A listing of the Top 10 basketball programs from Washington:
1. Rainier Beach (Seattle): The Vikings are the gold standard when it comes to boys basketball programs in Washington. The Mike Bethea-led program starts nearly every season as the state's top-ranked team and he even led the Vikings to a No. 1 ranking in the nation in 2002. The Vikings have won five state titles since 1988. They are the No. 1 Class 3A team in the state again and are looking to snap a two-year state trophy drought (top-eight finish) which came on the heels of an 11-year run of bringing home hardware from the state tournament. Beach counts NBA players Doug Christie, Jamal Crawford, Nate Robinson and Terrence Williams among its alumni.
2. O'Dea (Seattle): The Fighting Irish from the Seattle private school are always in the mix for a state hoops title. O'Dea had an incredible run from 2004 to 07 where it won three state Class 3A titles and finished second once. O'Dea won five state titles under coach Phil Lumpkin, who died before the start of last season. Veteran coach Al Hairston, who won five state titles of his own, leads the Irish now.
3. Franklin (Seattle): The Quakers were one of the top programs in the 4A classification before dropping down and making the Metro League, the state's toughest basketball league, that much tougher. Franklin has won six state titles, three in the past decade (2003, 2006, 2009) under coach Jason Kerr. Perhaps Franklin's most memorable title came in 2003 when Aaron Brooks, now with the Houston Rockets, led the Quakers to the title over Mead of Spokane and Adam Morrison in a matchup of future NBA players.
4. Ferris (Spokane): The Saxons are often bringing home trophies from the Class 4A state tournament. In 17 state appearances, Ferris has brought home hardware 13 times, including three state titles. Ferris won back-to-back titles in 2007-08 under coach Don Van Lierop. Ferris also had back-to-back runner-up finishes to Lincoln in 2001-02 under legendary coach Wayne Gillman, who died shortly after the season. Gillman won a title in 1994.
5. Garfield (Seattle): The Bulldogs are one of the state's most historic winners. Garfield has won 11 state titles — four under Al Hairston from 1980 to 1991 — and finished second seven times. The last decade was relatively quiet for Garfield, but with guard
Tony Wroten Jr., at one time ranked the No. 1 point guard prospect in the nation for his class, led the Bulldogs to the Class 4A state title game in 2009. Wroten missed last season with a knee injury, but he and coach Ed Haskins have the Bulldogs ranked No. 1 in the state this year. NBA star Brandon Roy is an alum.
6. Kentwood (Covington): The Conquerors have become a state power over the last decade, winning two Class 4A state titles, including one last year, and finishing in the top eight four other times. Kentwood won the 2004 title with current Detroit Pistons guard Rodney Stuckey. Kentwood, coached by Michael Angelidis, is a power again this year, and ranked third in the state.
7. Squalicum (Bellingham): The Storm from Bellingham opened their doors in 1998, but they became a state power quickly. Squalicum has been to state eight times, won four state trophies, including the last two Class 2A state titles.
8. Mercer Island: The Islanders have a proud heritage with 21 state trophies in 24 state tournament appearances. Mercer Island was coached by Ed Pepple for 42 years and he won four state titles and 23 league titles. Pepple, who retired after the 2009 season, is the state's winningest coach with an incredible 952 career wins, which ranks 11th nationally. Former NBA center Steve Hawes — father of current NBA player Spencer Hawes — and coach Quin Snyder are MI alums.
9. Northwest Christian (Colbert): The small-school state tournament is a big deal in Spokane and the Crusaders, who are from just north of Spokane, are one of the top small-school programs with five Class 2B state titles, including four straight from 2006-9.
10. Sunnyside Christian: The Knights from the small eastern Washington town of Sunnyside have become the top program in the state's smallest classification, 1B. The Knights have won six state titles since 2002, including three of the last four.
