Randall's Report: MLK Tournament at LCC, Part 1

Lower Columbia Women's Basketball hosted a high school basketball tournament in Longview, WA in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. The tournament included some of the best teams in the state and some of the best players. I categorized the players that caught my attention into three all-tourney teams. Here's part 1.   First Team All-Tournament   2024 Demaree Collins 6'2 SG, Skyview HS: Collins is a nice lefty guard with next-level athleticism. He makes plays above the rim both in transition and the halfcourt; he went way upstairs for a lob in the 2nd half. He has great open-court speed with and without the ball which makes him tough to guard in transition. He has a herky-jerky handle that keeps defenders off balance. He's also a solid shooter from deep. He hit big shots for the Storm all game long with one coming from NBA range.   2023 [player_tooltip player_id='1270717' first='Yanni' last='Fassilis'] 6'5 SF, Union HS: Yanni is physically ready to play at the next level right now. He looked like a man amongst boys out there. He is a good athlete-- he had multiple dunks in transition and protected the rim with nice blocks. He showed his ability to create off the dribble and out of the mid-post. He attacks the rim with force and can finish through contact. He led the break and made plays for his teammates, too. He doesn't shoot many, but he's a capable shooter from 3.   2023 [player_tooltip player_id='1270732' first='Luke' last='Brewer'] 6'1 CG, Tumwater HS: I was impressed with Luke today. He showed all sides of his game. To me, he's a scorer with the IQ to play in a floor-general role. He is a good shooter and has developed into a good playmaker as well. His handle won't wow you, but it's tight and he's poised with it under pressure. In the first half, he facilitated the offense and created for teammates. He took what was open but didn't hunt shots. In the second half, Luke came out way more aggressive. He started the third scoring nine straight points-- three, floater, and-1 three. He can shoot it off the dribble and off the catch.   2023 [player_tooltip player_id='1493980' first='Evan' last='Manville'] 6'7 F, Union HS: Manville possesses two of the most sought-after qualities in prospects-- size and shooting. The 6'7 wing forward can fill it up from deep quickly and in a hurry. He had four 3s during a second-half run by Union. His height and quick release made it hard for defenders to faze him on closeouts. And when defenders managed to close out quickly, Manville showed the ability to drive by and get paint touches. A college program can develop him to fit a role at the next level for sure.   2023 Luke Reid 5'10 PG, Tumwater HS: Luke came up big for his squad today, hitting big shot after big shot. He can create for himself off the dribble. He has a nice floater in his bag when he's in the paint. Luke used his floater to hit a late-game bucket that put the dagger in the opposing team.   Second Team All-Tournament:   2025 [player_tooltip player_id='2173011' first='Gavin' last='Packer'] 5'11 PG, Skyview HS: Gavin is a steady PG. He is constantly looking to set up his teammates-- he can make the simple pass or go create a play when needed. His handles are solid; he lived in the paint in the game I watched. Although he's mainly looking for teammates, Gavin's scoring ability keeps defenders honest.   2023 [player_tooltip player_id='1416732' first='Andrew' last='Collins'] 6'4 SG, Tumwater HS: Andrew was intriguing. He has tools to be a college-level SG-- size, athleticism, and skill. He finishes above the rim with ease. I watched him backdoor from the corner and finish a two-hand flush. He can attack closeouts and get paint touches. He defends well, too. I'd love to see him be more aggressive to score; the kid can play.   2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1450561' first='Payton' last='Stewart'] 6'6 PF, Kelso HS: Football may be Stewart's top sport, but the kid can hoop too. He's a bully in the paint. When he got touches, he bodied his defender to the rim. He has a soft touch on his hook shots and can get by defenders from the mid-post. He moves people out of the way for rebounds. I was impressed with how light he was on his feet when working in the paint.   2023 Brayden Oram 5'10 SG, Tumwater HS: Brayden provided a huge spark for his team during their comeback run. He is a shooting threat from deep that can get hot quickly. He had a nice 3 coming off a screen, then followed that up with a transition pull-up 3.   2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1696643' first='Kody' last='Holcomb'] 6'6 SG, Union HS: Kody has a smooth game man. He covers ground quickly with his long strides. He uses his length at the rim to finish around defenders, too. He's good in transition, he can make plays for others, and he's a decent shooter from deep. Coaches need to add him to their watchlist. He has good upside with his size and skill set.

Lower Columbia Women's Basketball hosted a high school basketball tournament in Longview, WA in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. The tournament included some of the best teams in the state and some of the best players. I categorized the players that caught my attention into three all-tourney teams. Here's part 1.