All-League Preview: Greater Spokane League 3A/4A
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There is going to be some legit depth in the Greater Spokane League next season. With seven returning all-league players and two more honorable mentions, there probably won’t be a ton of spots left to fill but there will be…
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Continue ReadingThere is going to be some legit depth in the Greater Spokane League next season. With seven returning all-league players and two more honorable mentions, there probably won’t be a ton of spots left to fill but there will be a lot of guys vying for the honors. Here are your returning all-leaguers and a big batch of names that could join them.
Returning All-League
First-Team
Ryan Lafferty Ryan Lafferty 6'5" | CG Mt Spokane | 2024 State #320 Nation WA Mt Spokane ’24
The University of St. Thomas commit is one of the most complete players in the GSL and showed at last season’s tournament he can shoulder a big offensive load to lead the Wildcats. At 6-foot-5 he’s a big, strong guard with incredible shooting focus and touch and should be another no-doubter first-team selection in 2023-24.
Dylan Skaife Dylan Skaife 6'4" | SG Ferris | 2024 State WA Ferris ’24
Skaife is another guy who has shown he can handle a big workload, playing a number of roles for Ferris this summer as a scorer and creator. He’ll probably have to handle the ball even more this coming season but is a guy who’s shown he has the stomach to take big shots in the past and will also bring it defensively.
Eli Williams Eli Williams 6'4" | PG North Central | 2024 State WA North Central ’24
Another big, skilled guard in the GSL, Williams is one of the more athletic guards in the league who can score, dish, and defend with the best of them. He’s shown to be a pretty poised player with the rock and picks and chooses his spots to attack. He’ll be a key figure in trying to lead North Central to the top half of the league this winter.
Second-Team
Drew Rayment Drew Rayment 6'5" | SF Mt Spokane | 2024 State WA Mt Spokane ’24
Rayment is a talented combo of strength and skill at the forward spot. He’s a big rebounder, tough defender, and can catch a rhythm with his jumper. He’ll probably play a much bigger role than last season and could be a guy that takes on some of the scoring vacated by 2023 Maverick Sanders.
Henry Sandberg Henry Sandberg 6'3" | CG Gonzaga Prep | 2024 State WA Gonzaga Prep ’24
This guy showed a lot of grit at the state tournament last season and has the strength to score tough, contested buckets over and through defenders at the rim and in the mid-range. He’s got the quick hand to rack up steals and create turnovers and should be the Bullpups leading guy in 2023-24.
Shane Skidmore Shane Skidmore 6'8" | PF University | 2024 State WA University ’24
Skidmore has made a lot of progress over the last year or so and enters this winter as one of the top big men in the GSL. He has size, strength, athleticism, and has developed some solid go-to moves in the post. He helped University to a 15-6 record last season and will have to be even better to help the Titans eclipse that mark this year.
Evan Stinson Evan Stinson 6'7" | SF Cheney | 2024 State #223 Nation WA Cheney ’24
His 2022-23 season ended short yet he was still recognized as a second-team all-league player. This year he should be one of the top players in the league who can score with the best of them and has the type of skill set that makes everyone around him better. Look for Stinson to lead an upstart Cheney team to greener pastures as they showed a glimpse of what could be at the June D1 Event, leading Cheney to a 3-1 record and wins over Mountlake Terrace, Lynden Christian, and Temecula Valley (CA).
Honorable Mention
Gabe Heimbigner Gabe Heimbigner 6'3" | SG University | 2024 State WA University ’24
One of University’s other top returners from a year ago is Heimbigner. He’s a good-sized wing who can get his hands on a little bit of everything out there. He’s got the touch to space the floor, can defend multiple positions, and has enough length and skill to finish effectively at the rim. He should get more opportunities on the ball this winter.
Jayce Swanson Jayce Swanson 5'9" | PG Gonzaga Prep | 2025 WA Gonzaga Prep ’25
The G Prep guard has electric ability with the ball, scoring from all three levels and showing some athletic finishing ability around the hoop. He’s probably the next guy up after Sandberg when it comes to scoring and has the potential to put up some big numbers this season.
