Battle in the Emerald City: Standout Underclassmen (Part 1)

Auburn, Wash.— Oregon boasted some of the top underclassmen at the Battle in the Emerald City, a Select Events tournament that showcased some of the top grassroots teams from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Northern California over the past weekend. Ten standout underclassmen from the tournament hail from [program_tooltip program_id='1035055' first='Northwest' last='Select'], Flight Basketball Club, and the Oregon Basketball Club.   Undefeated [program_tooltip program_id='1035055' first='Northwest' last='Select'] (15U S40) beat Jason Kidd Select (15U P24) 66-56 in the Pool A/B championship game on Sunday. NW Select lived out their “As One” motto on the court and earned the win by playing tough, fast, and disciplined as a team. They play next at Live! In Las Vegas this weekend.   Here are five Oregon underclassmen who caught my eye at the Battle in the Emerald City on Sunday:    NW Select forward/guard [player_tooltip player_id='1015780' first='Brie' last='Balensifer'] is a shooter and playmaker who went to work inside and out at the Battle in the Emerald City. The 5-foot-9 freshman (2028) played tough defense and hit from three. Balensifer made a tough block on the opposing big after getting backed down inside. She comfortably drained the pull-up and catch-and-shoot three. She drove the lane and made the bounce pass assist for the cutter underneath. Balensifer put in solid minutes off the bench her freshman season at West Linn. She averaged 6.8 points (shooting 46% from the field and 31% from three), 3.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists (1.2 assist/turnover ratio), and 1.6 steals per game and was named to the Three Rivers League Second Team.     [player_tooltip player_id='1231681' first='Camryn' last='Herzberg'] impressed at the 2024 Holiday Classic, her entire freshman season at Southridge, and now with NW Select at the Battle in the Emerald City. The 2028 combo guard is a tough two-way player who gets to the rim and creates offense out of defense. Herzberg plays tenacious on-ball defense, making the right read to fight over or swap on the screen. She forces steals on the perimeter, goes coast to coast through traffic, and finishes strong and athletic at the rim. Herzberg consistently finishes tough takes to the basket. She drives and kicks. She moves off the ball and makes strong cuts. She hustles to get her own rebound and makes the baseline save.     Sherwood-bound eighth-grader (2029) [player_tooltip player_id='1264956' first='Audrey' last='Poulivaati'] was hooping with the freshmen at the Battle in the Emerald City. The NW Select guard/forward is a strong and fast athlete. She has nice form and a quick release to drain the catch-and-shoot three. She has a tough take and finishes strong at the basket. Poulivaati can dribble full speed coast-to-coast and is not afraid of contact. She draws the foul at the rim and gets to the line. Poulivaati also plays soccer, which could be why she runs the court and has good vision and spatial awareness on both ends.     NW Select [player_tooltip player_id='1015768' first='Mila' last='Watson'] is a true point guard with excellent handles and vision. She has a motor and a high game IQ. The 5-foot-8 freshman (2028) is strong with the ball, has quick lateral movement, and consistently gets downhill. Watson drives, draws the help defense, and dishes for the assist. She hit the catch-and-shoot three. She's a tough defender, will rip the ball on the perimeter, and dive to the floor to fight for possession. Watson didn't get a lot of playing time at Beaverton her freshman season, but she lights up the court with her hustle and playmaking abilities as a starting point guard for NW Select.     Jason Kidd Select point guard [player_tooltip player_id='1125424' first='Kyoko' last='Beasley'] is a swift and smooth hooper with a lot of potential. The 5-foot-10 freshman (2028) is a pass-first playmaker who can get her team into its offense and pull up from deep. Beasley can get downhill and is creative with her footwork to get a clean layup at the rim. In her freshman season at Benson, Beasley averaged 7.6 points, 2 steals, 1.8 assists, and 1.2 rebounds per game. Beasley looked confident and in the flow at the point for Jason Kidd Select. She's working on consistently taking care of the ball, making the right read, and attacking the basket.

Auburn, Wash.— Oregon boasted some of the top underclassmen at the Battle in the Emerald City, a Select Events tournament that showcased some of the top grassroots teams from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Northern California over the past weekend. Ten standout underclassmen from the tournament hail from Northwest Select , Flight Basketball Club, and the Oregon Basketball Club.