Prime Time Top 40 Showcase Recap
The 2018 version of the Prime Time Top 40 Showcase was held at Franklin High School on Saturday and it was an incredible event filled with the best prep talent in Oregon. Camp director Reggie Walker was able to secure the attendance of virtually every top player in the state and all of them brought their A games to compete in front of college coaches and prep hoops fans in some highly competitive action.
Some general notes from the event:
First Class
While this was an invitation-only event, it was remarkably 100% free for all of the participants. And the players didn’t just play games, they also received skills instruction based on their position (point guards, combo guards, wings, and forwards) from coaches such as Marshall Cho (Lake Oswego HS), Mike Wolf (Westview HS), Yusuf and Omar Leary (Roosevelt), Chris Foss (West Linn), and Jamaal Williams (Seattle Rotary AAU). The choice of facility was also a big win. Franklin’s new gymnasium was beautiful, the overall setup was tremendous, and the amount of seating available for the games accomodated a solid crowd. Things were well run with the schedule kept on task for the most part.
Let the Young Pups Rise
Among all of the talent that showed, it was no surprise that the class of 2021 may have shown the most. All of the top sophomores in the state were there including number 1 ranked Nathan Bittle, who came up all the way from Southern Oregon to participate. Even two of the top players who weren’t able to play due to injury – Nate Rawlins-Kibonge (Jefferson) and Trace Salton (Lake Oswego) – came to watch and support their fellow classmates. To add to the mix, three elite Class of 2021 standouts from Washington also came to participate in Kaden Perry (Battle Ground) and Nolan Hickman and Shane Nowell (Eastside Catholic).
Bonus Opportunity
There were some late cancellations from a few players, but that gave some others the chance to step in and make an impression. From a senior such as Joey Rodrick (Cleveland) to a freshman like Trejon Williams (Jefferson) – to even an eighth grader like Marquis “Mookie” Cook, each of these late registrants were able to compete against the best in the state and made the most out of the challenge. It really became a case of who *was* there as opposed to who wasn’t.
Seen in the Gym
There were plenty of fans in attendance but also there to watch were at least 20 different college programs. Some of the ones we saw included Western Oregon, Concordia, Lewis & Clark, Whitman, Carroll College, Sheridan JC, and several NWAC schools including Clackamas, Lower Columbia, Portland CC, Linn-Benton, and Lane. Tony Dorado, National Manager of High School Basketball for Nike, was also there.
Stay tuned for PrepHoops Oregon’s Top Performers and other player lists as well as player interviews from the event over the next week.