Future Bruins: Jaylen Hands & Jalen Hill

Juniors Jaylen Hands and Jalen Hill both participated in the USA Men’s Developmental camp which took place last weekend in Colorado Springs. The two junior commitments discussed the developmental camp and their future plans.

Hands and Hill together at USA basketball

You guys were both in Colorado Springs in May for the U16 tryouts, how is it being back?

Jaylen Hands: For me it’s fun to see everyone and to have everyone back together again. You get to build relations and go against the best players in the country including the players a class ahead of you so that’s the biggest part for me.

How do you think Day 1 went for you?

Jalen Hill: I think I did alright given my circumstance of not playing for awhile (ankle injury). I was able to come out here and compete. I think I can play better though.

How was it going against some of the top players in the senior class?

Jaylen Hands: It’s better here. With AAU its more miss-match, here its more concentrated with all of the best guards, so its good to play all of the best guards and get better.

Jaylen, when I saw you last at the NBPA Top 100 camp you said that you were using getting cut from the U16 team as motivation. Is that still true?

Jaylen Hands: Well not making it that first time goes into everything I do, especially basketball. Just to know that there’s always someone out there working harder and there’s deficiencies I need to improve upon, so it plays into everything I do.

You made the U16 team Jalen. How was the experience?

Jalen Hill: It was a great experience. One of the best experiences of my life. To have all that hard work pay off. I finally got out of the country for the first time so it was a great experience.

Why did you guys choose UCLA?

Jaylen Hands: Well for me, it’s close to home, but its not so close since it’s a two to three-hour drive. The campus, where it’s located in Westwood, I love Westwood. My parents are from LA so that means a lot to them. A great education. The lineage of the point guards they put in the NBA. So those are the biggest things.

Jalen Hill: For me it would have to be the past history of UCLA. Just the fact that everything they do is great over there. I just really liked it, it was a good feeling for me.

Jaylen Hands: The coaches too, we really like the coaching staff.

Jalen Hill: And the style of play.

Are you talking to any other players here to UCLA?

Jalen Hill: I mean I recruited him (Jaylen) so that worked out.

Jaylen Hands: We chillin right now, but we are gonna devise a plan to see what we can do.

Jalen Hill: We gonna go on a hunt.

Jaylen Hands: Yeah, we are definitely gonna go on the hunt.

Going into your junior season, what are your goals?

Jaylen Hands: I transferred to Balboa. I love what we are doing right now in terms of how we practice. I love how hard we practice. The biggest thing for me is to have them help me develop my motor a lot and besides that just get reps against a lot of good players. I know for sure we will be in the City of Palms, Torrey Pines. We travel a lot, so the competition should be really good.

Jalen Hill: I have to be more of a leader. The leader from last year all left so people are looking at me to be a leader. Trying to be the best player on the team. Facilitate to my teammates. I’m looking to make the team stronger and developing.

What’s one thing you guys are trying to improve upon going forward?

Jaylen Hands: The strength and consistency. It’s just me playing well and becoming the best I can be.

Jalen Hill: I would have to say my work ethic. And I would have to say my defense also since I’m used to scoring.

NBPA Top 100: Thursday Night Session

Two days down with two more to go at the NBPA Top 100 camp in Charlottesville, VA. Despite the long days the campers did not show any signs of letdown in session number four that took place last night.

Top Players:

Thon Maker, 7’1”, PF, 2016, Orangeville (CAN)

Kelly Kline / UA

Before he announced to a crowd of reporters that he would be staying in the class of 2016, Maker put together his best performance in his three year tenure at the Top 100 camp. Maker started the night off with a soft looking jump shot from mid-range and continued to score from a variety of areas. He finished with 22 points and seven rebounds on 8-11 shooting and 2-3 from outside the arc. After going to the line countless times in the morning session, Maker showcased his skill-set which has made him one of the more talked about high school players over the last few years.

Shamorie Ponds, 6’0”, PG, 2016, Thomas Jefferson (NY)

After a strong spring playing in the Nike EYBL circuit, Shamorie Ponds has continued his high scoring ways in Virginia. He struggled from three in the night session going 0-4, but he still finished 8-15 overall. Despite being one of the smaller players on the court, Ponds was always finding little holes in the defense and converted crafty lay-ups with both his right and left hand. With a strong handle, Ponds also pushed the ball in transition and played a crucial part in his team’s 63-62 victory.

