Battle in the EC: Oregon 2030 Standouts

AUBURN, Wash. — Five class of 2030 players from Oregon Top Prospects and Central Oregon Force caught my eye at the Battle in the Emerald City, a Select Events tournament, over the weekend.   Young squads from OTP and the Force both played up in the 2029 division. OTP (3-1) won Pool C and made it to the top pool cluster (A-C) semifinals. The Force (1-2) finished third in Pool D.   While I circled a dozen 8th-graders from OTP, NW Select, Force, and 3&D Hoops (a Westside Portland club that won the lower pool cluster championship), these are the five that especially stood out to me:    [player_tooltip player_id='1266074' first='Payton' last='Brautigam'] is the top producer for her OTP squad, one of Oregon's top players in the class of 2030, and on a trajectory to be a Division 1 Power Four prospect. The 5-foot-11 combo guard does everything well, but what really impresses is her work rate and motor — she gets after it all over the court all game long. Brautigam played up in the freshman division at the Battle in the EC and showcased her speed and game IQ on both ends of the ball. The 8th-grader has really nice length on defense and contests everything, protecting the paint and hustling to block perimeter shots. She rebounds, pushes the pace on the bounce, and is a scoring threat inside and out. Brautigam should get to play on the 5A state stage as a freshman at Silverton next season.     Aaliya Okon is an electric scorer and athlete who got after it on the wing for her OTP squad at the Battle in the EC. The 5-foot-9 8th-grader showed her ability to get to her spots and knock down elite shots while playing up in the freshman division. She was explosive on the bounce to get downhill, sinking the runner or hitting the stop-and-pop middy. Her shooting hands were ready on the perimeter to drain the catch-and-shoot three. She ran the floor and went coast-to-coast on the bounce, finishing at the rim through traffic in transition. Okon has quick hands and feet and is a strong on-ball defender. She should be an impact freshman at Barlow next season, playing alongside the Bruin's rising star [player_tooltip player_id='1005370' first='Adia' last='Fancher'].     [player_tooltip player_id='1856278' first='Jailyn' last='Garner'] brought defensive grit and overall physicality to OTP, a squad that played up in the freshman division at the Battle in the EC. The 5-foot-10 8th-grader is a hard-nosed defender who created opportunities for her team through good old-fashioned hustle and hard work, forcing jump balls and winning 50/50 possessions. She tipped passes and ripped the rock on defense. She attacked the rim and connected on the catch-and-shoot jumper inside on offense. Garner will be one to follow in 4A at Junction City next season.     Beija Carl is an exciting guard in the Class of 2030 from Central Oregon. The 5-foot-8 8th grader played up with the Force in the freshman division at the Battle in the EC, showcasing her ability to read the floor and make plays at the 1 and 2. Carl has nice handles, vision, and passing. She changes direction with the behind-the-back dribble and can get downhill to create her own look, draw the foul, dish, or kick out. She was a good shooter inside and out. The guard boxed out and was a plus rebounder. She played solid defense on and off the ball, knowing where to be on the help side to make the steal. She's the kind of playmaker who hustles back in transition to stop the fast break. Carl, her sister Nala Carl (5'8 SG), and their Force teammates Harper Coursey (6'2 PF) and Kynlee Crump (6'1 PF) are all rising freshmen to watch at Caldera next season.     Hadlee McLean is another exciting guard in the Class of 2030 from Central Oregon. The 5-foot-7 8th-grader ran the point for the Force when they were under the most pressure at the Battle in the EC. McLean was speedy on the dribble and didn't hesitate with the ball — she knew what she wanted to do next. She pushed the pace, attacked the rim, and drew fouls on the take. She dished and kicked, creating for others. She did the little things, too, like crashing the offensive boards and leaking out to score in transition. McLean will be an excellent freshman addition to a Crook County team that placed 6th at state and is returning [player_tooltip player_id='832542' first='Anna' last='Bales'], Mckinley Sloper, and [player_tooltip player_id='1232820' first='Hayden' last='Decker'] next season.

AUBURN, Wash. — Five class of 2030 players from Oregon Top Prospects and Central Oregon Force caught my eye at the Battle in the Emerald City, a Select Events tournament, over the weekend.