3A tournament team capsules
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Mount Vernon Bulldogs
Location: Mount Vernon.
Record: 23-0 (Northwest League champions, Northwest District champions).
Head coach: Mac Fraser (15th year).
Key players: G Troy DeVries, 6-3, Sr., 15 points per game; F Scott Skjei, 6-6, Sr., 14 ppg, 6 rebounds per game; F Tyler Amaya, 6-6, Sr., 9 ppg, 7 rpg; G Josh Reisman, 6-0, Sr., 14 ppg, 4 assists per game; G Chris Thompson, 6-3, Sr., 9 ppg, 5 rpg.
Inside look: Only undefeated team in tournament is looking for first championship since back-to-back titles in 1991 and '92. Bulldogs lost title game to Seattle Prep 52-50 last year. Rematch with Prep is likely in quarterfinals. Point guard Reisman has signed with Gonzaga. Mount Vernon beat Lincoln (Tacoma), then the No. 1-ranked 4A team, 71-55, in King Holiday Hoopfest.
Outlook: Mount Vernon is extremely dangerous as long as starters remain in game. Team lacks depth.
Mercer Island Islanders
Location: Mercer Island.
Record: 21-4 (KingCo champions, fourth in Sea-King District).
Head coach: Ed Pepple (34th year).
Key players: G Taj Mathews, 6-2, Sr., 8 ppg; G Kevin Tempest, 6-2, Jr., 11 ppg, 5 rpg; F Justin Waldie, 6-3, Sr., 14.1 ppg; F Justin McCullum, 6-4, Sr., 7.8 ppg; C Michael Huhs, 6-7, Sr., 5.8 ppg, 5.6 rpg; F Brandon Burmeister, 6-4, So., 9.5 ppg.
Inside look: Islanders missed state tournament last season for only second time since 1990. Pepple's 799 career victories are most in state history. Islanders enter tournament on two-game losing streak after falling to Rainier Beach and Seattle Prep in district tournament. Leading scorer Waldie is as smart as he is scrappy. McCullum, a Stanford football signee who once scored 41 points as a junior, is most athletic player on team.
Outlook: Team doesn't have star power of past state-champion Islander teams, but has enough horsepower to win the tournament if it gets some good bounces, takes smart shots and makes them.
Seattle Prep Panthers
Location: Seattle.
Record: 24-3 (second in Metro League, third in Sea-King District).
Head coach: Chris Miller (10th year).
Key players: C Jeffrey Day, 6-9, Sr., 15 ppg, 7 rpg; F Erik Bond, 6-7, Sr., 19 ppg, 6 rpg; G Tavio Hobson, 6-0, Jr., 9 ppg; G-F Caleb Frazier, 6-3, Jr., 9 ppg; G Greg Ricker, 6-1, Jr., 8 ppg.
Inside look: Defending state champions went 16-0 in regular-season Metro games and beat Rainier Beach at Beach before losing to Vikings in league-title game. Team has two Division I signees (Cal's Bond, UW's Day). Good team speed and good shooters.
Outlook: Panthers' success could will hinge on whether teammates get the ball reliably to Bond and Day.
Rainier Beach Vikings
Location: Seattle.
Record: 23-3 (Metro champions, Sea-King District champions).
Head coach: Mike Bethea (seventh year).
Key players: G Kenny Williams, 5-8, Jr., 10 ppg; G-F Lodrick Stewart, 6-3, So., 16 ppg, 4 rpg; G-F Rodrick Stewart, 6-3, So., 16 ppg, 6.5 rpg; G Randy Green, 6-3, Sr., 16 ppg; F Tyrone Shepard, 6-3, Jr., 12 ppg; G Gerald Smiley, 5-11, Sr., 6 ppg.
Inside look: Quick, athletic team is a joy to watch when clicking. Stewart twins are getting nationwide attention. Lodrick scored 45 points in 113-47 district-tournament victory over Kennedy. Beach is only team to beat 4A power Garfield this season. Vikings surprised some opponents by running four-corners offense. Beach has little height, plenty of speed. Vikings haven't been in a lot of close games.
Outlook: Got good draw. Should motor into title game.
THE CONTENDERS
West Valley Rams
Location: Yakima.
Record: 20-4 (Mid-Valley champions, East regional champions).
Head coach: Jim Berndt (fourth year).
Key players: W Ryan Rostvold, 6-6, Jr., 15.2 ppg, 8 rpg; G Jeff Eldridge, 6-0, Sr., 7 ppg; W Ryan Durall, 6-3, Sr., 14 ppg, 7 rpg; G Dylan Strait, 6-1, Jr., 13 ppg.
