WIBCA showcasing 'Futures Game' as addition to all-star basketball extravaganza

Allen Thomas knows what he's in for.

In back-to-back weeks, Thomas will be coaching in a postseason Washington high all-star boys basketball game.

On Friday at 6 p.m., he will be in the lead chair for the inaugural WIBCA "Futures Game" as part of the association's all-star weekend at Curtis High School.

The next day, it will be three games of all seniors - Class 1B vs. Class 2B (noon), followed by Class 1A vs. Class 2A (2 p.m.) and finally the Class 3A vs. Class 4A matchups (4 p.m..

For the single all-underclassman game, Thomas - the coach at Timberline High School in Lacey - has faced a few of the players he will oversee Friday.

"I was very impressed with (Seattle Prep's) Christian King in the state tournament," Thomas said. "Zaveon Jones (of Mountlake Terrace), whom we saw in the state tournament ... reminds me of a Zach Randolph. And those Mount Spokane guys (Ryan Lafferty, Maverick Sanders) play so hard."

But it's one of the players on the other side that he will get a kick out of facing a second time in back-to-back weeks - Brooklyn Hicks, his own NCAA Division I recruit at Timberline.

"I coached against him last week, and he had 36 points - half on dunks," Thomas said. "This is familiar territory. ... hopefully I am looking to go 1-1."

Nalin Sood, the WIBCA president who is also the boys coach at Mountlake Terrace High School, said the topic of creating an underclassmen game had been ongoing for years - but really came to fruition last fall.

After the game was approved, board members Connie Richardson (Graham-Kapowsin) and Tim Gaebe (retired) took over the organization of it.

Sood said the game "is in cement, and we'll keep doing it" in the future.

FUTURES "TEAM PEPPLE" (coached by Foss' Josh Barsh)

Dea'Sean Johnson-Holiman, Federal Way, jr.

Parker Gerrits, Olympia, jr.

Isaiah Vargas, Mountain View, jr.

Jamari Jackson, Franklin, jr.

Luke Navarre, Zillah, jr.

Brooklyn Hicks, Timberline, jr.

Mason Williams, O'Dea, jr.

Tennessee Rainwater, Davenport, jr.

Marques Robinson, Emerald Ridge, jr.

Miles Goodman, O'Dea, soph.

FUTURES "TEAM WILL" (coached by Timberline's Allen Thomas)

Nahmier Robinson, Rainier Beach, jr.

Elijah Cain, Graham-Kapowsin, jr.

Zaveon Jones, Mountlake Terrace, soph.

Zoom Diallo, Curtis, soph.

Tyce Paulsen, Curtis, jr.

Evan Stinson, Cheney, soph.

Ryan Lafferty, Mount Spokane, soph.

Maverick Sanders, Mount Spokane, jr.

Semaj Brown, Auburn, jr.

Christian King, Seattle Prep, jr.