NWAACC tournament starts Saturday

KENNEWICK -- If you're a serious basketball fan, here are all the numbers you need to know:

Two tournaments.

Thirty-two community college basketball teams.

Fifty-six games on two courts over four days.

It's the annual Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges championship basketball tournaments for men and women, and it all begins at 8 a.m. Saturday at Toyota Center in Kennewick.

The championship games are set for Tuesday, with the women playing at 4:30 p.m. and the men at 7 p.m.

It looks as if the men's tournament is wide open, while the women's champion will likely come from either the South or East regions.

Charlie Warner, the director of marketing for the NWAACC, has seen a lot of basketball.

"On the men's side, the field is a lot more wide open," he said. "Walla Walla has come on strong at the end of the season. Lower Columbia has played well. Tacoma is a really strong team. And Chemeketa is the defending champion."

For the women, not since 1998 has a team from outside the East or South been crowned champion.

Over the last five years, either Lane (2006, 2007 and 2009) or Columbia Basin (2005 and 2008) has been champion.

"I would bet on the South or the East," said Walla Walla women's coach Bobbi Hazeltine. "No offense to the West or North. Yakima has a great shot. Obviously Clackamas, Umpqua and Lane from the South are strong, and any team in our league can knock anybody off."

It all begins Saturday morning.

Single-day prices are $11 for adults, $7 for students, seniors, staff and military; $5 for kids ages 7-12; and children 6 and under are admitted free.

Men

Bellevue (North No. 3, 18-7) features David Maddock, a 6-2 sophomore G out of Rainier Beach, was a Northern Region all-star. ...

Big Bend coach Mark Poth (East No. 2, 16-6) boasts Jeff Ranstrom, a 6-4 sophomore forward from Eagle, Idaho, who averaged 8.48 rebounds a game and was an East Region all-star. ...

Chemeketa (South No. 1, 22-2) is the No. 1-ranked team headed into the tournament. The Storm is led by South all-stars Tyrone Phillips and Shiloh Rowland. Phillips, a 6-1 freshman G out of Jefferson in Portland, leads the team in scoring with 18.3 points a game, and he dishes 4.3 assists. The 6-7 Rowland (McNary/Salem) grabs 8.4 rebounds a game and has the fourth-most steals in the NWAACC at 58. ...

Clackamas (South No. 2, 21-5) comes in as the defending champion and ranked fourth in the latest poll. South MVP Chehales Tapscott (Century) is headed to Portland State next season. He is averaging 25.5 points this season and is No. 2 in the NWAACC with 12.7 rebounds. Teammate Jeff Dorman (Prairie) is also a South all-star and averages 20.5 points a game. He also has 71 steals, tied for most in the NWAACC. ...

Clackamas (South No. 2, 21-5) comes in as the defending champion and ranked fourth in the latest poll. South MVP Chehales Tapscott (Century) is headed to Portland State next season. He is averaging 25.5 points this season and is No. 2 in the NWAACC with 12.7 rebounds. Teammate Jeff Dorman (Prairie) is also a South all-star and averages 20.5 points a game. He also has 71 steals, tied for most in the NWAACC. ...

Green River (West No. 4, 13-11) is led by 5-11 soph G Jake Willcox (Kentwood). He's No. 1 in the NWAACC in assists at 6.7, and third in steals with 68. ...

Linn-Benton (South No. 4, 12-13) enters the tournament as the only team with a losing record. ...

Lower Columbia (West No. 2, 22-3) sports West MVP Marcus Bell (Modesto, Calif.) and all-star Jeray Key (Mark Morris/Longview). The 6-7 Bell is the NWAACC's top rebounder at 12.8 a game. Key dishes out 4.2 assists. ...

Mt. Hood (South No. 3, 18-6) is paced by 6-3 soph G Jamar Johnson (Benson), a South Region all-star who averages 17.6 points. Teammate Earl Jones (Foothill, Nev.) is third in the NWAACC with 5.3 assists. ...

Peninsula (North No. 4, 13-12) is led by North all-stars Jason Gamblin and Ryan Rutherford. Gamblin (Jordan, Utah) grabs 9.5 rebounds. ...

Pierce (West No. 3, 17-9) has 6-1 freshman G Alix Hernandez of West Valley-Yakima on its team. ...

Shoreline (North No. 1, 19-5) has all-star Jesse Vaughan leading the team. Vaughan (Rogers-Spokane) averages 16.2 points and 6.4 rebounds. ...

Spokane (East No. 3, 21-5) has Griffon Jones, a 6-7 sophomore P from Cheney, who was the East's MVP; and Zack Humphrey -- a 5-11 soph G from Shadle Park -- who is an East all-star. Jones averages 18.0 points. ...

The No. 2-ranked team in the men's tournament is Tacoma (West No. 1, 22-3). West all-stars Richard Holmes (Franklin) and Darious Walker (Decatur) will lead the way. Holmes signed last fall with Eastern Washington. Freshman Chad Rasmussen (Curtis) signed last fall with Seattle University. ...

