Denver, CO

CHSAA state basketball Great 8 scouting report: What to watch in Denver Coliseum

Published

1 year ago

March 6, 2025

Press Room

CHSAA state basketball Great 8 scouting report: What to watch in Denver Coliseum

A look at each of the Class 6A Great 8 matchups set for this weekend at the Denver Coliseum:

BOYS

Class 6A

Saturday at Denver Coliseum

No. 1 Rangeview (25-0) vs. No. 9 Regis Jesuit (19-6)

Time: 5:30 p.m.

Players to watch: RV — LaDavian King, 6-2, sr. (16.1 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 3.4 apg); Marceles Duncan, 6-5, fr. (14.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 3.1 bpg, 2.6 apg); Archie Weatherspoon, 6-3, so. (13.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 3.5 apg). RJ — Eric Fiedler, 6-8, jr. (23.6 ppg, 7.8 rpg); Lucas Dickinson, 6-5, sr. (15.5 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 3.0 apg); Alec Roumph, 6-4, sr. (10.8 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.4 apg).

What to know: The last time Rangeview entered the Coliseum unbeaten, COVID cut its bid for perfection short. Now, the Raiders are back to finish the job with a new cast, including transfer guard LaDavian King, who was on the wrong end of a Final Four heartbreaker last year with Eaglecrest. The other Raiders in this matchup are no strangers to the big stage. Ken Shaw’s Regis Jesuit program reached the Final Four two years ago and is in the Great 8 for the sixth time since 2015. Four of those previous five teams lost in the quarterfinals.

No. 5 Valor Christian (21-4) vs. No. 4 Ralston Valley (23-2)

Time: 10:15 a.m.

Players to watch: VC — Cole Scherer, 6-2, sr. (26.0 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 5.0 apg); Brady Wynja, 6-6, sr. (14.6 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 3.2 apg); Ryan Mandes, 6-3, sr. (8.7 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.0 spg). RV — Tanner Braketa, 6-1, sr. (18.7 ppg, 5.5 apg); Caiden Braketa, 6-3, jr. (16.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 4.4 apg); Zeke Andrews, 6-6, jr. (10.5 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 1.9 apg).

What to know: The defending champion Eagles return with 2024 Mr. Colorado Basketball Cole Scherer on a heater since the start of February (22.5 ppg on 58.5% shooting). The Eastern Washington commit’s one off game during that span? A 5-for-15 night vs. Ralston Valley that ended with Scherer banking in a game-winner. Those heroics ended R.V.’s 19-game win streak to start the season — a run that included a 65-58 win over Valor. Northern Colorado commit Tanner Braketa and brother Caiden have R.V. in the Great 8 for the first time in 17 years and ready to win the rubber match.

No. 2 Eaglecrest (23-2) vs. No. 7 ThunderRidge (20-5)

Time: 8:30 p.m.

Players to watch: EAG — Anthony Nettles, 6-0, sr. (15.8 ppg, 3.7 apg, 3.3 spg); Garrett Barger, 6-9, sr. (12.5 ppg, 8.6 rpg); Lucas Kalimba, 6-5, sr. (12.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg). TR — Drew Paine, 6-8, jr. (18.9 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 1.4 bpg); Kael Carney, 5-11, sr. (10.8 ppg, 1.1 spg); Ulysses Brown, 6-5, sr. (9.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg).

What to know: A year ago, these two produced an instant classic in the Final Four decided on a last-second T-Ridge putback. Both teams have retooled since, with transfer guard Anthony Nettles playing the role of LaDavian King for Eaglecrest, and junior big man Drew Paine taking the baton from a talented senior class to lead ThunderRidge back to the Great 8 for the fourth time in five seasons. The Raptors are 23-1 since losing their opener at Regis Jesuit, but played just two games (1-1) against Great 8 qualifiers.

No. 6 Mountain Vista (20-5) vs. No. 3 Chaparral (21-4)

Time: 1:15 p.m.

