The Hoop Summer Kick-Off Preview
The month of July is here and for players across the state, it's back to playing with their AAU teams. This weekend things gets started again and The Hoop's Summer Kick-Off gets it going with games on Saturday and Sunday, July 6-7. Here's a quick look at the teams that will be in Salem.
There will be one High School division at the Summer Kick-Off consisting of 19 teams, and each squad will play four pool play games over the course of the two days (there will be no tournament bracket).
The hosts, Hoop Salem, will have a few teams playing. Their top team, Hoop Salem 17U, will be sitting this one out but Hoop Salem Varsity will be there as well as their top 16U squads, Hoop Salem Eric and Hoop Salem Nelson. Hoop Salem Eric features the up-and-coming tandem of Jalen Grable and Brady Grier (both 2021 Westview), along with Kell Estep (2021 Sunset). Hoop Salem Nelson is a newer squad that boasts Washington State commit Nate Rawlins-Kibonge (2021 Jefferson), teamed with rising junior Nick Muro (2021 South Salem) who just moved back to Oregon from Tennessee.
Team Fly will have all of their top 17U, 16U, and 15U teams in tow and the program has been a factor in every in-state tournament this spring and summer. From the top 17U squads, Team Fly Williams is paced by Payton Richardson (2020 Western Christian), Drew Carter (2021 Tigard), Braeden Sato (2020 Sunset), and Silas Bennion (2020 Churchill) while Team Fly White features Jesse White and Evan Inglesby (both 2020 Barlow), Erik Fraser (2020 Grant), and Aidan Clark (2020 South Eugene). Team Fly Perrault is an under-the-radar squad that is led by Steven Long (2020 Tigard) and Kelton Herrick (2020 West Linn).
Other programs scheduled to be in attendance include All-Around Players - whose 16U squad features risers Nate Meithof (2021 McNary) and Isaiah Gilliam (2021 South Albany) - Team Jones, Dribble Drive, OBC Blue, and Upper Left Legion.
