Les Schwab Invitational: 2023 Top Prospects
More than ever, underclassmen are starting to make bigger impacts on high school varsity teams and in today’s game, even freshmen are stepping right in and making a mark. That was certainly the case at the Les Schwab Invitational as…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingMore than ever, underclassmen are starting to make bigger impacts on high school varsity teams and in today’s game, even freshmen are stepping right in and making a mark. That was certainly the case at the Les Schwab Invitational as three members of the Class of 2023 were key players in the success that their teams had at the tournament. Here’s a look at that trio.
Marquis “Mookie” Cook (2023 Jefferson)
The plain truth is, had Cook not missed the last game of the tournament due to being suspended for team rules, the freshman would have made the All-Tournament Team. That’s how well the 6-foot-7 swingman played the first three games, averaging 21.3 points and 6.0 rebounds while shooting 60 percent from the field. Cook was utilizing his blend of size and athleticism to attack the hoop and finish at the rim, compete on the boards, and defend as a shot-blocker. In many ways, he was actually in some sense becoming Jefferson’s go-to guy offensively as he’s probably the best guy on the team that can figuratively go and get his own bucket. His presence was definitely missed in the LSI third place loss to Norcross and it’s a no brainer he will be a key guy for the Demos the rest of the season.
Jackson Shelstad (2023 West Linn)
Only less than 10 games into his high school career, Shelstad has already drawn praise for his maturity and feel for the game for a freshman. The 5-foot-10 guard certainly demonstrated this at the Les Schwab Invitational, showcasing his long range shooting and passing abilities in a couple of games. There are still things to learn for Shelstad though and things such as defense and decision making will need to worked on. But let’s not forget that point guard is the hardest position in basketball and in just his first year, Shelstad is well above the curve when it comes to his learning at this stage. At the LSI, he ended up averaging 14.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.8 assists while shooting .414 from three-point range.
Adrian Mosley (2023 Grant)
Mosley is one of the more unique players we’ve seen in Oregon high school basketball the past couple of years. In many ways he’s a throwback of sorts, a guy that plays an “old man game” – and we mean that in every positive way possible. The 6-foot-2 is blessed with a physical frame where he can back down smaller defenders into the paint and score over them, and has the quickness to take others off the dribble to the hoop. He’s a good ball-handler and passer and defensively, he’s just as apt to block your shot as he is to steal it. Mosley flashed this all-around game throughout the LSI and while he doesn’t really seem to have a position right now, it’s safe to say that “player” best defines his game.
Other freshmen that made brief appearances at the LSI but may have bigger roles as the year goes on were Sanborn Melson (Jefferson), Isaiah Jensen (Churchill), and Donald “Chili” Stephens Jr. (Grant).