Open Gym/Workout Report: Beaverton Beavers/Jesuit Crusaders

<p>This fall's open gym/workout tour continued early this week with visits to both schools in one of the Metro League's and state's all-time rivalries - Beaverton and Jesuit. Here's a look at the top guys that caught our eye on both squads in the time we watched.</p> <p><strong>Dane Erikstrup (2021 Beaverton)</strong> - Erikstrup has grown a couple of inches to 6-foot-9 and he's become more comfortable in the post. He was setting up strong down low and showed off some moves to both his left and his right, and was capably finishing with both hands. Erikstrup ran the floor well and was dominant on the boards and on defense. The young post has some exciting things going on with his basketball career and we'll have an update posted soon.</p> <p><strong>John Oleson (2020 Beaverton)</strong> - Oleson, a returning First Team All-Metro League honoree last season, will be one of team leaders for sure as a senior. The 6-foot-4 forward was nailing catch-and-shoot jumpers as usual but seemed more confident creating with the basketball, making a couple of nice drive-and-dish plays. He was solid on the defensive glass as well. Oleson and Erikstrup as a high-low combo will be a tough matchup this year. Oleson is pursuing baseball for college and is currently getting looks at the D-III and JC level and will be participating in a West Coast showcase in Arizona in the near future.</p> <p><strong>Finn Barkenaes (2020 Beaverton)</strong> - Barkenaes projects as the starting point guard on this year's squad. He didn't show much in terms of scoring but handled and passed the ball well. A rangy athlete who also plays soccer, he pushed the ball and played with a lot of intensity.</p> <p><strong>Matthew Levis (2020 Jesuit)</strong> - The keys from last year's state title team are being handed over to Levis and the 5-foot-11 senior is fully ready to take on the pressure, especially if open gym workouts were any indication. He was flat out the most dominant player in the gym, absolutely unstoppable in the one-on-one drills. He's improved his ability to take it to the basket and finish and his outside shot was on target. Levis recently visited Azusa Pacific where he enjoyed the coaches and the players and has unofficial visits scheduled in the near future to Seattle and Whitworth.</p> <p><strong>Joe Lairson (2021 Jesuit)</strong> - We saw a bit of Lairson in June - we liked him then and we like him now. At 6-foot-4 he's long and lanky and he's got a very nice touch on his jumper. At the same time he was able to use his size to his advantage down low. As he continues to build strength and confidence in his game, he'll be a college prospect for sure.</p> <p><strong>Michael Brittingham (2021 Jesuit)</strong> - Brittingham is a tremendous athlete who showed in sprints that he's the fastest guy on the team - obviously not a surprise since he's a star on the Jesuit track team and a member of last year's 6A state first place 4x400 team. Basketball-wise, he's added some size/bulk to his frame and showed great intensity on the defensive end. Offensively he showed some potential as well, hitting mainly pull-up jumpers in the one-on-one drills.</p> <p><strong>Dupre Gaston (2021 Jesuit)</strong> - Gaston is what Jesuit assistant coach Dan Feest calls a "wildcard". At about 6-foot-5 and perhaps even still growing, he's long, lanky, and athletic. In the one-on-one drills, he was the only guy who was able to give Levis some trouble because of his long arms and ability to stay relatively close defensively. There is still plenty of growth to be made but Gaston definitely has potential.</p> <p><strong>Liam Ruttledge (2021 Jesuit)</strong> - With the departure of shooters such as Aiden Williams, the void is there when it comes to outside shooting and Ruttledge is a guy who should be able to fill that role. The lefty was on target with his jumpshots and he showed the ability to create a little off the dribble as well.</p>