Road to Yakima: Washington high school (WIAA) Class 2A state boys basketball preview
The 2022-23 WIAA basketball season is down to its final week, and the 12 remaining Class 2A boys basketball programs are set to face off in the Yakima Valley SunDome.
First-round games tip off Wednesday morning and the tournament runs through championship games Saturday night. Here is SBLive’s tournament preview – with players to watch, team favorites, schedules and championship game predictions:
COVERAGE REWIND
Get acquainted with the field through SBLive's coverage from throughout the 2022-23 season.
- Top stars, best performances in WIAA regional basketball playoff round
- SBLive’s final Washington high school boys basketball power rankings, by classification (Feb.21)
- Motivated Lynden boys bury Renton with third-qurater onslaught to snag Class 2A basketball regional victory
- 3 Washington high school (WIAA) regional boys basketball games you should not have missed
WEDNESDAY SCHEDULE
G1: No. 11 Tumwater vs. No. 3 Renton, 9 a.m.
Winner plays No. 4 Mark Morris in Thursday quarterfinals, 9 a.m.
G2: No. 10 Enumclaw gets No. 2 Anacortes, 10:30 a.m.
Winner plays No. 1 Pullman in Thursday quarterfinals, 10:30 a.m.
G3: No. 13 North Kitsap vs. No. 5 Sehome, 12:15 p.m.
Winner plays No. 6 Lynden in Thursday quarterfinals, 12:15 p.m.
G4: No. 9 West Valley (Spokane) vs. No. 8 R.A. Long, 2 p.m.
Winner plays No. 7 Prosser in Thursday quarterfinals, 2 p.m.
State semifinals Friday: 3:45 and 5:30 p.m.
State championship Saturday: 9 p.m.
8 PLAYERS TO WATCH
PG Jaedyn Brown, Pullman, sr. (28.7 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 5.0 apg)
G Anthony Canales, Lynden, jr. (19.8 ppg, 6.4 rpg)
G Davis Fogle, Anacortes, soph. (25.4 ppg)
G Cavin Holden, R.A. Long, sr. (31.4 ppg)
G Grant Kepley, Sehome, sr. (17 ppg, 5 rpg, 3 apg)
G Koby McClure, Prosser, soph. (16.6 ppg, 80% FT)
G Kobe Parlin, Mark Morris, sr. (22.8 ppg)
W/F Ajayi Simmons, Renton, jr. (17.3 ppg, 9.5 rpg)
THE FAVORITE
Top-ranked Pullman is the last unbeaten boys team in the state, and just one opponent has been within 10 points at the final buzzer. High-scoring guard Jaedyn Brown and the Greyhounds probably long to erase the sting of last year’s loss in the title game when Lynden held them to just 34 points and 26% shooting. The Lions and Prosser potentially made the top-seed’s path to the championship tougher by upsetting No. 3 Renton and second-seeded Anacortes in the regional round. Nos. 1-4 now reside on the top half of the bracket and Pullman could face the Seahawks in the quarterfinals.
THE FIELD
Even with its relative struggles down the stretch, Lynden and reigning tournament MVP Anthony Canales felt under-seeded at No. 6. The Lions proved as much by rolling past No. 3 Renton in regional play. No. 7 Prosser and its three-headed backcourt monster of Koby McClure, Kory McClure and JJ Reyes added to the upsets by holding off second-seeded Anacortes to set up a potential semifinal between Lynden and the Mustangs. It would be a rematch from the SunDome Shootout in late December in which the Lions held off Prosser. Fourth-seeded Mark Morris and 2A Greater St. Helens co-player of the year Kobe Parlin handled their business in regionals and look to have a solid shot at the semifinals.
FINAL FOUR PREDICTION
Mark Morris, Pullman, Lynden, Prosser
CHAMPIONSHIP PICK
Pullman 67, Lynden 61
