From Juniors to Seniors – Next Up Guys
With a new wave of talent hitting the Washington area there is a certain buzz you can feel when walking the streets of Seattle, Tacoma and Olympia. I can truly say this the most excited I’ve been in a long time. With power houses like Garfield, Rainier Beach, Cleveland, Bellarmine Prep, Timberline, Lincoln, Federal Way, Decatur and many other schools who have some of the best talent in the state.
Class of 2018, 6’5 guard Trey Lawrence is a primed to have a exciting year. One thing I really like about Trey is that he involves himself within the flow of the game, and doesn’t command any play calls. He finds ways to produce no matter what. Trey’s versatility on both ends of the floor is very evident. He can defend almost any position.
Class of 2018, 6’7 guard Naje Smith is one of the biggest recruits in Washington State. He has probably one of the biggest upsides to his game on this side of the mountain. A 6’7 shooting guard who can post up and take you off the dribble is very rare in these parts. Most guys at that height stay in the paint and use and assortment of jump hooks to dominate the other big men. Naje plays like a guard but has the body of a traditional post man in the Spokane area.
Class of 2018, 6’5 wing Malik Coats is an impressive young scoring wing/forward. The 6’5 Team Washington Elite 2018 prospect just has a knack for getting buckets. He is a sound perimeter shooter with a clean looking stroke from three. Also had a nice shot fake where he let his man fly by and then drilled a pull up jumper. Malik will either need to develop point guard skills to become a D1 player, but early in the process he is worth monitoring.
Class of 2018, 5’11 guard, Jaloni Garner is a highflying athletic combo guard from Renton high School (Renton, Washington). This young ball player can break the defender down with the dribble and has a solid mid range game. His passion for the game electrifies the crowd and he feeds off of that energy. While most coaches spend time trying to get their players prepped for big games this young man comes in with that mindset.
Class of 2018, 6’2 guard, Cameron Tyson is a extremely quick and heady point guard. The 6 foot 2 160-pounder called his junior year a good one. He averaged 21.5 points, 9.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game for the Cougars during his junior season. But fell short from making it to the high school tournament. His stock is definitely rising and will be a household name for his senior year.