NBPA Top 100: Session 2

The night session of the NBPA Top 100 camp began at 7:30pm in Charlottesville, VA coming after a long day of games, drills, and speakers which led to some sloppy play and blowouts. While some players lacked the energy they showed in the morning, others improved on their initial showing or continued their strong play.

Day 1 – Session 2 Standouts:

Reid Travis, 6’8”, 2014, Howard Pulley Panthers

Travis was downright dominant in his Thursday night game and helped lead his team to an 83-55 victory on UVA’s practice court. In the course of 24 minutes, he had 16 points on 7-9 shooting. The majority of his points came down low by the basket however he did hit a three-pointer from the wing in the first half. On two occasions, Travis grabbed a defensive rebound and dribbled around defenders for coast to coast lay-ups. In most of his games, he over powers defenders with his strength and post moves, but this time he showed off other facets of his game that aren’t seen as often. 

Devin Booker, 6’5”, 2014, Alabama Challenge

In the morning session, Booker struggled with his shot but he began the night session connecting on three of his first four attempts. Two of those made shots came off drives to the right side of the hoop while adding in a three pointer from the top of the key. Even when not hitting his outside shots, Booker has an effortless jump shot with a quick release showing why he is one of the top shooters in the class of 2014. During the 3^rd quarter, Booker took on the ball-handling duties and became more of a facilitator rather than a scorer. He did go 3-4 from the line in the second half to finish with 12 points and also showed off an improved handle when pressured by the defense.

Devin Robinson, 6’8”, 2014, Richmond Squires

Kelly Kline / UA

One of the players that managed to shine in two consecutive games was the up and coming Devin Robinson. When Robinson’s squad entered the game in the second quarter he was being guarded by either UNC commit Theo Pinson or Georgetown commit Isaac Copeland. Robinson missed his first shot, a three-pointer from the wing, but then caught fire to quickly extend his team’s lead. In a matter of minutes he knocked in a three from the right corner and left wing to go along with a put-back lay-up and drive to the left side of the basket. Robinson was active in the second half as well getting a few buckets in the lane while also blocking shots on defense. Overall, Robinson was one of the top performers on Day 1.

Jaquan Newton, 6’2”, 2014, Team Final

Despite playing on the losing team, Newton was one of the few bright spots during his team’s first quarter action. He got by his defender off the dribble for baskets in the paint and also provided easy shots for his teammates. He added in a three-pointer from the top of the key for good measure. There were times when Newton got a bit out of control which one player described as “his Philly game coming out” but for the most part he pushed the pace and created opportunities for his teammates. 

Isaac Copeland, 6’8”, 2014, Garner Road

The morning session for Copeland was a dunk fest and while he did not play as well during the night game he still had some solid stretches. In the second quarter, Copeland hit a three from the left wing over Travis Reid and added in a dunk and a lay-up to finish his first stint with seven points. In the second half Copeland threw down a one-handed dunk from the right side that woke up all of the fans and bench players. Copeland showed off talent in spurts, but did not show the same energy he did in the morning session and when he did miss on his outside shots they were usually well off the mark.

PJ Dozier, 6’5”, 2015, Upward Stars

Dozier struggled big time in his first game missing nearly all of his shots, but he got loose for a few easy baskets early on which improved his confidence for the rest of the game. Dozier knocked in a three from the wing and also began attacking the rim regularly. He played point guard for the majority of his 2^nd half time and got by his defender at will. Some of his forays to the rim didn’t go in, but it was still nice to see him attack the basket with confidence after his initial showing.

James Blackmon, 6’2, 2014, Spiece Indy

In this second session, Blackmon earned himself the top shooter award with his performance. Blackmon was knocking down three’s from both wing spots all game. When he was covered he used a pump fake to free himself for an open jump-shot or got into the lane for a floater or mid-range pull-up jump shot. Blackmon had it going all game long and helped his team cruise to a blowout win. 

Jaquan Lyle, 6’4, 2014, Spiece Indy

Another top shooting performance from a kid on the Spiece Indy AAU team came towards the end of a blowout loss, but was still impressive none the less. Lyle knocked down four three’s in a row with the last one coming from well behind the NBA three point line which caused the opposing bench to just laugh and shake their heads in disbelief. To go along with his hot touch from the outside, Lyle cut his list of college suitors down to four: Louisville, Indiana, Tennessee, and Florida.

Josh Perkins, 6’2”, 2014, Colorado Miners

Perkins missed the morning session, but it didn’t take him long to show off his court vision and prove that he was the best point guard in terms of throwing a pin point three quarters court pass to an open teammate a la Kendall Marshall. While Perkins did not do a lot of scoring, it was easy to see that he has great command of the ball when he dribbles and knows how to find the open man.

