Chehalis, Washington- The game of basketball has many different areas that impact winning— defense, rebounding, effort to name a few. The one area that it really comes down to though is putting the ball in the basket. The team with…
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Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log inChehalis, Washington- The game of basketball has many different areas that impact winning— defense, rebounding, effort to name a few. The one area that it really comes down to though is putting the ball in the basket. The team with the most points wins every time. This past weekend I had a chance to cover the NW Battlegrounds in Chehalis, Washington. This tournament featured some of the best 2025 teams in the country. It was so fun to watch the future of basketball compete against each other. Every team had solid players, but certain ones stood out with their ability to score the basketball. Below are the top five scorers from the NW Battlegrounds.
Jalen Atkins | Rose City Rebels (OR) | Class of 2025 (featured image)
Atkins was impressive at the NW Battlegrounds. He has great size and understands how to use his body to score. He does a good job of initiating contact and then finishing through it. He scored at all three levels this past weekend— threes, middy pull-ups, and strong finishes at the rim. He was never in a hurry and didn’t force anything all tournament. He plays with great pace which is something you rarely see for a player his age. He has a switch, and when it gets turned on, he scores at will. Once he realizes that he needs to always have that switch turned on, he will be a nightmare for defenders. Major upside and someone to watch for in the future.
Beckett Currie | A1 Elite (WA) | Class of 2025
There are basketball players and there are hoopers; Currie is a hooper! I enjoyed watching him this weekend. He’s super shifty and has a lot of combo moves in his bag. He had defenders on skates all weekend. He is a really good shooter from 3, both spot up and off the dribble. When he gets in the lane, he goes to a right leg-right hand floater that defenders cannot time to block. What makes him even more dangerous as a scorer is his passing ability. He puts defenders in situations where they have to make decisions; whatever they choose, Beckett makes them pay.
Brayden Boe | Team Dynasty (OR) | Class of 2025
Boe surprised me this weekend. In his first game, he didn’t do much. I saw potential so I kept watching him and boy was I glad I did. He picked it up in his second and third games and showed why he deserved to be on this top scorers list. He was being pressured all weekend and handled it with poise. He made great passes all weekend that led to his teammates getting easy shots. His ball-handling ability is solid; nothing flashy just tight and efficient. He didn’t use a lot of moves or dribbles to get to his spots. When he got to the rim he showed his bag of crafty finishes— euros, swing steps, same leg same hand. He is a good shooter from three as well. I hope he adds a middy to his game because that will make him really scary to defend.
Legend Smiley | Seattle Rotary (WA) | Class of 2025
His name catches your attention initially, and then his game keeps it. Legend played well for Rotary all weekend. His scoring was consistent and effortless. He has such a smooth game. It looks like he’s just floating out there as he weaves around defenders. He can score at all three levels but his three-point shooting is what stood out to me the most. He didn’t need a lot of space to get his shot off. He understands how to use screens to get open and has good footwork to get into his shot quickly on the catch. One game, in a clutch stretch (2min left in the game), he hit three 3s in three straight possessions— nothing but net too! It was at that moment that I knew he was special. I love players that want the ball in big moments.
Jeremiah Harsh | Team Bradley (WA) | Class of 2025
Harsh has a very mature game for his age. He showed an array of different shots at the midrange level— one leg fades, step backs, turnaround jumpers. He let the game come to him and didn’t hunt any shots. He has range out to the three; making it more consistent is the next step for him I think. What made him dangerous as a scorer though is his high IQ. His understanding of the game and how to get to his spots was high-level.
