Portland State Elite Camp: Class of 2020 and 2021 Player Evaluations
Portland State Elite Camp took place this past Friday and in the house were the majority of the top players in the state of Oregon, including many of the highest ranked Class of 2020 and 2021 prospects. How did they perform in the brand new Viking Pavilion?
Here’s a rundown of what we saw from some of the top rising juniors and sophomores for 2018-19.
Emmanuel Steward (2020 Grant HS) – Steward was our choice for unofficial MVP because of one thing – he simply put the ball in the basket. At a very lanky 6-foot-2, the Benson transfer makes his living from the perimeter, but he not only bombed away from three-point land but also hit from the mid-range and finished on the break. Steward isn’t a standstill shooter needing his feet set either – he hit threes fading away and other shots off the dribble as well. He will need to continue developing strength and work on the defensive end, but Steward’s shooting ability will definitely come in handy for Grant in their title defense run.
Ben Gregg (2021 Columbia Christian HS) – Largely because of the team he was placed on, Gregg didn’t get many touches on offense. But one thing he did do was rebound the basketball. He didn’t back down from anyone in that regard and his ability to not only grab the board but start taking the ball upcourt is invaluable at the high school level. And on some of shots he did take, as usual the stroke looked good whether it went in or not. Gregg played so well that he was offered a scholarship by the PSU coaching staff, his second offer of what should be many to come during his high school career.
Kaden Perry (2021 Battle Ground HS) – This was the first time we got a good look at Perry – largely because the only team he played with during the summer was Battle Ground in the month of June. He certainly passes the look test at 6-foot-8 but he quickly impressed when game action ensued. Perry is a rare breed in today’s game as he actually looks to post up down low. Even when he had the ball on the perimeter, he would turn to put his back to the basket. He showed good footwork and a soft touch around the basket, and was a dominant rebounder.
Bryson Crockett (2020 West Linn HS) – When we saw Crockett back at team camp, he seemed rather content with launching threes. At camp, the rising junior did shoot some from long range but was more intent on driving strong to the basket and finishing plays, at times absorbing contact and still scoring. Crockett also took an interest in fighting for offensive rebounds which led to some easy putbacks.
Mason Lomax (2020 Sprague HS) – Lomax is a scoring point guard and he really shone on the scoring part during camp. Whether it was launching – and making – threes or making athletic drives to the basket, Lomax was near unstoppable to stop during the scrimmages we saw. He didn’t do a ton of playmaking for others but at Sprague this next season, he’s going to be counted on for his offense for sure.
Micah Garrett (2020 West Linn HS) – Garrett did what he does best during camp – get to the basket (especially going to his left) and getting his buckets in that manner. He played on a team with Stewart and Aaron Deloney so he didn’t get many opportunities with the ball, but he took advantage of the ones that he got.