Updated Class of 2024 Rankings - High-Academic Performers

<p>As we get set for the start of the season in just a month and a half, the Class of 2024 rankings have been updated and released. In the senior class there are a number of high-academic performers who are getting looked at hard by D-III schools. Here's a quick look at some of them.</p>   <h1 class="wp-block-heading">12 - [player_tooltip player_id='1269430' first='Jackson' last='Weiland'], South Medford</h1>   <p>Arguably the highest-academic top-ranked performer in the class, Weiland gets it done in the classroom (4.0+ GPA, 1530 SAT score) and on the court (20.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.8 apg). He's yet to receive his first offer but considering he's looking at schools that require admission first before offering roster spots (MIT, Chicago, Johns Hopkins) it's not a surprise. Weiland had a great spring/summer playing with the Oregon Prospects and is the odds-on favorite to repeat at Southwest Conference Player of the Year.</p>   <h1 class="wp-block-heading">17 - [player_tooltip player_id='1232311' first='Jacey' last='Canalin'], Wells</h1>   <p>A jet-quick point guard who is constantly looking to set up his teammates, Canalin is an absolute pest on the defensive end using on-the-ball pressure. Rock solid in the classroom with a 3.5 GPA, the senior has already picked up a couple of roster spot offers from two schools on the East Coast in Dean College (Mass.) and Rhode Island College, and continues to hear from schools in the Northwest Conference as well. He averaged 17.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 5.0 apg, 2.6 spg last season and put together a good off-season with DENY Basketball.</p>   <h1 class="wp-block-heading">19 - [player_tooltip player_id='1110568' first='Vashon' last='Hardges'], Grant</h1>   <p>One thing you can always count on from Hardges is a high motor and aggressive style of play on both ends of the floor. The senior has worked hard to improve his outside shooting and decision-making. Holding a 4.0 GPA, the senior has a number of schools looking hard at him this season, including many from the Northwest Conference, after a good spring/summer with Seattle High Academic on the AAU scene. Hardges averaged 7.9 ppg and 3.1 rpg as a junior and should see those numbers rise this season.</p>   <h1 class="wp-block-heading">23 - [player_tooltip player_id='1278329' first='Aidan' last='Rice'], Beaverton</h1>   <p>One of the top combo guards in the entire class, Rice is known best for his sweet shooting stroke from deep but over this off-season, added strength and athleticism to his game where he is now a threat to consistently throw down a dunk in traffic. Holding a 3.75 weighted GPA, the 6-foot-2 senior has garnered high interest from several schools in the Northwest Conference and is on the cusp of receiving his first roster spot offer. After averaging 8.4 ppg and 2.7 apg as a junior, expect his statistics to rise in 2023-24.</p>   <h1 class="wp-block-heading">26 - [player_tooltip player_id='1346388' first='Dylan' last='Westermeyer'], Oregon City</h1>   <p>One of the most highly recruited D-III recruits this fall has been Westermeyer, who's already picked up roster spot offers from a couple of Northwest Conference schools in Pacific Lutheran and Puget Sound after showing out in their elite camps. Other league rivals are hot on the trail of the 6-foot-6 swingman with the soft touch from the perimeter and he's also considering out-of-state schools too, having recently visited Macalester College in Minnesota. Westermeyer averaged 13.1 ppg and 2.7 rpg last season and will be counted upon heavily this upcoming season.</p>   <h1 class="wp-block-heading">31 - [player_tooltip player_id='1565735' first='Jackson' last='Leach'], West Salem</h1>   <p>The defending Central Valley Conference Player of the Year, Leach went on the AAU circuit with Elite 24 and had an excellent spring and summer. As a result, the 4.0+ GPA student got in front of a lot of high-academic college coaches and picked up roster spot offers from both near (George Fox) and far (Western New England College). Extremely shifty and difficult to guard, the senior point guard set the school record for assists and should rank among 6A's best in assists again this season. He averaged 13.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg, and 6.6 apg last season.</p>   <h1 class="wp-block-heading">32 - [player_tooltip player_id='1197477' first='Max' last='Elmgren'], Beaverton</h1>   <p>One of the top three-point snipers in the entire state - the lefty shot over 48 percent from beyond the arc last season - Elmgren has gotten the attention of all the D-III schools in the area for his game and his grades (4.2 GPA). The 6-foot-1 senior isn't just a standstill shooter as he's excellent at pulling up off the bounce, including in transition, and has that clutch gene that all programs crave. He averaged 11.0 ppg and 2.8 apg in 2023-24.</p>   <h1 class="wp-block-heading">33 - [player_tooltip player_id='1110569' first='Charles' last='Kapranos'], Grant</h1>   <p>An undersized yet extremely effective post player at 6-foot-5 with his footwork and toughness - he shot over 59 percent from the field - Kapranos showed this spring and summer he can face the basket and knock down open shots out past the three-point line. He's garnered the attention of Northwest Conference schools but also from down in Southern California as well with Cal Lutheran. Despite the fact he'll be playing for his third coach in three years at Grant, expect him to expand on his statistics of 13.0 ppg and 6.8 rpg.</p>   <h1 class="wp-block-heading">34 - [player_tooltip player_id='1110578' first='Max' last='Juhala'], West Linn</h1>   <p>Big things are expected out of Juhala this season as he finally transitions from being a role player specializing in hitting the corner three (which he did at over a 57 percent clip in 2022-23) to more of a lead guy. The 6-foot-5 senior was able to show that on the AAU circuit with the Oregon Prospects and now some college programs believe he might be able to play point guard at the next level. Things are still wide open with his college recruitment but he's been hearing a lot from a number of D-III programs both locally and nationwide.</p>

As we get set for the start of the season in just a month and a half, the Class of 2024 rankings have been updated and released. In the senior class there are a number of high-academic performers who are getting looked at hard by D-III schools. Here's a quick look at some of them.