Top Ten

Now for the good stuff, here are the top 10 CO basketball teams as of 12/04/2007.

1. Denver East- Simply put, the Thorton brothers are dominating. Combining for 49 points against Doherty, the brothers helped east down the #4 team in Colorado 79-70. When the Angels get star Mookie Gilbert back, Rudy Carey should have his 3rd state title in 5 years.

2. ThunderRidge- This program has no excuse to ever be out of the top 5 as they are just that deep with talent. Coach Joe Ortiz has the talent and the experience to get this team to the Coors Event Center yet again.

3. Poudre- Dallas Elmore and company dispensed Xavier Howard-less Smoky Hill this past week to boot the Buffaloes out of the top 10. If the rest of Poudre can step up when Elmore is focused on, this team could be simply dangerous!

4. Doherty- The loss to #1 East drops the Spartans only one spot. Doherty has some big shoes to fill from last year, but has the talent to do it. The league games against Reggie Jackson and Palmer will be exciting.

5. Mullen- Two Final Fours and a state championship are things that programs often dream about. For Coach Cutrell and the Mustangs that is the level of expectations that they must live up to. Cutrell has built Mullen into a perennial powerhouse and with stars Terrance Dent and Stan Jones, I don't see Mullen falling to short of those expectations.

6. Cherry Creek- They have talent year in and year out and this year is no exception. Trey Eckloff is looking to have a monster senior year and lead CC back to Boulder. Will he have enough support from his fellow Bruins?

7. Palmer- This team could catapult up these rankings very soon. Reggie Jackson has a very capable cast around him and should they split with Doherty, I like them come tourny time. For now though, Palmer is at #7.

8. Boulder- Word is that this group of seniors has changed their attitude and set their sights on playing up the hill on campus come later in the season. Will the Panthers finally live up to their potential?

9. Wheat Ridge- One of the taller teams in the state and they should have a favorable league schedule. Will the Farmers have the guard play to compete with the state's elite? Early indications are negative, but the post play is enough to warrent a top 10 ranking.

10. Fairview- Coach Lee has all three components of a team to make a run for CEC; they have a great PG, a star on the wing, and they play great defense. Fairview could shoot up the rankings and gain a #1 seed coming tourny time, or they could finish mid pack in the Centennial and make a Cinderella run at the title.