Boys basketball: Monarch's Nellessen is the Daily Camera player of the year
Mar. 30—Monarch coach Tim DeBerry is still talking about senior Van Nellessen's rim-rattling, alley-oop dunks from the Coyotes' Class 6A opening round win over Denver South from late February, when the team's 6-foot-8 star took over well above the rim.
In his 37 years as a head basketball coach, DeBerry said it was "probably the four greatest alley-oops I've ever seen." Adding that Nellessen's rare size and athleticism is only part of why he emerged as one of the best players in the state during the winter.
"I've been doing this for a while," DeBerry said, "he's just awesome."
Monarch's fifth-year coach calls Nellessen, named the Daily Camera boys basketball player of the year, a "sponge" because of his willingness to take in information and learn. Though, one could easily make that same comparison due to all the different styles and skills seemingly absorbed into his long, athletic frame.
The senior big man wasn't just elite in the paint: his handles with the ball mirrored more that of a guard. At any time, he could drive to the hoop, only to later leak outside the arc to bury a 3-point shot.
Fitting that his club team from last summer was called Hard2Guard Colorado.
"I definitely got stronger physically and tougher on the court (this season), so I could compete while rebounding, driving and playing above the rim," said Nellessen, who was in Costa Rica for spring break this past week. "This made me play with more confidence, which helped in all aspects of my game."
Nellessen averaged 12.8 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.6 blocks while leading Monarch to the Front Range League title — the school's first in 20 years — then to the second round of the 6A playoffs.
DeBerry believes the impressive but not eye-popping stats line is the reason some have continued to underestimate him.
"We had a team with four guys averaging over 10 points per game," DeBerry said. "So, I think when people scout us, they say, 'OK, they have four shooters.' On defense, I think he was underrated and had a lot of blocks and rebounds. (On offense), just with our style and how we share the ball — you know, there are some players averaging 31 points per game, taking most of the shots. But when you have three, four guys averaging 10 points, your shots come. You don't have as many shots. So, it wasn't for his talent, just the style we played."
Nellessen made good with the offensive chances he had, especially late in the regular season and into the playoffs, where he averaged 22 points per game on 68% shooting over his final four games.
He finished the season shooting 52% from the field and was 35% from 3.
At season's end, he was named to the FRL's first team while Fort Collins' Jayce King, who finished with the state's second-best scoring average (28.6 ppg), was voted the league's player of the year.
He was also an honorable mention on CHSAA's 6A all-state team. He got invited to "The Show", the state's long-running high school all-star game.
As for what's next? Nellessen said he is planning on playing college ball for the University of Lynchburg, a Division-III program in Virginia.
"I am really excited to play at the next level," he said.
Leveling-up hasn't been an issue for him yet.
