Summer Basketball Ignites Strong Talent on the Rise

As summer ball begins, things are heating up surrounding talent in the Northwest. This past week, teams from across Oregon and Washington competed in various tournaments.   Incoming freshman talent was able to begin program play and JV players are moving up to compete with varsity. There are a lot of new faces coming into the rankings and skill levels are looking strong. Now let's meet some of this past week's standout performers.    Mylee Thompson is a combo guard out of Evergreen High School. Last season, Mylee achieved first-team all-league honors. She is super fast up and down the court. She has aggressive attack moves to get her to the hoop and blow by defenders.   She has great footwork and creativity that allows her to get around opponents. She is strong with the ball. She has college skill-level abilities, like cradling the ball on the drive, that allow her to protect then score on the move.   She's a terrific shooter and has a high percentage at the free-throw line. Mylee's defensive strengths are what truly stood out as well, during gameplay. She was picking pockets left and right, stealing the ball with ease.   She's not afraid to really get after it. Her small size is not a factor; she was one of the strongest players on the floor. Her work ethic was relentless, and she never took her foot off the gas. Keep your eyes on Mylee Thompson; she will continue to be a standout next season at Evergreen High School.     Courtney Neal is a rising talent at Evergreen High School. She earned second team all-league honors last season. Courtney has great size as a small forward and can move around with guard-like abilities. She has a great shot and can get up and down the floor quickly with her speed.   She's tough in the paint on rebounds and second-chance opportunities for her team. On defense, her wingspan allows her to guard her opponents well and block shots. Her footwork is highly skilled and she plays like she's ready for the next level. Be on the lookout for her to keep rising in the ranks for Washington talent.     [player_tooltip player_id='1827876' first='Xyah' last='Casey'] is a rising freshman out of Jefferson High School. She stands at 6'0 feet tall and is a strong power forward. Her strength adds skill development abilities on both offense and defense.   Xyah stands out as a power forward because she can shoot from deep range. She holds a respectable presence in the paint. She is also great at rebounding and blocking shots.   Xyah is a team player and is good at finding the open player on the court to help with assists. Keep a watch on her; she is surely on the rise in ranks and will be a strong presence for the Demos next season.     Kasha Foreman is an incoming freshman combo guard for Evergreen High School. She is a knockdown shooter and has deep range. Her consistency from shooting is incredibly impressive for her age. She has displayed some high-scoring games and helped her teams come back from behind in multiple games.   Kasha is tough on defense too. She has a lot of strength and presence on the inside. She has great rebounding and blocking skills. She is great at getting second looks at the rim and creating put-back shot opportunities. Kasha is a team player and helps those around her.   When excitement is created around incoming talent, Kasha is a perfect example of what that looks like. She's creating a buzz around the community, and she's showing everyone that hard work and talent pay off.

As summer ball begins, things are heating up surrounding talent in the Northwest. This past week, teams from across Oregon and Washington competed in various tournaments.