The next Payton Pritchard? Shelstad may be better

Jackson Shelstad was Gatorade Player of the Oregon in Oregon as a junior last season (courtesy Jackson Shelstad)

The question might not be whether West Linn point guard Jackson Shelstad will be able to help Oregon as a freshman next season.

“Jackson could have started for the Ducks this year,” says Rob Closs, a former Oregon guard and an astute observer of prep talent in the state. “He is that good.”

Closs is not a lone wolf in extolling Shelstad’s virtues.

“He is the most dynamic high school player I have seen since Kevin Love — moreso than Mike Dunleavy, Kyle Singler, Salim Stoudamire or Payton Pritchard,” says Oregon City coach Aaron Newkirk, who has coached the Pioneers for 11 years and began his career two decades ago.

Oregon City coach Aaron Newark says Shelstad “is harder to handle than any high school player I’ve seen (courtesy Robert Keys)

It appears Oregon coach Dana Altman is getting a gem in the 5-11 Shelstad, whose bid for a state championship fell short Saturday night at Chiles Center in the Lions’ 60-47 loss to defending champion Tualatin. West Linn’s ringleader scored a game-high 24 points and was 11 for 13 on 2-point field-goal attempts, but was an uncharacteristic 0 for 7 from beyond the arc and 2 for 5 at the foul line in the title game.

Shelstad entered the state tournament averaging 28.7 points, 3.5 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 2.0 steals, while shooting .593 from the field, .415 from 3-point range and .846 from the foul line. His best attribute, though, might be the way he sees the floor and distributes the ball. He gets it to teammates with the fancy pass or the easy one.

“He is going to make everybody around him better,” Altman says.

Rivals ranks Shelstad as a four-star and the No. 28 prospect in the country. Oregon’s bumper crop of recruits includes No. 17 KJ Evans, 6-9 and 190 pounds from Montverde, Fla., and No. 36 Marquis Cook, 6-7 and 200 from Chandler, Ariz. It would be no surprise if Shelstad has the more significant season for the Ducks in 2023-24.

“I think he is going to make a huge impact,” says West Linn’s first-year coach, Robert Key. “You can’t deny this young man. I believe Dana is going to play him immediately.”

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In 2016, Payton Pritchard celebrates West Linn’s fourth straight Oregon 6A state championship with an 11-year-old Jackson Shelstad (courtesy Jackson Shelstad)

Shelstad had a good role model to emulate when he was a youngster. Payton Pritchard helped, then led West Linn to four straight 6A state titles from 2013-16. Jackson was in third grade when Pritchard — now in his third season with the Boston Celtics — was a senior.

“We are really close,” Shelstad says. “Our families have been good friends since I was in elementary school. I’ve been around him and learned a lot from him. We’ve worked out together. His work ethic is insane.”

West Linn coach Robert Key says Shelstad reminds him of Pritchard “in a lot of ways.”

“As Payton got older, he got more athletic,” Key says. “Jackson is there. Honestly, they both put in the work, and it shows. We’re talking seven days a week. I’m sure they have their moments where they take time to rest their body, but they have dived into what they need to do to get the most of their abilities.”

Shelstad quickly built his own resume at West Linn, earning Gatorade Oregon Player of the Year honors as a junior while averaging 27.0 points, 5.5 assists, 5.2 rebounds and 4.3 steals. By then, he had chosen Oregon over Gonzaga and UCLA, with scholarship offers from the likes of Kansas, Southern Cal and Florida. His relationship with Pritchard helped, and he liked Altman and his coaching staff. Did proximity to home matter?

“That also came into play,” Jackson says. “My family is my biggest support. Family being (two hours) away, they can come to all my home games. That’s big for me, having my family and friends being at my games.”

West Linn’s only regular-season loss was to the storied De La Salle program in the MLK Holiday Tournament at Concord, Calif. During Christmas break, the Lions reigned as the first state-of-Oregon Les Schwab Invitational champion in more than a decade. Shelstad scored 38 points in an 86-69 rout of Bronny James-led Sierra Canyon High of Chatsworth, Calif., then scored 30 in a win over the nation’s No. 1 ranked team, Duncanville, Texas. Jackson was named the tourney’s MVP.

