Top Shooters from the 2027 Watch List
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From the class of 2027, these players know how to get buckets. They are some of the top shooters and top scorers in the class, but their games all have so much more to offer as well. There will be…
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Continue ReadingFrom the class of 2027, these players know how to get buckets. They are some of the top shooters and top scorers in the class, but their games all have so much more to offer as well. There will be a lot of points scored over the next four years amongst this bunch.
Payton Starwalt Payton Starwalt 5’6″ | CG Crescent Valley | 2027 OR has been one of the most impressive players in the class of 2027 so far, and don’t let her being on the top shooters list fool you, this girl can hoop in all aspects of the game. After playing a grueling preseason schedule, Crescent Valley is off to a great start in league, with Starwalt putting up insane numbers on a nightly basis. In her last three games, she had 34 points — going 14 for 21 from the field and 6 for 9 from three — 5 steals, and 4 assists against Dallas; 23 points, 7 assists, and 8 steals over Woodburn; and 23 points — going 6 for 11 overall and 2 for 5 from three — 7 assists, and 4 steals. Clearly, she can do it all. She has a shot to die for that is quick and smooth, and her high IQ is on full display on both ends of the floor whether she is dishing out slick assists or disrupting opposing offenses. Starwalt is already on college coaches’ radars, and by the time she is through with her four years, her career will one for the record books at CV.
Highlights
Savannah Dahl Savannah Dahl 5’11” | SG Forest Grove | 2027 OR is another 2027 who is playing well beyond her years. Being a 5’11 shooting guard who can shoot the ball better than just about anyone makes Dahl almost like a cheat code at the high school level. Some of her top performances this season include four made 3-pointers en route to 14 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 3 steals at Hillsboro; 18 points on 7 for 10 shooting from the floor to go along with 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals in a win over Westview; and 15 points — including three 3’s — 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals in their most recent game, a league win over Newberg. Clearly, she is not a one-trick pony, and Dahl finds ways to make contributions all over the floor, from using her length on the defensive end to finding her open teammates. Dahl is a huge reason why Forest Grove is in much better shape than they were a season ago, and she will continue to impress over the course of the next four years.
Highlights
At the 5A level, Jenna Ayres Jenna Ayres 5’9″ | SG Churchill | 2027 OR has been making some waves for herself as one of the best players and scorers on her team and in the class of 2027. In a recent league win over Thurston, the freshman led all scorers with 28 points, which included an incredible five made shots from beyond the arc. In the game prior to that against South Eugene, she made two triples on the way to 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals, and in their most recent game, she hit three from downtown for 11 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals in a loss to a tough Eagle Point squad. Ayres is fearless in shooting the basketball… when she catches it, her eyes go straight to the rim no matter what, just like with all the best shooters. She is also one of the Lancers’ best defenders, making heads up plays both on and off the ball that lead to easy points. Churchill already relies heavily on Ayres’s impressive play, and she will only continue to get better with age and experience.
As a freshman, Dara Oluwafemi Dara Oluwafemi 5’9″ | CG Westview | 2027 OR has already herself as a player that is very hard for opposing teams to stop. At 5’9 with an incredible amount of strength and a smooth jumper, Oluwafemi can score from anywhere on the floor: under the hoop, the mid-range, or beyond the arc and can play any position asked of her. For six games in a row, she scored over a third of the Wildcats’ points all by herself, which included 19 points against Forest Grove, 25 points and 5 rebounds over South Salem, and 14 points and 5 rebounds versus West Linn. She quickly asserts herself as one of the best players on the floor within minutes of watching her, and it is difficult to believe that she is only a freshman based on her level of play. Oluwafemi is an elite athlete who can wreak havoc on the boards or on the defensive end as well. As they look to begin Metro League play, Westview will be lucky to have a young star like Oluwafemi on their side, and it will be exciting as she continues to improve.
Capri Betenson Capri Betenson 5’10” | SG South Eugene | 2027 OR is a young talent who has really started to take off in the past handful of games as she settles in and gains more confidence. At 5’10, her size has allowed her to start developing into one of the top young shooting forwards in the state. In the Axe’s last two games, Betenson led her team in scoring en route to a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds against a talented McNary team, and she followed that up by scoring 15 points in the league opener against North Medford — including three made 3’s — and also contributed 4 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block. If Betenson can keep producing in this way, she will continue to secure her spot as one of the top prospects to keep an eye on in the class of 2027. When shooting the ball, she has a beautiful high release and the kind of consistency in her footwork and form that makes you think any shot she shoots is going to go in. The freshman also has serious potential to become a dominant force on the boards over the course of her four-year career.