WIAA 4A State Tourney

There were some great games in this tournament, though there weren't any huge upsets. I will just go through and write about players on the teams I saw rather than going game by game. Here is how they finished:

1. Federal Way
2. Garfield
3. Kentridge
4. Gonzaga Prep
5. Redmond
6. Foss
7. Ingelmoor
8. Lake Stevens

No place:
Eisenhower, Mariner, Todd Beamer, Roosevelt, Curtis, Walla Walla, Decatur, Mountake Terrace

Player Comments:

Garfield
#3 - Glenn Brooks 6-0 SO - Solid big pg, good ball handling and can hit open shots. Very athletic, plays like a SR. Doesn't play out of control and can run with anyone. Very bright future. Mid-High DI

#4 - Tony Wroten 6-5 SO - Big strong wing, super athlete, solid jump shot, can shoot on the move. Big time player, will get to play wherever he wants assuming he keeps up in the classroom. Can handle the ball, gets to the hoop or shoots outside, can shoot long 3's. Has to keep refining his skills but should go a long way. High DI

#23 - Christian Blanks 6-4 SR - Long active wing/forward, athletic and really competes, love his work ethic and resilience. Needs to work on ball handling and shooting but can really play D and rebound. DII

#33 - Salim Gloyd - 6-6 SO - Strong, athletic, forward. Very mobile could maybe even play wing with some skill improvement. Runs hard, makes FT's and rbs. Really works on D. Low to Mid DI

#1 - De'Andre Taylor 6-2 SR - Thin wing, ok jump shot, ok handle. Good athlete with long arms. Lead the team when Wroten was hurt. High DII, Low DI

Foss
#33 - LuQuam Thomson 5-10 SR - Very quick little pg, great change of direction. Great ball handler, makes good decisions, needs more work on his jump shot but can really play D and create for others. Very strong and see's the floor well. Not very big but plays very hard on both ends and can really run. Does a good job of running the team and getting them into their offense. Low to Mid DI

#10 - Julian Cruell 5-10 JR - Will run the show next year. Solid strong little pg that is very athletic and can handle the ball pretty well. Can make open shots though isn't a shoot on the move type. DII

#31 - Damari Lewis 5-10 SR - This team obviously has a lot of 5-10 athletic guards. Damari is quick and strong, not as skilled as LuQuam but can play good D and handle the ball ok. Can get to the basket and make open jump shots. DII

#32 - Jeremy McClain 6-6 SR - Strong undersized post, fairly mobile and works on both ends. Posts hard has pretty good hands and finishes. Ok athlete that can get up and down the floor. DII

Federal Way
Have already made posts on federal way and will just make additional comments here.
#25 - Cole Dickerson 6-7 JR - Played really well in the post and looks like his skills have improved. Really athletic mobile big with good strength and great quickness. Very good at finishing around the hoop. Has an OK jump shot and handles it well for a big man. Needs to keep working on his ball skills and mid range jumper. Mid to High DI

#11 - Michael Hale 5-10 SR - Absolutely makes this team go, runs the team and makes big plays. Although he is very small he can definitely play college ball at a high level. Great handle, good passer and can run. Nice jump shot and can pull up quick off the dribble. Uses shot fakes well and makes good decisions. Low DI

Kentridge
#20 - Laron Daniels 6-1 SR - Thin long guard that really works, pretty good handle, can slash and make plays. Quick first step, good athlete. Slow release but makes open 3's. DII

#24 - Shaquille McKissic - 6-3 SR Very strong wing, works really hard on both ends, big long strong arms. Makes open 3's and can get to the hoop. Size and strength are great, needs to work more on his ball handling though he is capable. Very athletic. Low DI

#2 - Gary Bell 6-1 SO - Great pg, very under control with the ball and makes great decisions. Very mature for his age. Very athletic, great change of pace and great quickness. Gets to the basket easily and makes good passes. Needs to work on finishing. Solid outside shooter. Great physical player that is hard to match up with. High DI

Curtis
Have posted on Curtis before. Will make additional comments here.
#0 - Very quick very good ball handler, very talented but his decision making is not the best. Needs to learn how to handle adversity better and make the correct plays. Low DI

#5 - Julian Vaughn 6-3 SO - Good athlete that was under control, hustled and showed good fundamentals. Ok handle, long and defends. Should keep an eye on for his next two years.

