No. 2 Colts, loaded with experience from last season’s Midwestern League co-champions, are building momentum with a 7-0 start
Junior Lucas LaBounty has made a jump this season, leading Thurston in scoring with a 16.3 average. (Photo by Pat Edmison)
One of the early success stories this boys basketball season has been Thurston, which has won its first seven games and risen to No. 2 in the OSAAtoday 5A coaches poll.
The Colts, who brought back 10 players from a team that shared the Midwestern League title with North Eugene and lost in the first round of the playoffs, have stacked wins despite playing without senior wing Nate Stiffler.
The 6-foot-4 Stiffler, who averaged 18 points as the league player of the year last season, has missed the last five games with tendinitis. He is likely to return for the Abby’s Holiday Classic in Medford, a three-day tournament that starts Saturday.
Thurston is holding opponents to 49.1 points per game, second in 5A to co-No. 6 Crescent Valley (5-0), which is at 33.4.
“They’re defending at a super-high level,” coach Blaine Liberatore said of his players. “And different guys are scoring in different ways every single night.
“We had a feeling we’d be pretty good. We’re deep. We legitimately have 11 varsity caliber players who can all contribute.”
Thurston’s only win so far over a currently ranked team is a 70-59 victory at No. 4 West Albany on Dec. 10. The Colts avenged a 75-55 loss at West Albany in the first round of the playoffs last season.
“We wanted to go back to their place after they beat us in the playoffs,” Liberatore said. “That’s our best win so far.”
Junior wing Lucas LaBounty (6-4) is leading the Colts with a 16.3 scoring average. Senior guard Noah Blair (12.7 points, 5.0 rebounds), Stiffler (12.0 points, 8.0 rebounds), freshman guard Treyson Hill (9.3 points) and junior guard Grady Saunders (6.7 points) are next in scoring.
LaBounty is the son of former University of Oregon and NFL defensive end Matt LaBounty (a teacher at Thurston) and former Olympic heptathlete Kelly Blair LaBounty. He has broken out this season, showing an ability to score at all three levels.
“He’s probably the best mid-range shooter that I’ve seen in the last six years,” Liberatore said. “He can change speeds so well. And his footwork, he’s really crafty. He just plays with an incredible feel for the game, and an incredible pace. He’ll rock you to sleep, and all of the sudden he’s stepping by you.”
The 6-0 Blair, the quarterback for the football team, set the school record for steals last season (78). The 6-2 Saunders, the 5A baseball player of the year for the two-time reigning state champion Colts, provides outstanding defense and rebounding.
“He’s the consummate competitor,” Liberatore said of Saunders, an Oregon State baseball commit.
Junior Brock Johnson (5-9), another baseball standout, starts at point guard. Versatile junior Logan Piquette (5-10), the son of former Thurston head coach and current assistant Doug Piquette, has moved into a sixth-man role after starting last season.
The 6-3 Hill, named one of the top 40 players at Chris Paul’s camp in North Carolina last summer, has a high ceiling. He is the son of Tim Hill, co-owner of Eugene landmark Track Town Pizza and Thurston’s school record-holder for three-pointers.
“Since Treyson was five years old, he’s talked about beating that record,” Liberatore said.
The Colts also have junior Matt Newell (6-1), a football receiver whose brothers Jake and Luke have gone on to college football careers at Akron and Southern Oregon, respectively. Senior guard Elijah Wilkins (5-9) is the son of former Oregon basketball star Kenya Wilkins, who was inducted into the university’s hall of fame.
Thurston does not have a traditional post.
“We play more of a five-out,” Liberatore said. “We’re not very tall. Rebounding is going to be a key to our season. We defend really, really well. But we’ve got to rebound the ball a little bit better.”
The Colts nearly suffered their first loss Monday, trailing visiting Gresham by two points inside the final three minutes. But LaBounty scored to break a tie with 50 seconds left and Blair split two free throws for a 48-45 lead. Gresham banked in a three-pointer on the final possession but it was ruled after the buzzer.
Thurston’s next game is against 6A West Salem (3-4) in the first round of the Abby’s Holiday Classic on Saturday. West Salem holds a 57-55 win over 5A No. 1 Wilsonville (5-2).
The tournament also includes 6A teams Reynolds (3-2), South Medford (3-6), Roseburg (1-5), Oregon City (5-2) and North Medford (4-4) and 5A Milwaukie (1-3).
“That’s going to be a good measuring stick for where we truly are going into our league,” Liberatore said.
