State Tournament Stock Risers
The 2019 WIAA Hardwood Classic is complete and I came away especially impressed with some players’ showing in the Tacoma Dome. All of these players were already on our radar, but they came ready to play on the biggest stage…
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Continue ReadingThe 2019 WIAA Hardwood Classic is complete and I came away especially impressed with some players’ showing in the Tacoma Dome. All of these players were already on our radar, but they came ready to play on the biggest stage Washington high school basketball can provide. Some players rise to the occasion and some struggle with the pressure. Here are some of the stock risers after this year’s state tournament!
Stock risers:
2020 6’8 PF Kendall Munson (Puyallup HS) – Kendall played really solid basketball at the Dome. Even when shots were not falling as much, he was still a consistent double-double due to his size, strength and motor. He can really rebound the ball. It’s worth mentioning that the junior joined the team part way through the season and made an instant impact in what could have been difficult for some players to endure. He picked up offers from UW, Montana and WSU in the four day event. That is the definition of a stock riser! Be on the lookout for Kendall to be in our rankings update coming soon.
2020 6’8 PF Tari Eason (Federal Way HS) – The springy forward just keeps on getting better with the more playing experience he gets. He sat on the bench at Garfield for two years straight before bursting onto the scene with Team Avery Bradley this past summer and picking up his first offer from WSU. Transferring to Federal Way paid off for Tari, as he was up against 5-star Jaden McDaniels everyday in practice and Federal Way took their show on the road playing top notch competition. As the season went along, Tari continued to impress and his showing at the state tourney was another step in the right direction. His ability to alter and block hhots, sky through the air for rebounds and defend multiple positions makes him an instant impact on the court. He has also developed a turn around jump shot that he hadn’t showed as much before. Tari Eason is on the rise!
2022 5’10 PG Bennett O’Connor (Mt. Si HS) – I have had the fortune of watching Bennett play since he was in the third grade. He has always been talented, but you just never know how that will translate to the high school level as an average sized point at this stage of his career. Well, it has translated quite well and luckily for him he is still growing. His growth through the season was solid and he saved some of his best for the state tournament. Matched up against some of the toughest junior and senior points guards, Bennett more than held his own. He made timely shots, took care of the ball pretty well and showed an ability to break quick defenders down out of the triple threat or off the bounce. He solidified himself as one of the best freshman guards in Washington heading into the spring.
2020 6’5 SG Liam Lloyd (Gonzaga Prep HS) – Liam is a super confident player that carries himself with a swagger, but more importantly, he performed when it mattered most in the state tournament. Playing on a very well balanced scoring team, he does not put up huge numbers, but his presence on the court is always felt. He came up huge in G-Prep’s win over Federal Way. I was also impressed with his defense on Mt. Si’s KingCo MVP, forcing him into multiple difficult shots and an uncharacteristic turnover. G-Prep’s senior football star Sheadon Byrd guarded him the majority of the game, but Liam was solid in his other matchups too. He has good length and he used it on the defensive end in the tourney. On offense, he showed off some range, but he moved especially well without the ball in his hands and he excelled as a finishing slasher. As a two-way impact player on the best team in the state, his stock could only go up!
2021 6’7 SF Tyson Degenhart (Mt. Spokane HS) – This skilled forward was the definition of solid all year long. He plays the game at his own pace and finds ways of putting the ball in the basket effectively. He was a huge reason why Mt. Spokane made a run to the 3A state title game, despite being just a sophomore. He matched right up against some of the state’s best players and showed he can play with them. Tyson’s stock has definitely gone up headed into the club season and it will not be too long before he starts gaining even more college attention.