EYBL Dallas - Top Performers

Over the past weekend many of the top players in the class of 2014 and 2015 competed against each other in Plano, TX in the third Nike EYBL session of the spring. While there were many standout games and standout players, here is a look at some of the top performers:

Justin Jackson, 6’7”, 2014, Houston Hoops

Stats: 15.8 PPG, 5.8 RBG, 3.3 APG, 26-48 (54%) FG’s, 3-5 (60%) 3PT

Jackson’s team went 4-0 over the weekend and the lanky wing was a big reason why. In Houston’s biggest game against Expressions Elite, Jackson went for 27 points and 7 rebounds on 11-17 shooting. While on the court, Jackson does a little bit of everything and never tries to go outside his skill set. He can hit the three, but prefers to operate from inside the arc whether it’s shooting his patented mid-range floater, posting up smaller defenders, or slashing to the basket. Jackson’s height and reach help him make up for a lack of strength and those qualities allow him to play an active role as a defender and on the boards. 

Jalen Lindsay, 6’6”, 2014, Southern Stampede

Stats: 18.5 PPG, 5.3 RBG, 25-47 (53%) FG’s, 10-17 (59%) 3PT

Despite being listed as a five-star player, Lindsay often falls under the radar when it comes time to talk about the top wings. Over the weekend, Lindsay quietly performed well averaging 18.5 points and 5.3 rebounds on 53% shooting. In each game he scored between 16 and 20 points with all of his shots coming within the framework of his team’s offense. In his first game of the tournament Lindsay went 3-4 from three and also went 3-4 from three on Saturday night. He mixed in efficient outside shooting with his athletic drives to the basket. At times, he also used his height advantage to post up smaller defenders. While other wings might have received more recognition, Lindsay was the most efficient this weekend. 

Tyus Jones, 6’2”, 2014, Howard Pulley

Stats: 25.5 PPG, 5.0 APG, 1.8 RBG, 36-57 (63%) FG’s, 8-16 (50%) 3PT

While Howard Pulley struggled over the weekend, it was in no fault due to the play of Tyus Jones. In four games, Jones averaged 25.5 points on 63% shooting. On Friday night Jones had a dominant game against CIA Bounce going for 27 points on 11-11 shooting. While he did not have his typical standout game against Joel Berry on Saturday afternoon, he still scored 18 points including several NBA type three’s. In his final game he went for 32 points. Over the years, Jones has always been considered the best point guard in the class of 2014 and he did nothing to dispel that notion in Texas. Some analysts have mentioned his athleticism as a concern, but at one point on Saturday night Jones brought the crowd to its feet with this spectacular dunk:

Malik Newman, 6’3” 2015, Jackson Tigers

Stats: 24.3 PPG, 5.8 RBG, 3.5 APG, 32-68 (47%) FG’s, 9-25 (36%) 3PT

On Saturday afternoon, Newman put on the best scoring barrage seen on the AAU circuit this year and cemented himself as possibly the best scoring guard in high school. Against the talented Spiece Indy team, Newman had all facets of his game working for the first 24 minutes. Attacking the basket off the pick and roll – check, beating his defender for lay-ups – check, hitting floaters down the lane – check, hitting deep jump shots off a curl – check, hitting step back three’s with his defender draped all over him – check. Newman had 22 points at halftime and soon increased this total to 36 with eight minutes to go. At this point in time Newman was shooting 13-16 from the field. Unfortunately this performance caused him to cramp up and forced him to sit for a few minutes before returning to finish 13-20. Overall, Newman averaged 24.4 points per game and proved to be the toughest cover on the perimeter. With his quickness, ball-handling ability, and length, Newman can create a shot anytime he wants and made defenders look helpless all weekend long. 

Jaquan Lyle, 6’4”, 2014, Spiece Indy

Stats: 19.5 PPG, 4.8 RBG, 3.8 APG 29-43 (67%) FG’s, 3-6 (50%) 3PT

Lyle is another standout performer that led his team to a 4-0 record over the weekend. While he plays on an extremely talented team, Lyle managed to shine each game, none more so than his 30 point, 6 rebound, and 4 assist performance Saturday morning. Lyle prefers to operate within the three point line and used his strength and athletic ability to create shots from all areas. In each victory, Lyle shot over 50% from the field.

