High school boys basketball: 3A state tournament bracket breakdown
The Class 3A boys state basketball tournament begins Wednesday at the Tacoma Dome, where 15 games will be played in four days to decide this season’s champion. Here’s what to watch for in the 2025 bracket, which features 12 programs from around the state.
STATE REGIONALS RESULTS
Winner-to-quarterfinals, loser-to-first-round games
No. 8 Bellarmine Prep 59, No. 1 Rainier Beach 57
No. 7 Seattle PRep 61, No. 2 Mount Spokane 47
No. 3 Garfield 70, No. 6 Lincoln 57
No. 5 Edmonds-Woodway 66, No. 4 Bellevue 56
Winner-to-first-round, loser-out games
No. 9 Eastside Catholic 52, No. 17 Prairie 50
No. 10 Monroe 62, No. 15 Gig Harbor 33
No. 14 Federal Way 49, No. 11 Auburn Mountainview 41
No. 13 Liberty 64, No. 12 Shorecrest 59
TACOMA DOME SCHEDULE
Wednesday’s first round and Thursday’s quarterfinals
No. 6 Lincoln vs. No. 14 Federal Way, 3:45 p.m. Wednesday
Winner vs. No. 5 Edmonds-Woodway, 3:45 p.m. Thursday
No. 2 Mount Spokane vs. No. 10 Monroe, 5:30 p.m. Wednesday
Winner vs. No. 8 Bellarmine Prep, 5:30 p.m. Thursday
No. 4 Bellevue vs. No. 13 Liberty, 7:15 p.m. Wednesday
Winner vs. No. 3 Garfield, 7:15 p.m. Thursday
No. 1 Rainier Beach vs. No. 9 Eastside Catholic, 9 p.m. Wednesday
Winner vs. No. 7 Seattle Prep, 9 p.m. Thursday
Friday’s semifinals
7:15 and 9 p.m.
Saturday’s championship and placing games
4th/6th at 9:30 a.m
3rd/5th at 1 p.m.
Championship at 5 p.m.
15 PLAYERS TO WATCH
G Kaden Powers, Rainier Beach, sr.
G Jaylen Petty, Rainier Beach, sr.
F Jaden Ghoreishi, Mount Spokane, jr.
G Nalu Vargas, Mount Spokane, sr.
G Tripp Haywood, Garfield, soph.
G Brandon Roy Jr., Garfield, sr.
G Nick Norrah, Bellevue, jr.
G Cam Hiatt, Edmonds-Woodway, sr.
G Davion Shareef-Dulaney, Lincoln, fr.
F Beckham King, Seattle Prep, sr.
G Kade Price, Bellarmine Prep, soph.
F/C Yabi Aklog, Eastside Catholic, jr.
W Wyatt Prohn, Monroe, jr.
G Jackson Whitaker, Liberty, jr.
G Brayden McVey, Federal Way, sr.
TEAM PREVIEWS
1. Rainier Beach (21-2) — The regional loss to Tacoma’s Bellarmine Prep means the Vikings will need to go through the rest of the Metro to reach the title game this year, but that hasn’t been an issue this season, as Rainier Beach went 16-0 in league play. At full strength, this is one of the state’s best rosters with 6-foot-5 shooting guard and Rutgers signee Kaden Powers and New Mexico guard signee Jaylen Petty, who was the TNT’s All-Area player of the year last year at Auburn. Petty didn’t play until late in the game in the loss to Bellarmine.
2. Mount Spokane (17-8) — Eight straight trips to state for the Wildcats, this year led by 6-foot-8 forward and Greater Spokane League MVP Jaden Ghoreishi, who averages 19 points, eight rebounds and two blocks a game. Guard Nalu Vargas (13 ppg, three rebounds, four assists) is another player to watch.
3. Garfield (17-6) — Garfield has the guard play to win it all if the Bulldogs get hot, paced by senior Brandon Roy Jr. and sophomore Tripp Haywood. North Central (Spokane) 6-foot-9 transfer Juju Ervin gives the Bulldogs interior height on both ends.
4. Bellevue (17-7) — The 3A KingCo champions are on a two-game slide with recent losses to Rainier Beach and Edmonds-Woodway but had ripped off 10 straight wins prior, including a 10-point win over Tacoma’s Annie Wright. Junior guard Nick Norrah can fill up the stat sheet in a hurry; he had 36 points in the league championship game against Liberty. Senior guard Bryce Smith, also a standout football player on Bellevue’s 3A state runner-up team, is another player to watch.
5. Edmonds-Woodway (24-2) — In the program’s first state tournament appearance since 2016, 6-foot-4 senior guard Cam Hiatt is the player to watch. The Wesco MVP and Dartmouth signee leads the team in several categories, averaging 20.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.5 steals for the Warriors. He’s complemented by another long junior guard, 6-foot-4 Will Alseth (13 ppg). Sophomore Grant Williams (9.3 ppg) is shooting 44 percent from 3-point range.
6. Lincoln (25-4) — Can this promising young group make a run? The Abes might be green, but this season felt like the start of something special for Lincoln, which won the 3A Pierce County League and the District 3/4 title. There are two juniors and no seniors on the roster, led by freshman guard Davion Shareef-Dulaney, the 3A PCL MVP, averages 16.9 points. He’s complemented by sophomore guards Trey Collier and O’Shea Lamar and a capable frontcourt of junior Kasey Williams and freshman Justus Holt.
7. Seattle Prep (18-10) — A regional win over Mount Spokane sends the Panthers through to the tournament quarterfinals on Thursday. 6-foot-8 senior forward Beckham King and junior guard Niko Christofilis are the players to watch for Seattle Prep.
8. Bellarmine Prep (22-7) — The Lions were the talk of the regional round after knocking off top-seeded Rainier Beach in Bellevue last weekend, which puts Bellarmine just two wins away from playing in the 3A state championship game. Count on two things from the Lions under first-year coach Bobby Moorehead: the Lions will play hard and they will play defense. Sophomore guard Kade Price is the team’s most consistent scorer.
9. Eastside Catholic (14-14) — Gone is 6-foot-10 forward Jacob Cofie, the TNT’s 2024 state player of the year, but the reigning 3A state champion Crusaders once again find themselves back in the Tacoma Dome. 6-foot-10 junior forward Yabi Aklog alters shots in the paint.
10. Monroe (22-3) — The Bearcats have won 14 of their last 15 games, including a 62-33 blowout win over Gig Harbor in last weekend’s state regional round. Junior wing Wyatt Prohn is a crafty three-level scorer for Monroe.
13. Liberty (18-8) — A three-point win over Mount Si in December is proof Liberty can hang with anyone when the Patriots are playing their best basketball. 6-foot-3 junior guard Jackson Whitaker (25.1 ppg, five reb) can take over games in a hurry, while guard Max Vermeulen (11.2 ppg, eight reb, four ast) and 6-foot-5 forward Isaac Roberts (10 ppg, nine reb) round out the production.
14. Federal Way (21-4) — If not for a late collapse against Lincoln in the 3A District 3/4 semifinals, the Eagles very well could’ve been bi-district champions and come into the state tournament with a higher seed. Make no mistake: This is a dangerous 14 seed. Senior guard Brayden McVey can put the ball in the hoop, while 6-foot-7 senior forward Saxon Niles continues to look more comfortable and dangerous in the post.
TNT CHAMPIONSHIP PREDICTION
No. 1 Rainier Beach 62, No. 6 Lincoln 56
This story was originally published March 4, 2025 at 1:27 PM with the headline "High school boys basketball: 3A state tournament bracket breakdown."
