2021-22 6A Preview: Portland Interscholastic League

After a non-traditional season in 2021, the 2021-22 campaign is highly anticipated as it will be back to "normal" for just about everyone across the state. The Three Rivers League is year after year arguably top to bottom the most competitive conference in all of 6A and this year is no different. Here’s how we see it turning out. League Predictions 1. Grant 2. Roosevelt 3. Cleveland 4. Benson 5. Lincoln 6. Wells 7. McDaniel 8. Franklin 9. Jefferson Player of the Year: [player_tooltip player_id="861078" first="Adrian" last="Mosley"], Grant All-League Predictions: Mosley; [player_tooltip player_id="1052572" first="Terrence" last="Hill"], Roosevelt; [player_tooltip player_id="1214443" first="Raysean" last="Seamster"], Roosevelt; [player_tooltip player_id="861096" first="Kavon" last="Bradford"], Benson; [player_tooltip player_id="861090" first="Jackson" last="Cooper"], Cleveland Top Sleeper/Newcomer: [player_tooltip player_id="962929" first="Malachi" last="Seely-Roberts"], Lincoln State Tournament Threats: Grant, Roosevelt Other Post-Season Teams: Cleveland, Benson, Lincoln, Wells Analysis If not for a rough start in their last game against Beaverton, Grant might have had an argument as the top team in all of 6A in 2021. All year long, head coach Robert Key’s Generals got things done on both ends of the floor and had some of the top execution around. The good news - practically everyone is back from last year and Grant has even added some newcomers to the mix. Leading the returnees is do-it-all junior [player_tooltip player_id="861078" first="Adrian" last="Mosley"] (17.2 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 3.2 apg). He can play multiple positions and his improvement as a perimeter shooter makes him tough to match up with. [player_tooltip player_id="857356" first="Jae’sean" last="Pete"] (6.9 ppg) and [player_tooltip player_id="964542" first="Andre" last="Lawrence"] (7.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg) are also back from the starting lineup, as is versatile forward [player_tooltip player_id="857344" first="Max" last="Von Arx"] (9.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.4 bpg) who can defend the one through the five. Varsity newcomer [player_tooltip player_id="1110568" first="Vashon" last="Hardges"] and transfer [player_tooltip player_id="1096106" first="Marcus" last="McKinney"] (8.1, 4.2 rpg at Benson) will figure into the rotation and Key believes that big men Austen Jay and Cole Bernius will surprise. Grant has the speed, athleticism, skill, and depth to compete for a state title. Right up there with the Generals will be Roosevelt, who really burst onto the scene last year. Head coach Yusuf Leary has a good blend of seniors and young players - largely in the sophomore class - who are skilled and hungry. It all starts with super soph guard [player_tooltip player_id="1052572" first="Terrence" last="Hill"] (19.5 ppg) who at times was simply unstoppable, especially from deep (3.3 threes made per game). Forward [player_tooltip player_id="1214443" first="Raysean" last="Seamster"] (19.1 ppg) seemingly came out of nowhere last year and blew away opponents with his length and athleticism. He’s coming off a summer injury but the hope is that he’s ready for the Les Schwab Invitational. Fellow senior [player_tooltip player_id="857345" first="Donatello" last="Tupper"] (8.5 ppg) is one of the best finishers in transition and a couple of sophomore guards in [player_tooltip player_id="1110570" first="Chance" last="White"] (8.4 ppg) and [player_tooltip player_id="1110736" first="Utrillo" last="Morris"] will help make the offense and defense go. The Roughriders feel they’ve changed the narrative and are aiming to win games and take names this season. Cleveland has been slowly building a juggernaut under head coach Dondrale Campbell and this year’s group is ready to reap some rewards. A number of juniors have been waiting their turn to shine and they’ll get their chance in 2020-21. Versatile forward [player_tooltip player_id="861090" first="Jackson" last="Cooper"] (8.5 ppg) can score both inside and out and create physical mismatches with his 6-foot-6 size and strength. [player_tooltip player_id="1232162" first="Christian" last="Green"] (8.0 ppg) is an elite leaper who will undoubtedly throw down some highlight reel dunks and [player_tooltip player_id="861093" first="Jamel" last="Pichon"] is a physical lead guard who will set the table on offense. Coming in to join the fun from Central Catholic is [player_tooltip player_id="865367" first="Sean" last="Chris Tresvant"], who will be one of the fastest guards in the PIL. There’s also returning senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="1229393" first="Lawson" last="Vella"] (6.5 ppg). The Warriors may not be the best outside shooting team around so you can bet they will be looking to really get into transition as much as possible. Benson has also continued to build from the ashes under head coach Earl Clark and this could be his best team yet. Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id="861096" first="Kavon" last="Bradford"] (19.1 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 3.1 apg) is one of the most athletic guards in the state and the lefty is only a consistent three-point shot away from being an unstoppable threat. Sophomore shooter [player_tooltip player_id="861086" first="Dylan" last="Douangphrachanh"] (14.3 ppg, 5.9 rpg) had a spectacular freshman campaign and has gotten stronger and more confident with his to-the-basket game. Also in the backcourt is Nate Perkins-Fuesser who showed flashes last year. Benson has lacked size in recent years so the addition of 6-foot-6 [player_tooltip player_id="1268430" first="Miguel" last="Taylor"] from Idaho has been welcomed with open arms. He’s not a true post, but his height alone will help the Techmen on the defensive end. The biggest wildcard in the league race is Lincoln. After a disastrous season in 2021, the Cardinals bring in head coach Heather Seely-Roberts who led Yamhill-Carlton to an unofficial 3A title. She obviously will initially garner attention being the first female boys basketball head coach in Oregon large school history but the team will quickly get all the press. Coming with her are twin sons, [player_tooltip player_id="962928" first="Moroni" last="Seely-Roberts"] (29.3 ppg, 12.4 RPG at YC) and [player_tooltip player_id="962929" first="Malachi" last="Seely-Roberts"] (15.2 ppg, 7.0 RPG, 6.3 apg at YC), who measure 6-foot-6 and 6-foot-8 respectively and it will be interesting to see how well they adjust to the highest level of basketball, especially in the PIL. Malachi in particular has the shooting and ball-handling ability to make an impact. [player_tooltip player_id="861088" first="Graham" last="Eikenberry"] at 6-foot-9 transfers in from Central Catholic and 6-foot-8 Evan Heisler returns from last year’s team. Lincoln is clearly the biggest team in the state so how their guards like Sawyer Heald and Jaba Moti perform against pressure will be key. Head coach Craig Cokely has slowly been building his program at Wells and this could be the year that everything comes together. The Guardians will still be largely guard oriented but it should work to their advantage as they’ve got plenty of speed and quickness. Point guard [player_tooltip player_id="857358" first="Leo" last="Sewell"] (11.1 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 5.6 apg) is finally in his senior year and he’ll once again be one of the state’s top assist leaders. He’ll be in the backcourt alongside a couple of sophomores that got valuable experience last season, cat-quick [player_tooltip player_id="1232311" first="Jacey" last="Canalin"] (8.8 ppg, 3.2 apg) and sharp-shooting Nick DiGuilio (10.4 ppg, 2.8 apg, .367 3pt%). Up front, [player_tooltip player_id="1232164" first="Jonah" last="Jones"] (11.1 ppg, 9.8 rpg) is an outstanding rebounder for 6-foot-3 and 6-foot-2 Lincoln transfer [player_tooltip player_id="964545" first="Henri" last="Perrin"] will bring plenty of toughness to the table. Wells doesn’t have a whole lot of depth, but it will be by design. There’s genuine excitement at McDaniel as the building is finally done at its Northeast Portland location and the Mountain Lions will be playing in a brand new gym. Head coach Chuck Matthews is the dean of the PIL and he has a hard-working squad he’s excited about working with. There’s not a lot of size but seniors such as 6-foot-3 Moses Farmer and 6-foot-2 junior [player_tooltip player_id="1256628" first="Elijah" last="Martin"] are athletic and capable of scoring both inside and out. Junior [player_tooltip player_id="1338256" first="Jaylen" last="Pankey"] is extremely quick at the point and 6-foot-1 senior Andy Do should provide some perimeter shooting. Matthews always gets the most out of what he’s got and the Mountain Lions will come to compete every night. Franklin continues to take steps under coach Osadonor Esene and even though those steps may seem small, it’s clearly a long-term build. The strength of the roster will remain in the sophomore class as guards [player_tooltip player_id="1110584" first="Dominic" last="Papworth"] and Charles Grassman and forward [player_tooltip player_id="1268437" first="Kwaje" last="Laila"] are the ones to keep a close eye on. The non-league schedule is favorable as there are winnable games but the PIL slate will be tough. One thing’s for sure though, Franklin has the best gym facility in PPS and they’ll be hosting the PIL Showcase in January. It feels extremely strange to be finishing the preview with Jefferson as they’ve forever been the first team mentioned. But it’s a complete overhaul for the Demos and new head coach Thomas Gardner knew this would be the case. The former Demo great and NBA player takes over the job completely starting from scratch as there’s not a single minute of varsity experience returning from last season. For this year, it’s not about wins and losses but rather about building the culture. Some of the new names to monitor include Titus Cabine, DJ Johnson, and freshman point guard Brave Johnson.