1/15/26
ESN returns to the ShoWare Center on Monday for another edition of the King Showcase in Kent but another venue will also be covered for the first time. We will have a crew at Federal Way High School for the MLK Dream Showcase starting at 9am. Another very exciting slate of seven high school basketball games will be in the spotlight at the home of the Seattle Thunderbirds while all eight games at Federal Way, including two defending state champions, will be streamed as well right here on the Eli Sports Network. The first game at Federal Way High School is at 9am while the action starts at 10am at the ShoWare Center.
To go along with ESN’s live streaming of all 15 games, we will also have short recap stories with highlights and stats to go with it. It’s a great opportunity, a month before play basketball gets underway, to lock in an NFHS subscription. A monthly subscription costs only $13.99, which you can cancel at any time, or a yearly subscription is a one-time payment of $79.99. An NFHS Subscription gets you access to any and every game/match on the NFHS Network, and you can go back a few years and rewatch old games. All of the games are on demand and can be accessed anywhere in the world, as long as you have an internet connection. To subscribe, head over to our broadcast page, which features all of the games/events we are covering that week, and links directly to each game/event.
We will preview the top games from each venue with the entire schedule from both locations down at the bottom of this page.
Bellarmine Prep vs. Union- Girls Basketball, 10am Tip-Off
The first game of the day in Kent will pit a 3A state title contender against one of the very best scorers in the state. Bellarmine Prep fell last year in regionals in their first year in the 3A classification but the Lions seem to have used that as momentum. Bellarmine currently owns a record of 9-3 and are tied atop the PSL Narrows division with Gig Harbor. Union showcases a special talent in elite scorer Brooklynn Haywood. The 5-Star University of Oregon commit currently stands as the #26 recruit in the nation in this year’s class. It is not just Haywood however as the Titans are now 11-2 on the season with both losses coming to teams out of state. We will get fireworks right out of the gate with this matchup opening up the slate.
North Thurston vs. Tualatin (OR)- Girls Basketball, 1pm Tip-Off
One of those out of state teams to beat Union is the Tualatin Timberwolves out of Oregon and they will make their ShoWare Center debut on Monday. The Timberwolves stunned the Beaver State last season when they took down nationally ranked Clackamas to win the 6A Oregon state title. The T-Wolves have a record of 10-1 as of this writing and their only loss came to Etiwanda out of California who are #18 in the nation. Tualatin comes to Kent as the #20 girls basketball team in the country. Their opponents will be the North Thurston Rams who have a state title caliber squad once again. The Rams fell short in the 3A state semifinals last season to Lakeside but look poised for another deep run. North Thurston comes in with a record of 10-2 after starting the year 1-2.
Edmonds Woodway vs. Tualatin (OR)- Boys Basketball, 2:30pm Tip-Off
It won’t just be the Tualatin girls as the boys will make the trip north for the second consecutive year. Tualatin was supposed to play in the 2024 showcase, but snow prevented them from making the trip. The T-Wolves beat Mount Si last year 74-41 but graduated quite a bit of talent from that team. The Timberwolves are 9-5 on the year and are led by senior star Jemai Lake, a University of Montana commit. Tualatin already put on a show at the Capitol City Classic as well as the prestigious Les Schwab Invitational where Lake averaged 16.5 points and while Pat Vialva Jr. averaged 17.8. Edmonds-Woodway finished second in the 3A state tournament last season, falling to Rainier Beach in the title game. While they did lose four senior, including star Cam Hiatt to graduation, the Warrior return a ton of talent as well. They are 13-1 right now after a tight one-point loss to Shorewood earlier this week.
Mount Si vs. Puyallup- Boys Basketball, 6pm Tip-Off
Two teams that are always contenders in the 4A classification will battle in the penultimate game of the night. Mount Si returns for another trip to the ShoWare Center and bring a ton of experience and talent in to this year’s showcase. The Wildcats are 9-4 this season with just one loss to a team from Washington. They are led by Boise State commit Brady Hennig who is averaging 21 PPG this season. Puyallup will try to become the second Washington-based team to down the Wildcats. Puyallup made a great run last year before losing in a thriller in the 4A state championship to Gonzaga Prep and the Vikings are now looking to finish their story. A 9-4 start to the season for the Vikings is nothing to worry about as they continue to take strides into being another team to look out for in the Tacoma Dome this March.
