These former Washington high school basketball standouts are on men’s NCAA Tournament rosters
There are 21 players with ties to Washington high schools who play for Division I men’s basketball programs that have qualified for the NCAA Tournament, which begins Tuesday.
ARIZONA
G Shane Nowell, fr. (Eastside Catholic) — The 6-foot-6 guard has appeared in 16 games this season for the Wildcats. Scored a season-high five points against Cal on Jan. 23. Prior to arriving at Arizona, Nowell starred for Eastside Catholic (Sammamish). Younger brother of Jaylen Nowell, who was the Pac-12 player of the year in the 2018-19 season, playing for UW. He currently plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
G Ben Ackerley, fr. (Eastside Prep) — Has not appeared in game action this season for the Pac-12 champions. In high school, Ackerley averaged 34.7 points, 11 rebounds, 9.3 assists and three steals as a senior for Eastside Prep in Kirkland.
BOISE STATE
F Tyson Degenhart, fr. (Mount Spokane) — The 6-foot-7 forward has made a quick impact, appearing in 17 games and starting 11 for the Broncos this season, averaging 8.3 points and 3.2 rebounds on the season. Poured in a season-high 23 points against San Jose State on Feb. 5. In high school, Degenhart was a two-time MVP of the Greater Spokane League. Averaged 23 points per game in his senior season and 24.5 points as a junior.
G Kobe Young, fr. (Chiawana) — Has not appeared in game action this season for the Broncos. In high school, Young was a football and basketball standout and had offers from schools for both sports.
G Sam Winter, soph. (Montesano) — Has appeared in four games this season, averaging 1.3 points per game. In high school, Winter was a two-time first-team 1A Evergreen selection, helping Montesano make the state tournament for the first time in 36 years as a sophomore. Averaged 17.4 points per game as a junior. Was also a football standout at wide receiver.
F Naje Smith, sr. (Lewis and Clark, Cochise College) — Has appeared in 17 games this season for the Broncos, averaging 6.5 points per game. Scored a season-high 17 points against Cal State Northridge on Dec. 7. Averaged 23.3 points and was a NJCAA Division I All-American selection as a sophomore. In high school, attending Lewis and Clark in Spokane, averaging 25.5 points per game in the 2018 Class 4A state tournament, leading the Tigers to a third-place state finish.
CREIGHTON
G John Christofilis, fr. (O’Dea) — Has seen some playing time in his first college season, averaging four minutes in 13 games off the bench. At O’Dea, he helped the Fighting Irish to back-to-back 3A championship appearances, though he missed the end of the title run in 2019 with an injury.
DUKE
F Paolo Banchero, fr. (O’Dea) — A projected lottery pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, Banchero leads the Blue Devils in both scoring (17 points per game) and rebounding (7.8) while also averaging 3.1 assists, and has started all 34 games for the ACC regular season champions. He was the conference’s Rookie of the Year and a first-team selection this winter. Led O’Dea to two 3A state championship appearances, including a title his sophomore season in 2019 when he was named the tournament MVP. He also earned multiple all-state honors during his high school career, was the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year in 2020, and a McDonald’s All-American selection in 2021.
GONZAGA
G Nolan Hickman, fr. (Eastside Catholic, Wasatch Academy) — The former McDonald’s All-American is averaging 17.7 minutes per game coming off the bench for the Bulldogs in his first college basketball season. He’s averaging 5.4 points and 1.4 assists for Gonzaga and is shooting 45 percent from the field. He scored a season-high 16 points against Central Michigan in November. Hickman played at Eastside Catholic (Sammamish, Wash.) before transferring to Wasatch Academy (Utah) for his senior year. He was considered a five-star recruit and the 24th overall player in the 2021 class in ESPN’s Top 100.
G Joe Few, fr. (Gonzaga Prep) — The son of Gonzaga coach Mark Few plays sparingly for the Bulldogs, tallying just 21 minutes in 12 appearances on the season. Prior to joining Gonzaga, Few played for Gonzaga Prep in Spokane, averaging 7.7 points per game for the Bullpups.
F Kaden Perry, fr. (Battle Ground) — Averaging 6.5 minutes, it has been a development year for the freshman, learning behind frontcourt stars Chet Holmgren and Drew Timme. Perry is averaging 1.8 points and has appeared in eight games this season. Perry figures to see more of the court next season and there’s reason to be excited about the former Battle Ground star’s potential. In high school, Perry averaged 23.7 points, 15.3 rebounds and 3.3 blocks per game. The 6-foot-9 center was considered a four-star recruit and the No. 64 player overall in ESPN’s Top 100 in the 2021 class.
