KingCo 3A boys at a glance
Favorite — Mercer Island
Top returning players — G Garrison Carr, Issaquah, 5-10, Jr.; G Erik Woldseth, Issaquah, 6-0, Sr.; G Kahlil Mathews, Mercer Island, 6-0 Sr.; G Patrick Frost, Mercer Island 6-2, Sr.; P Nate Porter, Mercer Island, 6-8, Sr.; PG Colby Wick, Sammamish, 5-10, Sr.; F Thomas Bright, Sammamish, 6-4, So.; F Jordan Estill, Sammamish, 6-4, Sr.; F Matt Mead, Skyline, 6-2, Sr.; F Taylor Summers, Skyline, 6-4, Sr.; C Robbie Cooch, Bellevue, 6-7, Sr.; G John Coombs, Bellevue, 6-2, Sr.; G Erik Tierney, Mount Si, 6-1, Jr.; F Luke Landdeck, Mount Si, 6-4, Sr.; F Jeff Bice, Liberty, 6-2, Sr.; G Drew Faehnrich, Liberty, 6-0, Sr.; F/C Bryce Hockett, Liberty, 6-4, Jr.; C/F Ross Gomes, Cedarcrest, 6-7, Sr.; G Russell McGinnis, Cedarcrest, 5-11, Sr.; F Brian Burke, Interlake, 6-5, Sr.; G Bryce Brigham, Interlake, 6-3, Jr; F Gary Peterson, Newport, 6-4, Sr.; G Dake Lindelef, Newport, 6-3, Sr.; F Bryce Daub, Newport, 6-6, Sr.
Top newcomers — C Sven Gasser, Issaquah, 6-8, Jr.; G Simon Trigg, Issaquah, 6-0, Jr.; F Philip Kaestle, Mercer Island, 6-6, Sr.; F Noah Blakney, Mercer Island, 6-3, Jr.; F Taylor Donovan, Mercer Island, 6-4, Jr.; C Nick Jones, Skyline, 6-10, So.; F James Giachetti, Bellevue, 6-3, So.; F Steve Kost, Bellevue, 6-5, Sr.; G Kyle Clearman, Mount Si, 5-9 So.; G Jake Ballingham, Cedarcrest, 5-11, Sr.; G Ben Kirschner, Interlake, 6-0, Sr; G Josh Scofield, Newport, 6-3, Sr.; G Brennan Shweigart, Newport, 6-3, Sr.
Notable — The departure of a talented senior class last season leaves the league wide open. There are no returners from last year's All-KingCo team. ... Mercer Island, led by legendary coach Ed Pepple, looks to be the favorite despite returning no starters from a team that finished third at state. ... State runner-up Issaquah is young, but returns one of the conference's best guards in Carr, who is averaging a league-best 29 ppg. ... Newport got bad news before the season started, losing first-team All-KingCo G Josh Lostlen to a torn ACL over the summer. ... Skyline is 3-0 despite no players averaging double-figure points. ... Sammamish, 5-16 last year, is 5-1 overall and 3-0 to lead the Valley Division. ... Four Bellevue players missed nearly a month of the season while playing on the school's state-champion football team.
— John Boyle
| Coaches' picks | |||
| Predicted order of finish for the KingCo 3A Conference's Sky and Valley divisions, based on a survey of league coaches, with 10 points for a first-place vote, nine for second, etc. (first-place votes in parentheses). Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team. | |||
| Sky Division | |||
| # | School | Pts | 2002-03 |
| 1. | Mercer Island (8) | 89 | 23-6 |
| 2. | Skyline (1) | 76 | 16-11 |
| 3. | Interlake (1) | 75 | 7-13 |
| 4. | Newport | 66 | 20-7 |
| 5. | Bellevue | 63 | 14-12 |
| Valley Division | |||
| # | School | Pts | 2002-03 |
| 1. | Mount Si (5) | 84 | 12-10 |
| 2. | Issaquah (4) | 83 | 21-7 |
| 3. | Sammamish (1) | 76 | 5-16 |
| 4. | Liberty | 68 | 4-17 |
| 5. | Cedarcrest | 58 | 5-15 |