Had to be a mirage. Couldn’t be reality.
No way Lake Oswego High School freshman Kevin Love was getting points in the paint while being guarded by former Gonzaga star Corey Violette.
It couldn’t be possible that a team consisting of high schoolers would be up by 10 points four minutes into the game.
Yes, all of it was reality Friday night at South Eugene High School.
To think, it was just an exhibition game with all the right players in all the right places.
“It was fun not to have any coaches yelling at you from the bench, and to play with all the guys again,” said former Oregon guard James Davis, who finished with 21 points to help lead the college stars to a 123-96 victory.
Joining Davis was former Duck and new legend Luke Jackson, who, with some help, organized the affair at South Eugene and another one Saturday night at Creswell High School.
Former Gonzaga star Blake Stepp was the other big attraction at South Eugene, having played there before his days in Spokane.
Former Ducks Andre Joseph and Robert Johnson also played, as did Jeff Potter, who played for Oregon from 1992-95.
“I thought it was just a success,” Jackson said. “It was something the fans enjoyed. It’s great to have the support of the community.”
Word in the gym was that about 2,200 people had shown up to watch the high schoolers try to prove themselves. The organizers of the Barnstorming Basketball Exhibition expect to be able to donate some of the proceeds they raised at the game to the two high schools.
“It was a great deal for everybody,” Jackson said.
With that said, the game had a tinge of seriousness early on. The high schoolers had a bigger spring to their step. At one point, they held a 20-10 lead.
Love, who was a 4A 2nd Team All-Oregon State member, scored 11 of those points and even had a block off a Jackson shot attempt three minutes in the game.
“We could tell in their eyes they were too serious,” Davis said. “We were just trying to have fun but we had to step it up.”
The college stars did, going on a 20-6 run en route to a 50-45 halftime lead.
The second half was much of the same. Joseph knocked down three-pointer after three-pointer — so many that it seemed as if his playing days at Oregon had yet to end — on his way to 22 points.
He finished with six three-pointers, all scored in the second half. Stepp ended with eight points.
Jackson finished with a game-high 29 points. He mixed in two three-pointers and a few dunks — two of which were back-to-back in the first half — as well as a few missed slams.
Love ended the night with 28 points, 16 in the first half.
“He’s good,” Stepp said. “That’s the first time I’ve seen him. He’s very mature for his age.”
Now that the two games in two nights tour is over, Stepp and Jackson will continue to prepare for the June NBA Draft.
NBADraft.net has Jackson going 28th overall to San Antonio while Stepp is expected to be taken in the second round, projected at 48th overall, to Miami.