Udoka Azubuike, 6’11, C, 2016, Potter’s House (FL)

The big fella from Florida strung together a 16 point performance on 7-8 shooting in his rematch with highly regarded junior forward DeAndre Ayton. Back at the City of Palms last December, Ayton won the match-up, but this time around Azubuike tried to do his best Shaq impression and bring the house down. Throughout the course of the game, Azubuike was punishing the rim with authoritative two hand dunks. He was engaged throughout and looked to relish the chance to play against another highly touted big man.

Xavier Simpson, 6’0”, PG, 2016, Central Catholic (OH)

Xavier Simpson is a tough, physical point guard from Ohio and he put up easily the most efficient performance on the day. With a session high of 25 points, Simpson helped his Rockets squad cruise to a blowout victory. Playing alongside Maker, Simpson went 11-13 from the field including a perfect 3-3 from long distance. He also added four assists and three rebounds and only turned the ball over two times. It was quite the turnaround performance from Simpson who went just 1-8 in his game earlier that day.

Billy Preston, 6’9”, PF, 2017, Dallas API (TX)

It’s always nice to see when highly touted players improve. After seeing Preston start for an extremely talented St. John Bosco squad as a freshman, it was remarkable to see how the 6’8” forward looks less than two years later. With a stronger upper body, Preston now looks like a pro. After scoring 10 points on 5-10 shooting in the first Thursday session, Preston added 13 points and five rebounds and the game winning free throw in overtime in the night session. Preston has a smooth style to his game and can now attack better off the dribble where he can finish easier down low with his added strength and he still sports his solid looking jump shot.

Top Backcourt: Frank Jackson & Jaylen Hands

Thunder and lightning is a proper nickname for the backcourt of Frank Jackson and Jaylen Hands. Jackson is a 6’1” guard from Utah that has thrown his name into the ring for the top point guard spot in 2016. So far throughout the camp Jackson has been sensational getting to the rim at will. With the guards stock quickly rising, both Duke and Maryland will receive unofficial visits after the camp ends. To go along with Jackson, Jaylen Hands is the lightning piece of the duo and he is playing at an extremely high level now that he has a chip on his shoulder after being cut from the USA U16 team. After a strong morning session, Hands led his team in scoring in the night session with 14 points on 6-9 shooting. The 6’2” guard from Southern California has a slight build, but with a quick first step he can get in the lane almost any time he wants. Hands displayed a soft touch on his floater and also went 2-3 from three.

Future UVA Backcourt: Kyle Guy & Ty Jerome

2016 UVA commits Kyle Guy and Ty Jerome are already getting ready for their next step as basketball players. The two are sharing the same backcourt together at the Top 100 camp while also getting used to the feel of John Paul Jones arena. In a one point loss, both Guy and Jerome scored 13 points. Guy showed some craftiness with the ball in his hands and alluded an air of confidence whenever the ball was in his hands. Jerome only hit two field goals on the day, but both of them were from behind the arc and he also went 7-7 from the foul line. With those two in the fold, Tony Bennett will certainly be keeping the Cavaliers at the top of the ACC in the future.

Biggest Disappointment: EJ Montgomery’s Injury

Before going down late Thursday night with a leg injury, EJ Montgomery, a five-star power forward from the rising sophomore class was having a blast. He was hitting shots from all over the court and doing so with confidence and a smile on his face. The change in body language was great to see after a disappointing stint in Colorado Springs where the 6’8” forward didn’t make it through the first cuts of the U16 camp. During this time, Montgomery was pushed around and did not look like he belonged. Less than a month later, Montgomery was taking it to the older players and was displaying the same skill-set from his freshman year at Montverde. 

USA U16: 17 Remain

USA Basketball whittled their roster down to 17 members after the Saturday morning session in Colorado Springs. With cuts looming after the early practice, the coaches didn’t waste any time getting the scrimmages going.

