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Who is the greatest boys basketball player from the Eugene-Springfield area?
Let the debate begin.
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, USA TODAY Sports will celebrate the 250 greatest American sports figures of all time. Alongside that national recognition, the USA TODAY Network will spotlight the roots of the country’s sports culture: the high school athletes and sports figures who shaped communities and defined their states.
Earlier this spring, The Register-Guard recognized Lane County's greatest-ever football stars, as well as the area's all-time best girls basketball players.
Next up, we're honoring the top local boys hoopers. Here are The Register-Guard's selections for the boys basketball players who defined the Eugene-Springfield area. While accomplishments at the college and professional level undoubtedly influenced which standouts cracked the top-10 list, we are primarily looking to highlight those who starred at the high school level and dominated local headlines.
As part of this effort, we invite our readers to vote in polls that accompany the stories, or submit a name they think should be included if they don't see it on our list. Print readers can find the polls with the stories online at www.registerguard.com/sports/.
Without further ado, here are The Register-Guard's 10 boys basketball players (listed in alphabetical order) who defined the Eugene-Springfield area.
North Eugene legend Danny Ainge isn't just in contention for the title of greatest boys high school basketball player to ever come through the area.
He is one of the most accomplished athletes in U.S. history, full-stop.
The only prep athlete ever to be named a first-team All-American in three different sports, Ainge was a superstar football, basketball and baseball player who led North Eugene's basketball team to AAA state titles in 1976 and 1977. He went on to star at Brigham Young University, where in 1981 he won the John R. Wooden Award, annually given to the top college basketball player in the nation.
Ainge is one of just 13 athletes who have played in the NBA and MLB. Drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1977, he reached the big leagues in 1979 and played 211 games in three seasons — while also still playing basketball at BYU.
Once his college career concluded, Ainge shifted his focus to pro basketball and became an integral player for the Boston Celtics' 1984 and 1986 championship teams. He was selected as an NBA All-Star in 1987-88.
Post-playing career, Ainge has become a revered NBA executive. He is currently the CEO of basketball operations for the Utah Jazz.
The 2007 Class 5A state player of the year, Brian Coklin led North Eugene to its fifth-ever state title and first of the modern era.
And that was just his junior season.
Conklin, a 6-foot-6 forward, was named the 5A player of the year in 2008 after averaging 20.4 points, 11.2 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 2.7 blocks and 1.3 steals as a senior. He went on to play four seasons at the University of St. Louis and was the leading scorer on Rick Majerus' 2011-12 squad, which finished 28-6 and reached the second round of the NCAA tournament.
After his college career, Conklin enjoyed an 11-year professional career overseas that included successful stops in Australia, New Zealand, France and Portugal.
A pioneer of the sport, Laddie Gale helped revolutionize basketball while leading the University of Oregon to a historic national championship.
Gale, an Oakridge native, was an All-American and the leading scorer on "The Tall Firs" — UO's 1939 team, which won the first-ever Division I men's basketball tournament under legendary head coach Howard Hobson. Standing 6-foot-4, Gale was one of the first collegiate players to regularly utilize a one-handed shot.
In 1977, Gale was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
A hometown hero who led the University of Oregon through arguably its best stretch in program history, Luke Jackson spent his dominant prep career at Creswell High School — just 12 miles from McArthur Court, where he went on to star for the Ducks.
Jackson was a consensus second-team All-American at UO in 2003-2004 after averaging 21.2 points. 7.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game while shooting 49% from the field and 43% from three. The following summer, the Cleveland Cavaliers selected him with the 10th overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft. He enjoyed a four-year NBA career that included stints with the Toronto Raptors, Miami Heat and Los Angeles Clippers.
At Creswell, Jackson was named the Class 3A state player of the year in 1999 and 2000. He led the Bulldogs to the 2000 state title while averaging 24.2 points, 8.1 assists and 5.0 steals per game. He ranks 26th on the state's all-time list of leading scorers with 2,095 points.
Following his playing career, Jackson spent four seasons as the head men's basketball coach at Bushnell University in Eugene. For the past two years, he has served as head coach at Pleasant Hill High School, Creswell's longtime rival.
