6A State Tournament: Day 1 Predictions

The 6A state tournament is here and with the field filled with practically all top seeds, the competition for the championship should prove to be intense - even without fans in attendance due to state mandate. This should especially be the case on the opening day on Thursday as any one of the four matchups could potentially go either way. Here’s our look at how we feel the games will go. <h4 style="text-align: center;">#1 Jesuit vs. #9 West Linn</h4> These two teams met up earlier in the year right before the Les Schwab Invitational where Jesuit prevailed at home, 68-61, and then again in the LSI in the consolation bracket as West Linn pulled off the 56-45 victory. That loss to the Lions would be Jesuit’s last for awhile until the regular season finale against Westview as the Crusaders won yet another Metro League title. West Linn went on to have some ups and downs in league play, losing their last two. But while both squads obviously come into the state tournament riding two wins, the trajectories feel a bit different. Jesuit really had to tough things out against Summit whereas West Linn has cruised to their post-season wins. Who wins this rubber match between the two? It’s obviously doing to be a fun coaching matchup between Gene Potter and Erik Viuhkola as between them there are no fewer than 11 state titles. There are some great individual matchups especially in the backcourt with Crusaders [player_tooltip player_id="625653" first="Matthew" last="Levis"] and [player_tooltip player_id="855934" first="Roy" last="Bunn"] going up against Lions standouts [player_tooltip player_id="841386" first="Micah" last="Garrett"] and [player_tooltip player_id="861091" first="Jackson" last="Shelstad"]. It will be a heated battle no doubt and Jesuit will try to keep the pace down but it feels as if West Linn has things going a bit more upward to pull off the upset. Jed Prediction: West Linn After a second round scare from Summit, Jesuit will look to prove why they were last year’s State Champs. [player_tooltip player_id="855934" first="Roy" last="Bunn"] leads a defensive minded group with shooters and scrappy play. Gene Potter, who has been at Jesuit for decades, looks to show why they are in the conversation to win it all. West Linn’s scoring duo in [player_tooltip player_id="841386" first="Micah" last="Garrett"] and [player_tooltip player_id="861091" first="Jackson" last="Shelstad"] will put up a show. However the question still stands: can they play to Jesuit’s pace or will they try to come aggressive. Jesuit in a very narrow margin, but wouldn’t be surprised if West Linn came out with it. Albert Prediction: Jesuit   <h4 style="text-align: center;">#4 Clackamas vs. #5 Central Catholic</h4> The two Mt Hood Conference rivals will face off once again in the state tournament quarterfinals and so far this season, Clackamas has had the upper hand winning both games, first 71-61 at Central Catholic and then 62-52 at home. While star forward [player_tooltip player_id="606247" first="Ben" last="Gregg"] has been near unstoppable as expected, the junior has made the effort all year long to trust in his teammates who have delivered in big ways. Rams head coach David Blue is a man down going into state as senior [player_tooltip player_id="535851" first="Isaiah" last="Amato"] is out of action but still has plenty of depth and has been getting some great play from junior wing [player_tooltip player_id="855925" first="Darius" last="Gakwasi"]. This game may all come down to how the Rams deal with Gregg. Central Catholic had a great scheme against Tigard and dealt with their star player, [player_tooltip player_id="606254" first="Drew" last="Carter"], and with about a week to prepare, the Rams will have a plan in place for the Cavs. It’s hard to beat the same team three times in a season and with that said, Central Catholic may have the upper hand. Jed Prediction: Central Catholic Chiles Center is exactly why [player_tooltip player_id="606247" first="Ben" last="Gregg"] transferred over from Columbia Christian: for the big time. The lights and attention will all be on him as he will get his chance towards glory. Central Catholic comes off a commanding victory over Tigard but they will have their hands full. [player_tooltip player_id="606247" first="Ben" last="Gregg"] looks to show why he is Elite in the nation as he will take on the Rams with full force. Albert Prediction: Clackamas   <h4 style="text-align: center;">#3 Jefferson vs. #6 Barlow</h4> This game may be the most anticipated matchup of the first day of the state tournament and it’s for several reasons. One, both teams come in as arguably the hottest 6A teams in the state as both have long winning streaks - Jefferson with 18 games and Barlow with 15 games. Two, both teams love to play up-tempo and points should be scored. And three, there will be a ton of individual talent on the basketball floor with two guys - Jefferson junior [player_tooltip player_id="606248" first="Nathan" last="Rawlins-Kibonge"] and Barlow senior [player_tooltip player_id="796229" first="Jesse" last="White"] two of the top contenders for 6A player of the year. When these two teams played last season, it was a memorable 99-95 shootout with the Bruins coming out on top. While we don’t see a game in the 90s here, it should still be a high-octane affair - and perhaps the closest game both teams have played in quite some time. There’s no doubt that Barlow head coach Tom Johnson may be the sentimental favorite as he’s the dean of all 6A coaches and he’s yet to taste his first title. He’ll have Barlow prepared and they they will give the Demos a big run - look for senior [player_tooltip player_id="796229" first="Jesse" last="White"] to register 30-plus points - but in the end we don’t see the Bruins having enough to keep up with Jefferson inside and on the boards and that will be the difference. Jed Prediction: Jefferson Will be a high scoring affair between players that can really put the ball in the basket. Barlow’s [player_tooltip player_id="796229" first="Jesse" last="White"] and [player_tooltip player_id="625622" first="Evan" last="Inglesby"] are as difficult of a duo to guard in the entire State. Jefferson has a few Division 1 prospects as on any given night any one can break out for a huge game. [player_tooltip player_id="787678" first="Lamar" last="Washington"] has looked like one of the best guards in the State, if not best and [player_tooltip player_id="606248" first="Nathan" last="Rawlins-Kibonge"] makes his presence known offensively and defensively. Jeff will come out and continue their refocused efforts towards a State Title. Albert Prediction: Jefferson   <h4 style="text-align: center;">#2 South Salem vs. #7 Lake Oswego</h4> To some degree, both teams come into this game with a chip on their shoulder. South Salem enters state on a X game winning streak yet the narrative has been the Saxons haven’t really proven themselves against any top teams outside of the Mountain Valley Conference. Lake Oswego also has X wins in a row and the Lakers feel as if they’ve been overlooked since the pre-season when they weren’t picked to win the always powerful Three Rivers League. So who will find the most motivation in this matchup? It appears it will be a game that will be a contrast of styles as South Salem will try to push the pace and Lake Oswego will make things more deliberate as Lakers head coach Marshall Cho is a master tactitian. The Saxons haven’t faced the type of defense that Lake Oswego presents and the Lakers are in major lock-down mode. Seniors [player_tooltip player_id="855885" first="Casey" last="Graver"] and [player_tooltip player_id="841394" first="Jack" last="Chlumak"] have been playing at a high level and should help lead LO to the "upset" win. Jed Prediction: Lake Oswego South Salem has had another banner year with help of their new faces. [player_tooltip player_id="625639" first="Trey" last="Galbraith"] is a solid point guard and has help around him in [player_tooltip player_id="855895" first="Kieran" last="Pruett"] and company. Their physical defense will keep them in the game. However, Lake Oswego has been patient all season long after a slow start. Their meticulous attention to detail has paid off as Marshall Cho continues building with what he has. Narrow margin to the Lakers. Albert Prediction: Lake Oswego