Answering the tough questions in prep boys basketball

Prolific scorers have reloaded. Bruisers bulked up even more and expanded their skill set. An intriguing transfer from Ohio should make a good squad even better.

These are merely a handful of the many reasons to be excited about the 2008-09 high school boys basketball season, which for most local teams begins early next week. In addition to checking out the rest of our preview -- which includes standout individuals and coaches' predictions -- here are five questions that we will get answers to over the next few months.

1. Can Stanwood rule the Wesco North?

With key returning starters like post Zack Johnson and wing Kale Schmidt, Stanwood is the coaches' favorite in the always-competitive Western Conference North Division. The Spartans ended last season one victory short of a trip to the Class 4A state tournament, where they haven't gone since 2002.

Being considered a division frontrunner is a big change, Stanwood head boys basketball coach Zach Ward said.

"It's a whole different side to look at (but) all we can do is work hard every day. Now people want to knock us off. Before, we might sneak up on people," he said.

With Johnson and Schmidt -- both all-league selections last season as sophomores -- Stanwood has one of the best inside-outside combos in the area. Johnson averaged 13.3 points and 8.8 rebounds per game in 2007-08. Since then he expanded his shooting range and added 15 pounds of muscle.

"Johnson's just a load. He's so strong and he just competes and battles. He's a problem," Snohomish head coach Len Bone said.

In the North, Stanwood will try to dethrone Snohomish, which since 2004-05 has earned at least a share of the division title. Snohomish lost its top seven players, and star guard Brad Shaw is out with a knee injury. (More on Shaw later.)

2. Which team has the best backcourt duo?

The answer is easy, Stanwood's coach said: Jackson guards Ryan Todd and Brett Kingma. Todd, a junior, and Kingma, a sophomore, combined to average nearly 30 points per game last season.

"I can't imagine a better backcourt," Stanwood's Ward said. "Wow. I don't know how you guard that. I'm kind of hoping that if we make districts we miss them."

The Jackson guards are especially dangerous because they're great shooters and ballhandlers, Ward said: "It's hard. Who do you put your best defender on?"

"It usually takes multiple defenders to slow them down," Mariner head coach Dexter Griffen said. "I expect with that, and the other players that they bring back, that they should be contending for the (Wesco South) title."

3. Who is Ayanle Yusuf?

Some impressive dunk contests have happened lately at Mariner boys basketball practices, Griffen said. Two of the top jammers are seniors Damascus Purnell and Tevin Dillon -- a burly 6-foot-4 post and a speedy 6-3 wing, respectively, who this past March helped Mariner reach the 4A state tourney for the second straight year.

Also among the high-flying dunkers is a new guy: Ayanle Yusuf. A transfer from Columbus, Ohio, Yusuf is a 6-4 junior wing whose long arms, solid passing skills and coachable demeanor should make him a multi-faceted contributor for the Marauders, Griffen said.

Mariner, the Wesco South coaches' top pick, returns six varsity-tested players from its 2007-08 squad. The addition of Yusuf, as well as a 6-6 post who didn't play last season, bolsters the Marauders' mix of speed and size.

4. Will Shaw return for Snohomish?

By the end of last season Snohomish guard Brad Shaw emerged as one of the area's most talented scorers and arguably the county's best Class of 2009 player. But Shaw, a 6-4 guard, suffered a right knee injury (torn anterior cruciate ligament) in late May and had surgery in June.

Originally Shaw said he would most likely miss his entire senior season. But rehab sessions have gone well -- Shaw said Tuesday he's ahead of schedule -- and the outlook is now slightly more hopeful.

"Before, it was no season," said Shaw, who averaged about 13 points in 2007-08, including a 17.7 per-game scoring burst at the 4A state tournament. "Now it's maybe 50-50 I'll be able to return in January."

In addition to doing three or four rehab workouts per week, Shaw has participated in non-contact drills with Snohomish. His progress is good, said Bone, Snohomish's coach. A full return to action for Shaw is doubtful though, Bone said.

"He's working really hard," said Bone, "but I don't think he's going to play this year."

5. Can big-school teams do better at the state tournaments?

It's been awhile since a local 4A or 3A boys hoops team was a legitimate state-title contender. Last season only one area team in those classifications earned a top-eight trophy (Edmonds-Woodway, seventh in 4A).

Since 2006 no Snohomish County team has placed higher than fifth in 3A or 4A. To find a top-three performance, one must rewind all the way to 2005. That's when Mountlake Terrace took third.

Can Stanwood or Mariner succeed against the state's top 4A programs? Mariner's style of play -- intense, relentless defense and physical inside -- make the Marauders difficult to handle, Stanwood's Ward said.

Said Ward, a game against Mariner is the basketball version of a brawl "and they've got the horses to brawl."

Writer Mike Cane: mcane@heraldnet.com. Check out the prep sports blog Double Team at www.heraldnet.com/doubleteam.