Tyran Stokes, nation’s No. 1 recruit, draws spotlight in Tacoma Dome debut
Nearly 30 people crammed in on the north baseline in the first half of Rainier Beach’s Class 3A state tournament quarterfinal game against Metro rival O’Dea. On the court’s south baseline were two photographers.
That’s because Rainier Beach’s offense was playing on the north end of the floor in the first half and everyone’s eyes and lenses — photographer, videographers, reporters, etc. — all wanted a piece of Tyran Stokes, the nation’s No. 1 recruit.
It was a spectacle, not just on the baseline with the never-ending competition for social media views and clicks, but in the crowd, as well. A quick look around the Tacoma Dome showed the largest crowd of the tournament by far, with both sides, as well as the north end zone area, more full than usual for a weekday morning game.
After the game, kids in the bleachers on the north side of the court lined up and shouted “Stokes! Stokes!,” looking for autographs and pictures.
Stokes, who moved from California and transferred to Rainier Beach for his senior year, made his much-anticipated Tacoma Dome debut on Thursday. He’s considered the No. 1 recruit in the country by ESPN and is a five-star recruit.
On the court, it started slowly. He quietly scored a game-high 24 points, but had just six points at halftime in a slow start for Beach, content to facilitate when defensive pressure and double teams came his way. O’Dea led 37-32 at half before top-seeded Beach turned it on in the second half, scoring 53 points in the final two quarters to run away with the game, 85-68.
Stokes threw down a few effortless dunks in the second half. His line: 24 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the field and 6-of-12 from the free throw line. He had 12 rebounds, 11 assists, four turnovers, a blocked shot and a steal in 29 minutes played.
He declined a postgame interview with reporters after the game.
Stokes is the only player with some star power on this year’s Rainier Beach team. JJ Crawford, a freshman and the son of Jamal Crawford, is already a star. He scored 18 points in the win. He said the Vikings knew they needed to come out with better energy in the second half against O’Dea on Thursday.
“Waking up, lighting that fire in us to go out and beat them,” Crawford said.
O’Dea faces No. 5 Bellarmine Prep, 3:45 p.m. in the semifinal round on Friday at the Tacoma Dome.
