Last Weekend's Sophomore Standouts

As the school year comes to a close we get to start thinking of the transition these players are making from freshmen to sophomores, sophomores to juniors, and juniors to seniors. In this article, I'm looking at some of the top sophomore performers from the weekend's summer league action.   A lot of these kids will make a big jump both mentally and physically this summer as they prepare for their junior seasons and if this weekend is any indicator, they are already well on their way. Here are this weekend's standouts from the 2025 class.   G | [player_tooltip player_id='1444804' first='Arion' last='Palacol'] | 5'11 | Marysville Getchell   His progress has been fun to watch over the past year. Saturday he showed off some great IQ, evading pressure with the ball, anticipating double-teams, and feeling defenders before they came.   F | [player_tooltip player_id='1631552' first='Wyatt' last='Harris'] | 6'3 | Marysville Getchell   Harris is a guy I've been keeping an eye on from a distance for the last year or so. He has some good scoring potential, showing some promise as a 3-point shooter but also using a good combo of strength and touch around the paint. He showed some good progress inside this weekend and is a guy to keep tabs on for next winter.   <img class="wp-image-1981217" style="width: 150px" src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/06/IMG_7580-rotated-crop-2753x1808-1686007652.jpeg" alt="">G | Josiah Gopaul | 6'3 | Cascade Christian   He was Cascade Christian's "guy" on Sunday. He created a ton of opportunities with the dribble and was able to get the offensive going with penetration in the half-court. He showed some good patience working the pick-and-roll, either bursting to the rim or finding tight passing windows to rollers.   <img class="wp-image-1981218" style="width: 150px" src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/06/IMG_7583-rotated-crop-2753x1808-1686007705.jpeg" alt="">G | Isaiah McCullough Chavez | 5'8 | Bonney Lake   McCullough Chavez was one of the smaller players on the court but he was also one of the quickest. He was great at changing speeds, getting defenders leaning one way and attacking the other in order to get to the hoop. He hit his free throws and dropped in a couple of shots from behind the arc, looking like a potential impact guy for Bonney Lake this winter.   G | Andrew Vindivich | 5'11 | Stadium   I've gotten to see this kid multiple times this spring and I've been really impressed with the patience and pace he plays at. He sees the floor so well at all times and works to get the ball down the floor quickly and take advantage of defensive lapses. He's always ready to make a play and is a threat every time he touches the ball.   G | Moses Steen-Gix | 6'0 | Stadium   Steen-Gix is another interesting player suiting up for Stadium. He's pretty quick, has a good motor and generally gets involved in 50/50 balls, and has the feel of a real glue guy for the Tigers. He seems to enjoy playing defense and showed some good initiative offensively, though some of his outside shots weren't falling.   G | [player_tooltip player_id='1485587' first='Bryce' last='Smith'] | 6'0 | Bellevue   This guy has come a long way since I first saw him last summer and now looks like a guy ready to command control of the team and lead the way. He came alive in last season's state tournament but looks like he's starting to take another step forward this spring. He's just a heady player across all facets of the game and with his athleticism, he can really make a big splash out there.   <img class="wp-image-1981220" style="width: 150px" src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/06/IMG_7569-rotated-crop-2753x1808-1686007742.jpeg" alt="">F | [player_tooltip player_id='1696695' first='Nick' last='Schanno'] | 6'5 | Seattle Prep   Prep has a lot of talented soon-to-be sophomores and juniors ready to take off. While they have a handful of backcourt players rearing to go, the frontcourt looks to belong to Schanno. I say frontcourt loosely because he has the skills to be a wing player and could be one of the more under-the-radar kids in his class. He can shoot it from distance, has a good enough handle to run the break or get a rebound and go, and is a strong player inside with tons of length.   <img class="wp-image-1981222" style="width: 150px" src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/06/IMG_7567-rotated-crop-2753x1808-1686007786.jpeg" alt="">F | Anthony Washington | 6'4 | Roosevelt   Washington was one of the biggest surprises for me this weekend. His aggression was really impressive as he found what worked and kept attacking it. He was racking up the offensive boards, putting in second-chance buckets, and was a commanding presence offensively, attacking his man from the blocks. He showed some potential to move further away from the rim too and was a tireless worker all game.   F | [player_tooltip player_id='1315356' first='Jordan' last='Boggan-Cryer'] | 6'3 | Eastside Catholic   He has great length and can be an impact defender inside and out. He stays on his feet, makes offensive players take tough shots instead of biting on fakes, and while he won't be the most glamorous player on EC next season, he will fill a pivotal role for a team with big goals.   <img class="wp-image-1981224" style="width: 150px" src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/06/IMG_7574-rotated-crop-2753x1808-1686007825.jpeg" alt="">F | Taylor Mwale | 6'4 | Kennedy Catholic   Mwale was really involved on Saturday, playing great post defense as well as showing good instincts inside on the offensive end. He drew a good amount of fouls, nailed the freebies, and showed a good stroke out to 3-point. He has good length and could be a sneaky player to watch this coming season.   G | Luke Johnson | 6'1 | Eastside Catholic   This guy showed supreme confidence from 3-point land and was hitting almost everything he took out there. He showed a really high IQ out there and wasn't just communicating with teammates, but demanding things from them, and was one of the more locked-in players I watched this weekend. He sees the court well and was an ultra-competitor.   <img class="wp-image-1981225" style="width: 150px" src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/06/IMG_7570-rotated-crop-2753x1808-1686007863.jpeg" alt="">G | [player_tooltip player_id='1251215' first='Alex' last='Elston'] | 6'0 | Eastside Catholic   Elston showed some nice touch hitting shots from the middle of the floor, but he was most impressive recognizing mismatches and taking weaker or smaller guards into the post where he showed good strength sealing and finishing with ease through contests and contact.   G | [player_tooltip player_id='1485543' first='Beckham' last='King'] | 6'7 | Seattle Prep   His length is just different. He's able to shoot over just about anyone that stepped on the court, used it on defense to block shots at the rim, and did a great job keeping the ball high on drives to go over the top of defenders. He's already showing the foundation for a D-1 prospect but once his body fills out and he gets stronger he will absolutely take off.   <img class="wp-image-1981226" style="width: 150px" src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/06/IMG_7564-rotated-crop-2753x1808-1686007903.jpeg" alt="">G | [player_tooltip player_id='1631540' first='Nirvaan' last='Misra'] | 6'3 | Seattle Prep   Misra is a tough-minded and crafty guard who did a great job finding his shots off the dribble and using his quickness to get guys off-balance or running back as he hit the brakes for pull-up jumpers. He has awesome change-of-direction ability and has the right mindset to fight through misses and keep shooting.   <img class="wp-image-1981229" style="width: 150px" src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/06/IMG_7552-rotated-crop-2753x1808-1686007940.jpeg" alt="">G | Laolu Ajasin | 5'11 | Tahoma   I watched Tahoma take on Auburn Mountainview and Ajasin was leading the way in a competitive game. His ability to slash inside and hit tough shots was key to their offensive success. He did a lot going off of the dribble and was able to beat his initial defender for much of the game. He has good length, and although neither team had all of their guys playing, he could find a good role for a deep Tahoma team this winter.   G | [player_tooltip player_id='1850309' first='Sebastian' last='Arius'] | 6'4 | Auburn Mountainview   Seeing his length at work on the perimeter makes me think this kid could be a big riser over the next year. He has disruptive potential as a defender and his shooting range makes him a constant threat on the offensive end. Getting stronger will help him on both sides of the ball as he was a little inconsistent finishing at the rim, but he has big two-way potential.   F | [player_tooltip player_id='1631541' first='Breylon' last='Webb'] | 6'6 | O'Dea   The length he provides is kind of shocking. He's grown a good bit since the last time I watched him play but he looks just as comfortable working from the perimeter as he does around the rim. He's managed to keep a decent handle even with his super long arms and looks like a kid that can cause a lot of problems on both ends, blocking shots, cleaning up misses on the glass, and taking advantage of mismatches against most guards or bigs.   G | [player_tooltip player_id='1587994' first='Mason' last='St Louis'] | 6'2 | Kentwood   The Kentwood lefty did a good job mixing up points of attack, hitting some outside shots, and finding room in the middle of the defense as well. He really excelled at driving to his right and pulling up to hit jump shots and floaters with the left hand.   G | [player_tooltip player_id='1450991' first='Corey' last='Tita'] | 6'3 | Kentwood   When he gets downhill he is an extremely explosive player. His handle is better than I had thought and he has the strength to get through multiple defenders at a time and finish at the rim. Tita has the aggressive attitude to put up a lot of points and could help Kentwood take a step forward next season.   G | Cole Browne | 6'3 | Gig Harbor   Browne looks ready to take the reigns offensively next season. He's decently quick with the ball but has good strength to work his way in between defenders or finish through bodies inside. He also shows a good stroke from the foul line and behind the arc, and could be a breakout player this coming season.

As the school year comes to a close we get to start thinking of the transition these players are making from freshmen to sophomores, sophomores to juniors, and juniors to seniors. In this article, I'm looking at some of the top sophomore performers from the weekend's summer league action.