Badass High School Hoops Tourney at Bellevue College

The toughest 3A boys basketball tournament in Washington this year won't be the state tourney held in Tacoma. It will be the SeaKing District Tournament, this week and next at the Bellevue College gym. Look! BRACKETS! (March must be imminent.)

The tourney features five of the state's ten top ranked teams--but grants only four places in the state tournament. One of #2 Rainier Beach, #3 Bellevue, #8 Chief Sealth, #9 Mount Si, and #10 Franklin won't get to play in Tacoma. Bummer for them, but fun hoops for us.

Two of those top-ten teams face off today at 4:45 pm: Franklin plays Mount Si. Each team has a star player: Franklin's Anrio Adams, a sophomore point guard, is a possible pro prospect. Mount Si shooting guard Tanner Riley will play for the University of Portland next year. The young Quakers (they start three freshmen) have come on strong as the season's progressed. Adams in particular: he had 41 points Tuesday in the Quakers' win over Ingraham.

At 8:15 p.m., Rainier Beach plays O'Dea--two city schools who've been among the state's best in past years. Beach has the deeper roster, but could be undone if O'Dea's sweet-shooting Devante Williams catches fire.

Tomorrow, Sealth plays Sammamish in the day's first quarterfinal at 4:45 p.m. At 8:15, it'll be Seattle Prep (and star freshman DJ Fenner) vs. Bellevue (featuring Stanford-bound Aaron Bright).

Winners of these quarterfinal games will get two chances to qualify for the state tournament--either by winning the tourney semifinal, or the consolation semi. The loser will need to win two loser-out games to make Tacoma.

What to do between the 4:45 and 8:15 p.m. games? Why, watch the ladies play, of course. For sure check out Holy Names and star point-forward Erika Johnson. Johnson, an aggressive and athletic player, is ranked among the top 60 recruits in the nation. Holy Names plays Juanita at 6:30 p.m. today.