The annual King Holiday Hoopfest takes place Monday, January 16th at Alaska Airlines Arena in Hec Edmunson Pavilion. Proceeds from the event will benefit Friends of Hoop Seattle and the Boys and Girls Club of King County.
Like previous years, this year's Hoopfest will feature the state's top teams and players. Alumni include Nate Robinson, Brandon Roy, Jon Brockman and more.
Tickets: Tickets can be purchased in advance at www.fohseattle.com for $10 or bought at the door for the same price. Doors will open at 8:30 a.m. on Monday.
Television and Radio: ROOT Sports will air the 2:05 p.m. game between O'Dea and Franklin and the 3:35 p.m. game between Rainier Beach and Long Beach Poly (Calif.). These two games will also be broadcasted on 950 KJR.
Tribute: There will be a tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. featuring local African American community leaders starting at 5:30 p.m. or after the Long Beach Poly/Rainier Beach game if it goes past that time. There will be also an on-the-court memorial at halftime during the Lakes/Garfield game to honor local coaches and players who passed away in 2011.
King Holiday Hoopfest Tribute (via CliqVue)
Schedule (teams listed second will be home teams):
9:00 a.m. - Lake Washington vs. Lincoln
10:30 a.m. - Woodinville vs. Cleveland (Girls)
12:00 p.m. - Jefferson (Oregon) vs. Bothell
2:05 p.m. - O'Dea vs. Franklin
3:35 p.m. - Long Beach Poly (Calif.) vs. Rainier Beach
5:30 p.m. - Tribute to Martin Luther King Jr.
6:00 p.m. - Lakes vs. Garfield
7:30 p.m. - Federal Way vs. Seattle Prep
Players To Watch:
Lake Washington's Darien Nelson-Henry is committed to Penn; the 6'10 forward is a load inside and a consistent double-double threat. The Kangs' point guard Matt Staudacher is averaging 12.1 points per game. Lincoln power forward Tre'Shaun Lexing received an offer from Cal earlier this month. The 6'5 junior projects as a three at the next level. Along with an ability to play on the perimeter, he has a solid face-up game in the post.
Zach Lavine out of Bothell HS is top junior in the state. The 6'2" combo guard is averaging 24.0ppg; Gonzaga, Texas, UCLA and Washington are among the teams to have already offered him. Junior guard Perrion Callandret completes Bothell's backcourt, he's averaging 17.4ppg.
O'Dea doesn't have too bad of a backcourt either. Senior Sekou Wiggs is one of the quickest and most athletic players in the state; he has offers from San Francisco, Portland St. and Cal Poly. Wiggs' teammate, Jalen Ward is a talented undersized point guard that always seems to be making the right play, especially in crunch time. Jason Kerr's Franklin Quakers are led by senior point guard Arell Hennings. Hennings' passing skills have helped create a balanced scoring attack for the Quakers; four players are averaging double-figure for Franklin.
It's no surprise that Rainier Beach is loaded with talent again this year. The Vikings are led by Kansas-bound Anrio Adams; the versatile shooting guard can get to the paint at will and knock down shots consistently. Guards Marques Davis and Will Dorsey have complemented Adams well, they are chipping in 13.0 and 11.3 points per game respectively for the Vikings. Jordan Bell from Long Beach Poly will be a treat to watch. The 6'7" forward is one of California's top shot-blockers, he currently holds offers from Oregon and USC.
The 3A defending state championship Lakes Lancers are led by two-sport star Zach Banner and senior point guard Andrew Holloway. Banner has been a beast on the boards and is a difficult matchup because of his 6'9", 295lbs frame. Juniors Tucker Haymond and Trevaunte Williams take the reigns for Garfield after Tony Wroten's departure. Haymond is leading all of 4A and 3A in scoring at 24.3ppg while Williams 14.6ppg.
Sophomore point guard Deeshawn Tucker is Federal Way's top player this season. Tucker can get to the rack at will; he's already gaining interest from Pac-12 schools. Starring for Seattle Prep is a trio of stars; UCSB-bound forward Mitch Brewe, guard D.J. Fenner and forward Josh Martin. Brewe is near-automatic in the post, while Fenner provides a constant perimeter threat for the Panthers. Sophomore Josh Martin is an athletic 6'7" forward who can hit the outside jumper and also clean up inside on the boards.