Oregon Top 250 Expo – Top Big Men
In this article:
As they say, big men are at a premium and for the first time in years, the PrepHoops Oregon Top 250 Expo had a solid group of post players in attendance. Ranging from some undersized guys up to 6-foot-11, all…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingAs they say, big men are at a premium and for the first time in years, the PrepHoops Oregon Top 250 Expo had a solid group of post players in attendance. Ranging from some undersized guys up to 6-foot-11, all of these young men got a chance to prove themselves on the floors of the Beaverton Hoop YMCA on Sunday. Here’s a look at the top big men we watched.
Graham Eikenberry Graham Eikenberry 6'10" | PF St Andrew’s RI | 2023 State OR (2023 Lincoln)
Another camp, another opportunity for Eikenberry to dominate on the boards and that’s exactly what he did. He posted double-digit rebounds in every game and notched a rare 20/20 point/rebound performance in Game 1. He was solid on the block offensively and got the majority of his points inside, but did take the opportunity to step out and shoot some mid-range jumpers. As always, he was a vocal leader and helped pump up his teammates during the game.
Chance Winter Chance Winter 6'10" | C Beaverton | 2024 State OR (2024 Beaverton)
The 6-foot-10 big man used his length and mobility to make his mark defensively the entire event. Winter contested practically everything that came his way and sometimes his mere presence was enough to affect shot attempts. Did we mention his mobility? His ability and willingness to chase down outside shooters to tip their attempts was on display on multiple occasions. One coach watching on the sidelines called him the defensive MVP of the day.
Evan Heisler Evan Heisler 6'9" | C Lincoln | 2024 State OR (2024 Lincoln)
Heisler has largely been hidden at Lincoln the past couple of years as he’s played behind others like Eikenberry but head coach Heather Roberts is going to have to find a way to get him more court time based on what we saw at the Top 250 Expo. The 6-foot-9 post ran the floor, posted up strong, showed off some good footwork, and finished at the rim. Heisler continues to improve every time we see him play and Sunday was no exception.
Andre Niko Andre Niko 6'4" | SF The Dalles | 2024 OR (2024 The Dalles)
Niko was one of the more intriguing players we saw the entire day. The 6-foot-4 junior may be a bit undersized height-wise but he more than made up with it with his strength and ability to create space in the lane. He worked the boards on both ends all day in a Dennis Rodman-like way and looked to set up his teammates with interior passing and not necessarily look to score himself all the time.
Ian Prictor Ian Prictor 6'8" | PF Mountain View | 2024 State OR (2024 Mountain View)
Prictor is another player who continues to improve every time we watch him play. The 6-foot-6 junior seems to have found some confidence in his ability to set up shop down low and score with basic post moves, and he ran the floor well to be in position to receive the pass and finish. He currently stands 6-foot-6 and with older brother Tane standing 6-foot-10, it would be surprising if Prictor still has an inch or two to add to his height.
Jaylin Ormond Jaylin Ormond 6'5" | SF Mountainside | 2023 State OR (2023 Mountainside)
While a little undersized at 6-foot-5, Ormond is another big man that’s more than strong and athletic enough to hang with taller players. He posted up strong and was able to work his way for some hard-earned buckets in the paint but also ran the floor well and was rewarded with passes for layups. Defensively, he wasn’t afraid to get physical and try and move his assignment out of the lane.
Silas Wright Silas Wright 6'8" | SF Ashland | 2023 State OR (2023 Ashland)
Wright isn’t a true big and is more of a stretch-four type offensively as he can really face the basket and knock down perimeter jumpers out past three-point – and he shot the ball well on Sunday. Where his 6-foot-7 size comes into play is on the defensive end and he matched up against opposing big guys and did his best to keep people from getting position.
Gabriel Townsend (2023 Nelson)
Townsend is a true big man either but will likely play that role for Nelson this season. The 6-foot-6 transfer from Barlow was extremely active offensively and really crashed the boards, with several of his offensive rebounds leading to easy buckets. He ran the floor well which put him in position to get some scores.