Players to watch: MV — Cal Baskind, 6-0, sr. (20.4 ppg, 2.2 apg, 2.0 spg); Oliver Junker, 6-8, jr. (15.3 ppg, 11.2 rpg, 2.7 bpg); Carlos Arocho, 5-11, sr. (7.8 ppg, 5.6 apg, 4.2 rpg). CH — Christian Williams, 6-2, so. (19.2 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 3.6 apg); Luke Howery, 6-5, so. (17.1 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 5.6 apg); Luke Williams, 6-9, jr. (8.9 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 3.4 bpg).

What to know: Mountain Vista returns to the Coliseum looking for redemption after last year’s buzzer-beater loss to Smoky Hill in the Great 8. Cal Baskind and Oliver Junker, who were both on the court for that heartbreaker, combined for 50 points in a double-overtime win over Overland in the Sweet 16. Now they get a date with the most talented sophomore duo in the state in guards Christian Williams and Luke Howery. They were also on the losing side of a Great 8 matchup with Valor last winter.

Class 5A

Friday at Denver Coliseum

No. 16 Green Mountain (16-9) vs. No. 25 Sand Creek (20-6)

Time: 10:15 a.m.

Players to watch: GM — Simon Lunsford, 6-4, sr. (17.9 ppg, 5.7 rpg); Sam Mielenz, 6-3, so. (13.9 ppg, 3.8 rpg); Jake Swanson, 6-4, jr. (10.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg). SC — Elijah Brotherns, 6-1, sr. (13.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.4 spg); Mathew Starks, 6-2, sr. (9.2 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 2.6 spg); Josh Kotto, 6-3, sr. (8.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 2.7 apg).

What to know: A pair of Cinderellas meet in a Great 8 matchup few saw coming. Green Mountain clinched its first Great 8 trip in 16 years with a 55-42 upset of No. 1 Lutheran in the Sweet 16. Sand Creek beat eighth-seeded Severance (47-40) and ninth-seeded Cheyenne Mountain (59-57) in succession after emerging from the play-in round. The Scorpions’ last win came on a frantic finish that saw Jaylen Brantley sink the go-ahead bucket on one end and Elijah Brotherns make the game-saving block on the other.

No. 21 Falcon (17-8) vs. No. 4 Montrose (19-6)

Time: 1:15 p.m.

Players to watch: FA — Tyler Cox, 6-4, sr. (12.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg); Jeremiah Potts, 5-10, sr. (11.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 3.3 apg); Aiden Wood, 6-3, jr. (8.5 ppg, 2.4 apg, 2.2 spg). MO — Kaleb Ferguson, 6-5, sr. (16.0 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 2.1 spg); CJ Rocco, 6-4, jr. (8.2 ppg, 1.3 bpg); Brody Cooling, 6-2, sr. (4.4 ppg, 3.9 apg).

What to know: The other pair of glass slippers in a topsy-turvy 5A bracket belong to Falcon, which turned a 4-4 December into its first state quarterfinal trip in seven years with wins over No. 12 Eagle Valley (62-56) and No. 28 Mountain View (63-56). Now they face a Western Slope power in Montrose — a program that’s reached the Great 8 three times in five seasons. The Red Hawks allow just 36.68 points/game and appeared to have righted themselves after closing out the regular season 3-4.

No. 2 Mesa Ridge (24-1) vs. No. 7 Standley Lake (20-5)

Time: 5:30 p.m.

Players to watch: MR — Bryce Riehl, 6-1, sr. (17.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3.6 spg); Zander Iwanski, 6-3, sr. (11.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg); J’marius Jones, 5-11, jr. (6.8 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 3.8 apg). SL — Derrek Sims, 6-1, sr. (15.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.7 apg, 3.0 spg); Asher Serlen, 6-8, so. (14.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.9 bpg); Titus Schrecengost, 5-11, so. (11.9 ppg, 4.7 apg, 3.7 spg).

What to know: Mesa Ridge’s 5A three-peat bid is alive and well, with the Grizzlies entering the Coliseum on a 24-game win streak behind the talents of all-everything guard Bryce Riehl. Only two of those wins came against Great 8 qualifiers, however. Up next is a Stanley Lake squad that’s entering uncharted territory. The Gators have had just two winning seasons since 2012 (the other was last year’s 14-10 campaign) and this is their first trip to the Great 8 in at least two decades. Might as well start against the best.

