Week Four - Top Performers (Class of 2023)

In Week Four, we had the opportunity to hit a number of games at various locations in the Portland and Salem area, getting a look at a number of teams that weren't playing at the Les Schwab Invitational. Here's a look at some of the top-performing seniors we saw at the Crusader Classic (Gold Beach vs. Crane), the South Salem Tournament (Jefferson over Glencoe, Willamette over Putnam, Churchill over South Salem), and Mountainside vs. Sheldon.   [player_tooltip player_id='1599526' first='Gianni' last='Altman'] (2023 Gold Beach)   While it was clearly not his best night - in particular, the three-ball wasn't really falling that well - Altman still managed to put up 37 points. The 5-foot-11 guard is extremely shifty off the dribble, used a number of moves to free himself for floaters going to the basket or off-balance fadeaway shots. The senior is a jet up and down the court and while he didn't throw down any dunks against Crane, his vertical leap is noticeable. Having now seen him in person, consider us sold on his abilities and he should be receiving more small college recruiting interest at the very least.   [player_tooltip player_id='1085781' first='Jeremiah' last='Stigler'] (2023 Jefferson)   Last year's leading scorer, Stigler is starting to find his groove on this season's squad. The 6-foot-1 guard is able to play bigger than his height due to his strength which makes him very difficult for smaller defenders to handle down low when he's able to establish position. He scored early and often against Glencoe and finished with 21 points.   Donavon Ferguson (2023 Jefferson)   With a number of Jefferson's top guys like [player_tooltip player_id='1197478' first='TJ' last='Latu'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1582927' first='Adrian' last='Montague'] out, Ferguson took upon more of the ball-handling responsibilities and he handled them well. The 5-foot-11 senior was aggressive in getting to the basket, scoring or getting it to teammates. He really hit the boards hard on both ends and brought the energy on defense, getting a number of steals which led to easy buckets for the Demos in their win.   [player_tooltip player_id='1483427' first='Mike' last='Small'] (2023 Willamette)   Small is a tough matchup for most defenders because of his size on the wing, which is not so much because of his 6-foot-2 height but because he's built like a brick house. He overpowered guys getting to the basket, which was exactly what he did on the game-winning layup for Willamette. He finished with 18 points and 6 rebounds.   Bugsy Jenson (2023 Churchill)   We've always loved Jenson's motor on both sides of the ball, and that was evident in Churchill's win over South Salem. The 6-foot-2 guard was flying all over the floor making plays and offensively was able to get to the hoop and earn some tough buckets. At night's end, he finished tied for the team-high in points with 12.   [player_tooltip player_id='1485831' first='Carsen' last='Luna'] (2023 Churchill)   Luna is one of those types of players that may not necessarily be flashy but consistently makes the right basketball play. The 6-foot-2 guard was steady all night long for the Lancers, moving the basketball to the open man and looking for his own scoring chances when given the opportunity. He was a factor on defense as well and at the end of the day, he had littered the stat sheet with 10 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals.   [player_tooltip player_id='1256722' first='Charlie' last='Rapp'] (2023 South Salem)   The Saxons are a young team but are counting on a senior like Rapp to not only provide leadership but consistency. The latter is what defined him in the game against Churchill as he was aggressive with his offense and gave South Salem a scoring threat in both halves. Rapp made some tough shots inside and out and brought a workmanlike attitude on the defensive end.   [player_tooltip player_id='1085791' first='Blake' last='Thune'] (2023 Mountainside)   With the loss of [player_tooltip player_id='1110571' first='Quinn' last='Haveman'] for the season for Mountainside, Thune has had to step it up offensively and he delivered in the win over Sheldon. The 6-foot-3 guard first caught fire from the outside, hitting four threes, but then looked to get to the hoop in the second half. While shooting the basketball will always be his calling card, the senior was also helpful on the boards (5 rebounds) and distributing (3 assists) to go along with his team-high 16 points.

In Week Four, we had the opportunity to hit a number of games at various locations in the Portland and Salem area, getting a look at a number of teams that weren't playing at the Les Schwab Invitational. Here's a look at some of the top-performing seniors we saw at the Crusader Classic (Gold Beach vs. Crane), the South Salem Tournament (Jefferson over Glencoe, Willamette over Putnam, Churchill over South Salem), and Mountainside vs. Sheldon.