2019-20 6A Preview: Mt. Hood Conference

The 2019-20 season is upon us and it’s time to take a look at the top leagues in the state. We look today at the Mt. Hood Conference. 2018-19 Review The Mt. Hood Conference proved to be top heavy as expected, as Barlow and Central Catholic were the cream of the crop with the Rams virtually untouchable at 14-0. The Bruins were a solid second while upstarts Sandy and Gresham were good enough to finish third and fourth and qualify for the post-season. In the playoffs, only Central Catholic was able to survive the opening two rounds (one of their wins was over Sandy) and after they dropped their first game to Jesuit, the Rams made it to the fourth place game before bowing out to Grant to finish in sixth. State Tournament Threats Central Catholic – Head Coach David Blue's team could be deeper and more talented than anyone in the state as the roster is filled with guys who will be playing a college sport at some level. Darius Gakwasi (15.8 ppg, 5.9 rpg,3.5 apg, .377 3pt%) had a big sophomore year and last year's co-league player of the year has already captured the attention of Division I college coaches across the country. The junior wing is extremely versatile offensively and will be one of the team's leaders along with three key seniors in guards DeRay Seamster (13.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg) and Isaiah Amato (12.8 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 3.7 apg, .392 3pt%) and forward/post Gaige Ainslie (3.1 ppg, 2.9 rpg). Seamster is a do-it-all guard who could be one of the most underrated players around while Amato - who also has D-I offers - is very skilled, has improved offensively, and one of the best athletes in the state. Ainslie has the ability to dominate inside and should get more touches with the departure of SataieVior Ayilola but he will get help from up-and-coming 6-foot-7 sophomore Luke Johnson (2.4 ppg), who really made an impression this summer. Other younger players such as Quinn Hallinan (1.7 ppg), Jordan King (2.5 ppg), Aidan Slater (1.0 ppg), and even incoming freshman Sean Chris Tresvant should find themselves in the rotation for the Rams who seeming have everything when it comes to size and speed at their disposal. Barlow – The Bruins weren't able to recapture their Cinderella run to the Final Four in 2017-18 which gives head coach Tom Johnson's team a little extra motivation this year. The dean of all 6A coaches is seeking his first title and he has the horses in his stable to get it done starting in the backcourt. When it comes to scoring, Jesse White (25.5 ppg, 4.0 ppg, 2.4 apg, 3.3 threes per game) is one of the most proven commodities in the entire state and you can bet he'll be doing everything from draining threes right after he crosses halfcourt to converting layups at the basket. His running mate will once again be Evan Inglesby (20.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 2.3 apg, .457 3pt%) whose all-around ability allows him to blend in and yet still be a devastating force. Jaren Hunter (4.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 4.3 apg) - a three-sport athlete who signed with Oregon State for baseball - is a unique hoops player who makes an impact without even scoring. Up front, senior Joey Wolcott (6.4 ppg, 3.8 rpg) is an athletic forward who may be ready to live up to his immense potential this season and fellow senior Trevor Jones (0.9 ppg) should be ready to step up as a knockdown shooter with size. Overall, the Bruins possess some of the most experience and perimeter shooting in the state. Post-Season Programs Gresham – Since head coach Erik Lyslo stepped on campus at Gresham he sought to overhaul the culture of the program and you can't argue with the results. Now that the Gophers have established themselves as a team to take seriously within the league, they are anxious to take the next step. Ethan Abrahamson (15.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.2 apg) saw his numbers dip a bit as a junior but that's because he sacrificed his game for the sake of the team. The 6-foot-4 wing remains a deadly shooter who should see his stats go back up as he'll be the main man again. Two key transfers from Columbia Christian that will play a huge role alongside in the backcourt in junior Elijah Munyan and freshman Esyah Pippa-White. Munyan, at 6-foot-2, is one of the state's most electric athletes and arguably the best dunker in the state, and Pippa-White, while obviously green, proved he's ready for the varsity level over the summer. The rest of the team will largely play roles with Drew Larsen (3.9 ppg) and Sam Igbonagwam (5.1 ppg, 2.3 rpg) leading the way. Clackamas – Clackamas is trending up after a down year and for good reason. Ben Gregg (23 ppg, 15 rpg at 2A Columbia Christian) will finally be suiting up for the school he lives within a stone's throw from and head coach Cameron Mitchell is certainly excited about having one of the state's top players on his roster. The 6-foot-8 junior's offensive ability should easily translate to the 6A level and he'll be the team's top dog from day one. He shouldn't be alone as quite a few contributors from last year's team are also back. Ryan Lewis (8.