Treasure Valley Classic Evals: Oregon Prospects Black (16U)
The Treasure Valley Classic was held in the Boise area this past weekend and a number of teams – notably from the Oregon Prospects program – took the court in some competitive action. The Oregon Prospects Black team in the…
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Continue ReadingThe Treasure Valley Classic was held in the Boise area this past weekend and a number of teams – notably from the Oregon Prospects program – took the court in some competitive action. The Oregon Prospects Black team in the 16U division may not have won many games but they competed hard and the players showed us some skills. We got a chance to watch a couple of their games and after talking to coach James Johnson about the squad, here’s a look at their top performers:
Zeke Viuhkola Zeke Viuhkola 6'1" | CG West Linn | 2022 State OR (2022 West Linn)
Viuhkola was clearly the star of the two games that we were able to watch. Not sure why we have seen the 6-foot guard as a catch-and-shoot guy but he clearly did much more than that. He showed good athleticism and creativity off the dribble and finished acrobatic plays around the hoop with both hands. His perimeter shot was sharp whether it was catching it off the curl or pulling up off the bounce.
Carson Cox (2022 Summit)
Johnson noted that Cox was the team’s most consistent performer all weekend. In the games we watched, we certainly saw a guy who plays with a ton of motor. He was gnat-like on the defensive end and despite often being one of the smaller guys on the floor at 5-foot-10, would fly in for an unexpected offensive rebound. Offensively he spotted up for some threes and also finished some drives on the break.
Julian Mora Julian Mora 6'0" | PG Summit | 2022 State OR (2022 Summit)
Mora operated as the main point guard on the team and really looked to push the ball upcourt whenever he could. The 5-foot-11 showed a tight handle with great quickness and he was often able make a beeline for the hoop navigating through the defense. Mora’s outside shot wasn’t clicking as well as we’ve seen previously but he was about to convert enough to keep the defense honest. Apparently he went off offensively in one game so the scoring ability is obviously there.
Noah Ogoli Noah Ogoli 6'2" | CG Tualatin | 2022 State OR (2022 Tualatin)
There were some adjustments for Ogoli as he earlier played with International Elite’s 16U squad and was the main offensive threat on the team. He blended in and the ball was out of his hands more with the Prospects but he was able to get a few buckets both from the outside and on drives as well as set up teammates for scores.
Kaden Harris (2022 Summit)
We were excited to see Harris in live game action as we had seen him in practice and he looked good there. Unfortunately he got hurt during the event but we did get to see his first game. Unfortunately his shot wasn’t falling but his overall effort was good and at 6-foot-4, long, and athletic, he’s one to keep an eye on this season at Summit.
Logan Thebiay Logan Thebiay 6'10" | PF Wilsonville | 2022 State OR (2022 Wilsonville)
At 6-foot-8 and built like a tank, Thebiay is a developing big man who is coming along. He didn’t get many opportunities posting up on offense, but he focused on grabbing defensive rebounds and throwing his body around effectively on defense. Thebiay also ran the floor well for a young man his size and one time was rewarded as the trailer on the break with a pass for a thunderous two-handed slam.
Connor Hills Connor Hills 5'6" | PG Barlow | 2022 State OR (2022 Barlow)
He may be smallish in stature at 5-foot-7 but don’t sleep on Hills or he’ll burn you. He didn’t get a ton of chances in the games we watched but he snuck by defenders on a few occasions and also buried a couple of deep threes. Overall he has a nice feel for the game and he’ll get a ton of opportunities this upcoming year at Barlow.
Austin Maurer (2024 Cascade Christian)
After Harris got injured, the team added young Maurer for frontcourt depth. Already 6-foot-8 the incoming freshman lacks bulk at his young age but tried his best to compete. In the one game he watched he showed off a nice looking perimeter shot and knocked down a three. It will no doubt be interesting to see how his development comes along.