COLUMN | Rainier Beach Isn’t Done. Vikings Already Eyeing the Next Title Run.

J.J. Crawford climbed as high as he could to make the pronouncement.

Perched last Saturday night atop a step ladder, just underneath a partially snipped state 3A championship net, the Rainier Beach freshman refused to display his souvenir of accomplishment, saying, “I have three more to go.”

If Crawford were to make good on such a goal – helping produce a state championship in each of his remaining three years at Beach – that would mean a five-peat with coach Mike Bethea presumably riding off into the sunset with 14 state titles.

Only three schools, in any Washington state classification, have ever three-peated, and Rainier Beach (2012-14), under Bethea, is one of them.

The biggest obstacle to becoming a double three-peater might be overcoming the departure of maybe the greatest high-school player in state history, Tyran Stokes.

Might be.

Even without Stokes, Rainier Beach will return a talented eight of their top 10 players next season. The way their state-tournament run shook out, the Vikings have already shared a glimpse into their near future.

Crawford, who led all scorers with 20 points in the championship game, would be a big part of the answer. Already 6 feet 5 inches, he may be in the throes of a growth spurt and could return for his sophomore season at 6-7 or 6-8, his projected final height. He wouldn’t be Stokes, who’s already 6-8, but, by the end of this season, Crawford was a more reliable shooter from deep, was as good at creating his shot (though more for mid-range jumpers), and, at 15 years old, on the way to matching Stokes’ basketball IQ.

The Vikings will retain undeniable star power, but the foundation of their three-peat blueprint will be defensive pressure at its most suffocating. They demonstrated that much during the championship game. Stokes was on the bench with three early fouls, and Beach still held Lincoln of Tacoma to just three points in the first quarter and only eight in the first half.

Rainier Beach’s defensive pressure is its signature. During the regular season, Seattle Prep coach Dan Kriley told the Emerald that he didn’t think this year’s team was as good as last year’s. It wasn’t as cohesive, he said, and that was true, mainly at the offensive end, which could be halting with the ball stopping most often at Stokes. During its first possession of the state championship game, Rainier Beach executed its halfcourt offense to perfection, landing a Crawford jumper beyond the foul stripe. Because of their defense, the Vikings essentially did not have to run another play. And that’s the rub.

Juniors Micah Ili-Meneese and K.J. Hightower are Rainier Beach’s defensive Dobermans and face-guarding specialists. Ili-Meneese, who is 6-4, volunteered at Eastside Catholic to single defend Yabi Aklog, the Crusaders’ all-league, 6-11 center. He shut down Aklog for a half. Knowledge Wright at times seemed to be defending the entire opposing offense down the stretch of the season. The hoppiest Viking, Kam Babbs, can pick off attempts to throw over any press. Wes Armstrong and Achilles Reyna should ably anchor the back end of any defensive-pressure scheme.

The Vikings will be oozing with players other than Crawford offering all-league potential.

One of them, Micah Ili-Meneese, made second-team All-Metro this season. He averaged a team-high 20.7 points at state, accumulated mostly with low-touch efficiency. In other words, he did all his damage with very few dribbles. Ili-Meneese is a master at running in from the corners to take passes or corral offensive rebounds for layups, and sneak through and above defenders for tip-ins. The most dribbles he’d take would come while transporting one of his 4.7 steals per game.

Another junior, Babbs had an apparent post-season breakout, but, like Ili-Meneese, he actually was fulfilling a destiny flashed earlier in the season.

With 25 points, on 11-of-12 shooting, in 16 minutes off the bench against Barlow (Oregon), Babbs helped the Vikings rebound from their only loss of the season, to Southridge (Oregon). He also had 10-point outings in reserve appearances in Arizona, against Duncanville (Texas) and Mater Dei (California). Two games later, the high-flying Babbs was grounded for nearly a month by a deep-knee bruise and ankle sprain.

Another pair of juniors, Armstrong and Reyna, have high-level post skills, though at opposite ends of the floor.

Armstrong, at 6-4, is a solid defensive deterrent and rebounder and, like Micah Ili-Meneese and his departing brother, Marques, is adept at producing points off hustle plays. Reyna, 6-7, will have the best classic post-up game on the team next year and can create and take shots all over the court. After sitting out a mandated first 40% of the season, due to his transfer from Eastside Catholic, he struggled to find a consistent place in Bethea’s rotation but arguably had his best game of the season in the win over Lincoln.

The only other freshman, Louis Harris, could be an X-factor, though next season may be too soon to realize his full potential. He is 6-9 and big men on every level of basketball require time and patience to develop. He has length, can run the floor, and has a deft touch around the basket, but needs to grow into his body.

The Vikings figure to continue their competition at point guard. The position will be more relevant without the ball so much in Stokes’ hands. Hightower was a steadying influence after Beach suffered its upset loss at the Les Schwab Invitational in Portland. At 6-2, he offers a little more size and experience, and quick hands and stickiness on defense –  qualities that were at a premium when Stokes mostly was initiating the Viking offense.

As a sophomore, the explosive Wright, in bursts, was one of the Metro League’s most creative scorers and at the delivering end of Stokes’ most spectacular lob dunks. When Rainier Beach needed a play, Wright tended to get aggressive with his own offense, creating a false perception of selfishness. This is what you get from young point guards, who under duress go with what they know – and, at this stage, they know how to elevate their own game better than elevating their teammates’.

There is an outside, almost expectation that the Vikings will land at least one talented transfer before next season. With its rich history, high-profile coaching staff, and community spirit, Rainier Beach has long been a destination program. Stokes’ success there only bolsters that reputation.

The biggest question around the subject of a Vikings three-peat is whether there’s a program out there that can prevent it.

After all, the team considered as Rainier Beach’s fiercest rival, O’Dea, went 0-5 against the Vikings this season. Plus, the Fighting Irish will suffer a considerable talent drain (Brian Webster, Josiah Bowman, Guilio Banchero, Peyton Brooks, Levi Orbino) via graduation. Also in the Metro League, Eastside Catholic returns sophomores Tytan McNeal, the league’s defensive player of the year, and super shooter Steven Sun, as well as 6-4 freshman Anthony Williams, who came on strong in the postseason. But the Crusaders graduate Aklog, who might have presented the only mismatch all season that pressed the Vikings to solve.

Tacoma, with its neglected-stepchild mentality, offers lippy Lincoln and its super soph duo of Davion Shareef-Dulanaey and Justus Holt. But, even without Stokes, the Vikings still can overwhelm the Abes with size and athleticism and are unlikely to forget the pre-championship locker-room insult. Another Tacoma team, Bellarmine Prep, returns junior guard Ronnie Wiggins and sophomore forward Luke Heisel, who still were the core of a team smothered by Rainier Beach in the state 3A semifinals.

Upon further review, in the celebratory aftermath of a second straight, dominant state 3A tournament run by Rainier Beach, its youngest player may only have been stating the obvious.

Glenn Nelson covered the Sonics and the NBA at The Seattle Times for 17 years. He was a founding executive at Rivals.com, a co-founder at Scout.com, and the founder of ESPN HoopGurlz, a national website about women's and girls' basketball. He has won regional awards for his columns about race for the South Seattle Emerald.