Cherry Creek’s Julian Hammond III wins Gatorade award
GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo. (BVM) — His final high school basketball season didn’t end with the Class 5A state title he wanted, but what Julian Hammond III accomplished as a Cherry Creek senior certainly didn’t go unnoticed. On Friday, Hammond III was named the Gatorade Colorado Boys Basketball Player of the Year.
The 6-foot-2, 182-pound guard scored 22.4 points and corralled 5.5 rebounds per game this past season, which ended for the Bruins (17-1) in the Class 5A state semifinals. Hammond III, a University of Colorado recruit, was named the Class 5A Player of the Year and finished his prep hoops career with 1,439 points.
“Julian displays major versatility and leadership,” ESPN National Recruiting Director Paul Biancardi said in a Gatorade press release. “His length can aid him on the defensive end of the court both on and away from the ball. He scores with opportunity and is a productive winning player.”
Hammond III won a lot at Cherry Creek, not only on the basketball court, but also on the football field. As a two-time first-team all-state quarterback, he led the Bruins to back-to-back undefeated state championships. In addition to being a highly-touted hoops recruit, Hammond III, rated as a three-star QB prospect, also had several Division I football scholarships. But basketball is his first love, and that’s why it’s the sport he’ll be taking to the next level.
“Even though I had some success with football, playing college basketball was what I always wanted to do,” Hammond III said in January. “Growing up, ever since I realized I could play Division I basketball, [Colorado] was where I wanted to go.”
