Week One Fresh Faces

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The season has started and from Thursday on through the weekend we had the opportunity to attend a number of games around the Portland area. There were a number of new faces we hadn't really seen before or since last season that aren't currently ranked and should be added in the next iteration of rankings for each class. Here's a look a the top ones we saw (listed in order of class).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jaren Oglesby (2023 Salem Academy)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While he had twin brother Jackson ranked, we are surprised we didn't have Jaren on the list as he's certainly deserving. The 6-foot-4 senior is offensive-minded, capable of scoring at all three levels and on Thursday when one area wasn't working - for example, his jumper early on - he capably switched his game to do something else. Once he had some success getting to the hoop, he returned to the perimeter and started sinking shots and got on a roll. This helped him end up with a 24-point night and a win for Salem Academy on the scoreboard.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Nate Forrar (2023 Barlow)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Barlow always has a number of seniors who comfortably settle into supporting cast roles and this year, Forrar is one of those guys. The 6-foot-1 forward did a lot of the dirty work in both of the games we watched the Bruins, and in particular in the win against Wells he was very active on the glass, especially on the offensive end as he was able to kick it out to teammates for open shots. At the end of the day, Forrar ended up getting some layups of his own and scored 7 points against both Beaverton and Wells to open the season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Liam Slattum (2024 Woodburn)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Slattum was probably the find of the week. Standing 6-foot-8, he's long, runs the floor fairly well, and has shot-blocking potential. Offensively, he preferred to face the basket and has a nice looking jumper - he hit a three at the top of the key. He finished Woodburn's semifinal win over Bend with 14 points and nine rebounds and it wouldn't be surprising to see the West Salem transfer put up similar numbers when Mid-Willamette conference play starts as very few teams have the kind of size to match up with him.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Evan Morris (2024 Sherwood)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Some of the highest praise a basketball player can receive is if they make a positive impact without scoring a single point and that's exactly what Morris did for the Bowmen in their Bill Gabel Invitational win over David Douglas. The 6-foot-3 junior was all over the court from the jump, grabbing boards, making steals, and exhibiting endless energy whenever he was in the game. From the sounds of it, football may be his main sport but his ability to impact games on the hardwood with his motor definitely warrants recognition.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Ethan Osborn (2024 Newport)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Well-built physically, Osborn converted some tough drives to the basket utilizing his quickness and quick dribble to get past defenders. He did a good job balancing his own offense - he finished with 17 points - as well as get the rock to open teammates, dishing out 4 assists.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Drew Smith (2024 Horizon Christian)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's always hard to get a good read on individual play in a blowout - which is what Horizon Christian did to overmatched St. Stephens at the Westside Winter Jam - but we were impressed by Smith. He has a good build at 6-foot-3, a pretty nice looking jumper, and the willingness to play tough in the paint.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Ethan Bruns (2025 Newport)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bruns established himself from the perimeter and wound up sinking four threes in Newport's loss against Salem Academy. The sophomore excelled in the catch-and-shoot but also created a bit off the dribble, and would have ended up scoring more than the 22 points he tallied had he not missed a number of free throws.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jaron Long (2025 Baker)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A lot of the press about Baker has (rightfully) gone to junior [player_tooltip player_id='1565733' first='Paul' last='Hobson'] and the Jones brothers (the younger of which we'll mention in just a bit) but Long definitely caught our eye in the game against Wilsonville. The 6-foot-1 sophomore calmly handled the ball at the point, was aggressive off the dribble, and wasn't afraid to get physical on the defensive end.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Brooks Carter (2026 Wilsonville)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Carter got some minutes in the semis against Baker and while he struggled at the free throw line (likely due to nerves), the 6-foot freshman got a bucket, pulled down three rebounds, and dished out a couple of assists. When [player_tooltip player_id='1256625' first='Maxim' last='Wu'] fouled out, it was Carter that coach Roche put into the game, which is meaningful in itself.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Rasean Jones (2026 Baker)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The first thing we noticed about Jones is he's already physically able to compete as a freshman with his 6-foot-3 size and athleticism which is advanced for his grade. While his offense seems to be still a work in progress from what we saw in the semis against Wilsonville, he undoubtedly competed hard on the glass (7 rebounds) and on the defensive end, all coming off of the bench.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->