Postseason Favorites: Class 3A

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Postseason play has begun as teams are striving to get to the state tournament. Here are some teams who are favorites to win it all in their classes, in my eyes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><strong>Rainier Beach HS</strong></em>: Current Record: 16-0</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Beach has been the 3A favorite all season long, having the top player in the country in [player_tooltip player_id='1702934' first='Tyran' last='Stokes']. He's an elite level that has talent we don't see often. Top freshman in the country [player_tooltip player_id='2194480' first='JJ' last='Crawford'] has continued to show he's a top player in the country by having an elite jumper and defending at a high level. [player_tooltip player_id='2393367' first='Kametrius' last='Babbs'], Achillies Reyna, Micah Ill-Meneese, and [player_tooltip player_id='2388404' first='Wesley' last='Armstrong'] are other high level players. They could end the season without a loss.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><strong>O'Dea HS</strong></em>: Current Record: 16-2</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>O'Dea has played fantastic all season long, competing with high level teams and being able to easy run through most of the teams in their conference. [player_tooltip player_id='1685492' first='Brian' last='Webster'] is a D1 level player who has a lot of varsity experience, especially in the postseason. [player_tooltip player_id='2021610' first='Peyton' last='Brooks'] is another senior who leads this team and can get buckets smoothly. [player_tooltip player_id='2726719' first='Josiah' last='Bowman'] adds length down low, as well as athleticism. [player_tooltip player_id='2384357' first='Gene' last='Woodard III'] is another impactful player for the Fighting Irish. They have played Beach twice during the regular season, dropping both games but losing by a combined 13 points. They lost to Beach again in the start of the postseason, so it seems like they only have 1 team that they need to show they can beat. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Auburn Mountainview:</em></strong> Current Record: 17-4</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This team is in a tough NPSL 3A, with 3 teams tied at the top of the conference with the season ending. Auburn Mountainview has [player_tooltip player_id='2726672' first='Kolven' last='Posey'], a guard in his senior year who people continue to sleep on. He's a three level scorer who brings energy to the court and plays with his heart on his sleeve. His shot from deep can catch fire and really get his team going. [player_tooltip player_id='2629635' first='Jarrick' last='Matthews'] is a lengthy wing who can stretch the floor to hit deep shots and dominate inside the paint with his elite footwork. They are a quick team who scores a lot and could be tough to stop if they find their groove. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Bellarmine Prep</em></strong>: Current Record: 20-2</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This team has rolled 20 straight wins since dropping their first two games to some tough 4A squads. They have yet to lose a conference game, only being tested by Lincoln in those games. They also pulled off some nice non-conference wins against Annie Wright and Bellevue. [player_tooltip player_id='2827909' first='Ben' last='Heisel'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2827908' first='Birk' last='Johnston'] are some impactful seniors for this squad while [player_tooltip player_id='2140855' first='Ronnie' last='Wiggins'] also is a key player, being able to get buckets at a high level and compete with the best of the best in the 3A class. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Monroe HS</em></strong>: Current Record: 17-3</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This Monroe team was a favorite of mine heading into the season before it started a few months ago. The transfer of Chayce Waite Kellar had me a little skeptical about being one of the best in the whole 3A class but boy was I wrong. [player_tooltip player_id='2021609' first='Caleb' last='Campbell'] is a true bucket getter and a really high level defender, being able to guard the opposing teams best player and do so smoothly. [player_tooltip player_id='2028908' first='Isaiah' last='Kiehl'] has stepped up as another guard who can get buckets and facilitate this offense. [player_tooltip player_id='2021626' first='Wyatt' last='Prohn'] has also been getting better each and every year, knowing exactly what he needs to do to help his team win. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><strong>Edmonds Woodway HS</strong></em>: Current Record: 20-2</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Edmonds Woodway came into the season with a senior core of [player_tooltip player_id='2205069' first='William' last='Alseth'], Dennis Karl, and [player_tooltip player_id='2173102' first='Julian' last='Gray']. Alseth is a lengthy wing who has constantly gotten more well rounded on both ends and consistently plays to a high level every game. Karl is a tough, physical guard who provided veteran leadership to this team. Gray is a physical wing who rebounds well and fills his role nicely. He is athletic and can get buckets but also stays patient and lets the game come to him. [player_tooltip player_id='2384271' first='Grant' last='Williams'], a current junior, is another player who has really stepped up big for EW. He has a smooth lefty shot and has the confidence to let it fly from anywhere on the court, being a true 3 level scorer. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->