Summer League: More Player Evaluations
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The last two weeks of June ball are wrapping up and we got a chance to drop by a couple more games this week, with Mountainside beating Wilsonville 75-70 at home on Monday and Beaverton besting a short-handed Tigard team…
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Continue ReadingThe last two weeks of June ball are wrapping up and we got a chance to drop by a couple more games this week, with Mountainside beating Wilsonville 75-70 at home on Monday and Beaverton besting a short-handed Tigard team 62-48 at Tualatin High School on Tuesday.
A number of guys were missing in both games – Andrew Ingalls (2020 Mountainside), Dane Erikstrup (2021 Beaverton), and Drew Carter (2021 Tigard) the most notable. Here are some notes on the guys we did see.
Gabe Reichle (2020 Wilsonville) – One thing is clear – Reichle will have to step into more of a starring role this season. Especially with Jack Roche graduating, Wilsonville seems to lack ball-handlers so the 6-foot-1 guard will likely be playing major minutes at point guard. That’s what he did against Mountainside and while there were times where turnovers caught up with him, he did a credible job of running the offense. In the second half, Reichle really penetrated the defense with confidence and he converted some tough finishes around the rim, often absorbing contact.
Dakota Reber (2020 Wilsonville) – It was a story of two halves for Reber – in the first half, he was assertive with the basketball, making strong moves into the lane and using his athleticism to finish plays near the rim. In the second half however, he deferred to teammates and settled for long jumpers of which he unfortunately didn’t make any. The key with Reber has almost always been with having a consistent motor as he has all the physical tools to be successful.
Keegan Shivers (2020 Wilsonville) – Shivers’ role is as the glue guy who does all the little things and he was exactly that against Mountainside. The 6-foot-4 rising senior always seemed to be in the right place at the right time to grab a rebound, block a shot, or be in the right place to receive a pass for an easy bucket. Shivers seems most effective when he’s on the baseline either posted up or spotting up for a mid-range jumper. One thing we also noticed is he’s no longer wearing the knee pads/braces he donned last season.
Dezman Baker (2022 Mountainside) – It’s pretty clear that Baker is one of the better finishers around the basket for his class that we’ve seen. He has good length and athleticism and he can really get to the hoop. He was also able to utilize them defensively as he had a key steal and block in the closing moments to seal Mountainside’s win. The key in his development will be if he can develop the confidence and consistency in his perimeter shooting to make him an overall offensive threat.
Bennett Giebels (2020 Mountainside) – With Ingalls out, Giebels stepped in and did quite well. At 6-foot-4 he’s barrel-chested and tough, and he was able to bully his way to the basket for a number of buckets but he also has the versatility to step out and either hit the perimeter jumper or create some off the dribble.
John Oleson (2020 Beaverton) – With Erikstrup and a couple of others missing, Oleson was the main man on offense and he ended up leading the team with 14 points. What makes the 6-foot-3 wing different than most guys is he really doesn’t force the action but rather takes what he gets. Oleson moves without the ball well, getting to spots where he can catch and shoot or create space for himself with a couple of dribbles.
Steven Long (2020 Tigard) – Long played the point most of the game for Tigard and did rather well. He’s long and lanky at 6-foot-4 and at his size has the ability to see well over opposing defenders. Long made a number of plays to set up teammates with sharp passes or drive and kick moves. He has a decent touch from the perimeter and ended up with 14 points, and it could even be argued that he could have been a little more selfish looking for his own offense as he was a little too unselfish at times.
Malik and Kalim Brown (2023 Tigard) – The Brown twins are incoming freshmen who will likely be playing on the freshman/JV team, not because they aren’t good enough, but because Tigard is already loaded in the backcourt on the varsity team with good experienced players. It’s clear they are the backcourt of the future though once they physically mature. Of the two, Malik seems to be more of the creator going to the basket and Kalim is the shooter. But both are athletic, rangy, and skilled and in the game against Beaverton, Kalim ended up with 22 points and Malik had 10.