July Wrap Up: Class of 2018
The Prep Hoops Oregon staff spent a great few days in Las Vegas watching as many Oregon and Southwest Washington players play as possible. We are breaking down our news, notes, and thoughts in to a class by class review.
Best Performer: Kamaka Hepa 6’9 Forward (Jefferson HS/Portland Basketball Club)
Hepa did nothing to tarnish his reputation as a high level national recruit, routinely drawing eyes from some of the biggest names in college basketball. In fact, Shaka Smart the head coach at the University of Texas flew in to Salem on a private plane earlier in the month for one game! Hepa’s shooting and passing ability were on display while playing against some of the best competition in the country. The only knock might be that he’s too unselfish, often times deferring to lesser skilled teammates. Hepa has a final group of schools that includes Texas, Gonzaga, USC, Utah, Washington, and Oregon State among others.
Biggest Riser: Kyle Greeley 6’4 Guard (West Salem HS/Hoop Salem)
Greeley entered July with no D1 offers and exits with at least four offers with more likely to follow. The most common description of the talented guard is, “he really knows how to score.” This statement was proven when he dropped 37 including the game winner with two seconds to go in Hoop Salem’s big win over PBC earlier in the month.
Most Likely to get a D1 Offer: Filip Fullerton 6’10 Post (Southridge HS/Team Fly)
There are currently four members of the class of 2018 that hold D1 scholarship offers (Hepa, Greeley, Kelton Samore, & Immanuel Allen). Our guess is that Fullerton is the player with the best chance of becoming the 5th. The 6’10 post showed tremendous improvement in shooting range, rebounding, and the ability to run the floor in transition. He also showed off a body that was two inches taller and much stronger than at the end of the high school season. Expect Fullerton to have multiple D1 options by the time it’s all said and done.
Best Shooter: Jay Elmore 6’1 Guard (South Eugene HS/Team Flight)
In a class full of some really good shooters, Elmore stood out this month. The icing on the cake to his solid shooting was a 39 point ten 3 performance against Nike EYBL team Seattle Rotary. Elmore has a great sense of how to use screens to create space to get his shot off. This ability has him on the radar as a priority recruit of a lot of smaller (D2, NAIA, and D3) programs.
Best Leader: Dyshawn Hobson 6’2 Guard (Corvallis HS/Team Fly)
In a day and age where communication skills are less and less developed, we came away impressed with the way that Hobson communicates on both ends of the floor. His voice was a constant, encouraging teammates and getting them into the right spots both offensively and defensively.
Most Improved: Dalton Renne 6’7 Wing (Banks HS/Team Fly)
Entering his first season of AAU competition, the jury was out on how Renne would respond to a higher level of competition than what he is used to facing at the class 4A level. Renne showed steady progress throughout the month as he adjusted to a faster speed of the game and was really consistent in Vegas, both shooting the ball and utilizing his length to get in passing lanes.
Best Game: Hoop Salem (82) Portland Basketball Club (80) – Premier Hoops Oregon Showcase
A back and forth game which featured many of the states top players ended when Kyle Greeley hit a contested pull up jumper with 2 seconds remaining. Greeley and Kamaka Hepa (PBC) put on a show, with solid play also coming from Jaden “Skinny” Nielsen Skinner and Teagan Quitoriano.
Best Team Performance: Team Flight
After winning a tune up tournament early in the month in Las Vegas (Jam on It), the group of kids from Eugene and southern Oregon went to Los Angeles for the first Double Pump tournament and advanced all the way to the final four of the event. Relative to their roster, this was arguably the best performance for an Oregon team in July.