Denver East Men's Basketball: Season Recap and Their Late Playoff Push

The East Men's Basketball Team has faced adversity to start their season, going 9-9 in 18 games and 4-4 in the Denver district play. The team, coached by legend Rudy Carey, has some work to do to secure a playoff spot by the end of February. They have impressive wins against Mullen, Regis Jesuit, and Vista Peak, and recently a huge win against George Washington, the #8-ranked team in the state. With help from school spirit and talented players in Dayesun Collier and Noah Adkins, the team may finish the season strong into the 2026 CHSAA playoffs. 

The 2025-2026 East Men’s basketball team is like none other because of its youth. More than half of the roster are underclassmen, with the top three scorers all being sophomores. Guard Noah Adkins is the leading scorer, averaging 22.4 points per game, 3.6 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and is truly a talented player. His athleticism and shiftiness help him find easy ways to get to the basket, making him one of the most dominant players in the state. Some impressive performances are 31 points in a win vs George Washington (1/30) and 37 points in a loss against George Washington (1/13). His right-hand man, sophomore guard Dayesun Collier, is another  star on the team, averaging 20.2 points per game and 3.7 assists. He is a true shooter, taking shots from anywhere on the floor and leading the team in three-pointers. Collier has been clutch with a game-winner over Regis Jesuit 96-93 (OT) and recently made 6 three-pointers in their win vs George Washington. In an interview with Dayseun Collier, he commented on where he gets his confidence from.“My dad texts me a lot and reminds me that I can score because he's seeing it, and I've seen it myself.” Other star players are Lincoln Lemieux, averaging 13.6 ppg; Kanen Marshall, scoring 8.4 ppg; and Niji Alexander, with 8.1 ppg, all key players on this talented, young roster.

(Photo from @dayesuncollier instagram in East’s win vs George Washington)

The season has not been easy for the team, with a .500 record, but each time the team has lost, they have found ways to improve and bounce back. They went through two devastating losses against South (85-74) and Rangeview (82-66), but found a way to improve with dominant wins over Northfield (88-59) and George Washington (82-74). With their final two games against Rangeview and Northfield coming up, the team needs to rally to make the playoffs. Senior forward Jameson Archer thinks the team may be underrated if they sneak into the playoffs, stating, “We're going to be a dark horse because of our youth, 'cause teams are looking past us.” Dayesun Collier believes that the team needs to be better defensively to get there, saying, “If we can stop teams and hold them to 60 points, we can win.” With another tough schedule in the East’s last two games, we’ll see if they can make that last push to get into the playoffs.

But the team needs help from our school spirit. There have been good showings in the home game vs Regis Jesuit and away vs South, but they could use help in these closing games. The last home game is coming up: North Field on Friday, February 13th, at 5:30pm, where the team hopes to see a supportive home crowd. The future is bright for Denver East Men’s basketball with a talented young roster. The team may make some noise in this year’s playoffs, but in the upcoming years, it will definitely be a strong contender for the state championship.