Bouldin picking up more offers

The strong play of Matt Bouldin, the No. 53 ranked player in the class of 2006, has ThunderRidge High School from Denver in the Colorado State Final Four for the third consecutive year. The 6-foot-5, 199-pound combo guard continues to pick up offers, and he received an exciting phone call on the first day coaches were allowed to call juniors.

"Matt has been playing pretty well," said ThunderRidge head coach Joe Ortiz. "He had 25 points two games ago and scored 18 in the last game. He also had a good amount of assists in both games."

Already with offers from Colorado, Colorado State and Washington State, Bouldin has picked up a handful of other offers during the last part of this season.

"Since we have last talked, Utah, New Mexico and California have offered Matt," said Ortiz. "Gonzaga has also basically offered. They do it a little differently there. They want the player to commit to them first and then they offer the scholarship. Coach Few missed a practice to watch Matt practice, and from what I have heard, he has not missed a practice in several years."

All the schools that have offered Bouldin have been recruiting him for a significant period of time, but one of the country's top programs surprised Bouldin with a phone call on the first day juniors are allowed to be called.

"He got five or six calls on the first night," said Ortiz. "I'm not sure who all called, but I know that Illinois was one of them. Matt was really excited about that with them being the number one ranked team in the country."

Although Bouldin averages 15 points, 7 assists and 6 assists per game and is considered the best prospect in the state along with perhaps Ray Hall, who is considered a lock for UCLA in the Denver area, Bouldin was runner up for player of the year to senior guard Andrew Brown of Heritage High School. Ortiz attributes the media's slight of Bouldin to his team approach to the game.

"One local newspaper writer said Matt needed to be more selfish," said Ortiz. "I was really shocked by that statement. My thought is that a great player should do what's best for his team on each possession. Matt is much more concerned with us winning than getting individual awards."