East coach of the Year Jeff Reinland brings his Walla Walla team (East No. 1, 19-5) into the tourney sporting two all-stars in Emery Henning (Foothills Christian/Great Falls, Mont.) and Jason Smith (Troy, Idaho). Smith averages 19.5 points, while Henning is at 17.4. Ryan Andrews (Juanita) leads the Warriors with 4.5 assists. Aaron VandeGraaf (Sunnyside Christian) and Kody Fullerton (Southridge) also play for the Warriors. ...

Whatcom (North No. 2, 16-9) is led by all-star Paul Jones (Kent-Meridian), who averages 8.4 rebounds. ...

Women

Two Moses Lake grads, Ashley McKean and Kelly Sutherland, play for Bellevue (North No. 2 seed, 19-7). But teammate Alisha Love (Soph G from Chelan) was named the North Region's MVP this season, averaging 12.1 points. ...

Centralia (West No. 1, 23-3) features West MVP Lexi Belcher (Mossyrock) and all-star Courtney May (Napavine). Belcher averages 16.7 points a game, while May is No. 2 in the entire NWAACC with 4.69 assists per game. ...

Clackamas (South No. 1, 21-4) enters the tournament ranked third in the latest coaches' poll. Rylee Peterson (Newport, Ore.), a 5-11 soph G/F, is the South MVP this season who averages 17.8 points and 9.5 rebounds. Dayle Powell, a soph 5-4 G from Skyview, was a South all-star. ...

Renee Tzeo leads Clark (No. 3 West, 14-9) into the tournament. Tzeo, a 5-7 freshman G from Reynolds of Portland, leads the entire NWAACC with 4.8 assists. ...

Renee Tzeo leads Clark (No. 3 West, 14-9) into the tournament. Tzeo, a 5-7 freshman G from Reynolds of Portland, leads the entire NWAACC with 4.8 assists. ...

Columbia Basin (East No. 4, 16-9) is of course the local favorite with a roster filled with Mid-Columbia talent: Anastasia Andrews (Grandview), Jorie Freeman (Hanford), Jacqlyn MacDonald (Richland), Tina Miller (Kamiakin), Emma Newhouse (Sunnyside Christian), Brittany Ortiz (Pasco), Kylie Rail (Kennewick), Brianna Smith (Columbia-Burbank), Stacey Smith (Kamiakin) and Patricia Williams (Mabton). Miller is ranked fourth in the NWAACC with 4.4 assists. ...

Edmonds (North No. 4, 11-13) is the only team entered in the tournament with a losing record. Despite that, Jennifer Schooler was named the North Region coach of the year. ...

Everett (North No. 3, 16-9) is led by North all-stars Ashley Housden and Mary Ochiltree (Lake Stevens). Housden (Lake Stevens) is ranked third in the NWAACC with 9.9 rebounds Freshman G Anna Work (Lakewood) leads the NWAACC with 94 steals. ...

Highline (West No. 4, 13-12) is led by West all-star Ariassa Wilson, a 5-7 sophomore G from Foss. Jordan Beale, a 5-4 sophomore G from Pomeroy, also plays for the Thunderbirds. ...

Defending champion Lane (South No. 2, 22-4) is considered the tournament favorite and is ranked No. 1 in the coaches poll. The team is led by South all-stars Sarah Brolsma-Whitfield and Theresa Brown, two Eugene-area standouts. Both average 14 points. Brown is also the NWAACC's top rebounder at 10.0 a game. Pendleton grad Lynette Minthorn, a 6-0 sophomore F, also plays for Lane. ...

Lower Columbia (West No. 2, 18-8) enters tourney play with two West all-stars in 5-10 sophomore F Sadie Salte (Kelso) and 5-7 freshman G Mollee Schwegler (Rainier, Ore.). Schwegler averages 15.7 points, 3.8 assists and has 75 steals. ... South all-star Brooklyn Bahme leads Mt. Hood (South No. 4, 18-8) into the tournament. Bahme, a 5-7 sophomore G/F from Clackamas, has 73 steals. ...

Skagit Valley (North No. 1, 21-4) is paced by all-star Keri Arendse, a 5-7 sophomore G from Burlington-Edison who averages 14.9 points. ...

East all-star Meghan Eisenmann (Missoula), a 5-10 F, will lead Spokane (East No. 3, 16-9) into the tournament. She averages 15.8 points. Also on the team are G Bianca Arellano (Pasco) and G Shallynn Jackson (Richland). ...

Umpqua (South No. 3, 20-6) is led by sophomore F Nneamaka Anywu of Skyline High in Oakland. Anywu averages 19.0 points, while teammate Kate Wilton (Roseburg) scores at a 16.0 clip. ...

Walla Walla (East No. 2, 24-1) enters the tournament ranked No. 2 in the latest poll. East coach of the year Bobbi Hazeltine will depend on East MVP Kati Isham (Howe) and all-star Nancy Johnson (Idaho Falls). Isham has signed with Boise State and leads the NWAACC in scoring at 22.0 points a game. Johnson scores at a 14.7 clip. ...