Scouting Takeaways: Jefferson vs. Lake Oswego
Jefferson is looking like the very early favorite for the 6A title this upcoming season but Lake Oswego had one more chance this summer to try and knock them off.
While the Lakers hung in in close for a quarter, the Demos started to take control in the second quarter and then cruised its way to a 15 point victory as Lake Oswego head coach Marshall Cho emptied his bench and played some of his younger players. With the win, Jefferson finished the month of June undefeated.
Obviously one game does not define a player or his game but there can definitely be some takeaways from watching action even in a single setting – even if it is a summer league game. Here are some observations of some of the top performers from Jefferson and Lake Oswego.
Nate Rawlings-Kibonge (2021 Jefferson HS) – There’s no question Rawlings-Kibonge would be one of Jay Bilas’ favorite players – simply because of his freakish wingspan. Rawlings-Kibonge was a force on both ends as he was able to use his girth to get position and then his length to grab offensive boards which led to putbacks and then blocked shots on the defensive end. Near the end of the game he was able to drive and throw down some power dunks to boot. Rawlings-Kibonge finished the game with a double-double of 16 points and ten rebounds.
Kamron Robinson (2021 Jefferson HS) – As if having one big guy wasn’t enough, Jefferson has two of them as Robinson was also dominant inside. He too was unstoppable in the paint as he caught would catch the entry pass with his soft mitts and would convert it into a nice turnaround shot off the glass. He even picked up a steal at midcourt and took it all the way to the basket for a soft lefty layin. Conditioning remains a concern with Robinson at this point but even in his somewhat limited time, he racked up 18 points and six boards.
Keylin Vance (2019 Jefferson HS) – Keylin is Keylin – a drop dead scoring threat every time he touches the ball. On this night Vance couldn’t get the three ball rolling, but recognized that and instead took it to the basket strong in the halfcourt and on the break on his way to 14 points. He also played unselfishly by dishing out three assists, showing some solid restraint from always looking to score the ball himself.
Trejon Williams (2022 Jefferson HS) – Williams, a rising freshman, continues to impress with his play. He was content to run the offense when he was in the game and consistently found teammates for open shots, finishing with six assists. There is no question that Williams has made an impression on head coach Pat Strickland who will certainly look to find him playing time this upcoming season.
Marcus Tsohonis (2019 Jefferson HS) – Tsohonis started off the game looking for his own offense, but it became clear that something in his back was bothering him. After scoring six points in a little over a quarter, he shut things down and sat out the rest of the game.
Josh Angle (2019 Lake Oswego HS) – Like Tsohonis, Angle was clearly battling injury, his being a sore ankle from over the weekend at Portland State Team Camp. It was pretty clear in his play as it was the worst we have seen him shoot all summer, 1-for-8 from the field. Angle also seemed uncomfortable running the point, which was undoubtedly because of the ankle. Cho ended up shutting down Angle by putting him on the bench in the second half. Look for Angle to rest up going into the July evaluation periods with the Rose City Rebels.
Fred Harding (2019 Lake Oswego HS) – Harding has steadily been improving offensively this off-season and his confidence must have increased with his play against Jefferson. He fought hard to get up shots inside and either scored (4-for-4 from the field) or drew fouls (4-for-6 from the line) on his way to 12 points. Harding tried his best to battle on the boards with Jefferson’s bigs while he was in the game at the same time.
Casey Filkins (2020 Lake Oswego HS) – Filkins got hot in the first half, sinking three of his first four threes. While the open shots didn’t come as clean in the second half, he still managed to finish tied for the team lead with 12 points. Filkins is a standout football player and his athleticism was effective on the court.
Grant Brauner (2020 Lake Oswego HS) – Brauner, who played JV last season, was the find of the day. During warmups he flashed some of his athleticism by dunking with ease, and in the game he showed the ability to create his own shot and knock down a few jumpers including a three. Brauner ended with 11 points and attracted the attention of some AAU coaches in the audience looking to round out their summer rosters.