Recruiting Update: Braydon Ace Long (2024 Willamette)

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Looking for a shooter? Just head down to Eugene as [player_tooltip player_id='1278049' first='Braydon' last='Ace Long'] has proven to be one of the top ones in the region if not the state the past couple of years. The 6-foot combo guard from Willamette has shown the ability to knock down open threes in practically every game, event, and tournament he's been a part of, and this summer playing club ball, the senior got the chance to showcase that skill and more in front of college coaches all throughout the country.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"Playing with Elite 24 was awesome because it allowed me to play with talented teammates in some very high-level tournaments on a national schedule," Long said. "We played in several West Coast Elite and Under Armour tournaments but my favorite was the HoopSeen National Championships in Atlanta. It was amazing to play against the best teams from around the US and Canada. Playing against such top-level competition really notched up my game as far as playing against much more intense defense, and developing my ability to finish at the rim against much bigger defenders. I also was able to sharpen my defensive skills."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Long earned Top Performer honors at a few of the WC Elite events and was featured by Schoolconomy after his performance in Atlanta. With the exposure he got around the country, he's heard from a variety of schools from all over including right back close to his Eugene home.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"My recruitment has been going good so far, although no offers yet," Long said. "I ended up playing in front of a lot of East Coast coaches and recruiters and have heard from several schools with initial interest. Some of the schools include Whittier College, University of Northwestern St. Paul, Swarthmore, Bard, Emory and Henry, and a few more. I've also been in contact with a few schools in Oregon including Linfield as well as Western Oregon University and George Fox. I recently attended camps at Portland State, Western Oregon University, and George Fox, and I felt like I had a lot of success and was able to showcase my skills."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A high-academic performer with a weighted GPA of 4.17, 1290 SAT score, and ranked #1 in his class, Long is no doubt looking for a great opportunity educationally - he's actually earned scholarships because of his academic resume. But he's hoping for the opportunity to play hoops as well and is keeping things open.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"I am definitely interested in staying on the West Coast, but if there was a better situation available somewhere else I would take it," Long said. "I am mainly looking for an opportunity to play and make a difference wherever I go."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Long is hopeful that a big season at Willamette will certainly amp things up and has been working hard for this moment. "I have a lot of personal goals as well as team goals that I am working towards this year," Long said. "Personally, I want to build on what I started last year and hopefully lead my team to the postseason. A lot of my goals are stat driven, but some of them are more geared towards the team, like developing better chemistry with my teammates, which will help us achieve our team goals as a group."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As a junior in 2022-23, Long averaged 11.9 points, shooting just under 37 percent from three-point range while making 2.46 threes per game. He currently ranks as the #54 player in the PrepHoops Oregon Class of 2023 rankings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->