One of the more sheerly talented athletes in the history of Lane County, Jordan Kent went on to become the University of Oregon's first three-sport athlete since World War II.
The son of longtime Ducks basketball coach Ernie Kent, Jordan Kent was a Class 4A first-team all-state selection as a senior and second-team selection as a junior at Churchill. He went on to play for his father for three years at UO. At the same time, Kent cemented himself as an integral piece of Oregon's track and field program. When he was inducted into the UO Hall of Fame in 2018, Kent sat at No. 8 on the school's all-time 200-meter leaderboard with a top time of 20.82 seconds.
Despite not playing football in high school, Kent joined the Ducks' football team for his junior season. As a senior in 2006, he caught 44 passes for 491 yards and four touchdowns. A 6-foot-4, 219-pound speedster, Kent was viewed as a high-upside prospect by NFL evaluators despite his late start to football. The Seattle Seahawks selected him with the 210th overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, and he went on to play two seasons.
Widely viewed as one of the best — if not the best — boys basketball players to ever come through the city of Springfield, Keith Reynolds earned AAA second-team all-state honors for Springfield High in 1986.
He went on to win a national title at College of Southern Idaho in 1987 before transferring to the University of Oregon and closing out his college career with two stellar years.
As a senior in 1989-90, Reynolds averaged 15.7 points and 4.6 rebounds on a Ducks' squad that also featured future NBA All-Star Terrell Brandon.
In 1995, Churchill senior A.D. Smith was named the Class 4A player of the year after leading the Lancers to the state title at a time when they were still playing in the state's largest classification.
It was Churchill's first-ever boys basketball title, and a stellar end to a decorated high school career. Smith was also a first-team all-state pick as a junior.
He went on to play at the University of Oregon, where he served as a team captain for three seasons. Smith was the second-leading scorer at 15.3 points per game on the Ducks' 1999-2000 team, which went 22-8 and reached the NCAA Tournament.
Smith went on to play professionally in Denmark, France and Australia, among other stops.
One of just a handful of local prep hoopers to ever be selected in the NBA Draft, Blake Stepp was a high school superstar who was named the 2000 Gatorade Player of the Year while playing at South Eugene.
A two-time first-team all-state selection at Oregon's highest classification, Stepp led the Axe to a 24-3 record in his junior season. He went on to star at Gonzaga, where he was named an Associated Press second-team All-American as a senior after averaging 14.6 points and 6.7 assists. Stepp was voted the West Coast Conference player of the year in 2003 and 2004.
The Minnesota Timberwolves selected Stepp with the 58th overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft. He also enjoyed professional stints in Serbia and Spain.
The top player on Thurston's 2002 state quarterfinal squad, Shea Washington earned first-team all-state honors in 2002.
Post-high school, the 6-foot-7 forward flourished into a collegiate star.
After one season at Montana State, Washington transferred to Southern Oregon University and rewrote the school record book. Washington was a two-time All-American at SOU and set all-time records for points (1,920) and blocked shots (169) despite playing just three seasons for the Raiders.
In 2023, Washington was inducted into the Southern Oregon University Hall of Fame. A press release announcing his induction cited Washington as "widely regarded as the greatest men's basketball player in SOU history."
The rare small-school star to make the transition to the Division I college level, Drew Wiley was nearly unstoppable at McKenzie High School and was selected to the Class 1A all-state first team as both a sophomore and junior.
Ahead of his senior season, Wiley made the move to Class 5A Thurston and did not slow down. He was a first-team all-state pick for the Colts after helping them to a third-place finish at the state tournament. A 6-foot-7 small forward, Wiley was tabbed as a three-star recruit by 247Sports. He went on to play two seasons at the University of Oregon and one at Boise State.
With 2,394 career points, Wiley sits at No. 8 on the list of all-time leading scorers in state history. No player from the Eugene-Springfield area has scored more.
Who’s the greatest Eugene-area high school boys basketball player of all time?
Jarrid Denney is a sports reporter for The Register-Guard. He can be reached at [email protected] or on X @jarrid_denney
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Who is the Eugene area's best boys basketball player ever? Vote now!
Continue reading...
Let the debate begin.
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, USA TODAY Sports will celebrate the 250 greatest American sports figures of all time. Alongside that national recognition, the USA TODAY Network will spotlight the roots of the country’s sports culture: the high school athletes and sports figures who shaped communities and defined their states.
