Colorado high school basketball rivals now helping each other make it in college
"Every day we're in here together, it's iron sharpens iron," Crawford said. "We're both highly elite players in Colorado, so we might as well get in here and sharpen each other."
"I've known Drew my whole life, and we've always gone against each other, helping each other get better," Scherer recalled. "So I think it is like iron sharpening iron."
But there was a time when these battles weren't so friendly. The two have been playing against each other for years and early on developed quite a rivalry.
"It was always a rivalry because of where they grew up, down the street from each other, similar and competitive AAU programs," Jhabvala said. "I think there was always a mutual respect, but I don't know if they were good friends."
"They say it's a rivalry, but I think they (Crawford and Jhabvala) only beat us one time in all of our years," Scherer bragged. "I've always played against him, and in high school, we played against him and then ultimately, his senior year, my junior year, we played against each other in the high school championship game."
That state championship game was won by Scherer and his Valor Christian Eagles.
"He gave me some hard times for sure," remembered Crawford. "Now that's settled down, and he knows that we're striving for the same thing now."
"I couldn't be more excited for one that won and heartbroken for the one that didn't," Jhabvala said. "The only consolation was that Drew had won two (titles) of them before."
And a week after that title game, Jhabvala took the rivalry one step further. He suggested that Scherer and Crawford continue going at it one-on-one.
"I think it was like, six days after the state title game, there was some barking and trash talking going back and forth, and I thought I had made a big mistake," Jhabvala said. "That first one, we went to dinner after and calmed things a bit. That's when their relationship took off."
And these workouts, best on best, are benefiting both. Crawford ultimately became a top 100 recruit. The skilled 6-7 combo guard is set to embark on his redshirt freshman season in Boulder, where Scherer will keep a close eye on his good friend.
"I'll follow up with him," Scherer said. "I'll be supporting him, and I'm sure he'll do the same."
Scherer finished his high school career as a 2-thousand point scorer, passing Chauncey Billups in the process. While the big schools didn't quite come calling, Crawford says Eastern Washington has a diamond in the rough.
"I say this time and time again, Colorado is a fly-over state when it comes to basketball," Crawford exclaimed. "I think a lot of our talented guys go unnoticed. He was one of those guys for a while, but I'm glad Eastern Washington gave him that opportunity because I think he can be a really good player at the next level."
"It's gonna be scary to see what they can do," Jhabvala said. "I think the sky is the limit for both of them. I'm excited. I want to grab a bag of popcorn, sit courtside, and watch this thing unfold."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
2 minutes ago
- New York Times
Braves and Reds set to break MLB attendance record at Bristol Motor Speedway. Here's how to watch
If the season ended right now, neither the Atlanta Braves nor the Cincinnati Reds would qualify for playoff baseball. Yet their Saturday night matchup has already sold more than 85,000 tickets and is poised to smash MLB's all-time paid attendance record for a regular-season game. Here's the catch: It's going down at an international raceway with a colossal capacity of 146,000 people. Engines are revved up for baseball's inaugural Speedway Classic. This should be a rather cool (if visually disorienting) thing to watch. Bristol Motor Speedway has been prepping for this event since 2022. Saturday marks the first regular-season MLB action in the state of Tennessee. Barring unforeseen circumstances or a mass no-show, it will also set a new all-time high at the gates. The league's previous paid attendance record of 84,587 for an in-season game was set in 1954 at Cleveland Stadium. A few unique games have topped that mark — more than 115,000 fans packed it in for a 2008 exhibition at Los Angeles Coliseum, the same venue that drew more than 92,000 for the Dodgers' home games in the 1959 World Series. With day-of walk-ins, comped tickets and staff, Saturday's showdown could indeed crack six-figure attendance. Advertisement The masses will certainly get their money's worth if Saturday is anything like Thursday's series opener. The Braves and Reds combined for 16 runs in the eighth inning of that thriller. Atlanta churned out a couple of infield hits in the top part of the frame, and knocked around four different Cincinnati pitchers to seemingly put things out of reach. Then the Reds responded with eight (!) consecutive hits of their own, including a three-run homer from newly acquired Ke'Bryan Hayes. Soon after, Spencer Steer matched that in dramatic, swaggering style: SPENCE DOES IT AGAIN!!!