PIL Showcase: Top Performers
The PIL Showcase took place on Saturday and while the Grant/Jefferson game was the highlight of the evening, the other seven schools in the league also participated in some competitive games. We got a chance to take in a couple…
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Continue ReadingThe PIL Showcase took place on Saturday and while the Grant/Jefferson game was the highlight of the evening, the other seven schools in the league also participated in some competitive games. We got a chance to take in a couple of them in Madison/Roosevelt and Lincoln hosting non-league foe West Linn.
Roosevelt 70, Madison 55
After a tight first half, Roosevelt blew things open in the third quarter and never looked back as they ran past Madison. Head coach Yusuf Leary got contributions from several players but were led by juniors Malik Kelley (20 pts) and Jayoni Moore (19). Madison was led by senior Tre Ratliff with 20 points and seven rebounds.
“It was very important for us to regain some of that confidence,” said Roosevelt head coach Yusuf Leary. “When we get to league, we’re just so much more familiar with the players in the league and how our league plays – so we’re excited to be in conference play.”
West Linn 73, Lincoln 56
In the one non-conference matchup of the night – which was needed since the PIL has an odd number of teams – West Linn sprinted out to a big lead and never looked back in a rout of Lincoln. Bryson Crockett led four Lions in double figures with 20 points while Levi Margolis came off the bench for Lincoln to lead the Cardinals with 15 points. The game was West Linn’s first without point guard Drayton Caoile, who is no longer with the team.
“Every game we’ve played has been a team ranked 1, 2, 3, or 4 in their state,” said West Linn head coach Tyler Toney. “We’ve really gotten tested but it prepared us. Tonight it was good to play a local team that we could get some other guys some playing time and experience. We’re still learning to play with each other but overall it was good.”
Bryson Crockett (2020 West Linn) – Stats: 20 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast, 7-12 fg, 3-4 3pt, 3-3 ft
Crockett had a solid all-around offensive game as we have become accustomed to seeing this season. The lefty was dead on from three but also created off the dribble and finished around the basket. Crockett made good decisions with the basketball with his shot selection and didn’t play selfishly but within the team concept.
Oreon Courtney (2019 West Linn) – Stats: 16 pts, 9 reb, 2 ast, 7-9 fg, 0-1 3pt, 2-5 ft
As usual, Courtney was extremely active on both ends of the floor and on defense, converting high percentage buckets and hitting the boards hard. The 6-foot-3 senior is great at taking off down court after a defensive rebound, ready to get the outlet pass and convert the easy basket often using his athleticism to finish with the dunk.
Joe Juhala (2020 West Linn) – Stats: 10 pts, 3 reb, 2 blk, 2 stl, 3-5 fg, 0-1 3pt, 4-4 ft
Recently West Linn has been bringing Juhala along slowly, giving him limited minutes. But the 6-foot-7 junior is making the most out of the time he’s been getting and in only 13 minutes, he made a big statistical impact. Juhala’s combination of size and athleticism make him a tough cover as he’s coming along with his skills and feel for the game.
Daniel Kovalev (2019 Lincoln) – Stats: 14 pts, 5 reb, 1 ast, 5-9 fg, 0-3 3pt, 4-8 ft
Kovalev is the senior leader of the Cardinals and his role changes from game to game, whether he will be more of a scorer or more of a distributor. It was more of the former against West Linn and he got the majority of his buckets taking it hard to the hole. A tough competitor, the 6-foot senior also battled for five boards.
Malik Kelley (2020 Roosevelt) – Stats: 20 pts, 6 reb, 4 ast, 7-10 fg, 1-1 3pt, 5-5 ft
Kelley was the player of the game for Roosevelt in their win over Madison. At 6-foot-3, 250 pounds he’s very hard to match up with for most opponents, so he was able to get position easily inside and then used his soft touch to score around the basket. But Kelley wasn’t just about brute force inside as he also stepped out and hit a three as well as sink all of his free throw attempts, and found time to dish out four assists to boot.
Jayoni Moore (2020 Roosevelt) – Stats: 19 pts, 2 reb, 2 ast, 6-10 fg, 2-5 3pt, 5-6 ft
In previous times we have seen Moore, his shot selection was at times shaky and a bit voluminous. Against Madison, it was more careful – and accurate. Roosevelt counts on Moore for his scoring on the perimeter so there will be games where it’s not quite falling for him, but on days when it is going in, the 6-foot junior is that much more effective.
Tre Ratliff (2019 Madison) – Stats: 20 pts, 7 reb, 4 ast, 7-22 fg, 2-8 3pt, 4-6 ft
It’s a bit of a down year at Madison but one shining spot is Ratliff. The senior is one of the best athletes in the entire PIL – basketball or football (of which he also played) – and that was certainly on display against Roosevelt. While his future in college is likely in football at the junior college level, he is a solid basketball player who does a little bit of everything for the Senators.