Top 10 Washington products in the NCAA tournament

The top 10 players from Washington playing in the NCAA tournament:

ISAIAH THOMAS, WASHINGTON
The diminutive junior guard (he's listed at 5-foot-9) earned his second straight Pac-10 tournament MVP after hitting a shot at the buzzer to beat Arizona in overtime of the championship game. Thomas, who played at Curtis (University Place) and South Kent prep school in Connecticut, is a two time All-Pac-10 guard who leads the Huskies in scoring (16.8 points) and assists (6).

COURTNEY VANDERSLOOT, GONZAGA
The senior from Kentwood (Covington) is one of the top players in the nation. She earned her third West Coast Conference MVP and the Frances Pomeroy Naismith award, given to the top female player 5-foot-8 and under. Vandersloot is averaging 18.6 points per game and leads the nation in assists (10.2 per game). She became the fourth woman to top 1,000 assists for the WCC champs.

STEVEN GRAY, GONZAGA
The senior who graduated from Bainbridge (Bainbridge Island) is making his fourth NCAA tournament appearance. Gray, the lone senior on the team, led the team in scoring (13.8) and assists (3.8). He is an All-West Coast Conference player. Gray has become known as much for his off-the-court activities — acting in school plays, teaching children in Zambia — as his on-the-court heroics.



PEYTON SIVA, LOUISVILLE
Siva, now a sophomore, won two state titles with Franklin (Seattle). He is third on the Cardinals in scoring (10 points per game) and first in assists (5.3). He was an honorable mention on the All-Big East team after leading the conference in steals (2.1).

ANGIE BJORKLUND, TENNESSEE
The senior from University (Spokane) is gearing up for her fourth tournament run with the SEC champs. Bjorklund, who was an All-American in high school, started her first game in college (the 10th Vol to do so) and went on to win a national title. She has since broke the school record for 3-pointers.

JOSH SMITH, UCLA
In a little more than a year, Smith has gone from leading Kentwood (Covington) to a state title to the NCAA tourney. Smith is fourth on the team in scoring (10.6) and third in rebounding (6.5).

POOH WILLIAMS, UTAH STATE
Williams, a Federal Way alum, is considered one of the top defenders in the Western Athletic Conference. He's making his third tourney run. He was fourth on the team with 8.4 points per game.

VENOY OVERTON, WASHINGTON
Despite off-the-court issues, the Franklin grad will get another tourney run. Overton, who won a state title at Franklin with Siva, is the sixth man for the Huskies and one of the team's top defenders.

DAVID STOCKTON, GONZAGA
The son of Hall of Famer John Stockton is in the NCAA tourney with his father's alma mater. The redshirt freshman out of Gonzaga Prep (Spokane) has seen his minutes grow as the season has progressed.



COLTON CHRISTIAN, MICHIGAN
The freshman out of Bellevue (via a year at prep school) is averaging five minutes a game for the Wolverines.

Nathan Joyce has covered high school sports in Washington for 13 years. He works at the Kitsap Sun in Bremerton.