F Anton Watson, jr. (Gonzaga Prep) — A key bench player for the top-seeded West Coast Conference champions, Watson is contributing 7.7 points and 4.5 rebounds in 18.2 minutes per game in his third college season. Prior to joining Gonzaga, he guided Gonzaga Prep to back-to-back 4A state titles in 2018 and 2019, and was named the tournament MVP both seasons. He also earned state player of the year honors (across all classifications) by multiple outlets his senior season with the Bullpups.
LSU
F Tari Eason, soph. (Garfield, Federal Way, Cincinnati) — In his second college season, and first at LSU, Eason is leading the Tigers in scoring (16.9 points per game) and blocks (1.1), while also averaging 6.7 rebounds and 2 steals. He was a first-team SEC pick and the conference’s sixth man of the year this winter. Eason played his freshman season at Cincinnati, where he averaged 7.3 points and 5.9 rebounds in 23 games. He played at both Garfield and Federal Way during his impressive high school career, and his senior season led the Bulldogs to a 3A state championship in 2020 on his way to tournament MVP honors. He was also named the 3A state player of the year that season by multiple outlets.
MONTANA STATE
G Tyler Patterson, fr. (Mount Si) — After logging significant minutes in his first college season last winter and contributing 3.7 points per contest, Patterson has become a regular starter for the Big Sky champions this year, averaging 7.2 points in his 22.8 minutes per game. In his final season at Mount Si in 2020, Patterson helped guide the Wildcats to a 4A state title.
G RaeQuan Battle, soph. (Marysville-Pilchuck, Washington) — Battle was one of two players in the Big Sky this winter to earn the conference’s Top Reserve honor, and is averaging 8.5 points and 2.4 rebounds in 17.4 minutes per game in his first season with the conference-champion Bobcats. He played his first two seasons at UW, averaging 4.9 points as a freshman and 4.6 as a sophomore. His final high school season, Battle paced Marysville-Pilchuck to a school-best fourth-place finish at the 3A state tournament in 2019, and earned first-team all-state honors from multiple outlets.
MURRAY STATE
F Jordan Skipper-Brown, sr. (River Ridge, McLennan Junior College, Eastern Illinois) — In his first season with the Racers, Skipper-Brown is averaging 3.9 points and 2.3 rebounds per game in 12.6 minutes. He played the previous two seasons at Eastern Illinois, making several starts as both a junior (6.7 points, 4.6 rebounds) and senior (10.2 points, 5.6 rebounds).
NEW MEXICO STATE
G Nate Pryor, jr. (West Seattle, North Idaho College, Washington) — In his first season at New Mexico State, Pryor has appeared in 19 games, making six starts, and is averaging 2.9 points in 18.1 minutes per game. He played last season at UW, averaging 4.1 points in 17.4 minutes per game in 16 appearances.
SAN FRANCISCO
G Khalil Shabazz, R-sr. (Rainier Beach, Central Washington) — Two-time WCC second-teamer has averaged double figures scoring each of his three seasons at San Francisco, including 14 points per game this winter, while adding 3.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists. Prior to joining the program, Shabazz played one season at Central Washington and was named the GNAC Freshman of the Year. He was a two-time 3A state champion at Rainier Beach in 2014 and 2016.
SAINT MARY’S
G Jabe Mullins, soph. (Mount Si) — Mullins is averaging 3 points in 9.9 minutes in his second season with the Gaels, and has appeared in every game. He appeared in 19 as a freshman last winter, including 11 starts, and added 3.1 points in 16.2 minutes per game. In high school, Mullins led Mount Si to back-to-back 4A state title game appearances his junior and senior seasons, including a championship in 2020. He was the tournament MVP that year, and earned state player of the year (all classifications) honors from multiple outlets.
F Mitchell Saxen, soph. (Ingraham) — Saxen is contributing 3.3 points and 2.2 rebounds in 7.2 minutes per game for the Gaels in his second season. He appeared in every game as a freshman last winter, averaging 2.7 points and 2.3 rebounds in 9.8 minutes and was named to the WCC Freshman Team. In high school, Saxen guided Ingraham to the 3A state tournament as a senior, which marked the program’s first appearance since 1975.
WYOMING
G Cort Roberson, fr. (Stanwood) — Roberson is in his first season at Wyoming and has not yet appeared in a game.
This story was originally published March 13, 2022 at 3:59 PM with the headline "These former Washington high school basketball standouts are on men’s NCAA Tournament rosters."
