Way Too Early 3A Top 10

Alright, now we get to go over the gauntlet that is 3A hoops. There were a ton of teams worthy of a look in this rendition of the Way Too Early Top 10, but I had to narrow it down to at least a manageable number of teams. So, once again, I've split these rankings up into three tiers and made my best educated guess on how this season will play out. Without further ado, here are my preseason 3A Top 10 rankings with a handful of teams that are also worth watching.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Tier 1 - Title Favorites</h3>   1. O'Dea 2022-23 Record (21-9), return 7/12 varsity players   Even with losing two D1 commits (Miles Clark, Mason Williams), and another high major recruit in Miles Goodman, the Irish stand in a pretty good spot with a deep and well-rounded roster. They have two of the top sophomores in the state in [player_tooltip player_id='1685493' first='Doni' last='Burkett'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1685492' first='Brian' last='Webster'] who both have the potential for huge impacts. In the backcourt, they have a pair of seniors, BJ Shannon and [player_tooltip player_id='1463067' first='Noel' last='Davis'], who can push the pace and play smart basketball. Then they have the length and athleticism on the wings and in the frontcourt with [player_tooltip player_id='1631541' first='Breylon' last='Webb'], [player_tooltip player_id='1440564' first='Malcolm' last='Clark'], [player_tooltip player_id='1612193' first='Pawlose' last='Aschalew'], and [player_tooltip player_id='1978876' first='Patrick' last='Galvin Jr.']. They finished second at last year's state tournament and boast one of the most complete and talented rosters across the entire state heading into 2023-24.   2. Garfield 2022-23 Record (25-2), return 3/12 varsity players   It is a little misleading to say they only return three varsity players because they also picked up a number of high-impact transfers. [player_tooltip player_id='1450575' first='Ishe' last='Kanhukamwe'], [player_tooltip player_id='1450500' first='Jamari' last='Harris'], [player_tooltip player_id='1450492' first='Ajayi' last='Simmons'], and [player_tooltip player_id='1928680' first='Candon' last='Bible'] will all come in and have big roles right away. Pair that with one of the top 2025s in the nation in [player_tooltip player_id='1450985' first='Legend' last='Smiley'], and you have a squad ready to compete yet again for the 3A title. It would not be all that surprising to see a rematch of last season's title game when all is said and done this winter.   3. Eastside Catholic 2022-23 Record (20-10), return 10/14 varsity players   The final team in Tier 1, Eastside Catholic showed last year they have the players to beat the best in the state, knocking off both Garfield and O'Dea twice in the 2022-23 season. Even though they eventually had a disappointing ending to their state tournament, the Crusaders are in a good position to repeat their late-season success and make a run at a state title. Big man and high major recruit [player_tooltip player_id='1450484' first='Jacob' last='Cofie'] will anchor the team on both sides of the ball, while senior [player_tooltip player_id='1450620' first='Nate' last='Krohn'] will be a Swiss army knife and fill a multitude of roles. They also have a stable of guards ready to score, dish, and defend. Then comes their 6-foot-10 sophomore, [player_tooltip player_id='1685489' first='Yeabsera' last='Aklog'], and 6-foot-6 freshman, [player_tooltip player_id='2140802' first='Achilles' last='Reyna'], who look ready to come in and make an immediate impact, possibly pushing them over the top and on their way to a title.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Tier 2 - Contenders</h3>   4. Mt Spokane 2022-23 Record (25-2), return 7/10 varsity players   Mt Spokane had an incredible run in 2022-23 and entered the 3A tournament as the top seed. They came up short of the title game but still have enough leftover to make another run in the winter. They lose an important player in Maverick Sanders but still have [player_tooltip player_id='1450491' first='Ryan' last='Lafferty'] who can take games over, and plenty of other players who play their role exceptionally well.   5. Mountlake Terrace 2022-23 Record (19-8), return 9/12 varsity players   Terrace proved to be a tough out no matter who they played last season and return nearly every key guy from