The USA
Developmental Camp held at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs
will probably be the best event all year in terms of the amount of talent in
one place and the competitive structure of the two day event. With each kid
playing for a purpose the intensity level was high throughout. On Day 1, one of
the drills involved half court and full court scrimmages where both the passer
and shooter had to acknowledge each other immediately after a made basket or the
point didn’t count. The kids learned very quickly to recognize their teammates.
Each session involved individual drills, group drills, one on one play,
controlled scrimmages, and 10 minute scrimmages.
Tyus Jones, PG, Apple Valley H.S.
(MN), #4
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| Tyus Jones |
Jones has
been listed at the top of the 2014 rankings from the time his high school
career began. He showed why at the USA camp as he excelled in all of the camp
drills and controlled the pace during the scrimmages. While he is not a
physical specimen, it wasn’t hard for Jones to get by his defender on the
offensive end. He was a wizard in all the dribbling and passing drills and
didn’t break a sweat. On the defensive end, Jones he struggled a bit, especially
during the one one drills and when isolated with Rashad Vaughn in game
situations.
Rashad Vaughn, SG, Findlay Prep
(NV), #13
Bad Rashad
came out Saturday morning, but this persona was replaced by good Rashad on
Saturday evening. In the morning session, Vaughn displayed his sweet stroke
during shooting drills, but struggled during the scrimmage portion. He did not
look to attack the basket and instead settled for difficult fade-away jump
shots and deep three’s which weren’t connecting. He also forced a few too many
shots despite all of the talented players around him.
Saturday
night was a different story. His intensity picked up from the get-go and
harassed the hell out of his opponents on the defensive side of the ball in one
on one and pick and roll drills. His intensity level stayed high throughout the
session and he put together an incredible night session. In the scrimmages he
blew by Tyus Jones several times for lay-ups and he also took the ball coast to
coast for a floater. When given an open look he drained shots from the wing. Vaughn
did not take any bad shots in the night session and was on the lookout for open
teammates as he racked up assists on several possessions in a row. Vaughn’s
team also won both games.
Stanley Johnson, SF, Mater Dei
(CA), #6
Johnson did
not dominate the action like he did during the EYBL and Peach Jam; however he
did have a solid performance. He handled the ball at times and also used his
strength and size to attack the basket especially during 3 on 3 or 4 on 4
drills. The main weakness in Johnson’s game relates to his outside shooting. In
the two day session Johnson did not attempt many of these shots and it was hard
to gauge whether any improvement had occurred.
Kevon Looney, PF, Hamilton H.S.
(WI), #14
Looney used
his long arms and agility to put together a solid defensive performance at
camp. He has the quickness to guard small forwards and the length to handle big
men in the post. Looney was a bit quiet on the offensive end as he decided to
operate from 15 feet and in. At times he got by his defender and finished with
rim-rattling two hand dunks, but for the most part did not dominate the action.
James Blackmon, Jr., SG, Marian
H.S. (IN)
Fresh off
cutting his college list to a final five, Blackmon put together an impressive
performance at the USA camp. Known as a knock down shooter, Blackmon did that
and more. He got all the way to the basket at times during the scrimmages and
also put down some dunks during the drills and games. On the defensive side of
the ball he used his quickness to frustrate Vaughn on Saturday morning and put
together a strong performance every time he stepped on the court.
Myles Turner, C, Trinity H.S.
(TX), #2
Turner had
his dad and high school coaching staff in to watch him compete in his first USA
event and he did not disappoint. Turner started off the camp battling hard in
the one on one drills with his fellow big men. Turner was aggressive in
establishing a post position and easy entry for the passer. Once he got the
ball it was either one dribble for a right hook or one dribble for a lay-up. On
the defensive side he used his wing span and quick jumping ability to block
shots or force his opponent into a difficult attempt. Turner played with a high
energy level throughout the camp and also displayed his outside game which has
college coaches and NBA scouts drooling. It was also apparent that a recipe of
500 push-ups a day improved his strength from AAU season. On Day 2, Turner
struggled a bit during the defensive agility drills, but that area will most
likely improve as Turner continues to get more comfortable in his body.
Jahlil Okafor, C, Whitney Young
H.S. (IL), #1
The
consensus top player in his class put a hurting on the young fellas early
Saturday morning during post drills. He first matched up with Chase Jeter and
used his 50 pound advantage to basically move Jeter under the basket for easy
lay-ups. He also got the better of 2015 big man Diamond Stone by using his size
and quickness for baskets in the paint. His dominance did not last long as
Okafor suffered a right ankle injury towards the end of one on one drills and
was done for the rest of camp. Okafor is a dominant presence in the post, but
needs substantial work on his outside game. He currently shoots a set shot with
a slow release which was evident in the full court drills performed by the
players. This is not a concern for Okafor on the high school level but could be
in the next few years.
Theo Pinson, SF, Wesleyan
Christian Academy (NC), #27
Pinson was
one of the leaders throughout camp. He started the first session off causing
havoc on the defensive end in one on one drills and carried that intensity over
to the scrimmages. On the offensive side he brought the ball up the court at
times and fed the big men in the post. He also attacked the rim off the dribble
and hunted for tip-backs on the offensive glass. Pinson struggled early with
his outside shot which has been fairly normal for him; however when he went
straight up and down on his shot, whether off the catch or the dribble, the
result was usually pretty favorable. Overall, it was a solid two day showing
for Pinson.
Justin Jackson, SF, Homeschool
Christian Youth (TX)
Jackson had
his moments but similar to Johnson he blended in more so than during previous
AAU or camp games. Per usual, Jackson had his mid-range game and patented
floater working early and often. He also was one of the best players in camp in
terms of cutting off the ball for easy lay-ups and dunks. In the controlled
scrimmages he was effective running the pick and roll with Ivan Rabb and other
big men on his team. He didn’t shoot much from the outside, but during the
shooting drills his shot still looked relatively flat with a lack of rotation
which is one thing for him to work on before arriving in Chapel Hill.
Chris McCullough, PF, Brewster
Academy (NH), #15
McCullough
was injured and did not participate.
Reid Travis, PF, De La Salle H.S.
(MN), #39
Travis was
injured and did not participate.
*All rankings from Scout.com
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