2024-25 6A Preview – Southwest Conference

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2024-25 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. While the top of the league looks to be about the same, the Southwest Conference looks more well-rounded overall this year. Here's how we see it turning out.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>League Predictions</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true} --> <ol class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Grants Pass</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>South Medford</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Sheldon</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>South Eugene</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>North Medford</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Roseburg</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Willamette</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ol> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Player of the Year:</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='1953759' first='Owen' last='Bentea'], Roseburg</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>All-League Predictions: </strong>Bruner; [player_tooltip player_id='1953759' first='Owen' last='Bentea'], Roseburg; [player_tooltip player_id='1368250' first='Rocco' last='Graziano'], Sheldon; [player_tooltip player_id='2204999' first='Levi' last='Hawes'], South Eugene; [player_tooltip player_id='2575670' first='Isaac' last='Tannaci'], South Medford</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top Sleeper/Newcomer: </strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2575670' first='Isaac' last='Tannaci'], South Medford</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>State Tournament Threats: </strong>None</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Other Post-Season Teams:</strong> Grants Pass, South Medford, Sheldon, South Eugene</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Analysis</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It looks like a wide open race in the Southwest Conference this year but Grants Pass may have the edge. Head coach Joel Jessee has enough back with his returnees and the addition of young talent appears to push the Cavement over the top. Senior swingman [player_tooltip player_id='1315381' first='Peyton' last='Bruner'] (10.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg) leads the way and should be the team's leading scorer. He's well-built at 6-foot-3 and is hard for defenders to match up with his combination of strength and ball skills. The same can be said for sophomore star-in-waiting [player_tooltip player_id='2132942' first='Jordan' last='Rossetta'] (6.1 ppg, 5.1 rpg). The 6-foot-5 star quarterback is an incredible athlete who showed this summer he can score both inside and out. Senior <strong>Zach DeChenne</strong> (2.8 ppg, 2.4 apg) will lead the charge from the point. He's a selfless team leader but can hit the outside shot when open. There are several two-sport performers on the squad, always a good indicator of the overall athleticism of the team, and that aspect seems to give the Cavemen a bit of a leg up over everyone else in the league.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>South Medford is usually right at the top but they won't slip far in 2024-25. The graduation losses are steep for head coach James Wightman - after all, how do you replace one of the best players in school history (Jackson Weiland) and another all-league player (Ty Dahlin) - but things will be done more by committee this year and some younger players are ready to step up into prominent roles. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='1606561' first='Jed' last='Johnson'] (7.2 ppg) is the team's leading scorer and he's a solid all-around player. Senior guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2687598' first='Cole' last='Adee']</strong> (5.6 ppg) is a solid shooter and ball-handler who will be called upon for leadership. Junior Quinton Ritchie(2.4 ppg in 11 games) showed some spunk in the brief action he got last season and could be ready to emerge. Senior 6-foot-8 post [player_tooltip player_id='2457200' first='Roy' last='Mitchell'] (0.7 ppg, 2.0 rpg in 6 games) will anchor the paint and senior transfer guard <strong>Isaac Tannacci</strong> (10 ppg at Yreka, Calif.) will make an instant impact for the Panthers. He's an aggressive offensive player that turned some heads with his play at the PrepHoops Expo in September.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sheldon underwent change in the off-season as longtime girls basketball head coach Brian Brancato moved over to the boys side. He inherits a squad that returns enough fire power to keep the Irish extremely competitive in the Southwest. Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1368250' first='Rocco' last='Graziano'] (15.4 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.3 apg, .361 3pt%) leads the way after another big year kicking the ball for the football team. Like he does with nailing kicks, the Oregon commit is one of the better three-point marksmen around and will be counted on heavily for his offense. Two other scorers are back in seniors [player_tooltip player_id='2348781' first='Eli' last='Forsha'] (11.2 ppg, 4.3 rpg, .592 fg%) and Nathan Sheley (8.6 ppg, .358 3pt%). Both have solid size at 6-foot-5 and 6-foot-3 respectively to get buckets both inside and out. Senior <strong>Gabe Alvarado </strong>(6.3 ppg, 2.5 rpg, .466) was one of the leaders in three-point field goal percentage in 6A last year and will obviously provide more outside shooting. Other than senior Kelsen Perry (2.0 ppg) the remainder of the team lacks experience but will fill in the gaps.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Like last year, South Eugene has a team that can put points on the board but the key will be if they can hold opponents on the defensive end. The pieces are there starting with senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2204999' first='Levi' last='Hawes'] (14.9 ppg, 7.2 rpg, .520 fg%). Hawes simply knows how to score and while his shot from deep was down last season, if he gets back to where it was as a sophomore, watch out. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='2447883' first='Calvin' last='Yoder'] (11.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.7 apg) also returns as a double figure scorer from last season and should see his numbers rise. He's a tough cover due to his size and skill and he's got great passing skills for his size. <strong>Cameron Perry</strong> (2.8 ppg, 1.4 rpg) will get plenty of court time, as will up-and-coming sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2134770' first='Elijah' last='Gabriel'] (4.5 ppg in 6 games) but the key for the Axe may be guard play as practically all of the backcourt players on the roster are new to varsity play.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Had there not been some transfers out of the program, North Medford might rank a bit higher but head coach Scott Plankenhorn's squad should still be a tough out. Three of these guys were likely starters but the players that remain will be tough competitors and well-coached up. Easton Curtis (7.1 ppg, .392 3pt%) is the team's top returning scorer and should continue as one of the top three-point threats in the conference, even though he may not get as many open looks as he did last year as defenses focus on him. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='2048285' first='Traeger' last='Healy'] (5.4 ppg, 4.2) is a rough-and-tumble kind of player that will once again provide some physical presence for the team despite being relatively undersized at 6-foot-2. Seniors <strong>Dylan Scott </strong>(4.3 ppg in 10 games), <strong>Nate Anderson </strong>(1.6 ppg, 1.6 rpg), and <strong>Dillon Sawyer</strong> (0.5 ppg in 11 games) will all provide depth and some younger players will also be given the chance to rise to the occasion.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The cast changes significantly but still look for Roseburg to run and gun with anyone in the conference, especially considering they are the smallest team in the league. In particular, head coach Jordan Humphreys will let senior [player_tooltip player_id='1953759' first='Owen' last='Bentea'] (13.9 ppg, 4.2 ppg, 1.9 apg, .359 3pt%) run loose and fire away and don't be surprised if the guard is one of the top scorers in all of 6A this season. Bentea can knock down contested threes all day long and as one of the toughest guys around, can also drive into the paint for the hoop and harm. <strong>Kaden Luther</strong> (2.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg, .542 fg%) played in every game last season and despite being undersized at 6-foot-2 - Roseburg's tallest player mind you - is able to get things done inside. <strong>Landon Fanugao</strong> (2.3 ppg, 2.1 rpg) is also back and adds depth to the backcourt as will juniors <strong>Jaron Leeworthy</strong>, <strong>Marcus Lobo</strong>, and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2747505' first='Harrison' last='Scott']</strong>, all of whom made one-game varsity appearances last season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2023-24 was a rough year for Willamette and after the season, head coach Chad Carpenter switched to taking over the school's successful girls program. Assistant Jake O'Connor has taken over the reins of head coach and he's looking to put his own stamp on the program. There's nowhere to go but up and one benefit is most of the team returns from last year, including second-leading scorer <strong>Jacob Hall</strong> (11.7 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 2.0 apg). The senior have to do a little bit of everything for the Wolverines to remain competitive. Senior <strong>Cole Zumwalt </strong>should also be a major contributor and junior <strong>Kamon McCann</strong> should get plenty of playing time.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->