2019-20 5A Preview: Midwestern League

A new season of Oregon high school basketball is upon us and it’s time to begin previewing the top 5A leagues in the state. We’ll tip things off with the Midwestern League, which remains atop 5A with a deep talent pool and multiple state title contenders. State Tournament Threats Churchill - Things have perhaps never looked brighter entering a season for Kelly Bokn’s Lancers, whose combination of talent and experience should amount to a very successful campaign this winter. According to the eye test, Churchill is probably the odds on favorite for the state title in March thanks to the return of their top seven scorers. The Lancers’ frontcourt consists of two seniors with division one offers: Kaelan O’Neil and Brian Goracke. These two will likely put up monster numbers offensively this season, while two-way guards Silas Bennion and Isaiah Wallace round out a very complete small-ball lineup that had no trouble reaching the state title game last winter. 5-foot-9 super sophomore Samaje Morgan will step into a slightly bigger role this winter as a backup point to the 6-foot Bennion, who will be chasing his second straight Midwestern League Player of the Year award. Crater - Blue-chip prospect Nathan Bittle is the center of attention for the upward trending Comets, who fell at the hands of the Silverton Foxes during last years elite eight at Gill Coliseum. Following their postseason exit, Bittle posted a 40-point triple double in a win against the Pendleton Buckaroos in the consolation bracket. This performance was a testament to the absolute damage the 6-foot-11 transcendent big man could do as a sophomore, and now a junior, things only look up. Senior Kruger Edwards, a 6-foot-5 athletic big, will see plenty of opportunity this winter as Bittle draws double-teams. Paired with a solid backcourt in shifty ball handler Jayden Vranes and perimeter scorer Hunter Chubb, Bittle and company should contend for a league title in the toughest conference in 5A. North Eugene - Perhaps the sleeper team of 5A, the Highlanders have the chance to shake things up in the Midwestern League this season. Senior forward Cameron Parks is one of the top returning scorers in the state at any classification, making him one of the premier players in the conference. The 6-foot-5 Parks creates problems all over the floor as an effective post scorer, rebounder, outside shooter, and ball-handler. Additionally, the Highlanders bring back a large batch of talented guards headlined by senior Brennan DeGarmo and junior Iry Rankin. Garrett Pratt and Seth Cross also played big minutes at guard for the Highlanders last season, who are one of just a few teams in 5A to bring back all of their top contributors. Led by the offensive prowess of Parks and DeGarmo, the Highlanders quietly have one of the most experienced rosters in the Midwestern League, which should give them a chance to punch their ticket to Gill. Willamette - After a very successful trip to the final four last season, the Wolverines will hope to bounce back with a fairly depleted lineup that lost a lot of skilled players to graduation. Luke Smith, who really began hitting stride late last season, will carry a big load for the Wolverines as a ball-handling forward with the ability get by defenders off the dribble at 6-foot-3. The senior showed flashes of primary offensive ability last season, which will have to fully develop this winter in order for the Wolverines to make a run to Gill Coliseum. Transfer guard Ejim Akuma will bring his two-way energy from cross-town rival Churchill, and likely step up as an offensive threat on a less talented roster. The backcourt should be solid, pairing Akuma with the experience of athletic defender Alex Puckett and aggressive finisher Tyler Woods. Always well-coached and talented, the Wolverines have a chance to pad their resume with upsets against both Churchill and Crater, making them obvious elite eight contenders. League Predictions 1. Churchill 2. Crater 3. North Eugene 4. Willamette 5. Springfield 6. Thurston 7. North Bend 8. Eagle Point 9. Ashland Player of the Year Nathan Bittle, Crater - Despite drawing the attention of double-teams and exotic defenses from almost all of his opponents, Bittle should still have a monster year statistically. A menace on both ends, the 6-foot-11 junior will have the opportunity to average near double digits in points, rebounds, assists, and blocks, which is simply too much dominance to ignore. If the Comets want to knockoff Churchill during league play, there’s no doubt they will need a little bit of everything from their five-star prospect, who should consistently stand out yet again as a junior. All-League Predictions: Bittle (POY); Silas Bennion, Churchill; Isaiah Wallace, Churchill; Luke Smith, Willamette; Cameron Parks, North Eugene; Brian Goracke, Churchill Top Sleeper/Newcomer Cameron Parks, North Eugene - Not many have heard Parks name, but his former production speaks for itself. On a North Eugene team that struggled for a large part of the season last year, Parks remained consistent and put up some of the more eye-popping numbers in the Midwestern League as a whole. With Willamette and Thurston losing many of their top contributors, Parks and the Highlanders have the opportunity to move up the ladder even higher and cause some chaos under the radar this season. Outlook Yet again, the Midwestern League should be the best top-to-bottom conference in 5A. Churchill and Crater are both serious title contenders, and an all Midwestern League championship game is far from impossible. Teams like North Eugene, Willamette, Thurston, and Springfield are all talented enough to knock off the top dogs in the conference, which is what takes the MWL to the next level. Churchill would probably runaway with a league championship in the other 5A conferences, but the top half of the MWL is talented enough to make things interesting this winter. At least six teams have a shot to make it to Gill Coliseum at the end of the season, and even more are threatening the postseason. With a high talent-level and serious state championship implications, the Midwestern League is primed for another season of enticing basketball. Photo: Joe Richter/OSAA Today