The
USA teams were the class of the Nike Global Challenge with the USA West team
handing the USA East their first loss in the championship game on Sunday
afternoon. The West team was stocked with talent from Texas and also got some
help from Stephen Zimmerman and Dejounte Murray. Throughout the challenge, the
four USA teams suffered just one loss to the foreign teams with the USA South
falling to China on Day three.
Best Duo:
Stephen Zimmerman, 6’11”,
C, 2015 & Tyler Davis, 6’10”, C, 2015 – USA West
Back
in April before the start of the EYBL season, Zimmerman and Ivan Rabb were
supposed to be a fearsome frontcourt duo. That wasn’t necessarily the case and
Zimmerman rarely broke double digits in EYBL competition. Playing with Davis
and a plethora of outside shooters gave Zimmerman the space he needed to
operate down low. With a 17.5 point and 11.5 rebound average, Zimmerman grabbed
the MVP of the Challenge and looked more confident and fluid in the process. He
did a lot of his work in the paint, whether it was dunks, lay-ups, or short hook
shots but he also displayed his outside shooting ability (at times) as well as
his passing skills from the high post.
While
Zimmerman got the MVP, Tyler Davis
was the workhorse down low using his 270 pound frame to his advantage. Before
sitting out the championship game, Davis averaged 15 points and 8 rebounds
including a 19 point, 14 rebound effort in his last game. Throughout the
challenge, Davis ran the floor and banged down low in the post. The majority of
his baskets came in the paint on follow-ups or fundamental post moves, but he
also stepped outside of the paint and knocked in a few mid range jump shots and
delivered several assists to Zimmerman.
Both
players noted they enjoyed playing with each other and the chemistry was
evident from the opening tip on Wednesday night.
Chris Clarke, USA
East, 6’6”, SF, Cape Henry (VA), 2015
Chris
Clarke and the words “motor” have been synonymous all summer long and certainly
nothing changed in the Challenge. Clarke was all over the floor attacking the
basket or hounding opposing players in the full court press. For his efforts,
Clarke was named to the All-Tournament team after averaging 16 points per game and
shooting 71.8% from the floor (21-38). In addition Clarke also grabbed almost
3.3 offensive rebounds per game. Anytime Clarke got the ball he went straight
toward the rim. When China went to a 2-3 zone in the first game, Clarke flashed
to the middle, caught the ball in the zone and in one quick movement turned and
was at the rim in one dribble. He never seemed to get tired and Clarke never
went away from his strengths. Whoever winds up with Chris Clarke will get a
difference maker from Day 1 in college.
5 USA Notables:
Jalen Brunson, USA
Midwest, 6’2”, PG, Stevenson (IL), 2015
Hailing
from the Chicago burbs, Brunson looked right at home playing within the city
limits. While Brunson is known for his three point stroke in high school play
he only shot 23% during EYBL action. Well, in four games at the Challenge
Brunson finished 10-15 from behind the arc. He had no trouble with the FIBA distance
and hit several tough step backs in addition to NBA three’s. Brunson controlled
the game for his Midwest team throughout their third place finish and averaged
14 points and 6.25 assists per game. The class of 2015 is weak at the point
guard spot, but over the past two weeks at the CP3 camp and the Nike Global
Challenge, Brunson definitively established himself as the top point guard in
the class and an impact player at the next level.
Edrice Adebayo, USA
East, 6’8”, PF, Northside (NC), 2016
Bam’s
offensive game continues to improve. Known as “raw” on the offensive end,
Adebayo’s skill-set is starting to catch up to his athleticism. In his second
game against Africa, Adebayo jumped out to a quick start with a fast break
dunk, reverse lay-up in traffic, and a 12 foot jump shot. He already has a
college ready upper body and is quick off his feet. With good form on his free
throws and jump shot, Adebayo is starting to get more confidence in his 12-15
foot jumper. He hit several over the three day stretch and did so off a pick
and pop or face-up. He led his East team in scoring at 17 points a game and
also grabbed 7 rebounds. With continued skill work, it won’t be long before
Adebayo rises rapidly up the rankings.
De’Aaron Fox, USA
West, 6’4”, PG, Cypress Lake (TX), 2016
The
talented USA West team had Zimmerman and Davis down low and a plethora of
shooters on the wings, but they also had junior De’Aaron Fox running the show.
Fox led the Challenge with 7.25 assists per game and also turned in a strong
3.2 A/TO rate. Fox hit shots when he needed, but for the most part the talented
guard was content to push the pace, break down his man off the dribble, and
find an open teammate. Fox didn’t make the cut for the USA 17U team, but he did
showcase his skills in Colorado Springs and continued to do so in one of the
last big time events of the summer.
