Favorites to Win 3a Player of the Year

<p>Winning state player of the year is a great recognition for a player's on court display of talent. There are a variety of "State Player of the Year" awards, but this article is really just geared towards players in the 3a class that have the best chance of winning the AP player of the year award in the 3a classification.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline; font-size: 14pt;"><strong>3a State Player of the Year Front Runners:</strong></span></p> <p>1. <strong>Paolo Banchero</strong> (O'Dea HS)</p> <ul> <li>No big surprise here, but Odea's Paolo Banchero is the pre-season favorite to win the 3a player of the year award. After winning a state title and winning MVP of the 3a state tourney, Banchero should return and perform similar feats for his junior year. Barring injury or a poor team performance, this is Paolo's award to lose. </li> </ul> <p>2. <strong>Tari Eason</strong> (Garfield HS)</p> <ul> <li>Tari returns back to the 3a level highly motivated to perform at a high level in the Metro League after seeing little playing time in his previous stints. Since transferring from Garfield the first time, Tari has seen his recruitment and ability skyrocket and now heads into his senior year as a front runner for 3a player of the year. The 6'8 wiry forward will have to lead Garfield to big wins over O'Dea and Eastside Catholic and then he will be in prime position to win POY. </li> </ul> <p>3. <strong>Tyson Degenhart</strong> (Mt. Spokane HS) *Feature image</p> <ul> <li>Tyson is the clear leader for Mt. Spokane this season. He is the favorite to win MVP of the GSL and Mt. Spokane shouldn't see a ton of tough competition in eastern Washington, allowing for his team to attain a great record. The Boise State commit should put up 20-10 Duncan like numbers for his junior year. *Boise State commit </li> </ul> <p><em>Honorable mention: </em><strong>Nolan Hickman</strong> (Eastside Catholic HS)</p> <ul> <li>Nolan is currently listed as an honorable mention, but he is every bit as talented as anyone. At 6'2, he controls the pace of the game and he is as smooth of a guard as we have seen since Dejounte Murray. Nolan's squad might be one of the favorites to win 3a, but his team has such great depth and he plays a team game, so I would expect his numbers to be more modest than say, Tyson Degenhart, who will be the focal point of everything his team does. That being said, if EC can pull off a metro league title and knock off Garfield and O'Dea, then he will have a real chance to win player of the year. </li> </ul> <p><em>Honorable mention:</em> <strong>John Hart</strong> (Rainier Beach HS)</p> <ul> <li>John is the most explosive athlete listed and I expect him to have a big year for the Vikings. He has the ability to create his own shot and make difficult shots at that. A lot of weight and responsibility will be put on John's shoulder as Rainier Beach had a handful of players transfer out during the summer, but he will be up for the task. Do not be surprised to see him average close to 20 points per game and have multiple jaw dropping dunks throughout the season. </li> </ul>