Six Oregon Stars Who Could Earn the 2025-26 Mr. Basketball Title

From high-scoring juniors to proven state champions, meet the six players leading the early race for Oregon’s top boys basketball honor this season

Fuzzy Montague transferred from Roosevelt to Parkrose for his senior season. / Dan Brood

We’ve just tipped off the 2025-26 high school basketball season in Oregon, but it’s never too early to start thinking about who might win state player of the year honors when the nets are cut down in March.

Here are six players who are among the contenders for Oregon’s Mr. Basketball title come season’s end.

Braylon Gaines, Jr., Nelson

Gaines’ coach with the Hawks, Daniel Blanks, called his star point guard “the ultimate competitor and winner,” and Gaines led the team to a share of its first Mt. Hood Conference title last year when he averaged 21.5 points, 5.9 assists and 2.8 steals. He has drawn interest from Idaho, Oregon State, Seattle University and Utah and received an offer from Portland State.

Rigdhen Khyungra, Jr., La Salle Prep

Khyungra led the Falcons to the 5A state championship last year, averaging 23.5 points. He worked over the summer to add bulk to his slight frame to better endure the pounding coach Sean Kelly expects him to take this season.

Jemai Lake, Sr., Tualatin

Lake, like older brother Josiah (Oregon State), will play Division I ball next year after signing with Montana last month. Now, the 6A all-state second-team selection will look to build upon a junior season during  which he averaged 21.1 points, 4.5 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game. “He is a complete player in all facets of the game,” said Timberwolves assistant coach Thomas Duggan.

Adrian Montague, Sr., Parkrose 

Montague, better known as Fuzzy, received 6A all-state honorable mention list while averaging close to 17 points, five rebounds and five assists per game as a junior for Roosevelt before transferring across town to join the burgeoning Northeast Portland power — ranked No. 1 in the initial High School On SI Oregon rankings — over the summer.

Zamir Paschal, Sr., Central Catholic

Paschal broke out for the Rams during their run to the 6A state title in 2024, flashing the potential to become one of the top guards in the Northwest. He suffered a season-ending knee injury in January that derailed both a promising junior campaign (14.8 ppg, 6 rpg) and Central Catholic’s hopes of repeating as champion.

Liam Rigney, Sr., Lake Oswego

After a breakout junior season during which he averaged 20 points and six rebounds, Rigney seeks to lead the Lakers back to the 6A state tournament and bolster his hopes of going to a D-1 school. “Liam is a three level scorer who has to be accounted for on every possession,” said coach Tully Wagner.