Prep boys basketball: 2021-22 season preview

WESCO 4A

COACHES POLL

The predicted order of finish as voted on by the league’s coaches. Included are the average points per vote, with first-place votes in parentheses.

1. Mariner (3) — 1.25

2. Glacier Peak (2) — 1.5

3. Jackson — 2.75

4. Lake Stevens — 3

5. Kamiak 4

Note: Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team.

Favorites

Mariner

The Marauders continued their resurgence under head coach Tevin Dillon with a 10-0 record this past spring while leading all of Wesco in points scored (71.4) and fewest points allowed per game (48). Mariner graduated four players, including standouts Henry Avra and BJ Kolly, but returns a strong nucleus with plenty of varsity experience. The Marauders’ backcourt is led by a trio of impact returners. Senior Tijan Saine is the team’s leading returning scorer after averaging 15 points per game in the spring. Senior Naser Motley and junior Jailin Johnson are both three-year varsity players who are off to strong starts this season. Motely is averaging 16.8 points per game and Johnson 16.4. All three are key factors on defense with their ability to pressure the perimeter. Senior Dakota Joseph, another third-year varsity player, leads the frontcourt. The 6-foot-5 forward averaged 12 points per game in the spring and is averaging 12 points per game this winter. The Marauders are 4-1 through five games this season. Their loss came in overtime to Wesco 3A/2A favorite Shorecrest while playing without Saine and Joseph. After making it to the regional round of the Class 4A state playoffs in 2019, contending for a league title in 2020 and going unbeaten in the spring, the Marauders could check another pair of milestones off the list this year. Mariner’s last trip to the Tacoma Dome was in 2009, and its last league title came in 2003.

Glacier Peak

The perennial Wesco 4A contender Grizzlies return a trio of starters from their 7-2 squad in the spring led by senior Bobby Siebers. The 6-foot-4 guard netted 19.9 points per game to go along with 8.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists as a junior. Siebers, a first-team All-Area selection in the spring, is averaging 25.8 points through four games as Glacier Peak is off to a 3-1 start. Senior forward Torey Watkins and senior guard Adam Thomas round out the returns from the starting five, which is tasked with replacing the production of versatile wing Tucker Molina, who averaged 15.8 points, 7.2 assists and 6.2 rebounds last season. Watkins is averaging 12.3 points this season and senior Aidan Davis has chipped in 11 per contest. Senior forward AJ Cline and freshman guard Jo Lee also figure to be key contributors for a Grizzlies program that has claimed three of four league titles since moving up to 4A prior to the 2016-17 season. Glacier Peak has made the state tournament in each of the past four full-length seasons and hasn’t finished below second in Wesco 4A during that span. The Grizzlies’ defense also led Wesco 4A in fewest points allowed in each of those four seasons. In what looks to be a highly competitive league, Glacier Peak is expected to contend for another conference title.

CONTENDERS

Jackson

Led by the dynamic duo of senior guard Drilon Veliu and junior forward Sylas Williams, the Timberwolves have raced out to a 4-0 start while scoring 79 or more points in three games. Williams is averaging 24 points and Veliu 20, and both have scored 20 or more points three times this season. Seniors Henry Armstrong and Bradley Tharp have complimented the pair by combining for 17.8 points per game. Jackson reached the regional round of the state playoffs during the past two full-length seasons and has finished the regular season with a winning record 16 straight times. The Timberwolves close conference play with what could be a make-or-break week when they face Lake Stevens on Jan. 31, Mariner on Feb. 2 and Glacier Peak on Feb. 4.

Lake Stevens

Coming off an 8-2 campaign in the spring, the upstart Vikings have established themselves as contenders after their first winning season in nearly decade. Lake Stevens returns a pair of all-league selections in junior guard Maddox Preder and senior forward Grayson Murren. The Vikings will be without Murren for a chunk of the season after he suffered a broken collarbone while playing quarterback for the football team, but they return of 6-foot-6 junior Tyson Eyman, who missed all but two games in the spring, to help fill the void. Returning starting senior guards Kye Taylor, an all-league honorable mention, and Sam Gardner fill out an experienced backcourt. Preder knocked down 40% of his 3-point attempts in the spring and is averaging 18.3 points through four games this season for 3-1 Lake Stevens.

WESCO 3A/2A

COACHES POLL

The predicted order of finish as voted on by the league’s coaches. Included are the average points per vote, with first-place votes in parentheses.

1. Shorecrest (10) — 1.1

2. Arlington (2) — 2.8

3. Mountlake Terrace — 3.18

4. Stanwood — 3.5

5. Edmonds-Woodway — 5.5

6. Snohomish — 6.7

7. Marysville Pilchuck — 7.2

8. Monroe — 7.4

9. Everett — 8.6

10. Marysville Getchell — 8.8

11. Archbishop Murphy — 9.5

12. Cedarcrest 11.2

T-13. Meadowdale — 12.3

T-13. Shorewood — 12.3

15. Cascade — 13.3

16. Lynnwood — 14.1

Note: Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team. Four coaches did not participate in the voting.

