SeaKing Preview: Sleepers

<p><span style="font-size: 14pt; color: #f75617;"><strong>Kyle Carlesimo | 6'0" G | Seattle Prep, 2021</strong></span></p> <p>I've been very impressed with what I've seen out of Kyle Carlesimo this year and especially in his team's recent loss to Nathan Hale. Carlesimo was his team's leading scorer with 21 points, and he played very aggressively on offense against a team of athletic opponents. He hit three 3's, scored on contested drives, and sprinkled in a couple of smooth mid-range jumpers. Seattle Prep plays with so much discipline on offense, that Carlesimo is the beneficiary of set plays and open looks throughout the game, so he's getting his points within the offense, rather than creating in 1-on-1 situations. He also drew two charges against Nathan Hale. The Panthers are only promised one game in the tournament, but I think Carlesimo will turn some heads regardless.</p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt; color: #f75617;"><strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/malek-gomma/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/malek-gomma/">Malek Gomma</a></a> | 6'6" F | Ingraham, 2022</strong></span></p> <p>A sophomore at Ingraham, <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/malek-gomma/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/malek-gomma/">Malek Gomma</a></a> has had steady contributions for the Rams this season. Gomma is a long, athletic forward who has shown flashes of things to come, most notably with a 16 point game against a tough Garfield team with height matching his own. Gomma is surrounded by a lot of talent, and so far, he's been content to be a role player, staying in his lane and getting rebounds and points in the paint. I think Gomma could play with a little more physicality and aggression on both ends of the court, and I suspect that he will get there with time, but I'm hoping to see it sooner rather than later as his team hopes to fight their way on to regionals.</p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt; color: #f75617;"><strong>Yemoni Howell | 6'1" G/F | Garfield, 2023</strong></span></p> <p>Yemoni Howell is tough. He's strong, he's fast, and he has a deep bag of tricks. If you let Yemoni into the key with any kind of speed, you might get hit with a spin move, blow by, or a Euro-step. The first time I saw Yemoni play this season, he was dominating his opponents on JV, but he has quickly earned himself more playing time with the varsity squad. This kid also plays with a lot of passion and energy, and even though that can be both a blessing and a curse, it seems to be a characteristic of Garfield's team DNA. His team is entering districts as the number one seed, so they will have a target on their backs, and they might be needing some of that energy to carry themselves to a district championship.  </p> <p><strong style="color: #f75617; font-size: 14pt;">Solomon Barnes | 6'2" SG | Nathan Hale, 2023</strong></p> <p>The Raiders of Nathan Hale are coming off a big win against Seattle Prep to earn them the tenth seed in the district tournament. Solomon Barnes hasn't played a ton of minutes for his team, but it's hard when he has <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/julian-agosto/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/julian-agosto/">Julian Agosto</a></a> ahead of him on the depth chart. Still, in the limited time that he has played, Solomon has been very impressive with his energy and athleticism. L<span style="font-size: 1rem;">ike Agosto, Barnes is a great rebounding guard</span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">, and he uses his athleticism well on the defensive end of the court. I think he could be someone that the Raiders look to if they are needing to focus on slowing down the offense of their opponents.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt; color: #f75617;"><strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jared-roznos/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jared-roznos/">Jared Roznos</a></a> | 6'1" G | Seattle Prep, 2021</strong></span></p> <p>Roznos finds himself in a similar situation to Solomon Barnes - he's athletic, fast, and skilled with the ball in his hands, but he's also playing behind a couple of outstanding guards for the Panthers. I already mentioned Kyle Carlesimo above, so it might be a big ask for two under-the-radar athletes to each have big performances, but their team has two possible elimination games ahead of them, so Roznos may find more playing time if fouls begin to mount or if his coach is looking to throw different lineups at their opponents. He absolutely has the power to influence a game with his athleticism. </p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt; color: #f75617;"><strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jack-prohaska/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jack-prohaska/">Jack Prohaska</a></a> | 6'1" G | Bishop Blanchet, 2021</strong></span></p> <p>Prohaska is my dark horse pick. Blanchet has a tough matchup against Bellevue in their only promised game of the district tournament, but I would expect Prohaska to thrive in this environment. This is an athlete who will throw himself on the court, bang with bigs for rebounds, take charges, fight for loose balls, and generally out-work his opponents. Blanchet will have a hard time hanging with Bellevue from the standpoint of pure talent, but Prohaska isn't relying on his talent to make an impact on the game, and his energy could go a long way in rallying his troops in the twilight of their season.</p>