Saturday Action: Portland State Team Camp
Team camp took place on the campus of Portland State University as some of the state’s top 6A squads came and competed in games at the brand new Viking Pavilion at the Stott Center. Nine games were played on Saturday and PrepHoops Oregon was present for eight of them, getting an opportunity to watch these teams and some of the top players in the state in the Classes of 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022.
Here are some general observations from the event.
Top Team
Jefferson
The Demos opened up Saturday with a close win over Lake Oswego, 64-61, and then a blowout victory over an Aaron Deloney-less Grant squad, 71-54. Defending 6A Player of the Year Marcus Tsohonis did his thing in leading the team but had plenty of help both outside and inside and it looks like head coach Pat Strickland once again has the deepest, most talented team in the state.
Surprise Team
Westview
Playing with a very young team and without some of its top players, head coach Mike Wolf’s Wildcats went 1-1 and they were hard fought contests. It took a last-second layin by Drayton Caoile for West Linn to get past Westview, and all game long the Wildcats were draining shots from the perimeter.
Best Game
Jefferson 64, Lake Oswego 61
If Jefferson is the favorite this upcoming season, Lake Oswego definitely needs to be in the conversation when talking about challengers. The Lakers got out to an early lead but wasn’t able to hold off a late Demos charge when Jefferson started implementing quick defensive pressure. A go-ahead bucket by Tsohonis with 40 seconds to go gave Jefferson a 62-61 lead and they never looked back.
Top Performer
Marcus Tsohonis
The #1 ranked player in PrepHoops Oregon’s Class of 2019 rankings did it all for the Demos with points, rebounds, and assists in both of their wins. He’s a matchup nightmare for other teams with his size in the backcourt and ability to get to the basket and score or create for others.
Other notes
One key player was missing from camp in star guard Aaron Deloney, who was not present for Grant. While the team did win one game without him, could have used him for sure against Jefferson. According to head coach Robert Key, Deloney was out of town on a family trip… Jefferson has a large and talented senior class but is full of talented rising sophomores – and rising freshmen – that the future is very bright for the Democrats… West Linn figures to be a state contender and has a high-octane offense, but some adjustments may need to be made on the defensive end… Lake Oswego brought perhaps the largest contingent of players, and head coach Marshall Cho was able to get all of them some action… As you might expect, Portland State head coach Barrett Peery was front and center for all of the action, along with his assistant coaches… Other notables in attendance included Tony Broadous of Portland CC and other prominent AAU coaches in the area… Some notable in-state players suiting up for different teams than last season included Jonathon Nchekwube (Jefferson), Emmanuel Steward (Grant), and Treyden Harris (South Salem)… The Viking Pavilion is simply a beautiful facility and don’t be surprised if the PIL tries to move some of its marquee games (i.e. Jefferson/Grant) and events to the location in the near future.