No. 6 Windsor (19-6) vs. No. 3 Dakota Ridge (19-6)

Time: 8:30 p.m.

Players to watch: WI — Madden Smiley, 6-3, jr. (20.8 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 3.3 apg); Brady Kingsley, 5-9, jr. (12.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg); John Backhaus, 6-4, sr. (11.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg). DR — Ethan Berninger, 6-5, sr. (22.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 2.7 apg); Nathan Esau, 6-4, sr. (14.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 3.7 apg); Cody Rominger, 6-2, sr. (8.8 ppg, 6.6 rpg).

What to know: Windsor is looking to go one step further after falling just short in the 5A title game against Mesa Ridge last winter. Junior Madden Smiley has scored in double-figures in all but one of the Wizards’ 25 games and reached the 20-point plateau in both of their playoff wins. Dakota Ridge has a deadly scorer of its own in senior Ethan Berninger, who’s reached 30 points three times in the Eagles’ last five games and is shooting 40% (70 of 176) from 3-point range. The Eagles have lost in the Great 8 two years in a row.

GIRLS

Class 6A

Saturday at Denver Coliseum

No. 1 Grandview (22-3) vs. No. 8 Denver East (17-8)

Time: 4 p.m.

Players to watch: GV — Sienna Betts, 6-4, sr. (23.8 ppg, 17.0 rpg, 5.1 apg, 3.3 bpg); Ava Chang, so. (14.8 ppg, 4.3 apg, 2.3 spg); Deija Roberson, 5-11, sr. (8.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg). DE — Evelina Otto, 6-5, sr. (16.5 ppg, 11.8 rpg, 2.5 bpg); Grace Hall, 5-7, so. (12.1 ppg, 4.2 apg, 4.0 spg); Mairead Hearty, 6-3, jr. (10.0 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 2.3 bpg).

What to know: The Grandview girls juggernaut is back at the Coliseum after a year away looking to reclaim the 6A state title it won in 2023. McDonald’s All-American Sienna Betts is less than 50 points shy of becoming the fourth Colorado prep girls basketball player to record 2,000 career points and 1,000 rebounds. Three more wins, and the UCLA commit will have a third state title, too. First up is Denver East, which has the size in Evelina Otto and Mairead Hearty to give Betts problems. Since starting the season 1-7, the Angels have lost once.

No. 5 Pine Creek (23-2) vs. No. 4 Cherry Creek (18-7)

Time: 7 p.m.

Players to watch: PC — Brooklyn Stewart, 6-3, sr. (19.9 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 1.3 bpg); Alli Dreessen, 6-1, jr. (12.5 ppg, 7.7 rpg); Leekaya Burke-Perryman, 5-3, sr. (11.7 ppg, 5.6 apg, 2.7 spg). CC — Braelynn Barnett, 6-1, sr. (11.8 ppg, 6.4 rpg); Molly Dorighi, 5-8, sr. (11.1 ppg, 3.1 spg); A’Neya Chambers, 5-10, sr. (9.8 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 2.3 spg).

What to know: Led by Oklahoma commit Brooklyn Stewart, the Eagles are in the Great 8 for the first time in program history. If they’re to advance, they’ll have to get past a Cherry Creek program with plenty of big-game experience. In fact, this is Great 8 trip No. 4 for Braelynn Barnett and A’Neya Chambers, who’ve started since their freshman seasons. Even with classmate and Alabama commit Tianna Chambers unavailable this winter, the Bruins have proven themselves dangerous with a 5-4 record vs. 5A/6A Great 8 teams.

No. 2 Valor Christian (23-2) vs. No. 7 Legend (20-5)

Time: 11:45 a.m.

Players to watch: VC — Peyton Jones, 5-11, jr. (24.1 ppg, 3.4 spg); Quinn VanSickle, 5-8, sr. (18.1 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 5.4 apg); Camryn Gunter, 6-2, jr. (11.5 ppg, 9.6 rpg). LEG — Mason Borcherding, 6-1, sr. (13.7 ppg, 8.4 rpg); Grace Stanley, 5-4, sr. (10.1 ppg, 4.0 apg, 3.2 spg); Maley Wilhelm, 5-7, sr. (9.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 2.8 spg).