Prospect Watch:

Jaylen Hands, PG, 6’2”, 2017, Foothills Christian (CA)

Jaylen Hands

After having a quiet Friday, Hands came alive Saturday morning trying to impress the coaching staff before they discussed the first round of cuts. Playing on the best team of the day, Hands was active in all areas. He hit a tough three to beat the shot clock early on and showed off his explosiveness on the fast break with a rim-rattling two hand dunk. Hands also pushed the pace on the break and got by his defender and into the lane where he found teammate Kevin Knox for multiple easy finishes at the rim. Hands was one of four players 6’2” or under that made it through the first round of cuts and given his speed and quickness, the California point guard has a strong shot at making the final 12 man roster.

Kevin Knox II, PF, 6’7”, 2017, Tampa Catholic (FL)

Knox’s play was one of the top storylines from the first four practices and the athletic power forward was one of the leading scorers in the scrimmages on Saturday morning. He ran the floor and finished with powerful two hand dunks throughout the practice. Knox also showed a good pair of hands in catching all of the passes from Jaylen Hands in the paint. With the ball in his hands, Knox was able to either finish explosively above the rim or contort his body to avoid getting his shot blocked. He also displayed his pick and roll ability with hard cuts to the rim. After his exceptional play, Knox made it through the first round of cuts with ease.

Carte’Are Gordon, PF, 6’8”, 2018, St. John Vianney (MO)

The powerful big man continued his best Caleb Swanigan impression and also made it to at least a few more practice sessions before the final round of cuts. Gordon hustled throughout the scrimmages and used his strength advantage down low for a plethora of baskets. On most of his made shots, Gordon utilized solid footwork and pump fakes to create easy shots at the rim.

Jarred Vanderbilt, PF, 6’8”, 2017, Victory Prep School (TX)

The self-proclaimed “point-forward” played to his strengths today and had one of his better performances. A future starter for the U16 team, Vanderbilt was active on the defensive hand creating steals with his long reach and quick leaping ability. He turned the steals into one man fast breaks and had several fancy finishes as he beat the opposing team down court. Vanderbilt also was aggressive on the boards and hit his point guards with pin-point outlet passes.

Elijah Hardy, PG, 6’1”, 2018, Bishop O’ Dowd (CA)

The diminutive point guard from Oakland is looking to follow in the footsteps of former high school teammate Ivan Rabb in earning a spot on the final U16 roster. One of the quickest players in the tryouts, Hardy had his pin-point passing on point hitting teammates with no look and behind the back passes. He pressured the opposing point guards and also showed the ability to hit shots off the dribble. Hardy will have his work cut out to make the final roster, but given his tenacity and court vision he has already impressed the various USA coaches.

Quick Hitters:

Sophomore point guard Troy Brown was in attendance on Saturday and made his presence known immediately. The top rated point guard in the 2017 class was vocal and out-going on the court. He didn’t waste any time getting shots up and connected on his second attempt from the deep left corner. Brown will not play on the U16 team due to school commitments, but his play early on raised the level of competition almost immediately.

Charles O’ Bannon Jr., the son of former UCLA Bruin Charles O’ Bannon made it through the first round of cuts. The wing from Bishop Gorman can do a variety of things on the court and uses his 6’10” reach to his advantage. While he didn’t always get a lot of shot attempts in the scrimmages, O’Bannon was a solid wing defender and could attack the basket off the dribble. He averaged 14.1 points per game in the EYBL regular season as well.

Robert Woodard, the 6’5” freshman guard is one of the more physically imposing guards in his class. With a Tyus Battle like physique, Woodard hit multiple mid-range jump shots off the catch in the morning session. He missed his first shot, but came back immediately on the next possession and knocked in a jump shot.

The top shooters in the camp were Markus Howard and Gary Trent Jr. Both players are in the 2017 class and were two of the top three scorers in the EYBL despite being a year younger than most of the players. Both hit outside shots in the scrimmage with Trent connecting on a three from the wing early on while Howard added in a swish from the left corner which looked to be his favorite spot. Howard and Trent Jr. have also been adding scholarship offers lately and they also both showed an ability to attack the rim off the dribble.

One player that did not make the cut was 6’6” freshman shooting guard Cameron Reddish. While this wasn’t a big surprise given his limited shot attempts, I am extremely, extremely high on his potential and would not be surprised to see Reddish on the U17 team next year. The lanky guard has a nice looking outside shot with a quick release that found the bottom of the net several times. He also scored on a reverse lay-up which started from the right wing. Right now, Reddish needs to work on his aggressiveness, but his potential is as high as anyone that played in the camp.