Inside look: No. 1 team from Eastern Washington. Beat Cheney in regional final, 58-53 in overtime. Rams have 10 seniors. Berndt coached West Valley girls from 1993-1996. Rams lost to today's first-round foe, Mark Morris, 59-55 in San Diego in December. West Valley has won 15 of past 16 games. Rams shoot nearly 80 percent from free-throw line. Six players have scored 20 or more points in a game this season.
Outlook: This is the kind of team that can play patiently and could give Beach trouble in quarterfinals.
Cheney Blackhawks
Location: Cheney.
Record: 21-4 (second in Border League, second in East regional).
Head coach: Denny Humphrey (21st year).
Key players: W-C Ben Woodard, 6-5, Sr., 15 ppg; 7 rpg; W J.D. Larson, 6-1, Sr., 10.8 ppg; G Ryan Harris, 5-11, Sr., 10.4 ppg; G Rhett Humphrey, 5-10, Jr., 11.8 ppg.
Inside look: Woodard is a WSU football recruit and one of the best athletes in tournament. PG Humphrey is coach's son. Blackhawks are unselfish. Team tradition is to eat pregame dinners in a teammate's home.
Outlook: Cheney is capable of surprises. Coach Humphrey is No. 4 on state's all-time victory list. Blackhawks could go home with a trophy.
Clover Park Warriors
Location: Lakewood (south Tacoma).
Record: 19-3 (Pierce County League champions, West Central District champions).
Head coach: Mel Ninnis (sixth year).
Key players: G Brandon Lewis, 6-2, Sr., 10 ppg, 7 rpg, 5 apg; C Tony Balzarini, 6-5, Sr., 14 ppg, 10 rpg; G Jamar Tucker, 6-1, Jr., 8 ppg, 7 rpg.
Inside look: Young team works hard on defense. Six sophomores, three juniors and two seniors on varsity. Balzarini is main weapon and is an all-state candidate. Coach Ninnis has said, "It's like I have one horse and eight ponies. And you have to keep the horse happy."
Outlook: Could reach semifinals.
Chief Sealth Seahawks
Location: Seattle.
Record: 20-7 (third in Metro, second in Sea-King District).
Head coach: Che Dawson (fourth year).
Key players: G Erroll Knight, 6-6, Sr., 20 ppg, 7 rpg; C Terrell Armstrong, 6-8, Sr., 15 ppg, 7 rpg; G Michael Jayne, 5-10, Sr., 6 ppg.
Inside look: UW recruit Knight was ranked No. 71 player in nation by The Sporting News and No. 2 shooting guard in West by Pac-West Hoops. This is Sealth's first trip to state since Seahawks won it in 1989. Seahawks have won some big games, holding Rainier Beach to 48 points in January and upsetting Seattle Prep in a district semifinal. Team has three senior transfers. Seahawks looked overmatched in 79-47 Sea-King title-game loss to Rainier Beach.
Outlook: Good team, but appears incapable of putting together four good games against state-caliber competition.
O'Dea Irish
Location: Seattle.
Record: 14-13 (fifth in Metro, fifth in Sea-King District).
Head coach: Phil Lumpkin (10th year).
Key players: C Adam Hudson, 6-7, Sr., 15 ppg, 8 rpg; G Antoine Geraghty, 6-2, Sr., 11 ppg; G Dominic Dixon, 5-9, Jr., 4.3 ppg.
Inside look: Irish started season 5-11 and were in danger of missing state tournament for first time in nine years. Placed at state eight years in a row, winning in 1993 and '97. Hudson will play for Navy next season. Geraghty is an Idaho football recruit and Dixon is all-state cornerback. Freshman Lyndale Burleson, who averaged 5.4 points, is son of ex-Husky football player Al, and has older brothers playing football at Nevada and basketball at Minnesota. Irish threw a scare into Rainier Beach, losing 63-61 in district tourney.
Stanwood Spartans
Location: Stanwood.
Record: 20-3 (first in WesCo 3A, second in Northwest District).
Head coach: Nate Duchesne (fourth year).
Key players: G Ryan Appleby, 6-2, So., 17.8 ppg, 7.5 apg; F Marcus Steele, 6-6, Jr., 18.5 ppg, 9 rpg; F Josh Ellingson, 6-3, Sr., 12.5 ppg, 10 rpg.
Inside look: First state trip for Stanwood in 25 years. Appleby and Steele were first-team all-WesCo selections and two of top five scorers in league. Duchesne and five assistants all played in state tournaments, Duchesne as Snohomish's point guard in 1985. Lack of depth is a concern. Loss at White River was turned into forfeit victory because White River used ineligible player.
Outlook: Spartans have a chance to place.
LONG SHOTS
Mark Morris Monarchs
Location: Longview.
Record: 21-3 (Greater St. Helens League champions, second in Southwest District).
Head coach: Bill Bakamus (ninth year).