#2 - Stan Longlow 6-5 SR - Tough forward that really hustles. Finished at the basket well and really kept his team alive. Really worked on the defensive end, set lots of screens. DIII

Gonzaga Prep
#32 - Ryan Nicholas 6-7 JR Really hardworking tough player, has a motor. Undersized post or forward, has a nice jump shot and handles the ball well for a big man. Really physical and great away from the ball player, sets screens and flashes hard. Smart player, rebounds. Mid DI

#14 - David Stockton 5-11 JR Son of Jon Stockton, David looks just like his dad. He is skinny but quick and really under control, has trouble with bigger athletic defenders but can really play. Great ball handler and nice shoot, knows how to use screens and set his teammates up, does a great job of getting guys the ball and running the offense. Excellent defender. Low DI

#10 - Sean Fischer 6-1 SR Tough guard that has nice touch and can score. Works hard away from the ball and on defense. Ok athlete but not really quick. DIII

Walla Walla
#10 - Gary Winston 6-0 SR Very solid pg, really quick change of direction and excellent in the pic and roll. Can pull up quick off the dribble and has a good mid-range and 3 pt shot. Very savvy and very athletic. Plays with his head up and runs the offense well. Mid DI

#24 - Michael Weisner 6-7 JR Very skilled thin forward. Big long arms and very scrappy player. Very good ball handler for his size, can create for himself. Has a deadly 10-15ft bank shot and can shoot 3's as well. Runs the floor and works really hard on both ends. Low DI

Inglemoor
#11 - Benji Bryant 6-1 SR Long thin guard, ok ball handler, good shooter. Plays hard, leader of the team. High DII

#33 - Paul Jorg 6-9 JR Thin fundamental big man. Makes FT's and can finish inside. Works on both ends, still has growing to do. DII, Low DI

#10 - Todd Campbell 6-7 SR Quick skilled forward. Good moves with the ball, can get to the basket and make plays. Nice footwork and soft touch, needs to work on his outside jumper. Low DI

Lake Stevens
#44 - Shane Kaska 6-3 SR - Hard working physical scorer. Just makes plays, has an ok jumper and finishes inside. Not sure how well he'd handle quick guards on the wing as he plays mostly forward. DIII

#4 - Ryan Legg - Really plays hard, very quick good ball handler. High energy guy that made his team work and kept them going. Finished well and ok pull up. DIII, DII

Eisenhower
#21 - Taylor Elmo 6-5 SR- Big strong forward, nice skills for his size. Handles the ball well and has nice form on his jumper. Good passer and works on both ends. Ok rebounder but needs to work on boxing out. Low DI

#32 - Robert Bonzer 6-5 JR Long, athletic forward. Good physical player, rebounds and hustles on both ends. Sets screens and plays physical on offense. Does not really create for himself but can score around the basket. DII

#12 James Lopez 6-0 JR Tough player, great pull-up off of a fast dribble. Handles the ball well but is sometimes unfocused. Quick and athletic with long arms. DII

#2 - Jordan Gaut 6-1 SR Strong physical guard, plays under control and has an ok jumper. Hustles and rebounds. DII, DIII

Redmond
#30 - Abdul Tufa 6-5 SR Long athletic player. Good body control but struggles finishing the ball. Plays D and rbs. DII, DIII

Mariner
#20 - Michael Minor 5-11 SR Solid pg, very smooth player that makes good decisions. Pretty good athlete and handles the ball and creates for teammates. Good defender and capable scorer. DII

#23 - Tevin Dillon 6-3 SR Good athletic body, plays under control and has a nice jump shot. Good outside shooter and capable defender. DII

#50 - Damascus Purnell 6-4 SR Undersized post that works and finished around the basket. Good hustle. DIII

Mt. Si vs Nathan Hale

A good back and forth game in the Sea-King 4A regional tournament. Nathan Hale battled but a 1-2-2 zone that Mt. Si used in the second half pretty much shut Hale down. Luckily Mt. Si got out of the zone when Hale hit a 3 after not scoring on it for six possessions and this gave Hale a chance as they ran off a few baskets against Mt. Si's man defense. This made it a game as I believe Hale got as close as 2 within the last couple of minutes. Tanner Riley was too much for them late though as he came on strong at the end. Mt. Si held on for a 3 or 4 pt. victory and moves on to play Seattle Prep on Saturday I believe.

