3A State Title Preview
O’Dea and Garfield have met on two occasions this season, and O’Dea has come out on top in both cases, but we all know the third win is the hardest, and it will be even more difficult considering the strides…
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Continue ReadingO’Dea and Garfield have met on two occasions this season, and O’Dea has come out on top in both cases, but we all know the third win is the hardest, and it will be even more difficult considering the strides that Garfield has made since the start of their season. This matchup features marquee talent: Tari Eason Tari Eason 6'8" | PF Garfield | 2020 State #99 Nation WA is the top senior in the state, Jaylin Stewart Jaylin Stewart 6'7" | SG Garfield | 2023 State #71 Nation WA is the presumptive number-one freshman, and Kendall Munson Kendall Munson 6'8" | SF Garfield | 2020 State #252 Nation WA and Koren Johnson Koren Johnson 6'3" | SG Wasatch Academy | 2022 #83 Nation WA both rank in the top five for the 2020 and 2022 classes respectively. O’Dea has a squad of juniors who are all ranked in the top twenty for their class: Jermaine Davis Jermaine Davis 6'3" | SF O'Dea | 2021 State WA , John Christofilis John Christofilis 6'4" | SG O'Dea | 2021 State #185 Nation WA , and phenom Paolo Banchero Paolo Banchero 6'10" | PF O'Dea | 2021 State #3 Nation WA . Point guard Dezjay Perkins Dezjay Perkins 6'0" | PG O'Dea | 2021 State WA is a top-50 recruit, and he has improved steadily throughout this season. I was able to attend the first matchup between these teams in January, and if there was one takeaway it was Banchero’s physical dominance. Kendall Munson Kendall Munson 6'8" | SF Garfield | 2020 State #252 Nation WA is a strong 6’8″, and Banchero had a block on him that made Munson look like he was 5’10”. If there is one thing you can guarantee with this matchup, it’s that Garfield has something to prove, and you can bet that they are up for the challenge.
Garfield cruised through their early league games in dominant fashion. Before meeting O’Dea in early January, they had outscored Metro League opponents 561 to 275, including a 101 to 26 rout over Cleveland, but when they met O’Dea, they ended up getting punched in the mouth and suffering a 20-point loss. That was the wakeup call. Since that game, Garfield has been a different team. The matchup with O’Dea exposed them on the defensive end and showed them that they would need to share the ball more on offense as well. Since that game, Garfield has been a different team. They have stepped up their energy on defense, and they’ve continued to dominate their opponents. In their semifinal matchup with Eastside Catholic, they dominated both ends of the court, and they held the Crusaders to only 46 points, by far their lowest total of the season. On top of their renewed commitment to defense and team basketball, the Bulldogs have also benefitted from the emergence of Koren Johnson Koren Johnson 6'3" | SG Wasatch Academy | 2022 #83 Nation WA and Jaylin Stewart Jaylin Stewart 6'7" | SG Garfield | 2023 State #71 Nation WA into stars in their own right. Koren Johnson Koren Johnson 6'3" | SG Wasatch Academy | 2022 #83 Nation WA is a deep-ball threat from any spot on the court, seemingly regardless of his defenders, and the 6’5″ freshman Jaylin Stewart Jaylin Stewart 6'7" | SG Garfield | 2023 State #71 Nation WA has shown poise and skill far beyond his years. Garfield’s role players are no slouches either. Vatrevyon Garner Vatrevyon Garner 6'3" | SG Garfield | 2020 WA give them efficient scoring and end-to-end defensive pressure, Tremaine Guidry and Raphiel Justice Raphiel Justice 5'10" | CG Garfield | 2022 State WA provide speed and athleticism on both ends, and freshman Yemoni Howell is explosive with both his athleticism and energy. This Garfield team appears to be peaking at just the right time, and anyone who has kept up with Washington basketball knows better than to bet against coach Brandon Roy and his winning ways.
For the Fighting Irish of O’Dea, they will be looking to their powerhouse junior Paolo Banchero Paolo Banchero 6'10" | PF O'Dea | 2021 State #3 Nation WA . Banchero has had game-highs of 19 and 25 in his previous two games against Rainier Beach and Seattle Prep, and this season he has been almost invincible on both ends of the court. He is a shot blocker, a threat on the block, a threat from deep, a threat from midrange, a threat from the right, a threat from the left…you get my point. This kid is a special talent with the ability to control the game. As he has done with all teams, Banchero puts Garfield into a tough position – do they throw bodies at him and try to limit his impact, or do they let him do his thing and focus on stopping everyone else? The problem is that Banchero also happens to be one of the best passers in the state. His court-vision is one of his strongest attributes, and his strength allows him to zip the ball all over the court. If Garfield tries to double-team, he can find open teammates, and if they play him straight up, he may prove to be too dominant on his own. Banchero is deserving of all the attention he’s getting, but this team isn’t just Paolo and a bunch of scrubs. John Christofilis John Christofilis 6'4" | SG O'Dea | 2021 State #185 Nation WA is a sharp-shooter, and if he is hot tonight, that might spell doom for the Bulldogs. Jermaine Davis Jermaine Davis 6'3" | SF O'Dea | 2021 State WA is a 6’4″ wing player with freakish athleticism and the physicality to bang with just about anyone. Point guard Dezjay Perkins Dezjay Perkins 6'0" | PG O'Dea | 2021 State WA is a reliable ball-handler, a very good defender, and a scoring threat with the ball in his hands. Christofilis, Davis, and Perkins have added double-digit scoring for O’Dea in their previous two matchups. The lone senior Paul Johnson Paul Johnson 6'0" | SG O'Dea | 2020 State WA is a threat from deep and he gives the team an extra touch of experience and IQ. One x-factor for the Irish is junior Max Debiec. Debiec is a pitcher and better on the diamond than he is on the court, but he has had explosive scoring for the Irish this season and he adds great size at 6’7″. In their most recent matchup with Garfield, Debiec was his team’s third-leading scorer behind Banchero and Christofilis.
This game promises to be an incredible display of the best talent that Washington has to offer, and both teams appear to be ready for the bright lights. Each squad breezed through their semifinal games: O’Dea with a 20-point win over Rainier Beach, and Garfield with a 25-point win over Eastside Catholic. I wouldn’t expect to see this game end in a similar fashion. Tonight, we can expect to see dunks, swats, deep threes, and maybe even a tech or two as both talent and egos will be clashing in this marquee matchup.