Husky basketball recruits on display at WIAA state tournament

This weekend's WIAA state basketball tournament offers local Husky fans a preview of a few Husky basketball recruits. Here's a rundown on the handful of players Washington's coaching staff will be watching this weekend.

Rainier Beach High School, the perennial favorite in the 3A classification, features Husky commit David Crisp. The senior guard committed to Washington in early January and will join the team in the 2015-16 season after a year of prep school. At 6-foot-1, Crisp is a smooth and athletic point guard who averages 19.5 points per game for the undefeated Vikings. Crisp can beat his man off the dribble and also keep his defender honest with his three-point range.

Starring alongside Crisp on Rainier Beach is 6-foot-5 senior wing Djuan Piper. Washington offered Piper in early January – the Huskies along with Gonzaga and Minnesota are in Piper's final three schools. Piper has the prototypical frame for the wing position with long arms that can cause havoc on defense. He's currently averaging 10.4 points per game for the Vikings. Piper plans on making a verbal commitment before the April signing date.

Perhaps the most important Washington Huskies target is 2015 Rainier Beach wing Dejounte Murray. The 6-foot-5 junior is widely considered the best non-senior basketball prospect in the state of Washington. Averaging 16 points per game, Murray's length and athleticism has several high-profile programs impressed, with offers from California, Gonzaga and Oregon.

In the 4A tournament, senior guard Dan Kingma from Jackson High School will try to lead his team to a state championship. The 5-foot-10 guard will walk-on with the Huskies next season – he was fielding interest from several local non-division I programs including Whitman, Whitworth and Seattle Pacific. Kingma is leading his team, averaging 17.8 points per game.

The Huskies are also recruiting sophomore wing Alphonso Anderson from Wilson High School. The 6-foot-5 currently holds an offer from Boise State.

Last but not least, Washington's coaching staff has their eyes on freshman guard Jaylen Nowell out of Garfield High School. The 6-foot-3 guard is fielding interest from several schools including Gonzaga, Oregon and Oregon St. Nowell is averaging 6.8 points per game for the Bulldogs.

I reached out to local high school basketball guru Jason McCleary to get his take on these recruits. You can follow McCleary on Twitter here.

David Crisp, Rainier Beach, 6-foot-1, Sr., guard

Crisp is a guard who can play both ends of the court. He's very athletic and can use his body and athleticism to get to the rim. He can be deadly from behind the arc and plays tough defense.

Djuan Piper, Rainier Beach, 6-foot-6, Sr., forward

Piper is a utility player who gets it done on the court. He loves to play defense and hustles throughout the entire game – he can score as well.

Dejounte Murray, Rainier Beach, 6-foot-5, Jr., forward

Murray is a slim-build guard who will be big time. He can score in many ways on the court. He uses his length on defense and has nice court vision as well.

Dan Kingma, Jackson High School, 5-foot-11, Sr., guard

Kingma is a guard who can get hot from beyond the arc at anytime. He's improved as a point guard, but his main weapon is his shooting ability.

Alphonso Anderson, Wilson High School, 6-foot-6, So., forward

Anderson is a 6-foot-6 face-up forward who can also post up as well. He's capable of bring the ball up the court, but isn't a strong point guard. Once he puts it all together and possibly grow two more inches, he could be a huge prospect.

Jaylen Nowell, Garfield High School, 6-foot-3, Fr., guard

At 6-foot-3, Nowell is another up-and-coming player from Seattle who will get national attention soon. Nowell has a nice body fro a freshman and doesn't back down from any player on the court. He can get to the rim and a has a nice mid-range game.

Games begin on Thursday, March 6th. Links to tournament brackets and game times can be found here.