Earlier this spring, The Register-Guard recognized Lane County's greatest-ever football stars, as well as the area's all-time best girls basketball players.
Next up, we're honoring the top local boys hoopers. Here are The Register-Guard's selections for the boys basketball players who defined the Eugene-Springfield area. While accomplishments at the college and professional level undoubtedly influenced which standouts cracked the top-10 list, we are primarily looking to highlight those who starred at the high school level and dominated local headlines.
As part of this effort, we invite our readers to vote in polls that accompany the stories, or submit a name they think should be included if they don't see it on our list. Print readers can find the polls with the stories online at www.registerguard.com/sports/.
Without further ado, here are The Register-Guard's 10 boys basketball players (listed in alphabetical order) who defined the Eugene-Springfield area.
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Danny Ainge, North Eugene
North Eugene legend Danny Ainge isn't just in contention for the title of greatest boys high school basketball player to ever come through the area.
He is one of the most accomplished athletes in U.S. history, full-stop.
The only prep athlete ever to be named a first-team All-American in three different sports, Ainge was a superstar football, basketball and baseball player who led North Eugene's basketball team to AAA state titles in 1976 and 1977. He went on to star at Brigham Young University, where in 1981 he won the John R. Wooden Award, annually given to the top college basketball player in the nation.
Ainge is one of just 13 athletes who have played in the NBA and MLB. Drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1977, he reached the big leagues in 1979 and played 211 games in three seasons — while also still playing basketball at BYU.
Once his college career concluded, Ainge shifted his focus to pro basketball and became an integral player for the Boston Celtics' 1984 and 1986 championship teams. He was selected as an NBA All-Star in 1987-88.
Post-playing career, Ainge has become a revered NBA executive. He is currently the CEO of basketball operations for the Utah Jazz.
Brian Conklin, North Eugene
The 2007 Class 5A state player of the year, Brian Coklin led North Eugene to its fifth-ever state title and first of the modern era.
And that was just his junior season.
Conklin, a 6-foot-6 forward, was named the 5A player of the year in 2008 after averaging 20.4 points, 11.2 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 2.7 blocks and 1.3 steals as a senior. He went on to play four seasons at the University of St. Louis and was the leading scorer on Rick Majerus' 2011-12 squad, which finished 28-6 and reached the second round of the NCAA tournament.
After his college career, Conklin enjoyed an 11-year professional career overseas that included successful stops in Australia, New Zealand, France and Portugal.
Laddie Gale, Oakridge
A pioneer of the sport, Laddie Gale helped revolutionize basketball while leading the University of Oregon to a historic national championship.
Gale, an Oakridge native, was an All-American and the leading scorer on "The Tall Firs" — UO's 1939 team, which won the first-ever Division I men's basketball tournament under legendary head coach Howard Hobson. Standing 6-foot-4, Gale was one of the first collegiate players to regularly utilize a one-handed shot.
In 1977, Gale was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
You must be registered for see images attach
Luke Jackson, Creswell
A hometown hero who led the University of Oregon through arguably its best stretch in program history, Luke Jackson spent his dominant prep career at Creswell High School — just 12 miles from McArthur Court, where he went on to star for the Ducks.
Jackson was a consensus second-team All-American at UO in 2003-2004 after averaging 21.2 points. 7.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game while shooting 49% from the field and 43% from three. The following summer, the Cleveland Cavaliers selected him with the 10th overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft. He enjoyed a four-year NBA career that included stints with the Toronto Raptors, Miami Heat and Los Angeles Clippers.
At Creswell, Jackson was named the Class 3A state player of the year in 1999 and 2000. He led the Bulldogs to the 2000 state title while averaging 24.2 points, 8.1 assists and 5.0 steals per game. He ranks 26th on the state's all-time list of leading scorers with 2,095 points.
Following his playing career, Jackson spent four seasons as the head men's basketball coach at Bushnell University in Eugene. For the past two years, he has served as head coach at Pleasant Hill High School, Creswell's longtime rival.
Jordan Kent, Churchill
One of the more sheerly talented athletes in the history of Lane County, Jordan Kent went on to become the University of Oregon's first three-sport athlete since World War II.
