Eighth-grader
Aylen Garnett of
Touchet (Wash.) has made a name for himself this season, ranking third nationally in points per game and second in steals per contest according to data submitted to MaxPreps.
The 6-foot-2 guard is averaging 41.6 points, 12.6 rebounds, 7.2 steals and 4.0 assists per contest on the year while shooting 50.4 percent from the field, 38.1 percent from 3-point range and 83.9 percent from the free throw line.
See Garnett in action in the video via the NFHS Network.
Garnett has tallied 40 or more points in 12 of 17 games with stats submitted MaxPreps. He has also scored 50 or more points three times this season with his season-high of 56 coming in an 80-37 victory over Waitsburg on Jan. 7.
The Class of 2030 standout has six triple-doubles this season. Check out his stat lines in those games below:
* Dec. 5 vs. Riverside Christian: 41 points, 13 rebounds, 10 steals, four assists
* Dec. 6 vs. Griswold: 47 points, 10 rebounds, 10 steals, four assists
* Dec. 9 vs. Colton: 40 points, 19 rebounds, 12 steals, six assists
* Jan. 7 vs. Waitsburg: 56 points, 12 rebounds, 11 steals, three assists
* Jan. 10 vs. Riverside Christian: 50 points, 14 rebounds, 10 steals, seven assists
* Jan. 21 vs. Prescott: 46 points, 11 rebounds, 10 steals, five assists
Garnett recently earned 1B Southeast Conference Player of the Year honors and received his first Division I offer from California Baptist last month.
Touchet has never qualified for the state tournament but with a win over Selkirk (Ione) tomorrow night it would earn its first bid in the Class 1A tournament thanks in part to some late heroics last week.
In one of the wildest results of the high school basketball season, Touchet erased a 20-point, fourth-quarter deficit to defeat Sunnyside Christian 65-64 in the Southeast 1B tournament Feb. 11.
With the Redhawks trailing 63-56 with 22.4 seconds remaining, Garnett showed off his clutch gene as he nailed a 3-pointer before intercepting a pass and converting a layup to cut the deficit to two. He then passed the ball out of a double-team on the last possession which opened up a teammate for an open 3-pointer at the buzzer. He finished with 35 points and eight rebounds in the key postseason victory.
