Best Small Town Prospects from Washington

The U.S. Census defines a small town as having less than 5,000 people. To find the best small-town prospects, I went league by league to pinpoint the top prospects from the smallest towns in Washington. Of course, many towns qualified but I decided to go way out there to highlight players from the most remote towns. Then I added a few prospects from bigger, but still small towns who represent some of the high-level talent from the state.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Small Town Prospects (Population <5,000)</h3>   [player_tooltip player_id='1450615' first='James' last='Grose'] Napavine   Grose is one of the best small-town scorers and can really put the ball in the hoop from just about any location on the floor. He's got Napavine looking like a real 2B contender heading into his senior season.   [player_tooltip player_id='1450940' first='Zach' last='Swanson'] Toutle Lake   The Oregon State baseball commit can also light it up on the hardwood. He's a strong kid at the guard spot who shoots it well and with extended range but also has enough size and athleticism to clean the glass and play stout defense at the 2B level.   [player_tooltip player_id='1450958' first='Beckett' last='Turner'] Ilwaco   Turner recently committed to play at Puget Sound next season and has really elevated himself as a playmaker and combo guard this summer. He has some size, and can score pretty consistently from inside and out, but has stood out for his creation off the bounce lately.   [player_tooltip player_id='1837759' first='James' last='Wigen'] Colfax   The big man out of Colfax has my eye as we head into the new season. Last year, he showed some good action getting end-line to end-line and working hard to impact both ends. He has some touch around the paint and has the foundation to develop some go-to post moves this season.   [player_tooltip player_id='1837767' first='Seth' last='Lustig'] Colfax   He's a pretty patient point guard who keeps the dribble alive, can knock down shots at each level, and does a great job mixing up looks and balancing playmaking with scoring. He should have Colfax up near the top of the 2B this winter.   [player_tooltip player_id='1837769' first='Kyler' last='Mitchell'] Liberty Bell   At 6-foot-5, he played quite a bit around the paint last season and continued to show some plus rim defense and athleticism inside this summer. However, he has a jumper that could get him more on the wings this season and shows a lot of potential as a plus defender with offensive upside.   [player_tooltip player_id='1587998' first='Noah' last='Schow'] Tenino   One of the more skilled players on this list, Schow has a great understanding of space and a natural feel for attacking open areas off the ball. He's an outstanding rebounder who can also fill various offensive roles with his ability to create and score the ball.   [player_tooltip player_id='1485584' first='Colton' last='Wells'] Freeman   Wells has shown flashes of that size and skill combo at the guard spot that makes him a really interesting prospect. If he continues to get that 3-point shot to be more consistent and tighten up the dribble, he has the tools to be a mismatch on the perimeter.   [player_tooltip player_id='1863242' first='Dekker' last='Van De Graaf'] Zillah   The highest-rated prospect on this list, Van De Graaf has a high ceiling and is starting to show a pretty high floor too. He's an efficient shooter from deep, has the strength to body up inside and power finishes through defenders, and also stands out as a defensive stud.   [player_tooltip player_id='1685496' first='Jerome' last='Toby'] Lummi   The point guard from Lummi Nation is a smart player who does well in pick and rolls, has just enough finishing ability over bigger players to score inside, and shoots it well enough to space the floor.   [player_tooltip player_id='1612212' first='Dominic' last='Navarre'] Zillah   Navarre is a big-time athlete whose physicality and presence around the rim can make an impact on any given night. He runs the floor hard, gets involved in almost every play, and still has a lot of potential to improve that jumper and develop some more finesse to his game.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Slightly Bigger Small-Town Prospects (Population <8,000)</h3>   [player_tooltip player_id='1450943' first='Julian' last='Ibarra'] Quincy   A patient, prodding player who uses his pivots well, has soft touch from the mid-range and in, and attacks with timing to hit defenders when they are most vulnerable. He is improving from 3-point range and shows his IQ on the defensive end.   [player_tooltip player_id='1450933' first='Xavier' last='Santana'] Great Futures Prep   He's at Great Futures Prep now, but his roots go back to Clarkston where Santana was one of the top small-town prospects in the state. He's still one of the top guards in his class and gets a chance to reel in more offers like the one from Weber State, as he lines up against a higher level of competition this season.   [player_tooltip player_id='1612206' first='Aidan' last='Bews'] Quincy   An athletic combo forward, Bews has shown he can get it done with strength and power inside, but he's also been improving his footwork down low and expanding that range behind the arc. This will be a big season for Bews to show that next step.   [player_tooltip player_id='1451028' first='Koby' last='McClure'] Prosser   McClure is an exciting playmaker who helped Prosser take a big step forward last season and challenge for one of the top spots in 2A. He's got superior floor-vision and feel but also shows that dog to take it himself in big spots.

The U.S. Census defines a small town as having less than 5,000 people. To find the best small-town prospects, I went league by league to pinpoint the top prospects from the smallest towns in Washington. Of course, many towns qualified but I decided to go way out there to highlight players from the most remote towns. Then I added a few prospects from bigger, but still small towns who represent some of the high-level talent from the state.