2024-25 6A Preview - Metro League

The 2023-24 season is upon us and PrepHoops Oregon has you covered. We're doing pre-season previews for all of the 6A leagues across the state, giving you some insight into the teams and players you should be watching this year. The Metro League will once again rank among the top conferences and practically all of the teams are post-season contenders. Here's how we see it turning out.   League Predictions   <ol class="wp-block-list"> <li>Westview</li>   <li>Jesuit</li>   <li>Southridge</li>   <li>Mountainside</li>   <li>Sunset</li>   <li>Beaverton</li>   <li>Aloha</li> </ol>   Player of the Year: [player_tooltip player_id='1643228' first='Patrick' last='Kilfoil'], Jesuit   All-League Predictions: Kilfoil; [player_tooltip player_id='2026054' first='Isaac' last='Bongen'], Jesuit; [player_tooltip player_id='1368243' first='Jason' last='Grady'], Westview; [player_tooltip player_id='1379047' first='Keenan' last='Reckamp'], Southridge; [player_tooltip player_id='1368229' first='Peyton' last='Reyes'], Mountainside   Top Sleeper/Newcomer: [player_tooltip player_id='1910894' first='James' last='Kefgen'], Westview   State Tournament Threats: Westview, Jesuit, Southridge   Other Post-Season Teams: Mountainside, Sunset, Beaverton   Analysis   Could this be the year for Westview? The Wildcats have been slowly rising the past couple of seasons and 2024-25 could be the year that it all comes together for head coach Mike Wolf as the majority of last year's team that reached the Sweet 16 is back. Among the returners is the veteran senior backcourt of point guard [player_tooltip player_id='1370665' first='Kai' last='Russell'] (11.1 ppg, 4.5 apg, 2.2 spg, .364 3pt%), [player_tooltip player_id='2051003' first='Lucas' last='D'Haem'] (8.2 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 2.0 apg, 2.2 spg), and [player_tooltip player_id='1624507' first='Jacob' last='Epstein'] (4.6 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.9 apg). Russell is as steady a hand at the point as there is in the Metro League, D'Haem a lockdown perimeter defender, and Epstein a great all-around performer. [player_tooltip player_id='2348774' first='Peyton' last='Read'] (7.7 ppg, 6.9 rpg) is back to man the middle and be a legitimate threat in the post and the return from injury of senior [player_tooltip player_id='1368243' first='Jason' last='Grady'] (6.9 ppg, 2.7 rpg) is a huge addition. Grady is a potential all-league candidate. Transfer [player_tooltip player_id='1910894' first='James' last='Kefgen'] (16.4 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 2.3 apg at Liberty in 2023-24) will fit right into the mix and chemistry shouldn't be an issue given he's played with many of his new Westview teammates in club ball. The recent OIT-commit is one of the top outside marksmen in the state. Athletic wing [player_tooltip player_id='2021519' first='Dayton' last='Jenkins'] (1.9 ppg, 1.2 rpg) will have an increased role as will Shalhev Elchaiani (0.5 ppg in 11 games) and [player_tooltip player_id='1624396' first='Ian' last='Bautista'] (1.8 ppg in 12 games). Westview seems to have everything it takes to win a Metro League title as they have good guard play, size inside, the ability to play both ends, and plenty of experience and depth with their senior-laden roster.   After missing out for a few years, Jesuit returned to the Chiles Center last year but going 0-2 at the Chiles Center left a bitter taste in the Crusaders' mouths. That will give head coach Gene Potter's team extra incentive this season and the pieces that are back are a great combination of experience and fresh talent. Leading scorer [player_tooltip player_id='1643228' first='Patrick' last='Kilfoil'] (16.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg, .371 3pt%) is as competitive a player as there is in the state and he'll be ready to put the team on his back at times. He's a true gamer and our pick for league Player of the Year. Also returning is one of the best athletes in the state in [player_tooltip player_id='2026054' first='Isaac' last='Bongen'] (12.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg). The sophomore lived up to all of the hype and should see his numbers increase across the board. Juniors [player_tooltip player_id='1989913' first='Joe' last='Stimpson'] (5.4 ppg, 2.1 rpg) and [player_tooltip player_id='2111917' first='Sam' last='Curvy'] (1.3 ppg) add more athleticism to the table and additional shooting that returns includes the Ryans, junior [player_tooltip player_id='1585574' first='Ryan' last='Barone'] (3.6 ppg, .380 3pt%) and senior [player_tooltip player_id='2054793' first='Ryan' last='Fraser'] (2.9 ppg). The Crusaders will be guard-oriented but look for football standouts in 6-foot-7 junior [player_tooltip player_id='2469270' first='Quinn' last='Wicklow'] (1.3 ppg, 1.0 rpg) and 6-foot-3 senior UC Davis QB commit Trey Cleeland (1.6 ppg, .615 fg%) to make an impact in the paint. If that wasn't enough, varsity newcomers in sophomores [player_tooltip player_id='1961798' first='Major' last='Williams'] and Vicente Harrison Jr will be in the rotation. With their athleticism and depth, don't be surprised if Jesuit goes at times to their full-court pressure defense that created havoc in the 2000s.   