WCE Portland Spring Preview – Quick Look

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Club basketball kicks off in full force this weekend in the Portland Metro Area. West Coast Elite's Portland Spring Preview will take place at the Beaverton Hoop YMCA and a number of Oregon-based squads will be in the field. Here's a quick look at who's in 17U.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>More Than Hoop makes their season debut at the Portland Spring Preview and head coach Allan Brown has a roster with a number of proven players. [player_tooltip player_id='1110583' first='Marley' last='Zeller'] (2024 Central Catholic) leads the way after coming off a big junior campaign. His ability to score inside and out, as well as his experience from having played on the EYBL circuit, will be big for MTH. Sharp-shooting RJ Alexander (2024 Gresham) will line up on the wing and the team also has plenty of size with unsigned senior [player_tooltip player_id='1152489' first='Skyler' last='Schmidt'] (2023 Central Catholic), versatile big man [player_tooltip player_id='1883819' first='Liam' last='Slattum'] (2024 Woodburn), and shot-blocking threat [player_tooltip player_id='1495285' first='Nate' last='Gilkey'] (2024 Gresham).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Dynasty has a group that will be a mixture of unsigned seniors and Class of 2024 standouts. Among the unsigned seniors will be [player_tooltip player_id='1256714' first='Isaiah' last='Crane'] (2023 Jesuit) and [player_tooltip player_id='1096106' first='Marcus' last='McKinney'] (2023 Gresham), two productive guards that are looking for opportunities at the next level. There is strength at guard among the rising seniors with plenty of perimeter shooting, led by [player_tooltip player_id='861086' first='Dylan' last='Douangphrachanh'] (2024 Benson), [player_tooltip player_id='1197477' first='Max' last='Elmgren'] (2024 Beaverton), and [player_tooltip player_id='1111363' first='Jordan' last='Johnson'] (2024 Century). [player_tooltip player_id='1268430' first='Miguel' last='Taylor'] (2024 Summit) and [player_tooltip player_id='1908823' first='Sawyer' last='Clemett'] (2024 Hood River) will prove to be inside-outside threats.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Elite 24 has two entries in the 17U division, with their UA Rise squad as Elite 24 17U Elite. One of the top unsigned seniors in the state, [player_tooltip player_id='861096' first='Kavon' last='Bradford'] (2023 Benson) will lead the charge and he'll be flanked in the backcourt by shifty playmakers and shooters such as [player_tooltip player_id='1565735' first='Jackson' last='Leach'] (2024 West Salem) and Beckett Currie (2025 Camas). Boston Walker (2025 La Center) is a rising junior that will be one to watch. The other squad, Elite 24 17U, features a number of top guards such as [player_tooltip player_id='1278049' first='Braydon' last='Ace Long'] (2024 Willamette), [player_tooltip player_id='1565731' first='Nick' last='Ghetie'] (2024 Lakeridge), and [player_tooltip player_id='1913632' first='Paolo' last='Flores'] (2024 North Bend).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Players Only is in 17U with a squad that's playing up in age. [player_tooltip player_id='1910894' first='James' last='Kefgen'] (2025 Liberty) was one of the state's leading scorers but he won't have to do too much heavy lifting as there are other guys who can put the ball in the hole, especially from the outside. [player_tooltip player_id='1370665' first='Kai' last='Russell'] (2025 Westview) and [player_tooltip player_id='1379047' first='Keenan' last='Reckamp'] (2025 Southridge) will man the point and versatile swingmen like [player_tooltip player_id='1370666' first='Nolan' last='Keeney'] (2025 Tualatin), [player_tooltip player_id='1496193' first='Alonzo' last='Hoff'] (2025 Southridge), [player_tooltip player_id='1624504' first='Quincy' last='Scott'] (2025 Central Catholic), and [player_tooltip player_id='1368243' first='Jason' last='Grady'] (2025 Westview) can do damage both in the paint and outside of the three-point line.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Fly Select is back with a brand new group. [player_tooltip player_id='1110570' first='Chance' last='White'] (2024 Roosevelt) leads the way with his explosive offensive ability and one of 6A's assist leaders in [player_tooltip player_id='1744015' first='Marcos' last='Ramirez'] (2024 Sandy) will help get him the ball. [player_tooltip player_id='1908819' first='Coven' last='Rotter'] (2024 Dallas) and Hunter Dunham (2024 Sandy) are emerging wings with size to keep an eye out for as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A team cobbled together of unsigned seniors just for this weekend will be playing under the name SC Panthers. [player_tooltip player_id='861088' first='Graham' last='Eikenberry'] (2023 Lincoln), [player_tooltip player_id='1232162' first='Christian' last='Green'] (2023 Grant), [player_tooltip player_id='1256717' first='JahAllah' last='Van'] (2023 Lincoln), and [player_tooltip player_id='1085787' first='Beya' last='Kim'] (2023 Roosevelt) are some of the former PIL standouts on the roster.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Other Oregon-based teams include Portland Reign and The Program. Action all starts at 4:00 PM on Saturday afternoon.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->