He may only be a freshman, but ask anyone who’s ever seen the 5-foot-10 point guard on the court, and they’ll tell you the kid can play. That was made fairly evident when Youngren was selected to play on the Colorado Select team this summer, a team made up of the best 17-and-under basketball players the state has to offer.
Now, a little more than two weeks into his high school career, Youngren has already established himself as a fixture in Montrose’s lineup. In fact, he earned his first start just two games into the season against Cedaredge.
 William Woody / Daily Press MHS freshman Niko Youngren has already established himself as a fixture in the Indians’ lineup. He even made his first start against Cedaredge in the second game of the year. Advertisement |
“We went to some camps and watched him, and right away we knew he could play. But it wasn’t until we saw him here in practice that we decided he could play for us right away.”
It’s been a long time since a freshman has made an impact at Montrose as early as Youngren.
He stands as the first freshman to start a game under Rawlings, and the coach said he couldn’t remember a freshman starting a game for the Indians in nearly seven years.
Even when he doesn’t start, Youngren is often one of the first players off the bench to spell or play along side senior point guard Jonathan Harshman.
Though there’s still a learning curve he must adjust to at the high school level, Youngren said he has been somewhat surprised how easily he’s taken to playing against opponents three years older than him.
“I thought it would take a little longer to get used to the speed of things, but it hasn’t been that bad,” Youngren said.
“After the first game, all the pressure’s off. Since then I’ve just been going out and playing like I always have.”
According to Rawlings, Youngren’s ball handling and floor vision are the most impressive attributes he’s seen from the freshman this season.
Though Youngren has played just five high school games, Rawlings said he won’t hesitate to play him in any game scenario.
As the season progresses, that confidence should only continue to grow.
“I don’t have any hesitation with Niko,” Rawlings said. “He’s not timid at all, no matter who he’s going up against. There’s still some things he needs to work on, but I’m not hesitant to put him in in any situation.”
When a freshman comes in and immediately pushes upperclassmen for playing time, generally there’s bound to be some jealousy issues that arise at some point during the year. For the Indians, however, there’s been nothing but support for Youngren from Montrose’s seniors.
“All the players have been really helpful, especially guys like Jonathan, Jeremy (Jones),” Youngren said. “They’re always giving me advice and teaching me stuff to make me better. And the coaches haven’t held back on me at all, which is good.”
To reiterate, Youngren has played only five games of high school basketball. There’s still plenty he must learn about the game, and there will be numerous mistakes he’ll have to rebound from along the way.
But that’s all to be expected from any freshman player thrown into the fire as early as Youngren has been.
Though there will undoubtedly be downs, the Indians are banking on there being even more ups for Youngren in the next four years.
At the rate he’s going, there’s really no telling just how high Youngren’s upside could get by the time he’s done at Montrose.
“If the kid works at it hard enough, he could be one of the best players on the Western Slope by the time he’s a senior,” Rawlings said. “He’s going to have to dedicate himself to playing, and we’re going to help him along as much as we can. But looking at where he is right now, he could be a good one in a few years.”
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Black Canyon Classic
Lloyd McMillan Gymnasium will be the sight of the Black Canyon Classic basketball tournament this weekend, which will feature 14 boys and girls teams from around Colorado. The Classic is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. today and conclude on Saturday.
The boys bracket will feature Centauri, Glenwood Springs, Bayfield, Rifle, Eagle Valley and Montrose. Because of weather issues, though, Valley withdrew from the tournament. As a result, Montrose’s junior varsity team will be held out to keep an even number of teams.
If another team should back out before today’s 3 p.m. start, the Indians’ JV team will reenter the tournament and take its place.
The girls’ side will feature Palisade, Pueblo West, Glenwood Springs Pagosa Springs, Eagle Valley, Bayfield, Rifle and the Lady Indians. Glenwood Springs enters the tournament as the fifth-ranked team in Class 4A.
Montrose will use both the Lloyd McMillan court as well as its auxiliary court for the Classic, as boys and girls games will be played simultaneously on Friday and Saturday.
The championship game for the girls’ bracket is set for 4:20 p.m. on Saturday, and the boys’ championship is set for 7:30 p.m.
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