Shelstad averaged more than 28 points per game this season (courtesy Robert Keys)

“That was a great accomplishment for the team,” Shelstad says humbly. “It showed us, and everybody else, how good we could be.”

Shelstad’s talents were on full display when West Linn beat Jesuit 89-74 to get to the state tournament.

He knocked down 17 of 22 shots from the field, was 7 for 8 on 3’s, while totaling 41 points, six assists and five rebounds. In the quarterfinals, Central Catholic shadowed Shelstad with point guard Tony Angelo and held him to 17 points and five assists in the Lions’ 49-45 victory.

“We weren’t going to let him beat us, but he is a stud,” Rams coach David Blue said afterward. “He is really good. He is a future pro. He is going to make money playing basketball.”

Shelstad was also an excellent receiver and safety on the West Linn football team that won the state title in the fall.

“He was terrific — a lockdown DB and a breakaway speed receiver,” Key says.

“Jackson is as fast out of the backcourt with the ball as any kid I have seen at the high school level,” says Barlow coach Tom Johnson, who got the Bruins to the state semifinals this season. “He has a nice shot, he has a tremendous feel for the game and he is very shifty. If there is one athletic trait I like in guards it is quickness, and he is quick.”

“Jackson is a one-man press break,” Closs says. “He makes penetration against both zone and man to man without turning it over, and he does it quickly. I love the way he gets by people and distributes the ball. (A defender) can’t get in front of him. He gets the ball to the right person all the time, plus he is a very good defender.”

Newkirk faced Shelstad eight times over his four seasons with the West Linn varsity.

“He is the most explosive offensive player I’ve seen (at the prep level),” Newkirk says. “He is one of the most athletic kids I’ve seen. He is the quickest player I’ve ever seen end to end with the ball in his hands. His shooting ability is elite. If you combine the athleticism end to end with the shooting ability, it’s incredible. He has range out to 25 feet — that’s consistent range. And he is a great passer with great court vision.

“I hate to compare him to Payton Pritchard, but he is a better high school player than Payton was. He is harder to handle. That doesn’t mean he will be better at the college level or in the pros, but he is harder to handle than any high school player I’ve seen. He is a pretty underrated player as far as what his ceiling can be.”

Newkirk likes another important trait that Shelstad possesses — attitude.

“He carries himself in a way that is very impressive,” the Oregon City coach says. “He is level-headed. You can’t speed him up. He doesn’t show frustration. He has a great attitude. He is unselfish. Sometimes kids will lose their composure. I have never seen him do that.

“I can’t think of a player (in Oregon high school basketball) who has been more of a force on the court other than Kevin love. They are the two most dominant players I’ve seen.”

Key credits Jackson’s parents, Darin and May Shelstad, with their son’s countenance.

Jackson (center) with parents Darin and May (courtesy Jackson Shelstad)

“They are awesome people who raised Jackson and his older sister very well,” the first-year West Linn coach says. “Oregon is going to get a complete package. Jackson checks all the boxes. He is a good young man on and off the court. Very humble. His presence of mind when he meets everyone is ‘Hi, how are you?’ It’s especially neat to see how he deals with young kids reaching out for autographs. He takes the time out to do that and is really nice about it. That shows a lot of character. It’s 100 percent authentic. All around, he enjoys what he does.”

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Shelstad will play for the U.S. team in the Nike Hoop Summit on April 8 at Moda Center.

“There will be a lot of talent in that game,” he says. “It should be a really fun experience. To represent the USA is a big honor. I’m excited.”

“Jackson has the ability against better competition to take it to the another level,” Barlow’s Johnson says. “That was evident in the Schwab. He will be a very good collegiate player.”

Shelstad hopes to be a four-year starter for the Ducks.

“That is my goal,” he says. “I know it’s tough to be a starter as a freshman, but I am going to work my tail off and try to get that done. I am excited for the opportunity next year. Playing Pac-12 basketball is a new challenge. It will be a lot of fun.”

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