Portland State Team Camp: Day 2 Top Performers
Portland State Team Camp continued on Tuesday and a few more teams in Lake Oswego, Sherwood, and Westview joined in the festivities at the beautiful Viking Pavilion. We had the opportunity to soak in the action and here are the…
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Continue ReadingPortland State Team Camp continued on Tuesday and a few more teams in Lake Oswego, Sherwood, and Westview joined in the festivities at the beautiful Viking Pavilion. We had the opportunity to soak in the action and here are the top performers on the day.
Nate Rawlins-Kibonge (2021 Jefferson) – Another day, another dominant performance from the Washington State-commit who would be our choice as the camp MVP. There was simply nobody who could match up with the 6-foot-7 post’s presence physically as he scored at will down low – with several two handed power slams – and defensively he was a terror, blocking a total of *13* shots in the two games played. Rawlins-Kibonge even decided to take a few threes and hit two – one in each contest. If there was anything you might nitpick on was the fact he didn’t completely soak up every rebound and he lost his cool a bit a couple of times but overall, it was the kind of performance that will be remembered for quite some time.
Nate Zuro (2021 South Salem) – After seeing him for the first time on Monday, we were excited to get a good look at Zuro again – especially with the matchup against Jefferson as he would be paired up against fellow Hoop Salem teammate Nate Rawlins-Kibonge. It was a good matchup although Zuro didn’t spend as much time down low but instead showcased more of his perimeter skills. The 6-foot-7 forward hit a number of jumpers – including a three – but also got a number of buckets down low. Zuro hit the glass hard (nine rebounds) and blocked a couple of shots and in the end he finished with 23 points on the offensive end.
Jalen Grable (2021 Westview) – Grable has utilized this summer – especially the month of June – to build confidence in his game. The 6-foot-4 wing/forward has always been an athlete but he’s starting to recognize his God-given alents and putting them to use on the court. In the first game which we witnessed, Grable was very good around the hoop and finished at the rim with some impressive slams. He used his length to snare rebounds and be a factor on the defensive end as well. We didn’t get to see his second game but in that contest he tallied 24 points and threw down another four dunks. Grable is on the rise and most certainly will be ranked in our next rankings update.
Blake Jensen (2020 Sherwood) – Jensen continues to get better in every game that we’ve seen him this summer. A huge part of the 6-foot-6 forward’s development is that he seemingly is getting more confident in his own abilities and offensively he’s become a lot more aggressive. Jensen posted up strong on the block and used some basic but effective post moves to score, but also faced up a couple of times to sink mid-range jumpers. He ran the floor really well and was rewarded with some easy buckets in transition. Jensen was tough on the boards and held his ground defensively too.
Casey Graver (2020 Lake Oswego) – Lake Oswego was a bit shorthanded as starters Trace Salton and Sam Abere sat out their two games with injuries, but Graver did a nice job of stepping up on the offensive end. The 6-foot-4 wing was solid from beyond the arc, knocking down three threes in each game, but also made an effort to battle down low where he hit the offensive glass and earned some tough buckets in the paint. In many ways Graver is an old school player that understands some of the tricks to the game. Against Jefferson, on at least two three-point attempts he noticed Rawlins-Kibonge flying at him looking for a Zion Williamson-esque rejection but Graver simply did a little fake, watched the Demo big man join the paratrooper club and fly past him, and then step up and have a wide-open clean look for himself.
Trejon Williams (2022 Jefferson) – Williams had two good efforts, with each game showing a different aspect of his game. The 5-foot-11 point guard served as a facilitator in Jefferson’s first game against Lake Oswego, efficiently leading the Demos offense in both the half-court and full-court settings. He found the open man either on the drive and dish inside or out to the three and ended up tallying nine assists. In the second game, he found himself scoring more taking it strong to the hole and finishing. Defensively he was a bulldog on the ball in both games as well.