By Jason Hickman
MaxPreps.com
TACOMA, Wash. – Washington’s 4A state tournament begins Wednesday at the Tacoma Dome with a 9 a.m. “Breakfast Bracket” contest between Decatur and Snohomish.
All 16 teams will be in action on opening day, concluding with Foss meeting Prairie at 8:30 p.m.
While Ferris (25-0) and Franklin (21-2) enter as the clear-cut favorites to be playing Saturday night at 7 p.m. in the championship game, the 4A tournament hasn’t been kind to the top dogs in recent years.
Last season, Franklin entered as the favorite but was dismantled in the semifinals by eventual champion Ferris. In 2006, it was Franklin turning the tables on top-ranked Curtis and Isaiah Thomas in the semis before going on to beat Central Valley in the championship game.
A Ferris-Franklin rematch Saturday night would likely be the most highly-anticipated title tilt since the 2003 final, which featured an Aaron Brooks-led Franklin squad beating Adam Morrison and Mead, 67-55. Brooks and Morrison combined for 75 points in a memorable shootout.
The road won’t be easy for either squad, however, as the field features at least 10 future Division I players and eight teams with 20 or more wins.
Here is a complete breakdown of the favorites, contenders, dark horses and long shots entering Wednesday’s action;
FAVORITES
Ferris (25-0) – The defending champions have won 54-straight games and are looking to become the first team to go back-to-back since Lincoln in 2001 and 2002. The Saxons feature five senior starters, with DeAngelo Casto (6-foot-8), Jared Karstetter (6-4), Jeff Minnerly (6-2) and point guard Shawn Stockton (6-0) serving as the headliners. The only question mark for the Saxons – and this is really nit-picking – is how well the Greater Spokane League prepared them for the state tournament. All 20 regular season games were devoted to league opponents and only Shadle Park raised any eyebrows outside of Spokane. Opens Against: Garfield, 5 p.m.
Franklin (21-2) – The Quakers are unbeaten against in-state competition and are the most battle-tested team in the field. Franklin, state champions under head coach Jason Kerr in 2003 and 2006, played a schedule that included 3A power Rainier Beach, Compton Dominguez (Calif.) and Fairfax (Calif.), in addition to its regular menu of KingCo contenders. Spectacular junior guard Peyton Siva leads four players scoring in double figures at 19.5 points per game. Chris Holmes (15.4), Sterling Carter (12.2) and freshman Lavell White (11.2) round out the offensive attack. Opens Against: Federal Way, Noon
CONTENDERS
Bellarmine Prep (23-3) – If junior guards Avery Bradley and Abdul Gaddy get going, watch out. Bradley led the Narrows League in scoring at 25.6 points per game, while Gaddy, already committed to Arizona, averages 23.4 points per game. The Lions enter the tournament on a bit of a hot streak, winning eight straight before dropping the West Central District title game to Lincoln Saturday. Opens Against: Richland, 7 p.m.
Kentridge (21-5) – The Chargers came out of nowhere to reach the state finals a year ago, losing to Ferris in overtime. But Kentridge has been tough to get a handle on this season. They notched quality wins over Curtis, Lincoln, Federal Way (twice) and Kentwood (twice), but were manhandled by Garfield early, lost to an 11-13 Kentlake team Jan. 31, and looked very shaky against Lincoln in a district playoff loss. Renado Parker, a 6-5 beast, averages 21.9 points per game and was key in the state tournament run a year ago. Kentridge has the capability of returning to the title game, but it also wouldn’t be surprising if they bowed out in the opening round. Opens Against: Edmonds-Woodway, 3:30 p.m.
DARK HORSES
Decatur (20-6) – The Golden Gators opened the season 10-0 with several impressive wins, but are just 10-6 since. The trio of point guard Marcus Tibbs (18.5 points per game), Darious Walker (14.8) and Michael Hale (14.4) can keep Decatur in any game. Opens Against: Snohomish, 9 a.m.
Lincoln (22-4) – The Abes are a deep, balanced, scrappy bunch that will be a tough out. They also might be peaking at the right time as they took out Bellarmine Prep and Kentridge last week to capture the West Central District title. Senior guard Ryan Rogers is the only Abe that averages in double figures at 13.3 points per game, but 6-4 senior Kaleb Shelton, 5-10 junior Turrell Smith, 5-11 senior Royal Tee Lexing and 6-3 senior Rayshon Crenshaw all average six points per game or more. Freshman Jordan Russell (5-9) has also played an increasingly prominent role as of late. Opens Against: Mariner, 2 p.m.
