Head coach: Mike Bethea
2011-12 record: 27-3 Class 3A state champions
Head coach Mike Bethea (middle) has a plethora of talent to work with at Rainier Beach, including (top row left to right) Shaqquan Aaron, Fuquan Niles, Elijah Foster, Djuan Piper, (bottom row left to right), MarQuis Davis, Naim Ladd and Will Dorsey.
Photo by Jeff Napier
(5-9, Sr., G),
Shaqquan Aaron (6-7, Jr., G/F),
Djuan Piper (6-6, Sr., G/F),
Elijah Foster (6-6, Jr., F),
Will Dorsey (5-9, Sr., G),
Fuquan Niles (6-9, Sr., F),
Naim Ladd (5-10, Jr., G)
Strengths: With state tournament MVP Davis back along with Piper, Dorsey, Foster, Niles and Ladd, the Vikings were already the favorite to repeat as Class 3A state champs. Then Aaron – a Top 20 player nationally in the 2014 class – showed up in the fall and suddenly the storied Seattle program found itself with an embarrassment of riches. Davis, also a football and track star, is an underappreciated point guard prospect nationally who brings serious swagger to the floor for the Vikings.
Question marks: How will Aaron mesh with a group of returnees that probably felt they could win a state title on their own? Things didn't work out for Aaron at two programs in Southern California and he spent his sophomore year being home-schooled. In addition to their highly competitive Metro League schedule, the Vikings will participate in the MaxPreps Holiday Classic and take on Class 4A favorite
Bothell at the King Holiday Hoopfest in January.
