It didn't take long for Reynolds freshman Jordan Smith to announce his presence on the high school boys basketball scene.
The 6-foot-4 wing erupted for 38 points in a 74-47 season-opening win at South Albany – scoring 33 in the second half – and followed up with a 32-point outing as the Raiders won at Aloha 98-56.
Smith poured in 21 and 20 in his last two games, giving him a 27.8-point average through four games for Reynolds (3-1).
“He's going to lead the state in scoring as a freshman,” Raiders coach Terrance Dickens said. “He can score with the best of them. He's big-time. He's pushing 30 every night. Teams are going to have to plan for him, even as a freshman.”
Smith is the son of Reynolds assistant coach Jeremy Smith. His sophomore brother, Jaelyn, is a second-year starter at guard for the Raiders. The Smiths and their three younger brothers played on school teams in the Parkrose district but were intent on playing for their father at Reynolds.
Prep Hoops Oregon ranks Jordan Smith as the state's top freshman prospect. Long and athletic, he is a three-level scorer.
“This kid is fun to watch,” Dickens said. “He gets dunks, threes, mid-range. He plays within our system. With all the points he has scored, he doesn't even do it being greedy. He passes the ball, plays within himself. He's efficient.”
Smith has experience playing against national-caliber competition with the Portland-based Mike James Elite AAU team. Dickens said Smith is the most efficient player he has coached since former Tigard and Oregon State standout David Lucas.
“He can score all over,” Dickens said. “We play up-tempo style, but we do have our half-court sets where we run some stuff through him. But I don't have to call anything for him. He knows how to go get a bucket.”
The emergence of the Smith brothers could go a long way toward Reynolds escaping the basement in the 6A Mt. Hood Conference. The Raiders have lost 43 consecutive conference games going back to 2021-22. They finished 1-24 and 4-20 the last two seasons.
“If we can fight for a playoff spot this year, that will let us know that Reynolds has turned it around,” Dickens said.
In the Forest Grove Holiday Tournament during the weekend, Reynolds defeated McNary 70-59 and fell to Forest Grove 73-65. The Raiders play host to Lincoln on Tuesday and Putnam on Friday before competing at a tournament in San Diego Dec. 27-30.
Cowboys ride into 5A
Crook County, a 4A quarterfinalist the last three seasons, is ready to make some noise in its move to the 5A Intermountain Conference this season.
The Cowboys brought back four starters from last year's Tri-Valley Conference champion, including the conference player of the year in 6-10 senior post Bryce Lowenbach and senior point guard Jace Jonas. They are off to a 4-0 start, outscoring their foes by an average margin of 23.8 points.
“I think this is the team to be able to make that jump,” coach Jason Mumm said. “We've played those IMC teams every year, even being 4A. You've got some of the top teams in 5A right here in central Oregon, and now we have an opportunity to play in that league. It's exciting.
“I think it's going to be fun for 5A basketball. I feel like we make 5A tougher. I think we can compete in that league this year.”
Crook County is ranked No. 6 in the OSAAtoday 5A coaches poll. The Cowboys have beaten 4A No. 6 Baker 75-43, 4A The Dalles 79-62, 4A No. 3 Scappoose 73-42 and 6A South Eugene 67-52.
Lowenbach and Jonas are averaging 23.8 and 16.8 points, respectively. Lowenbach, a third-year starter, put up 16.3 points and 12.7 rebounds per game last season, leading Crook County to a 21-7 record.
“We're lucky that he's on our team,” Mumm said of Lowenbach, who has offers from Western Oregon and Oregon Tech.
The team's other two returning starters are senior guard Gabriel Lopez and senior forward Hoyt Kudlac.
The Cowboys aren't lacking in motivation after last season ended with a 54-48 loss to eventual 4A champion Baker in the quarterfinals.
“We felt like we were right there in March, we just got matched up against a Baker team that was kind of a juggernaut,” Mumm said. “They're hungry. They're ready to take on their senior year and leave it all out on the court.”
Mumm said the Cowboys compare with the Crook County team that finished 16-0 during the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season as the best during his eight-year tenure at the school.
Stevens goes for 56
The Dalles junior point guard Oliver Stevens set a school record by scoring 56 points in a 102-56 win at Corbett on Dec. 9. The total is tied for 19th in state history.
Stevens shot 21 of 25 from the field, including 7 of 8 from three-point range, and made 7 of 11 free throws. He broke the previous school record of 53 points, set by Jeremy Hanson in 1992 and Dakota Murr in 2017.
Murr, an assistant coach for The Dalles, encouraged Stevens to go for the record from the bench, according to The Dalles coach Brian Stevens, Oliver's father.
“It was just an explosion from everywhere,” Brian Stevens said. “He made shots from everywhere.”
Oliver Stevens scored his points in only 26 minutes. He had 30 points in the first half and added 21 points in the third quarter. He surpassed his previous career high of 32 points from last season.
He averaged 20.2 points and 4.3 assists as a sophomore, leading the 4A Tri-Valley Conference in both categories.
Lakers shoot down Nelson
Unranked Lake Oswego produced perhaps the most surprising result of last week, rolling to an 85-60 win at Nelson, ranked No. 3 in the OSAAtoday 6A coaches poll, on Friday.
The Lakers (3-1) made 14 three-pointers in the game, getting four from senior guard Tyler Leykam and three from senior wing Liam Rigney. They led 40-32 at half and 60-45 after three quarters.
Rigney scored a team-high 24 points, including an 11-point first quarter in which he hit three three-pointers. Senior guard Jackson Freeman and Leykam added 16 and 15 points, respectively.
Nelson (3-1) got 24 points from junior guard Jaydon Schregardus and 14 points from sophomore guard Carter Lockhart. The Hawks made five three-pointers.
Pioneers flex
Oregon City, ranked No. 5 in 6A, improved to 5-0 by winning both of its games in the Barlow Trail Tournament last weekend. The Pioneers defeated 5A No. 8 Centennial 77-55 on Friday and Barlow 56-45 on Saturday.
Against Centennial, Oregon City got big games from seniors Alijah Scott (23 points, five rebounds, four steals) and Connor Lemmon (22 points) and junior Eli Hopkins (19 points, seven rebounds).
Lemmon had 14 points and seven rebounds and Hopkins added seven assists in the win over Barlow.
Through five games, Scott and Hopkins are leading the team in scoring at 18 and 15 points per game, respectively.
The Pioneers opened the season by beating No. 6 Jesuit 63-58 behind 27 points from Hopkins and 12 rebounds from junior Alarion Scott.
jerryu@osaa.org
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