Mr. Basketball
JaQuori McLaughlin is presented with Washington's Mr. Basketball trophy
(Courtesy of SDion/theFinalScore.TV)
Basketball in the state of Washington is largely defined by Seattle-area talent.
Jamal Crawford, Brandon Roy, Nate Robinson and a host of others have come through the area, while the Garfield-Rainier Beach rivalry has grown into one of the nation's best.
But in the class of 2016, Oregon State Beavers four-star guard signee JaQuori McLaughlin broke the mold, earning Washington's Mr. Basketball award out of Peninsula High School (Gig Harbor, Washington).
Having earned the award in late February, the 6-foot-3, 170-pound guard's ceremony at the Washington 3A-4A all-star game came with little drama.
But plenty of meaning.
"It means a lot to me being from a smaller town," McLaughlin said. "I couldn't have won this award without the support I have from my community."
As a senior, he averaged 18 points, nine assists, six rebounds and four steals per game and completed his prep career with a school-record 1,682 points.
After a whirlwind recruitment, McLaughlin chose Oregon State in September over offers from Baylor, Boise State, Cal, Gonzaga, Memphis, Stanford, Utah and Washington.
"It feels pretty good to find the right fit. I love the coaching staff, the players, the campus, the environment," he told The Oregonian after making his decision. "What they are building in Corvallis is going to be special. I'm pretty excited."
Those feelings have only grown stronger watching Oregon State make the NCAA tournament this season.
"It was really exciting seeing them make the tournament," he said. "It really shows how good of a coach Wayne Tinkle is and how hard the guys are working. It's just the beginning, though. We will be back."
Even in defeat, McLaughlin said watching the Beavers play in "The Big Dance," validated his decision and a lengthy recruiting battle.
"I have no regrets," he said. "Everything worked out how it was supposed to... me at Oregon State."
-- Andrew Nemec
anemec@oregonian.com
@AndrewNemec