last season's team. Headed by [player_tooltip player_id='1450563' first='Jaxon' last='Dubiel'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1450489' first='Zaveon' last='Jones'], this team has a ton of guys with grit and toughness that allows them to win the close games and blowout teams that can't match their style of play.   6. Rainier Beach 2022-23 Record (14-9), return 6/11 varsity players   Beach had an up-and-down season last year that ended with one of their worst games of the year in a second-round loss at the state tournament to Shorecrest. However, they have some really talented players returning with [player_tooltip player_id='1112472' first='Ryan' last='Mpouli'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1850299' first='Kaden' last='Powers'], and added transfer [player_tooltip player_id='1685488' first='Katrelle' last='Harmon'] to the roster. [player_tooltip player_id='1612215' first='Darius' last='Wilcher'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1451032' first='Jeremiah' last='White'] are two more guys who can really help, and now you start to see a team that could make a lot of noise next season.   7. Auburn 2022-23 Record (21-8), return 6/12 varsity players   There was a lot of senior leadership that graduated in June, but Auburn will get a key guy back this season after having to play out the end of last year without their league MVP ([player_tooltip player_id='1451033' first='Jaylen' last='Petty']). With Petty back, the growth of [player_tooltip player_id='1984463' first='Carter' last='Hansen'] beside him, and [player_tooltip player_id='1450496' first='Luvens' last='Valcin'] leading the squad, this Auburn team should still be a problem in the 3A and it wouldn't be surprising to see them repeat the kind of season they had last year.   8. Auburn Mountainview 2022-23 Record (15-10), return 9/13 varsity players   Here is a team that has been on a steady ascent for the last couple of seasons. They return a lot of guys including all-league players like [player_tooltip player_id='1837705' first='Mande' last='Wanlemvo'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2153079' first='Caleb' last='Bowden']. New starting point guard [player_tooltip player_id='1850309' first='Sebastian' last='Arius'] made huge strides as a player this summer and they've added in another talented guard with [player_tooltip player_id='1315366' first='Lucas' last='McClendon']. Everything is in place for the Lions to take another step forward this season and challenge Auburn for an SPSL championship.   9. Bellevue 2022-23 Record (25-5), return 4/12 varsity players   This is another team that looks to lose a lot of players from last year but they also added a key guy in [player_tooltip player_id='1451019' first='Marco' last='Varani']. Varani, plus [player_tooltip player_id='1485587' first='Bryce' last='Smith'], [player_tooltip player_id='1863256' first='Nick' last='Norrah'], and [player_tooltip player_id='1837709' first='Hogan' last='Hansen'] is a pretty solid top four. They also have some younger players ready to step up and should be in for another solid season.   10. North Central 2022-23 Record (8-11), return 9/12 varsity players   This last spot was tough to choose, especially since I'm leaving out plenty of teams who had great seasons in 2022-23 and also bring back a lot of guys. However, it's hard to ignore the potential and the level of talent present over at North Central. They went from 6-16 in 2021-22, to 8-11 last year, and based on the summer I saw from guys like [player_tooltip player_id='1450562' first='Jacori' last='Ervin'], [player_tooltip player_id='1450604' first='Eli' last='Williams'], [player_tooltip player_id='1450982' first='Gelonni' last='“JuJu” Ervin'], and [player_tooltip player_id='1696645' first='Makai' last='Daniels'], they definitely have the talent to make another push forward.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Tier 3 - The Bubble</h3>   North Thurston 2022-23 Record (18-9), return 7/12 varsity players   The Rams made a big leap last season and should be able to compete for an SSC title this winter with the long, versatile [player_tooltip player_id='1463068' first='Ray' last='Adams'] leading the way. They have some good depth in the backcourt with some shifty guards, and another athletic frontcourt player with [player_tooltip player_id='1953091' first='Conner' last='Seward'] who should make a bigger impact this season.   