A full day ahead at 4A tournament

From dawn to dark (or is it dawn to dawn), Greater Spokane League teams will be playing games at the State 4A Basketball Tournament which begins Wednesday in Tacoma.

Defending girls champion Lewis and Clark opens the tournament at 9 a.m. and University will end first-day play with a game scheduled to begin at 8:30 p.m.

In between, Mead, which is returning to state for the first time since 2001, faces Wesco district champion Jackson.

And lone GSL boys state representative, Ferris begins play against Kentwood at 5 p.m.

Lewis and Clark coach Jim Redmon remembers playing the nightcap four years ago when it started well after the projected time.

“I told (Titans coach Mark Stinson) that he’d be playing at midnight,” Redmon said.

Stinson, riding back with him from Sunday’s tournament draw countered, “We’ll just try to finish before Thursday rolls around.”

The Tigers face Puyallup, losers of two straight at state last year. The Titans open against Lake Stevens, which also lost twice last year, but in close games to state placers.

“I said it last year, there was a ton of young talent at the tournament and a lot of those teams have returned,” said Redmon. “It’s so loaded that some good teams are going to get knocked out.”

All told 10 teams return from last year.

On the Tigers side of the bracket are two unbeaten teams, Roosevelt and Kentwood, who could potentially be second and third day foes. And Skyview, which opens against Kentwood, gave Prairie problems this year.

“Puyallup was sixth at district so we have a fairly favorable spot,” Redmon said. “I felt strongly after we lost in regional we’d be in Kentwood’s bracket and we didn’t want to be.”

On University’s side of the bracket are seven-time finalist Prairie, second last year, and Mt. Tahoma, which placed fifth. The two coaches watched Kentwood hand Mt. Tahoma its first loss on Saturday, 81-69.

First-round Titans foe Lake Stevens, said Stinson, is another team with good, talented young players. Three of them, he added, are over 6-feet tall.

“We’re not the tallest team in the world, but I think we’re a little more mobile,” he said “We’re just going to have to pick up our tempo, pressure them and try to get the game a little faster.”

Mead is in the same half-bracket as LC and could play Kentwood in the second round.

“The drawmaker didn’t do Ferris any favors despite its 25-0 record. For the second straight year the Saxons are in the same half-bracket as Franklin, meaning the state’s top-two ranked teams could face off in the semifinals.

Ferris’ first foe, Kentwood, graduated its scoring from a team that went unplaced last year, but does have size to match the Saxons, with a 6-foot-9 player and two at 6-7, including freshman Josh Smith who averaged 14.1 points per game. Veteran Cody Theuringer leads with an 18.5 average.

“They are better than their record indicates,” said Saxons coach Don Van Lierop. “It’s a tough opening round for being a regional champion.”

Six teams return, including defending state champion Franklin and sixth-place Curtis.