2A State Tournament Power Rankings

<p>Now that the brackets are set, let's take a look at how the teams stack up, who are some players to watch, and where I see each team's chances of winning it all land in the field of 16.</p>   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">1. Lynden 24-1 (15-0)</h3>   <p><em>District 1 Runner-Up, NWC League Champions, #1 Seed</em></p>   <p>Led by Senior [player_tooltip player_id='1696692' first='Brant' last='Heppner'], Lynden brings a well-rounded squad into the tournament. After spending most of the season undefeated, they fell to Lakewood in the District Championship. The Lions still sit atop these power rankings as one of the favorites to take home the 2A title but there is plenty of competition waiting for them. They have size, shooting, ballhandling, and remain one of the strongest teams heading to Yakima.</p>   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">2. R.A. Long 22-1 (13-1)</h3>   <p><em>District 4 Champions, GSHL 2A League Champions, #2 Seed</em></p>   <p>The Jacks are another team with plenty of weapons. They boast League Co-MVP [player_tooltip player_id='2307318' first='Rhet' last='Young'], a big presence down low at 6-foot-9 who will pose a tough matchup for most squads. They have 1st-team all-league guard [player_tooltip player_id='2300050' first='Josh' last='Crane'] who has shown explosive ability on both ends of the floor. And they have three 2nd-team all-league players (<strong>Payton Thill</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2878369' first='Landon' last='Irwin']</strong>, [player_tooltip player_id='1863243' first='Cam' last='Newsome']) who showcase the Jacks' incredible depth and balanced attack.</p>   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">3. Bremerton 18-5 (12-2)</h3>   <p><em>District 3 Champions, Olympic League Champions, #3 Seed</em></p>   <p>Bremerton is cruising after a slow start to the year, rattling off 15 wins in their last 17 games. Sophomore stud [player_tooltip player_id='2375385' first='Jalen' last='Davis'] put the state on notice at last year's tournament and has been a menace all season long, proving to be one of the top players in the state. The Knights have plenty of other ballers though. Freshman <strong>Jaydon Turner</strong> is a name to watch. A quick guard who can handle the rock and put pressure on defenses. They also have plenty of size up front with Senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2819504' first='Frank' last='Allen']</strong> (6-foot-6), Junior <strong>Frank Lomuda</strong> (6-foot-8), and Freshman [player_tooltip player_id='2544176' first='Jay' last='Beahan'] (6-foot-10).</p>   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">4. Selah 19-4 (13-3)</h3>   <p><em>District 5 Champions, #5 Seed</em></p>   <p>Selah is a sneaky pick to win it all this year. They only lost to two different 2A teams this year, one being Prosser (whom they've since beaten twice this month and three times this season) and the other being Grandview (who was eliminated in the District 5/6 Crossover Saturday). [player_tooltip player_id='1696634' first='Jackson' last='Pepper'] is one of the most electric scorers/facilitators in all of 2A. They have guys around him who can stretch the floor, and they have two forwards ([player_tooltip player_id='2375359' first='Jaiden' last='Alexander'], [player_tooltip player_id='2375434' first='Eli' last='Wright']) who are double-double threats and give them balance on the interior.</p>   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">5. Prosser 19-7 (13-3)</h3>   <p><em>District 5/6 Qualifier, #10 seed</em></p>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1451028' first='Koby' last='McClure'] is on a mission this year, but the CWAC MVP has a longer road to go as the 10-seeded Prosser Mustangs begin their state tournament. McClure has been a scoring machine, using guile and patience around the paint to lose defenders with pivots, ball fakes, and smooth footwork. Prosser also has some smaller but pesky guards who bring quickness and shooting to the floor, and a couple of strong forwards who can defend inside. But it all comes back to McClure in the end and he has the ability to take this team on a real ride at the Sun Dome.