Runnin' through WIAA Class 3A boys basketball regionals: How far can Eastside Catholic keep things rolling?

Ceiling seems high for Crusaders who brought home Metro League and SeaKing championships this month

With the 16-team field set for regional round of the 2022-23 WIAA Class 3A boys basketball tournament, here is SBLive WA’s weekend overview of the matchups, players to watch – and game score predictions:

CLASS 3A BOYS REGIONALS

TOP BILLING

Has Eastside Catholic cracked the code on Garfield? Crusaders have beaten the Bulldogs twice this postseason which helped propel them to the No. 3 seed.

BEST BET TO SCORE 30

Not only is Eastside Catholic's Jacob Cofie 6-foot-9, he can pull up from just about anywhere on the floor.

RIDE THIS DARKHORSE

Came one game shy of a district title, but if No. 12 Arlington can bounce back, the Eagles could be a sleeper in Tacoma.

PROTECTED-GAME PREVIEW CAPSULES

Photo by Tommy Wolf

No. 1 Mount Spokane (22-1) vs. No. 8 Rainier Beach (14-9)

6 p.m. Saturday, West Valley High School (Spokane)

Skinny: A fun matchup here with Mount Spokane – who has had a dominant run through this point – and Metro League battle-tested Rainier Beach, but Wildcats play in a tough league, too.

Pick: Mount Spokane, 65-57

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No. 2 Garfield (21-2) vs. No. 7 Timberline (18-5), 

8 p.m. Friday, Bellevue College

Skinny: One in a handful of games this weekend that looks good on paper. Bulldogs two late losses to Eastside Catholic knocked them out of a likely top seed and Timberline fell just short of a district title. Who's going to bounce back first?

Pick: Garfield, 71-62

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No. 3 Eastside Catholic (18-8) vs. No. 6 Mountlake Terrace (18-5)

6 p.m. Saturday, Bellevue College

Skinny: Might not be a hotter team than Eastside Catholic right now. Crusaders have been on a tear that includes two wins over Garfield and one over O'Dea for district title, making it hard to not ride with Eastside Catholic.

Pick: Eastside Catholic, 64-57

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No. 4 Auburn (19-5) vs. No. 5 O’Dea (18-8)

8 p.m. Saturday, Auburn High School

Skinny: Could end up being the best game of the weekend as the defending state champs match up with state tournament mainstay O'Dea. Regardless of the outcome, a state contender will be facing a loser-out game in Tacoma next week.

Pick: O'Dea, 61-56

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WINNER-TO-STATE-GAME PREVIEW CAPSULES

Photo by Joshua Hart

No. 9 Gig Harbor (21-3) vs. No. 16 Shorecrest (17-6)

8 p.m. Saturday, Tacoma Community College

Skinny: Was Gig Harbor snubbed at No. 9 to miss out on a protected game? Maybe so, but the Tides now turn their attention to Shorecrest who survived a play-in against Stadium to advance. 

Pick: Gig Harbor, 79-63

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No. 10 Bellevue (21-4) vs. No. 15 Auburn Mountainview (15-10)

2 p.m. Saturday, Bellevue College

Skinny: Auburn Mountainview defeated Mountain View to advance only to get another loser-out game against Bellevue who lost back-to-back games for the first time all season in districts. Difficult to imagine Bellevue not bouncing back.

Pick: Bellevue, 71-56

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No. 11 West Seattle (14-11) vs. No. 14 North Thurston (17-8)

8 p.m. Saturday, Bellevue College

Skinny: Don't be fooled by West Seattle's 11 losses, 10 of them have come to Metro teams seeded in the top 8. North Thurston, meanwhile, has losses to top 8 teams of its own coming into this one.

Pick: West Seattle, 63-60

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No. 12 Arlington (18-5) vs. No. 20 Walla Walla (13-12)

8 p.m. Saturday, Arlington High School

Skinny: Walla Walla made sure it wouldn't be a one-and-done team by going on the road to take down Mount Vernon, but Arlington is coming off a game where the Eagles didn't play a single bit like themselves and looking to rebound.

Pick: Arlington, 74-63

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