King Showcase: 2025 and 2026 Players to Know
In this article:
The King Showcase had numerous teams from 4A, 3A, and 2A battling it out on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Among all the great basketball going on, I was able to pick out a few fresh faces from the 2025…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe King Showcase had numerous teams from 4A, 3A, and 2A battling it out on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Among all the great basketball going on, I was able to pick out a few fresh faces from the 2025 and 2026 classes that you need to keep tabs on. Here are some names for the future, and some who are starting to prove their time begins now.
Names for the Future
Here are a few guys that have shown they have the skills to be impact players, and with a bit of refinement and experience, can turn into leaders for their respective teams.
Mason Sonntag
Mason Sonntag
Sonntag is one of many young Vikings getting an early crash-course in their high school careers. He is one of three freshmen chipping in big minutes, to go along with three sophomores having a sizeable impact for Puyallup. For Sonntag, his potential is pretty evident given his size and ability to handle the ball a bit and operate from the perimeter. He should bring a lot of versatility to the team as time goes on and could become a reliable playmaker with is ability to see over the defense and clog up passing lanes on the other end.
Chase Mentik
Chase Mentik
It wasn’t a pretty game from Sumner as they found themselves down 20 at the half and just couldn’t quite do enough to close the gap with Tahoma. However, it did give me the opportunity to see Mentik when things weren’t going well, and I was impressed with the fire he plays with. He’s a decently quick player who looks to attack the hoop and was finding success slashing inside. He was aggressive on defense too, pressuring ballhandlers and busting it toward loose balls. With that fire, he also showed poise and was a reliable ballhandler for the Spartans.
Nasinec is another example of the bright future starting to shine through in Puyallup. The young Vikings have been a tough squad this season, already notching 10 wins on the season after getting just four wins a season ago. Part of that resurgence has been Nasinec’s strong play inside. He played with a great mixture of patience and aggression at the King Showcase; aggressive getting the ball and looking for his shot, but patient in his approach and waiting for the right time to attack. He didn’t force much of anything, didn’t settle for long jumpers, and focused on attacking the hoop from in close.
The Future is Now
For these guys, it seems their time to take over games is starting now. They’ve played big roles for their teams this year and continue to make big plays, showing no moment is too big for them.
Gilderhus has shown time and again this season that he has the firepower to go on a solo scoring run and bring his team back or help them pull away in a matter of minutes. He was able to break down defenders with the dribble and dart into the paint where he was deadly with the floater. He also added a quick trigger from outside and nailed down some threes, including a big one in the fourth quarter that gave Rogers the lead.
Highlights
This guy has been one of the most impressive sophomores of the year, running the Rogers Rams offense like he has been there for a while. However it may seem, this is only his first year at the helm and he has shown an innate ability to create space, play on his terms, and freeze defenders with his dribble. He kept that up at the King Showcase, whether he was getting to the rim or using the threat of his dribble to draw defenders out away from the paint, he was playmaking all game long. Weatherspoon made a few plays to jump passing lanes that resulted in easy buckets and helped swing the game in his team’s favor.
Heppner really showed me something against North Kitsap with his ability to knock down the outside shot. He was three-for-four from three-point range and even connected on a crucial four-point play that gave his team the lead in the fourth quarter. He was still a beast inside and used his height and strength to clean up shots around the rim, but his ability to stretch the floor and knock down some big shots outside was instrumental in helping Lynden hold off the Vikings for a 52-50 victory.