Published
March 5, 2003
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This story is part of "Tourney Titans,"
a special section profiling the top players and teams in the history of
the Class 1A state basketball tournament. Tourney Titans
Picking
the Best Is Never Easy
The Legend of 'Handshake' Hanson
"It
Was Just Fascinating to Watch Him"
Bulldog Heaven in '77
Best Players Stand the Test of Time
Top 20 Players
Top 20 Teams
The Voting Panel
Panelists Have Plenty to Say
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Tourney Titans: The Players
| Player |
Team, Year |
Why Him?
|
|
1. RICHARD
HANSON
177 voting points
(8 first-place votes) |
BLAINE
1963, 1964
(state
tournament
appearances)
|
The young man known by so
many as "Handshake" Hanson for his friendly nature established
single-tournament records for points (135), rebounds (98), free throws
attempted (70) and made (59) and career tournament scoring average
(30.1) that, remarkably, still stand 39 years later. At only 6-foot-4,
he had a then-record 31 rebounds in a single game, which still ranks as
second-best in tourney history -- but was well under his season-high of
37.
|
|
2. DAVE
HOVDE
122 points
(5 first-place votes) |
SELAH
1960, 1961,
1962, 1963 |
A three-time
all-tournament selection and four-time starter at state, the 6-7 Hovde
owned the tourney's career scoring record (193 points) when he finished.
He was a unanimous all-tourney selection as a senior, when he led Selah
to the title, averaging 17.3 points over the first three games before
spending the final in foul trouble. A monster on the boards, Hovde went
on to star at UW, averaging nearly a double-double in both his junior
and senior years.
|
|
3. TIM
EVANS
109.5 points |
BLAINE
1974 |
He was at
state only one year, but made it memorable. A rail-thin 6-7, Evans was
absolutely dominating in 1974, leading a fairly weak Blaine squad to
third place while averaging 30.3 points and 14.2 rebounds and coming up
with 11 steals. He went on to an All-America career at the University of
Puget Sound, where he started for four years, led the Loggers to the
1976 NCAA Div. II title, was inducted in the school's hall of fame and
had his jersey retired.
|
|
4. GLEN
DYKSTRA
97 points
(3 first-place votes) |
LYNDEN
CHRISTIAN
1975, 1976 |
Dykstra was
one of the best passers in tournament history, but what people remember
most is the way he all but took over the 1976 tournament, earning
unanimous MVP honors in leading the "Six Iron Lyncs" to the championship
after six players were suspended. In the semifinal win, Dykstra had 25
points, 14 rebounds and seven assists. In the final, with the score tied
late in overtime, Dykstra made the steal and scored the winning points.
|
|
5. DUSTIN
VANWEERDHUIZEN
58 points
(1 first-place vote) |
LA CENTER
1995, 1996,
1997, 1998 |
This athletic
four-year starter could pound inside, swish 25-footers or simply pick
your pocket at midcourt and go in for a layup. In 15 state-tournament
games, VanWeerdhuizen set tournament career records with 252 points,
3-pointers (42 made in 134 attempts, often launched from waaaay outside
the stripe) and 57 assists. He and his older brother Derek helped La
Center to back-to-back titles and a 52-1 overall record in 1996-97.
|
|
6. HOWARD
HEPPNER
51 points
(1 first-place vote) |
LYNDEN
1960, 1961,
1962 |
A three-year
starter at state for the Lions, Heppner, at 6-5 or 6-6, was the leading
scorer and rebounder -- and possibly the best defender as well -- on
Lynden's back-to-back titles in 1961-62. As a senior, he averaged 17.5
points and nearly seven rebounds in the tournament and had his choice of
college scholarships up and down the West Coast, but turned down the
(then) Pacific-8 schools to play at his father's alma mater, Seattle
Pacific.
|
|
7. RON
DEATON
46 points |
NACHES
1987 |
What an MVP
tournament he had in 1987: In leading the Rangers to the title that
capped its perfect season, the 6-5 sharpshooter averaged 26.5 points and
7.0 rebounds, shot a sizzling 56.2 percent from the field and 77.4 from
the line and dished out 11 assists. Deaton finished as the state's third
all-time career scorer with 2,112 points -- which would have been higher
had the 3-point shot been around, since he was money from 20 feet and
beyond.
|
|
8. DARREN
MORNINGSTAR
44 points |
STEVENSON
1984, 1986,
1987 |
Morningstar
didn't have much of a supporting cast, so his heroics usually went for
naught at the state tournament, where the Bulldogs lost six of eight
games during Morningstar's career. But the 6-7 Morningstar could score
points in bunches, setting a state-tourney scoring average for a single
tournament (35.0) and tying the single-game mark with a 47-point high.
