The top ranked prospect in Oregon, Gaines had a big game for a Select Basketball squad that had an impressive performance in a win over BTI. Gaines holds a trio of Division I offers with Montana and Idaho offering in the last month. Gaines is a throwback style point guard as he excels at advancing the ball up the court and doesn’t let the ball stick to his hands. With a compact frame, Gaines gets low to the ground on drives and uses his football physicality and explosiveness to get to the rim. Expect more regional Division I programs to take a look at Gaines as he’s producing for a team with a lot of college talent.

He’s a bully-ball point guard who was clearly one of the most physical players over the weekend. Constantly getting into the paint, creating contact to either get space for shots or work his way to the foul line. Just a hard-nosed player with a big motor who controlled the tempo with his aggressive play and ability to draw fouls. Compliments that strength and physicality with some great footwork, ball fakes, and creativity on the attack. He had game-highs of 22 points against Mead, 31 versus Seattle Prep, and 23 versus Mt. Spokane.

Unquestionably the Oregon prospect that made the most noise at WIBCA was Gaines. With college coaches lining the sidelines of every game that he played, the rising senior was at his best. Having missed much of his junior season, the point guard quickly reminded everyone how dominant he can be getting to the basket drawing contact and getting to the line, or making other right decisions to find open shooters out on the perimeter. His outside shot was sharp and he competed on the defensive end as well – and Nelson finished with a 4-0 record to boot. In addition, coaches have remarked how they like Gaines demeanor and maturity both on and off the court. Since the event concluded, Gaines announced he received offers from Portland State, Idaho, and Montana and there’s no question other programs in attendance will be tracking him over the next month in AAU ball.

The top ranked player in the 2027 class is healthy after an injury plagued junior season that saw him miss over half of the year including the playoff game at Clackamas. Gaines is a guy that just knows how to get it done, whether that is scoring the ball or finding opportunities for his teammates. He’s a guy that will eventually find a solid D1 program to call home.

Moving into the top spot in this update is Gaines, who followed up a sensational sophomore campaign where he led 6A in scoring with a solid run on the EYBL with NW Rotary Rebels. He also performed well in elite camps during the fall and that led him to earning his first two scholarship offers from Western Oregon and Portland State and there’s plenty of interest from other schools. He’s a candidate for not only Mt Hood Conference but state POY honors. (JT)