10 hot basketball players to watch in Tri-Cities in the 2nd half of prep basketball

We’re just about at the halfway point of the high school basketball season, especially when you count the postseason.

And there has been some really good basketball being played in this first half. But the really big and important contests are still to come, as teams start to gear up for their postseason runs.

Let’s take a look at 10 boys and 10 girls in the larger classifications from our area.

To be sure, there are more than 10 great players in both boys and girls leagues — the Mid-Columbia Conference and the Big Nine Conference.

But here’s who we should keep an eye on this second half:

Boys

• Andrew Dearman, sr., Hanford: He’s been the leader of the Falcons this season. So much so that the improvement he has made from being a role player last season to has been impressive. His 16.6 points a game is fifth-best in the MCC.
• Peter Dress, jr., Kamiakin: Wasn’t sure what to expect from the Braves after losing so much talent to graduation in March. But Dress has stepped up his game, and he can shoot more accurately from farther out, if that’s possible. One of just two players in the MCC averaging over 20 points a game (he’s No. 2 at 21.6). Great supporting cast has Kamiakin near the top of the standings again.
• Jonah Gebers, sr, Kennewick: Along with Charlie Tipke-Henry, the Lions have a vital 1-2 punch from the outside. The Lions made some noise in the 3A regionals last season, and he was a big reason.
• Brent Maldonado, sr., Sunnyside: Maldonado is such a talented athlete. He moved from wide receiver in 2021 on the football team over to quarterback and became one of the Big Nine’s best at that position this past fall. In basketball, he was a first-team All-Big Nine selection last season as a junior. He was also the Big Nine’s Defensive Player of the Year.
• Grant Olsen, jr., Hermiston: The tall, lanky standout is the top scorer in the MCC at 24.2 points a game. He can rebound and dominate the inside too.
• Kade Smith, sr., Chiawana: Last season, Smith — an outstanding football and track athlete too — was named second-team all-conference. If the Riverhawks are to go far in the postseason, he’ll be a big reason.
• Jesse Tijerina, jr., Southridge: This guy has worked hard in the offseason, arriving early each day at the Suns gym before school started to work on his game. He’s the leader of this team. Ranked third in the MCC in scoring at 19.1 points a game.
• Luke Westerfield, jr., Richland: Now 6-foot-10, it’s been fun to watch his progress over the past two seasons. Last season, when the games started counting in November, Westerfield looked like a sophomore. He could block shots and rebound, but it wasn’t clear what he could do on offense. At the end of the season, the Bombers were going inside to him for good shots, and he was second-team all-conference. This year, he’s even better, and he allows Richland to have a lethal inside game when it doesn’t want to run.
• Josh Woodard, jr., Richland: This is the guy that makes the Bombers go — although he’s not the only one. Richland can go to any number of players for points. But Woodard — the football team’s outstanding quarterback — is likely the first guy an opposing coach thinks about before each game. Ranked fourth in the MCC in scoring at 17.6 points a game, but with this talented team, there are many scorers.
• Donavin Young, sr, Chiawana: What game has Chiawana had this season in which Young hasn’t had some type of monstrous dunk to wake everyone up? He’s stayed healthy, and it’s shown with his play inside and around the key.

Girls

• Kaia Foster, soph, Chiawana: Was a role player last season as a freshman, but now she’s the outside to Malia Ruud’s inside for the Riverhawks. She’s getting a lot of interest from Division I schools for good reason: she can score, pass and rebound with the best of them. Case in point: In last Friday’s 77-43 win over Hermiston, Foster scored 30 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and had 4 steals. She’s No. 5 in the MCC in scoring at 15.7 points a game.
• Kylee Fox, sr, Richland: What can you say about this standout who is headed to Fresno State University next year on a basketball scholarship? She’s a great shooter and playmaker, and has been the MCC Most Valuable Player for two years running.
• Haylee Johnson, jr, Kennewick: The Lions depend on Johnson to score, and she’s done that, averaging 17.09 points a game to rank second in the MCC.
• Leanna Lepe, sr, Kamiakin: Most players on this list are usually the top 1 or 2 scorers on their teams. Lepe makes this list because of her defense. Last season, she was the MCC Defensive Player of the Year while playing for the Pasco girls. She transferred to Kamiakin in the offseason, and she does the little things — steals, taking charges, blocking out, making the extra pass — that allows everyone else to get the glory (although Lepe can score too).
• Macie Milum, jr, Richland: One of the reasons Fox sometimes gets more open looks is that defenses can’t always concentrate on the senior because of Milum’s outside shooting. She’s quick and a deadeye from the outside.
• Lynnea Moran, jr, Hanford: Now that older sister Ileana has graduated and plays at Rocky Mountain College in Montana, this has become Lynnea’s team. She’s quick, fast, and a good shooter too, averaging 16.4 points a game to rank fourth in the MCC.
• Maddy Rendall, sr, Kamiakin: One of the reason the Braves are first in the MCC standings is because of Rendall’s shooting, defense and passing. Idaho State’s coaching staff knew what it was doing when it signed her to a letter of intent for next season.
• Malia Ruud, soph, Chiawana: It’s going to be fun to see what Ruud is playing like by the time she’s a senior. For now, let’s just enjoy her game — which is usually a double-double every night. She’s got great footwork and moves inside the paint, as well as a soft touch with her shot. Opponents have to think twice about putting a shot up against her for fear it will be sent back their way. Her 17.08 scoring average ranks her third in the MCC.
• Izzy Simmons, soph, Hermiston: This quick guard exploded onto the scene last season as a freshman to lead the Bulldogs into the state tournament. She’s gotten better, and currently leads the MCC in scoring at 17.1 points a game.
• Nikole Thomas, sr, Kamiakin: Thomas broke the 1,000-point career scoring mark last week when I was in Vegas, so I missed that. She’s been nothing but outstanding all four years of her career for the Braves. She’s a great outside shooter, but she can also slash to the basket. The University of Memphis is getting a good one next year.

This story was originally published January 17, 2023 at 12:26 PM.