Vote: Who was the top boys basketball star at the Capitol City Classic 2023?
The Capitol City Classic, held Dec. 15-20 at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, saw 16 powerhouse teams from nearby and far away compete for supremacy on the hardwood.
Many outstanding, awe-inspiring performances were turned in during the tournament. Here’s a look at many of the top performances, by many of the top players, from the event. Vote in the poll and let us know who you think was the best of the best!
Tounde Yessoufou (St. Joseph) photo by Leon Neuschwander
Gavin Aguilar, West Albany
The junior guard tallied a team-high 19 points on 8-of-9 shooting (3 of 4 from 3-point range) while also having three assists and three steals for the Bulldogs in a 72-60 loss to Beaverton in consolation bracket action. He scored a game-high 22 points in a 66-59 win over Wilsonville.
Jessley Bukeyeneza, Century
The junior guard had 14 points, five rebounds and three assists for the Jaguars in their 54-40 win over North Salem in a consolation bracket contest. He added a game-high 16 points, six rebounds and two steals in a 61-37 loss against West Salem.
Nick Colyer, Wilsonville
The senior guard stepped up with a team-high 19 points to help the Wildcats open the tournament with a 62-49 first-round victory over Century.
Brandin Cummings, Lincoln Park
The senior guard got off to a strong start to the tournament, scoring a game-high 27 points on 10-of-18 shooting while also having four assists for the Leopards in their 74-64 first-round victory against Lake Oswego. He had 18 points, tying for game-high honors, in an 80-63 quarterfinal win over West Albany. He added 26 points in a 74-60 semifinal loss to St. Joseph.
Max Elmgren, Beaverton
The senior guard helped the Beavers get off to a fast start to the tournament, tallying 23 points in a 76-71 first-round win over Cascade Christian. He scored 18 points in a 60-43 quarterfinal loss to powerhouse St. Joseph.
Cam Fowler, Northwood
The senior guard stepped up by scoring a team-high 16 points on 7-for-11 shooting while also having two assists in a 70-38 quarterfinal win over Woodburn.
Kallen Gutridge, Wilsonville
The senior wing had 22 points, five rebounds and four assists for the Wildcats in a 57-47 loss against Woodburn in a consolation bracket contest.
Avery Huston, Cascade Christian
The freshman guard stepped up for the Challengers, scoring 23 points while also having five rebounds and two assists in an 89-78 double-overtime win over South Salem in consolation bracket play.
Maverick Huynh, North Salem
The junior guard stepped up with 26 points and five assists for the Vikings in a 65-58 loss to South Salem in a consolation game. He scored a team-high 13 points in a 54-40 loss to Century.
Eli Johnson, South Salem
The senior center scored a team-high 19 points on 8-of-9 shooting while also pulling down seven rebounds for the Saxons in an 89-78 double-overtime loss to Cascade Christian in a consolation bracket contest.
Brysen Kachel, West Albany
The senior forward led a strong effort by the Bulldogs with a team-high 15 points, four rebounds and three assists in an 80-63 quarterfinal loss to Lincoln Park. He added 10 points, eight rebounds, three steals and two assists in a 57-47 first-round victory over Sprague.
Brody Kuenzi, Silverton
The junior tallied a game-high 23 points on 11-of-15 shooting while also having six rebounds and two steals in leading the Foxes to a 60-42 win over North Salem in a consolation game. He scored 14 points in a first-round loss to Tualatin, and he added 15 points and five rebounds in a 67-52 loss to West Salem.
Jemai Lake, Tualatin
The sophomore guard scored 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting while also having five rebounds, four assists and a steal for the Timberwolves in their 60-45 win against Wilsonville in a quarterfinal game. He had 12 points and three assists in a first-round victory over Silverton.
Jackson Leach, West Salem
The senior had a game-high 16 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals for the Titans in their 67-52 win over Silverton in a consolation game. He added 14 points, eight rebounds, six assists, four steals and two blocks in a 61-37 victory against Century.
Matthew Luke, West Salem
The senior guard led a balanced Titans scoring attack in a 61-37 consolation bracket win over Century with 14 points. He had three assists and two rebounds in the victory. Luke capped his tournament by sinking a buzzer-beating game-winning basket in overtime in a 61-60 victory against Lake Oswego.
