Oregon Class 5A Round of 16 Preview
The Oregon Class 5A round of 16 hits the court tonight, we’ve got all 8 games covered with previews, predictions, and players to watch.
GAME TO WATCH: Sandy (11) at Crescent Valley (6)
The Pioneers have been a regular playoff team in recent years under coach Jason Maki, making a trip to the Final 8 three years ago, the school’s first quarterfinal appearance in decades. This year’s squad which finished third in the ultra tough Northwest Oregon Conference (NWOC) is led by the backcourt duo of senior Jadon Floyd and sophomore Colton Gorski. Crescent Valley, the champion of the Mid Willamette Conference features league player of the year, 2018 wing Tariq Harris, who moved to Corvallis from Florida last summer. The Raiders have lost 6 times to teams that have qualified for the round of 16.
UPSET SPECIAL: Parkrose (14) at Springfield (3)
One only needs to know who is manning the point for the Broncos to know that they have a fighting chance of pulling off the upset. 2017 point guard Isaac Bonton, who is ranked 3rd in our initial class rankings, is a proven winner who has committed to play next season at Montana State in the Big Sky Conference. 6’8 senior forward Will Likayi and 2020 wing TyJuan Overton provide scoring punch for Parkrose. Springfield is led by tough minded senior guard Nick Ah Sam, who debuted at 13 in our first rankings. Ah Sam who was signed to play football at Portland State leads is the catalyst on both ends for the Millers who sport an impressive 7-3 record against teams still playing in the round of 16.
MATCH UPS:
Thurston (16) at Wilsonville (1)
The Colts travel north trying to accomplish something that no other 5A team has this year, beat Wilsonville. For them to have any chance, Thurston will have to get big games from their talented post duo of senior Cade Bates and sophomore Mason Miller. The Wildcats who are the favorites to defend their state title, feature the #1 ranked player in Oregon and Oregon State commit Zach Reichle. Reichle’s resume speaks for itself as he has had a senior year to match his Pac 12 scholarship offers. Senior wing Harrison Steiger and 2019 point guard Jack Roche set the defensive tempo for Wilsonville.
Putnam (9) at South Albany (8)
The Kingsmen from Milwaukie are one of five teams still alive from the NWOC. They feature a balance offensive attack and a rugged man defense that presents match up problems for opponents. South Albany features the talented underclass guard duo of 2018 wing Jake Costello who averages nearly 20 points a game and junior point Jaden Guilliford, who is adept at running the Rebels offense.
Mountain View (12) at Lasalle (5)
It’s not often that the Cougars from Bend travel in the playoffs. They have dominated their league, whichever one they have been in, for the better part of 20 years. This success has meant home playoff games and regular trips to the state tournament. This year is a little different, but they find themselves one game away from a trip to Gill Coliseum. In order to beat a talented Lasalle squad, the young Cougars will need a monster effort from 2018 post Matt Van Tassell. The explosive Van Tassell scored 18 huge points in Mt. View’s come from behind play in win over Hillsboro. Many coaches around the state believe that Lasalle may be the second best team in 5A. Their talent level and a recent close loss to Wilsonville provide support to these claims. The Falcons feature senior wing Jonah Pemberton and senior post Matt Berger, two players who have played in multiple playoff games throughout their high school careers.
Central (13) at Summit (4)
Central from Independence brings a hard nosed defensive mentality into the round of 16. The Panthers are an undersized group that relies on a balanced scoring attack to complement aggressive defense and rebounding, defeated Eagle Point in a play in game. Summit has relied on a senior heavy roster to win their first outright Intermountain Conference league title in school history. Senior post Jack Bledsoe, the son of long time NFL quarterback Drew Bledsoe is one of their team leaders.
Corvallis (10) at Pendleton (7)
The Spartans make the nearly 6 hour drive east in an attempt to qualify to play in historic Gill Coliseum, which is located less than a mile from their campus. Heady junior point guard Dyshawn Hobson is the catalyst for Corvallis, which has won multiple state titles in the last six years. Pendleton which won their third straight Columbia River Conference crown features the best player that “no one” has heard of in 6’3 senior guard Caden Smith. Smith a smooth guard who can score in a variety of ways has already committed to D2 St. Martins in Lacey, Washington and was ranked 10th in our debut 2017 rankings.
Silverton (15) at Churchill (2)
The Silver Foxes who won the 2015 5A state title, enter the round of 16 with a losing record. However, they have steadily improved after surviving a brutal non conference schedule which included games against Wilsonville, Churchill, Springfield, Mt. View, Sandy, & Pendleton. Churchill has arguably the best combo in all of 5A in electric wing Lucas Wilson and 6’10 post Spencer Hoffman. Both seniors that are still considering their college options create big time match up problems for opponents. Wilson especially is a high light reel player with numerous dunks making their way around the internet. Churchill has been knocking on the state title door for several years now and many coaches around the state think that Wilson, Hoffman, and company could be primed to upset Wilsonville.