Capitol City Classic: Monday Evening Standouts
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The second round of the Capitol City Classic took place on Monday and many of the state’s top teams were in attendance at Willamette University in Salem. We had the opportunity to take in a full day’s worth of games…
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Continue ReadingThe second round of the Capitol City Classic took place on Monday and many of the state’s top teams were in attendance at Willamette University in Salem. We had the opportunity to take in a full day’s worth of games – the first such holiday tournament in almost two full years. Here’s a look at the top performers in the afternoon/evening session, the winners bracket.
Terrence Hill Jr Terrence Hill Jr 6'3" | PG Roosevelt | 2024 State #183 Nation OR (2024 Roosevelt)
Hill first set the tone from the outside with his three-point shot but then started to drive to the basket and converted buckets near the rim or on floaters in the lane. He was confident with the rock and was effective both on and off the ball. He finished with a team-high 24 points to go with three assists.
Utrillo Morris Utrillo Morris 5'8" | PG Roosevelt | 2024 State OR (2024 Roosevelt)
Morris ran the point while in the game and was extremely hard to keep up with on the offensive end. He was slippery getting into the lane and when he wasn’t drawing fouls, he was finishing around the hoop. But where Morris really made his mark was on the defensive end as he really played some great denial defense on Dimitri Cohen Dimitri Cohen 5'11" | CG Mountainside | 2022 State OR . He wound up with 10 points and three assists.
Antonio Jimenez Antonio Jimenez 6'1" | CG Roosevelt | 2022 State OR (2022 Roosevelt)
Jimenez provided some great punch off of the bench with his shooting. The lefty’s specialty is the catch-and-shoot corner three and he canned three of them in the game, and also converted a key layup late in the contest. 11 points on the night for the unsigned senior.
Dylan Westlake Dylan Westlake 6'0" | PG Mountainside | 2022 State OR (2022 Mountainside)
We are pretty convinced that Westlake is one of the fastest players in the state at getting into the lane, whether it’s in the full or half court settings. He glided to the bucket on multiple occasions and really focused on getting into the lane rather than look to shoot jumpers. The result – he ended up with 19 points but also dished out five assists.
Dezman Baker Dezman Baker 6'3" | SF Mountainside | 2022 State OR (2022 Mountainside)
Baker came ready to play and was a force on both ends of the floor. We continue to be impressed with the way the 6-foot-4 senior is able to guard multiple positions, whether it’s taking on guys down low or sticking with them on the perimeter. He was tough on a number of finishes, especially through contact as he converted two out of three traditional three-point opportunities. 16 points on the night.
Enzo Chimienti (2022 Wilsonville)
Chimienti was the find of the night. The senior was on fire all night, whether it was hitting catch-and-shoot jumpers or using the dribble to create and nail some pull-ups. The senior struck us as one of those classic Wilsonville guards that plays with all-out motor on both ends all game long. He finished with 25 points.
Kallen Gutridge Kallen Gutridge 6'4" | SG Wilsonville | 2024 State OR (2024 Wilsonville)
We remember seeing Gutridge a little last season but he really grew on us as the game went along. The 6-foot-4 lefty is hard-nosed, gritty, and capable of creating his own shot and finishing. He converted a host of dribble-drive pull-up Js and was tough on the boards and defense. The sophomore finished with 14 points and four rebounds.
Brooks Ferguson Brooks Ferguson 6'5" | PF West Salem | 2022 State OR (2022 West Salem)
Ferguson is pursing football for his college career, but in the meantime he’s a darned good basketball player. The 6-foot-5 forward was a problem all night as he scored both inside and out. On numerous occasions, West Salem called for an iso and he was simply unstoppable in those situations either pulling up for the jumper or getting to the hoop and converting. Ferguson ended up with a team-high 22 points.
Trenton Ferguson (2024 West Salem)
Not related to Brooks, this Ferguson was rock solid in the paint. He was hard to handle down low but also faced up and showed the ability to knock down the mid-range jumper and even create off the dribble a little. The 6-foot-7 sophomore is likely the best big man in his class in the state. He finished with 12 points.
Connor Oertel Connor Oertel 6'3" | SG West Salem | 2024 State OR (2024 West Salem)
Oertel has one of those shots and shooting form where every time it looks like it’s going to go in. That was the easy early and often for the 6-foot-3 sophomore as he converted not only catch-and-shoot opportunities but a number of dribble pull-ups as well. He also did a great job finding teammates, finishing with five assists to go along with his 12 points.
Neil Efimov Neil Efimov 6'4" | SG Silverton | 2022 State OR (2022 Silverton)
Known for his perimeter shooting, Efimov actually spent most of the night getting to the bucket and drew a lot of contact. He finished with 19 points, 12 of which came from the free throw line. The 6-foot-4 guard is very lanky but obviously he didn’t shy away from getting physical inside.
Trevon Hamilton Trevon Hamilton 6'2" | PG Beaverton | 2022 State OR (2022 Beaverton)
The numbers weren’t huge but Hamilton may have been the top performer on the day. He flawlessly ran Beaverton’s ball-control offense and was a ball-hawk on defense, nabbing five steals as the Beavers defense confounded Cane Ridge. Hamilton also hit a couple of critical threes and sank all four clutch free throws down the stretch.
Brady Rice Brady Rice 6'2" | SG Beaverton | 2023 State OR (2023 Beaverton)
Rice was the man offensively early on, scoring 15 points in the first half in a variety of ways, canning an open three and then hitting a number of scoop and flip shots in the lane. He was a little cold in the early going of the second, but got a key bucket late and also hit two clutch free throws to help seal the victory.