Despite graduating an all-league backcourt, defending Metro League champs Southridge will remain in the mix. The reason why is because there's still plenty of offensive talent back for head coach Phil Vesel. The baton in the backcourt will be passed to senior [player_tooltip player_id='1379047' first='Keenan' last='Reckamp'] (12.1 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.3 apg, .472 3pt%, .892 ft%) and sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2026058' first='Elijah' last='Thompson'] (8.1 ppg, 2.2 apg, .458 3pt%), both of whom rank among the top shooters in the state. Manning the middle yet also spending plenty of time also firing away from the perimeter will be senior [player_tooltip player_id='1496193' first='Alonzo' last='Hoff'] (10.8 ppg, 2.9 rpg, .593 fg%) who will be primed to have a big senior year, having gotten tougher and more aggressive over the summer. Look for a trio of sophomores in [player_tooltip player_id='2026514' first='Nikko' last='Kalish'] (1.8 ppg in 8 games), [player_tooltip player_id='1604658' first='Julius' last='Vesel'] (3.3 ppg in 3 games), and [player_tooltip player_id='2026515' first='Brooks' last='Fortune'] (2.5 ppg in 2 games) to emerge as key contributors, whether they are starting or coming off the bench. The Skyhawks can shoot and score with anyone in the state, but how far they go will depend on if they rebound and defend, especially in games when the shots aren't falling.   Oh what could have been with Mountainside this upcoming season had two-time Metro League Player of the Year Brayden Boe returned for his senior year, but head coach Dustin Hewitt isn't crying over spilt milk. He's got a solid group coming back and while the overall theme will be youth, there's enough talent and production returning to keep the Mavericks in post-season contention. The offense and ball-handling will be more spread out and one of the benefactors will be [player_tooltip player_id='1368229' first='Peyton' last='Reyes'] (9.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.4 apg, 1.8 spg). Look for the guard, long lauded for his non-stop motor and intensity, to really be an offensive threat his senior season. His backcourt partner in crime, junior [player_tooltip player_id='1582931' first='Eli' last='Vizconde'] (11.2 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 1.8 apg) is also back and he's continued to develop as an all-around player. Look for his shooting percentages to return to the levels he showed as a freshman when he led 6A in three-point shooting. Fellow junior J'Kobi Nicholson (4.8 ppg, 3.7 rpg) could double his scoring and rebounding averages as a major contributor, as may Mateo Zaporteza (1.7 ppg, 1.1 rpg). Football standouts [player_tooltip player_id='2088876' first='Tykell' last='Gehrke'] (1.6 ppg) and [player_tooltip player_id='2284873' first='Sam' last='Vyhlidal'] (1.1 ppg) will add toughness and the Mavs sophomore trio of [player_tooltip player_id='2124993' first='Rogen' last='Brown'], [player_tooltip player_id='2124996' first='Palmer' last='Ochoa'], and [player_tooltip player_id='2471813' first='Ryder' last='Eck'] figure into the rotation.   Sunset knew they would have to replace three seniors that went on to play in college, but a late summer development saw leading returning scorer and rebounder Hudson Guthrie (11.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg) move to Utah for his senior season. Despite those losses, don't sleep on the Apollos though as head coach David Saultz still has plenty back for them to make a playoff push, as the team played without Guthrie at times this summer and was still impressive. Experienced senior returnees such as [player_tooltip player_id='2399358' first='Jameson' last='Cook'] (2.5 ppg, 1.5 rpg, .391 3pt%) and [player_tooltip player_id='1910912' first='Matthew' last='Lohman'] (3.2 ppg) will step into bigger offensive roles in 2024-25 and sophomore point guard [player_tooltip player_id='2172116' first='Rocco' last='Ebenal'] (1.7 ppg in 10 games) and sophomore swingman [player_tooltip player_id='2132804' first='Shay' last='Thompson'] are the stars of the future.   For the first time in a while, Beaverton doesn't have a team projected to finish in the top half of the league but head coach Andrew Vancil is excited about the challenges ahead. While the Beavers will be super young and inexperienced, they are talented and eager to learn. There's not a lot back from last year's squad but one guy that is back that really emerged last season is sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2026756' first='Ahmed' last='Aballo'] (5.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 1.7 apg) who was in the starting lineup at the end of the year. He'll be counted on heavily, as will fellow junior returnee [player_tooltip player_id='2356524' first='Oliver' last='Luebkert'] (1.8 ppg, 2.0 rpg), another tremendous athlete. Vancil is looking for big things from sophomore shooters [player_tooltip player_id='2539888' first='Blake' last='Unruh'] (0.6 ppg in 9 games) and Chase Austin (0.3 ppg in 7 games) and 6-foot-5 junior Drew Baker gives the Beavers some much needed size. Beaverton is clearly a team of the future but they should be good enough to sneak into the post-season.   For the first time in a while, there's some stability at Aloha as they won't be welcoming a new coach but rather have Daniel Ellis back for year two. While the Warriors will still be building, they will be improved. A lot of the promise comes from the fact most of last year's team is back, including the top three junior trio of [player_tooltip player_id='1625267' first='Anden' last='Augustus'], Bruno Lopez Prado, and [player_tooltip player_id='1625268' first='Cayden' last='Williams']. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='1624483' first='Koby' last='Predmore'] will be counted on for leadership and adding to the mix are a couple of sophomore transfers that will make an impact, guard [player_tooltip player_id='2047154' first='Kota' last='Truong'] and 6-foot-7 big man [player_tooltip player_id='2479589' first='Gage' last='Echauri']. It's hard to see Aloha moving up in the standings but they will definitely not only be more competitive but should win some non-conference games and could sneak out a win or two in league play.

The 2023-24 season is upon us and PrepHoops Oregon has you covered. We're doing pre-season previews for all of the 6A leagues across the state, giving you some insight into the teams and players you should be watching this year. The Metro League will once again rank among the top conferences and practically all of the teams are post-season contenders. Here's how we see it turning out.