Woodinville vs. Eastlake Takeaways
4A KingCo playoffs are in full swing and I had the opportunity to see see the state’s number one ranked 4A team, Woodinville, take on the defending state champions in Eastlake. The Eastlake Wolves were coming in on a three…
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Continue Reading4A KingCo playoffs are in full swing and I had the opportunity to see see the state’s number one ranked 4A team, Woodinville, take on the defending state champions in Eastlake. The Eastlake Wolves were coming in on a three game winning streak and had just played Woodinville in a 10 point loss a little over a week ago, but Woodinville had zero plans of letting this one be too close. The Falcons came out firing against Eastlake’s zone and they did not cool off too much as the game went along, eventually winning 81-59 over Eastlake.
Takeaways:
1) Found a new prospect for Woodinville
Each of the last two times I have seen Woodinville play, I seem to find a new college prospect that stands out. This time it was 2023 5’10 SG Brooke Beresford. She has solid size at 5’10, but it was really her shooting ability that stood out. She made three 3’s in the first quarter, accompanied by another field goal. Within the first minute and a half in the second quarter she made her fourth three with fluid shooting form. She surprisingly missed both of her free throws, but she ended the game with 16 big points. She is a college prospect due to her size and shooting ability, but she is still very young and we will see how she continues to develop over the next couple years.
2) Woodinville’s Tatum Thompson impresses again
The 5’11 guard in the 2022 class is the real deal. I first noticed her at the King Showcase last month and I came away very impressed. In my second time watching her closely, I was not disappointed. She is wiry, athletic, shoots it well and has natural court awareness with her passing. Tatum leads the team in rebounding, despite playing a perimeter position. She has great hands for catching passes and snatching boards with one hand. A clear future Division 1 player that I have begun telling some Division 1 coaches about. The sophomore star finished with a smooth 17 points, including two made 3’s.
3) Woodinville is playing loose and free
As a spectator told me yesterday, one of the major differences in the game was how loose and free the Woodiville team is playing. When they stick to playing team ball, which they did get away from for a short stretch, they are going to be tough for anyone to beat. They have what it takes to win it all, because mostly everyone plays with a good amount of confidence when it is their turn on the court and 2021 5’10 PF Mia Hughes is leading the charge. They had several moments where they showed the ability to score in transition at the blink of an eye and then in the half court zip the ball around for wide open shots that were taken with confidence. That is the definition of playing loose and free!
4) Keeli Burton-Oliver was totally dominant inside the paint
The most unstoppable force on the court was Arizona State signee Keeli Burton-Oliver. The Eastlake senior commanded aggressive help defense and several double teams, but she still managed to get 31 points. She impressively stepped out and swished a college range three pointer and then went back inside and dominated on 12 made field goals. Keeli also shot 4/5 from the free throw line, which is one of the great things about her game, because you can trust her to make free throws. Unfortunately for Eastlake, she was the only scorer in double digits added on top of the fact that Woodinville was hot from the field and scored 81.
5) Eastlake will need to bounce back quickly
Woodinville will walk away with a 1 or 2 seed either way for Districts, but Eastlake has a big 3/4 seed game versus Issaquah at noon, following their evening game with Woodinville. 2021 6’1 SG Haley Huard will need to get back into double figures for scoring and keep up her solid defense. She blocked multiple shots and got some deflections using her length, despite playing a very “containment” style defense at the top. The other player that stood out was 2023 5’8 PG Kay Jackson who chipped in 6 points, but had some nice moments driving to the basket. Eastlake will need Huard and Jackson, among others, to really step it up in their playoff game against a tough opponent in Issaquah.
6) Veronica Sheffey keeps getting better for Woodinville
2022 5’8 PG Veronica Sheffey is another D1 prospect for Woodinville. She finished with 11 points and 12 assists. She is a lefty, but can handle going either direction. She elevates in the mid range and can knock down outside shots. She is turning into the total package point guard that Division 1 coaches will love to have in their program.