Key players: G Evan Kirkpatrick, 5-9, Jr., 12.3 ppg, 5.2 apg; F Chad Giles, 6-3, Sr., 8.2 ppg, 6.8 rpg; F Reese Baker, 6-3, Jr., 13.6 ppg, 7.2 rpg.
Inside look: Beat first-round opponent West Valley 62-55 in holiday tournament in San Diego. Had 16-game winning streak until 57-55 double-overtime loss to Chehalis in district-title game. This is 23rd trip to state for Monarchs, who won in 1978, '85 and '87. They were 0-2 at state last year. Barometer of success is avoiding turnovers. "We play extremely well when we avoid turnovers," Bakamus said. First-round rematch against West Valley could be one of best games of day.
Outlook: Could earn a trophy.
Sequim Wolves
Location: Sequim.
Record: 19-4 (Olympic League champions, second in West Central District).
Head coach: Brian Roper (second year).
Key players: G Chris Pendleton, 5-11, Sr., 16 ppg, 7.4 rpg; G James McCutcheon, 6-0, Sr., 24.2 ppg; F Tyler Millet, 6-3, Sr., 16 ppg, 7.4. rpg; C Joe Allen, 6-7, Sr., 5.2 rpg.
Inside look: Wolves play in a league that has everything from 2A to 4A teams. Small 3A school has only 625 students in grades 10-12 (600 is cutoff for 2A). Backcourt of Pendleton and McCutcheon averages 44 ppg. Team lacks strong inside game, especially after dismissal of one inside player last month. Entered district tournament averaging 80 ppg. It's Sequim's first trip to state since 1989. Outlook: You have to like any team that names offensive plays after characters in U.S. history, but Wolves look overmatched.
Chehalis Bearcats
Location: Chehalis.
Record: 20-3 (Pacific-9 League champions, Southwest District champions).
Head coach: Dale Leach (fifth year).
Key players: F Phillip Thompson, 6-4, Sr., 12.4 ppg, 5.9 rpg; C Keegan Fulton, 6-6, So., 13.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg.
Inside look: Official name of school is W.F. West High School. Good defensive team. First trip to state since 1995, when Bearcats placed fifth. Winning district championship raised some eyebrows around state.
Outlook: Barring a miracle, Chehalis is first-round fodder for Mercer Island.
Squalicum Storm
Location: Bellingham.
Record: 17-7 (second in Northwest League, third in Northwest District).
Head coach: Mike McKee (second year).
Key players: G Jordan Beede, 6-0, Jr., 21.5 ppg, F Richard Nevitt, 6-2, Jr., 10.3 ppg, C Parker Follis, 6-3, Jr., 8.5 ppg.
Inside look: Three-year-old school is making first trip to state. No player is taller than 6-3. Beede scored 44 points in 91-72 win over Monroe in game that decided district's final state berth. He made 19 of 24 shots. Beede's father, Glenn, is assistant coach. McKee was Sehome girls coach two years ago.
Outlook: Give Squalicum credit for getting here in school's third year, but don't expect Storm to last.
Cleveland Eagles
Location: Seattle.
Record: 12-11 (fifth in Metro League, sixth in Sea-King District).
Head coach: Calvin Johnson Jr. (22nd year).
Key players: F Rauson Preston, 6-1, Sr., 14 ppg, 8 rpg; G Nolan Hickman, 5-10, Sr., 13 ppg, 8 apg; G Anthony Lee, 5-8, Sr. 15 ppg; F Mario Wade, 6-2, Jr., 8 ppg, 10 rpg; C George Bigsby, 6-8, Sr., 4 ppg, 10 rpg.
Inside look: Like to watch three-point shots? Watch these guys. They aren't bashful from behind the arc. Cleveland placed fourth in 1998 2A tournament. Cleveland's '76 AAA state-title team is considered by some longtime fans to be best team in state history. This is 13th trip to a state tourney for Eagles, who are 24-15 in state-tournament games. Johnson is dean of Metro coaches and coached state runner-up teams in 1978 and '79.
Outlook: Unpredictable team can be dangerous one night and a pushover the next.
River Ridge Hawks
Location: Lacey.
Record: 17-7 (second in Pacific-9 League, third in Southwest District).
Head coach: Chris Spivey (fifth year).
Key players: G Richard Sanders, 6-0, Sr., 11 ppg, 5 rpg, 4 apg; F Matt Jones, 6-4, Sr., 10 ppg, 8 rpg; C Kedrick Smith, 6-4, Sr., 8.5 ppg, 6 rpg.
Inside look: Sanders, who will play football at Eastern Washington as a defensive back, is considered best athlete in school's short history. This is first trip to state for River Ridge, which opened in 1993 and didn't have seniors until 1994-95 school year. Team can be flashy.
Outlook: Hawks appear doomed after drawing Rainier Beach in first round.
Compiled by Times staff reporter Craig Smith