Meet the Freshmen: Portland’s Jason Todd

When incoming Pilot Jason Todd first verbally committed to Portland last September, I saw it as a big win in the ongoing recruiting game. Todd’s reputation as an athletic and high IQ’ed wing player who always seemed to be making the right play was intriguing, as was the 2013 Gatorade Player of the Year Trophy for the state of Washington that sat on his mantel.

At Jackson High School (Mill Creek)

Todd had an illustrious career for Jackson which included many wins and accolades. Todd comes to Portland as the back to back Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Washington. He led his team to back-to-back state tournament appearances where Jackson finished second in 2013, and fourth last year. Todd was also named the most outstanding player en route to leading his team to the MaxPreps Holiday Classic Title.

After the tournament, Joel Francisco named Jason the “most college ready” of the tournament adding,

"“Todd is a high-IQ wing-type who has a nice-looking frame and the athleticism to match. His ball skills are solid and he affects the game with rebounding, passing and a feathery shooting touch to the stripe. “"

In his senior season, Todd put up averages of 17.2 points, 10.5 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.7 steals. Todd was a match-up nightmare for opposing coaches. In a press release from the University of Portland, Cory West, the head coach of rival Kamiak High School said,

"“He is hands-down the most difficult player to prepare for as a coach. Not only does he score, but he posts up, he brings the ball up the court and he defends. He does whatever his team needs him to do on that given night. “"

Impact at Portland

Portland returns four starters and nine players overall to a team that played well overall last season. I don’t foresee Todd starting at any point this season unless an injury takes someone out, which is a very real possibility considering that is exactly what happened to Kevin Bailey last season.

Despite not being slated for a starting position I do expect Todd to see 15+ minutes a game in his freshman season. His versatility, and the versatility Reveno and his staff have throughout the Guard and Wing positions will allow for multiple lineups featuring some combination of Alec Wintering, Bryce Pressley, Kevin Bailey, Bobby Sharp, Todd, Aitor Zubizarreta, Max Livingston, and D’Marques Tyson.

I’d expect Wintering (PG), Pressley (SG), and Bailey (SF) to start with Sharp and Todd being the first off the bench depending on what Rev wants to do.

Looking toward the future, Todd is the exact type of player that Reveno likes to build a team around. Think back to the success Portland had with Nik Ravio. I could see Todd playing a similar role in the next few years for the Pilots.