Players to watch at Oregon 5A boys basketball state tournament
The OSAA 5A boys basketball state tournament begins Wednesday at Linfield University in McMinnville. Here's a look at some of the top players to watch at the event.
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Pearson Carmichael (Summit) photo by Leon Neuschwander
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Gavin Aguilar, jr., West Albany
Aguilar is a quick point guard who averages 10.4 points, four rebounds, four assists and 2.6 steals. He was a first-team all-Mid-Willamette selection.
Joey Banry, sr., North Eugene
Banry is a sharp-shooting senior guard who also excels as a distributor. He was voted first-team all-Midwestern.
Mac Bledsoe, sr., Summit
A star wide receiver for Summit’s football team, Bledsoe is also a key contributor in basketball. He averages 9.1 points per game and received second-team all-Intermountain honors.
Pearson Carmichael, sr., Summit
Fresh off winning his second Intermountain player of the year award, Carmichael is the headliner of the 5A state tournament. The 6-foot-7 Boise State signee has unlimited shooting range and is averaging 28 points and 9.9 rebounds. He recently had a 51-point, 20-rebound game against Caldera.
Kyle Counts, sr., Wilsonville
Counts has played limited minutes this season after offseason knee surgery, but the 6-foot-7 wing was still voted first-team all-Northwest Oregon. Counts, a St. Thomas (Minnesota) signee, averages 13.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, three assists and 1.1 blocks.
Emmitt Fee, sr., Wilsonville
Fee does the dirty work for Wilsonville in the paint and averages 9.7 points and 6.6 rebounds while shooting 64 percent from the field. He was voted second-team all-Northwest Oregon.
Lennon Greenleaf, sr., Putnam
Greenleaf runs the point for Putnam and dishes out eight assists per game. He also contributes as a scorer with 11.4 points.
Kallen Gutridge, sr., Wilsonville
Gutridge’s future will be playing quarterback for Oregon State, but the senior guard also is a star basketball player for Wilsonville. The Northwest Oregon player of the year averages 19.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.1 steals.
Brody Hawley, sr., Woodburn
A second-team all-Mid-Willamette pick, Hawley is the perfect third option playing alongside stars Liam Slattum and Cruz Veliz. He averages 11.1 points and seven rebounds.
Owen Hopkins, jr., West Albany
Hopkins has shined as a senior for West Albany, averaging 11.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists. He was a second-team all-Mid-Willamette selection.
Wyatt Horner, so., Redmond
A sophomore perimeter player, Horner received second-team all-Intermountain recognition. He averages 14 points and five rebounds.
Brysen Kachel, sr., West Albany
The 6-foot-3, 225-pound Kachel knows how to use his football strength on the basketball court. He was voted first-team all-Mid-Willamette and is the Bulldogs’ leader in scoring (17.4 points per game) and rebounding (6.2) while ranking second in assists (2.7).
Chase McDonald, sr., Putnam
McDonald is a strong outside shooter who is second on the team in scoring at 13.3 points per game. He also averages three rebounds, 3.5 assists and one steal.
India Mohiuddin, sr., North Eugene
A senior perimeter player, Mohiuddin impacts the game in a variety of ways for North Eugene. He was a first-team all-Midwestern selection.
Collin Moore, sr., Summit
A state champion high jumper in 2022, Moore runs the point for Summit and averages 14.5 points, five rebounds and 3.7 assists while shooting 58 percent from the field and 40 percent from 3-point range. He was a first-team all-Intermountain selection and is one of the state’s best on-ball defenders.
Ian Pearson, jr., Redmond
Pearson plays point guard for Redmond and is averaging 14 points, five assists and four rebounds. He was voted first-team all-Intermountain.
Jaiden Pickett, sr., Putnam
An athletic junior wing, Pickett is Putnam’s most dangerous scorer. He is averaging 16.7 points, four rebounds and two steals.
Ian Prictor, sr., Mountain View
Prictor, a first-team all-Intermountain selection, is the man in the middle for Mountain View. The 6-foot-7 senior averages a double-double at 15.9 points and 10.2 rebounds.
Liam Slattum, sr., Woodburn
The 6-foot-9 center is a true five-man who will be a tough matchup for most teams at the state tournament. He averages 14.3 points, 8.8 rebounds and two blocks and received first-team all-Mid-Willamette recognition.
Jonas Spencer, sr., North Eugene
A 6-foot-5 swingman, Spencer was the third Highlander to receive first-team all-Midwestern recognition. He suffered an injury late in the regular season, leaving his status for the state tournament in question.
Quincy Townsend, sr., Mountain View
One of the most explosive scorers at the state tournament, Townsend averages 23.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 2.7 steals. He was a first-team all-Intermountain selection.
Cruz Veliz, jr., Woodburn
The Mid-Willamette player of the year, Veliz is a dynamic point guard and a strong all-around athlete. He averages 19.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 3.9 steals.
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