way, proving as much during a season where he’s scored at least 50 twice, and at least 40 four times. His 191 field goals are more than 51 more than anybody else in the state. His 112 free throw makes are 24 above the rest of Colorado.
He scored 40 and 32 this past week as the Colts (7-8) beat Pueblo Centennial Friday, then lost to Pueblo County Tuesday. They’re at Pueblo West Friday.
Noah Hellem, Air Academy: The Kadets (6-12) have largely struggled with a retooled roster following last winter’s runner-up finish.
But Hellem has been a mainstay in the starting lineup, and productive at that.
Up from 14.8 PPG as a junior, he leads Air Academy at 21.9 PPG this season. Much of it has come behind the arc, where he is tops in the state with 65 makes from 3-point range.
He had a career-high seven 3s Tuesday, scoring 26 in a two-point win over Palmer Ridge. He followed it up with six 3s and 25 points in a loss to 4A No. 1 Lutheran Thursday.
The Kadets are at Discovery Canyon Monday.
Class 4A
Jacob Dallas and Jeremiah Parker, Denver West: The Cowboys (13-2) are tied for the eighth-best record in the classification, and a lot of it is due to their senior-junior pairing.
Dallas (16.9 PPG, 12.3 RPG), the senior, has the most double-doubles in the state with 14. Parker (14.8, 12.3) is second with 13.
Their 12.3 rebounds, meanwhile, are tied for first in the classification.
This past week, Dallas had 26 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Hinkley Monday, while Parker finished with 16 and 11. The junior then had 20 and 11 24 hours later in a win over Regis Groff. Dallas added 13 and a career-most 22 boards.
Denver West is home against 5A No. 1 Vista PEAK Prep Friday.
Aidan Wanrow, Eagle Ridge Academy: The Warriors (5-8) haven’t found their footing following their semifinals appearance last winter. But they have found a budding star in 6-8 freshman Wanrow.
Proven to be a standout rim protector, Wanrow’s 3.9 blocks per game are fifth-best in the state and most in the classification. He is averaging 12.2 PPG but has taken another step offensively in the past couple of weeks, where he sandwiched 29 and 23 points around the team’s last four games.
Along with 23 points in a loss to No. 4 Colorado Academy Monday, he had 13 rebounds and five blocks.
ERA is home against The Academy Saturday.
