Prospect Spotlight: Sam Abere (2020 Lake Oswego HS)
Basketball can sometimes be easily defined by statistics. After all, the goal of the game to score more points than the opponent. But while it’s easy to get caught up in scoring numbers, there is another side of the game…
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Continue ReadingBasketball can sometimes be easily defined by statistics. After all, the goal of the game to score more points than the opponent. But while it’s easy to get caught up in scoring numbers, there is another side of the game – the defensive side. That’s the side that Sam Abere has honed in on. The tough 6-foot-2, 180-pound junior guard takes pride in his ability to lock down on opponents, and he’s been making an impact this year in that area for Lake Oswego.
“Defense is kind of what I’m naturally gifted at I feel like,” Abere said. “It’s something that I enjoy, I kind of like to focus and try to read people. So it’s kind of like watching film and knowing what their moves are going to be and predict what they do before they do it.”
Abere – who earned Three Rivers League Defensive Player of the Year honors last year as a sophomore – has had the opportunity to show off his lock-down skills this year as well. At the Les Schwab Invitational he helped severely limit some of the state’s top wings in Southridge’s Brock Henry and Central Catholic’s Darius Gakwasi, and he’s also gone toe-to-toe with scoring whiz Jesse White of Barlow. Abere’s game isn’t all about defense either as he has also contributed with some offense as well (just over 7 ppg), knocking down open jumpers and playing point guard on occasion.
Abere has certainly been excited about the season thus far, but there’s no doubt he’s hoping that his future will involve playing at the college level as well. “I’m just hoping to make some noise this year and hopefully go down that path,” Abere said. “In terms of culture, I’m looking for people who have really bought in and it’s a culture where people aren’t really worried about what they’re going to do and how they’re going to get there. And really I just want where I can go and have that team experience.”
It’s the team experience this year at Lake Oswego that he’s grateful for no doubt. The Lakers are currently ranked #1 in all of the polls, but he’s taking nothing for granted. “We’re taking it one game at a time,” Abere said. “We’re just taking it one step at a time and trying to get it done.”
Abere currently ranks as the #48 player in the PrepHoops Oregon Class of 2020 rankings.