Gig Harbor 2022-23 Record (21-4), return 6/12 varsity players   They lost one of the best duos to ever put on a Tides jersey with both Will Landram and Luke Browne graduating last June, but the next group of players coming through is a good one. The younger Browne, [player_tooltip player_id='1984467' first='Cole' last='Browne'], has the game to take over right away and be this team's main creator. They also have a super-talented sophomore forward named [player_tooltip player_id='1601813' first='Michael' last='Masini'] who will be a force to deal with.   Cheney 2022-23 Record (6-14), return 8/12 varsity players   One player doesn't often swing a team's chances from 6-14 to potential state-playoff team, but [player_tooltip player_id='1450485' first='Evan' last='Stinson'] is just that good. He missed a big chunk of last season with injury but came back this summer to have an awesome few months of ball. The players around him have gotten better too and guys like [player_tooltip player_id='1863254' first='Carter' last='Ittner'], [player_tooltip player_id='2173108' first='Mason' last='Stinson'], and [player_tooltip player_id='2173003' first='Liam' last='Carver'] all looked really solid when they played at the June D1 Event. Look for Cheney to make one of the bigger turnarounds this season.   Seattle Prep 2022-23 Record (7-18), return 8/13 varsity players   Another team looking to make a huge swing from last season to this one is Seattle Prep. They were a young team that relied heavily on 2023 Christian King, and when he went down with injury their hopes dimmed. But they have a number of talented kids ready to step up and see if they can compete with the best this season. Some names to watch include [player_tooltip player_id='1631540' first='Nirvaan' last='Misra'], [player_tooltip player_id='1485543' first='Beckham' last='King'], [player_tooltip player_id='1863191' first='Niko' last='Christofilis'], and [player_tooltip player_id='1696695' first='Nick' last='Schanno'].   Nathan Hale 2022-23 Record (20-3), return 7/14 varsity players   One of the best surprises of 2022-23 was the Nathan Hale Raiders. They do lose a couple of key guys from a year ago but still have some superb talent in the backcourt with guys like [player_tooltip player_id='1587980' first='Ismail' last='Guyo'], [player_tooltip player_id='2156185' first='Rio' last='Valdez'], and [player_tooltip player_id='1978873' first='Adrian' last='Peev']. Look for Hale to put together another solid season this winter and try to take it a step further in 2023-24.   Marysville Getchell 2022-23 Record (16-9), return 8/12 varsity players   In the highly competitive Wesco, Marysville Getchell placed fifth in the conference last year as one of seven teams with 15-plus wins. They lose some depth from last year but still have a strong group of guys led by all-league players [player_tooltip player_id='1444804' first='Arion' last='Palacol'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1547314' first='Shawn' last='Etheridge']. They have a shot at winning the league this season and should have some great league games lined up.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Teams that just missed the cut</h3>   Stanwood 2022-23 Record (16-7), return 6/12 varsity players   Spanaway Lake 2022-23 Record (8-11), return 6/12 varsity players   Mt Vernon 2022-23 Record (18-7), return 8/12 varsity players   Todd Beamer 2022-23 Record (16-8), return 10/12 varsity players   Mercer Island 2022-23 Record (12-10), return 8/12 varsity players   Timberline 2022-23 Record (18-7), return 6/12 varsity players   Everett 2022-23 Record (15-11), return 8/12 varsity players   Walla Walla 2022-23 Record (13-13), return 9/12 varsity players   Cleveland 2022-23 Record (8-11), return 7/11 varsity players   Mt Tahoma 2022-23 Record (9-11), return 6/11 varsity players   Kelso 2022-23 Record (13-10), return 6/12 varsity players   Arlington 2022-23 Record (19-6), return 7/12 varsity players

Alright, now we get to go over the gauntlet that is 3A hoops. There were a ton of teams worthy of a look in this rendition of the Way Too Early Top 10, but I had to narrow it down to at least a manageable number of teams. So, once again, I've split these rankings up into three tiers and made my best educated guess on how this season will play out. Without further ado, here are my preseason 3A Top 10 rankings with a handful of teams that are also worth watching.