Southern Oregon Region Standouts
The state of Oregon has a quite the track record for producing a high volume of top level female basketball athletes that go on to play at all levels college and professional. The intensity of competition in this state at…
Access all of Prep Girls Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe state of Oregon has a quite the track record for producing a high volume of top level female basketball athletes that go on to play at all levels college and professional. The intensity of competition in this state at the high school level is incredibly hard to beat. Regardless of if you are in Portland, the Willamette Valley, the high dessert, or way out east there is always a zealous competition to be had on the court come game time. The southern Oregon region has a few of the state’s current powerhouse girls basketball programs as of the past few seasons; here are a few of the region’s standouts.
Teya Amidei – Crater HS – Wing/Forward
A 5’8″ senior that plays a variety of positions to fit whatever role her team needs. With excellent court spacing and vision on both ends of the floor, she is an asset to the Comet’s program. Offensively, Teya is either the first down the floor in a fast break, or the one delivering the assist to her teammate on the opposite end of the court. She has excellent court awareness on the defensive end as well, allowing her to maintain great help position regardless of who or where she is guarding.
Shakia Perry – South Medford HS – Power Forward/Center
Another standout senior that is a major contributor to her team, both offensively and defensively, at South Medford. No one is standing in the way of her and the hoop; as she is completely unafraid to drive into the key and has a variety of fluid finishing skills. Though she plays in the low post, Shakia is able to defend past the 3 point line against her counterparts and is a strong 1v1 defender in this role. A critical player to her program and one to definitely watch out for on the leaderboards this season.
Jadha Wells – Klamath Union HS – Forward
This is a senior player with the unselfish mindset that everyone can appreciate as both a player and teammate. Jadha is constantly setting up her teammates from her position in the high post. She creates opportunities for both drives and outside shots from the wing with her offensive positioning and screens. Defensively, she is an asset to her guards as she steps up to help on drives into the key- always looking for the next opportunity to set her teammates up for success.
Gwyneth Cheyne – Henley HS – Wing
Here is one of the few players that chooses to specialize in baseline shooting. Aside from her baseline jumper, Gwyneth is an aggressive driver and has excellent vision in crowds once she enters the key. So she is able to either finish herself or pass to a teammate effortlessly. This senior is assigned to defend the best guard on the other team and shut her down, proving that she has gained the confidence of both her coaches and teammates as a respected defender.
Paige Bailey – Sutherlin HS – Forward
Another 5’8″ senior that is able to stretch her teams offense across the floor as she is comfortable shooting outside. After she draws her defender out of the key with this skill, she is also strong in her ability to stride out into the key as well as find her center for a drive and dish. Paige defends the sideline extremely well and traps opponents into the lower corner of the court with her body positioning. An all around solid athlete and player.
Micah Wicks Micah Wicks 5'5" | PG Sutherlin | 2023 State OR – Sutherlin HS – Point Guard/Wing
To throw in one last mention in this honorable group of seniors, I found it hard to pass up the opportunity to mention this sophomore athlete who is already making her mark on the Sutherlin program. Wicks is a 5’5″ guard that ran both the wing and point guard roles for the Bulldogs in her freshman season. She has a deadly pull up jumper and is an assertive defender that is able to stay in front of her player on and off the ball. This is a player that is both young and fierce that has great potential as she grows as an athlete in this program.
As we move towards a season full of unknowns, one thing is for certain- the diversity and strength of the southern Oregon region. Full of great athletes all across all positions, this region offers players with a wide variety of strengths that benefit their programs uniquely and make for great competitions throughout southern Oregon.
“Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are” – John Wooden