High school boys basketball preview: The top teams, players in the South Sound in 2023-24
The 2023-24 high school basketball season is in full swing across Washington, and league title races are taking shape around the South Sound.
Wondering what to watch for in the new year?
We’ve got you covered, breaking down the top teams and players in the 4A NPSL, 4A SPSL, 3A NPSL, 3A PCL, 3A SSC, 2A SPSL, 2A EvCo and more this winter.
LEAGUE PREVIEWS
4A NPSL
It looks like Tahoma’s year, with the Bears returning first-team all-league selections Adam Davis and Dalton Drown, both 6-foot-6 forwards who average double digits scoring. Brown is averaging 22.5 points per game this season. The Bears made back-to-back state tournament appearances for the first time in school history the past two seasons and and only have one in-state loss so far this season, to 3A NPSL favorite Auburn. Tahoma has collected wins over Kentwood and Federal Way already this season. Federal Way and Kentwood are also in the picture. Federal Way is rebuilding after losing its trio of Vaughn Weems, Dace Pleasant and Isaiah Afework to graduation. The Eagles reached the 4A state tournament semifinals a season ago, losing to state champion Curtis before beating Mount Si to finish third. 6-foot-4 combo guard Kofi Peyton, who can shoot from the outside and finish above the rim, is a player to watch for the Eagles. Kentwood has balanced scoring from all of its guards, sophomore Brandon Tagle, juniors Corey Tita and Mason St. Louis and senior Blake Stempniak.
4A SPSL
It feels more open this year with all the turnover from Curtis and Olympia, who met in the Class 4A state championship game last winter, with TNT All-Area and state player of the year Zoom Diallo and the Vikings coming out on top. Diallo is gone, playing his final high school season in California, while Curtis also graduated Tyce Paulsen and Cinque Maxwell. Olympia graduated TNT All-Area selection Parker Gerrits and big man Andreas Engholm. Despite the personnel losses, Curtis should factor into the league title race with sharpshooting Devin Whitten, 6-foot-4 wing and three-sport athlete Xavier Ahrens and freshman star Keandre Morris. Puyallup, Rogers, Olympia are all in the picture. Puyallup returns all-league selection Isaiah Sonntag, a 6-foot-6 wing who averaged 18.6 points last season. Junior guard Drew Jones is another player to watch. Rogers boasts one of the league’s top scorers in guard Treyshawn Weatherspoon. Keep an eye, too, on Sumner. The Spartans return three starters from last year’s state tournament regional round team for first-year coach Bill Liley, led by junior Cooper Hartley, the team’s top scorer.
3A NPSL
Defending league champion Auburn has swept its 3A NPSL opponents each of the past three seasons since joining the 3A classification ahead of the 2020-21 season, and is off to a 4-0 start in league play this winter, with double-digit wins in each contest. The Trojans are 12-1 overall, do not have an in-state loss this season, and will look to defend their league and 3A District 3/4 titles in the weeks ahead, as well as make another run in the Tacoma Dome this March. Auburn has brought home trophies each of the past two tournaments, including winning the program’s first state title in 2022 and earning a fifth-place finish in the 3A bracket last season. Junior guard Jaylen Petty, the reigning 3A NPSL MVP and returning TNT All-Area pick, and senior guard Luvens Valcin, a Montana State football signee, lead the way. Auburn Mountainview is a returning state qualifier, advancing to the regional round last season, while Kent-Meridian and Todd Beamer reached the district playoffs in 2023. All three programs have winning records in league play early on this winter. The Titans are 11-1 overall, their only loss this season to Auburn in early December.
3A PCL
Lincoln is the defending league champion, posting an 11-1 record in 3A PCL play last season, and has lost only two league games the past two seasons — both to longtime rival Stadium. The Tigers ended the Abes’ run at an undefeated 3A PCL crown in late January last season, then upended Lincoln again last week, rallying in the second half for a comeback win to take an early lead in the league standings. Both Tacoma programs should contend for the 3A PCL’s top spot this winter. Lincoln is led by the reigning league MVP in senior forward Omarion Boston, and Stadium by last year’s defensive player of the year in junior guard Donovan Gill and junior point guard Baaroc Rivers, a returning first-team selection. Stadium is also the league’s only returning state qualifier, having advanced to the regional round last season, while Lincoln, Silas and Mount Tahoma reached the district playoffs. Spanaway Lake, Lakes and Mount Tahoma also have multiple wins in league play earlier on this season, while Silas has also been competitive — their early losses to Stadium, Lakes and Lincoln were by a combined five points.
