Next Up: Players ready to shine

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2024 class was talented from top to bottom with a ton of players advancing to play college basketball at some level. Now with summer here, it's time for players to step up and take the spots of the top players in 2024 who graduated.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1450484' first='Jacob' last='Cofie'] was by far the best player in the entire state last season for Eastside Catholic, winning the state championship. While the squad will miss his talents, [player_tooltip player_id='1685489' first='Yeabsera' last='Aklog'] is going to step right into the role of being the prominent post player for the squad and will dominate in that role. Achilles Reyes is also another player who has great length and skill who will have a bigger role with the squad too.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1450490' first='Anthony' last='Canales'] was a three time state champion / three straight time tournament MVP, I am not sure if you can really replace that. He is the all time leading scorer at Lynden and it is going to be impossible to expect someone to replace that fully. I think Lynden will still be a top team with talented 2026 wings [player_tooltip player_id='2021650' first='Malachi' last='Bowman'] and Ty Jorgensen stepping into bigger roles. The Lions are also losing point guard Brady Elsner, who is the all time assist leader for the history of the school. Someone not many people know now but will know is [player_tooltip player_id='2835606' first='Gordy' last='Bedlington']. He is a shifty guard who sees the floor well and has great first instincts.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1612262' first='Luke' last='Allison'] was a big 6'8" post player who could do it all for Gig Harbor. He will be headed to Eastern Oregon University to continue his basketball journey and will be a tough player to replace. [player_tooltip player_id='1601813' first='Michael' last='Masini'] is exactly the player to help do so. He is a 6'6" wing who can play inside or out, being able to knock down deep shot at a high rate. His footwork in the paint is impressive too, being advanced for his age. He is only getting better and better each time he is on the court, getting a better feel for the game and having more confidence.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1612212' first='Dominic' last='Navarre'] was a dominate post who ran the court in transition well, filling holes perfectly and finishing around the rim nicely. Zillah was led by Nic to a perfect record, winning the 1A state championship but they won't be missing a step next year thanks to the likes of Dekker Van de Graaf and company. Dekker knows how to score from all 3 levels and played a big role on the squad last year during their state championship run. He is ready to step into the leadership role and will be a big reason why Zillah is a top team once again.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Curtis is losing another superstar, just like last season when Zoom Diallo and [player_tooltip player_id='1984489' first='Tyce' last='Peterson'] left the squad. [player_tooltip player_id='1450566' first='Devin' last='Whitten'] last season stepped right into the leadership role and absolutely dominated the entire season, winning conference MVP and leading Curtis to a great season. [player_tooltip player_id='2173760' first='Keaundre' last='Morris'] will be ready to step into tha ball dominate role for Curtis. He has great feel for the game, having elite change of pace and ability to attack the rim smoothly and knock down jumpers efficiently. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->