FAVORITE

Shorecrest

The Scots graduated just one player off their 9-1 squad in the spring and return a bevy of talent led by senior guard Elijah Johnson, who averaged 29.3 points and seven assists per game last season. Johnson, a two-time first-team all-league selection, is once again lighting up scoreboards in the area. He poured in 37 points Thursday night in an overtime loss to Arlington and scored 26 in a key non-league overtime win over Wesco 4A favorite Mariner. The 5-foot-10 point guard is surrounded by plenty of size, including 6-5 senior post Newton Pepple and 6-5 junior forward Parker Baumann. The pair have reached double figures in scoring regularly as Shorecrest has netted 75 or more points in four games during its 4-1 (1-1 league) start. The Scots have finished tied for third or better in Wesco 3A/2A in three of the past four full-length seasons and made the it to the state regionals three times. Shorecrest is in search of their first league title in at least 20 years. The Scots will have little room for error if they want to accomplish that feat after falling to Arlington in a pivotal early-season league matchup on Wednesday.

CONTENDERS

Arlington

After going 4-6 against a tough schedule in the spring, the Eagles appear poised to ascend back to the top of Wesco 3A/2A after a key overtime win over league favorite Shorecrest on Wednesday. Arlington has won four straight since losing its season opener, which included another strong conference victory over contender Mountlake Terrace. High-scoring senior guard Ethan Martin, a two-time all-league selection, leads the Eagles’ attack and has already scored 30 points at least three times this season, highlighted by a 37-point performance in the win over Shorecrest. Junior post David Zachman has emerged as solid second scoring option behind Martin and led Arlington with 23 points in a win over Kennewick. Arlington is in search of its first league title since 2011 and its first trip to the Tacoma Dome since 2013. After a pair of pivotal wins to start conference play, the Eagles now look like the team to beat in Wesco 3A/2A.

Mountlake Terrace

The Hawks are coming off an 8-2 spring and have finished third or better in Wesco 3A/2A during the past three full seasons, including a conference title in 2018. Mountlake Terrace features a balanced attack on offense with senior guard Jeffrey Anyimah averaging 14 points, sophomore forward Zaveon Jones 13.3 points and senior guard Vito Mkrtychyan 10.3 points as the Hawks have started the season 3-1 (1-1 league). Mountlake Terrace is currently riding a streak of six consecutive winning seasons, including trips to the 2A state tournament in in 2017, 2018 and 2020. Mountlake Terrace — now back in 3A after the latest statewide reclassification cycle — has regularly been one of Wesco 3A/2A’s top defensive teams, leading the conference in fewest points allowed per contest in each of the past four full-length seasons and finishing second in all of Wesco to Mariner by a mere 0.8 points allowed per game in spring.

Stanwood

The Spartans are entering a new era after the departure of longtime coach Zach Ward, who compiled a 226-102 career record over 14 seasons with Stanwood. Now under the leadership of first-year coach Josh Thayer, the Spartans are favored once again to be in the hunt for a league title in Wesco 3A/2A. Stanwood is tasked with replacing a pair of dynamic playmakers in its backcourt after the graduation of sharpshooting guards Cort Roberson and Jake Cleary. The Spartans have been balanced on offense on their way to a 3-2 (2-0 league) record this season. Five different players average between 10.8 and 8.8 points per game and four have led the team in scoring at least once. Kaeden McGlothin, a 6-foot-7 senior forward and second-team all-league pick as a sophomore, leads the way with 10.8 points and 6-5 senior forward Kolten Bartram-Scott is close behind with 10.6. Stanwood has made it to at least the regional round of the state tournament in eight of the past 10 full seasons.

EXTRA POINTS

Lakewood poised to contend again in Northwest Conference

The Cougars further cemented their rise over the past few seasons when they ran off a 9-1 record in Wesco during the spring, and now Lakewood is playing in the Northwest Conference again after a one-off season in Wesco was caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The Cougars finished fourth in the traditionally strong Northwest Conference during the 2019-20 season at 9-4 and made history with their first-ever trip to the state tournament. Early signs show Lakewood is ready to pick up where it left off in Northwest Conference play after winning its first three league games by 24.3 points per contest. The Cougars are led by the senior duo of Justice Taylor (19.2 points per game) and Blake Conyers (18 ppg).

How will Marysville Getchell fair in its first year of the post-Malakhi Knight era?

After struggling for much of their first six years as a program, the Chargers spent the past three seasons moving up the ladder in Wesco and reaching milestone achievements thanks in large part to the efforts of two-time All-Area Player of the Year Malakhi Knight. The do-it-all guard graduated from Marysville Getchell with numerous scoring records, averaged at least 25.7 points per game in each of his final three seasons and led the Chargers to their first-ever Hardwood Classic appearance in 2020. And while Knight gave Marysville Getchell the luxury of having a game-changing player who was a threat to score upwards of 40 points on any given night, he was also surrounded by a strong supporting cast who graduated with him this past spring. In total, the Chargers are tasked with replacing eight seniors who helped shift the tides for the program. A solid league win over Edmonds-Woodway on Tuesday could be sign a new group of Chargers can keep some of the momentum going.