Grassroots Update: Washington Supreme 17U

Washington Supreme has always been one of the top AAU programs in the state and this year’s top 17U squad is keeping things going in a big way. Led by head coach Carl Howell, the squad put together a solid 4-4 record in the UAA circuit and is looking to extend their success into the month of July.

“We’re playing really well,” Howell said. “Hopefully we can keep it going in the summer.”

Here’s a quick recap of the some of the team members so far this grassroots season.

Brock Ravet (2019 Kittitas) – Ravet may have already made a verbal commitment to Gonzaga but he’s still playing hard on the circuit. Howell believes he is a special talent that is one of the best point guards in the nation. He has shot and passed the ball well up to the standards of his reputation but where he has made a mark is on defense, where he’s shown some great improvement in the way he’s been moving his feet.

Shaw Anderson (2019 Kelso) – Anderson had a great state tournament and has carried that momentum into the spring. While he mainly plays with this back to the basket in high school, he’s played all frontcourt positions for Washington Supreme, showing a nice touch from the outside out to the three-point line. He’s been the team’s top rebounder and has been offered by the majority of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference and also getting some low-major Division I interesting as well.

Willie Thomas (2018 Lincoln) – Thomas is what Howell describes as a 6-foot-5 Dennis Rodman. His energy has been critical in the team’s success and teammates have fed off of his intensity. He’s been great on the boards and defensively has guarded all five positions. His offensive game has largely been mid-range shots and garbage baskets. A bit of a “tweener”, the majority of his college interest has come from the Division II level so he will need to make a decision whether or not to go that route or head to a JC to further develop his game for Division I.

Eddie Turner (2018 Garfield) – Turner played as an unsigned senior in the spring and while he did pick up some low-major Division I offers, he will be attending prep school in the fall. As a result, he’ll continue with Washington Supreme in July. Howell believes Turner is one of the best on-the-ball defenders he’s ever coached, and on the other side of the ball he’s shown a solid ability to score as well. A good student, he likely will have some solid Division I options during/after prep school.

Zack Paulson (2019 Curtis) – Paulson is a tremendous athlete who has been recruited as a wide receiver by Washington. But basketball will be the sport he pursues in college and he’s shown some toughness and competitiveness on the circuit, especially defensively. He’s just coming into his own on the team offensively but has started to draw interest from Division I schools in the Big Sky Conference as well as others.

Micah Pollard (2019 Foss) – Pollard’s role on the team is to provide instant offense off the bench – in fact his nickname has become a variation of his name and “Microwave”. He may be undersized at only six feet, but his athleticism and scoring ability have been evident this spring. Pollard is also a very good student.

Abdul Mohammed (2019 West Seattle) – Mohammed has largely been limited this spring due to injury. In one of the first games this spring, he was undercut after a dunk and landed on his back and has been hampered ever since. Blessed with solid size, athleticism, and skills, the hope is that he will be healthy enough to showcase himself more this summer. Mohammed has been recruited by Division I schools since he was a sophomore.

Emmitt Matthews (2018 Wilson) was the team’s leading scorer in the spring but has since signed with West Virginia. Jorell Saterfield (2019 Garfield) switched teams to the Rose City Rebels and seven-footer Zane Foster (2019 Bonney Lake) has also moved on.

Washington Supreme will be participating in The Challenge on July 11-15 in Atlanta with the hopes of qualifying for the UAA Finals, which will take place July 25-27 in Las Vegas.