4A Tournament Power Rankings (#1-8)

The 4A tournament gets underway tonight as four of the 16 tournament teams go at it in the opening round. It is a deep field of teams that should surely lead to an exciting ride. I've gone through and ranked each team based on several factors (record, key wins, league title, district title) and taken into account my own impressions watching each team throughout the year. Here is how the teams stack up, starting off with the top eight teams in the 4A tournament.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">1. Glacier Peak 21-2 (12-0) RPI #2</h3>   District 1/2 Champions, Wesco 4A League Champions, #3 Seed   Next Game: West Valley   The Grizzlies are on a two-year run of 46-6. Led by senior [player_tooltip player_id='1450981' first='Josiah' last='Lee'], they showed the state just how good they can be at last year's tournament by placing third. With just about every key player returning, they have continued their strong run of play and know what it takes to make another deep run. Lee is their guy. He can score the rock from all over and has the ability to take over a game. The pieces around him have had another year to mature and learn from last year's run. Point Guard [player_tooltip player_id='1927274' first='Reed' last='Nagel'] is a scrappy guard who defends at a high level and makes all the little plays that add up over the course of a game. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='2415721' first='Jayce' last='Nelson'] is another player who makes his impact in a lot of ways and has also become a more efficient and reliable scorer. Big man [player_tooltip player_id='2375333' first='Zach' last='Albright'] is another key piece who can rack up double-doubles on his effort alone and is one of the better rebounders in the tournament. They have wins over both Arlington (twice) and Mount Si, and their only in-state loss was a 1-point loss to 11-seed Kentwood. They are a dangerous team who won't have an easy path but are ready to make a run at a title, starting with West Valley tonight.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">2. Auburn 23-1 (13-1) RPI #4</h3>   District 3/4 Champions, NPSL 4A League Champions, #2 Seed   Next Game: Mount Si   Auburn's success this season can't be understated. They lost the best player in the state before the year and went on to have a 23-1 season. Numerous players have stepped up, namely NPSL MVP [player_tooltip player_id='1984463' first='Carter' last='Hansen'] and junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2021598' first='Daniel' last='Johnson']. These two have been a dynamic backcourt who can shoot, create off the bounce, and have shown great toughness at the rim and locking up defensively. Forward [player_tooltip player_id='2391500' first='Isaiah' last='Englund'] is another name to watch for the Trojans. He has been getting tougher around the rim and using that length to disrupt shots, but he can also step out every now and then and drop in a 3-ball. The rest of the team has bought into Coach Hansen's vision of team defense and offensive execution. They're allowing 50 points per game this season, and that defensive consistency has been impressive as they've let just six teams reach the 60-point mark, and only one squad touch 70.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">3. Gonzaga Prep 22-2 (9-0) RPI #1</h3>   District 6 Champs, GSL 3A/4A League Champions, #1 Seed   Next Game: Puyallup   The Bullpups claim the top seed in the 4A tournament, going undefeated in the state this year without two of their best and biggest players ([player_tooltip player_id='1685504' first='Dylynn' last='Groves'], [player_tooltip player_id='1631550' first='Nate' last='Christy']). They have three impressive slashing and scoring guards ([player_tooltip player_id='1984490' first='Brogan' last='Howell'], [player_tooltip player_id='2827868' first='Ryan' last='Carney'], [player_tooltip player_id='1631543' first='Hudson' last='Floyd']) who have been the catalysts for them on both ends. Each plays with toughness and a relentless effort that gets G-Prep playing with pace and pressure on both sides of the floor. [player_tooltip player_id='2622806' first='Carter' last='Nilson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2827870' first='Jackson' last='Mott'] are their key guys up front, and although they lack a little size, they fight for an advantage with positioning and are mobile enough to switch onto guards while their own guards are tough and scrappy enough to fight against bigs.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">4. Richland 23-1 (16-0) RPI #3</h3>   District 6 Runner-Up, MCC League Champions, #4 Seed   Next Game: Camas   The Bombers have one of the best duos to enter the tournament with the athletic and sharpshooting [player_tooltip player_id='1685503' first='Landen' last='Northrop'] (26.7 ppg) and the long and strong [player_tooltip player_id='2375347' first='Lance' last='Horntvedt'] (23.7 ppg). Either one is capable of exploding for massive scoring games, both can stretch the floor, and they've proven they can outthwart defenses all season. They have three guys who are in the top five in assists in the MCC, Northop (4.5), Hortnvedt (3.7), and sophomore point guard [player_tooltip player_id='2739561' first='Jackson' last='Woodard'] (3.3). [player_tooltip player_id='2726666' first='Josiah' last='Scacco'] is a long wing who brings hustle, rebounding, and defensive versatility. They just about ran the table in District 5/6 until suffering a four-point loss to Gonzaga Prep. This is a group keen on finishing the job after placing second at last year's tournament.