Nathan Hale
#3 - Thomas Pierson 6-4 SR Have written about him before and want to add that his outside shot was better as he drilled a couple of 3's. He's not a great athlete but really hustles and really knows how to play the game. His size and scoring ability makes him Hale's toughest player. High DII

#4 - Ben Scheideman - 6-2 SR Strong tough shooting guard. Made some tough plays late and was aggressive on both ends. Not a great athlete, finishes ok. DIII

Mt. Si
#4 - Tanner Riley - 6-2 JR Tough, strong, combo guard. Maybe good enough to be a pg for somebody but not lightning quick type. Really fundamental, catches the ball on two feet and squares up before making a play. Can slash to the hoop and is fairly athletic, has good moves and a good scoring touch. Can shoot inside and out and excels at getting open off a screen, can really read his defender and make the right decision. Got a lot of baskets curling to the hoop in this one. Makes good decisions and plays with his head up. Low DI

Curtis vs. Lincoln

Playoffs have begun and the West Central District with the Narrows league and the SPSL North and South has got to be the most competitive regional playoff for 4A basketball. Lincoln and Curtis have both been in the upper half of their conferences so this looked to be a good game to see. Unfortunately Lincoln was not ready for a big game and played scared the whole night. They lacked leadership and as the game got out of hand they could not buckle down and at least compete for the sake of getting ready for the next game which if they lose, they're out. I felt bad for their coach and was waiting for him to just throw up on the court watching how little toughness his team played with. In fact I thought he did a good job of not throwing a fit out there and trying to stay positive while his team got pounded. Curtis on the other hand really played well as a team though its easy to do all the right things when you're up 20.

Lincoln
#4 - Jordan Russel 5-9 SO - Strong stocky little pg. Lefty that tries to do a bit to much but helped lead Lincoln to a first place tie in a very tough conference. Quick first step, can definitely get by his defender but tries to do too much and certainly hasn't learned enough about the game. Has a nice 3pt shot when set with a quick release. Has a ways to go but has a lot of tools already. Low DI

#34 - Could not get my hands on a roster and cannot find anything online. #34 looked about 6-7 and was fairly athletic. Did a good job of running the floor, played hard, was fairly aggressive. Blocked shots and rebounded. My guess is he's a JR or SR but not quite sure. DII

Curtis
#0 - Darnell Williams 5-9 SR - Lightning quick pg that can really go by people. He has great dribble moves and control of the ball. Finishes well at the basket and passes when help comes to stop him. Plays with his head up and does a nice job running the team. Did not see him shoot outside. Low DI

#3 - Chad Rasmussen 6-5 SR - Big strong wing, ok athlete. Can slash to the hole but not a dribbler, doesn't put it on the floor if he doesn't have to. Shoots 3's, shot needs a little work but quick release and lots of confidence. Runs hard and plays D, also a good passer. High DII, Low DI

Lynwood vs Meadowdale

Went up north to see a couple of big kids. Meadowdale has been winning a lot of games this year and Lynwood has a 6-8 JR who has not gone unnoticed. It was senior night for Lynwood and they only played seniors the entire first quarter. They battled an stayed in the game until the 4th when Meadowdale took over and showed they were definitely the better team. Meadowdale won by 10 or 12.

Meadowdale

#42 - Connor Hamlett -6-7 JR I saw this kid play last year and really liked his contribution as a sophomore. He's taken over the team this year and is just a tough kid that plays hard. He'd a strong forward that rebounds and aggressively attacks the basket. He can put the ball on the floor for one or two dribbles and has some good back to the basket moves. Does not force bad shots and plays hard on both ends. Strong and fairly mobile, not a great athlete. High DII maybe low DI with time

Lynwood
#42 - Aaron Matzen -6-2 SR Wanted to mention this kid because he really wanted this win. He is the team leader and played very hard. He is not an athlete but really knows how to play, plays very tough and uses and sets screens well. Has good court vision and really understands the game. Has an ok jump shot and can score around the basket. DIII

#50 - Simi Fajemisin -6-8 JR This kid was the best on the court. An absolute beast when he gets the ball, he is very big, very strong, and very aggressive. He has pretty good feet and very long arms. He has nice moves and can put the ball on the floor. He sets screens and really seals his man well in the low post. He just keeps working to keep his man sealed, stays really low and big. When he gets the ball he explodes to the basket with a surprising quickness, he will go right through defenders. Needs to lose some baby fat to increase his quickness and speed but should be a pretty good player with his work ethic and understanding of the game. Low to Mid DI

Rogers vs Puyallup

A Puyallup battle took place last night. Rogers had been on a roll and Puyallup has been winning all year behind the play of their big man. Puyallup led most of the game but the home crowd had a huge effect on the outcome. Rogers played with more passion and intensity and Puyallup got frustrated and started to struggle. The game made it to overtime where Rogers took over and got the win.

