High school basketball has returned after eight-and-a-half hoop-less months. Rejoice! The most enjoyable of all Washington’s prep sports is back.
The following thousand-or-so words are designed to prepare you— ostensibly a person who hasn’t spent large chunks of the past week googling high school kids—for the season ahead. This will focus on the western side of the state, both because that’s where the finest basketball in the state is mostly played and because that’s my area of quasi-expertise. Without further ado, let’s dive in.
About Nathan Hale…
For a variety of very unusual reasons, a program that went 3-18 last year is suddenly the most-talked-about team in the state. The twin reasons: The arrival of Brandon Roy as the Raiders’ new head coach and the matriculation of Michael Porter, Jr., unanimously considered one of the few best prep players in the entire country. Porter followed his father, Michael Porter, Sr., to Seattle after the elder Porter took an assistant coaching job at the University of Washington. Porter the Younger and his brother Jontay, a Hale junior, are both committed to the UW and are both listed at 6-foot-9. Not a bad starting point.
The Hale roster also features Garfield transfer P.J. Fuller, a sophomore guard who was one of the best newcomers in the state last season with a slashing, speed-centric game that resembles DeJounte Murray’s. Also around is MarJon Beauchamp, regarded by people who are even more into this stuff than me as the state’s best incoming freshman (there’s a video titled (erroneously) “8th grader Marjon Beauchamp has Kevin Durant Game” floating around on YouTube).
So are they the best boys team in the state?
That would seem likely, but Garfield will certainly have something to say about the matter. In UW commits Jaylen Nowell and Daejon Davis, the Bulldogs boast the state’s best backcourt. Junior forward J’Raan Brooks, who stands 6-foot-9, is another future major Division I recruit. And sophomore guard Jamon Kemp (a son of Shawn), an explosive wing, appears poised to burst onto the scene as the city’s next great player.
Rainier Beach, as always will stake its own claim, led by junior Kevin Porter, Jr. (no relation to the other Porters). O’Dea was the runner-up in Class 3A last year and returns scoring guard Xavier Smith and silky wing Noah Williams. The competition in Metro will be brutal—an all-star team from the league would beat an all-star team from the rest of the state combined by 50-plus points.
The only other team that could really stake a claim is Federal Way, the two-time defending state champs at 4A led by rising sophomore star Jaden McDaniels.
What about the girls?
From a big-picture perspective, it’s hard to choose anyone besides Central Valley as the state’s best outfit. The Bears are the defending state champs at 4A (finishing 28-0) and return star juniors Lexie and Lacie Hull, both of whom are committed to continue their careers at Stanford after (quite possibly) two more state titles. If anyone can challenge them for the title of Best Team in the State, it might be Glacier Peak. In Kayla Watkins, Sam Fatkin and Paisley Johnson, the Grizzlies boast three players headed to D-1. Snohomish will have something to say about it, but GP should rule Wesco with former Lynnwood superstars Mikayla Pivec and Jordyn Edwards now off to college.
Some of the other individual standouts: Bothell forward Taya Corosdale (a senior bound for Oregon State), Bishop Blanchet post Jadyn Bush (a senior headed for Harvard), Wilson point guard Josie Matz (off to Portland next season and recovering from a season-ending ACL tear last year), and Kentridge junior JaQuaya Miller (one of the nation’s most highly touted centers in the class of 2018).
There’s a new playoff format, isn’t there?
You’re darn tootin’! In short: It’s pretty weird. In long: click here.
What’s up with the small schools?
We’ll start on the girls side this time, more specifically in one of the state’s best-named conferences: The Caribou Trail League, which this year is (stunningly enough) home to a pair of top-100 prospects nationally. The established star is Jill Townsend, a 5-foot-11 guard who’s led Okanogan to consecutive state titles in the 2B ranks and is headed for Gonzaga. Her current Bulldogs have reclassified up to 1A but should again be a contender to win state, even with the presence of usual bullies on the block King’s and Lynden Christian.
Yet Okanogan’s most intriguing games this year will be a trio of league matchups against Cashmere and freshman point guard Haley Van Lith—one of the top 20 players in her class, according to ESPN. Between her and Townsend, it’s a banner year for top-end talent in Central Washington.
Among the boys, King’s is the clear class of the 1A classification and could probably bump up and win the 2A title, too. They won last year’s championship game by 30 points and return superstar wing Corey Kispert, another Gonzaga-bound senior who simply plays on another level than most of the Knights’ small-school competition. A couple non-league games against Kennedy Catholic and Kentwood figure to present King’s’ stiffest tests of the year.
Down at Class 1B, meanwhile, the Colton Wildcats girls will be seeking a stunning eighth straight title under the tutelage of Clark Vining, a streak few teams in the nation have ever bettered on any level in any sport.
Are you gonna do any of that usual season-preview-y stuff?
Sure thing. Here are state title picks for every classification:
Boys
4A: Federal Way
3A: Nathan Hale
2A: Foss
1A: King’s
2B: Life Christian
1B: Neah Bay
Girls
4A: Central Valley
3A: Arlington
2A: Lynden
1A: Okanogan
2B: Kalama
1B: Colton
And here are some preseason all-state teams:
Boys
G Jaylen Nowell, Garfield
G Michael Porter, Jr., Nathan Hale
G Corey Kispert, King’s
G Daejon Davis, Garfield
F Philip Pepple, Shorecrest
Girls
G Lexie Hull, Central Valley
G Lacie Hull, Central Valley
G Jill Townsend, Okanogan
F Taya Corosdale, Bothell
F Jadyn Bush, Bishop Blanchet
And, finally, a list of the top regular-season games to watch.
Boys
Dec. 9: Rainier Beach at Nathan Hale, 8:30 p.m.
Dec. 10: King’s vs. Kennedy Catholic at Highline, 7 p.m.
Jan. 13: Rainier Beach at Garfield, 8:30 p.m.
Jan. 16: Lincoln at Foss, 3 p.m.
Jan. 16: King’s at Kentwood, 7 p.m.
Jan. 25, Wilson at Lincoln, 7 p.m.
Jan. 27: Nathan Hale at Garfield, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 6: Shorecrest at Stanwood, 7:15 p.m.
Girls
Dec. 16: Bishop Blanchet at West Seattle, 7 p.m.
Dec. 20: Snohomish at Glacier Peak, 7:15 p.m.
Dec. 28: Colton at Cashmere, 6:30 p.m.
Dec. 30: Juanita at Bothell, 2 p.m.
Dec. 30: Central Valley at Moses Lake, 7 p.m.
Jan. 24: Gonzaga Prep at Central Valley, 7:15 p.m.
Jan. 31: Okanogan at Cashmere, 5:45 p.m.
Jan. 31: Wahkiakum at Kalama, 7 p.m.