High-scoring Pueblo Central guard Mike Ranson committed to play basketball at Northern Colorado on Wednesday night.
Ranson, a 6-foot-2, 185-pounder who will be a senior in the fall, tweeted his decision:
Super excited to say that I've committed to the Univeristy of Northern Colorado! 🏀 #GoBears pic.twitter.com/kzwpVFSHkn
— Mike Ranson (@mikeranss) June 18, 2015
Ranson averaged 25.6 points per game last season, which led all scorers in the state regardless of class. That followed stellar sophomore (18.3 points) and freshman (15.0) seasons.
As a junior, Ranson scored more than 20 points in 21 of the 23 games he played in. His season high was 38 against Vista PEAK in December.
He helped Pueblo Central go 19-6 last season, and the Wildcats reached the Class 4A Sweet 16, where they lost to eventual state champion Air Academy.
Ranson will join UNC in the 2016-17 year, when fellow Colorado products Cameron Michael (Loveland) and Jon’te Dotson (Lincoln) will be seniors for the Bears.
A two-sport athlete, Ranson is also Pueblo Central’s quarterback. He threw for 1,291 yards and 11 touchdowns last season, and rushed for six more scores.
Ranson is among the early commits in loaded Class of 2016 boys basketball recruits. ThunderRidge’s Austin Mueller also committed on Wednesday, choosing Wyoming.