2021 Preview: Top Returning Scorers (5A)

<p>The season is set to begin in a couple of weeks and it’s time to look at the top players that are coming back. We checked with the coaches in 5A to see who they are expecting to return and contribute. Based on the responses we received, these are the top scorers that are returning (listed with ppg):</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="815599" first="Luke" last="Smith"], Willamette (22.9)<br /> [player_tooltip player_id="965080" first="TJ" last="Zimmerman"], West Albany (18.9)<br /> [player_tooltip player_id="606253" first="Damontae" last="Burns"], Parkrose (18.0)<br /> [player_tooltip player_id="855937" first="Isaiah" last="Gilliam"], South Albany (17.3)<br /> [player_tooltip player_id="1069461" first="Kevin" last="Sanchez"], Crook County (17.1)<br /> [player_tooltip player_id="642058" first="Trey" last="Bryant"], Springfield (15.5)<br /> [player_tooltip player_id="855935" first="Nic" last="Boyd"], La Salle (14.1)<br /> [player_tooltip player_id="964552" first="Noah" last="Dewey"], Crescent Valley (12.4)<br /> [player_tooltip player_id="964538" first="Jake" last="Newell"], Thurston (11.7)<br /> Cole Weber, Lebanon (11.0)<br /> [player_tooltip player_id="855969" first="Justin" last="Hamilton"], Crescent Valley (10.1)<br /> Emanuel Romero, Hood River Valley (10.0)</p> <p>Analysis: With Nathan Bittle having finished his high school career with Prolific Prep, [player_tooltip player_id="815599" first="Luke" last="Smith"] (2021 Willamette) is the odds-on favorite to win the 5A scoring title. The now 6-foot-3 guard can pretty much score from anywhere on the court and the Bushnell signee has even improved upon his pull-up mid-range game. The trio of senior guards in [player_tooltip player_id="606253" first="Damontae" last="Burns"] (2021 Parkrose), [player_tooltip player_id="855937" first="Isaiah" last="Gilliam"] (2021 South Albany), and [player_tooltip player_id="1069461" first="Kevin" last="Sanchez"] (2021 Crook County) could make a run at averaging over 20 points per game as each will be carrying a significant load for their respective teams. All remain unsigned at this point in time.</p> <p>Some guys that should have bigger roles and average double figure scoring this season according to coaches include [player_tooltip player_id="962734" first="Logan" last="Law"] (2023 Milwaukie), [player_tooltip player_id="1005081" first="Logan" last="Jackson"] (2022 Hillsboro), [player_tooltip player_id="857351" first="Jordan" last="McCarty"] (2022 Silverton), and Garrett Osborne (2022 Redmond).</p>