Top Breakout Performers: 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. While we were familiar with much of the talent on hand, there were five individuals that caught our eye with “breakout” performances worthy of special mention.
Grant Fuson (2019 Lake Oswego HS) – A self-described “glue guy”, Fuson was that and more on Saturday. He typically found himself in the right place at the right time on many occasions, finding himself open to knock down mid-range jumpers and threes – including 7-for-9 shooting in LO’s close loss to Jefferson. While the offensive output may have been a bit of a surprise, the way he fought on the boards and did the little things on both ends has been typical of how he’s been able to contribute this off-season for both Lake Oswego and Nike Team Northwest Team Knight.
Trevon Richmond (2019 Jefferson HS) – He may not have scored many points but Richmond, generously listed at 6-feet, was one of the top rebounders among all teams at team camp – and that is no lie. The point guard was incredibly active on the boards on both ends, often flying in from seemingly nowhere to grab the ball and either keep possessions alive or secure it for the Demos on the defensive end. And in Jefferson’s last game at camp, Richmond found his shot and drained some open jumpers including a couple of threes on his way to double digit points. There’s always playing time available for guys that play hard and Richmond will be a contributor this year and may even find himself starting.
Laquandre Taylor (2020 Grant HS) – With his lean frame at 6-foot-5 height, you could say that Taylor – best known as “Tiny” around Portland – is a tall drink of water, and he used that to his advantage in Saturday’s action. Taylor excelled at taking the ball to the basket where he used his length to score around the hoop, and defensively he swatted away some shots. On Sunday, he shifted over to play point guard and not only scored off drives but created for others, dishing out eight assists. Taylor didn’t show much of an outside shot and as one of the taller members of the Generals he may find himself playing inside more often than not but there’s no question his contributions will be key for Grant to repeat as 6A champs in 2018-19.
Trejon Williams (2022 Jefferson HS) – Since there were no official rosters for teams, when Williams first appeared for Jefferson, we assumed it was one of the upperclassmen who had transferred from another PIL school. After all, the young man is already physically well built and immediately played with confidence. Instead, we came to find out that Williams is a rising freshman who played the point with maturity and not only scored (eight points vs. LO) but also grabbed boards and dished out assists. On Sunday in the team’s blowout win over Westview, he got extended playing time and finished off some strong drives to the hoop.
Joe Juhala (2020 West Linn HS) – Juhala may have played on JV last season but there’s no question he’ll not only be playing varsity this season, but will be a major contributor. At 6-foot-6 he not only brings size to the table but athleticism as well as his leaping ability allowed him to compete for rebounds and block shots all weekend. Offensively he’s still coming along, but he showed the ability to face up and canned a couple of threes. But his athletic potential really came to light in the team’s last game of the weekend. He shook his defender, drove the left baseline and rose up to dunk over an opponent while being fouled – a jam so powerful the oohs and ahhs resonated in the arena for a solid minute afterwards (and yes, he did hit the following free throw).