3A/2A Wesco League Preview - Early Favorites

With regular season hoops over a month away from returning, we still have a solid idea of where the top schools in the 16-school Wesco league stack up against each other, and where they may end up in the 22'-23' standings. In this article, I'll break down some of the top threats:   2021-22' Season Rewind:   Arguably, The key storyline from last season was the Mountlake Terrace Hawks and their sixth place finish at the Tacoma Dome back in March. With 6-foot dynamo point guard Jefferey Anyimah (George Fox University) leading MLT past Kelso and Timberline, before the Hawks fell to Mt. Spokane in the semifinals and ultimately lost to Garfield in the fourth place game.   Shorecrest seemed to be the Wesco favorite for most of last season, with lead senior guard Elijah Johnson (Howard University) putting up crazy scoring numbers on a weekly basis and then junior [player_tooltip player_id='1416316' first='Parker' last='Baumann'] playing at an All-League level as well. The cards didn't fall their way last year as the Scots got bounced by Kelso in the regional play-in. Shorecrest should still be in the running as an early favorite after reloading over the summer.   Arlington was the other Wesco school which made it past the district tourney, taking out Evergreen in the play-in, and falling to Ferris at the end of regionals behind a deep roster headlined by first-team all league choice Ethan Martin (now graduated).   Returning all-league players:   First Team -- [player_tooltip player_id='1416317' first='Devin' last='Gilbert'] (Cascade, sr.); [player_tooltip player_id='923126' first='Daniel' last='Savovic'] (Everett, sr.); [player_tooltip player_id='1416316' first='Parker' last='Baumann'] (Shorecrest, sr.)   Second Team -- Bubba Palacol (Marysville-Getchell, soph.); [player_tooltip player_id='1450955' first='Anthony' last='Najera'] (Shorecrest, jr.); [player_tooltip player_id='1560527' first='Stevie' last='Kuhnle'] Jr. (Monroe, sr.); [player_tooltip player_id='1450954' first='Isaiah' last='White'] (Everett, jr.); [player_tooltip player_id='1450489' first='Zaveon' last='Jones'] (Mountlake Terrace, jr.)   Honorable Mention -- [player_tooltip player_id='1313803' first='Keegan' last='Williams'] (Lynnwood, sr.)   Early favorites:   Everett Seagulls   Last season's record: 11-11 overall, 10-7 in league   After a middling season overall, Everett is my pick to make the biggest leap of any team in the conference, and could very well end up taking the crown with the collection of talent the group has. The Gulls' may have the deepest team in the league, and they pair that with a ton of athleticism and scoring ability. 6-foot-6 senior [player_tooltip player_id='1425653' first='Hayden' last='Conaxis'], who was left off the all-league teams last year, figures to be in for a breakout season as a rim protector and floor runner who can stretch the floor from deep.   The returning guard duo of senior [player_tooltip player_id='923126' first='Daniel' last='Savovic'] and junior [player_tooltip player_id='1450954' first='Isaiah' last='White'] could do some damage together in the backcourt, along with a long 2024 two-way wing [player_tooltip player_id='1612214' first='Mo' last='Jaiteh'], who could make a big impact in his first taste of varsity playing time with the squad.   In addition, there's a pesky off-ball guard in Ty Bloomfield (2024) and 6'3 pogo stick [player_tooltip player_id='1587979' first='Isaiah' last='Parker'] (2023). Both of those guys slot in easily as glue guys. It's a long season, but Everett should be considered a favorite as we get closer to the start.   Shorecrest Scots   Last season's record: 20-4, 16-3 in league   With two key losses to the roster in Eljiah Johnson and Newton Pepple, the Scots main corps will look a bit different this time around, but Shorecrest remains one of the more talented programs in Wesco. Returning 6'5 guard [player_tooltip player_id='1416316' first='Parker' last='Baumann'] is in line for another huge year after a first-team all-league nod, averaging 20 ppg, 9 rpg, and 6 apg.   Senior all-around guard [player_tooltip player_id='1560528' first='Keaine' last='Silimon'] figures to be leaned on heavily to provide some stability in the backcourt and is an all-league candidate as well. Shorecrest's newest addition, junior sharpshooter [player_tooltip player_id='1450955' first='Anthony' last='Najera'], who transferred over from Marysville-Gethell, adds another element to the Scots squad on the perimeter.   Even with some talent leaving this roster due to graduation, The Scots seem to have filled some gaps they lost from last year, and should remain one of the top teams in the league.   Mountlake Terrace Hawks   Last season's record: 19-5 overall, 13-3 in league   The loss of speedy floor general Jeffrey Anyimah might be one of the biggest hurdles the Hawks have to get over this season. The 6-foot PG brought a lot to the teams state tournament run, along with 6'4 post Adison Maddix, who brought rebounding and physicality. Junior swingman [player_tooltip player_id='1450563' first='Jaxon' last='Dubiel'] should be getting a lot more responsibilities with the ball in his hands after improving over the AAU season.   Returning lefty senior Chris Meegan figures to be setting up the offense, while junior forward [player_tooltip player_id='1450489' first='Zaveon' last='Jones'] looks to build off his breakout sophomore season, where he asserted himself as a force on the low block, posting 14 ppg and 7 boards a night, proving to be a matchup problem with his size.   Terrace was one of the more consistent teams in the league last season, and even with some tough blows in terms of returning personnel, the group's outlook is still strong as the season creeps closer.   Archbishop Murphy Wildcats   Last season's record: 7-13 overall, 6-8 in league   AMHS is perhaps the biggest dark horse team in Wesco this year. The Wildcats struggled to get things going in the wins column last season. Archbishop will be without the graduated Ben Snider (second team all-league), but have some up-and-coming names to anchor them this year.   Garnering a few D-III offers over the summer, 23' guard [player_tooltip player_id='1439270' first='Luke' last='Blachly'] seems ready to make the leap this season. Fundamentally sound on both ends of the floor, and sporting a reliable jumper, he could end up being the main scoring option for AMHS. incoming 6'7 sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1451024' first='Mateen' last='Usui'] has one of the biggest upsides of any player in Wesco. Still young and growing into his body after shooting up in height over the summer, his development as a finisher and as a high-potential defender will be key for the Cats' if they want to serious damage in the Wesco standings.   If the rest of the roster can find ways to step up, don't be surprised if we see Archbishop close to the top of the league.   Other candidates for top spots: Arlington, Stanwood, Cascade

With regular season hoops over a month away from returning, we still have a solid idea of where the top schools in the 16-school Wesco league stack up against each other, and where they may end up in the 22'-23' standings. In this article, I'll break down some of the top threats: