DENVER | They played against each other this past week in the Great 8 round of the Class 5A boys basketball tournament, but the Overland duo of Austin Conway and De’Ron Davis and Rangeview’s Jeremiah Paige will suit up together April 12.
The trio were part of the 20 boys players from around the state — regardless of classification — selected by a panel of sportswriters and sportscasters from around the state to play in the annual The Show all-star game sponsored by the Denver Nuggets.
Conway and Davis, whose Trailblazers are set for face Denver East in the 5A semifinals at the Coors Events Center in Boulder, and Paige — whose team lost to Overland in the Great 8 — were introduced at a press conference Monday at the Pepsi Center, where the Show game will be played at 3:30 p.m. April 12.
Paige — a Colorado State-bound senior — attended the press conference as he was picked for the Show for a second straight season, while Conway — a junior — and sophomore Davis were unable to attend due to to academic conflicts. Both underclassmen were taking TCAP tests with the rest of the Cherry Creek School District.
“I’m just excited; it’s a great opportunity to go out and have fun with friends,” said Paige, a 6-foot-4 guard who finished third in 5A in scoring average at 23.0 points per game.
Paige scored 11 points in last season’s Show game as he teamed with Davis and five other Aurora players on a Blue Team coached by Rangeview’s Shawn Palmer that won comfortably 93-77 over the White Team.
For his final Show, Paige said his goal is to get “a couple of highlight reel dunks,” and he’s looking forward to playing on the same team with Cheyenne Mountain star Ghassan Nehme, who he grew up playing against.
Before they get to the Show, Conway and Davis have business to attend to — a 7 p.m. contest on Friday night against Denver East — which has two Show selections of its own in White Team members Dominique Collier, a four-time Show pick, and Ronnie Harrell.
Davis, who joined Collier as the only freshmen picked for the event when he made it last season, is set for his second Show appearance following an outstanding sophomore campaign in which he averages 13.8 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.5 blocks shots per game as one of the few game-changing big men in the state.
Conway’s numbers aren’t staggering, but he provides a vital leadership piece to coach Danny Fisher’s young Overland team. The 5-9 junior guard led the Centennial League in assists at 4.2 per game in addition to 10.3 points and 2.1 steals per ballgame.
Courtney Oakes is Sports Editor of the Aurora Sentinel. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. Facebook: Aurora Prep Sentinel
2014 THE SHOW BOYS ALL-STAR BASKETBALL ROSTERS
BLUE TEAM
Brady Baer (Akron); Jonathan Barnes (Ponderosa); Dylan Clark (Sand Creek); AUSTIN CONWAY (OVERLAND); DE’RON DAVIS (OVERLAND); Chase Foster (Valor Christian); Ghassan Nehme (Cheyenne Mountain); JEREMIAH PAIGE (RANGEVIEW); Alex Semadeni (Fossil Ridge); Ibrahim Sylla (Denver South)
Coach: Matt Johannsen (Fossil Ridge)
WHITE TEAM
Treyvon Andres (Thomas Jefferson); Justin Bassey (Colorado Academy); Zach Braxton (Highlands Ranch); Dominique Collier (Denver East); Josh Fiscus (Peetz); Ronnie Harrell (Denver East); Jake Pemberton (Mountain Vista); Broderick Robinson (Grand Junction); Collin Smith (Thompson Valley); Toby Van Ry (Fort Collins)
Coach: Pete Villecco (Holy Family)
