King’s boys embracing unusual role in 1A state quarterfinals

Published 7:10 pm Wednesday, March 2, 2016

The King’s High School boys basketball team finds itself in an unusual situation.

The Knights are the defending 1A state champions. They’re 21-3, have won 11 straight games, and all three of their losses came against schools from higher classifications. They destroyed then top-ranked Lynden Christian by 25 points during the district tournament. They’re ranked No. 3 in the 1A state poll, and they feature arguably the state’s best 1A player in Corey Kispert.

Yet in its quarterfinal game at the state tournament, King’s will be the underdog.

If the Knights are to repeat as state champions, they’ll have to be their best as they face the top-ranked Zillah Leopards in the quarterfinals on Thursday. The game is at 12:15 p.m. at the Yakima SunDome.

“I don’t know that you can call us a dark horse, but Zillah is the No. 1 team in the state,” said Knights coach Rick Skeen, whose team is making its fourth straight trip to state. “So we’ll have at least one game where we’re the underdog.”

Said Kispert: “We have great respect for their program. We’re embracing the underdog role more than the top-seeded role. I think there’s no pressure on us, so we’ll be playing a little looser in the underdog role.”

This is a completely different King’s team than the one that claimed state a year ago. Last year’s team was senior laden, including five who lettered as freshmen. Kispert is the only player on this year’s team who scored in last year’s 45-40 victory over Lynden Christian in the state championship game.

“Last year’s group was deeper, we had to find minutes for everybody,” Skeen said. “This year we’re not as deep, and injuries are more concerning than they would have been a year ago. But people who have played us or seen us say we’re actually a little more athletic. Our guards are super quick and long, so from a physical standpoint we may be a little better than last year. But last year’s group was so smart and knew the stuff so well, it’s almost like they didn’t need me because they were so mentally tough and mature. This group is not as far along mentally, but physically it’s every bit as capable.”

Leading the way is Kispert, a junior forward who’s averaging 24 points per game and 6.5 rebounds per contest. He poured in 32 when the Knights defeated Vashon Island 51-41 last Saturday to earn their spot in the quarterfinals.

“He’s very talented, but anybody who’s at the top of what they do are guys who put in the hours,” Skeen said of Kispert. “He’s a junkie, and he’s great because he puts in the hours. Physically he’s a freakish kid — he’s 6-6 and jumps out of the gym, and at 215 pounds he looks more like an NFL safety than a high school junior. But he works hard. That work ethic combined with his physical gifts makes him special.”

It’s a new cast joining Kispert at state this year. Senior guards Koa Wilkins (11 points per game) and Cole Mitchell (10 points per game) set the pace, while senior forward Sam Echelbarger (nine points per game, seven rebounds per game) adds help down low.

The roster overturn meant the team had to develop and grow together as the season progressed. But after notching quality wins at district and regionals, the Knights believe they’ve evolved to where they need to be heading into the quarterfinals.

“I feel really good about how we’re playing,” Kispert said. “One of the issues in the middle of the season was our mental toughness. We had a lot of young guys on the team whose mental game might not have been up to par. But in the playoffs we faced adversity, and I think our heads are where we need to be heading into Yakima.”

That’s important, because King’s does not catch a break in the quarterfinals. Zillah (23-1) is one of the most explosive teams in the state in any classification, averaging 80.4 points per game. The Leopards broke the 90-point barrier seven times this season, including hanging 102 on Goldendale a month ago.

Zillah’s attack is led by senior guard Scotty Burge (17 points per game), senior Jared Ellis (15 points per game) and junior guard/forward Trey Delp (15 points per game).

“They play really fast,” Skeen said of the Leopards. “It’s a high school team that averages in the 80s and there’s not a lot of high school teams that do that. They play at a feverish pace, and it’s a pace that’s different than we’re used to. We average in the low 70s and usually we’re the faster team. It’ll be a track meet, so we’ll have to be good with our transition defense. It’s a unique challenge. Then there’s the challenge that Zillah will be playing in its back yard, so it will be our 200 supporters against their 2,000. But it will be a fun challenge.”

Skeen listed King’s Way Christian and Freeman as other teams that will challenge for the title.