Bainbridge vs Tahoma – Boys Basketball, 10:30 AM Tip-Off
The second boys basketball game of the day from Federal Way features two teams in the top half of their leagues in a rare 2A/4A matchup. The Bainbridge Spartans are behind Bremerton in the Olympic League with a record of 5-1 and 6-4 overall. The Spartans have won two in a row and face Olympic on the road before Monday’s game. The Tahoma Bears are 8-6 overall but 4-4 in a tough 4A NPSL. They are tied for fourth with Kennedy Catholic and are right behind Kentwood. Tahoma had a big win over Emerald Ridge, 76-51, last month and has also won two in a row before hosting Kentwood at home tonight.
Prairie vs Annie Wright – Boys Basketball, 1:30 PM Tip-Off
After storming to the 1A State Title last year, the Annie Wright Gators are looking for a repeat. They are 9-2 on the season and just suffered their first loss to a Washington school, which came to 3A’s Bellevue by just three points, 52-49. Annie Wright is one of the favorites to win the 1A State Title this season, but faces the Prairie Falcons, who also recently lost to Bellevue. Prairie is 8-3 on the season and sent shockwaves through the state by beating Camas by two points and lost to Bonney Lake on a buzzer-beater at the T-Town Throwdown.
Davis vs Lake Washington – Girls Basketball, 4:30 PM Tip-Off
The Davis Pirates and Lake Washington Kangaroos were the top two seeds in the 4A State Tournament last March, and squared off in the quarterfinals. Davis won 71-59 as the Pirates rolled to the title. Davis is the favorite to win it all again this year, and is 8-2 on the season. The Pirates’ two losses were to Oregon schools by three and five points. Davis has won every game by double figures and is looking to run the table again. The Lake Washington Kangaroos are looking for revenge from last year’s quarterfinal matchup. The Kangs are 12-3 on the season and 5-2 in the KingCo. LW has won three games in a row, including a key win over Woodinville at home last Friday by 17 points.
Bellevue vs Sumner – Girls Basketball, 6:00 PM Tip-Off
Bellevue and Sumner each had deep runs in the postseason last year and are two of the favorites in their respective classifications to win it all. Bellevue, as the 17-seed, took fourth place last year and is 13-3 this year. The Wolverines lost to Bothell by four points and played Davis fairly tight despite an 11-point loss. Bellevue has won three games in a row and goes to Eastlake, which has been stellar this year, on Friday, before one of the games of the day against Sumner. Sumner made the State Championship Game last year but fell to Davis, and the Spartans are poised for a revenge tour. The Spartans lone blemish on the season came from an out-of-state team. Sumner has been on a roll, with all 13 wins coming by double-digits, and has held three different teams to scoring single-digit points in games. Sumner heads to Yelm tonight before facing Bellevue, as the two teams are all but guaranteed to make some noise in the Tacoma Dome in March.
Monday Broadcast Schedule
King Showcase @ ShoWare Center (Kent)
Bellarmine Prep vs. Union (Girls), 10am Tip-Off
King’s vs. Auburn Mountainview (Boys), 11:30am Tip-Off
North Thurston vs. Tualatin (OR) (Girls), 1pm Tip-Off
Edmonds Woodway vs. Tualatin (OR) (Boys), 2:30pm Tip-Off
White River vs. Issaquah (Girls), 4:30pm Tip-Off
Mount Si vs. Puyallup (Boys), 6pm Tip-Off
Kentwood vs. Lake Washington (Boys), 7:30pm Tip-Off
MLK Dream Showcase @ Federal Way HS
Rogers (Puyallup) vs. Stadium (Boys), 9am Tip-Off
Bainbridge vs. Tahoma (Boys), 10:30am Tip-Off
River Ridge vs. Seattle Prep (Girls), 12pm Tip-Off
Prairie vs. Annie Wright (Boys), 1:30pm Tip-Off
Davis vs. Federal Way (Boys), 3pm Tip-Off
Davis vs. Lake Washington (Girls), 4:30pm Tip-Off
Bellevue vs. Sumner (Girls), 6pm Tip-Off
Annie Wright vs. Emerald Ridge (Girls), 7:30pm Tip-Off
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