The voters are rolling with the favorites.
The Hardwood Classic, which determines the high school state basketball champions, begins Wednesday and runs through Saturday at three different locations around the state. There are 10 local teams taking part.
Therefore, this week’s Seattle Sidelines poll asked readers to choose which local team they thought had the best chance at a state championship. Here’s how you voted:
So the voters convincingly put their greatest faith in the Glacier Peak boys, with the Arlington girls coming in a solid second. Everyone else was left fighting over the crumbs.
These results make all the sense in the world. The Glacier Peak boys are undefeated, one of just two 4A boys teams that remain perfect, and received a bye into the quarterfinals. So it’s no surprise they received the most votes. The Arlington girls, as the No. 3 seed in 3A and the only other local team to receive a bye into the quarterfinals, certainly make sense in getting the second-most votes.
As for what I think, I haven’t covered nearly enough high school basketball this season to make an intelligent choice. But …
I think the Arlington girls received a great draw and have an excellent chance of getting to the title game. I think the Glacier Peak boys have a tougher route, with the possibility of a game against perennial power Gonzaga Prep in the quarterfinals and the potential for a juicy matchup with Mount Si in the semis. The Glacier Peak girls, despite having to play a 4A first-round game, are a sneaky choice as I can envision a path to the final for them.
The 3A boys teams have one heck of a mountain to climb in having to face the schools from the Metro League. Think about this, both Marysville Pilchuck and Marysville Getchell are staring at a scenario in which they’d probably have to beat Garfield (led by Cincinnati-bound 6-foot-8 senior Tari Eason), Eastside Catholic (filled with NCAA Division I talent, as well as top football recruit J.T. Tuimoloau) and O’Dea (the defending state champ, featuring the top-ranked junior in the nation in Paolo Banchero) in succession to win a state title.
And, when push comes to shove, I figure it’s never a bad choice to go with the King’s boys, no matter what their seed or record may be.
The first games tip off Wednesday morning at 9 a.m., including games involving the Glacier Peak girls and Marysville Pilchuck and King’s boys. I’ll see you bright and early from the Tacoma Dome!
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