</p>   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">6. Lakewood 18-6 (11-4)</h3>   <p><em>District 1 Champions, #6 Seed</em></p>   <p>The Cougars are riding high after having dealt Lynden their only loss of the season so far, clinching the District 1 title in a 50-49 victory last Wednesday. Lakewood is led by junior [player_tooltip player_id='2622822' first='Caleb' last='Greenland'], a strong guard who leads them in scoring. He is a kid who can score in a lot of ways, and has a smooth shot from outside but also the size and physicality to win with paint drives. Their defense can get it going at times too. They haven't allowed more than 49 points in a game this postseason.</p>   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">7. West Valley (Spokane) 20-3 (11-1)</h3>   <p><em>District 5/6 Qualifier, #4 Seed</em></p>   <p>The 4-seeded Eagles are an interesting squad. Their best wins this year were Pullman (2x), North Central (2x), and Central Valley. Then they upset one of the 2A favorites in the District 5/6 Crossover, knocking out Grandview in their second-highest scoring effort of the year (75 points), and earning a top-four seed at the tournament. They do have a pair of dynamic guards in [player_tooltip player_id='2674683' first='Nathan' last='Zettle'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2717080' first='Will' last='Busse'], both can run the show, and create off the bounce, and Zettle in particular is an excellent shooter. </p>   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">8. Mark Morris 21-4 (11-3)</h3>   <p><em>District 4 Runner-Up, #8 Seed</em></p>   <p>Athletic wing [player_tooltip player_id='2717103' first='Dalton' last='Stevens'] has been a big name for the Monarchs this season. He finds ways to score from each level but really punishes defenses with his downhill drives. Point Guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2827925' first='Drew' last='Ibarreta'] </strong>provides some shooting and playmaking, while <strong>Carson Bogner </strong>is an undersized inside presence who works hard around the rim. They beat some tough teams but never quite got over the R.A. Long hump. Let's see how they fare as the 8-seed in Yakima.</p>   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">9. Foster 18-7 (9-1)</h3>   <p><em>District 2 Champions, Kingco Lake League Champions, #7 Seed</em></p>   <p>This is a dangerous Foster team with pace, athleticism, and the ability to turn offenses over. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='1451032' first='Jeremiah' last='White'] leads the Bulldogs with his scoring and defensive acumen. He's also got the unique perspective of playing in last year's 3A title game in Tacoma. Freshman guard [player_tooltip player_id='2625610' first='Myjeer' last='Rigney'] is another playmaker for Foster who can really go. He's a frustrating on-ball defender who's also shown some creativity to get to the hoop and draw fouls. Not a ton of people talking about this squad but they could make some noise in Yakima.</p>   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">10. Columbia River 18-5 (11-3)</h3>   <p><em>District 4 Qualifier, #11 Seed</em></p>   <p>Columbia River has some impressive wins on the year. They beat 3A state tournament qualifier Prairie. They are the lone team to take down R.A. Long this season. They beat Ridgefield three times, and they took down 1A 6-seed Seton Catholic. It's a very even attack for the Rapids. They have three players scoring over 12 ppg, led by senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1692247' first='Ari' last='Richardson'] (15.3). They have multiple guys who can handle the ball and attack gaps and are a team that has really excelled in speeding the game up at times. They are a tough 11-seed and showcase the depth at this 2A tournament.</p>   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">11. Franklin Pierce 19-4 (11-0)</h3>   <p><em>District 3 Runner-Up, SPSL 2A League Champions, #12 Seed</em></p>   <p>Led by senior [player_tooltip player_id='1450984' first='Javon' last='Barbee'] (28.4 ppg), the Cardinals from Franklin Pierce have some eye-popping size and athleticism that can overwhelm teams around the rim and when they get going in transition. If Barbee can get good looks outside and keep the opposing defenses from sinking in and limiting them to one shot, the Cards should be a tough out. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2726701' first='Hakeen' last='Collins'] </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2819515' first='Jimrac' last='Newmann-Godful'] </strong>will be key guys who can pose serious mismatches as well.