Class of 2027 Rankings – Top Five

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The first rankings for the Class of 2027 have been released and freshmen around the state will be making their high school debuts this season – including a number immediately at the varsity level. While the current list is very much a work in progress, we've been able to see a number of these newcomers in action this summer to get a feel for their current talents and upside. Additionally, after talking with coaches and others in the basketball scene we have been able to come up with this initial top 5:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2026054' first='Isaac' last='Bongen'], Jesuit</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Even back to last year at this time we had heard about Bongen as the next "big thing" and made it a point to catch him at a MaxHoops event. We were immediately struck by the physical maturity of the 6-foot-2 wing and his athleticism but also liked his ability to catch, shoot, and knock down open threes. It remains to be seen if he will get immediate varsity time at Jesuit as head coach Gene Potter doesn't often play freshman immediately, but it seems that Bongen has the talent to be one of the few. He already holds scholarship offers from Portland and Portland State.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2026055' first='Avery' last='Huston'], Cascade Christian</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Of the members of the initial top five, we've seen Huston play live the least - our only viewing was a small snapshot at a MaxHoops event in the spring. Even though our direct exposure has been limited, we saw what people love about the 6-foot-1 combo guard - his motor and energy level combined with his immense skills. Huston was all over the court and that's exactly what he's done so far this spring on the AAU circuit and was an immediate impact player with Cascade Christian in their June events. He'll be playing major minutes from day one in high school and he already holds a scholarship offer from Portland.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2026061' first='Junior' last='Vialva'], West Linn</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Vialva - full name Patrick Vialva, Jr. - will be suiting for West Linn in the fall and from all accounts, will be a major player from the first time he officially dons a varsity jersey. He's physically mature and well-built and from what we saw in summer ball, already handles point guard responsibilities like a senior. Vialva makes good decisions, can get into the lane to make plays for himself or others, and has a smooth jumper from the outside. West Linn head coach Robert Key is not afraid to play freshmen major minutes and it wouldn't be surprise to see Vialva be a starter for the Lions.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2026057' first='Braylon' last='Gaines'], Nelson</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As we watched players and gathered intel from those in the know, one thing appears to be clear - the Class of 2027 is deep and talented at the guard position and Gaines ranks right up near the top. We caught the talented point guard in a few games in summer league action with Nelson and what struck us the most was the confidence he played with. Gaines is fearless getting to the basket and a master of drawing contact and getting to the line, where he uses his smooth stroke to convert attempts into points. Head coach Daniel Blanks will be counting on his freshman to lead what will be a young team in 2023-24.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2026871' first='Darius' last='Andrews'], Centennial</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We had heard from several people about Andrews and thought we had missed out on seeing him play in June, but we unintentionally got our chance when we caught a Centennial game at Portland team camp. Without knowing who he was, we were immediately impressed with the 6-foot-2 lefty combo guard, in particular with his intensity and aggressiveness getting to the basket. A guy that could easily be a starter and potential leading scorer for four years, he'll be a cornerstone for Centennial in what head coach Demetrius McQuarn hopes is a revival for the program.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->