What to know: Valor enters the weekend riding a 30-game win streak against Colorado competition that dates back to last year’s 6A title run. The Eagles are 5-0 against fellow 6A Great 8 qualifiers this winter, including a 69-42 thrashing of Legend in December. Blue chip prospect Peyton Jones and Pepperdine commit Quinn VanSickle combined for 50 points in that rout. If the Titans are going to reverse that result, they’ll need someone other than Boise State commit Mason Borcherding (24 points, 13 rebounds) to step up.

No. 6 Highlands Ranch (22-3) vs. No. 14 Riverdale Ridge (20-5)

Time: 8:45 a.m.

Players to watch: HR — Ezra Simonich, 5-10, sr. (15.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2.8 apg); Jayda Rogers, 6-0, fr. (12.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg); Tori Baker, 5-7, sr. (9.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 4.7 apg). RR — Brihanna Crittendon, 6-3, jr. (26.8 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 3.3 spg); Chloe Parker, 5-8, jr. (11.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg); Shay Vigil, 5-4, jr. (11.3 ppg, 3.0 spg, 2.7 apg).

What to know: A year after leading Riverdale Ridge to its first state title in Class 4A, five-star phenom Brihanna Crittendon has the Ravens back at the Coliseum in the program’s first 6A season. Her last-second block sealed a Sweet 16 win over No. 3 Broomfield. Now comes a date with Caryn Jarocki’s Eagles, who are making their 10th Great 8 appearance in 11 seasons. DU commit Tori Baker is the floor general, but a talented trio of freshmen Jayda Rogers and Kimora Banks-Thomas and sophomore Addie Moon gives HR depth.

Class 5A

Friday at Denver Coliseum

No. 1 Air Academy (24-0) vs. No. 8 Durango (19-6)

Time: 4 p.m.

Players to watch: AA — Tatyonna Brown, 6-2, sr. (19.2 ppg, 8.7 rpg); Lydia Flowers, 6-0, sr. (13.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 3.3 spg); Kinley Asp, 5-11, jr. (13.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 4.3 apg). DU — Claire Goodwin, jr. (13.9 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 3.0 spg); Mariah Maestas, 5-7, sr. (8.1 ppg, 2.3 spg); Ellie White, sr. (6.4 ppg, 5.7 rpg).

What to know: The Coliseum has been a site of heartbreak for Air Academy, with the Kadets squandering double-digit leads in season-ending losses to Northfield (2024) and Roosevelt (2023) the last two years. Now they enter the penultimate weekend eyeing redemption, with Kansas commit Tatyonna Brown and D-I recruit Kinley Asp leading 5A’s lone unbeaten. Durango survived a rock fight against Montrose (32-23) to reach the Great 8 for the second time in three years, but needs to hit another level vs. the Kadets.

No. 5 Green Mountain (23-2) vs. No. 4 Roosevelt (22-3)

Time: 8:45 a.m.

Players to watch: GM — Kantyn Pearson, 5-9, jr. (13.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.7 apg); Ella Cockrum, 5-6, so. (12.2 ppg, 2.2 spg); Addie Evans, 5-11, so. (8.0 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.2 spg). RO — Kyla Hollier, 6-1, jr. (26.1 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 3.8 spg); Ryanne Bahnsen-Price, 6-0, sr. (17.8 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 3.0 apg); Payton Terry, 5-7, sr. (6.9 ppg, 4.8 apg, 3.3 spg).

What to know: Two-time defending 5A champion Roosevelt, led by the D-I tandem of Kyla Hollier and Ryanne Bahnsen-Price, brings its suffocating defense back to the Coliseum eyeing a three-peat. Each of the Riders’ three losses this season came to teams playing in the Coliseum, the last a 65-44 setback at No. 6 Mullen on Jan. 6. Nobody has come within single digits of them since. Although Green Mountain, winners of 22 straight and in the Great 8 for the fourth time in six years, is almost certain to test that.

