In coaching Wilsonville to the last eight 5A boys basketball finals – winning five state championships – Chris Roche has held the Wildcats to a lofty standard.
So even though they opened the season at No. 1 in the OSAAtoday 5A coaches poll and rolled to three wins in the Wilsonville Invitational Tournament, Roche has been underwhelmed by what he has seen so far.
“We're not playing that well,” Roche said. “We're not as consistent or tough as some of our recent teams have been. We'll probably find that out the hard way real soon.”
The Wildcats are adjusting after graduating three starters from a team that went 25-4 and lost to Summit in the state final, including a 5A first-team pick in guard Kallen Gutridge and second-team selection in forward Kyle Counts.
“We lost some really talented guys that were dominant leaders,” Roche said. “Now we've got to fill those voids. We're trying, but we're a work in process, for sure.”
Wilsonville is building around two returning starters in senior post Emmitt Fee and senior wing Jacob Boss and two promising newcomers in senior point guard Cole Hammack, a transfer from 4A North Marion, and 6-foot-8 freshman post Michael Ratcliffe Jr.
The 5-foot-10 Hammack, a 4A first-team pick as a junior, made an instant impact with 67 points in the team's first three games. In the final of the WIT, he made 12 of 18 shots and finished with 30 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals as the Wildcats downed Ashland 75-55.
“He's a heck of a player,” Roche said of Hammack, who also had 20 points, four rebounds, nine assists and three steals in an 80-57 win over Springfield. “He's just a dynamo. He has great vision, and he pushes the pace. He can score. He makes great decisions in the open court. Knows when to shoot, when to pass, when to push.”
Ratcliffe also is making his presence felt. He had 15 points in a 69-44 win over Lebanon and excelled against Ashland, making 6 of 8 shots and finishing with 15 points and 11 rebounds.
'He's not a slender, lean kid. He's a big, strong kid,” Roche said. “He's skilled enough to move around and shoot threes. He has a high skill set for his age. He's still learning, but he's sort of a force of nature when he gets going. We're very excited about him this year and definitely in the future.”
Ratcliffe's parents – both former college basketball players – are from Australia. His sister Payton, a senior on Wilsonville's girls team, has committed to play in college at Point Loma.
Wilsonville will make its annual appearance in the 16-team Capitol City Classic tournament Dec. 18-23 at Willamette University. The Wildcats open against 6A West Salem on Dec. 18 at 7 p.m.
The tournament features 5A contenders No. 2 West Albany, No. 4 Woodburn and No. 5 Churchill. Tualatin, ranked third in 6A, also will appear.
Bruins, T-Wolves slug it out
Two 6A powers collided for a triple-overtime thriller Saturday afternoon in the final of the Barlow Trail Tournament.
No. 2 Barlow, behind 35 points and 11 rebounds from 6-6 senior forward Mason Bierbrauer, held on to defeat No. 3 Tualatin 93-87.
“It was a really entertaining game,” Bruins coach Tom Johnson said. “It was big play after big play after big play. They are a very talented team. I felt good about how we played overall. It was a good win for us.”
Barlow (4-0) outscored the Timberwolves 11-5 in the third overtime. Sophomore Maddyn Cummings broke a tie by making a three-pointer with two minutes left, putting the Bruins ahead to stay.
Bierbrauer had six points in the third overtime.
“Mason was attacking the hoop,” Johnson said. “He didn't settle. He got to the free throw line, made free throws.”
Brayden Barron, a 6-6 senior forward, had 21 points, 11 rebounds and seven blocks for Barlow. Senior guard Jalen Adkins had 15 points and five assists before fouling out with 47 seconds left in regulation.
Tualatin (3-1) got 36 points from sophomore guard Pat Vialva Jr., a transfer from West Linn, and 21 points from junior guard Jemai Lake. The Timberwolves played without senior wing Nolan Keeney, who was on an official football visit to Brigham Young, where he has signed to play quarterback.
“When they get him back, they're going to be a serious handful,” Johnson said.
Barlow defeated Grants Pass 75-50 in the opening round Friday. Barron had 23 points and 11 rebounds and Adkins had 20 points and eight assists.
Tualatin advanced by beating Grant 86-77 on Friday. Javier Diaz, a 6-7 senior, had 21 points and 15 rebounds. Vialva and Lake added 20 and 17 points, respectively.
SWC's Hull returns
South Wasco County junior standout guard Jason Hull is back in action after missing his entire sophomore season with a knee injury.
Hull averaged 28.7 points as a freshman, setting a state freshman record with a 54-point game, before suffering a non-contact knee dislocation in the team's 20th game. He dislocated the kneecap again in September 2023, had surgery and missed the 2023-24 season.
The 6-3 Hull is averaging 29.5 points through four games for the 1A Redsides (3-1). He poured in 37 points in the team's second game, a 65-58 home win over Irrigon.
“It's baby steps coming back, getting used to that contact,” said South Wasco County coach Jim Hull, his father. “With each game, I see change. I would say he's 90 percent of what he needs to be.”
Hull had 27 points Saturday in a 54-50 loss to Cove.
“That was the best team we've played, by far, and the stiffest defense he's faced in terms of teams trying to make a complete effort,” Jim Hull said. “They boxed-and-one, they face-guarded, they did everything they could.”