</p>   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">12. Bainbridge 18-5 (11-3)</h3>   <p><em>District 3 Qualifier, #13 Seed</em></p>   <p>Bainbridge comes in as the 13-seed, but after starting the year 2-3, they've won 16 of their last 18, losing only to Bremerton, a team they also beat to start that string of strong play. Freshman [player_tooltip player_id='2628458' first='Ryan' last='Rohrbacher'] is a deep threat teams know they can't let get going. Senior <strong>Charlie Hill </strong>is an all-league performer who works his tail off and can be a pest around the paint. They also have some strength up from with <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2819507' first='Luca' last='Scheltens'] </strong>and a promising freshman point guard ([player_tooltip player_id='2548208' first='Joe' last='Colagrossi']) to back up senior PG [player_tooltip player_id='1662790' first='Luke' last='Johnson']. They have the weapons to make a run, but they'll have to be at their best to make it out of Regionals and take that trip to the Sun Dome.</p>   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">13. Lindbergh 15-10 (7-2)</h3>   <p><em>District 2 Qualifier, #16 Seed</em></p>   <p>The last seed in the tournament, Lindbergh has had their ups and downs this year but when they are on, they have some game-changing length and athleticism that separate them from a lot of teams headed to Yakima. Junior James Huff is a perfect example of that. The 6-foot-7 wing was both MVP of the Kingco Lake League and Defensive POY. He averaged an astounding 4.3 bpg to go with 2.2 spg while scoring 16.6 ppg. The eagles also have some pace with guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2816999' first='John' last='Chuol']</strong> who can make plays to the rim and set up teammates (4.1 apg), and they have another long wing in [player_tooltip player_id='2616640' first='Suheyb' last='Hassan'] who can get going from 3-point range.</p>   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">14. Renton 7-18 (3-9)</h3>   <p><em>District 2 Runner-Up, #14 Seed</em></p>   <p>Seven wins doesn't seem like enough to warrant a trip to the state tournament but a closer look at the lone 2A team in the Kingco Crown League shows this Renton squad has the talent to play with anyone at this 2A tournament. They played 15 games against 4A/3A teams, going 4-11, including a win over Issaquah, a 9-point loss to Mount Si, a three-point loss to Liberty, and a two-point loss to Bellevue. Quick guard [player_tooltip player_id='1450992' first='Jordan' last='Agosto'] is a handful on both ends of the floor, and their athletic wings ([player_tooltip player_id='2548252' first='Jalen' last='Taylor'], [player_tooltip player_id='2140829' first='Juice' last='White-Kelley']) are a twitchy duo who can make an impact around the paint. They could surprise some people unfamiliar with their game.</p>   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">15. Sequim 19-4 (12-2)</h3>   <p><em>District 3 Qualifier, #9 Seed</em></p>   <p>Sequim is the 9-seed rolling into regionals, and while they have wins over Lindbergh, Bainbridge, and Bremerton, the Wolves rely heavily on a couple of their players ([player_tooltip player_id='2726766' first='Solomon' last='Sheppard'], [player_tooltip player_id='2729711' first='Jericho' last='Julmist']). And when teams take even just one of those guys out of the game it makes it really hard for the Wolves to keep pace offensively. They match up with Lindbergh this Friday at the University of Puget Sound. </p>   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">16. Ridgefield 15-8 (9-5)</h3>   <p><em>District 4 Qualifier, #15 Seed</em></p>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2275956' first='Jamison' last='McCann'] is the big name at Ridgefield. He's put up some gaudy scoring numbers throughout the year, but Ridgefield has failed to take down some of the 2A giants in their loaded league schedule aside from one win against Mark Morris in December. They have three blowout losses to Columbia River and two 20+ point losses to R.A. Long. If the Spudders are to make a run, they'll need the best McCann has to give and big games from all-leaguer <strong>Jack Hughes</strong>.</p>

Now that the brackets are set, let's take a look at how the teams stack up, who are some players to watch, and where I see each team's chances of winning it all land in the field of 16.