Summer Basketball – Pacific League: Top Performers
The Pacific League is taking place on Tuesday and Thursday nights on the campus of Pacific University this June, and schools such as Amity, Forest Grove, Newberg, Portland Adventist, Seaside, and Sherwood are participating in some competitive summer league games.…
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Continue ReadingThe Pacific League is taking place on Tuesday and Thursday nights on the campus of Pacific University this June, and schools such as Amity, Forest Grove, Newberg, Portland Adventist, Seaside, and Sherwood are participating in some competitive summer league games. We dropped by to take in the action on Thursday night and here are some of the top performers we saw.
Blake Jensen (2020 Sherwood) – Jensen is our choice for performer of the night. Especially in Sherwood’s win over Forest Grove the 6-foot-7 post was strong inside, setting up on the block and using dribble moves to clear space for baskets and he converted about everything in the paint. He ran the floor and scored in transition and even faced up to hit an elbow jumper to showcase his entire offensive package. Jensen didn’t play as much in the second game but was able to get in a follow-up dunk on the break. He seems to have built some additional upper body strength to add to what already was a solid core. Jensen noted that he’s been hearing from Linfield and OIT and Pacific head coach Justin Lunt was on hand to watch him play.
Josh Wart (2021 Amity) – While Amity ended up losing both games they played, it certainly wasn’t Wart’s fault. The 6-foot-6 junior-to-be flashed a nice inside-out game where he was just as effective posting up down low as he was facing up. In the second game against Portland Adventist, Wart started out slowly but in a flash he started to dominate – especially with his face-up game. He knocked down three threes, and on one play facing his defender, took him baseline and went up and threw down a two-handed slam. Off of one steal, he went all the way to the other end and finished with a lefty tomahawk slam so hard that he had a welt on his arm afterwards. Wart finished plays with both hands and was able to draw plenty of fouls and earn points at the line.
Ryan Hague (2020 Seaside) – Hague will be Seaside’s top player next season but on this night he was counted on even more given the fact that the Seagulls only brought six players. So as you might expect, the 6-foot-2 guard did a bit of everything. He knocked down pull-up jumpers, took it strong to the hole, either converting baskets or blocking shots, and led the team in rebounds and blocked shots. One of the things Hague always brings to the table is a non-stop motor and he was able to keep that going – even in Seaside’s second game when he came up limping a bit after a fall.
Jamison Guerra (2020 Sherwood) – Guerra was more steady than spectacular on Thursday night, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t effective. The 5-foot-10 senior-to-be was fairly flawless handling the point, controlling the speed of the game while surveying what the defense would give him. He scored on a couple of tough drives and hit a three in the first game, while kicking it out to open teammates for threes. Guerra didn’t play as much in the second game but did similar things.
Guy Littlefield (2020 Forest Grove) – Littlefield is a hard-nosed competitive point guard who played hard in both games. At 6-feet he’s built like a brick, which allowed him to overpower defenders getting into the paint (although in the game against Sherwood, Guerra was able to put up some resistance). Littlefield’s patented shot is a little flip-shot runner in the lane which he converted with regularity, but he also showed that he’s been putting in the work with his perimeter shooting by knocking down a couple of threes.
Braden Hudgins (2021 Forest Grove) – Hudgins’ reputation is as an outside shooter – and he did exactly that for Forest Grove. The 6-foot-5 junior-to-be was definitely more effective from deep in the Vikings first game, knocking down shots with ease from distance. While it may seem he’s a little allergic to the paint, he did attempt to drive a few times and either look for his own shot or kick it out to an open teammate.
Cade Davis (2021 Sherwood) – The Bowmen will have plenty of shot opportunities available next season with the departure of Tyler Hix and if Thursday night was any indication, Davis will be happy to step in and take them. The 6-foot junior-to-be was quick to spot up from beyond the arc for catch-and-shoot opportunities, and while he certainly wasn’t shy about shooting he showed a very nice stroke and percentage from beyond the arc. Davis also did a little bit of work off the dribble as well so he’s more than just a standstill shooter.
James Irvine (2021 Forest Grove) – Irvine is an undersized post at 6-foot-1 who seems to be emerging as one of those classic glue guys for Forest Grove. He did a little bit of everything for the Vikings, from scoring down low to spotting up for threes, getting active on the glass, and being extremely active on defense. The bottom line was he was productive and doing a lot of the little things that helped Forest Grove win their first game against Amity and play Sherwood extra tough in the second.