Oregon Prospects 46, International Elite 40: Top Performers
The Treasure Valley Classic featured several top teams from the Pacific Northwest and as it panned out, the schedule pitted them against each other in the 17U bracket. On Thursday night, two of the top ones from Oregon battled it…
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Continue ReadingThe Treasure Valley Classic featured several top teams from the Pacific Northwest and as it panned out, the schedule pitted them against each other in the 17U bracket. On Thursday night, two of the top ones from Oregon battled it out as the Oregon Prospects and International Elite locked horns. It wasn’t a pretty game by any means but it was a competitive contest and the Prospects held on in the end for a 46-40 win.
A whole host of ranked players from the PrepHoops Oregon Class of 2021 rankings were in the gym along with some select players from Washington. Here’s a look at the top performers:
Dane Erikstrup Dane Erikstrup 6'10" | C Beaverton | 2021 State OR (2021 Beaverton) – The 6-foot-10 post may very well have been player of the game. Erikstrup notched a double-double of 12 points and 13 rebounds, taking advantage of grabbing a lot of the missed shots from the defensive backboards. Offensively he hit some nice jumpers including a three, but also posted up strong and drew contact to get to the line. During the game we received a text from a college coach who expressed some shock that a big man as skilled as Erikstrup has only one D-I scholarship offer thus far. That should change soon.
Nathan Meithof Nathan Meithof 6'5" | SG McNary | 2021 State OR (2021 McNary) – Meithof had a solid effort. The 6-foot-4 wing started off a little slowly but got into a rhythm with his jumpshot, knocking down a couple of threes but also was tough getting to the hoop on some strong lefty drives. Meithof was also very helpful on the glass on both ends. He finished with ten points and six boards.
Luke Smith Luke Smith 6'3" | CG Willamette | 2021 State OR (2021 Willamette) – With the addition of a point guard on the bench, Smith didn’t have to run the offense all game long and he seemed more comfortable. The 6-foot-3 guard was able to spot up and knock down a couple of catch-and-shoot threes while also using his strong body to create off the dribble and get into the lane. He finished with ten points.
Bryson Metz (2022 Union) – The promotion of Metz up from the 16U roster to give the Prospects depth is what really helped out Smith with ball-handling duties. The 5-foot-7 point guard is a dynamic playmaker who used his power dribble and quickness to basically penetrate at will to either score or dish it off to the open man.
Jonah Zeller Jonah Zeller 6'9" | C Catlin Gabel | 2021 State OR (2021 Catlin Gabel) – While he didn’t get as many touches inside as he could have, Zeller worked really hard to get position down in the post for International Elite and when he did get the ball, showed a nice touch on his shot. He held his ground defensively and ran the floor well. Zeller ended up with nine points and five rebounds.
Joshua Wood (2022 Graham-Kapowsin) – Wood only joined IE in the past couple weeks but he has quickly emerged as one of the team’s top performers. The 6-foot-3 guard showed good athleticism and ability to get to the hoop with the ability to absorb contact and finish plays. Wood also has a pretty nice touch on his shot. He finished with a team-high ten points.
Spencer Lanier Spencer Lanier 6'5" | SF Newberg | 2021 State OR (2021 Newberg) – One of International Elite’s most consistent players since the club season started, Lanier posted another solid effort off of the bench. As we’ve seen all summer, he took what was in front of him whether it was catching and hitting open spot-up threes or scrambling for rebounds and scoring on garbage buckets. Lanier tallied eight points off of the bench.