MLK Invitational Standouts
On Monday, six Oregon teams and two Washington boys teams took the court at Lewis & Clark for the MLK Invitational. Not all the games were particularly close, but talent was on display, especially for the marquee game between, arguably, the best two teams in each state: Jefferson (OR) and Garfield (WA). The games finished as follows:
ROOSEVELT 77, LAKE OSWEGO 64
GRANT 100, LAKERIDGE 59
RAINIER BEACH 83, WEST LINN 53
GARFIELD 63, JEFFERSON 57
Here are the top performers…
(Pictured: Jefferson and Garfield, the day’s final game, tips off.)
Kevin Porter, Rainier Beach senior
The best player at the event had the biggest day. Porter, a USC commit, scored 31 points on 13 of 17 shooting (3 of 5 from deep), plus 6 rebounds. Each of this threes effortlessly came off the dribble and the lefty also hit several mid-range jumpers, in addition to fighting for points in the lane. Sturdy and 6-foot-5, the shooting guard was forced to guard West Linn’s post Keishon Dawkins, but he was most impressive creating on offense. He also added four dunks: two breakaway, two in the lane. His right-handed windmill was perhaps the most exciting moment of the day.
Jamon Kemp, Garfield junior
P.J. Fuller, the top player in the Washington class of 2019 according to 247, was cold (1 of 7 from the field for 4 points), so it was Kemp who stepped up on the biggest stage of the day. The 6-foot-5 son of Shawn Kemp tallied 18 points, 4 assists and 6 rebounds in his 28 minutes of play.
Khalil Chatman, Jefferson senior
Jefferson is loaded, but their two most heralded players—Kamaka Hepa and Marcus Tsohonis—did not have standout games. Chatman did what he could, especially in the first half. He finished with 16 points and 9 rebounds for the Democrats, the best team in Oregon.
Aaron Deloney, Grant junior
The Generals ran away with their win, forcing Lakeridge to turn the ball over 24 times. On the offensive end, it was Deloney—as it has often been this year—who led the way with 31 points on 12 of 19 shooting, including 5 of 10 from deep. Deloney is small and slight, but is incredibly talented; he figures to be a mid-major Division I guy. He posted 7 assists paired with just one turnover on Monday.
Kelton Samore, Grant senior
Grant’s inside presence, the 6-foot-8 Samore, had a big game, shooting 9 of 12 for 24 points and adding 3 blocks. Grant’s Darius Guinn added 15 points, as well.
Keishon Dawkins, West Linn senior
On an off night for the Lions, Dawkins fought in the middle for 16 points. Strong and skilled, he is matchup problem for most teams.
J.R. Schilling, Lake Oswego senior
Schilling scored 21 points on 12 shots for the Lakers, and added 6 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough as Roosevelt pulled away. A 6-foot-5 scorer, Schilling is long and is a capable scorer.
Roosevelt’s six scorers
In the day’s first game, six Roosevelt players scored in double-digits. Bostyn Holt led with 17 points, but Trevon Richmond, Jaylen Lyday, Masieo Chisley, Malik Kelley and Jayoni Moore each added at least 10 points.
(For more prep hoops coverage, follow @HayesGardner.)