2020 NWAC Tournament: Top Sophomores to Watch
After some reshuffling last week, the NWAC Tournament will take place on the campus of Clackamas Community College this Thursday through Sunday. Within the rosters of the 16 teams participating will be a number of sophomores with Oregon high school…
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Continue ReadingAfter some reshuffling last week, the NWAC Tournament will take place on the campus of Clackamas Community College this Thursday through Sunday. Within the rosters of the 16 teams participating will be a number of sophomores with Oregon high school roots hoping to close out their two-year college careers with a bang. College coaches from all levels will be in town to watch them play and here are some of the top former Oregon preps they will be watching.
Robert Ford (2018 Jefferson/Clackamas)
The only man to rank among the NWAC leaders in points, rebounds, and assists? It’s none other than Ford who for the second year in a row has put up pinball-type numbers on the board for Clackamas at 23.2 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 7.8 assists per game. The dynamic Jefferson alumnus is also arguably the highest-recruited player in the league as he holds multiple Division I and Division II scholarship offers.
Alexis Angeles (2018 Tualatin/Lower Columbia)
After getting scant playing time as a freshman at St. Martin’s, Angeles has made a huge impact at Lower Columbia. The former 1st Team 6A All-State honoree has started every game as the team’s biggest perimeter threat, averaging 15.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.1 assists. His bread-and-butter remains his mid-range game and a return back to the D-II level is a high possibility.
Cameron Benzel (2018 Oakland/Umpqua)
Benzel is one of the few Oregonians at Umpqua but he has certainly stood out with his play on the court as well. The 6-foot-7 sophomore has rung up 12 points and a team-high 7.3 rebounds while shooting 59.1 percent from the field. The lefty has been finishing plays at the rim but can also face up and knock down the open jumper.
Clay Sullivan (2018 Vernonia/Clackamas)
One of the top outside marksmen in the NWAC has undoubtedly been Sullivan, who has knocked down 2.8 threes per game at a 40.6 percent clip. The 6-foot-3 sophomore has averaged 14.4 points per game but has also helped out with some ball-handling, ranking second on the team at 2.2 assists per contest for Clackamas.
Zac Schmerber (2017 Westview/Chemeketa)
Scherber was a two-sport athlete at Westview but has found his calling in college in hoops at Chemeketa. He’s become oe of the leading three-point bombers in the NWAC, hitting 43.7 percent of his shots from long range while nailing over two threes a game. He’s also one of the top FT shooters in the league too (84.2 percent) and is averaging 13.3 points and 3.0 rebounds.
Matt O’Brien (2018 Clackamas/Clackamas)
At 6-foot-9 and athletic, O’Brien definitely has the qualities to return to the four-year level, where he originally started at Simon Fraser before deciding to transfer back home. He’s been an important contributor to Clackamas as well, averaging 8.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, and a team-high 1.3 blocked shots per game.
Ethan Channel (2017 Aloha/Portland)
The Aloha alumnus has emerged as a sophomore as the Panthers’ second leading scorer at 18.2 points and leading rebounder at 6.0 boards per contest. At 6-foot-4 he has good size on the wing and has gotten his points in a variety of ways on both drives and perimeter shots.