2018-19 6A Preview: Mountain Valley Conference
The 2018-19 season is upon us and it’s time to take a look at the top leagues in the state. We finish our 6A previews with the revamped Mountain Valley Conference. 2017-18 Review It was a fun year in the…
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Continue ReadingThe 2018-19 season is upon us and it’s time to take a look at the top leagues in the state. We finish our 6A previews with the revamped Mountain Valley Conference.
2017-18 Review
It was a fun year in the Greater Valley Conference, whose top five teams were arguably the best top five teams in any league in the state. McNary edged out Sprague for the league title and in all, six teams made the playoff bracket – including West Albany which won their play-in game. Four of the six teams won their first round game, but McNary and Sprague were upset in the round of 16, leaving only West Salem advancing to the Chiles Center. The Titans failed to win a game at state, but Kyle Greeley made Second Team All-Tournament.
Changes for 2018-19
No 6A league changes as much as the Mountain Valley – heck, the name of the conference has been modified for the influx of the 5A teams from Bend – Bend, Mountain View, and Summit. The rest of the move are subtractions as Forest Grove and McMinnville move to the Pacific Conference and North Salem and West Albany drop down to 5A, leaving the new Mountain Valley Conference with eight teams.
State Tournament Threats
South Salem – There’s one reason why the Saxons are a state tournament threat – and his name is “Skinny”. That’s the well-known nickname of senior point guard Jaden Nielsen-Skinner and South Salem will go as far as the Portland State signee will take them. He’s a natural leader with pinpoint passing skills and will do plenty of scoring on his own. Skinny isn’t alone as senior Ryan Brown and junior Trey Galbraith are also back in the fold and both should see their offensive numbers increase. A key addition will be 6-foot-5 senior Treyden Harris, who transfers in from Cascade. He’s strong enough to battle down low but has the versatility to step out and hit the three.
Post-Season Programs
Bend – It’s definitely a step up to the 6A level from 5A, but if there’s any team that is capable of doing so it’s head coach Scott Baker’s team. The reason why – the Lava Bears are senior dominated and experienced. It all starts with 6-foot-7 forward Brian Warinner. He’s the leading scorer and rebounder and his combination of size and versatility has a number of college programs recruiting him. Bryan Brown helps out with the dirty work inside, Justin Kerr is a versatile athlete, and Jimmy Robertson and Brock Mesarich comprise the remaining starters.
West Salem – Last year’s state tournament team was senior dominated, but one player is back and he’s a good one – Justin Scoggin. The 6-foot-3 junior, who was invited to the prestigious Prime Time Top 40 Showcase this fall, should see his offensive numbers skyrocket as the team will be counting on him to provide points and leadership. The reason why West Salem remains a playoff contender is the fact the players joining the varsity squad are from Titans’ undefeated JV and Freshman teams. Some of the names to watch out for include junior guard Kieran Pruitt, sophomore posts Holden Whipple and Anthony Pugh, senior guard Roman Ganchenko, and junior guard Jackson Lowery.
Sprague – The Teegan Quitoriano era is over at Sprague, but the Olympians will now look to turn to their perimeter guys who return. All still just juniors, Mason Lomax, Kobe Withers, and Greyson Salinas are all experienced players and new head coach Jordan Graneto will be relying on them for the bulk of the offense. Lomax in particular will have to step things up playing bigger than his size but he has the talent to do so.
McNary – Head coach Ryan Kirsch only returns one starter in Boston Smith, but the 6-foot-7 post is a good one. The senior stout and strong and will be extremely difficult for opponents to handle in the paint. Alfredo Villareal and Griffin Oliveira were in the rotation last season and will step into starting roles. A 6-foot-3 sophomore who has a lot of promise is Nate Meithof, who is already getting the interest of college coaches. 6-foot-7 senior Noah Hudkins and football standout Junior Walling will provide additional size and strength.
In Transition
Summit – Summit moves up to 6A and the Mountain Valley Conference with one of the youngest rosters in the league. Jacob Tompkins, a 6-foot-3, is a grizzled veteran compared to his team, so he will undoubtedly be counted on to be the primary ball-handler and scorer. Evan Scally, a 6-foot-1 junior, will become full-time starter after getting his varsity chops last season. The rest of the team will be fresh, especially freshmen Truman Teuber, Julian Mora, and Luke Cody, but head coach Jon Frazier feels that trio is extremely talented.
Mountain View – It will definitely be a year of transition for the Cougars, as they not only head up into 6A but also do so with a new head coach in former assistant Bob Townsend. Mountain View will also adjust to a more perimeter-based attack as they have very little size on the roster. The key player is Chase McClain, and the 6-foot-1 senior has the potential to dominate games with his athleticism and explosiveness.
McKay – The Scots are small and largely inexperienced, which is a tough combination. Jarel Rain, Tre Ceja, and KR Tipekis are seniors that come back in the backcourt but unless the likes of Jordan Carter or Greg Plater get some years of eligibility back, it will probably be a fairly long year for the Royal Scots.
League Predictions
1. South Salem
2. Bend
3. West Salem
4. Sprague
5. McNary
6. Summit
7. Mountain View
8. McKay
Player of the Year
Jaden Nielsen-Skinner, South Salem. There may be nothing else as an iron-clad of a prediction for the Mountain Valley Conference as Skinny for Player of the Year. The Portland State signee is clearly the best basketball talent, floor leader, and most valuable player for the best team in the conference. It would take some kind of injury for anyone else to win this award and even then, Nielsen-Skinner might still get votes. The senior should not only win league player of the year but will be a candidate for state player of the year honors.
All-League Predictions: Nielsen-Skinner; Brian Warinner, Bend; Chase McClain, Mountain View; Justin Scoggin, West Salem; Mason Lomax, Sprague
Top Sleeper/Newcomer
Brian Warinner, Bend. Yeah, it may be a little unfair to pick someone who’s one of the top ten seniors in the state, but hey – technically Warinner is a newcomer to the league and to the 6A level. Look for the high-academic forward to not only put up big numbers in the Mountain Valley but also secure a spot on a solid college program by the end of his senior year.
Outlook
It will be a very interesting year for the Mountain Valley as all of the members get used to the Bend-area teams coming in and all of the travel that will be required between the schools, especially during the winter months. South Salem does seem to have all of the star power, depth, and experience coming back to be the league favorites and while it’s not a sure thing by any means, the Saxons have what it takes to make a state tournament run. After that it seems to be a bit of an unknown, but an experienced team such as Bend and a talented team such as West Salem appear to be in the running for the second and third automatic spots, while a whole host of teams will battle after that.