The Hardwood Invite Top Guards

There was a ton of action going on around the holidays and we're going to start with the Hardwood Invite down at Parkrose High School in Portland, Oregon. The invite had teams from Washington, Oregon, Florida, Colorado, and Arizona. In the end, it came down to two local powerhouses with Eastside Catholic (WA) and Roosevelt (OR) squaring off for the championship. This year the title went to the Roosevelt Roughriders who were led by some of the top guards at the tournament.   Here, I'll briefly go over all the top-performing guards from the event complete with stats, highlight games, and some things I noticed while there for two full days of games.   [player_tooltip player_id='1368227' first='Owen' last='Nathan'] | 2025 | Roosevelt (OR) | 16.5 pts 4.3 reb 3 ast 2.8 stl   Nathan went off in the title game, amassing 22 points 5 assists 4 rebounds 2 steals, and countless hustle plays. He was all over the place making heady, hard work plays. He took charges, chased down long rebounds, was quick to act in transition, had the awareness to tip/steal passes, and even put in the game-winning bucket. Nathan also accumulated at least 2 steals in every game.   [player_tooltip player_id='1052572' first='Terrence' last='Hill Jr'] | 2024 | Roosevelt (OR) | 24.3 pts 4.8 reb 3.5 ast 1.8 stl   Far and away one of the most impressive players at the tournament, Hill Jr displayed incredible anticipation with the ball, whether it was crossing up defenders, zipping passes through the defense, or getting to the bucket himself. He was unstoppable for much of the tournament and ended up tied for the lead in points with Davis guard [player_tooltip player_id='1450999' first='Cesar' last='Hernandez'].   He scored at least 20 points in every game, shot 45.5% from 3PT (10-22), 65.8% from 2PT (25-38), and 94.4% from the foul line (17-18).   [player_tooltip player_id='1450999' first='Cesar' last='Hernandez'] | 2025 | Davis (WA) | 24.3 pts 4 reb 2.3 ast 1 stl   Hernandez was a machine throughout the tournament, scoring 20+ points in three of the four games and shooting nearly 70 percent from 2PT (35-51, 68.6%). He's a calculated scorer and playmaker who continually got to his spots, was able to work from every level to score or dish, and led Davis to a 3-1 record at the event. He scored 29 points against Eastside Catholic in a six-point loss, going 10-11 from the foul line.   [player_tooltip player_id='1450989' first='Beckett' last='Currie'] | 2025 | Camas (WA) | 19 pts 4.5 ast 2.5 reb 2 stl   Currie was right up there with some of the top scorers from the tournament and posted the highest single-game scoring of the tournament against the eventual champs, Roosevelt. He shot 13-22 from the field, 8-14 from 3PT, and finished the game with 34 points 4 rebounds 4 assists, and 4 steals. He was pretty consistent in finding teammates and totaled 4+ assists in three of their four games. Currie also shot 50% from downtown (16-32) and spurred his fair share of runs by getting hot from behind the arc.   [player_tooltip player_id='1450980' first='Martin' last='Kaupanger'] | 2025 | Annie Wright (WA) | 15 pts 5.5 reb 1.8 stl   Kaupanger was one of the more physical guards at the event and used that physicality paired with some nice moves on the perimeter to create space and sink shots at all levels. He shot 46.2% from 3PT and 67.9% from 2PT, scored 20 points twice, and kept the Gators in every game, finishing the tournament with two double-digit wins, and two losses by 10 points combined. He was one of the more athletic, long, strong guards at the event who was able to make an impact on both ends of the floor with tough perimeter defense, rebounding, and an ability to take smaller players to the post.   Sagith Vargas | 2024 | Rancho Solano (AZ) | 19 pts 5 reb 2.8 ast 1.5 stl   Vargas was a tough guard who got downhill, stayed under control, and was able to efficiently grind out a lot of buckets throughout the tournament. He was second on his team in points but led the way in rebounds, assists, and steals, showing how important he was to their 3-1 record at the tournament.   Vargas's big game came against Oregon City when he finished with 27 points 7 rebounds 7 assists and 2 steals, shooting 8-11 from the field and 2-4 from 3PT. He also recorded 2 steals in three of their four games.   [player_tooltip player_id='1451028' first='Koby' last='McClure'] | 2025 | Prosser (WA) | 19.8 pts 6 reb 2.8 ast 2.5 stl   McClure finished fifth in scoring at the tournament at just under 20 points per game. He did a ton of his work in the mid-range and drained countless pull-ups and turnarounds from just outside the paint. He plays with such great control and awareness, often getting just enough of an edge to beat defenders or get shots up. He was aggressive in a lot of other areas too, grabbing 6+ boards in three of their games and at least 2 offensive boards in every game.   