USA 17U Tryouts: Session 1

A plethora of top notch talent from the 2015 and 2016 classes was in attendance last night for the first session of the 17U USA training camp in Colorado Springs. All of the players are vying for a spot on the eventual 12 man roster that will compete in the FIBA World Championships held in Dubai come August. The first four sessions are used as tryouts to cut the team down before practices begin in full on Sunday evening. College coaches are allowed to watch both the second and third sessions that take place Friday morning and afternoon.

Intro:

The camp got off to a slow start as introductions were made and players settled in. Stretching and some light drills kicked things off. Soon players were separated out by position and went to various baskets for skill work. After that they started with 4 on 4 and 3 on 2 drills. Towards the end of the session the group was separated into four teams with each team playing three games to close out the night. 

Injuries:

It didn’t take long for players to start dropping out of the drills. 6’8” power forward TJ Leaf was the first to bow out with an apparent leg injury and 6’10” center Diamond Stone came out shortly after. Unfortunately for Leaf, injuries seem to be the norm for the No. 10 prospect in the class of 2016. Previously in October the California native was only able to participate in the opening session of the Developmental National Team training. As for Stone, he is all but assured a spot on the team regardless of injury. Last year on the 16U team, the No. 1 ranked recruit in 2015 started all five games in the FIBA America tournament averaging 13.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. Stone noted that he hurt his hip flexor in the Under Armour Finals last week and re-aggravated it as practice began. He thought the injury would need at least 3-4 days of rest before being able to get back out on the court. 

Top Practice Player:

Jayson Tatum, 6’7”, G/F, Chaminade College Prep (MO), 2016

Last year Jayson Tatum came off the bench for the 16U team averaging 10 points per game, but this year the 6’7” junior is looking to become a leader. He took a good first step Thursday night with his performance. The newly ranked top prospect in his class, Tatum certainly lived up to his ranking. During drills Tatum pushed the ball up the court and delivered several pin point passes leading to easy dunks for his teammates. Later, when it came time to scrimmage, Tatum showed off his diverse offensive skill-set. 

The first two words that come to mind when watching Tatum play are smooth and skilled. While not the most explosive athlete, Tatum usually has either a quickness or a height advantage on most defenders. When going against a long wing such as 6’6” Terrance Ferguson, Tatum would take two dribbles before releasing a soft floater in the paint. When faced with a smaller defender, Tatum went to the post backing his man down. At one point he made a 15 foot fade-away jumping off one foot. The fade-away was an extremely difficult shot for almost anyone, but one that looked natural for Tatum. He did get carried away in the last scrimmage as he tried to post up the 6’9” Ellenson. Tatum ended up taking another 15 foot fade away from the left baseline and luckily got bailed out by the ref who blew his whistle. 

There aren’t many weaknesses in Tatum’s offensive game, but if you want to nitpick it’s easy to point to his three-point shooting. During the Nike EYBL he shot just 28%; however during the scrimmages he knocked in outside shots from both corners which also happened to be from the international three point line as opposed to the college or high school line. 

Given his size and skills, Tatum currently is a match-up nightmare. He is comfortable playing point guard and distributing the ball, but he also loves to play in attack mode. Advanced footwork in the post and an improved form on his outside shot led to a strong first session for Jayson Tatum.

Three More Top Performers:

Eric Davis, 6’3”, G, Arthur Hill (MI), 2015

Throughout the scrimmages and drills, Eric Davis was extremely consistent. While more comfortable at the shooting guard position, Davis also played point and took great care of the ball. There was nothing flashy to his game, but he didn’t commit any unforced errors. Davis was also extremely efficient scoring wise. As one of the better shooters in camp, Davis hit several outside shots from the top of the key and the corner’s. His jump shot has good rotation after its release and he only took shots within the flow of the offense. Along with his outside shooting, the 6’3” guard also used his first step for penetration. Primarily driving from the left wing, Davis got to the basket and was seen finishing in the paint with either soft floaters or lay-ups. One month ago at the Top 100 Davis was either hot or cold, but last night he stayed hot pretty much the entire time.

Caleb Swanigan, 6’8”, PF, Homestead (IN), 2015

This event was Swanigan’s first experience in a USA setting and despite a travel day that started with a 6am flight the beefy big man did not show any signs of being tired. “You just have to make it through three days, that’s it,” said Swanigan. “I want to do all the things that other players don’t want to do. It all starts with rebounding and effort.”

Rebounding and effort were definitely two things that Swanigan showed early on. While there were eight other big men participating that were at least 6’8”, Swanigan was one of the few that enjoyed banging down low in the post. He pushed weaker opponents aside and was always around the basket looking for rebounding opportunities on both sides of the court. Now, with his body size Swanigan is definitely not the quickest of leapers and he did have trouble converting second chance opportunities at times. Despite several tough shots in the paint, Swanigan was never deterred and always kept attacking. 

While not a jump shooter by any means, Swanigan impressed with his soft feet and fundamental form during shooting drills for the big men group. In both short catch and shoot / one-dribble situations, Swanigan looked comfortable and confident. 

Daniel Giddens, 6’10”, Wheeler (GA), 2015, Ohio State

Daniel Giddens

On the Fourth of July, Daniel Giddens ended his college recruitment and committed to Thad Matta and Ohio State. Now he is focused on retaining his spot with the USA team after getting 13 minutes of action per game last year. The 6’10” power forward / center is well-known for his defensive abilities and chiseled frame, but last night Giddens looked very comfortable and confident on the offensive end. Early on he connected on a jump shot from 14 feet out and later on he backed down a weaker defender and finished with a right handed hook shot in the paint. He also attacked the glass with his quick first leap and was an overall solid contributor in all of the scrimmages. If Giddens can combine some of the scoring skills he flashed in the first session with his shot blocking abilities, he might just make his second straight appearance on Team USA.

Other Notes:

6’4” shooting guard Malik Newman was the leading scorer for the 16U team last year averaging 16.2 points per game on 47% shooting. He was forced to miss the Peach Jam last week and appeared at camp with a heavily bandaged hand. Newman started slow taking several tough step-back jump shots usually with a hand in his face, but he turned it on towards the end. In the last scrimmage he blew by Eric Davis on the right side of the court and finished with an emphatic slam. This led to a few more blow by’s and dunks as none of the opposing big men wanted to challenge the athletic Newman in the air. After some time off the top scoring guard in the country looked a bit rusty, but he seemed to grow more confident as the night went on.

Last October after the USA Developmental Camp it was safe to say that Henry Ellenson didn’t have much of a shot making the final 17U team. Fast forward 10 months and the 6’9” forward from Rice Lake is probably a lock. Ellenson got out on the break for easy baskets and showed off his shooting touch in drill work and occasionally during the games. He definitely gets a little too comfortable behind the three point line but on back to back possessions he drove by Caleb Swanigan for a dunk and then finished with contact using his left hand. Last week at the Nike Elite Invitational, Ellenson primarily played outside of the paint, but these tryouts will force him to bang down low while proving the opportunity for a pick and pop when the time is right. 

6’9” Harry Giles started the first two games in last year’s 16U tournament before tearing his ACL. He is slowly starting to get more comfortable on the court with his movements, but still is a long way from being 100% healthy. The rising junior ran the court well and was the recipient of several Tatum assists throughout the day. In the drills, Giles looked smooth but it also appeared he was thinking about every move in his mind instead of just reacting naturally. Little by little Giles will get there.

Ivan Rabb is rated the No. 1 player in the country by ESPN, but you wouldn’t have known that last night as the 6’10” power forward from Oakland blended into the big man crowd. At times he looked to be limping which could have been an injury or a carryover from a strenuous Peach Jam. Initially he tried to take some defenders off the dribble but was usually cut off before he could get in a good scoring position. In the last scrimmage, Rabb did come alive displaying his fundamental footwork in the post. He is comfortable finishing and shooting with either hand and converted several shots in a crowded paint area. 

Just like Caleb Swanigan, this was Dennis Smith’s first USA basketball experience. The 6’1” guard from North Carolina shot up the rankings this past spring and is considered the best point guard in the class of 2016. Playing with USA “veterans” such as Newman, Tatum, and Giles, Smith still managed to stand out. Despite his size he can finish well above the rim which was evident when he threw down a violent right hand dunk. His ball-handling skills are also off the charts and he broke down his defender to create scoring opportunities for his veteran teammates throughout the scrimmages. While he has deep range on his outside shot, this is an area of improvement for Smith as he miss-fired badly to the left and right of the basket on several outside attempts.

One player who is probably a long shot to make the team is 6’10” junior center Terrell Brown from Barrington, RI. Despite this fact, Brown more than held his own against his more highly touted peers. Right now Brown is lacking in the strength department, but he used his length to corral several offensive and defensive rebounds. He ran the court well and even knocked in a corner three towards the end of the night. 

6’6” Terrance Ferguson is another Team USA veteran and the Texas native is athletic with a nice mid-range jump shot in his repertoire. He averaged just under 6 points per game last year on the USA team and is definitely one to keep an eye on through the remaining tryouts. 

Where Are The Shooters?

Last year the USA team as a whole shot 27.8% from three. Seventh Woods (4-11) and Malik Newman (10-28) were the only players that finished above 35%. In the tryouts, there still aren’t any knock down shooters, say like a James Blackmon Jr. from the class of 2014. Tatum’s shot is improving and the 6’9” Ellenson is more than comfortable from behind the arc, but the outside shooting situation is still a little dicey. For my money 6’0” point guard Peyton Pritchard is the best pure shooter in camp, but he will have his hands full making the team with all of the talented point guards in camp.