The News Tribune’s 2020 All-Area high school boys basketball team
Each year, with input from local coaches, The News Tribune selects its All-Area boys basketball team.
This year, 11 high schools from the South Sound are represented by players and coaches selected to the first and second teams.
The 12 spots, broken down by leagues, are 3A Pierce County League (four), 4A North Puget Sound League (three), 4A South Puget Sound League (three), 3A South Sound Conference (one) and 2B Pacific League (one).
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
JACKSON GRANT
Olympia
Power forward/center, 6-10, junior
This wasn’t the year of centers in the South Sound, but Olympia’s big man towered above the competition and was the focal point of a Bears team that took fourth in the Class 4A state tournament. The UW commit saw his stock rise in AAU during the offseason and carried that momentum into the high school season, averaging 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Bears, while constantly drawing double and triple teams from defenses. Led Olympia to a fourth-place finish in the Class 4A state tournament — the program’s best finish since 2011 — and was named the 4A South Puget Sound League MVP.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Mike Cocke
Wilson
Cocke, who previously coached at Foss for 10 years and led the Falcons to the Class 2A state title in 2017, seems to be building something special at Wilson, where he’s spent the past two seasons. This year, he coached the Rams to a 23-4 record, an undefeated mark in the Class 3A Pierce County League, the West Central III/Southwest bi-district championship and a fourth-place finish in the 3A state tournament.
FIRST TEAM
DAMANI GREEN
Wilson
Guard, 5-10, senior
Green was consistently the best player on Tacoma’s best team this season. The 3A Pierce County League MVP led the Rams to a 23-4 record, a fourth-place finish in the Class 3A state tournament, an undefeated league record and the West Central III/Southwest bi-district championship. If there was a loose ball, you can bet Green was diving for it. The senior set the tone on both ends of the floor, often guarding the opposing team’s best player and offensively, dictated Wilson’s high-flying, up-tempo pace in transition. He averaged 16.5 points per game, four rebounds, three assists and two steals on the season and was named to the 3A state all-tournament second team.
COBI CAMPBELL
Puyallup
Guard, 6-2, junior
The lefty sweet-shooter and first-team SPSL 4A selection averaged 19.2 points, 4.5 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.5 steals for the league champion Vikings, leading the team in scoring, assists and steals and to a berth in the West Central III/Southwest bi-district tournament. One of the area’s craftier players, Campbell was always a threat to create his own shot and could get hot in a hurry for Puyallup. Shot 41 percent from the field and 38 percent from 3-point range.
JAYLEN SCOTT
Stadium
Guard, 6-0, senior
Stadium coach Dominic Batten said the players call him a “walking bucket.” The Tigers may have managed just a 10-11 record, but Scott was one of the area’s most electric guards and provided instant offense all season, averaging 27.3 points per game for the Tigers. First-team 3A PCL selection. Lauded by Batten for his poise and always playing under control, Scott was able to fill up the state sheet no matter what type of defense opponents threw at him.
OMARI MAULANA
Life Christian
Guard, 6-1, junior
Maulana was the heart and soul of Life Christian’s 23-4 squad, which regularly scored upwards of 70 points in contests and advanced all the way to the Class 2B title game, where Life Christian fell to Brewster, 58-57. Praised by coach Charles Simmons for his faith and on the court, his explosiveness, shooting ability, athleticism and ability to get to the rim, Maulana averaged 23 points per game for the Eagles and was one of the best guards in Tacoma all season.
MALEEK ARINGTON
Auburn
Guard, 6-0, sophomore
Auburn snuck up on plenty of people this year, with the young Trojans’ squad winning the 4A NPSL this year over favorite Federal Way, paced by a talented crop of underclassmen that will make Auburn a legitimate contender in the state tournament next season. There was no one better at setting up his teammates this season than Arington, who played facilitator for Auburn, leading the league in assists with 6.5 per game. He could score, too, when called upon, shooting 40 percent from 3-point range this season and averaging 13 points per game. First-team NPSL 4A selection led the Trojans to a 23-7 record and a state tournament berth, with the tournament’s youngest team.
SECOND TEAM
Bradley Graham, Federal Way, sr.
Colby White, Central Kitsap, sr.
Brycen Dillworth, Todd Beamer, sr.
Josh Lear, Sumner, sr.
Asjon Anderson, Mount Tahoma, soph.
