Portland Signs Northwest Products Jason Todd and Gabe Taylor to Men's Basketball NLI's

PORTLAND, Ore. --- The University of Portland men's basketball program has signed a pair of Northwest standouts to National Letters of Intent. Jason Todd (Mill Creek, Wash./Jackson HS) and Gabe Taylor (Portland, Ore./Valley Catholic HS) signed and returned letters to the school, head coach Eric Reveno announced on Wednesday.

Jason Todd (6-6, 200) was named the Gatorade State Player of the Year in 2013 after averaging 21.5 points and 10.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. He led Jackson High School to a 26-1 record and a second place finish at the 4A State Championships.

A first team all-state selection as named by The Seattle Times and Tacoma News Tribune, Todd shot 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3-point range and 81 percent from the free throw line. He averaged 16.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.3 steals in the state tournament to earn Most Valuable Player honors.

Going into his fourth varsity season, Todd has helped Jackson HS win the WesCo South title and district championship all three seasons. A versatile athlete that plays nearly every position in high school, Todd is projected to play the wing when he joins the Pilots next fall.

Also a baseball standout, Todd led his Mill Creek team to the 2008 Little League World Series as a pitcher and shortstop.

"Jason has the skill, toughness and ability to be a really good player in our program," said Reveno. "He is a competitor that is a great fit for us in terms of his approach to the game, as well as being a great student. Jason already has all the necessary skills to be a very good player, but I'm most excited about his passion to be the best player he can be."

Gabe Taylor (6-8, 200) is entering his second and final year at Valley Catholic School in Beaverton, Ore. where he is coached by former Portland assistant coach, Joel Sobotka. A first team all-state selection and Lewis and Clark League Player of the Year as a junior, Taylor averaged 21 points per game and led Valley Catholic to the 3A state semifinals in his first year with the school. He also chipped in 6.4 rebounds per game, shot 60 percent from the field, and 41 percent from three-point range.

Taylor transferred to Valley Catholic after spending his first two seasons as a starter at Newberg High School. He averaged 22 points per game as a sophomore at Newberg, which competes at the 6A classification in Oregon. Taylor averaged 13.5 points and five rebounds as a freshman starter.

Another versatile recruit with both the ability to play on the block or step out and shoot from the perimeter, Taylor has had a good mentor for the last year and half with Sobotka on the sidelines.

"I am very excited for Gabe and his family," Sobotka said. "Gabe has dedicated himself to becoming the best player he can be and he has put in a tremendous amount of work improving and developing as a basketball player. His versatility as a basketball player, being able to score in multiple ways and his passion for the game are all great fits for UP. "

"We always want to get the best local talent so securing the commitment from Gabe was great for our program," Reveno said. "He is another hard-working kid that knows what our program is about and will be an excellent fit. Gabe has shown continued growth in developing his game and we project him to be a very good player in our league."

The Pilots have four seniors on the 2013-14 roster and got off to a great start with a 100-83 season-opening victory against UC Davis. Portland continues its early season schedule tonight at Oregon State and then will travel to No. 2 Michigan State on Monday at 4 p.m.
 
FOR TRANSACTIONS: University of Portland announces the signings of Jason Todd (Mill Creek, Wash./Jackson HS) and Gabe Taylor (Portland, Ore./Valley Catholic HS) to National Letters of Intent for men's basketball.