Week One Top Performers (Part III)

<!-- 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. Here's a look at the top performers from the games we attended on Saturday at the semifinals of the Wilsonville Invitational Tournament - Woodburn over Bend and then Wilsonville over Baker.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1110842' first='Kallen' last='Gutridge'] (2024 Wilsonville)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gutridge had the top performance we've seen so far this young season. The 6-foot-4 wing, fresh off leading Wilsonville to the 5A state title game, had his jumper going both from long range and mid-range early on and then in the second half, was strong getting to the basket displaying his ability to score at all three levels. The Wildcats aren't as big as years past, so he was very active on the boards as well. He finished the game with 34 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists. Gutridge holds an early scholarship offer from Oregon Tech.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1256625' first='Maxim' last='Wu'] (2023 Wilsonville)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Now in his third year as a starter, Wu is the commander at the point and he was steady throughout the win over Baker. An area where the 6-foot-1 guard has really improved is with his shooting range and the three has become more of an offensive weapon for him. He hit two in the game and also converted some other drives to the hoop and hit 5-for-6 from the line, finishing with 17 points. A high-academic performer, Wu holds a roster spot offer from MIT pending admission.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1380947' first='Isaiah' last='Jones'] (2025 Baker)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This was our first time seeing the stud sophomore and we're convinced Jones is the real deal. Physically mature and athletic already, the 6-foot-1 guard was near unstoppable getting to the basket and showed off a number of moves in the paint with quick turnaround jumpers for baskets. He drew contact early and often and was money from the stripe, a perfect 8-for-8. His play, especially in the second half, kept Baker in the running for an upset win.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1368274' first='Cruz' last='Veliz'] (2025 Woodburn)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Veliz hit the running layup going to his left at the buzzer to propel Woodburn to the WIT finals. It completed a 6-point night for the sophomore - not huge numbers but his steady play throughout the game was indicative of why head coach (and father) Raul Veliz trusts the ball in his hands. The younger Veliz did a good job playing turnover-free basketball and finding teammates for shots, ending up with 4 assists.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1315401' first='Spencer' last='Karsseboom'] (2023 Woodburn)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We've become quite fond of the rainbow jumpers from Karsseboom - the high arc on his shot is one of the highest we've seen at any level. The 6-foot-1 senior had those going in for him against Bend, hitting three from downtown. It wasn't just about his own offense for Karsseboom - he also tallied 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1458118' first='Caden' last='Dornhecker'] (2023 Bend)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Dornhecker is one of those players that is difficult to go up against because not only does he use his length to be disruptive, he seems to play with an endless motor as well. He certainly made his mark defensively against Woodburn but got his shot going on offense, hitting three threes and getting to the hoop, drawing contact, and converting at the line (6-for-7), finishing with a team-high 21 points. He was also a force on the boards, grabbing eight.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1085789' first='Ben' last='Keown'] (2023 Bend)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Not a huge scoring night for Keown, but the senior let the game come to him. At 6-foot-3 he has good size on the wing and the ability to hit from deep as well as create off the dribble a bit and score off of pull-ups in the lane. He finished the game with 12 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->