Les Schwab Invitational Features NW Talent On National Stage
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Happy Hoop Holiday Everyone! Our friends at PrimeTime Sports are at it again and are once again bringing the greatest High School Basketball in the Western US to Hillsboro, Oregon. The Les Schwab Invitational presented by Express Employment starts tomorrow and runs through Monday! Boy what a line up there is this year with some of our best in State Teams, some of Washington's best, and two POWERHOUSE teams from other parts of the US.
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Teams Playing this year are:
2013 LSI Teams
Visit the "TEAMS" page for team Photos, Rosters, and Team Info--coming in December!
Click Here to view this Link.
Jahlil Okafor is the #1 High school basketball recruit in the Nation and he is live at the Les Schwab Invitational.One of the best big men to come out of High School in years!
All the info is listed below. You know we will be around. This is one big time High School Basketball Tournament. We suggest you get out and enjoy some quality time at this great event!
Djuan Piper (Senior 6-6 Rainier Beach – Undecided):Piper enters the Les Schwab Invitational as one of the potential favorites to win Sunday’s Slam Dunk Competition. With a flair for the highlight, he uses his long arms and wiry frame to score both inside and out. With the physical attributes to become an elite wing on both sides of the ball at the college level, Piper is hearing from a number of colleges including Oregon, USC and Minnesota.
Deiondre Bird (Senior 6-6 Grant - Undecided):Grant’s lone returning starter, senior forward Deiondre Bird is back for his final season in a featured role for the Generals. Bird has stepped up to the challenge in the early season, displaying his versatile game to the tune of 23 points, 12 rebounds and 4 assists per game; drumming up interest from multiple schools on the west coast.
Other Seniors to Watch Keaton Bankofier (Clackamas) Bryan Berg (Tigard) Hayden Coppedge (West Linn) David Crisp (Rainier Beach) Elijah Foster (Rainier Beach) Tyler Gutierrez (Sunset) Naim Ladd (Rainier Beach) Henry Mondeaux (Jesuit) Malik Morgan (Churchill) Jack Nadelhoffer (Jesuit) Devaunte Paschal (Jefferson) Noah Robotham (Bishop Gorman) Ryan Shearmire (West Linn) Andrew Smith (Churchill)
The Nation's #2 Ranked Junior Tops the Class of 2015 Top Players
Stephen Zimmerman (C, 7-0 Bishop Gorman – Undecided):Stephen Zimmerman looks to lead Bishop Gorman to theLSIChampionship as the #2 ranked junior in the country and the #1 Center in the class of 2015. He is a left-hander who has an extremely high skill set for a player of his size. As a seven footer, Zimmerman has the ability to play in the post and run the floor, can step out and nail three pointers, knock down jump hooks in the paint, is a great passer and has a high basketball IQ. He has already been offered scholarships from some of the top programs in the country including Arizona, Kansas, North Carolina and Oregon. With the combination of skill and size, Zimmerman could end up being another future NBA player who played in theLSI.
Chase Jeter (PF, 6-9 Bishop Gorman – Undecided): Along with Zimmerman, Chase Jeter forms the “Twin Towers” for Bishop Gorman’s frontcourt. Jeter has a long frame with good hands and a soft touch inside and out. He should provideLSIfans with some highlight dunks because he runs well in transition and can finish at the rim with authority. He has been offered scholarships to some of the most prestigious programs in the nation including Duke, Gonzaga, Louisville and North Carolina.
Dejounte Murray (Junior 6-5 Rainier Beach – Undecided):Dejounte Murray enters the Les Schwab Invitational as one of the most underrated prospects in the country. The 6-5 Murray is an elite rebounder from the guard position and loves to push the tempo. Murray does a great job using his length and athleticism finishing inside and plays with a ton of confidence. "Baby Boy" has already recorded a triple double this season and will use theLSIas a platform to showcase his skills to everyone around the nation. He currently has offers from Oregon, Gonzaga, Washington, California and Boise State.
