Open Gym/Workout Report: South Salem Saxons

<p>Our open gym workout tour took us south on I-5 to South Salem on Thursday night, where new head coach Travis Brown has the pieces to make a repeat run at the state tournament. Trey Galbraith is the key returnee for the Saxons but how a number of talented transfers fit into the mix will determine how well they do this year. Here's a look at the top players we observed in the building.</p> <p><strong>Trey Galbraith (2020)</strong></p> <p>Galbraith will be the main man for South Salem, essentially taking over for where Skinny (Jaden Nielsen-Skinner) left off, so it wasn't any surprise he was the best player on the floor in open gym. The 5-foot-9 guard pretty much did whatever he wanted to with the basketball, whether it was scoring it himself or setting up teammates for shots. Galbraith hit shots from deep or took it strong into the lane and finished - and was basically on the winning side of every game he played in.  The senior has a great feel for and command of the game, always having a sense of when to attack or when to back off and take things at a slower pace.</p> <p><strong>Kieran Pruitt (2020)</strong></p> <p>Pruitt transferred to South Salem for his senior season and will likely be a starter in the backcourt. The 5-foot-10 guard is tough as nails and was fighting hard for loose balls all night long. He'll spend some time at the point this year and was finding teammates near the hoop for easy buckets. He didn't score much himself but hit a couple of open shots.</p> <p><strong>Isaac Gabriel (2020)</strong></p> <p>Gabriel is another transfer, coming in from Corvallis where he started last season as a junior. The 6-foot-2 wing/forward is well-built and definitely works hard on both ends. He isn't the most fleet of foot or the most athletic, but Gabriel gets things done and is capable of knocking down the open shot with a lefty stroke. He's a versatile player who will be able to help in multiple areas for the saxons.</p> <p><strong>Parker Johnson (2020)</strong></p> <p>Johnson is a well-built 6-foot-3 post who will likely be the "muscle" for the Saxons this year. As you might expect, he was tough on the glass and with his interior defense, and while he struggled at times getting the ball to go in he did manage to get some putbacks.</p> <p><strong>Nick Zuro (2021)</strong></p> <p>Zuro comes in and is instantly one of the biggest kids in the league - if not the state - at 6-foot-7. The junior isn't just tall either, he's well-built and also athletic, capable of throwing down some very powerful dunks. At open gym he ran the floor well and finished, but also showed great versatility especially in the pick-and-pop as he drained quite a few threes. While he didn't really look to post up on offense, Zuro anchored the defense and routinely grabbed rebounds above the rim.  There's no question he's going to be a matchup nightmare for opponents.</p> <p><strong>Emorej Lynk (2020)</strong></p> <p>Yet another transfer, Lynk is at South Salem after being at Kennedy. He's almost fully recovered from a right knee ACL tear from football last year and was competing at open gym wearing a brace. At 6-foot-3, he's strong and athletic and simply couldn't be stopped when he got into the lane. While he seemed just a tad bit tentative with his lateral movements, Lynk showed no ill effects running up and down the floor and also vertically as he easily dunked several times. He also spotted up and drained some open threes for good measure. We chatted with Lynk after open gym and he noted that he's still likely to be pursuing football at the college level, that a number of Pac-12 schools have remained in touch with him to monitor his health - even though he didn't play this season.</p>