The son of longtime Ducks basketball coach Ernie Kent, Jordan Kent was a Class 4A first-team all-state selection as a senior and second-team selection as a junior at Churchill. He went on to play for his father for three years at UO. At the same time, Kent cemented himself as an integral piece of Oregon's track and field program. When he was inducted into the UO Hall of Fame in 2018, Kent sat at No. 8 on the school's all-time 200-meter leaderboard with a top time of 20.82 seconds.
Despite not playing football in high school, Kent joined the Ducks' football team for his junior season. As a senior in 2006, he caught 44 passes for 491 yards and four touchdowns. A 6-foot-4, 219-pound speedster, Kent was viewed as a high-upside prospect by NFL evaluators despite his late start to football. The Seattle Seahawks selected him with the 210th overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, and he went on to play two seasons.
Keith Reynolds, Springfield
Widely viewed as one of the best — if not the best — boys basketball players to ever come through the city of Springfield, Keith Reynolds earned AAA second-team all-state honors for Springfield High in 1986.
He went on to win a national title at College of Southern Idaho in 1987 before transferring to the University of Oregon and closing out his college career with two stellar years.
As a senior in 1989-90, Reynolds averaged 15.7 points and 4.6 rebounds on a Ducks' squad that also featured future NBA All-Star Terrell Brandon.
A.D. Smith, Churchill
In 1995, Churchill senior A.D. Smith was named the Class 4A player of the year after leading the Lancers to the state title at a time when they were still playing in the state's largest classification.
It was Churchill's first-ever boys basketball title, and a stellar end to a decorated high school career. Smith was also a first-team all-state pick as a junior.
He went on to play at the University of Oregon, where he served as a team captain for three seasons. Smith was the second-leading scorer at 15.3 points per game on the Ducks' 1999-2000 team, which went 22-8 and reached the NCAA Tournament.
Smith went on to play professionally in Denmark, France and Australia, among other stops.
Blake Stepp, South Eugene
One of just a handful of local prep hoopers to ever be selected in the NBA Draft, Blake Stepp was a high school superstar who was named the 2000 Gatorade Player of the Year while playing at South Eugene.
A two-time first-team all-state selection at Oregon's highest classification, Stepp led the Axe to a 24-3 record in his junior season. He went on to star at Gonzaga, where he was named an Associated Press second-team All-American as a senior after averaging 14.6 points and 6.7 assists. Stepp was voted the West Coast Conference player of the year in 2003 and 2004.
The Minnesota Timberwolves selected Stepp with the 58th overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft. He also enjoyed professional stints in Serbia and Spain.
Shea Washington, Thurston
The top player on Thurston's 2002 state quarterfinal squad, Shea Washington earned first-team all-state honors in 2002.
Post-high school, the 6-foot-7 forward flourished into a collegiate star.
After one season at Montana State, Washington transferred to Southern Oregon University and rewrote the school record book. Washington was a two-time All-American at SOU and set all-time records for points (1,920) and blocked shots (169) despite playing just three seasons for the Raiders.
In 2023, Washington was inducted into the Southern Oregon University Hall of Fame. A press release announcing his induction cited Washington as "widely regarded as the greatest men's basketball player in SOU history."
Drew Wiley, McKenzie and Thurston
The rare small-school star to make the transition to the Division I college level, Drew Wiley was nearly unstoppable at McKenzie High School and was selected to the Class 1A all-state first team as both a sophomore and junior.
Ahead of his senior season, Wiley made the move to Class 5A Thurston and did not slow down. He was a first-team all-state pick for the Colts after helping them to a third-place finish at the state tournament. A 6-foot-7 small forward, Wiley was tabbed as a three-star recruit by 247Sports. He went on to play two seasons at the University of Oregon and one at Boise State.
With 2,394 career points, Wiley sits at No. 8 on the list of all-time leading scorers in state history. No player from the Eugene-Springfield area has scored more.
Who’s the greatest Eugene-area high school boys basketball player of all time?
Jarrid Denney is a sports reporter for The Register-Guard. He can be reached at [email protected] or on X @jarrid_denney
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Who is the Eugene area's best boys basketball player ever? Vote now!
Continue reading...