Adidas Unrivaled: Thursday Session 1 Recap

The Adidas Unrivaled camp kicked off this morning beginning with two hours of drills for the top prospects on the Adidas AAU circuit. A few head coaches showed up early including Billy Donovan along with a handful of assistants from high major schools but the big turnout came for the first set of games in the afternoon. John Calipari, Tom Crean, Tad Boyle and many others were present for the five games that made up the first session of games in Chicago. 

Players That Impressed:

Brandon Ingram, 6’8”, Forward, Kinston (NC), 2015

Brandon Ingram

Aggressive is not a word usually used to describe Brandon Ingram. A 6’8” string bean that always looks like the youngest player on the court came out firing. First he found himself on the left wing in an isolation situation. After a hesitation dribble, Ingram drove to the basket for a contested left hand lay-up and you could see his confidence rise. Soon after Ingram curled to the left elbow for a jump shot and then also hit a three from the left side of the court. Ingram’s team jumped out to a huge lead and Ingram finished the first half with 14 points on 6-6 shooting. He ended the game with 16 points on 7-8 shooting and his one basket in the second half displayed his more aggressive mindset. Upon seeing a smaller defender on him, Ingram posted up in the middle of the lane and backed his man down finishing with a two hand dunk. The North Carolina native also added six rebounds. Can he continue his aggressive play going forward?

Tony Bradley Jr., 6’9”, Forward, Bartow (FL), 2016

While Ingram started the game with a bang, Tony Bradley Jr. was the team’s leading scorer finishing with 20 points. The athletic forward was extremely aggressive around the rim finishing with his monstrous wing span. He caught almost everything thrown to him and finished 10-15 from the floor. 

Deng Adel, 6’7”, Forward, Rock Prep (FL), 2015

One of the top wings in the country put on an efficient performance during the first session. Adel got started on the break finishing with two consecutive fast break dunks. He also added in a few deep jump shots from just inside the arc and finished with 12 points and five rebounds on 6-9 shooting in a five point win.

TJ Leaf, 6’9”, Forward, Foothills Christian (CA), 2016

Leaf put together a 14 point, six rebound effort on 7-12 shooting. He showed off his versatility on several drives from the three point line including an acrobatic reverse finish. Leaf also attacked the glass and added three rebounds. He missed both of his three’s, but even the threat of his outside shot kept defenders off balance. 

Braxton Blackwell, 6’7”, SF, Christ Presbyterian Academy (TN), 2016

Blackwell scored 16 points on 8-10 shooting and displayed a variety of aspects of his offensive arsenal. All of his points came from around the basket; however they came in different ways. He posted up smaller defenders, drove by slower defenders, and used strong body control to avoid the taller opponents. He guarded the opposing power forwards and also helped his own team initiate offense by playing point forward on numerous possessions. Blackwell played with a bounce to his step and finished with one of the better performances of the afternoon.

Other Notes:

The top prospects at the Adidas camp are small forward Jaylen Brown and power forwards Carlton Bragg and Chase Jeter. All three struggled in the first set of games going a combined 9-30 from the floor. Brown struggled with his jump shot and ball control while going 2-10 and Bragg went just 2-6 in his game. Jeter finished 5-14 and while he had a brief stretch with several impressive baskets in the post he also forced the action at times. Jeter showed good foot work, but also displayed a propensity to always go to his right.

2017 point guard Jaylen Hands went just 2-8 from the field, but the upcoming sophomore appeared to be one of the quicker guards in camp. The 6’1” guard from California displayed an initial quick burst and solid ball handling skills throughout.

Junior shooting guard Curtis Jones scored 16 points on 6-12 shooting including 3-6 from deep. A few weeks ago Jones was showing off his athletic prowess in Charlottesville and now he is looking to show off his all-around game. 

6’7” guard / forward Maverick Rowan got off to a hot start hitting three three’s in early action. He cooled off from deep, but still finished 5-11 overall. His counterpart was 6’7” Brendon Bailey out of Utah how made two three’s and finished with eight points which came in a matter of minutes in the second half. 

7’1” center Khadim Gueye from Florida was only credited with two blocks, but the rangy big man appeared much more devastating in the paint than the stats would lead to believe. He didn’t make a field goal, but Gueye is a shot blocker to watch going forward.