Sam Crispe, a 6-foot-2 junior at Arapahoe High School, has developed into one of the south metro area’s leading post players.
However, she is diligently working to become more versatile.
After five contests, Crisp was averaging a team-leading 20.2 points and 8.6 rebounds per game.
“In high school I am mostly in the paint, but I am hoping to play basketball in college and I will be more of a wing,” said Crispe. “So I’m hoping to get more of my threes up and mid-range jumpers and get more variety in my game. I’ve been shooting jumpers and I’ve been working a lot on that.
“With all the time because of COVID, I’ve been working a lot on my shooting, my drives, my dribbling and getting stronger. So it’s going to be good to show this season all the things I have been working on and hopefully I have improved from last season.
As a freshman, Crispe scored 14.1 points and grabbed 4.5 rebounds each game. She averaged 12.1 points and 8.1 rebounds as a sophomore.
“My finishers under the basket, closer to the rim and under the basket, have improved,” Crispe added. “My shooting, my dribbling and I think the basics of getting stronger is a lot better.”
Arapahoe girls basketball coach Jerry Knafelc has seen Crispe’s advanced play.
“I’ve seen improvement physically and skill-wise too,” said Knafelc. “She’s a really good player because she’s put in a lot of hard work. She is really committed to be a really good player, really good teammate and playing at the next level. She is working really hard towards those ends.
“She’s a nice post presence in there and shoots well around the basket. And she’s developed a nice mid-range and three-point shot too. She’s just tough to deal with.”
Arapahoe was off to a 5-0 start in this abbreviated season
“We’re going to be pretty good and strong,” said Crispe. “We can’t get too confident. We have to keep our heads in the game and not think we are going to blow by everyone. There’s a good opportunity for us to win.”