Les Schwab Invitational - Top Shooters

The 28th annual Les Schwab Invitational took place at the end of 2024 and this year it was at a brand new venue - Viking Pavilion on the campus of Portland State University. We had the opportunity to drop by and take in some of the action over the five days the tournament was being held and while our focus was mainly on the consolation rounds, we did get a chance to see all of the in-state teams perform at least once.   Here's a look at the top in-state shooters from the event - in particular, guys that made an impact statistically over the course of the event.    Known for his ability to catch and shoot from the perimeter, Hardges showed at the LSI that he can also get going in the mid-range at a high percentage. The sophomore effectively used his one-handed runner in the lane and ended up sinking 14-for-22 of his total shots from the field over the four games at a sizzling .636 rate - which included 5-for-10 from three-point range.     Mountainside lacks size up front this season, so Nicholson has stepped in to play "big". This has meant that a lot of his offensively opportunities are near the basket, but the junior has done the job by converting at a high rate. During the LSI, he shot 15-for-25 from the field and the lefty often finished plays around the hoop through contact.     As the season has progressed, Williams has started to have a larger role within the Jesuit offense and that continued at the LSI. A big part of it is how efficient the sophomore guard with his shooting, and over the four games he shot .600 from the field - both from two and three-point range. His presence on the second unit has given the Crusaders a big lift.     A transfer from Centennial, Neal has settled in not only as a senior leader but offensively as well with the Hawks. The senior forward's specialty is spotting up for three and that was definitely on display at Viking Pavilion as he shot 12-for-21 from beyond the arc - a .571 clip and one of the top marks among all the competitors at the event.     Like he's played with Westview his entire career, Kefgen has fit right in with his new teammates and has often been the Wildcats' leading scorer. Coming off screens and knocking down the catch-and-shoot three is his specialty and he did that early and often at the LSI - and at a high rate, hitting 19-for-36 from distance, a .528 percentage.     Three players shot a perfect 100% from the free throw line during the LSI and the one that did so with the most attempts was Hills. The senior was a perfect 13-for-13 from the free throw line and the raw stats are not just a testament to his ability to hit them. The fact he got to the line that many times is also indicative of how defenses can no longer just treat him as a standstill shooter, but as someone who can also create and draw contact - and make opponents pay at the stripe.     No surprise Reckamp earns honors for his shooting as during his high school career, the senior has once led the state in free throw shooting and three-point shooting. At this year's LSI, it was free throw shooting as he knocked down 17-for-18 from the charity stripe - a .944 percentage. The 17 makes were tied for the second-most total out of anyone in the tournament     Coming into high school, Reyes might even be the first to tell you his strength was not his outside shooting. But given the hard work he's put in both with his form and confidence level, it's clear the senior is now a threat and it showed during the LSI. The senior stepped up and knocked down 13-for-25 from beyond the arc with that .520 percentage mark ranking third among all players who hit at least two threes a game.

The 28th annual Les Schwab Invitational took place at the end of 2024 and this year it was at a brand new venue - Viking Pavilion on the campus of Portland State University. We had the opportunity to drop by and take in some of the action over the five days the tournament was being held and while our focus was mainly on the consolation rounds, we did get a chance to see all of the in-state teams perform at least once.