Austin Maurer, Cascade Christian
The 7-foot senior center had a monster performance for the Challengers with 44 points on 19-of-26 shooting, 24 rebounds, five assists and four blocks in an 89-78 double-overtime win over South Salem in a consolation game. He had 37 points and 14 rebounds in a 76-71 first-round loss to Beaverton. He finished the tournament with another double-double, having 25 points and 12 rebounds in a 69-59 loss to Century.
Isaac McCoy, Lake Oswego
The senior recorded a team-high 16 points while also having three rebounds, an assist and a steal for the Lakers in a 74-64 first-round loss to Lincoln Park.
Islam Muzaffarov, Century
The junior guard went 5 for 5 from 3-point range on his way to scoring a game-high 26 points for the Jaguars in their 54-40 win over North Salem in a consolation game.
Drake Powell, Northwood
The senior guard helped the squad from North Carolina get off to a strong start to the tournament, scoring a game-high 26 points on 11-of-16 shooting while also having eight rebounds and two assists for the Chargers in a 72-46 first-round win over North Salem. He had 17 points, 10 rebounds and three assists in a 73-64 semifinal victory against Tualatin. He finished with a team-high 19 points in a 64-38 loss to St. Joseph in the title tilt.
Julius Price, St. Joseph
The sophomore guard scored a game-high 27 points for the Knights in their 64-38 win over Northwood in the championship game. He had 21 points and dished off four assists in a 98-24 first-round victory against South Salem. He followed with 13 points and seven assists in a 60-43 quarterfinal win over Beaverton. He added 18 points, seven rebounds and four assists in a 74-60 semifinal victory against Lincoln Park.
Aidan Rice, Beaverton
The senior poured in 35 points, shooting at a 5-for-7 clip from 3-point range, while also having three rebounds, an assist and a steal in leading the Beavers to a 72-60 win over West Albany in a consolation game. He had another big game with 29 points, four rebounds and three assists in a 76-71 first-round win over Cascade Christian.
Teagan Scott, South Salem
The sophomore guard poured in a game-high 31 points to help lead the Saxons to a 65-58 victory against North Salem in a consolation contest. He had 16 points in an 89-78 double-overtime loss to Cascade Christian.
Liam Slattum, Woodburn
The senior helped the Bulldogs get off to a winning start to the tournament, having a game-high 13 points to go with eight rebounds and two assists in a 58-43 first-round win over West Salem.
Jarod Stanley, Sprague
The junior guard had 26 points, shooting 12 for 18 from the field, eight rebounds and four steals in leading the Olympians to a 57-49 win over South Salem in consolation play. He had 13 points and four rebounds in a 57-47 first-round loss to West Albany.
Jaden Steppe, Tualatin
The senior wing scored a game-high 22 points while also having three rebounds, three assists and a steal for the Timberwolves in a 73-64 loss to Northwood, N.C., in a semifinal game. He had 17 points, tying for team-high honors, four rebounds and three assists in a 60-45 quarterfinal win over Wilsonville. Steppe also helped the Timberwolves get off to a strong start to the tournament with 18 points and 11 rebounds in a 69-47 first-round win over Silverton.
Aengus Sutherland, Lake Oswego
The senior poured in a game-high 36 points on 14-of-25 shooting while also having seven rebounds, five steals, two assists and a block for the Lakers in their 70-58 win over Cascade Christian in a consolation game.
Meleek Thomas, Lincoln Park
The junior guard ripped the nets for 26 points on 9-of-13 shooting from the field while also having seven rebounds, four assists and three steals for the Leopards in their 74-64 first-round victory against Lake Oswego.
Cruz Veliz, Woodburn
The junior tallied a game-high 25 points, three rebounds, three steals and two assists to help lead the Bulldogs to a 57-47 win over Wilsonville in a consolation game. He scored a game-high 19 points in a 70-38 quarterfinal loss to Northwood.
Fred Whitaker, Northwood
The senior point guard scored a team-high 18 points and dished off four assists for the Chargers in their 73-64 semifinal victory against Tualatin.
Tounde Yessoufou, St. Joseph
The junior forward was nothing short of spectacular right from the start of the tournament. He opened play by scoring 42 points on 18-of-22 shooting while pulling down 10 rebounds, having five assists and recording three steals in a 98-24 first-round win over South Salem. He had a game-high 26 points, nine rebounds and two assists for the Knights in a 60-43 quarterfinal victory against Beaverton. He kept rolling with 36 points and 14 rebounds in a 74-60 semifinal win over Lincoln Park. He capped his tournament with a 25-point performance in a 64-38 win over Northwood in the title contest.
