When Colorado basketball head coach Tad Boyle called Julian Hammond to offer him a scholarship, the Cherry Creek point guard only had one response.
“So I could commit right now?”
“Yeah, of course,” Boyle replied.
Hammond didn’t hesitate to say yes to his “dream school,” and Boyle attributes that to the in-state talent Colorado has cultivated during his tenure, including Derrick White, Josh Scott, Xavier Talton, D’Shawn Schwartz and Dominique Collier.
“It’s really nice to have in-state kids who grow up wanting to stay home and play for the Buffs and our program,” Boyle said. “And I think that’s a testament to some of the other players that have come before him.”
RELATED: 20 Colorado high school boys basketball players to watch in 2021From an outsider’s perspective, it may seem like Hammond was destined to play basketball. His grandfather played for the Denver Rockets in the ABA. And his parents were both Division I basketball players at Loyola Marymount.
But Hammond originally fell in love with three sports: basketball, football and baseball. He chose to give up the latter before high school to focus on the other two, but he believes he can still touch 90 miles per hour with his fastball.
“I started out playing baseball before anything else,” Hammond said. “But being around both of my parents who played college basketball and my grandfather played for the Denver Rockets, I was always around basketball.”
The 6-foot-2, 180-pounder enjoyed an incredibly successful high school football career. He was a perfect 24-0 with two 5A state championships as Cherry Creek’s starting quarterback. There were even a few opportunities to play football at the next level, including a scholarship offer from Northern Colorado.
Boyle said one of the things that stood out about Hammond when he recruited him was that he was an outstanding all-around athlete.
“I’ve got a lot of respect for Julian because he’s a two-sport guy,” Boyle said. “Not only talking to their basketball staff at Cherry Creek … but (Cherry Creek football coach) Dave Logan had great things to say about him.”
Basketball is Hammond’s passion. He thought he could be successful in football, but there was something about basketball that made him decide that’s where his future would be. Even during football season, Hammond always found time to get shots up in the gym.
Cherry Creek basketball coach Kent Dertinger said when he gives the team a water break, Hammond will often go to the foul line and start shooting free throws.
“He works at it, he’s as sound a fundamental player as I’ve coached. He’s got really, really nice footwork; he works on the details of the game, more so than a lot of players,” Dertinger said. “He’s just a winner.”
Hyoung Chang, The Denver PostJulian Hammond III of Cherry Creek High School poses for a portrait at the school gym in Greenwood Village, Colorado on Thursday. Jan. 21, 2021.Over his past two seasons, the flashy guard has averaged over 20 points per game while shooting almost 50% from the field.
That production led to scholarship offers from Northern Colorado, Denver and Wyoming for Hammond, who is ranked the No. 1 recruit in the state on the 247Sports composite rankings. Boyle believes he’ll fit in nicely in the CU guard rotation.
“It’s nice that he wanted to be here and I think he’s got a chance to be a really, really good college point guard, especially now that he’s going to focus on one sport,” Boyle said.
Cherry Creek was ranked as the No. 4 team in 5A boys basketball last season before getting upset in the playoffs by Regis Jesuit. The Bruins enter the abbreviated 2021 season as the top-ranked 5A team in the preseason CHSAANow.com poll.
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George Washington guard Jaida Redwine was one of Colorado prep hoops’ biggest secrets. Not anymore. 20 Colorado high school boys basketball players to watch in 2021 20 Colorado high school girls basketball players to watch in 2021 CHSAANow.com preseason prep basketball rankings: Cherry Creek, Grandview atop 5A boys, girls top 15 As CHSAA waits to begin basketball season, Colorado Prep goes through its own “Grind”The anticipation of a title run convinced a few of Hammond’s football teammates to stick around for the rest of their senior years, with top football recruits Chase Penry (CU), Myles Purchase (Iowa State) and Arden Walker (Missouri) deciding to stay at Creek instead of enrolling early at their future schools.
“I’m excited because those (players) also know how to win,” Hammond said. “And they’ll bring a lot to our team this year. They will be really important pieces.”
These Bruins are accustomed to high expectations. Cherry Creek was the wire-to-wire No. 1 team in 5A football en route to its second straight state championship in the fall. As the preseason No. 1 in basketball, they have a chance to do the same thing on the hardwood.
“A lot of these guys have been through that and they embrace that target on their back,” Dertinger said. “It’s just another challenge for them.”
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