City Rankings Faceoff: Kitsap-Olympic Peninsula Breakdown
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This is the first of three team breakdowns, starting with the boys from the Kitsap and Olympic Peninsulas. Here’s a quick refresher of the squad: G Christian Parrish Christian Parrish 5'10" | CG Gig Harbor | 2023 WA 5’11 Gig…
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Continue ReadingThis is the first of three team breakdowns, starting with the boys from the Kitsap and Olympic Peninsulas. Here’s a quick refresher of the squad:
G Christian Parrish Christian Parrish 5'10" | CG Gig Harbor | 2023 WA 5’11 Gig Harbor
G Cade Orness Cade Orness 6'5" | PG North Kitsap | 2024 State WA 6’4 North Kitsap
G KeVaughn Harvey KeVaughn Harvey 6'2" | CG Gig Harbor | 2023 State WA 6’2 South Kitsap
F Luke Browne Luke Browne 6'6" | SG Gig Harbor | 2023 State WA 6’6 Gig Harbor
F Will Landram Will Landram 6'6" | SF Gig Harbor | 2023 State WA 6’6 Gig Harbor
6th: Harry Davies Harry Davies 6'4" | SG North Kitsap | 2024 State WA 6’3 North Kitsap
7th: Beckett Turner Beckett Turner 6'4" | SG Ilwaco | 2024 State WA 6’3 Ilwaco
Wildcard: F Cole Muilenburg 6’5 Peninsula
This is a team led heavily by its offensive prowess and defensive versatility. Each player in the top seven is capable of stretching the floor and knocking down the long-range shot, with Luke Browne Luke Browne 6'6" | SG Gig Harbor | 2023 State WA , Harry Davies Harry Davies 6'4" | SG North Kitsap | 2024 State WA , Will Landram Will Landram 6'6" | SF Gig Harbor | 2023 State WA , and Cade Orness Cade Orness 6'5" | PG North Kitsap | 2024 State WA leading the way from distance. Each player can put it on the floor and create something or get to the hoop.
What they lack in size they make up for in defensive versatility on the wings, being able to switch across the board. Christian Parrish Christian Parrish 5'10" | CG Gig Harbor | 2023 WA and Harry Davies Harry Davies 6'4" | SG North Kitsap | 2024 State WA provide two top defenders from the region on the outside, while the other three guards can bring it too.
There’s a big honus on Landram and Browne inside to deal with other bigs and the one true weakness of this squad could simply be the possibility of foul trouble for those two. That’s where the Wildcard comes in. Cole Muilenburg is a key body off the bench to spell the bigs inside or add some size and let either Landram or Browne slide out to the perimeter, probably running a deadly four-out attack.
Now let’s break down each player in-depth and see what they bring to the table and why they were chosen.
Starting Five
Parrish might be the key to this whole thing working. He’s an underrated player from a very good Gig Harbor side who took home Defensive Player of the Year in the 3A South Sound Conference last season. He’s an absolute dog on defense, hounding ball handlers and setting the tone for the rest of the defense. He’s going to pick up the opposing point guard full court and ride him all game. Parrish is also a threat in transition with aggressive pushes and great strength going to the rim. He’ll be the one spurring the team on in unheralded ways.
With Orness lining up next to Parrish, we have two guys who can run point and switch off ball-handling responsibilities. Orness is also a phenomenal scorer who can win one-on-ones and get buckets from every level. He’ll be one of the leading scorers for this team with his long-range shooting, and his ability to finish with strength and finesse at the rim. He is superb at drawing defenders on his drives and will open up tons of outside shots for this team of shooters.
Highlights
Harvey is here to provide a big third-scoring option as a guy who can hit some truly tough shots off the bounce, and work a ton from the mid-range. He’s another guy who can win one-ones with relative ease and has a sweet stroke off the pull-up. His skill in hitting the crazy shots might overshadow another key aspect of his game, his passing. Harvey has shown great vision in the half-court and often catches defenders ball-watching while hitting back door cutters for open bunnies.
Browne is going to be this team’s leading scorer most of the time. He is a knock down shooter with fantastic size and strength. He’ll be able to pull out opposing bigs and will be key in opening up driving lanes for other players. But he’s not just a perimeter guy. Browne is an excellent rebounder with good toughness that constantly wins second chance opportunities on the offensive boards and shows great touch in close. He can get hot real quick from downtown and should spur a bunch of quick scoring runs for this squad.
Landram is Mr. Versatile. He can hit from outside, beat defenders off the dribble, and really is a guy who will fill in to whatever role is needed of him. He’ll be an underrated cog of the defense with his superior length. He’s one of those sneaky shot blockers who uses his length and leaping ability to get a late jump and still send a shot flying back. He’ll have plenty of opportunities to jump passing lanes with the guards harassing opposing ball-handlers.
Bench
The first guy off the bench is Davies. He’ll slot right in, guarding wings or guards and provides a long wingspan that eats up opposing players. He gets tips, influences jump shots, and can also act as another ball-handler for this side. Davies will continue the trend of spreading the floor, and like Browne, is excellent attacking the glass and working for extra opportunities.
Turner is a guy who knows his role. And while that role will be expanding for Ilwaco in the coming season, last year he slotted in behind the Fisherman’s leading scorer, Jaden Turner. Jaden was a scoring point guard who led the way for Ilwaco last season, but Beckett also showed some scoring prowess, averaging nearly 17 PPG and 8 RPG last season. He’ll act as a smart player who can fill in the open spaces and knock down open looks. He’s a strong player at 6’3 that can bring some physicality to the defensive end.
Cole Muilenburg
Cole Muilenburg
Muilenburg is a true wildcard for this squad. It was a tough choice between him or his teammate Isaiah Brown, but this team’s need for some added size in the front court pushed Cole into the lineup. He’s not going to wow you with his scoring ability but Muilenburg will be a key part of this team as a guy who does all the little things you need for a winning team. He’s a tight end/linebacker for the football team and brings the physicality inside on the court. He’s a guy who doesn’t miss a box out, is constantly fighting for better position inside, and will be a big contributor on the boards. He makes the right play with good, crisp passes and can dribble well enough to not turn it over. He’s a guy that knows himself on the court and will fill in great for this squad.
So, there you go. This is a tough squad representing the Kitsap and Olympic Peninsulas. Stay tuned for the next two breakdowns of SW Washington and Vancouver.