Gelonni “JuJu” Ervin Gelonni “JuJu” Ervin 6'8" | SF North Central | 2025 State #274 Nation WA North Central ’25
JuJu is still growing, still getting better, but he’s established himself as a potentially dominant shot blocker and rim defender. He’s a big threat to finish above the rim and does a great job in the pick and roll, and lurking behind defenders on the baseline. There’s times where the jumper looks really good but the consistency hasn’t quite been there yet. If he can take another step forward this season, he has the talent to be a first-team all-league guy.
Other Players to Watch
Nalu Vargas Nalu Vargas 6'3" | SG Mt Spokane | 2025 State WA Mt Spokane ’25
A sneakily good player, Vargas is a kid who can step in and space the floor but also has a good enough handle to pick up some ballhandling duties. He’s big enough to match up with either guard spot on defense and is a pretty efficient player overall that you have to account for.
Lucas Dickau Lucas Dickau 5'11" | PG Mt Spokane | 2025 State WA Mt Spokane ’25
Another sneaky little player, Dickau should start the year as a starter and is a crafty type of player who can catch the opposition napping on both ends. He’s improved offensively, scoring from different spots, and was a big piece of Mt Spokane’s deep bench from a year ago.
Hudson Floyd Hudson Floyd 5'11" | PG Gonzaga Prep | 2025 State WA Gonzaga Prep ’25
There is a lot of momentum behind this guy’s name and for good reason. He just got back from the US/UK London Showcase where he was MVP of the 16u. Hudson is a confident player who can run a team, score from inside and out, and brings the energy every game. He could be in for a breakout season in 2023-24.
Nate Christy Nate Christy 6'7" | PF Gonzaga Prep | 2025 State WA Gonzaga Prep ’25
Another Bullpup who should get more run this season is Christy. He’ll be a starter in the frontcourt after seeing decent minutes off the bench last year. He’s a pretty skilled big with a good feel for making plays off the dribble, can operate in the post and go to either hand, and will be counted on to be a key rebounder for Prep.
Nash Dunham Nash Dunham 6'0" | CG Mead | 2025 State WA Mead ’25
Dunham came on strong last season with a couple of big games early on that set the tone for a solid season. He became a much-improved jump shooter and attacker last year and should be an even bigger part of the offense this season after Mead graduated eight players off their varsity squad last season.
Makai Daniels Makai Daniels 6'6" | SF North Central | 2025 State WA North Central ’25
Daniels is a big, athletic wing who can affect the game inside and out with his rebounding, rim-finishing, and 3-point shot. If he’s going to bump up to be an all-league player he’ll need a bit more consistency on the jumper but there are a number of ways he can affect the game with his type of size and athleticism.
Jacori Ervin Jacori Ervin 6'11" | PF North Central | 2025 AZ North Central ’24
After watching his progress over the spring and summer I am fully counting on Ervin making a first-team all-league appearance. His size is hard enough to handle, but his ramped-up aggression, improved low-post work, and growing ability to put the ball on the floor and attack should make him unstoppable on some nights.
Carter Ittner Carter Ittner 6'2" | CG Cheney | 2025 State WA Cheney ’25
Ittner could be Cheney’s second-best player and he has the ability to play both guard spots while chipping in buckets and playing tough defense. He’s a guy that has a good base, gets to the middle well and plays off of two feet to hit those short to mid-range shots.
Liam Carver Liam Carver 6'5" | PF Cheney | 2025 State WA Cheney ’25
Carver could be another Cheney Blackhawk that makes the leap to all-league. He’s a big kid with plenty of strength and fight on the interior to impact the game on both ends. He’s solid defending on the blocks or helping on drives, can rebound pretty well, and does a good job finishing over defenders at the rim.
Caden Andreas Caden Andreas 5'7" | PG Ridgeline | 2026 State WA Ridgeline ’26
A sleeper pick for next year, Andreas is a younger player who already logged plenty of minutes on the varsity team last season. He’s a pretty smart player with good end-to-end speed and looks like he has a pretty decent stroke too. It will be an uphill battle to crack one of the all-league teams but he should be a big contributor for Ridgeline.
Paulo Murray Paulo Murray 5'10" Lewis and Clark | 2024 WA Lewis and Clark ’24
Murray is a kid I would watch out for who maybe isn’t getting the same attention as others in the GSL. He’s the point guard at Lewis and Clark and does a great job controlling the offense, shielding his dribble, and has a nice-looking stroke from deep. He plays with good strength on the ball and at the rim and is a solid player overall.