SeaKing Playoffs: Seattle Prep vs. Ingraham
With the snow melting and the playoffs starting to heat up, no better way to start the postseason than a win or go home matchup. 6 seed Ingraham hosted 11 seed Seattle Prep in the first round of the SeaKing…
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Continue ReadingWith the snow melting and the playoffs starting to heat up, no better way to start the postseason than a win or go home matchup.
6 seed Ingraham hosted 11 seed Seattle Prep in the first round of the SeaKing 3A district tournament. Both teams came out firing and ready to play. The biggest lead was 8 held by the Rams in a game that was close all the way till the final minute.
Ingraham benefitted from a balanced attack and big time clutch plays from star big man, Mitchell Saxen. Saxen lead the Rams in scoring putting up 22 points and multiple big blocks. Latrell Jones and E’lijah Rabideau both put up 18 a piece to push Ingraham over the top.
Seattle Prep showed great fight and resilience, answering every run with a run of their own. The Panthers were lead by freshmen sensation Braeden Smith. The 5’10 point guard scored 24 points and had some jaw dropping finishes in the lane over the trees. Senior point guard Nikola Trifunovic added 16 points.
5 Takeaways:
– Braeden Smith could be the best guard in 2022
Smith put it all on display in the final game of his freshmen season and it was fun to watch. His scoring ability from all three levels and ability to get in the lane was really the key for the Panthers offense. As time goes on, he will be the key to Preps success. Can the 5’9 guard continue to improve and help lead the Panthers back to the State Tournament.
– How bright is the future for the Panthers?
At this point, Smith is the furthest along in his development, but this panther team is well built for the future. With only 2 seniors graduating and a team full of capable young guns, they should only get better as time goes on. Tyler Mrus didn’t have a great game vs Ingraham but you could see he is a talented player and has a bright future. Sophomores Kyle Carlesimo, Chike Ezeonu and Jared Roznos add get depth also.
– Mitch Saxen is the real deal
Even though Saxen was the biggest player on the court, that just makes his performance even more impressive. his ability to lead the break as a ball handler and find open teammates is impressive for a 6’10 post player. He also made a euro-step to fake out the quicker and smaller Braeden Smith in crunch time to extend the lead to 5. His all-around game is quiet impressive, seems like he adds something new to his game every game.
– Ingraham X-Factors
As the Rams move on to face the 2 seed Eastside Catholic Crusaders, they will need Saxen to have an encore performance to stand a chance. But that still won’t be enough for them to upset the apple cart. If Latrell Jones and E’lijah Rabideau both can produce like the did against Prep they will be ing good shape. Someone else who will need to play well is Coz Collins. Collins has had a good season and played well last time Ingraham played the Crusaders. If all goes well, there could be an upset Friday at Sammamish High School.
Future of the Metro League
The best league in Washington is having a down year (for it’s standards) because of the youth that lies in the conference. The League MVP is junior Marjon Beauchamp and runner up is Sophomore Paolo Banchero. Next year will defiantly make up for the lack of action this season as all the top players will be returning and be one year older and one year better.
To Checkout the SeaKing 3A Tournament Bracket Click Here.