No. 2 Mead (22-3) vs. No. 7 Frederick (19-6)

Time: 11:45 a.m.

Players to watch: MD — Madi Clark, 5-8, so. (12.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg); Darby Haley, 5-6, sr. (10.6 ppg, 2.8 apg); Elena Gomez, 5-10, jr. (9.0 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 2.5 spg). FR — Zoe Wittler, 5-6, sr. (13.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3.3 spg); Rylee Gallegos, 5-3, sr. (7.9 ppg, 3.3 spg); Izzy Howard, 5-9, so. (7.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.3 spg).

What to know: Mead is back in the Great 8 for the fourth straight season, and this might be the Mavericks’ best shot at a title yet. Madi Clark has gone up a level since last year’s breakout freshman season, and the Mavs are 21-1 against Colorado competition. The lone setback was a Granite Peaks League loss to 6A No. 3 Broomfield. The last time these two teams met, Mead dominated from start to finish in a 54-19 home victory on Jan. 17. Translation: the Frederick Golden Eagles have their work cut out for them.

No. 6 Mullen (16-9) vs. No. 3 Windsor (21-4)

Time: 7 p.m.

Players to watch: MU — Makenzie Jones, 5-11, so. (16.0 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 3.1 spg); Tatum Jones, 6-2, sr. (10.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg); Keaton Arangua-Egbert, 5-8, sr. (6.9 ppg, 2.5 apg). WI — Reyleigh Hess, 6-0, sr. (15.8 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 1.7 bpg); Nola Greenwald, 5-11, so. (11.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg); Gracie Worlsey, 5-11, so. (10.9 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.0 bpg).

What to know: Few teams are more battle-tested in 5A than the Mullen Mustangs, who went 6-3 in the rugged 6A Centennial League and 1-4 in games against 6A/5A Great 8 qualifiers. The last time the Mustangs were one classification below the largest in Colorado, they won three straight contested state titles — the last two capped by wins over Windsor in the championship round. Karin Nicholls’ Wizards have reached the Great 8 in the three seasons since, and now they have the size to match up with Mullen.

* All stats taken from maxpreps.com.

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Originally Published: March 6, 2025 at 7:24 PM MST

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Preview: Spirit Prepares for First Match Against Denver Summit FC, Another Record Crowd

Published

11 hours ago

March 28, 2026

Press Room

Preview: Spirit Prepares for First Match Against Denver Summit FC, Another Record Crowd

Denver, Colo. (03/27/2026) – In front of another expected record-breaking crowd, the Washington Spirit is set to take on Denver Summit FC in the side’s inaugural home match at Empower Field at Mile High. With over 60,000 tickets already distributed, the match is poised to break the NWSL attendance record of 40,091 set last summer when the Spirit visited Bay FC at San Francisco’s Oracle Park. Kicking off at 2 p.m. EDT, the match will broadcast nationally on CBS.

The Spirit

Washington comes into this weekend’s fixture off a difficult 1-1 home draw with Utah Royals FC earlier this week. After scoring in the 18th minute, the Spirit nearly earned its first victory of 2026 but conceded an equalizer late and had to settle for a single point on the table. Washington’s goal was scored by midfielder Rebeca Bernal, the Mexican star’s first since transferring to the NWSL last year.

Saturday afternoon’s match will mark the first-ever meeting between the Spirit, one of the NWSL’s original clubs, and 2026 expansion side Denver Summit FC. Denver will be the 17th different opponent for Washington across its regular season history: the Spirit has played against 13 active clubs (all except expansion sides Denver and Boston) as well as defunct clubs the Boston Breakers, FC Kansas City and the Western New York Flash.

The Spirit has had success against expansion sides as of late, tallying 11 wins in 15 matches against NWSL clubs in their first season of competition since the start of the 2021 campaign. In 2024, the Spirit went a perfect 5-0-0 against Bay FC and Utah Royals FC, outscoring the teams 10-3 with a playoff win to boot. In 2022, Washington earned a 1-3-0 record against Angel City FC and San Diego Wave FC and, in 2021, the eventual NWSL champions went an impressive 5-1-0 against Kansas City and Racing Louisville FC.