Morningstar went on to play Division 1 ball at the University of
Pittsburgh.
|
|
9. LUKE
RIDNOUR
37 points |
BLAINE
1997 |
Had Ridnour
played more than one year in Class 1A, he might have moved all the way
up to the top in this poll. But the current Oregon star was special even
as a mere freshman: He averaged 14.8 points in the tourney for a
Borderite team that placed sixth; shut down the state's leading scorer
(Toledo's Ross Jorgusen) in the second half of a game the Borderites won
in OT; had 16 assists over the four games and, even more impressive,
made 15 steals.
|
|
10. PHIL
CULLEN
36 points
(1 first-place vote) |
CHELAN
1997, 1998 |
One judge
called him the "best defensive player in the tournament," and opposing
shooters would agree. In only two years, the 6-9 future Utah standout
established tournament records for blocks in a single tourney (25) and
career (44) and led the Goats to the '98 title. But Cullen spent his
first two years in the tough Caribou Trail League as a wispy wing,
becoming a deadly outside shooter who could rain 3-pointers over
less-mobile opposing centers.
|
|
11. BRYAN
JOHNSON
35 points
(1 first-place vote) |
COLFAX
1976, 1977 |
In his senior
year, the 6-3 Johnson averaged 25.8 and 14.5 rebounds while shooting an
unreal 40-for-67 from the floor in earning tournament MVP honors on a
Bulldog team that finished unbeaten and virtually untested.
|
|
12. ALAN
SMITH
31 points
|
CASHMERE
1971, 1972 |
The slender
6-8 post owned the 1972 tournament, averaging 31.0 points in Cashmere's
title run. One player called Smith "the most dominant player I ever saw
... he could have scored 40 any time he wanted."
|
|
13. BILL
HANSON
28 points |
MERCER ISLAND
1958 |
Until his
cousin Richard (of Blaine) came along six years later, this Hanson -- an
unstoppable 6-8 center -- still held the record for the highest-scoring
tournament with 126 points. His teammates? They managed 90 points.
|
|
14. ROD
DERLINE
24 points |
ELMA
1969, 1970 |
"The Rifle"
is among the tournament history's best pure shooters -- and its most
willing: His 47 field goal attempts in one 1970 game remain a tournament
record. Fans later got to see him play two years as a SuperSonic.
|
|
15. PAT
ROGERS
20.5 points |
RAYMOND
1968, 1969,
1970 |
Over Rogers'
three years, the Gulls went from third to second to first. Rogers could
put up 25 points while also playing great defense, which he proved by
shutting down Elma's Rod Derline in the 1970 final.
|
|
16. DEREK
VANWEERDHUIZEN
16 points |
LA CENTER
1995, 1996,
1997 |
He set
tournament records for steals (26 tournament, 51 career) as the point
man for the Wildcats' furious full-court press, but he was the points
man when it counted: He scored 28 in the '97 title game.
|
|
17. RYAN
HANSEN
15 points |
CASCADE
1994, 1995 |
This athletic
guard, who finished his career as the state's all-time leading scorer
and the Class A player of the year, also led the 1995 tournament in
scoring and won MVP honors, though his team placed sixth.
|
|
18. KEITH
COLLINS
14 points |
CASHMERE
1975, 1976,
1977 |
Although he
was better known as a decathlete (for which he earned All-America honors
at WSU), Collins could play this game: As a senior, he averaged 18.6
points and 7.5 rebounds and won tournament MVP honors.
|
|
19. TIM
TAYLOR
13 points |
SOUTH BEND
1974, 1975,
1976, 1977 |
Taylor
probably wasn't the 6-3 that he was listed, but it didn't matter. A
two-time all-tourney pick, he had the moves and power to dominate larger
players inside and could score from anywhere on the court.
|
|
20. RICK
SLETTEDAHL
12.5 points |
ELMA
1963, 1964 |
Slettedahl
was the fuel for the undersized Eagle team that ran and shot its way to
the 1964 title. Said one judge, "He controlled the state tournament from
the opening tip to the end of the championship game."
|
|
OTHERS FOR CONSIDERATION |
|
DERRIC CROFT, Lynden (12 voting points),
was a 6-4 leaper who could beat you inside or out. ... DIRK LANCE,
King's (11 points), was a skinny, 6-foot-1 winner who as a junior
carried an average team all the way into OT of the title game against a
superior Lynden team. ... TRAVIS KING, Ephrata (11 points), went
out in style: As a senior, he was student body president, carried a 3.8
GPA, and set the state scoring record (2,292 points) in his final game,
which turned out to be the 1993 title game. ... ROCKY HEUTINK,
Nooksack Valley (9 points), is still regarded as one of the best
shooters ever. ... PAUL JARRETT, Ilwaco (7.5 points), won 1990
MVP honors in a losing effort. ... MATT WILLIAMS, Naches (7
points), was key to the Rangers' '87 title run. ... DWAYNE SCHOLTEN,
Lynden Christian (7 points), MVP of the Lyncs' 1982 title run. ...
CASEY FRANDSEN, Toutle Lake (7 points), still one of the state's
most prolific scorers. ... JON KINCAID, Colfax (6 points), had
2,150 career points. ... JEFF STATEN (6 points) and ROD
WHATLEY (4 points), Steilacoom, stars of the Sentinels' 1984-'85
run. ... DAVE DOANE, Cashmere (5 points), rock of the Bulldogs'
1980 champions. ... PHIL HIAM, White River (5 points), a classic
big man. ... CHUCK PRICE, Lynden (4 points), a great guard. ...
PHIL OMAN, Ilwaco (3 points), star of that high-scoring '67
bunch. ... SCOTT McDONALD, Marquette, JOEY WARMENHOVEN,
Grandview, and PHIL BARNHART, Cashmere (each 2 points), were each
leaders on title teams. ... JIM BEESON, Elma (2 points), scored
47 points in a 1961 tourney game. ... JOE WHITNEY and MIKE
KNUTSON (each 1 point), Lynden, stars of the Lions' unbeaten 1981
team. |
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