Hundreds of boys play Class 4A basketball in Colorado. Durango’s Steven Wyman was voted one of the best.
Wyman was named to the Colorado High School Activities Association Class 4A All-State Honorable Mention list Wednesday. The 6-foot-5, 170-pound senior at Durango High School helped lead his team to the Sweet 16 of the state tournament and its first Class 4A/5A Southwestern League championship in 10 years.
“I never imagined I would be anywhere near where I was able to finish with Durango High School this year,” Wyman said. “It was something special.”
Wyman was truly special for the Demons. He averaged 13.1 points per game to go along with 6.6 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 1.4 steals.
Durango finished the season 21-4 overall and 6-2 in league to finish ahead of Class 5A Grand Junction Central for the league championship.
“His confidence went up after we went to the (Colorado Mesa) camp,” DHS head coach Alan Batiste said. “He saw he could play with everybody. He had the skills to compete. All-State is huge for him and his confidence moving forward in his life outside of even basketball.”
Wyman came virtually out of nowhere his senior season. He didn’t play his sophomore year and played a reserve role behind Orion Clay as junior. He came into his own as a senior and gave the Demons a spark from the opening game of the year with big slam dunks and emphatic blocked shots.
“Batiste told me this year I had a chance,” Wyman said. “Nobody really knew about me. But I kind of have the best of both worlds because I could shoot the ball or take it inside.”
Wyman credited his teammates for his success. They encouraged him to take as many shots as he could and even got on him a bit in games he was too passive. He was never a ball stopper and made sure the rest of his teammates flourished in the offense.
“He was a quiet leader,” Batiste said. “His teammates respected him because he didn’t look to be the main scorer and dominate the game. He kicked out to shooters first. He earned respect in the hallways, too, as a 4.0 kid who is always nice and never in your face.”
Wyman also was named to the All-Southwestern League First Team. Teammates Kyle Kirkpatrick and Kobe Szura were named to the All-SWL Second Team, and Batiste, who is stepping down as the varsity head coach, was named the coach of the year. Batiste was not happy Wyman wasn’t named the league player of the year and that Kirkpatrick was named to the second team instead of the first.
Kirkpatrick led the Demons with 14.7 points per game. Szura scored 5.4 points per game but had a knack for knocking down big shots as crucial times and played steady defense all season.
The league player of the year was Grand Junction’s Drew Derrieux, who averaged 18.6 points and 3.2 rebounds per game.
The Wolverines didn’t receive an All-State selection in Class 3A, but the team placed all five starters on the All-Intermountain League team.
Senior Brian Mashak, junior Ryan Phelps and sophomore Keyon Prior made the all-league team, while junior Dax Snooks and sophomore Hayden Farmer were honorable mention selections.
Alamosa’s Ryan Brubacher was the league player of the year and was selected to the Class 3A All-State Second Team.
Alamosa and Bayfield split the league championship this season, and the Wolverines won the district tournament for its first district crown in 25 years. Bayfield finished 15-7 overall and 9-1 in league. Alamosa went 20-4 and 9-1 in the IML. Coaches Brandon Brubacher of Alamosa and Jeff Lehnus of Bayfield shared the IML Coach of the Year award.
No Bobcats made the All-State boys basketball team in 2017, but Johnny Valdez was selected to the Class 2A/1A San Juan Basin League First Team.
The junior for Ignacio was a force all season. He scored 13.4 points per game and averaged 5.4 steals, 3.4 assists and 2.3 rebounds from the guard position all season. He made 31-of-93 3-point attempts.
Ignacio junior Cole McCaw made the All-SJBL Second Team with 6.1 points, 3.3 steals, and 1.8 rebounds per game.
IHS senior Joaquin King was an honorable mention with 6.3 points and 3.6 rebounds per game.
The league player of the year was Andrew Denny of Telluride. Miners coach Stefan Reiter shared coach of the year with Bobcats head coach Chris Valdez, who led the team to a league and district championship at 15-7 overall and 11-1 in league play.
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
