4A State Tournament Preview

The 16-team field is set for what looks to be a great WIAA/Dairy Farmer of Washington Class 4A State Basketball Tournament when the first game tips off at 9:00 Wednesday morning. Nine teams with 20 or more wins are in the 16-team field. Balance is the name of the game and like last week’s 3A tournament, there is no clear-cut steam-roller coming in.

Franklin goes for the repeat but once-beaten Bethel is a land mine in the Quaker’s first game. Mount Tahoma looks tough but the T-Birds are new to the dance and the Dome. 22-2 Kentwood was third last year but the Conqs stubbed their toes in the district tournament. Davis was unbeaten through 18 games and has lost three times in their last 7 games. The Pirates get Kentwood to open the dance. Only one team survives and it is one heck of a tough group to get through.

Here’s the breakdown:

District-1 sends top seed Mount Vernon (20-3). The Bulldogs won the WesCo North and Northwest District titles with balanced scoring and their traditionally tough defense. 6-3 junior guard Justin Burns (15.1ppg), 6-0 junior guard Jake Moore (12.8ppg), 6-4 senior forward Brady Miller (11ppg), and 6-5 senior forward Shane Gibbons (7.6ppg) give Coach Torey Swanson a balanced scoring attack. The Dogs bring an 11-game winning streak into state. Burns, Miller and Moore can all light it up.

Mountlake Terrace (20-4) had to win a last chance /winner-to-state/loser-out game to get to the dance. 6-0 junior guard Luke Hammond (12.3ppg), 6-7 post Leigh Swanson 10.9ppg), 6-4 sophomore forward Justynn Hammond (10.4ppg) and 6-5 junior wing Mike Boxley (9.2ppg) give Coach Nalin Sood a balanced squad. Hawk’s defense is tough as nails and fuels their offense.

Franklin (19-4) won KingCo District championship. Coach Jason Kerr has the quickest guy in the field in 6-3 senior guard Lyndale Burleson (19.8ppg). 6-5 senior wing John Rogers (13.4ppg) and 6-7 junior wing Richie Phillips (11.9ppg) share the major scoring roles. 5-10 freshman guard Venoy Overton is a bright look into the Quaker’s future and a deadly shooter with great range. Quakers are fast, fast, fast.

Redmond (20-4) also had to go through a last chance winner-to-state/ loser-out game. 6-8 senior post/forward Stephen Ishmael (17.9ppg) 6-2 senior guard Christian Yeager (16.7ppg) and 6-2 senior guard Cameron Moffatt (11.5ppg) have been the mainstays for Coach Mike Kelly’s senior-dominated squad.

Mount Tahoma (23-2) won the Narrows League and West Central District titles. WCD champs have won three championships in the last four years and have gone 15-1 at state during that span. Coach Owen Chambers has a very athletic squad with 6-8 senior forward/post Julio Feliciano, tough guards in 6-0 senior Baree Ward (21ppg/WCD MVP) and 6-0 junior Garry Ward and a defensive locker in 6-3 senior wing Darius Joseph. 6-4 senior forward Anthony Tennyson rounds out a talented first five.

South Kitsap (18-8) with make their make fourth straight trip to the tourney behind the tough inside pair of 6-8 senior Jake Beitinger (16.6ppg/11rpg) and 6-7 senior forward Adam Bennett (11ppg/6rpg). 6-2 junior Jamil Moore (8.2ppg) and 6-1 junior guard Derrick Webb (5.4ppg) are athletic backcourt players. 6-2 sophomore guard Conner Gehring (6.2ppg) has stepped up nicely. Coach John Callahan’s squad is the only team to beat Bethel.

Auburn (20-5) is senior dominated and led by 6-3 scoring machine Dan Stafford (21.1ppg/6.8rpg). The SPLS North co-MVP had 60 steals on the year. Coach Ryan Hansen also gets major production from 6-5 senior guard Pace Pendleton (13.6ppg). 6-7 senior Jon Morehead (7.9ppg) had 25 vs. Bremerton in playoffs and had 57 blocked shots on the year. Jerami Regis handed out an impressive 124 assists

Puyallup (17-8) played all 3 of their district games at home. Coach John Wetterauer’s Vikings share the load with 6-3 guard Johnny Spevak (10.9ppg) 6-4 senior forward Jacob McKinney (11ppg) Justin Terry (8.7ppg) and 5-9 guard Doug Noteboom (7.1ppg).

