Portland, OR -The Portland Classic was played from Nov. 21st -24th at the Chiles Center with seven games of action. In the opening game Cal Poly lost to the Texas State Bobcats, with the Bobcats winning 54-42 in a competitive game. The Portland Pilots defeated USC Upstate in the second game 73-56. The second day you could begin to visualize what the final day showdown would look like as both Portland Pilots and Texas State finished the day 2-0 with wins over Cal Poly for the Pilots 72-67, and Texas State 82-50 over USC Upstate.
The final day tripleheader featured a well played competitive second game thriller between Cal Poly and USC Upstate, which Cal Poly (1-2) won in overtime 75-74. The Mustangs were engaged in every game of the tournament with solid hard play despite their record. USC Upstate (0-3 in the event) played their best game in the tournament in the overtime loss in a game that had nine lead changes, and with USC Upstate leading in the contest for 35:33 minutes.
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Texas State
The most talented player in the entire tournament was 6’5” junior guard Nigel Pearson (MVP of the tournament). He played very hard on both ends of the floor. His physical stature allowed him to play to higher heights versus others, He runs the floor really well, fights around screens defensively, and isn’t afraid of the physical contact. Pearson is a toughminded passionate competitor, whom is a complete player who knows how to put the ball in the basket. He has upside with a smooth aggressive under control scoring style. 6’2” senior guard Tre’Larenze Nottingham has a solid game and style. He is a good complimentary player which enables him to be even more effective. He showed solid slashing ability with nice drives to the basket and seemed better as a combo guard. He’s physically built, quick, explosive, athletic, and has nice change of direction. Defensively he covers in man-to-man well.
University of Portland
6’4” junior guard Franklin Porter played the game of his life against Cal Poly as he scored 24 points (7-9 FG, 6-7 3FG, 4-4 FT) with six rebounds, four assists and two steals. He ran the floor really well in this game on both ends of the floor which lead him to being involved with many plays on both ends which really impacted the game. Porter sprinted the court from end to end, enabling him to get into a good shooting rhythm, with nice rotational backspin. When Porter is energetic in transitioning on both ends, the Pilots are a stronger team. Porter has a high IQ and feel for the game. He plays hard with natural gifted physical abilities. 6’7” junior wingman Josh McSwiggan had a nice tournament with his all around play as he displayed good outside shooting throughout the tournament making 5-of-10 3-pointers in a 72 -67 win over Cal Poly and with 17 points (5-7 FG, 4-6 3FG), four rebounds and two assists in 25 minutes of play with the win over USC Upstate. McSwiggan runs the floor really well, and has good length and lateral footwork. The scoring wingman made an array of outside shots throughout the tournament. He has quick hands which lead to many deflections. McSwiggan has decent court vision and is a good passer. He should continue to develop and get stronger.
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Cal Poly
5”10” senior point guard Donovan Field is an extremely quick player who dazzled fans with his aggressive play. He has exceptional ball handling abilities and craftiness to figure out a way to get into the paint for a score and/or distribute. Field has solid vision, tremendous effort pushing the up the basket, and forcing the tempo. He’s a really nice defender with quick feet, and hands. A right handed shooter, he has finishing abilities in the paint with either hand.
USC Upstate
The 6’2” senior combo guard Deion Holmes battled with competitive fire over the entire event. He’s a physical, slender guard with athleticism, vision, hustle, and good team spirit. He showed energy after coming off the bench in a loss to Portland to score 20 points (3-7 3FG, 1-1 FT) with six rebounds and two steals. In the OT loss to Cal Poly, he scored 13 points with ten rebounds. Holmes is a guard who doesn’t mind getting in the paint for battle, a right handed shooter with a smooth bounce, shooting stroke, a nice 3-point shot, and trajectory on the ball. He has nice slashing ability with a quick burst on his first step. He’s a solid defender with quick hands in the passing lanes with good lateral footwork and a proper defensive stance.
Most Valuable Player
- Nijal Pearson (Texas State)
All-Tournament Team
- Franklin Porter (Portland)
- Josh McSwiggan (Portland)
- Tre’Larenz Nottingham (Texas State)
- Donovan Fields (Cal Poly)
- Deion Holmes (USC Upstate)
This article was written by Lorenzo Leaks, a correspondent and scout for NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Facebook, or on twitter. We are looking for those interested in our basketball scout apprenticeship program. For information contact us and forward your resume.