Greyson Smallwood (Junior 6-11 Jefferson – Undecided):Not many players at the high schooloreven college levelpossess some of the attributes that Smallwood does. Standing a legitimate 6-11 with an even longer wingspan, Smallwood is a game changer defensively. In a showdown earlier in December against defending 6A Champion West Linn, Smallwood completely changed the course of the game blocking 4 shots and altering at least a half dozen others. If Smallwood can ratchet up the intensity level and piece things together he will be sought after by college programs from all over the country.
Jazz Johnson (Junior 5-10 Lake Oswego – University of Portland): Johnson is a strong physical guard who plays the game with a chip on his shoulder. Johnson has an elite pull-up jumper and uses his bulky frame to bully defenders in the paint. Only a junior, Johnson has already committed to the hometown Pilots. This will be Johnson’s third high school in as many years and he will have his work cut out for himself after Lake Oswego graduated all 5 starters from last year’s team which won the Les Schwab Invitational.
Eli Lininger (Junior 6-5 South Eugene – Yale):As a junior Eli Lininger averaged 17.8 points and 12.6 rebounds for the Axemen. After a solid summer playing in AAU tournaments all over the country, Lininger had interest from a number of schools on the east coast. After an October recruiting trip to Yale – his father's alma mater - Lininger committed to the Bulldogs.
Anthony Mathis (Junior 6-2 West Linn – Undecided):The sharpshooting junior can get it going as quickly as anyone in the country. Never afraid to pull the trigger, Mathis enters the Les Schwab Invitational with offers from Oregon State University and the University of Portland.Mathis was a key contributor to West Linn’s dramatic 6A title run last season and hopes to help lead the Lions to back-to-back State Championships. Other Juniors to Watch Ryan Bay (Jesuit) Reid Bucy (Jesuit) Blake Brandel (Central Catholic) Joel Johnson (Tigard) Darren Kennedy, Jr. (Grant) Patrick Myers (Central Catholic) Dario Papa-Vicente (Jefferson) Zach Parker (Lake Oswego) Kadeem Strickland (Jefferson)
Don't Sleep on the Underclassmen
Over the years a number of underlcassmen have shined during theLSI. Some players of note to have put on great performances as freshmen and sophomores includeTerrence JonesandTerrence Ross(2007 Jefferson H.S.),Kemba Walker(2005 Rice H.S. New York, NY),Kevin Love(2003 Lake Oswego H.S.)Seth Tarver(2003 Jesuit H.S.),Salim Stoudamire(1998 Lake Oswego H.S.) andAaron Miles&Michael Lee(1998 Jefferson).
Some underclassmen to watch at this year'sLSIinclude two veterans to the tournament.
Payton Pritchard (Sophomore 5-11 West Linn – Undecided):As the youngest player on the court last season, Pritchard more than held his own en-route to leading West Linn to the 6A State Championship last March. A true point guard who can create his own shot but also loves to get his teammates involved, Pritchard is already hearing from a number of major programs from all across the country including Oregon, Oregon State, Notre Dame and Villanova.
La’Mar Winston (Sophomore 6-3 Central Catholic – Undecided):Last season as a freshmen, Winston turned heads with his athleticism and defensive versatility. After playing an integral part on the undefeated season for the 6A State Championship football team at Central Catholic, Winston will look to carry the momentum back to the basketball court and lead the Rams to their eighth consecutive Mt. Hood Conference Championship.
Will Matthiessen (Sophomore 6-4 West Linn – Undecided):Matthiessen is making the big leap from freshmen to Varsity but has looked comfortable for Lions in the pre-season. He is a long and athletic 6-4 and can knock down shots from the perimeter. Don’t be surprised to see Matthiessen in the starting line-up for the defending 6A Champs as the season moves forward.
Other young bucks to keep an eye on Ben College (Central Catholic) Zach Collins (Bishop Gorman) Rodney Herenton (Whitney Young) Chase Nomaaea (Bishop Gorman) Mitchell Fink (Clackamas) Beau Gunderson (Clackamas) Kahlil Shabazz (Rainier Beach) Kirmarje Trent (Jefferson) Geno West (Jefferson)
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