State Tournament: Top Performers on Day 1 (4A)

<p>On the first day of state, the 4A teams played in the evening games as eight teams battled it out to extend their seasons and advance to the quarterfinals. With multiple Division 1 prospects, there was a ton of talent high competition. These five players stood out amongst the bunch and helped secure another day in the dome. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1270674" first="Andreas" last="Engholm"] - 6’7 PF - Olympia</strong></p> <p>Engholm was just too much to handle for Mariner. The big man went for 18 points and 11 rebounds which put him as the game leader in both categories. Showing why he is one of the post players in the state, he went 8/10 from the field on the day. He cleaned up the offensive glass, made great reads when doubled, and altered shots all afternoon. The much smaller Mariner team was no match for the fundamental big man. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1270690" first="Elijah" last="Cain"] - 6’2 SG - Graham Kapowsin</strong></p> <p>Cain has been playing very well to get his team through the playoffs and today was no different. Cain scored his 19 points in every way you could think. He played the passing lane and got out on the break. He beat his guy off the dribble whenever he saw an open lane. The most impressive piece of his game today, was his ability to shoot off the dribble. If Cain had a Davis defender on an island, it was a movie you didn’t want to miss. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1121261" first="Tyler" last="Bilodeau"] - 6’8 PF - Kamiakin</strong></p> <p>Bilodeau had about a good a game as you can have in your first game at state. Other than his one miss from three, he was perfect on the evening. Honestly, if you ask me, he had the best game of the day. With 28 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 blocks to clinch a quarterfinal appearance, it was very clear how Bilodeau became such a popular name over the last couple of seasons. </p> <p><strong>Peter Dress - 6’4 SF - Kamiakin</strong></p> <p>Dress is a player I didn’t know about until today, but I am sure he caught more than just my eye. The lanky wing can flat-out shoot the ball. He scored 15 of his 19 points from behind the arc and did it very efficiently. If he can continue to shoot the ball at such a high clip, expect Dress and Bilodeau to lead the Braves beyond the quarterfinal. You can’t help off this kid, which makes each time down the floor a little stressful. Did I mention he is only a sophomore? </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="674423" first="Jayden" last="Stevens"] - 6’8 SF - Gonzaga Prep</strong></p> <p>Stevens was a man amongst boys. He wasn’t the best player in the game because of his size or skill but because he already thinks like a college basketball player. He chooses his shots wisely which led to him going 9/9 from the field on his way to 21 points. He anticipates how shots will come off the rim which led to him getting 8 rebounds. In college, he will play a lot more on the wing but how he played with great pace and body control leads me to believe he will be comfortable in whichever role he plays at the next level. </p>