King Showcase Superlatives: Standout 2024s
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On Martin Luther King Jr. Day teams gathered at the ShoWare Center in Kent for the King Showcase. I already went through some superaltives for the 2023 Standouts, now it’s time to talk about some of the best 2024s on…
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Continue ReadingOn Martin Luther King Jr. Day teams gathered at the ShoWare Center in Kent for the King Showcase. I already went through some superaltives for the 2023 Standouts, now it’s time to talk about some of the best 2024s on display and dish out some superlative-nicknames for them.
Blake “Frozone” Forrest
Forrest led the way with 15 points and five assists for the Wildcats. He’s a guy who can freeze defenses with his quickness and shooting ability, forcing them to choose to respect the drive or the shot, but usually unable to do both. He was able to get to the line and find room in the mid-range while his shot from 3-point range just wasn’t falling. Forrest’s passing was in sync too, as he captured the eyes of the defense on most of his drives and found nice passes for assists while defenders were caught sleeping. He also connected on a handful of lobs to Miles Heide Miles Heide 6’7″ | C Mount Si | 2023 State #274 Nation WA for big slams.
Jayden “Jam Sandwich” Stephens
Stephens gets the nickname “Jam Sandwich” because he was making plays on both ends of the floor, jumping passing lanes with his length and athleticism, hitting jumpers from the elbow when defenders backed off, and in between it all he showed some flavor on the court with a big jam in transition. He’s a first-year varsity player that has flashed big potential for the Bears this season. He’s got serious two-way potential and continues to build on his skills on both ends of the floor.
Highlights
Dalton “Bus Stop” Brown
Brown continues to lead the Tahoma Bears in scoring, this time going for 21 points against the Sumner Spartans. The thing about Brown’s game that dumbfounds me is his ability to always be in the right spot at the right time. He times his cuts, reads the ball, and finds space around the rim for easy buckets time and again. He was also a big factor on the offensive boards and is a high-percentage player in close, making sure to make every bunny count. He’s an absolute hunter near the rim and finished the game with eight consecutive makes from 2-point land. Brown also made some nice contributions defensively, blocking shots and swallowing up smaller players on the perimeter.
Harry “Mad Dog” DaviesrnThere is so much I could say about Davies’ development and improvement from a season ago. He has evolved himself into a knock down shooter with deep range, and a big-shot guy who plays every game with tenacity and grit. He’s one of the most fun players to watch this season because he has matched his passion on the court with his work off of it. “Mad Dog” challenges opponents in every facet of the game and is scoring about 25 points per game this season.
Cade “The Captain” Orness
It’s pretty simple why Orness is “The Captain,” his eyes are always up and looking ahead. He already broke the school record for assists in a game with 17, and he kept the dimes flowing against Lynden doing an immaculate job finding teammates all game long. Although you’d prefer players to make passes with their feet on the ground, Orness was able to make play after play in mid-air to set up shooters. His skill was undeniable as he made the difficult passes look ordinary and nearly led the Vikings to an upset over the Lynden Lions.
Highlights
Isaiah “Shoot your Shot” Sonntag
Sonntag was an all-league player last season and has replicated that form, helping Puyallup to a pace that would triple their win total from 2021-22. He’s still a deadeye from deep but he’s also been a leader for a young cast around him, setting an example on both ends of the floor. His nickname is “Shoot your shot” not just because he hit six 3-pointers in their game against Kentlake (four-straight in the first half), but because he doesn’t force his looks and shows great confidence in his freshmen and sophomore teammates to do their jobs.