This weekend’s matchup at Empower Field at Mile High, home of the NFL’s Denver Broncos, is set to shatter the NWSL’s single match attendance record with over 60,000 tickets already distributed. The Spirit has also been the visiting team for two of the league’s previous three record-setting attendances: 34,130 fans at Seattle’s Lumen Field when the Spirit took on the Reign and 40,091 in the stands at San Francisco’s historic Oracle Park to watch Washington play Bay FC.

Washington is in good standing in several attacking categories through three matches despite two draws and a loss. The Spirit remains first in the league in rate of possession at nearly 62% and top three in both shots and shots on target with 49 and 17, respectively. With just three goals through three matches, look for the Spirit attack to continue getting attempts on frame this weekend.

Following Saturday’s match, the Spirit will hit the road again next weekend for an away match against Bay FC in San Jose on Sunday, April 5. Washington’s next home match will be on Friday, April 24 at 8 p.m. EDT when the side hosts the defending Shield winner Kansas City Current at Audi Field. Information on tickets can be found HERE.

The Opponent

Denver Summit FC opened its inaugural season with three straight away matches, collecting a win, a loss and a draw to carry four points into its home opener this weekend. Summit FC dropped its first match to Bay FC 1-2 before drawing Orlando 1-1 and beating Gotham 2-0.

Summit FC is led in scoring by star German forward Melissa Kössler who has three goals in three matches, scoring once in each contest. With a goal tomorrow, the forward would join Alex Morgan as just the second player in league history to score in each of her first four matches with a club. Look for the Spirit defending third to place an emphasis on limiting chances to Kössler on Saturday afternoon.

Denver has only allowed one goal across its last 240 minutes of action after giving up two in the first 30 minutes of the side’s opener. The strong recent form of Summit FC’s defending third against the Spirit attacking third’s ability to generate chance after chance will be a point to watch this weekend.

Three former Spirit players are currently on the Summit FC roster as midfielders Meg Boade and Jordan Baggett and defender Camryn Biegalski signed with the side ahead of this season. Baggett spent four years with the Spirit after being drafted by the side in 2019 while Biegalski signed with Washington in 2021 and played three seasons, both winning the 2021 NWSL Championship with the team. Boade spent the first half of the 2025 season in DC as a short-term injury replacement, even scoring a goal for the Spirit.

Following tomorrow’s match, Denver will travel to Seattle to face Reign FC on Saturday, April 4.

All-Time Series History

This weekend’s match will be the first-ever meeting between the Spirit and Denver Summit FC.

About The Washington Spirit

The Washington Spirit is the premier professional women’s soccer team based in Washington, D.C. and plays at Audi Field in Buzzard Point. The Spirit was founded on November 21, 2012 and is an inaugural member of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) the fastest growing sports league in the US. The club is home to some of the best players in the world who have won championships for both club and country. For more information about the Spirit, visit WashingtonSpirit.com and follow the club on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

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Jazz List 8 Players on Injury Report vs. Nuggets

Published

23 hours ago

March 27, 2026

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Jazz List 8 Players on Injury Report vs. Nuggets

The Utah Jazz and Denver Nuggets are tipping off their second-to-last meeting of the 2025-26 season on Friday in the Mile High, where for the Jazz in particular, they’ll be dealing with several injuries headed into the matchup that’ll make them shorthanded once again.

Here’s what to expect on the injury front for both the Jazz and Nuggets on Friday night:

Utah Jazz Injury Report

OUT – Isaiah Collier (hamstring)

OUT – Keyonte George (hamstring)

OUT – Jaren Jackson Jr. (knee)

OUT – Walker Kessler (shoulder)

OUT – Lauri Markkanen (hip)

OUT – Jusuf Nurkic (nose)

PROBABLE – Kyle Filipowski (illness)

OUT – Blake Hinson (two-way)

It’s a lot of the same for the Jazz when looking back at some of their recent injury reports, but there’s also some good news to note as well.

