Westview Jamboree: 5 Takeaways
It’s the start of the 2018-19 boys basketball season and four schools got things going at the Jamboree at Westview High School on Wednesday night. While obviously these games are not official, it was a chance for Aloha, Sandy, Tualatin, and Westview to break in their new uniforms and get their feet wet with some real action outside of practice.
Play May Be Sloppy Early
Obviously it’s understandable that no team is going to come out and play like gangbusters from day one. But all for teams definitely struggled with turnovers, although it seemed like Westview got into a groove in their second matchup against Sandy. The Wildcats were even playing without senior guard Kobe Newton, who was out with a cast on his left hand. According to head coach Michael Wolf, Newton is getting the cast off soon and may be available to play in 1-2 weeks.
Aloha Will Battle
It’s fairly apparent that the Warriors may find themselves in a struggle in the loaded Metro League. But head coach David Saultz has a group of kids that will play hard and battle despite any kind of basketball talent differential. One guy who does match up well against any opponent is senior Cobi Wilson. The 6-foot-3 do-it-all guard is a defensive stopper and he fully contained Sandy’s Colton Gorski in their one-on-one matchup. Wilson also grabbed boards and showed off a slick handle and passing skills. The key is that he will need to step up offensively because the Warriors need a lot of help in that area.
Pioneers Have Potential
Sandy definitely seemed like it was shaking off rust as the Pioneers struggled with their shooting and taking care of the basketball. Aloha in particular seemed to give them trouble. But head coach Jason Maki has a team that has decent size and athleticism. The aforementioned Colton Gorski will no doubt have a big year as he has a good build for either guard spot and can drain the three or make effective drives to the hoop. Senior Jaden Robinson made some athletic finishes near the basket and 6-foot-5 junior Kaleb Hubbard showed nice touch from the perimeter for a player of his size.
Looking Like the Same Old Tualatin
It would have been probably foolish to think that new head coach Todd Jukkala would switch things up drastically with the Timberwolves. Tualatin looked like the kind of team we’ve seen for years at the Jamboree, as they worked the ball around on offense and were tough defensively. There is some depth on the roster and Jack Rose in particular had some moments. In one sequence, the 6-foot-3 senior drove to the basket and put down a two-handed dunk and the immediately on the other hand, he blocked an Aloha player as he tried to drive to the hoop. Senior forward Bridger Steppe drew some fouls inside off of penetration and senior guard Caden Dickson had a quick trigger from three.
Westview Will Contend
Wolf has a fairly young squad and with Newton out, you had to wonder how they would perform since the senior is expected to be a big scorer for the Wildcats. But his absence meant that others had to step up and senior Noah Bautista did so in the first matchup and junior Wayne Jamison did in the second. Both hit shots from the outside and converted drives to the hoop. Overall of the four teams, Westview struggled with turnovers the least and the Wildcats were especially good in transition after turnovers. When Newton comes back, the team experience of playing without him will only help as the senior won’t have to carry the offensive load himself.