Recent College Commitment Catchup
As graduation ceremonies start to happen over the next couple of weeks, many of the final members of the Class of 2026 had not yet decided to this point have settled on their college destinations. We caught up with several of them as they look ahead to getting their academic and athletic careers going at the next level.
For many 1A athletes, high school is the end of their athletic careers. That's not the case with Jason Hull. The guard from South Wasco County ended up finishing his career as one of the all-time leading scorers in state history - and that's even missing more than a season due to injury. He'll take his high-scoring exploits to Trinity Bible in North Dakota and he's excited about the jump up in competition.
"From my conversations with Coach Nowell (their head coach), I felt genuinely valued and knew Trinity would be a great place to continue my basketball career," Hull said. "Trinity felt like the right fit, I attended college days last spring and the people, culture and programs all felt like the right place where I could succeed. Their program had also been very successful and is a place that I think I can develop into a strong player."
Hull went more into how he saw himself meshing in with the team. "I think I fit well into their style of play as a guard that can score the ball," Hull said. "I expect to have an impactful role as a freshman and contribute right away. I'm continuing to lift and get stronger as well as refining my ball handling and shooting - just continuing to work and prepare to prove myself the best I can at the next level."
While Hull is headed out of state, Dash Nicely is staying closer to home. The 6-foot-6 Westview senior was looking a number of different options but settled on Linfield as the best fit for his future goals both on and off the court.
"I think that I really fit in with the group when I played open gym together during my visit," Nicely said. "I like the culture aspect and the coaching style at Linfield. I also think the school is great to further my academics because they have a strong business program and that is what I plan on studying."
Going to the Northwest Conference is no small task. While he's confident he'll be able to step right in and contribute, he knows there is still work to be done. "I think I can make an immediate impact for sure," Nicely said. "And I want to improve my guard skills like ball handling and being a better perimeter defender and work on making the shift from a post to more of 3-4."
In former Oregon prep news, Aidan Kelly has found a four-year home after spending his freshman season at Spokane Valley. The La Salle alumnus will be moving from the Pacific Northwest down to the state of Arizona having signed with Ottawa
"I decided Ottawa was the next step for me when I got the chance to visit and work out with the team," Kelly said. "When I got on court with the guys and got coached by the Ottawa staff I just fell in love with there style of play and the personalities on the team. Also during the recruiting process getting to know Ottawa's head coach, Coach Ojanen. He made me feel like he'll help me become a better player on and off the court."
"The things I like the most about the school is it's 90% athletes on campus," Kelly continued. "I also like that the facilities are all relatively new and in beautiful shape. The things I like most about the program are the play style as well as the emphasis on family. It's a tight knit group of guys and you can truly tell they all have each others backs."
Kelly largely played a reserve role during his one year at Spokane Valley, but there's no doubt he believes he grew as a player - one that will fit right in at Ottawa. "I believe my role will be to knock down 3's as well be an aggressive rebounder and a solid defender," Kelly said. "I felt like my game fully transformed (at Spokane Valley). It allowed me to build my body and learn more offensive and defensive schemes. It also allowed me to develop my ball handling and decision making to be more effective at the next level."
Our congratulations go out to these student athletes and their families on their decisions.
