7 Eastern Washington '23 & '24 players to know

WIBCA Part 1 Analysis of Seven Eastern Washington Prospects Class of 2023 and 24 The two day WIBCA showcase on October 9,10 at Bellevue College featured 160 players from all grades and classifications and represented all parts of the state. The Washington State Coaches Association event attracted many coaches representing over 20 different colleges from the NCAA Division II, NAIA, NCAA Division III, and Junior College levels. Teams were created based mostly on geography and it gave me an opportunity to see how the various regions of the state compared to each other. The title game featured two teams made up entirely of Spokane area high school players and so the prospect analysis of the event begins with a look at these seven players from eastern Washington Class of 2023 Tennessee Rainwater 2023 6-5 small forward Davenport Definitely a D1 athlete. He has a tremendous motor, an amazing vertical, and a fearless spirit. The speed at which he plays the game is more than most high school players can handle. He uses his quickness in a variety of ways. He anticipates extremely well and stole several cross court and skip passes out of the air. He grabs offensive rebounds off missed free throws and can use a quarter spin from the high post before quickly rising for a feathery 17 foot turn around jump shot. He is just as likely to dunk on a defender as he is to rise up for a deep transition three. He also has excellent brakes and knows when to use them. He can slow down or stop quickly as needed due to his excellent body control. At times he trusts his athleticism too much and needs to expand his offensive package to include the left side of the floor to become a high major recruit. Was in the top ten in scoring at 16 points per game. Maverick Sanders 2023 6-6 Small Forward Mt. Spokane The strong, physical body looks like a post but he can handle the ball in transition and stays on balance through contact and shows touch with a floater. That is not to say he can’t do damage in a more traditional post style. He has great pump fakes and pivots that he will use to score close to the basket. He can also hit from deep. He has excellent range on his three and needs little space or time to get it off. Defensively he is an above average shot blocker who knows when and how to use his left hand. He likes contact and willingly rebounds in a crowd and sets great screens. [player_tooltip player_id="1270715" first="Jackson" last="Floyd"] 2023 6-1 Combo Guard Ferris Not a weakness to his game- a great fundamentally sound energy guy who spaces the floor well and rebounds and sets screens better than most guards. I am anxious to see him in a non-showcase setting where he would likely have the ball in his hands a little more often. Chapel Smith 2023 6-5 Small Forward Mt. Spokane Aggressive attacker of the basket with a willingness to push the ball- capable of going coast to coast and making decisions at high speed- uses strong hands to protect the ball well in a crowd. Carter Verret 2023 6-6 Power Forward Gonzaga Prep When athletic players pursue offensive rebounds every time it gets noticed. He times his jumps well and is a very quick second jumper. He has good hands and a soft touch around the basket that enable him to go and get the ball off the rim and put it back in. His rebounds in a crowd also happen at the defensive end triggering fast breaks. He will utilize a quick push dribble or give it up and sprint to fill a lane. [player_tooltip player_id="1270840" first="Luke" last="Navarre"] 2023 6-3 small forward Zillah Plays with aggressive patience and never tries to do too much. He is not a passive player by any means but just does not force the issue. When opportunities to attack the basket presents themselves, he explodes to the rim and finishes with great touch. He rebounds and defends as if he was much bigger due to his strong and powerful legs and relentless pursuit of the ball. Showed a better ability to put the ball on the ground than what I had seen in previous games from the summer and has increased his vertical to the point where he can be a highlight dunker. Class of 2024 Peter Dress 2024 6-3 Shooting Guard Kamiakin The lengthy, volume shooter has a frame that could really fill out. He loves shooting the three and because of that his pump fake is quite effective. He can put it on the ground fairly well and has a great nose for the basket. With an improvement in shot selection and a slight raising of his shooting pocket, he will be a force to be dealt with.