Pikes Peak region boys basketball began play this week as area schools start the trek to state tournament.

For the first time since 2014, no Pikes Peak region school qualified for the state title game in 2025. Falcon, last year’s No. 21 seed in 5A, lost in the semis and Mesa Ridge’s shot at three consecutive 5A titles ended in the final four.

A swath of seniors graduated from their respective programs, but various athletes aim to carry their team to March’s state title game.

Below are five area players to watch this season.

Matthew Lebron, sr., Banning Lewis

Just look at that last name. That says it all. 

Lebron averaged 22.5 points in 2024-25 with Banning Lewis after the senior transferred from James Irwin following his sophomore season.

In his first contest with the Stallions, Lebron scored 31 in a 57-54 loss to Roaring Fork and scored 30 or more in four games last year. 

Lebron closed his junior campaign with 37 points to hit double figures in all 24 matchups. The Stallions guard has reached double figures in 46 consecutive games and has scored 10 or more in 63 of his 68 prep contests. 

Cameron Waithe-Cunningham, jr., Liberty

Waithe-Cunningham was one of six sophomores to make the Colorado High School Activities Association’s all-state team for 6A and the lone area underclassman to do so.

That’s no surprise as Waithe-Cunningham averaged 16.5 points, which was second on the team behind center London Praytor, who’s now at the University of Toledo.

Waithe-Cunningham scored a career-high 37 points in an 84-78 loss to Rampart last season and reached 32 or more points three times. Waithe-Cunningham scored 104 more points from his freshman to sophomore year and tallied 395. With the reins of the Lancers’ offense in his possession, the junior could exceed 1,000 career points and needs 314 to reach that mark.

Matty Dessalegn, sr., Vanguard

Dessalegn averaged a double-double last year for the Coursers at 16.2 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. In 48 games with Vanguard, Dessalegn averages 13.7 ppg and 10.2 rpg. His rebounding total put Dessalegn sixth in 3A and his scoring average was 19th. 

The Coursers center notched a triple-double against Florence in an 81-48 win and finished with 19 points, 14 boards and 11 assists. 

Vanguard’s 6-foot-5 senior also averaged a block per game and was third on the team in steals with 53 in 22 contests. 

J’marius Jones, sr., Mesa Ridge

Jones didn’t score a ton, but he knew who to find to put the ball in the cup and crashed the boards if they missed.

As a junior, Jones finished 14th in 5A with 3.8 assists per contest and the 5-11 guard led the Grizzlies with 4.4 rebounds. Mesa Ridge’s Swiss Army knife also finished tied for first in total blocks (21) and was second behind former teammate Bryce Riehl in steals with 49.

With the loss of several seniors including Zander Iwanski and Riehl, Jones and the Grizzlies will battle to remain a prominent basketball power in the state.

Hugh Tarpenning, sr., Discovery Canyon

The Thunder return a plethora of size to their roster and one of 5A’s top rebounders. Tarpenning averaged 8.6 boards and finished with 203 for his junior campaign.

Tarpenning grabbed a career-high 13 twice: once in a 64-57 victory against Falcon and again in the Thunder’s 54-37 win against Lewis-Palmer in Discovery Canyon’s penultimate contest.

The senior will continue to add to his scoring bag as he finished the season with 249 points, scored a career-high 25 in a 69-58 win against Palmer Ridge and ended that night with 11-of-14 shooting.