The Players League - Saturday Standouts (10/22)

On the final Saturday of action at the Hoopsource Players League, we took in a trio of highly competitive games between a number of the top 6A squads in the state. Here are some of the top performers we saw on the day at Gresham High School.   [player_tooltip player_id='1382408' first='Matthew' last='Verkamp'] (2023 Sherwood)   We're of the opinion that Verkamp might be one of the biggest sleepers in the state. The 6-foot-4 forward has a solid inside-outside game where he has the strength and muscle to score underneath, but also the nice touch on his jumper to hit threes or create space off the bounch for pull-up jumpers. Defensively he held his ground against Lincoln's frontline and was able to effectively compete with them on the boards.   [player_tooltip player_id='861084' first='Breyan' last='Kelly'] (2023 Sherwood)   Shooters keep on shooting and that's what Kelly did in Sherwood's win over Lincoln. After a cold spell in the first half, the 6-foot senior started lighting it up from long range and that helped set up his off-the-dribble pull-up jumpers.   [player_tooltip player_id='1342141' first='Ethan' last='Eckard'] (2024 Sherwood)   While the Bowmen will likely be led by the senior trio of Kelly, Verkamp, and [player_tooltip player_id='1232163' first='Jared' last='Sucher'] (who was not in attendance on Saturday), the shooting ability of Eckard will be a major plus for Sherwood. The 6-foot-4 was on fire from the perimeter early both from long and mid range, and late in the game was very active getting to the hoop and drawing contact for free throw line scoring opportunities.   [player_tooltip player_id='962929' first='Malachi' last='Seely-Roberts'] (2023 Lincoln)   With twin brother Moroni still out of action, Seely-Roberts once again picked up the slack offensively for Lincoln. Against Sherwood he didn't go to the three-ball as much as we've seen in the past, but was solid in the mid-range and around the hoop whether it was in the high or low post.   [player_tooltip player_id='861088' first='Graham' last='Eikenberry'] (2023 Lincoln)   We've been accustomed to what Eikenberry will do on a game-by-game basis - garner double-digit rebounds, get a handful of buckets down in the paint, and block a couple of shots on defense. No difference in the action we saw on Saturday as the 6-foot-11 big man basically showed up for another solid work day.   [player_tooltip player_id='1383114' first='Evan' last='Heisler'] (2024 Lincoln)   The evolution of Heisler continues as the big man is continuing to gain confidence with his game. Playing alongside Eikenberry and Seely-Roberts, it gave Lincoln a super big look and the junior post adjusted well whether he was playing down low or up on the elbow. Heisler had some strong finishes at the hoop and flushed down a couple of power dunks while also showing he wasn't afraid to take the perimeter jumper when left open.   [player_tooltip player_id='1276628' first='Brayden' last='Boe'] (2025 Mountainside)   Coming off a tough football loss at Jesuit, Boe came right back to play at The Players League and balled out. He was accurate with his outside shot, hit a few of his back-down, step-back fadeaway jumpers, and finished strong in transition. Always looking out for teammates and not just his own offense, he flashed some of his creative passing as well.   [player_tooltip player_id='1085793' first='Jaylin' last='Ormond'] (2023 Mountainside)   There's no question that Ormond will be heavily counted on as he will be Mountainside's main post player this year on the offense end, and everything we saw from him on Saturday indicated that he's ready. The 6-foot-5 senior was super strong in the paint, both scoring off of post-ups or finishing after receiving passes inside. He ran the floor well and held his position on D.   [player_tooltip player_id='1368229' first='Peyton' last='Reyes'] (2025 Mountainside)   After cutting his teeth on JV last season, Reyes will be making the step up to full varsity member as a sophomore and it's clear he's put in the work this off-season to be ready. The main area of improvement has been his outside shot and he confidently knocked down a few in Mountainside's win over Tualatin. As always, his motor on the defensive end and going after loose balls helped give the Mavs a boost of energy.   [player_tooltip player_id='1256645' first='Josiah' last='Lake'] (2023 Tualatin)   The Lake show continued on Saturday, first with a big win over Lincoln in the Timberwolves' first game (of which we saw the tail end of) and then a big offensive show against Mountainside in a tough loss (where Tualatin played without [player_tooltip player_id='1174265' first='Jaden' last='Steppe']). The senior continues to be extremely effective at using his speed, quickness, and athleticism to get to the hoop and in the loss to the Mavs, was especially effective getting to the line and converting.   [player_tooltip player_id='1582973' first='Jemai' last='Lake'] (2026 Tualatin)   Each time we've watched Lake play it's been like watching a flower bloom in the springtime as the young guard continues to exude more and more confidence on the floor. Despite his still relatively smaller stature, the freshman was fearlessly attacking the basket for hoops and harms, and was solid with his perimeter shooting as well.   [player_tooltip player_id='1110591' first='Renaldo' last='Alexander'] (2024 Gresham)   We've determined that the quickest lefty release in the state likely belongs to Alexander. The 6-foot-2 guard was sharp with his catch-and-shoot threes but also was effective driving and getting to the hoop, finishing through contact. The junior also used his quick hands on defense to garner a number of steals.   [player_tooltip player_id='1539862' first='Vernon' last='Onick'] (2023 Gresham)   With usual backcourt members [player_tooltip player_id='861087' first='Esyah' last='Pippa-White'] and [player_tooltip player_id='962735' first='Scotty' last='Riddle'] out, there was opportunity for others to step up and Onick did just that. The senior transfer from Evergreen was extremely quick to the basket where he was not only able to score but also draw a number of fouls and get to the line.

On the final Saturday of action at the Hoopsource Players League, we took in a trio of highly competitive games between a number of the top 6A squads in the state. Here are some of the top performers we saw on the day at Gresham High School.