Primetime Top 40 Showcase: Oregon's best basketball prospects shine at invite-only camp

Kamaka Hepa, Jefferson

PORTLAND -- October 2, 2016 -- Jefferson forward Kamaka Hepa participated in the Prime Time Top 40 Showcase on Sunday at Jefferson High School. Billy Gates/Staff

(Billy Gates)

Prior to the start of the Primetime Top 40 Showcase at Jefferson High School this weekend, event coordinator Reggie Walker address Oregon's top basketball players.

"For whatever reason, the spotlight isn't as bright on Oregon basketball talent as it was five, 10, 20 years ago," he said. "I want to change that, because I believe Oregon has every bit as much talent as it did before."

Oregon's top 40 prospects may have tuned out the message, anxious to get to work in front of the college coaches in attendance, but they certainly showed Walker's message was a fair analysis.

Jefferson junior Kamaka Hepa, one of the nation's top post players and an Oregon Ducks and Oregon State Beavers target, starred in an event that showcased the area's top talent.

  • Photo gallery from Prime Time Top 40 Showcase

After stretching and warm-ups, the 40 prospects on hand were split into four teams, playing three games each in a rotation before an all-star game concluded the day's events.

Here's a breakdown of the top players:

4* PF Kamaka Hepa (Jefferson, 2018) - The 6-foot-9, 210-pound post player is already among the top 50 prospects in the country for the 2018 recruiting class, and he showed why over the weekend.

Hepa is incredibly fluid as an athlete, and was the best passer at the camp. His mid-range game is fully developed and he is a nightmare in the high post for opposing defenses.

Whether it was blocking shots or facilitating some of the prettiest passes of the weekend, Hepa provided several highlight-worthy plays.

His weakness? Hepa has a nice touch around the basket, but doesn't go up strong and is a below average rebounder for his size. Hepa needs to increase his strength and learn to bang down low with the big boys.

Reggie Walker on Hepa: "Kamaka, as a player, he's special, but he's an even better person. He's a leader, a coach on the floor. Not selfish, almost to a fault. He's got a chance to be really special. All the high-majors that are recruiting him keep telling us the Blue Bloods are going to be recruiting him soon, which will be crazy to see. As a player, he's got to get more physical, get a little bit more dog in him to really reach his true ceiling. He's special."

PG/SG Marcus Tsohonis (Jefferson, 2019) - One of the top combo guards on the West Coast, the 6-foot-4, 160-pound prospect is a future high-major recruit, having already added a scholarship offer from the USC Trojans.

Tsohonis is a sound basketball player - good shooter, quick, active hands, solid passer. However, he still needs to show he can be a consistent ball-handler. Programs will value him significantly higher if he shows he can handle the basketball and become a better passer.

He has also developed the bad habit of scissor-kicking his legs either for flash or to draw contact (unclear), and it throws off his shot. It's a habit he needs to break.

Tsohonis has lots of time to develop as a pure point guard. If he can do that, he could develop into one of the top 50 recruits in the country.

Reggie Walker on Tsohonis: "Marcus has got a chance to be a big-time player. He has a Pac-12 offer already. He's got to solidify being a true point guard and a leader."

PG/SG Ty Rankin (Grant, 2019) - Hepa and Tsohonis were known commodities coming into the camp, but Grant's Ty Rankin isn't quite as well known (yet).

The 6-foot-2 point guard has a muscled, mature body and didn't try to "over showcase" himself in round-robin action.

Rankin displayed a high basketball IQ, while being a strong facilitator and a quality outside shooter.

He has a good chance of being a high-major prospect given his combination of strength and skill at the guard spot.

Walker on Rankin: "Ty has got a chance to be really special. He's got a strong body already and is learning how to playmake. He really shoots it well and is a tireless worker. What puts him over the top is going to be his work ethic."

PG Braden Olsen (West Linn, 2017) - Stuck behind Payton Pritchard and a senior-heavy squad, Braden Olsen is one of the more underrated basketball players in the state of Oregon.

Injuries have kept him from emerging, but he's a quality talent and has a chance to break out as a senior.

Walker on Olsen: "Braden has come a long way. He was injured last year and played in the shadow of all the seniors West Linn had. He's come out of his shell and will have a big leadership role this year. Excited to see what he does this year."

SG/SF Roberto Gittens (Henry Foss, Washington; 2017) - An athletic freak, Gittens still has to work on developing his basketball skills, but his jump shot has improved from last year.

The 6-foot-5 wing is one of the most underrecruited players in the Northwest, and he's shown that at the Les Schwab Invitational, where he has become a fan favorite.

Walker on Gittens: "Man, Roberto is a monster. He's one of my favorite players that I've watched over the last decade. We were fortunate to have him come to this event two years in a row. I think he's very underrated. He's a high-major everything - person, player. I love Roberto."

SF/PF Lucas Wilson (Churchill, 2017) - The 6-foot-5 springy bowling ball of a player is jaw-droppingly athletic, making plays above the rim you don't expect from an athlete with his muscular frame.

Wilson wasn't the most skilled player at the event, but his work ethic, tenacity and athleticism allowed him to shine on one of Oregon's biggest hoops stages.

Walker on Wilson: "Freak, athletic freak. I just found out he's playing football, which is a good idea by him. He's the most athletic kid in Oregon for sure, maybe in the entire Northwest. He's got to be."

SF/PF Teagan Quitoriano (Sprague, 2018) - The physical 6-foot-6 athlete is a likely Pac-12/Mountain West-type football target at tight end, which means his basketball career may fall by the wayside in college.

However, he's got a chance to be a heavily recruited hoops prospect as well, as he refines his skills.

Walker on Quitoriano: "I love Teagan. He's one of my favorite players in the state. He plays so hard and the ball just always seems to find him in terms of rebounding. He can shoot the 3 and he'll guard anybody and is not afraid of anyone. He plays football and is a big-time football prospect, but basketball-wise, he's got a lot of WCC/Big Sky interest."

PG Aaron Deloney (Grant, 2019) - Deloney didn't shine in the camp (injured hand), but he didn't complain and showed high basketball IQ and good fundamentals behind his shot.

He's definitely a prospect to watch develop over the next two years.

Walker on Deloney: "I love AD, too. He's got a chance to be really good. He workds really hard. He's a leader on the court, floor general and is becoming a better shooter. His hand is banged up right now, so he's not showcasing his true skill, but he's a good player."

-- Andrew Nemec
anemec@oregonian.com
@AndrewNemec

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