Langston Reynolds remembers the jitters he felt the first time he walked into practice at Colorado Prep.
Once the top prospect in his class for the state of Colorado, Reynolds didn’t know what to expect in terms of teammates, intensity or the level of competition that awaited him. Within 30 minutes of arriving in the gym, those fears had abated, and any lingering doubts about eschewing a traditional high school setting in favor of a demanding basketball prep school washed away.
“I knew I just needed to be here,” Reynolds said.
Reynolds, who’ll be a freshman at Northern Colorado next season, represents one of the program’s biggest success stories. The pitch to potential prospects: come play against top competition on the national high school circuit — an elite league called the Grind Session — and if you’re good enough, our program, including both athletic development and academic support, will get you noticed.
A built, 6-foot-4 guard, Reynolds said Colorado Prep changed the trajectory of his career.
“I don’t think I would be a college basketball player right now, in my opinion,” said Reynolds, who transferred from Denver East after his sophomore season. “I feel like if I didn’t get exposed to that, actually see what’s it’s like around the world, I don’t think I’d be where I’m at right now. It helped me realize how much better I needed to get.”
Colorado Prep was started by former NBA player and CU Buff Xavier Silas as an alternative to the typical high school path for college prospects. It was also born of frustration. Silas lamented the fact there are schools dedicated to development in STEM studies and performing arts in Colorado, but none geared toward budding hoopers, like some prep schools in other states.
Such schools have begun to pop up around the state in recent years, and Colorado Prep is one that’s demonstrated some staying power.
Denver Prep Academy competed for one season before closing its doors earlier this year. The latest prep school on the scene, Accelerated Prep, made an early splash this summer in landing two of the state’s elite prospects (Assane Diop and Baye Fall), but has yet to play a game. Colorado Prep, on the other hand, is entering its third year of operation on the Front Range.
“It’s just the reality that the state of Colorado for whatever reason is about 10 years behind (other markets),” Northern Colorado coach Steve Smiley said.
At the start of the pandemic, Silas saw it as an opportunity to merge his basketball background with his passion for shepherding the next generation of basketball players.
Silas is currently an assistant coach for the Motor City Cruise in the G League, but he keeps close tabs on the program. His coaching staff is, unsurprisingly, littered with basketball expertise and helps with most of the day-to-day maintenance. Silas’ dad, James, is the head coach of the travel team. (There’s also a post-grad team). His No. 13 jersey was retired by the San Antonio Spurs. Associate head coach Mike Moskowitz was a former college head coach, and assistant Rob Hawkins left his job as the head varsity coach at Sand Creek to coach with Colorado Prep.
Hawkins’ son was serious about pursuing a college scholarship and left the public school to face stiffer competition, both in practice and on the rigorous Grind Session schedule.
Reynolds’ mom saw the same potential when she green-lit her son’s decision.
“Langston believes in ‘iron sharpens iron,’” Shaunta said. “If you’re just used to only playing with the kids you grew up with your whole life, it’s very difficult to be able to prepare for your next journey. That was one of the things. … The other thing is, I trust Xavier. I trust his ability to make kids believe and show them that they’re better than they ever thought they could be.”
Reynolds, who’s been on Northern Colorado’s campus since the summer, said he didn’t skip a beat in terms of pace or skill level after his time at Colorado Prep.
“For me, it was a development thing,” Reynolds said. “I felt like me staying at a public school wasn’t going to be the best for me and my future and my goals. So I decided to make the jump.”
From a college coach’s vantage point, Colorado Prep offers the chance to see a handful of elite prospects compete against a similar level of talent on the national circuit. For colleges that have smaller travel budgets, it offers a more cost efficient way to scout.
“That’s one of the good things about Colorado Prep, you’re watching (guys) on film even play against, honestly, some of the best players in the country,” Smiley said.
The Bears’ head coach stressed that prospects can find success regardless of which route they take, but after their first two classes, three Colorado Prep players wound up at Northern Colorado. Zach Bloch was the first, and this season, Smiley got commitments from Brock Wisne and Reynolds.
In just two years, the program boasts 15 scholarships for its players. On Friday, Christian Watson, the younger brother of Nuggets first-round pick Peyton Watson, committed to attending Colorado Prep as well.
None of it works, Smiley said, if the prep school didn’t ensure its students were academically eligible.
As such, Colorado Prep offers two options. There’s an in-person option stemming from a partnership with Belleview Christian, and there’s an online option via Astravo. Students can attend in-person classes when feasible or adhere to an online curriculum while traveling. Bloch earned academic All-Big Sky as a freshman — a particular point of pride for Silas.
Reynolds said the days are long and rigorous, almost like a professional high school. A typical day begins with an optional workout before school, followed by a regular day of classes, bookended by practice and lifting. If a player opts for a morning workout, the day could easily stretch from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Those who aren’t committed get sorted out fairly quickly. Those who want it can thrive.
“If you can succeed here, you can succeed in college because it’s the exact same environment,” Reynolds’ mom said. “It developed Langston, and it matured him.”