3A SSC
It’s been Gig Harbor and Timberline duking it out lately for the league title in the 3A SSC, but a new challenger from Thurston County is on the scene this season: the North Thurston Rams, led by 6-foot-7 double-double machine Ray Adams, who has been posting highlight-reel dunks this winter for the 10-1 Rams. Adams is a difference maker on both ends of the floor, his 7-foot wingspan helping him on the defensive end, too. Junior guard Micah Anderson also returns for North Thurston, which has posted wins over 4A SPSL opponents Olympia and Puyallup this season, as well as a win over Gig Harbor on Friday. Timberline returns all-league selection Darrell Gipson (14.9 points, 5.4 rebounds), who recently signed to play football at Idaho State in the fall. Kenyon Simmons (14.6 ppg) has also been a go-to scorer for the Blazers this season. Gig Harbor lost Will Landram and Luke Browne from last year’s squad but is 9-1 this season, including rallying from a 16-point deficit in the fourth quarter in a one-point win over Timberline in December. The Tides have an intriguing pair of 6-foot-8 forwards in Luke Allison and Michael Masini, while junior Cole Brown is a versatile guard.
2A SPSL
White River is on a nine-game winning streak — all double-digit victories — since a season-opening loss to defending 3A NPSL champion and state power Auburn, including posting seven consecutive wins to open 2A SPSL play. 6-foot-6 senior forward Colin Schmidtke, the league’s only returning first-team selection from the 2022-23 season, leads the way for the Hornets, who ended last season one win short of the state playoffs and have a key matchup against defending 2A SPSL champion and rival Enumclaw ahead this Tuesday. Enumclaw posted a 15-1 record in league contests last season, finishing the 2A SPSL schedule on a 13-game winning streak after an early loss to Foss, and eventually reached the 2A state quarterfinals in Yakima. Reigning league MVP Carter DeRosier graduated, but the Hornets are in the mix again this winter, their only league loss so far again to the Falcons in early December. Foss, after advancing to the 2A state regionals last season, is 7-1 in 2A SPSL play so far, with one loss to league-leading White River last month. Franklin Pierce, after advancing to the district playoffs last season, also has a winning record early in league play. Clover Park (state regionals) and Steilacoom (district playoffs) are the league’s other returning postseason teams from 2022-23.
2A EvCo
It’s a year of rebuilding in the 2A EvCo, where most teams graduated the bulk of their starting rosters from last season. It figures to come down to Tumwater and W.F. West, although a Black Hills 58-57 win over Tumwater on Friday showed other teams could factor in, also. W.F. West ran everything through 6-foot-10 post Soren Dalan last season and is carving out a more guard-driven identity this season. Guard/wing Tyler Klatush, the league’s lone returning first-team all-league selection, is the player to watch for the Bearcats. Tumwater graduated all but one player — senior forward Clay Morgan (14.1 points, 5.3 rebounds this season) — from its state tournament roster a season ago. Forward Jack Ellison is a player to watch for Black Hills.
1A/2B/1B
Annie Wright returns much of the group that paced the Gators to an undefeated 1A Nisqually League title and 1A West Central District championship last winter, and advanced to the 1A state quarterfinals in Yakima, and should contend at the state level again this season. Three 1A Nisqually first-team selections — junior guard Jeremiah Harshman, junior guard/forward Martin Kaupanger and senior guard TJ Marshall — are back for a Gators team that is 8-2 overall early on and does not have an in-state loss. Annie Wright is the South Sound’s only returning 1A state qualifier. Tenino is the early leader in the 1A Evergreen Conference, led by returning first-team all-league junior guard Noah Schow, who cleared 1,000 career points in December. … Chief Leschi, last year’s 2B Pacific League champion, and Auburn Adventist are both returning state qualifiers in the 2B classification. Chief Leschi advanced to the first round in Spokane, and Auburn Adventist to the regional round. … Sound Christian advanced to the 1B state first round in Spokane last winter, brings back four starters from that team, and adds sophomore forward AJ Alexeev, a South Kitsap transfer, who is the Lions’ leading scorer and rebounder so far this winter. Muckleshoot Tribal also reached the 1B state playoffs last season, advancing to the regional round. Both programs, along with 2B Auburn Adventist, are undefeated early on in 2B/1B SeaTac play.
25 PLAYERS TO WATCH
F Ray Adams, North Thurston, sr.
F Dalton Brown, Tahoma, sr.
G Javon Barbee, Franklin Pierce, jr.
G Caleb Berry, Todd Beamer, jr.
F Omarion Boston, Lincoln, sr.
F Adam Davis, Tahoma, sr.
G Donovan Gill, Stadium, jr.
G Jeremiah Harshman, Annie Wright, jr.
G Cooper Hartley, Sumner, jr.
G/F Martin Kaupanger, Annie Wright, jr.
G Matt Lindblom, Olympia, jr.
G Zach Luz, Mount Rainier, sr.
F Jamaize McGriff, Emerald Ridge, soph.
G Keandre Morris, Curtis, fr.
G/F Kofi Peyton, Federal Way, sr.
G Jaylen Petty, Auburn, jr.
G Baaroc Rivers, Stadium, jr.
F Colin Schmidtke, White River, sr.
G/F Noah Schow, Tenino, jr.
G Kenyon Simmons, Timberline, jr.
F Isaiah Sonntag, Puyallup, sr.
G Brandon Tagle, Kentwood, soph.
F Luvens Valcin, Auburn, sr.
G Treyshawn Weatherspoon, Rogers, jr.
G Devin Whitten, Curtis, sr.
This story was originally published January 8, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