Shadle Park (21-4) – All four of the Highlanders’ losses came to No. 1 Ferris, and three of those were by five points or less. Like Ferris a year ago, Shadle Park enters the tourney as a bit of a mystery, as not many outside of Spokane have seen them in action. Junior Anthony Brown, already committed to Washington State, and sophomores Robby Douglas and Aaron Dunn are the primary threats, so this could be a team in the midst of a multi-year run in Tacoma. Opens Against: Mountain View, 10:30 a.m.
Garfield (17-7) – The youngest team in the field could also be the most dangerous. The Bulldogs top four scorers are all underclassmen, led by freshman phenom Tony Wroten (21.1 points per game). After being blasted by Franklin twice during the regular season by 15 and 24 points, respectively, Garfield played the Quakers within three points in the KingCo District championship game. Wroten’s cousin, DeAndre Taylor, is second on the team in scoring at 15.9 per outing. Opens Against: Ferris, 5 p.m.
LONG SHOTS
Edmonds-Woodway (19-4) – Like the Spokane schools, the WesCo teams come into the tournament with very little experience outside of league play, making their strength difficult to handicap. The Warriors are led by 6-6 senior Connor Donaldson (15.3 points per game) and 5-11 senior James Conti (13.1). Opens Against: Kentridge, 3:30 p.m.
Federal Way (18-7) – Another thoroughly tested team from the SPSL North – arguably the state’s toughest affiliation top to bottom. The Eagles have some intriguing talent, including 6-5 senior Aaron Broussard, the team’s leading scorer at 16.6 points per game. Federal Way is capable of beating just about anybody in the field, but their ability to put together four-straight solid performances is the question mark. Opens Against: Franklin, Noon
Foss (15-12) – Foss is a poor man’s Lincoln, a comment that probably wouldn’t go over very well with the Falcons considering the rivalry between the two schools. But they possess many of the same characteristics; undersized, scrappy, defensive-minded. Senior Nicholas Edwards and junior LuQuam Thompson serve as the team’s top scoring threats. Opens Against: Prairie, 8:30 p.m.
Mariner (18-6) – The Marauders are one of the state’s better defensive teams, yielding just 44.5 points per game. Mariner opened the season by holding 3A’s West Seattle to 26 points, the same team that just posted 82 in a win over Bellevue and beat O’Dea two nights earlier. Posts Joey Dillon (6-4) and Damascus Purnell (6-4) lead on the offensive end. Opens Against: Lincoln, 2 p.m.
Mountain View (17-8) – The Thunder are ranked No. 54 statewide by MaxPreps and open with a tough Shadle Park team, so it would be a surprise to see them play a game that tips after 11:30 a.m. in the next four days. Senior guard Matt Raivio is the brother of former Gonzaga standout Derek Raivio. Opens Against: Shadle Park, 10:30 a.m.
Prairie (14-7) – The Falcons have experience on their side as they have reached the state tournament in each of the past three seasons, taking eighth in 2005 and seventh in 2007. They have also played a challenging schedule featuring Federal Way, Kentwood, Jesuit (Ore.) and Westview (Ore.). Stephen Madison, a 6-5 sophomore, could be one of the state’s rising stars. Opens Against: Foss, 8:30 p.m.
Richland (19-8) – The Bombers have something to prove as the program – once among the state’s best – hasn’t won a game in the state tournament since 1998. Richland had to win two games in one day over Wenatchee and Eisenhower to reach Tacoma, so playing in back-to-back days shouldn’t be a problem. Opens Against: Bellarmine Prep, 7 p.m.
Snohomish (20-3) – It may be unfair to list a 20-3 team as a long shot, but the Panthers were underwhelming when they stepped out of league this season, losing to 12-10 Juanita and 3A power Lakes. Like fellow WesCo tournament team Mariner, defense is the calling card for Snohomish as they are holding teams under 45 points per game. Zach Wilde, a 6-6 senior, averages 15.7 points per game to lead the team. Opens Against: Decatur, 9 a.m.
