Area Stars Have Big Talent Prep Basketball Leaders Lacking Little But Size

Ask basketball coaches if they would rather start their team with a top center or super point guard and the opinion would be split.

So we provided them with both.

The only complaint they could make about The Spokesman-Review’s second All-Area Washington basketball teams is they would like a little more size.

Sorry, we can’t help there, but we can guarantee that what these teams are missing in size, they will make up for in determination.

The teams were selected after watching scores of games, making countless telephone calls and arguing in circles.

The final picks worked out perfectly, as far as the makeup of a team is concerned, although we would pick five players at one position if those were the players who had the best season.

Three players repeated on the girls team - 5-foot-4 senior point guard Stacy Clinesmith of Mead, 5-9 junior Tricia Lamb of St. John-Endicott and 6-1 senior Jennifer Swinton of Ferris.

Joining the team are 5-9-1/2 Andee Schmick of St. John-Endicott and 5-10 junior Crystal Lee of Central Valley.

The young ladies represent a lot of hardware.

Clinesmith is a two-time Greater Spokane League MVP, as well as the two-time MVP from the State AAA tournament, which Mead won this year with Ferris third. St. John-Endicott capped an undefeated season with the State B title. Lee was the leading scorer in the GSL and may be the best shooter on either team, as her 84 percent mark from the foul line indicates.

The only player to repeat on the boys team is 6-5 senior Paul Mencke of Lewis and Clark; he also repeated as the leading scorer and GSL most valuable player.

The other post for a high-low offense is 6-4 Ferris senior Scott Stocum. The outside shooters are more than capable: 6-3 senior Kasey Ahrens of Riverside and 5-11 David Schillinger of West Valley, who went 1-2 in the Frontier League scoring race. Schillinger can also switch off with our point guard, 5-10 senior Jeremy Landram of Chewelah, who averaged an amazing 8.8 assists per game.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: AREA’S BEST Pos. Name Ht. Grade School Pts. Misc. Stat GIRLS F - Crystal Lee 5-10 jr. Central Valley 18.1 ppg 83.7% FT F - Andee Schmick 5-9-1/2 sr. St. John-Endicott 19.1 ppg 57.5% FG C - Jennifer Swinton 6-1 sr. Ferris 12.1 ppg 10.1 rpg G - Tricia Lamb 5-10 jr. St. John-Endicott 17.5 ppg 3 apg G - Stacy Clinesmith 5-4 sr. Mead 16.3 ppg 4.5 spg

BOYS F - Kasey Ahrens 6-3 sr. Riverside 21.3 ppg 60.1% FG P - Paul Mencke 6-5 sr. Lewis and Clark 20.1 ppg 9.9 rpg P - Scott Stocum 6-4 sr. Ferris 14.3 ppg 8 rpg G - David Schillinger 5-11 sr. West Valley 22.9 ppg 5.3 apg G - Jeremy Landram 5-10 sr. Chewelah 19.9 ppg 8.8 apg