@spenc__er — Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) August 1, 2025 Atlanta wound up winning 12-11 in 10 innings. Friday afternoon's follow-up saw the hosts win by a final score of 3-2, but the Braves mounted a spirited late comeback that fell just short. Saturday is now a rubber-burning rubber match. Aptly, this Speedway Classic features two hard-throwing starters on the bump. ATL's Spencer Strider (5–8, 3.71 ERA) had the most strikeouts in baseball back in 2023, before a right elbow injury washed away his 2024 campaign. His four-seam is clocking in around 95.5 mph, and he's in the 90 percentile for whiff rate this season. He's matched by Cincy rookie Chase Burns, who has 10 Ks in each of his last three starts. Burns averages a blistering 98.3 mph on his fastball, with a 90.3 mph slider to complement. From The Athletic's trade deadline grades (Jim Bowden): Braves — D: 'The Braves didn't make any significant trades to improve their team for 2026 and beyond. They were unable to trade DH Marcell Ozuna, who has 10-and-5 rights, and despite the strong market for relievers, they ended up retaining Raisel Iglesias. They were able to add three veteran pitchers to help them get through the regular season and avoid rushing pitching prospects to the majors if their staff suffers even more injuries in August or September. However, it was disappointing that the Braves couldn't make any moves to begin to improve their 2026 team.' Advertisement Reds — B: 'The Reds improved their infield defense significantly with the addition of Ke'Bryan Hayes, who is in line for another Gold Glove Award, leading all third basemen with 16 Defensive Runs Saved. However, they also had to commit to his contract through 2029 at an average annual value of $7.5 million, and took on injury risk given his back issues over the years. His defense is superb, but his hitting has been brutal; he's carrying a 61 OPS+ on the season. The Reds added to their starting pitching depth, getting Zack Littell (3.58 ERA over 22 starts). They also added a power bat in outfielder Miguel Andujar, who crushes left-handed pitching and is more of a platoon-type player.' Betting/odds, ticketing and streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication. (Photo by Patrick Smith / Getty Images)
New York Times
2 minutes ago
- New York Times
NASCAR Cup Series at Iowa odds, predictions: Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney, Christopher Bell favored. How likely is an upset?
The NASCAR Cup Series is in Iowa this weekend, with just four races left before the playoffs commence. Drivers on the points bubble will be extra hungry for a win to clinch their playoff spot, and hoping that another new winner doesn't emerge from the field to push the cut line down. There's a lot to unpack about the Iowa race, the standings, the controversies around the playoff format and more. So, ahead of Sunday's race, we're bringing those questions, as we always do, to our resident NASCAR experts, Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi. Take it away, guys! We've talked about Bubba Wallace a lot — what a thrilling way to see him finally clinch a win! Can you frame this from a historic standpoint for NASCAR and a career standpoint for Wallace? How much of an upset was this? Jeff: It feels like it was an upset simply in the sense that the Brickyard 400, barring some fluky weather or fuel-saving situation, was going to be about the best of the best on the top teams. And ultimately, you had a second-tier team (23XI Racing) with its B driver (instead of Tyler Reddick) beating everyone straight up — then holding off Kyle Larson on two overtime restarts when Wallace could have choked it away. When you consider Wallace had never won a regular-season race at all (his two victories came during the playoffs when he was a non-playoff driver), let alone one of NASCAR's crown jewels, this felt pretty significant for a driver who has been trying to break through. Advertisement Jordan: There's always pressure, but when you drive for a team co-owned by Michael Jordan, that pressure is amplified considerably. Then, when you factor in that Wallace hadn't won in 100 races, all while teammate Tyler Reddick has won multiple times and nearly the 2024 championship, Wallace needed that victory in a big, big way. And that he won at Indy of all places, and in the manner that he did, only