Second-year big man Kyle Filipowski, specifically, is trending up to play in Denver after dealing with an illness against the Washington Wizards; an issue that kept him sidelined for one game and left the Jazz’s frontcourt notably shorthanded for what would be a double-digit loss.

During his post-All-Star stretch, Filipowski has been averaging 13.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, along with 1.2 steals and 0.9 blocks through 11 games.

He’s slotted in primarily as the Jazz’s starting center since both Walker Kessler and Jusuf Nurkic have been out with season-ending injuries, and has shown some nice flashes throughout.

Mar 23, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz center Kyle Filipowski (22) controls the ball during the first quarter against the Toronto Raptors at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images | Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images

However, outside of getting Filipowski back in the mix, the Jazz will still be without second-year guard Isaiah Collier, who continues to deal with hamstring soreness, and will also continue to be down Keyonte George and Lauri Markkanen with their extended absences.

It remains to be seen if any of the latter two will be able to return at some point this season, but now with less than 10 games to go on the calendar before the offseason officially hits, the chances of either Markkanen or George coming back keep getting slimmer and slimmer.

For the extent either remains out, expect to see a good chunk of Ace Bailey being the primary scoring option as he has through his recent slate of games, along with an expanded role for their two-way and 10-day players down the bench who have gotten more minutes in recent weeks.

Denver Nuggets Injury Report

OUT – David Roddy (two-way)

OUT – KJ Simpson (two-way)

As for the Nuggets, their injury slate remains clean. The only names out will be a pair of their two way signings in David Roddy and KJ Simpsons, while the rest of their roster is slated to be active.

It’s a major change from what the Nuggets have been used to all season when factoring in their several injuries to key players lasting multiple weeks.

Nikola Jokic, Cameron Johnson, Christian Braun, Aaron Gordon, and Peyton Watson have all missed significant time at one point or another this season, but against Utah, they’ll have all systems go as they roll into the game on a three-game win streak.

Tip-off between the Jazz and Nuggets lands at 7 p.m. MT in Ball Arena.

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‘The math just doesn’t work’: Little India to close in West Highland

Published

1 day ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

‘The math just doesn’t work’: Little India to close in West Highland

Little India will close its West Highland location in the coming months, owner Simeran Baidwan told BusinessDen.

It marks the end of a five-year run at the corner of 32nd Avenue and Lowell Street for the local Indian chain.

“We opened to preserve jobs because we didn’t have enough revenue,” he said of the pandemic days when restaurants were struggling.

The 3496 W. 32nd Ave. store helped keep dozens of chefs and servers in Baidwan’s “Little India family,” he said. Those workers will now have the opportunity to work at his other restaurants.

“Five years later, the question isn’t whether people love the food,” he continued. “It’s whether independent restaurants can survive the compounding pressures and expenses, especially in Denver.”

Baidwan, who opened the first and still-running Little India at Sixth and Grant alongside his parents in 1998, singled out rising minimum wage, insurance, delivery fees and credit card processing fees as factors contributing to the closure.

“I think what it is, is a Denver restaurant industry story, it’s not just our one restaurant story,” he said. “I think what’s happened, in this day and time, is that life has become really expensive. There’s no margins. The math just doesn’t work.”

Being in the Highlands was also a factor, Baidwan said. The desirable location comes with high rent as well as skyrocketing property taxes he’s been responsible for. Add in dwindling consumer spending and Baidwan said his hand was forced.

“Busy doesn’t always mean profitable,” he said. “A lot of people look through the window and assume the restaurant is good, and we have the several locations too. But it just isn’t like that anymore.”

Baidwan said there’s no plan to close his three other locations, in Cap Hill, Central Park and off Downing Street near the University of Denver. But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been making tweaks.

At the original store off Sixth, he started operating 24/7 about eight months ago, something he’s thinking about for his other neighborhood restaurants. He’s also added entertainment, like jazz music and dancing, to help get more customers through the door.

Baidwan himself has also returned to the floor as a server — the first job he had at his parent’s store. But having the owner-operator model is difficult for his sprawling Little India empire since he can only be in so many places at once.

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