2A Senior Season Stock Surges
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This group of surging senior stock risers impressed all year long, putting in the work to stand out and give themselves a shot at the next stage. The 2A division had an abundance of talent this year and these 2022s…
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Continue ReadingThis group of surging senior stock risers impressed all year long, putting in the work to stand out and give themselves a shot at the next stage. The 2A division had an abundance of talent this year and these 2022s are just a taste of the talented field of players. Before they go, take a minute to enjoy these senior surgers.
Henry Hughes 6’2 G Ridgefield
Besides having a name fit for a Hollywood actor, or some sort of inventor, Hughes boasts a panache for scoring highlighted by his deep range and good touch inside. He can consistently bury shots from a few feet back behind the arc and finishes with finesse around the hoop; using floaters that only hit bottom or gently kiss the glass before hitting the twine. Hughes paced the Ridgefield Spudders with 15.6 PPG in a Greater St. Helens League filled with talented players. Dirk Plakinger, Cavin Holden Cavin Holden 6'1" | CG Ra Long | 2023 State WA , and Kobe Parlin Kobe Parlin 6'1" | CG Mark Morris | 2023 State WA are just a few of the names Hughes ran into all season long. He led the Spudders to a second-place finish in league play at 13-3, but they couldn’t get past Tumwater in the district semi-finals and then were knocked out by a WF West team they had taken care of in game one of the season.
Micah Garrett 6’3 G Renton
It’s not often a team that goes undefeated in league play, loses their first game of districts, and then gets knocked out by a team they had beaten three times already that year. That was the story for Renton in 2022. It was a bitter ending for the squad but a strong season nonetheless. Garrett played a huge part in leading Renton to the top of the table in the KingCo division. He’s a heads-up player, attacking the floor with his passes and moving the ball up quickly. Garrett can flip the switch on a team in a hurry causing turnovers with his good hands defensively and finding leakers for quick two’s. In tough games, he displays coolness with the ball and finds the right guy, while also having the length and burst to finish at the rim.
Ruppe Wilson 5’9 G Bremerton
This guy was an explosive offensive player. His size doesn’t offer a lot of advantages, but Wilson clearly puts in the work to perfect his moves and make everyone who underestimates him eat their words. His handle is nice, his jumper too, but it’s the fluidity that he has going from dribble move to shot, and the variety of these combinations, that make Ruppe such an offensive force. It takes a lot of effort and energy to be a volume scorer, but you wouldn’t know with Wilson because he brings that same tenacity to the defensive end and will sell out for charges too. It was a shame such a talented player missed the state tournament, but he surely did enough to catch someone’s eye.
Jackson Harty Jackson Harty 6'9" | PF West Valley | 2022 WA 6’10 F West Valley
Here’s a big guy who knows how big he is and uses that size advantage at every opportunity. Harty has a quick first move, can rise up for a jam, and rarely gets pushed off balance which says a lot about his determination to play tough inside. Every big man likes sending shots back, and Harty’s no exception, displaying excellent timing and understanding in attacking opponents’ shots. He has some room to grow offensively, specifically with his mid-range and turnaround shot from the blocks that hit hits intermittently. He can even stretch out to three on occasion. If Harty can nail down a more consistent jumper, his stock could rise even higher.
Tyrus Johnson 6’3 W East Valley (Spokane)
Johnson plays bigger than his 6’3 frame which allows him to float back and forth from the perimeter to the paint. Defensively, he has the strength to grind it out with bigger players, and he has excellent quickness to stay in front of most guys. He can handle the ball, sees the court fairly well, and keeps his eyes downcourt, looking to take advantage of slow defenses in transition. Johnson makes some pretty tough shots every once in a while where you think, “Where did that come from?” He’s reliable from mid-range, a good rebounder, and has those flashes of being a next-level player. The Red Devils of East Valley had a disappointing loss to Shadle Park to end their run after an up and down season.
Demarea Wilkins 6’3 G Foss
Wilkins is a player who wants to go, go, go. Chasing down loose balls, moving the ball up the court, and attacking the rim are all part of this guy’s M.O. He shows energy and passion on the court, and won’t shy away from the rim no matter who’s standing in front of it. He finishes equally well with either hand and can step out to knock down the outside shot. Foss was undersized this season and that left Wilkins at the bottom of their zone much of the time. But he’s a scrappy player that fights to the end. The Falcons played some close games against tough teams, and their record didn’t end up reflecting the makeup of the team. They were bounced from districts by Franklin Pierce, though not without a fight.
Jaydan Wingo 6’1 G Renton
To best describe Wingo’s game, I’m going to steal a quote from Nelly (early 2000’s Nellys, not “Tim McGraw” Nelly) – “I drive fastly, call me Jeff Gordon, in the black SS with the navigation.” Wingo plays like a souped-up Chevy. He is fast out of the blocks and can dart down the court in the blink of an eye, knowing how to navigate his way through defenses. His speed is something else, but he pairs that with intelligence, and grit. He’s a hound on the ball (2.1 SPG) and on offense he works the shape of the defense, moving the ball side to side to open up the middle. Grit, speed, and brains landed Wingo on the first-team all-league for the 2A KingCo, and his athleticism allows the undersized guard to affect the game across the board.
Ben Snider 6’0 G Archbishop Murphy
Snider does many things that remind me of an orchestra conductor. The crowd watches the musicians playing their different instruments, and somehow lost in the background is the conductor, quietly keeping the music from crashing about. With Snider, it’s the little things that keep the team headed in the right direction; he mitigates pressure against the press, patiently moving the ball before the trap can settle in around him. He protects the dribble, not with flashy moves but simply by using his body to guard the ball and keeping the dribble low. But at some point, the conductor analogy fails because Snider is capable of taking games over with his clutch three-point shooting, and high IQ attack. He was the focal point for Archbishop Murphy this season, averaging 16.4 PPG, and adding about four boards, and four dimes per game too.