enhances his accomplishment. This was huge. Now the perhaps-unanswerable: Do you think he pushed through a mental block with this win? Should we expect a better trajectory/focus? (Jeff said in early June that 'Maintaining track position up front and avoiding miscues are the two areas Wallace's No. 23 needs to improve upon.') Jeff: Wallace has been very vocal about his own confidence issues and mental weaknesses, which he has been working on over the years. Even after Indianapolis, Wallace said he spent the last 20 laps telling himself he couldn't get it done; at times, he can be his own worst enemy. But after a moment like Sunday, you would think going head-to-head with the best and not coughing it up — I personally thought he would lose the race once his lead was erased and it was headed to an overtime restart against Larson — has to be a major boost for his psyche. Next time he's in a clutch situation like that, he'll know for sure he can execute and deliver a win. Jordan: You'd think out-dueling Larson on multiple late-race restarts would give Wallace all the confidence in the world. It should. But a similar sentiment existed in 2022 when he won at Kansas, seemingly sticking it to all the naysayers. Then he went another 100 races between victories. So while Indianapolis should be a launching pad to bigger, sustained success, let's see what happens going forward. Nonetheless, let's again acknowledge how impressive Wallace was on Sunday in earning a win he certainly deserved. You wrote about a NASCAR playoff committee this week, noting that, at one point, the playoff format seemed certain to change for next year, but now it may not. One question: Is anyone in NASCAR still in favor of keeping the current one-race championship format? Jeff: There are certainly some on the TV side, the racetrack side and perhaps a few in the driving corps who like the format as-is and don't want to change it. I've spoken to them, at least privately. The argument is that the current format maximizes drama and excitement and forces drivers to step up, and they think it has created incredible moments (which is fair). But when it came time for anyone to vouch for it in the second meeting of the playoff committee in May, no one raised their hand to make their case for retaining it. That's not to say no one likes it privately, just that no one in the room spoke up for it. Advertisement In June, I did a poll on X that received more than 30,000 votes, and only 8.5 percent of fans voted in favor of keeping the current format. You can see the results here. Similarly, NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin did a poll, and only 7 percent voted for that option. Among fans, I'd confidently say it is the least desirable option — and that opinion is shared by the majority of the committee. The bottom line is the one-race format hasn't felt credible enough as a championship, and the playoff committee members are seeking a way to add more legitimacy to such an important part of the sport. Jordan: (Pours a drink. Then another. Long sigh.) The current playoff format deserves to be thoroughly dissected and examined. And if, from that, a better playoff format can be conceived, then wonderful. But to sit there and say with broad strokes that this format is primarily about luck and diminishes the championship feels a bit disingenuous. Last year, Joey Logano rose to the occasion when it mattered the most, effectively willing himself to the championship. Yet, instead of praising this as would've likely happened had it been a fan-favorite driver, he's cast as an 'undeserving champion' by a large swath of people. That's ridiculous. And if you look back on the history of this format, a valid case can be made that the eventual champion in most years was deserving. How likely is it that this race puts a new race winner in the playoffs? Jeff: I would have said the Brickyard only had a 20 percent chance or less — and I was wrong — so I'll go with 30 percent for Iowa. It's the second time NASCAR has raced at Iowa Speedway, but look at last year's inaugural race: Ryan Blaney dominated and won it, Larson led 80 laps and William Byron, Chase Elliott and Christopher Bell all finished in the top four. No surprises there. That said, we haven't seen a track like Iowa yet this season — it's sort of a hybrid short track — so you can't count out a surprise driver hitting on something. But I don't think it's very likely at all, personally. Jordan: Unlikely. Expect a repeat winner on Sunday as Iowa is just not the kind of track conducive to producing an upset. When the checkered flag waves, bet on a familiar face celebrating in victory lane. Advertisement Who do you like to win this Sunday? Jeff: Before I looked at the odds, I thought I was going to have a sneaky little pick for you: Christopher Bell. Then I realized he is already the No. 3 favorite (+475), just behind Blaney and Larson (who are tied at +450). So I guess my pick isn't exactly going out on a limb. I just thought, given Bell's two self-spins while racing for the lead at Dover two weeks ago and then his huge gaffe at Indianapolis that cleaned out Zane Smith, maybe bettors would have soured on Bell a bit. After all, he's gone winless since winning three straight races (Nos. 2-4 of the season) — which seems like a lifetime ago. But Bell is a terrific short-track racer, and he won at Phoenix, which is probably the closest thing we've seen to Iowa so far this year. So I'll go with him. Jordan: Having broken out of his mid-summer swoon, Kyle Larson is back to having a consistent presence toward the front of the field. He was fast at Dover two weeks ago and nearly won last week at Indy. He's long due for another win, and Iowa is the place it happens, setting up a late-push run to the regular-season championship. Who is a long shot you like? Jeff: Shout it from the rooftops: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. at +15000. The long-shot talk heading into the Iowa race last year was about Stenhouse, who once won three straight Iowa races during his Xfinity Series days. Then at the inaugural Iowa Cup race, Stenhouse went out and finished fifth — his only top-five finish on a paved non-superspeedway in the last three-plus seasons. Heck, Stenhouse is +350 to even finish in the top 10 at Iowa. Sometimes drivers just click with certain tracks, and it feels like Iowa could be one of those for Stenhouse. Jordan: Ty Gibbs is listed at +4400, which is too high for a driver at a top organization that has had speed to win a handful of races this summer. The same applies to Alex Bowman, who's at +5000. Neither of these drivers is a likely winner on Sunday, but it certainly wouldn't be a shock if it happened. And for a deep sleeper, go with Erik Jones (+20000). He and his Legacy Motor Club team have been much improved to the point that he's both qualifying and racing better, and if he can get a little luck, Jones could turn some heads. Betting/odds links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication. (Photo of Kyle Larson: James Gilbert / Getty Images)
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Cubs meet the Orioles with 1-0 series lead
Baltimore Orioles (50-60, fifth in the AL East) vs. Chicago Cubs (64-45, second in the NL Central) Chicago; Saturday, 2:20 p.m. EDT PITCHING PROBABLES: Orioles: Tomoyuki Sugano (8-5, 4.38 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 71 strikeouts); Cubs: Matthew Boyd (11-4, 2.47 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 110 strikeouts) BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Cubs -209, Orioles +172; over/under is 8 runs BOTTOM LINE: The Chicago Cubs host the Baltimore Orioles with a 1-0 series lead. Chicago has a 34-19 record at home and a 64-45 record overall. The Cubs have the highest team batting average in the NL at .255. Baltimore has a 50-60 record overall and a 23-33 record on the road. The Orioles have a 20-12 record in games when they did not allow a home run. Saturday's game is the second time these teams match up this season. TOP PERFORMERS: Kyle Tucker has 21 doubles, four triples, 18 home runs and 61 RBIs for the Cubs. Matt Shaw is 11 for 35 with four doubles, three home runs and nine RBIs over the past 10 games. Jackson Holliday leads the Orioles with 14 home runs while slugging .412. Jordan Westburg is 13 for 45 with three doubles, two home runs and five RBIs over the last 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Cubs: 5-5, .243 batting average, 5.28 ERA, outscored by nine runs Orioles: 6-4, .297 batting average, 3.38 ERA, outscored opponents by 39 runs INJURIES: Cubs: Miguel Amaya: 60-Day IL (oblique), Jameson Taillon: 15-Day IL (calf), Eli Morgan: 60-Day IL (elbow), Javier Assad: 60-Day IL (oblique), Justin Steele: 60-Day IL (elbow) Orioles: Zach Eflin: 15-Day IL (back), Colin Selby: 15-Day IL (hamstring), Felix Bautista: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Maverick Handley: 10-Day IL (head), Scott Blewett: 15-Day IL (elbow), Jorge Mateo: 60-Day IL (elbow), Gary Sanchez: 10-Day IL (knee), Ryan Mountcastle: 60-Day IL (hamstring), Cade Povich: 15-Day IL (hip), Cody Poteet: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Grayson Rodriguez: 60-Day IL (elbow), Albert Suarez: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Tyler Wells: 60-Day IL (elbow), Kyle Bradish: 60-Day IL (elbow) ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