Rogers
#15 Ryan McIntosh -6-3 SR Good size guard, long and thin. Plays very hard and is an ok athlete. Runs the floor and plays hard, more of a slasher than a shooter, did a good job of finishing around the basket. Made plays on defense, got deflections and steals, liked his energy. DII, DIII

#23 Garin Peyton -6-3 SR More athletic and a little more strength than McIntosh. A little out of control and needs to work on his ball handling. Can finish around the basket and has an ok jumper. Very slow release but pretty good form other than lack of follow through. Lefty with big hands that can play D. DII

Puyallup
#23 Dom Holub -5-10 SO Tough little pg that got good minutes for a sophomore. Pretty good ball-handler and ok athlete. Did a good job of keeping his head up and getting the big man the ball. Attacked the middle with success and could dump, score, and get fouled. Has a ways to go but just a sophomore. DII

#32 Killian Larson -6-9 SR Probably the best available 09 center in the area. Not an athlete but can run the floor ok. Fundamentally sound player. Good feet, posts hard and is relentless. Can make some nice moves with his back to the basket and keeps the ball high - finishes well, rebounds well (had 26 in a game against Curtis this year). He is not very strong but has a good frame. Very long arms and plays aggressively on defense, plays good help side and really works to get around on the opposing post. Has nice form at the FT line. Should be able to help some college right away, could be pretty good if he really goes to work in the weight room. Averages 19ppg Low DI

Bishop Blanchet vs Bainbridge

I wanted to see the SR at Blanchet and take another look at Bainbridge JR that I did not notice when they got stomped by Rainier Beach. Not a bad game, Bainbridge had a 6 pt lead at half in a low scoring affair. Starting the 3rd quarter Blanchet did not score until about 2 minutes left then ran off ten in a row to make it a 1pt deficit before the start of the 4th. They then started really pushing Bainbridge and finally took a lead after trading baskets with about 3 minutes left. Bainbridge battled and kept it close until under a minute, Blanchet got the win at home.

Blanchet
#34 - Stephen Reinhart 6-3 SR Pretty good scorer here, led them back when he got hot from outside in the 4th. He's averaging 17ppg but doesn't know a bad shot. Has a great 3pt stroke, can really release it quick and with a guy in front of him. Absolute confidence in his shot. Good quickness off of screens and with one or two dribbles. Not a ball handler though. Would be a good low DI for a team that just needs a role player that can shoot. Needs work on defense and rebounding. Forces things too often. High DII, Low DI

Bainbridge
Ben Eisenhardt - Second time I've seen the Seattle U commit. Has nice touch but really needs to work on his rebounding. Very thin, will need to learn how to work but should be a nice player for Seattle U. Mobile 6-9 and can shoot.

#24 - Ryan Burriss 6-4 JR Did not notice him in the Rainier Beach thrashing of Bainbridge but has been listed high by other scouts and is averaging 12.5ppg. He is a very thin wing. I like his attitude and hustle, he knows how to play. Did not see him shoot outside but he can pass and make plays around the basket. Plays hard on D and follows the ball. Got some nice put backs on offense. Fairly quick. DII/DIII

Vashon vs Cascade Christian

Pretty good game between the top two Nisqually 1A schools. Vashon started out slow but the big man does not miss many shots. Cascade Christian did not do a good job of denying him the ball. They needed a man in front of him and behind him but mostly ended up with only a man behind him. And when you're 6-3 and trying to play behind a 6-9 scorer you're going to get scored on. Otherwise Cascade Christian played very well, outrunning Vashon and getting some transition buckets to keep it close. Vashon held on to win 49-43 at home.

Vashon
#40 - John Gage -6-9 JR - Very skilled, very long big man. Not an athlete but has a pretty solid body. Will need to work on defense and footwork but certainly plays hard and can score. Has a very nice turn around jumper that will be hard for anyone to defend. Needs to add some more moves and keep working on his quickness. Definitely a center, does not get out and run. Made some excellent assists, really finds his teammates when doubled. Ok rebounder. Mid to High DI

#33 - Charlie Hoffman -6-8 SR - Thin senior forward, great for a 1A school to be able to high low with this kid and Gage. Doesn't see the ball much because of Gage but has ok hands and hit a big 3pter out of the corner in the 4th quarter. Size and length give him potential. DIII/DII

#4 - Thomas Timm-Skove -6-4 SR - Strong quick guard, a good slasher that gets to the basket, ok ball handler. Ok shooter. Great size and pretty good athleticism. Averaging 10ppg DIII/DII

#20 - Alex Wagner -6-7 SO - Didn't stand out to me but is tall and long. Only a sophomore and gets lots of minutes. Keep an eye on him.

Cascade Christian
#3 - Jonnie Washburn -6-3 JR - A thin tall guard. Played hard and is leading his team in scoring. Aggressive and slashes, pretty good shooter.

#11 - TJ Tuttle -5-7 SO - This kid is worth keeping an eye on. He is total hustle and energy, a quick little pg that reminds me a bit of Aaron Bright from Bellevue. Handles the ball well and gets his teammates open. Plays hard on defense and gets everyone going. He's pretty small but only a sophomore. DIII/DII