Central Washington/Yakima Valley Area Basketball Update

<p>One of the most overlooked talent pools in Washington is the Yakima Valley and greater Central Washington region. Seattle, Tacoma and Spokane dominate a lot of headlines in Washington's basketball scene, but the middle of the state does have talent that college coaches should be aware of. There are a few different reasons the talent is overlooked. 1) Many of these schools don't play in the Tacoma Dome for the State Tournament, 2) the schools are more spread out and 3) the area consists of a lot of small schools in the 1A, 2A, 2B (etc) classification levels. Washington basketball fans and coaches are well aware of regining Gatorade Player of the Year, Brock Ravet, but there is more great talent to go around! From the Division 1 prospects to Juco prospects, don't overlook this region's basketball talent! Below, we briefly highlight some of the top players from the Central Washington/Yakima Valley area. </p> <p><strong>Brock Ravet</strong>, 2019, 6'1, PG, Kittatis HS- As mentioned above, Brock is the returning Gatorade State POY and his name is all over the history books at his school. He has scored 2413 career points and counting. He has won two 2B State Championships and seeking a third before heading to <em>Gonzaga University</em>. </p> <p><strong>Noah Pepper</strong>, 2021, 6'4, SG, Selah HS- Big brother and UC Davis signee, Elijah Pepper, is out with an injury for the season, but Noah has done his absolute best to make up for the scoring that Elijah provided. Noah is averaging 25.6 points per game, with a high of 36 points one game. He is a strongly built guard that can do a little bit of everything. D1 coaches are keeping an eye on the sophomore's progress. </p> <p><strong>Steele Venters</strong>, 2019, 6'6, G, Ellensburg HS- Steele is currently the leading per game scorer in the Yakima Valley at 26.2 points per game. He has a high of 37 early on in the season. He has a unique skill set at 6'6 with the ability to handle the ball, make plays for teammates and score it at a high rate. He currently holds multiple Division 2 offers, but he remains unsigned at this time. He may end up squeezing onto a Division 1 school's roster when it's all said and done, but he can be an impact player at the Division 2 level from day one as well. </p> <p><strong>Haden Hicks</strong>, 2021, 6'2, PG, Prosser HS- Haden is one of the best sophomores in the Yakima Valley area. He is currently averaging 23 points, 7 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. The 2021 guard scored a season high 31 points versus Ephrata HS. He has the athleticism and skill to throw down a dunk on the fastbreak and then knock down an open jumper on the next possession. </p> <p><strong>Jason Grant</strong>, 2022, 6'0, G, Toppenish HS- The freshman has put up big numbers in his first season of high school basketball. He put up 27 points and 10 rebounds in one game this season. Toppenish is only 2-3 on the season so far, but he has a been a bright spot for them averaging 17 points, 7 rebounds and over 2 steals per game. Keep an eye on the freshman moving forward! </p> <p><strong>Dylan Sullivan</strong>, 2019, 6'6, SG, Walla Walla HS- Dylan has Division 1 size at 6'6 and 200 pounds. He is a strong player that can do a little bit of everything. He has had some really big games early in the season, including a 28 point, 10 rebound game versus Pasco HS. He is a legit 20-10 threat at the high school level. Many schools at the D1 and D2 level have been aware of Dylan for some time now, but he remains unsigned. More to come on Dylan down the road. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>