Bethel (23-1) Coach Pat Mullen has four standout juniors that lead the balanced Braves. Point guard Jordan Sutton (11.2ppg/91 assists), wing Jamil Turner (10.5ppg), 6-8 Brandon Moore (10.8ppg/10.8rpg/50 blocked shots) and 6-8 Alex Tiefenthaler (8.9ppg/7.2rpg). Senior guard Desmond Meray (10.2ppg) and 6-8 senior Ceasar Rayford (5.8ppg/5.5rpg) round out the rotation.

Kentwood (22-2) comes at you with Rodney Stuckey (26.7ppg/8.9rpg). Stuckey was the SPSL North co-MVP and is probably the single most dominating player in the tourney. Not just a scorer, Rodney had 75 steals and 73 assists. Coach Dean Montzingo also gets big play from 6-3 junior wing Aaron Boyce (12.8ppg) and 6-2 junior guard Blake Solomon (12.2ppg) have had big scoring nights and 6-7 junior post Matt Mgebroff has made some big shots during the playoffs. 5-9 senior guard Ronnie Stuckey is a defensive stopper.

Bellarmine Prep (16-8) has a pair of solid scorers in 5-10 senior guard Thomas Ward (15ppg) and 6-2 junior guard Brandon Stout (12.8). 6-2 senior Ben Hannula (6.5ppg) and 5-11 senior Jermane Easterlin (5.8ppg) are very athletic and 6-6 senior Matt Miller (5.2ppg) does a solid job in the post. Coach Bernie Salazar’s backcourt of Ward and Stout can take games over and Ward has range to the bus… the far end of the bus at that.

Central Kitsap (18-6) ended a 33-year state drought behind strong 6-6 senior forward Brice Brooks (17.6ppg/.8rpg). Neil Fryer (14.2ppg) also lights it up. Sam Weller (10.7ppg) adds scoring punch. Point guard Jeff Acres and 6-6 senior Lee Miller give Coach Tim Fryer a balanced attack. This is the first time two teams from the West Sound have made it to state in the same year. Cougars placed third at the 2A tournament in 1971. Brooks has a very nice skill package with strength inside but a soft shooting touch out to beyond the arc.

From the Eastern Regional we had a first. The Big Nine took all four seeds. Neither they nor the Greater Spokane League had ever swept the regional tourney.

Walla Walla (19-7) won the Eastern Regional championship for Coach Jim Thacker. The Blue Devils are as non-descript as ever with no big name stars but just a bunch of guys who grab their lunch pails and go to work on the defensive end and run a very patient half court offense. Being down 8 to Wa-Hi is like being down 25 to anyone else. 6-1 senior forward Ryan Mitchell (14ppg) was the regional MVP. 6-0 senior guard Bryce Pendleton (11ppg) is a nice playmaker while 6-4, 235-lb senior post Craig Mettler (11.1ppg) is tough inside. 6-5 senior Kevin Graybill (6.4ppg) adds inside size as does 6-3, 235-lb senior Tyler Carte. It can be hazardous to go inside and play with the Devils and their shooters can hurt you from outside.

Richland (21-5) coach Earl Streufert has plenty of scoring options led by 6-1 senior guard James York (20.6ppg), the Big Nine Conference's co-player of the year. 6-4 senior wing Tim Bussman (12.9ppg) and 6-4 senior forward Joey Frank (12.8ppg) give the Bombers muscle inside. Frank may be the Bombers best shooter. Streufert is not shy about rolling lots of players onto the court and in a 4-day tourney; the fresher you keep the legs the better you may be. York is perhaps one of the most under-recruited guards in the state.

Pasco (19-8) returns from a year ago. 6-5 senior forward Roby Clyde (12.5ppg) can play inside and muscle you or step out and hit from the perimeter. 5-9 senior guard Jerome Houf, (11.3ppg), 5-10 senior guard Dean Colbray (8.2ppg) and 6-3 senior forward Eric Mattox (8.2ppg) give coach Chad Herron plenty of scoring options.

Davis (21-3) coach Shag Williams has a small, fast team that can put up points in bunches and in a hurry. Big time playmaker 5-9 senior guard Jeremy Mangum (17.8ppg/10apg) was the Big Nine Conference's co-player of the year. 6-1 junior wing Umberto Perez (16ppg/8rpg) hit for over 40% from outside the arc. 5-9 senior guard Eddie Pola (11.6ppg), 5-9 senior guard Terrell Cox (10.2ppg) and 5-9 senior guard Ricky Lott (10.6ppg/7rpg) can all score.