Young Stars Missing the Playoffs to Watch Out For Next Year
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Kiara Green OR #7 C #1 HEIGHT 6'1" POS C CLASS 2026 View Profile Kiara Green State: Oregon School: Hillsboro One of the most exciting prospects I had the opportunity to watch in person this season, Kiara Green Kiara Green…
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Continue ReadingOne of the most exciting prospects I had the opportunity to watch in person this season, Kiara Green Kiara Green 6’1″ | C Hillsboro | 2026 State OR was absolutely dominant for the Spartans. In that game, she singlehandedly kept her team in the game at home against La Salle, finishing with 27 points, 16 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 assist, and 1 steal. These double-doubles are the norm for her as she had them in all but a few of their conference games. She also had some huge shot-blocking games, putting up 5 or 6 blocks. Green, who I would guess has grown since that 6’1 measurement, stands closer to 6’3 from my estimations. She has a beautiful touch off the glass, eats up rebounds anywhere within her range, and one of the most impressive attributes of her game is how hard she runs the floor. She and Hillsboro narrowly missed the state tournament, and they will be ones to keep an eye on for next year.
In a Central Valley Conference that is loaded with talent and experience, Carly Skogstad Carly Skogstad 5’7″ | CG Sprague | 2026 State OR and Sprague struggled to get as many wins as they would have liked to, but she put up an incredible sophomore campaign in the meantime, and the future looks very bright for her and the Olympians. Skogstad shows very little weakness in any aspect of her game: she can shoot from deep, she can score at the rim, she runs the point well, she is a crafty defender, she rebounds, she finds her teammates well, and she was already a team captain as a sophomore, demonstrating her leadership abilities. She will likely be up for some individual recognition in the conference at the end of the season. And with more experience, she will become even more dangerous. She closed out the season with 19 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals against North Salem; and 16 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals against McNary, which were typical numbers of hers all season.
Perhaps one of the teams that was closest to making the state tournament, North Bend was only a game or two away from making the cut. Finishing third in the Sky Em League, the Bulldogs owe a lot of their success to talented sophomore point guard, Carley Lucero Carley Lucero 5’4″ | PG North Bend | 2026 State OR . Lucero is a classic point guard in the fact that she does all of the little things for her team, consistently racking up assists, rebounds, and steals all while often being one of the leading scorers as well. In the final three games of league play, Lucero had 9 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals against Marist; 8 points, 5 boards, 4 assists, and 3 steals at Junction City; and 16 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, and 5 steals over Cottage Grove. Only losing a few seniors next season, North Bend and Lucero will be hungry to extend their season next year.
Siri Lindsey Siri Lindsey 5’4″ | CG Lincoln | 2026 State OR is another name to know over the next few years. The sophomore shooting guard was one of the bright spots in Lincoln’s season. Lindsey is an excellent outside shooter, and just a smart, crafty guard who knows how to make plays for her team on both ends of the floor. Some of her most notable performances in PIL play include three 3’s on her way to 20 points, 5 steals, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists against McDaniel; seven 3’s to finish with 23 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals against Roosevelt; and 17 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals against Ida B. Wells. Playing in such a challenging league, Lindsey will only continue to get better with more experience as she looks to make Lincoln a playoff team next season.
Only a freshman, Jenna Ayres Jenna Ayres 5’9″ | SG Churchill | 2027 OR is on track to have a very impressive basketball career at Churchill. Playing in the challenging Midwestern League in 5A, the Lancers struggled to win many, but Ayres still managed to impress with her high level of play. Ayres is an excellent outside shooter, knocking down two or three from beyond the arc in nearly all of their league games. Perhaps her most impressive scoring night, she made five 3-pointers to finish with 28 points against Thurston earlier this season. In addition to her offensive prowess, Ayres has demonstrated that she is one of her team’s top defenders, constantly making heads up plays on that end of the floor. Churchill has a large group of returners coming back next year, including Ayres, making them an exciting prospect to watch.