Phil Vesel is back — and so is Southridge boys basketball

By René Ferrán

Over the next two weeks, SBLive Oregon will break down more than 100 Oregon high school basketball teams. Here’s our look at the Southridge Skyhawks boys of the Class 6A Metro League.

Phil Vesel photo by Taylor Balkom

SOUTHRIDGE TEAM PAGE

HEAD COACH

Phil Vesel, 13th season at Southridge (215-200 overall; 194-139 at Southridge)

2019-20 AT A GLANCE

Overall record: 1-23

League record: 1-11, tied for sixth in Metro

Playoffs: None

ALL-LEAGUE PLAYERS DEPARTED

None

PLAYERS TO WATCH

G Jha-Barrie Portis, Sr., 6-3

Portis led the Skyhawks in scoring and assists last season. Vesel described him as a “dynamic wing player who can shoot with range and attack the rim.”

F/G Brett Hanna, Sr., 6-4

Hanna led last season’s team in rebounding and was second to Portis in scoring. He’s equally adept in the post and on the perimeter.

F Sean Pak, Sr., 6-5

Pak is a lanky left-hander who came off the bench to play key minutes last season. “He will step into a bigger role as a rebounder and playmaker this season,” Vesel said.

G Carter Fortune, Fr., 6-3

Fortune joins the program after dominating during his eighth-grade club season, playing both point guard and on the wing, and Vesel believes he can make a smooth transition to varsity ball. “He’s an elite finisher who likes contact,” Vesel said. “He plays downhill to create for himself and others.”

G Ethan Jafri, Jr., 6-1

Jafri led the JV team in scoring last season, showing off deep range on his three-pointers.

OUTLOOK

Vesel took a one-year sabbatical after leading the Skyhawks for 12 seasons, amassing 194 victories and two 20-win campaigns. In his absence, Southridge started the season on a 22-game losing streak, earning its only victory in the final week of the season and seeing an eight-year playoff run come to an end.

Vesel hopes to build consistency in the program after last season’s struggles. He’s counting on having the team’s top two scorers back and adding a deep scoring threat in Jafri and a talented freshman in Fortune to get the program back on track.

He plans to emphasize defense during the six-week spring season.

“If we come together and learn to trust each other, we could finish a couple games over (.500),” he said. “That means we hold opponents below 0.9 points per possession, take care of the ball, and execute offensively.”

COACH SAID

“We will be physical on defense and look to run off turnovers and long rebounds. I see our group being competitive in our difficult league. I think a .500 record is realistic.” — Phil Vesel