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">5. Camas 20-5 (8-1) RPI #5</h3>   District 3/4 Runner-Up, GSHL 4A League Champions, #5 Seed   Next Game: Richland   Camas has one of the top players in the tournament in junior forward [player_tooltip player_id='1863196' first='Ethan' last='Harris']. He's a unique player among the rest of the top guys though, standing 6-foot-8 and showcasing the ability to affect the game inside and out. He teams up with senior point guard [player_tooltip player_id='1450988' first='Jace' last='Vanvoorhis'] to lead the Papermakers. Vanvoorhis is a kid who whips the ball around with outstanding vision and anticipation, but he can also score the rock inside and out. They have the top-end talent to compete for a title and will need the surrounding players to be on their game in Tacoma. All-league senior guards [player_tooltip player_id='2205036' first='Cade' last='Washington'] and Nyima Namru will play key roles, cashing in on open shots and helping out with playmaking, while senior wing [player_tooltip player_id='2458311' first='Channing' last='Nesland'] will be relied on to help Harris up front. They had a big win over Olympia in the district playoffs and a narrow loss to Auburn in the district title game, so they're tuned up and ready to make a statement in Tacoma.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">6. Mount Si 19-7 (9-3) RPI #8</h3>   District 1/2 Runner-Up, #7 Seed   Next Game: Auburn   The defending champions come in at number six in these rankings and were right up among the favorites to repeat until top 2026 guard [player_tooltip player_id='1685491' first='Lattimore' last='Ford'] got injured. You can't replace a player like Ford, but even without him in their last three games, the Wildcats have beaten Lake Washington and Arlington and were just one shot away from beating Glacier Peak. [player_tooltip player_id='2021624' first='Brady' last='Hennig'] is another top 2026 who has taken an even bigger role since Ford went down, but Mount Si has a bunch of other guys picking up the slack and proving they are still a team to watch. Two other guards to watch are senior [player_tooltip player_id='1850529' first='Jake' last='Bonnofsky'] and Auburn transfer [player_tooltip player_id='1863247' first='Chase' last='Mentink']. They bring a ton of pace and two-way ability to the floor and have been key guys helping to score the rock in recent games. [player_tooltip player_id='2827881' first='Hudson' last='Moscrip'], [player_tooltip player_id='2726655' first='Jimmy' last='Pratapas'], and [player_tooltip player_id='2835553' first='Drenden' last='Knaevelsrud'] are all key guys in their rotation who help fill in the gaps.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">7. Puyallup 20-6 (13-3) RPI #9</h3>   District 3/4 Qualifier, SPSL 4A North League Champions, #8 Seed   Next Game: Gonzaga Prep   Puyallup is a sneaky team that could end up placing pretty high at this year's tournament. SPSL North MVP [player_tooltip player_id='1696693' first='Drew' last='Jones'] is an electric do-it-all guard who has the athleticism, toughness, and scoring punch to put this team over the top in tight contests. They have three wins this season over 13-seed Emerald Ridge and a win over 12-seed Lake Washington, and they played two competitive games in losses to Olympia (62-53) and Auburn (62-57). [player_tooltip player_id='1685506' first='Will' last='Nasinec'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1863244' first='Mason' last='Sonntag'] provide some length up front and are solid around the rim on both ends. [player_tooltip player_id='2375350' first='Lawson' last='Looker'] gives them another electric ballhandler and ball defender who can swing momentum and create some havoc with his quickness. This is a team that can play at various paces and should give top-seeded Gonzaga Prep a good challenge in their game Saturday afternoon.   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">8. Olympia 21-4 (15-1) RPI #12</h3>   District 3/4 Qualifier, SPSL 4A South League Champions, #10 Seed   Next Game: North Creek   Olympia coming in as the 10-seed really gives a good indication of how deep this field is. They've been pretty consistently solid all season, with wins over Emerald Ridge, Puyallup, and Kentwood. Senior guard and league MVP [player_tooltip player_id='1485541' first='Matt' last='Lindblom'] leads the way as a big-time shot-maker and was also their league's co-defensive player of the year. They have five more seniors and three juniors, including guards [player_tooltip player_id='2458323' first='Julian' last='Zapata'], an athletic slasher who operates as a secondary scorer, and big guard [player_tooltip player_id='1631551' first='Blake' last='Peterson'], who plays tough on the glass and defense while providing some inside scoring. This team has plenty of depth with sophomores [player_tooltip player_id='2140805' first='Brian' last='Stevenson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2140813' first='Elijah' last='Buol'], and juniors [player_tooltip player_id='2021638' first='Brody' last='Cronk'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2021636' first='Keegan' last='Bell']. They'll get a good test against [player_tooltip player_id='2021596' first='Carter' last='Cohen'] and North Creek, but the boys from down south will be a tough out against any team in this tournament.

The 4A tournament gets underway tonight as four of the 16 tournament teams go at it in the opening round. It is a deep field of teams that should surely lead to an exciting ride. I've gone through and ranked each team based on several factors (record, key wins, league title, district title) and taken into account my own impressions watching each team throughout the year. Here is how the teams stack up, starting off with the top eight teams in the 4A tournament.