McClure's breakout game came against La Salle. He posted 29 points 7 rebounds 6 steals 3 assists and 1 block. Overall, he shot 63.2% from 2PT (24-38), and 84.2% at the foul line (16-19).   [player_tooltip player_id='1269430' first='Jackson' last='Weiland'] | 2024 | South Medford (OR) | 14.8 pts 3.3 ast 1.5 stl   Weiland was clearly one of the top guards at the invite but must have gotten injured on the third day and wasn't dressed for their game on day four. He was right up there with the top players at the tourney in the first two games though, averaging 27.5 points 5 assists 3.5 rebounds, and 1.5 steals. He also shot 20-31 from the field and 5-10 from 3PT.   He's a guard who can just pound the rock, attack lanes with precision, score in numerous ways over bigger defenders, and has deep, deep range with the three-ball. It was a shame to miss him on day four but he was outstanding in the earlier games.   [player_tooltip player_id='1587916' first='Colt' last='Ness'] | 2025 | Tigard (OR) | 14.3 pts 2 reb 2 ast 1.5 stl   Ness was one of the smoother scorers at the event and looked extremely comfortable shooting off balance and pulling the trigger wherever he had room. He had a big game against Canby, totaling 23 points 3 rebounds 3 assists, and 1 steal, and although Tigard struggled to an 0-4 record, Ness played well on both ends of the court. He shot 42.1% from deep and recorded at least 1 steal in each of their games.   Jake Miller | 2024 | Rancho Solano (AZ) | 21 pts 3 reb 1.3 stl   Rancho Solano had a trio of guards that could score and compete defensively, and as far as shooting went, Miller was probably at the top of their list. He scored 19+ points in each of their games, shot 15-37 from 3PT (43.2%), and 13-22 from 2PT (59.1%). He was a guy you just could not leave open from deep. He also ran a lot of point and played with great pace, ball security, and was a factor creating off the bounce as well as spotting up.   O'cien Valdes | 2025 | Southridge (FL) | 21.5 pts 2.8 reb 5.5 3PT   Valdes looked like the most potent 3PT shooter at the invite and the stats will back that up. He made more than five 3-pointers a game, 22 over the entire tournament, and shot a staggering 61.1% from deep on 36 attempts. His hot shooting and quick release led to him scoring the third most points at the invite while only making seven 2FGs and six FTs the entire tournament.   Valdes was a shooter anyway you looked at it. He hit from way behind the line, shot off the dribble, spotting up, contested, open, and the majority of his makes were nothing but net. He put up 22+ points in three of their four games and was a constant force for Southridge as they finished 2-2 at the invite.   [player_tooltip player_id='1837761' first='Demaree' last='Collins'] | 2024 | Skyview (WA) | 16 pts 3.5 reb 1.3 stl   One of the most athletic players at the invite, Collins was able to make numerous highlight plays on both ends of the floor. He also managed to tally at least one steal in each game, and score 20+ points in two of Skyview's games. He provided an interesting mix of attacks for the Storm and defenses never quite knew whether Collins would be trying to jump over someone inside or pulling from a few feet behind the three-point arc.   He shot 52.3% from 3PT (12-23) and 18-20 at the FT line (90%), but Skyview lost three in a row by single-digits after an opening-day blowout of Rancho Solano.   [player_tooltip player_id='1450988' first='Jace' last='Vanvoorhis'] | 2025 | Camas (WA) | 17 pts 5.8 reb 3 ast 2 stl   Camas had two of the more electric guards in the tournament and while Currie was likely to start outside and work his way in, Vanvoorhis is the type of slasher who gets going downhill before he starts pepping in threes. The junior guard scored 18+ points in three of their games and went a perfect 15-15 from the foul line. He's an overlooked athlete too and snagged 5+ rebounds in three of their four games.   But Vanvoorhis's calling card is his downhill skillset. He's able to weave through defenses quickly and under control, has a number of go-to moves in traffic, and has the burst to get off strong takes at the rim.

There was a ton of action going on around the holidays and we're going to start with the Hardwood Invite down at Parkrose High School in Portland, Oregon. The invite had teams from Washington, Oregon, Florida, Colorado, and Arizona. In the end, it came down to two local powerhouses with Eastside Catholic (WA) and Roosevelt (OR) squaring off for the championship. This year the title went to the Roosevelt Roughriders who were led by some of the top guards at the tournament.