Tyler Ulis, 5’8”, 2014, Meanstreets

Stats: 21 PPG, 2.5 RBG, 5 APG, 21-40 (53%) FG’s, 8-16 (50%) 3PT

When it comes to being a true floor general, Ulis is at the top of the pack despite usually being the shortest player on the court. Meanstreets suffered two defeats to start the tournament, but quickly turned their play around thanks to Ulis. In the second half against Team Final, the diminutive point guard stepped up by hitting big three’s and creating shots for himself or teammates off dribble penetration. This performance got Meanstreets their first win which was then followed up the next morning by a solid 31 point, 6 assist game against Texas Pro. Once Ulis beats his defender off the dribble he can finish in the lane with a high floater or create contact to get to the free throw line. In four games, Ulis got to the line a remarkable 38 times. He also had better than a 2:1 assist to turnover ratio. He might be small in size, but plays much bigger than listed.

Stanley Johnson, 6’7”, 2014, Oakland Soldiers

Stats: 19.3 PPG, 8 RBG, 27-52 (52%) FG’s

Right now, Johnson would be one of the more physical players in the college game, let alone on the AAU circuit. In all four games he attacked the basket and the boards over and over again scoring no less than 17 points in any game. Against the Oklahoma based Athlete’s First, Johnson took advantage of his weaker opponents by getting them off balance with a right to left crossover and then used his strength to bully his way to the basket for lay-up after lay-up. His outside shot still needs some work as he only shot 3-14 from the three-point line; however is usually uncontainable in the lane.  

Allonzo Trier, 6’3”, 2015, Athlete’s First

Stats: 25.5 PPG, 5.8 RBG, 2.3 APG, 30-71 (42%) FG’s, 7-17 (41%) 3PT

Malik Newman’s 36 point performance was the most impressive sight of the weekend, but Trier bested his point total with a 37 point performance against the St. Louis Eagles. After going for 37 points on a 10-20 performance, he followed this up with a 9-20 performance on his way to 28 points. The current sophomore can shoot the three, but does most of his damage with the ball in his hands and likes to attack the basket (witness his 19 free throw attempts against St. Louis). 

Bonzie Colson, 6’5”, 2014, BABC

Stats: 19 PPG, 2.5 RBG, 33-61 (54%)

The under-sized forward playing for the famed BABC squad played arguably the toughest four game stretch over the weekend going against Meanstreets, Team Takeover, Team Scan, and Houston Hoops. Despite this formidable line-up, Colson and BABC almost handed Takeover their first loss as he went 11-17 from the field for 23 points. In his other games, Bonzie put up totals of 14, 15, and 24; however he rarely got to the free throw line and rarely rebounded the ball. Colson established himself as a top low post scorer but will need to work on other areas of his game to further capture the attention of high major coaches. 

Jahlil Okafor, 6’9”, 2014, Mac Irvin Fire / Cliff Alexander, 6’8”, 2014, Mac Irvin Fire

Stats: 17.3 PPG, 11.5 RBG, 2.3 APG, 29-39 (74%) FG’s, 11-20 (55%) FT’s (Okafor)

Stats: 14.8 PPG, 11.3 RBG, 1.3 APG, 23-40 (58%) FG’s, 13-23 (55%) FT’s (Big Cliff)

The two best big men in Chicago and the country finally joined forces in Plano, TX this weekend, but somehow the Mac Irvin Fire only went 2-2. In their first game together, Okafor and Alexander were dominating down low on their way to a double digit halftime lead. Okafor was scoring off his spin move in the post while Alexander was running the floor and dunking on defenders left and right. Unfortunately, Okafor went out with a sore foot and Mac Irvin gave up their lead in the final minutes losing to ICP. Mac Irvin then went on to lose their next game before putting things together. In their two wins Okafor went for 24 and 10 and 18 and 15, while Alexander went for 11 and 16 and 15 and 7. Okafor provided the post moves down low and recorded a double-double in each game despite not playing over the past month. Alexander led the tournament in dunks over the weekend and was his usual destructive self when catching the ball close to the basket. 

While many top performers were in Dallas this weekend putting up gaudy numbers there were five players that didn’t affect the box score that much but are ones to keep an eye on in the future:

Kobie Eubanks, 6’5”, 2014, Each 1 Teach 1

This small forward came off the bench for E1T1 and had his best game against Howard Pulley scoring 12 points on 5-8 shooting. Eubanks has an athletic build and can also shoot from outside.

Chris Baldwin, 6’8”, 2015, Expressions Elite

Baldwin plays behind the powerful Abdul Malik Abu on the talented AAU squad out of Massachusetts and saved his best game for last scoring nine points on 4-8 shooting. He has a big body and quick feet that will serve him well down the road.

Chimezie Metu, 6’9”, 2015, Oakland Soldiers

In his first EYBL action, Metu got the start in three out of the four Oakland games. The tall center is very raw, but showed glimpses of future potential. In his first game he took down seven rebounds and in his third game he went 4-4 with 8 points and a block. For good measure, Metu hit a three in his final game. He weighs only 210 pounds but runs the floor and has good hands in the post.