The quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals of the DESL were held Friday night with host Denver East winning the championship over a solid Denver South team.
In the quater-finals held at Manual, South defeated a very solid Rangeview team. While Thunder Ridge beat JFK. In the semi-finals South defeated Thunder Ridge and then awaited for the results from the games being held at Denver East High School.
In the quarter-finals at East, East defeated Thomas Jefferson. In the other quarter-final Cherokee Trail defeated a scrappy Highlands Ranch team. Ranch was missing two of it’s top players, 6’8 Zach Braxton was attending Standford’s Elite camp while Nick Shumpert was playing baseball. Ranch led most of the way until late in the second half when Trail’s R.J. Perry hit back to back three pointers. Perry is not that great of a ball handler but is a real threat from the three point line. Ranch’s 6’2 guard, Isaiah Parros had a solid game and is a very capable high school point guard.
Trail was led by 6’6 forward Roderick Bernstein and 6’1 guard Jay Nelson. Each scored in double digits. Trails Anthony Murray can handle the ball and finish consistently in the paint. He does however get too low in the paint and needs to become more proficient with his jump shot. Murray has a good intensity and is always causing something to happen on the defensive end of the floor.
Bernstein has been improving each game that I have seen him play. However he is like a lot of Colorado high school basketball players. He doesn’t play above the rim. He is developing into a very capable shooter but is starting to rely on that too much. When he does attack from the wing he does not finish above the rim. He has the athletic ability to do it and will need to in July when he starts to face national caliber talent.
Nelson is his best when the game is wide open and free flowing with the ball in his hands. He has quick hands and can cause havoc on the defensive end of the floor. Offensively he can shoot the three as well as drive to the paint and finish.
The game of the entire DESL was the semi final match up of Denver East and Cherokee Trail. This was the most contested that undefeated East had been all summer. Both teams had full varsity squads going at it like it was late February. East ended up taking the back and forth game 59-52. Dominique Collier and 6’2 guard J.J. Griffin led the way for East. Collier had at least 23 points while showing that he can score as well as set up others to score against pretty stiff defense by Trail’s Murray . Griffin had at least 18 points. Griffin seems to be playing much better since the beginning of the summer. Consistently making free throw line jumpers, getting to the lane and showing he is an above average free throw shooter. 
Trail again was lead by in scoring by Bernstein and Nelson. Perry also made some big time three point shots. Kennedy Littleton is another player to watch for Trail. Littleton is fairly athletic and can play some defense. He plays forward by is really a guard. It will be interesting to see how he does this season. The finals featured two very tired teams and play got sloppy in some stretches. The match up of this game was East’s 6’5 forward Tyre Robinson vs South’s 6’6 forward Ibrahim Sylla. Sylla isn’t as polished offensively as Robinson but he was able to score over Robinson. Sylla also showed above average jumping ability while getting rebounds above the rim and blocking shots. Sylla is also an above average free throw shooter. Sylla was also able to hold his own defensively against Robinson. Robinson did not have a bad game he took what was given to him having some nice finishes around the rim, while getting rebounds and blocking a couple of shots.
Robinson is one of the few players that is at least trying to finish above the rim while in the paint. Robinson, unless he grows 4 more inches, will need to start working on his ball handling and jump shooting. Granted East dos not need him to do those things at the moment but there are not that many 6’5 forwards dominating division 1 basketball. Robinson is athletic enough to play in college, it just depends on what level which will be determined on how well he develops his skill set.