The News Tribune’s 2016 All Area Boys Basketball Team
ALL-AREA BOYS BASKETBALL
All-Area player of the year: Malachi Flynn, Bellarmine Prep, sr.
Bio: Quick trigger, but never seems to play too hasty. Scored 1,625 career points (Abdul Gaddy is school’s career leader with 1,985) and averaged 29.7 points per game in his senior season. He scored a record 149 points over four 4A West Central District tournament games, and set a school record for single-season points with 743 this year (passing Avery Bradley’s 722).
Coach of the year: Thomas Ostrander, Auburn Mountainview
DAVID JENKINS JR.
Wilson High School
Guard, 6-1, senior
Bio: Two-time 3A Narrows MVP went from stand-in-the-corner his freshman year to leading league in scoring as a point guard his senior year. Ends career as Wilson’s all-time career leading scorer with more than 1,700 points, averaging 25.9 points, six rebounds, four assists his final year. Led Rams to the state tournament in three of four years at the school.
What coach Dave Alwert says: “I’m hoping that this is just the start of his career. Dave’s a competitor. He’s going to move on and I think he’s going to do even better at the next level. He’s a combo guard extraordinaire.”
RYAN LACEY
Auburn Mountainview High School
Guard, 6-4, senior
Bio: Not just a shooter, though he made 60 3-pointers and shot 40 percent. 3A SPSL MVP averaged 20.8 points, six rebounds, three assists for two-time defending league champion Lions. Much-improved slasher after team lost to Peninsula, driving him to develop into all-around scoring threat. Set school record with 1,197 career points.
What coach Thomas Ostrander says: “What will always stand out most to me is just his leadership and the type of kid he is. He wants to be great because he’s a competitor, not because of the recognition. Ryan just wants to be the best he can be. Western Oregon got a steal.”
JALEN MCDANIELS
Federal Way High School
Forward, 6-10, senior
Bio: For his superior length and athleticism, has a soft touch on his jumper — averaging 19 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks per game this season. But no player in the state has his defensive presence. Even when he’s not blocking shots, he almost always changes them. His improvement over the past year and a half is a credit to his work in the offseason.
What coach Jerome Collins says: “He’s a matchup nightmare. If you put a guy on the perimeter, he will go over him. He can take you off the bounce, he can shoot it, he can pass, he can post. But his biggest asset is blocking shots. He’s got great timing off of the ball.”
JAQUORI MCLAUGHLIN
Peninsula High School
Guard, 6-4, senior
Bio: Peninsula was 10-71 in the three years prior to McLaughlin entering the program and his freshman year. It is 54-19, including setting a school record with 21 wins this season, in the three years since. Set school record with 1,714 career points, averaging 17 points and more than eight assists per game his senior year.
What coach Jake Jackson says: “When reviewing the entire portfolio of individual and team accomplishments, JaQuori has been the most consistent force in our league. … Best complete player the South Sound has seen in a long time.”
AUSHANTI POTTS-WOODS
Curtis High School
Guard, 6-2, senior
Bio: The do-everything lefty and two-time 4A SPSL South most valuable player has 1,502 career points (trailing Isaiah Thomas’ 1,653 for most in school history). Averaging 24.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks for Curtis, which is in the Tacoma Dome for first time since winning state title in 2013.
What coach Tim Kelly says: “He’s developed from kind of a four-man that played inside all the time and has really become a good shooter. He’s such a versatile weapon offensively now. He can take you down in the post and shoot it well from the 3.”
SECOND TEAM
G Trevion Brown, Lincoln, sr.
G Christian Davis, Yelm, sr.
F Roberto Gittens, Foss, jr.
F Luke Lovelady, Life Christian, jr.
G Darius LuBom, Kentwood, jr.
t.cotterill@thenewstribune.com
This story was originally published February 29, 2016 at 9:09 PM with the headline "The News Tribune’s 2016 All Area Boys Basketball Team."