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg), Damon Erickson (7.8 ppg, 2.5 3 rpg), Artur Gavirlovich (7.1 ppg, 2.0 rpg), Derek DiGregorio (4.8 ppg) and Jack Dorn (4.0 ppg) lead the returnees and younger players like juniors Michael Vorobets (1.9 ppg) and KJ Horsley should be ready to step into larger roles after playing a lot with the team this summer. Sandy – There were no issues with Sandy making the jump up to 6A from 5A last year as the Pioneers secured a post-season berth fairly easily. There are some pieces to replace from that team but head coach Jason Maki has some good talent back and their strength will be in their shooting - and they'll shoot it often. Senior Pierce Roeder (19.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 3.3 apg, .395 3pt%) had a breakout junior campaign and he's one of the top outside marksmen in the state. He got lost in the shuffle a bit this off-season in terms of press due to injury but he's fully healthy now and expect him to pile up some big numbers. Caleb Hubbard (11.7 ppg, 3.9 rpg) is also back as an inside-outside threat and he too should have a big senior year. Others with varsity experience that were in the rotation last year include junior Tanner Brewster (5.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg), who adds size, and Colby Carson (4.4 ppg, 4.2 apg), who will run the point. In Transition David Douglas – The Scots graduated much of their roster from last season but has some key guys still in the mix. Senior Jermaine Robinson (11.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 3.0 apg) is an all-around athlete who should be able to take on a larger role in the offense. He's the team's top returning scorer and rebounder. Junior Trent Templeton (7.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg) is an aggressive offensive player who should also see his stats increase and he garnered valuable experience playing AAU basketball this summer. Another returnee is Dakota Lohmeier (3.3 ppg, 2.6 rpg, .693 fg%) will provide muscle underneath. The rest of the roster will be new to the varsity level but head coach Chad Reeves has been at this for a very long time and will figure out how to get them up to speed in his system. Reynolds – 2018-19 was a really rough year at Reynolds and honestly there's nowhere to go but up for the Raiders. Head coach Ted Aubin has some pieces coming back in seniors Matthew Flores (5.4 ppg, 3.8 rpg), and John Stewart (2.2 ppg) and junior Keenan Coleman (6.8 ppg, 1.6 rpg, .358 3pt%) showed some promise. Overall Aubin believes the team is more athletic and better shooting and they should win more than the two games they captured last season but it's looking like another rebuilding year at Reynolds. Centennial – Head coach John Poetsch knows what it takes to win at Centennial having done plenty of that his first time at the school, but this second go-around there haven't been any McLains or Stoudamires at his disposal. The Eagles are rebuilding from scratch all the way down to the youth program which has a slow and steady process and year two of this stint will likely be another struggle. The seniors that would have been back have transferred out leaving the Eagles with none, and in general the team will be very young. Add in the fact Centennial has little size and the team will try to do the best they can. League Predictions 1. Central Catholic 2. Barlow 3. Gresham 4. Clackamas 5. Sandy 6. David Douglas 7. Reynolds 8. Centennial Player of the Year Jesse White, Barlow. It's a really close call - the addition of Ben Gregg to the league adds to the talent up top - but in the end we see White coming away with MVP honors. A player that sets his standards high, the 6-foot senior will once again be among if not the state's leader in scoring and he is one of the hardest working in the 6A ranks. White will settle for nothing less than the best and will much to prove both personally and as a team, he'll have the motivation to do what it takes to take it home. All-League Predictions: White; Ben Gregg, Clackamas; Evan Inglesby, Barlow; Darius Gakwasi, Central Catholic; Isaiah Amato, Central Catholic; Ethan Abrahamson, Gresham Top Sleeper/Newcomer Ben Gregg, Clackamas. It doesn't seem fair to give Gregg this award since he's already such a well-known commodity, but he is a newcomer to not only the Mt. Hood Conference but also the 6A ranks as he's played the past two seasons at 2A Columbia Christian. Nobody doubts the 6-foot-8 forward's ability to compete at the state's highest level though and truth be told, his impact will be huge enough to not only help Clackamas compete for a post-season berth but also to be one of 6A's top individual players period. Outlook It's going to be a wild ride in the Mt. Hood Conference this year as there's as much individual talent in this league as anywhere else in 6A. Once again the top two teams are quite clear in Barlow and Central Catholic, with the latter arguably the team deepest in talent in the state. Gresham, Clackamas, and Sandy all appear to be playoff contenders and David Douglas is a darkhorse candidate. Other than games involving Reynolds and Centennial, two programs clearly in rebuilding mode, every game in league play should be a tough battle where there should be plenty of high scores. When it's all said and done, it's hard not to imagine both Barlow and Central Catholic making it to Chiles with each of them having a legitimate chance of reaching the state title game depending on matchups.