Northwest Shootout Practice: Observations and Recruiting Notes
Oregon takes on Washington in the Northwest Shootout on Saturday night and slowly the all-star team hand picked by head coach Larry Doty is getting used to playing with each other. The squad had a full practice on Thursday night…
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Continue ReadingOregon takes on Washington in the Northwest Shootout on Saturday night and slowly the all-star team hand picked by head coach Larry Doty is getting used to playing with each other. The squad had a full practice on Thursday night at the Multnomah Athletic Club and we had the opportunity to sit in and watch the action.
Some observations… Stevie Schlabach (2019 Tigard) was the most impressive player in the practice. Offensively, he didn’t force the issue and was hitting shots and he also made his mark defensively and on the boards. According to Doty, Schlabach was the top performer on the day – and it was his very first practice with the team since being named as a replacement for Blake Gobel (2019 Banks)… Jaden Nielsen-Skinner (2019 South Salem) evokes the vibe of a leader and that’s no different here with this set of peers. If the game comes down to crunch time, expect him to be the one that has the ball in his hands… It wouldn’t be surprising to see Aaron Deloney (2019 Grant) as Oregon’s leading scorer. He was on point during the scrimmage, hitting pull-up threes and taking it hard to the basket… Kaleb Anundi (2019 Stayton) and Riley Nichol (2019 Stayton) will be counted on to be the tough guys in the paint. As they did in high school, Anundi will attack from the left while Nichol will attack from the right. Both were very aggressive taking it to the basket in the scrimmage but will need to be able to step out and hit open shots as well… Brian Warinner (2019 Bend) will also play inside but more of an inside-out kind of role. He scored on a couple of nice post moves… Doty is expecting Justin Bieker (2019 Jesuit) to be a tough guy to match up with based on his ability to hit open jumpers and create going to the hoop. Bieker had some crafty finishes around the basket… Chase McClain (2019 Mountain View) and Josh Angle (2019 Lake Oswego) weren’t really hitting open shots but were playing tough driving the ball and getting after it on defense… Marcus Tsohonis (2019 Jefferson) was not present after having participated in Team USA practice earlier in the day so Kell Estep (2021 Sunset) filled in. The sophomore didn’t play scared one bit and hit a couple of outside jumpers.
Some recruiting updates on the six unsigned players (rank listed first)
#5 Brian Warinner (2019 Bend) – Warinner continues to look at options from different levels, mainly Division II, Division III, and NAIA. He had an offer from the Academy of Art in California but whether or not that is still there is questionable as there was a coaching change. Warrier does hold offers from Northwest Christian and Lewis-Clark State and is looking at Division III schools such as Emory and Whitman.
#7 Josh Angle (2019 Lake Oswego) – Angle, perhaps the top academic student left on the board, continues to look over various Division III options and prep school possibilities, but it appears that Claremont McKenna may be the current leader for his services.
#13 Chase McClain (2019 Mountain View) – McClain is another senior with possible options at many different levels. However at the practice he noted that Central Washington has offered and that he is strongly leaning to them at this time.
#23 Kaleb Anundi (2019 Stayton) – Anundi continues to hold offers from Northwest Christian and Corban and has visited both. He just recently returned from a visit to Chico State which he enjoyed, but he has yet to receive an offer. Anundi indicated that it’s down to these three schools and that he is looking at making a final decision in about a week.
#25 Justin Bieker (2019 Jesuit) – Bieker is playing out this spring with Elite 24 and will be in the Northwest Shootout this weekend. Still looking at Division I possibilities – either scholarship or walk-on – as well as Division II, Bieker is looking to visit San Francisco and Loyola Marymount in the upcoming weeks when he’s not playing.
#45 Riley Nichol (2019 Stayton) – Nichol is playing alongside Bieker on Elite 24 this spring and notes that while he’s been hearing from several JC programs such as Clark, he is a very strong lean to Puget Sound. The situation remains if things can be worked out with the financial package for Nichol and his family to afford him going there but it appears that if it does, he’ll be a Logger.