Recruiting Update – Esyah Pippa-White (2023 Gresham)
It was a historic year for Gresham and it’s one that Esyah Pippa-White Esyah Pippa-White 6'2" | PG Gresham | 2023 State OR won’t ever forget. The 6-foot-2 point guard led the Gophers from start to finish and in the…
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Continue ReadingIt was a historic year for Gresham and it’s one that Esyah Pippa-White Esyah Pippa-White 6'2" | PG Gresham | 2023 State OR won’t ever forget. The 6-foot-2 point guard led the Gophers from start to finish and in the end, he and the team were able to earn a trophy – one that hasn’t been claimed by the school in literally decades. As Pippa-White prepares to compete with Oregon’s best at WAVOR the Game, he’s pondering his future while also looking back proudly on the recent past.
“Our goal was Chiles Center from Day One preseason from fall league, so I feel like making history honestly felt great because even with fourth place, you still put a banner up,” Pippa-White said. “So that’s always cool to see because when you walk by, our people walk by, they’re going to be like, oh yeah they did that. And then over the years, we end up seeing some of the dudes I went to high school with, we did that. It’s just like cool to look back on knowing that we did that and made history after 31 years.”
Along with the winning came plenty of personal achievements for Pippa-White. A three-time First Team All-Mt Hood Conference selection, his averages this year of 22.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 2.6 steals all rank among the 6A’s best and he felt the freedom he had played a big part in how he was able to perform.
“I feel like I was just able to play my game and just be who Esyah is,” Pippa-White said. “With (head coach) Corey (Lockhart) and our coaching staff, they let me almost run the show. Honestly, I see things on the floor and it’s like I’m the coach on the floor because Corey is not going to see everything I see and when I tell him, he’s like, just try it. So he let me do everything.”
“I feel like overall, my game developed as a leader,” Pippa-White added. “Communication was key for me and I feel like that’s what’s brought us a lot, like a long way.”
Pippa-White is hopeful his season – and career – will lead to the right college option. Recent offers have come in from Multnomah, Colby (KS) CC, and Gillette (WY) JC. He’s been talking to Oregon State about a preferred walk-on spot as well as D-III College of the Redlands in California. He’s currently not in any rush.
“I’m just going to wait around to see the transfer portal, where everybody else is going to go and see what’s available, where I would see myself happy at,” Pippa-White said. “Realistically, do I want to go out of town or do you want to stay? I’m just keeping it open and I just honestly want to play wherever I could play, and I’ll be loved at.”
Pippa-White’s immediate attention is on WAVOR the Game, where he’s looking forward to suiting up one more time with Oregon’s best players. “We’re all excited,” Pippa-White said. “We wish we had Jackson (Shelstad) and Adrian (Mosley) of course, because they are two top guys in Oregon, but we’ll go to this thing without him.”
Pippa-White currently ranks as the #4 player in the PrepHoops Oregon Class of 2023 rankings.