PGH: All Eyes on the Oregon Expo – Exciting Players to Watch

It’s almost that time of the year again! With the Oregon Top 250 Expo coming up October 24th, it’s time to preview and highlight incoming talent that are looking to impress us scouts at the event. Loads of talent from around the west coast will be gathering together to put on a display of their abilities, skills and competition.  With more than 60+ participants taking part this year, there’s no doubt that the talent level will be on par with some of the best we’ve seen. But, there’s always a few of the whole bunch that have something about them that makes me want to tune into their games, and here are a few of the Oregon Top 250 Expo participants that I believe will stand out and be fun to watch during it. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="158558" first="Eliza" last="Buerk"] | 6’3 | Forward | Clackamas </strong> A jack of all trades type of player, [player_tooltip player_id="158558" first="Eliza" last="Buerk"] is one of my favorites going into the expo. The combination of her size as well as her athleticism gives her the ability to take control of the game when she feels the need too. More of a wing than a big, her wingspan and defensive intangibles allow her to be a pest on ball, and has a knack with making the correct reads to pick up steals. The spacing that Buerk provides allows for her and her teammates to get easy shots, and her feathery jumper makes opposing defenses think twice about sagging off of her. Buerk is someone I can see having a standout performance at the expo, and her all around game would compatible with any player that she teams up with. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="158539" first="Lizzy" last="Bennett"] | 6’0 | Wing | West Salem </strong> As a freshman, [player_tooltip player_id="158539" first="Lizzy" last="Bennett"] really showed out and showed her potential of what sort of player she can be in the future. Another player who can do everything on the court, Bennett showed that she can be a major glue player for a winning team. What stands out to me is that she seems to know her role and place on the court whenever she steps on. Whether that be standing on the perimeter waiting for a catch and shoot opportunity, or rolling towards the basket off a pin down screen. She has good defensive instincts as well, and is really good at reading the passing lanes. I can see her defensive abilities to be on great display at the expo. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="207834" first="Lindsay" last="Barden"] | 5’5 | Guard | Sam Barlow</strong> When you see [player_tooltip player_id="207834" first="Lindsay" last="Barden"] shoot, you’ll think it’s going in every single time. That is how smooth Barden’s jump shot is. She is a threat on the perimeter and her quick lateral speed allows her to get open to her spots. While not the tallest on the court, she has no trouble getting jumpers to fall while shooting over taller defenders. Her quick release makes her shot deadly, especially in the corner, and she has no trouble getting to the lane if she gets a defender in the air. While she has the ability to shoot lights out, and has no trouble looking for the right play. Her teammates at the expo are going to love playing with her, because of her willingness to create spacing and pass to her teammates. <strong>Siena Hoban | Guard | Sonoma Valley</strong> When I watch Siena’s game, I see all heart and hustle. She is a legit 3 and D guard, who knows how to get under her opponents skin. I would look out for Hoban to be a pest at the expo, and would not be surprised if she led the whole expo in steals. Hoban is not afraid to get dirty and get physical if it means gaining opportunities for her teammates. She has great hands and her size makes things tough for the ball handlers and their ability to get around her. She strikes me as someone who has the ability to be a team leader later on in her career, and being the team captain for a team that’s tough and gritty. She runs the lane well on the offensive end, and can attack the basket at will. Her grittiness does not only come on the defensive end. I look forward to seeing how many players she gets under the skin of at the expo. <strong>Taleya Maiden | 5’8 | Forward | Pasco</strong> There’s a certain swagger to Taleya Maiden that makes her really fun to watch. Every play you can tell that she’s giving it 100%, and that she will stop at nothing to make a play, whether that be on the offensive or defensive end. She’s a great stretch forward who can knock down reliable shots, but at the same time abuse a smaller defender back to the basket. Her size and speed allows her to get by her defenders with ease, and she is really good at drawing defenders in. When Maiden drives, the opposing team is either at risk of giving up a easy layup, or leaving a good shooter wide open. The amount of attention Maiden gets when she attacks the basket cannot be understated, and I am super curious to see how she goes up against new competition that matches her size. <strong>Emma Floyd | 5’9 | Wing | Stanwood</strong> Floyd’s size and wingspan allows her to be a top rebounder for her position. Floyd possesses a great 3 way scoring game all while being able to hustle for rebounds. A perfect fit at any position, Floyd really knows her place on the court. Someone who isn’t afraid to shoot from deep, and makes the defense worry whenever she gets the ball in the open court. She has tremendous slashing ability and uses her wingspan to maneuver around tough defenders. In addition, her wingspan allows her to get solid strips that lead to fast break points. She appears to have a good understanding of the game and possess solid basketball IQ. She should be fun to watch perform at the expo. &nbsp;