Dejounte Murray, USA
West, 6’5”, SG, Rainier Beach (WA), 2015
Murray
was the only representative from the Pacific Northwest, but the future
Washington Husky won a few NBA scouts over with his skill set. Murray averaged
almost 14 points per game and hit some clutch baskets in a closely contested
win over the USA Midwest team. With his length and quickness, Murray got to the
rim on the break and usually got by his defender on the wing in the half court
set as well. He did turn the ball over too much, but Murray also provided some
highlight reel plays in addition to his timely scoring.
Jaylen Brown, USA
East, 6’7”, SF, Wheeler (GA), 2015
The
USA South team went just 2-2 in the Challenge, but Scout.com’s new number one
player in the class of 2015 still played up to the lofty expectations set for
him. Using his brute strength and improved mid-range game, Brown averaged 21
points per game and 9.3 rebounds while shooting 48% from the field. He did most
of his damage in the paint but showed enough ball-handling skills for all the
scouts that wanted to see him in action.
Top Shooters:
Playing
under FIBA rules, the three point line was set at 22.1 feet compared to a high
school arc of 19 feet and 9 inches. To no surprise the USA teams struggled from
behind the arc more so than the international teams. With the extended arc,
there were still a few players that demonstrated their shooting ability from
all areas of the court.
Malachi Richardson, USA
East, 6’6”, SF, Trenton Catholic (NJ), 2015
Only
five USA players made over seven three’s in the Challenge and the future
Syracuse Orangeman was one of them. Richardson finished the week hitting 7-18
good enough for 39%. Richardson went 5-7 in his first game against China and
wasn’t really affected by the longer three point line. With his 6’11” wing
span, Richardson’s shot is pretty hard to block and he also has a quick
release. To go along with his mechanics, Richardson also gets a tremendous
amount of backspin on the ball reminiscent to Gilbert Arenas back in his
heyday. He averaged 14.5 points for the tournament and while he only made two
more three’s after his first game he established himself as one of the top
shooters from the USA.
Austin Grandstaff, USA
West, 6’3”, SG, Rockwall (TX), 2015
Looking
purely at the stats, it was teammate Matt
McQuaid that shot better from behind the arc going 7-20 compared to the
8-26 that Grandstaff shot. That being said, Grandstaff makes his way into the
top shooters listing for when he made his shots. They usually came at the
beginning of games rather than towards the end in blowouts. Grandstaff made his
attempts look easy with a quick flick of the rest and hit several from well
beyond the FIBA international line.
Mr. Consistent:
Esa Ahmad, 6’7”, SF, Shaker
Heights (OH), 2015
The
talented wing from Ohio is never flashy in his performance, but he seems to
always get the job down. This held true in Chicago with Ahmad averaging 13.8
points and 5.8 rebounds per game. His field goal attempts through four games
went this way: 5-7, 6-8, 3-9, and 8-9. He took advantage of a porous Chinese
defense in the third place game with his strong drives to the basket. Ahmad is
not going to blow you away with athleticism, but he is strong and just quick
enough to consistently get to the rim. He is not a deadly outside shooter, but
he went 5-10 from behind the arc. His stock improved over the summer, but Esa
Ahmad is still overlooked in the class of 2015 despite his consistent nature.
Quietest Performance:
Deyonta Davis, USA
Midwest, 6’8”, PF, Muskegon (MI), 2015
Davis
averaged just less than 13 minute a game, but managed to score 8.8 points and
grab seven rebounds while shooting a ridiculous 85% from the floor. Davis only
attempted 20 field goals, but he converted 17 of them. The jumping jack from
Michigan is one of the quickest leapers in the country and cleaned up down low.
Coming into the AAU season, Davis did not have much exposure but the future
Spartan certainly showed that he was worthy of such a high offer.
Disappearing
Act:
Donovan Mitchell, USA
East, 6’3”, G, Brewster Academy (NH), 2015
It’s
hard to blame Mitchell for one lackluster performance after being one of the
hottest players throughout the July period. After jumping up to five-star
status and committing to Louisville, Mitchell struggled in Chicago averaging just
four points and 2.5 assists per game. Mitchell had talented guards around him,
but in 82 minutes he shot just 7-20 from the field and was a relative
non-factor in three out of four games. In the championship game, Mitchell went
against one of his clones in King
McClure and he let the Texan get the better of him. It’s been a long summer
for Mitchell and one subpar tournament should be nothing to worry about, even
though it did end his hot play on a down note.
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