USA Basketball Camp: Day 1

Day 1 is in the books from the USA camp with one more to go on Sunday. 48 players took place in the two day USA Developmental Camp with 11 players from the class of 2015 mixed in with 37 freshmen and sophomores making their first appearance in a USA type setting.

Grown Man Strength:

Given the age gap between the seniors and younger kids it’s no surprise that the older guys dominated physically. Last year at this time, Rashad Vaughn (UNLV) and senior Eric Davis went up for a contested lay-up. The older Vaughn finished through contact and the younger Davis ended up on the floor saying “that’s some grown man strength right there.” This year it started out in a few simple half court 2 on 2 and 1 on 1 drills. Small forward Jaylen Brown and Scout.com’s No. 1 player man handled a few of the younger wings as he bulldozed his way to the rim. 7’0” center Stephen Zimmerman took advantage of the much younger EJ Montgomery for easy finishes in the post.

2015 Standouts:

Stephen Zimmerman, C, 7’0”, Bishop Gorman (NV)

In June of 2013, Zimmerman was the top ranked prospect in his class. After a subpar spring and summer on the AAU circuit he now sits at No. 14. That being said, Zimmerman is a completely different player than he was during his AAU days. It started with a MVP performance at the Nike Global Challenge in August and continued in both sessions at the USA camp. Looking looser on the court, Zimmerman got up and down with ease, made some viscous dunks and was comfortable hitting shots from all parts of the court. 

Zimmerman is set to kick off his official visits with a trip to Kansas next week. After visiting Lawerence he will be at Kentucky, UCLA, and Arizona. There is also a strong possibility of an unofficial visit to Notre Dame.

Henry Ellenson, F, 6’10, Rice Lake (WI)

It didn’t take long for Ellenson to get going. As soon as full-court drills began Ellenson became a primary ball handler for his team and scored three consecutive baskets on a tough drive and finish in the lane, a deep step back jump shot, and a fast break and one lay-up. Ellenson’s game usually got started from the perimeter where he has range to hit the three point shot, but given his ball-handling skills he was also mixing in step back jump shots with drives to the front of the rim. On the defensive side he mixed it up down low and used his lengthy wing span to contest shots in the paint. 

Ellenson has three schools left on his list: Marquette, Michigan State, and Kentucky. He’s taken officials to both Marquette and Michigan State and will be in Lexington, KY for their Big Blue Madness.

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

The best way to describe Swanigan is that of a junkyard dog. While usually a bit shorter than his opponents, Swanigan usually bullies them around down low for lay-ups. He made his mark this way at the 17U USA tryouts in July and continued to do so during Day 1 of the camp. He plays with a hard motor, has a strong upper body, and possesses nimble feet in the post. It didn’t matter if you were a young guy or a senior, Swanigan was looking to punish his defender with simple, but effective post moves. 

Luke Kennard, SG, 6’5”, Franklin (OH), Duke

The future Duke Blue Devil looked calm and under control throughout Day 1. He also caught fire from behind the arc in the evening and hit four three’s in one scrimmage. Kennard handled the ball and was also extremely aggressive on the boards. Throughout the drills and scrimmages Kennard played with a veteran’s poise and was one of the clear leaders of camp.

2017 / 2018 Standouts:

Michael Porter Jr. G/F, 6’7”, Father Tolton Catholic (MO), 2017

In the first day it might have been Porter that generated the most buzz amongst the younger kids. Standing 6’7”, Porter possesses a beautiful jump shot and he also has some sneaky athleticism. It was evident in the drills that Porter had a nice stroke. He got good elevation on his mid-range shots and knocked down shot after shot with an effortless stroke. While he isn’t going to blow by anyone from the perimeter just yet, he was getting the hoop during the 4 on 4 and 5 on 5 scrimmages. With long arms and a solid bounce, Porter Jr. put on a dunk show before the second stanza that was highly impressive. He is still coming into his lanky frame, but the talent is undeniable in the youngster from Missouri.

Jalek Felton, G, 6’4”, Mullins (SC), 2017

When you talk about elite athletes, Jalek’s name will always appear over the next few years. He’s known as a shooting guard but he displayed the best vision in camp threading several through the needle type passes in both sessions. As Raymond Felton’s nephew, Jalek has strong ball handling skills and blow by speed that can get him to the rim where he can easily finish. Felton also has range on his outside shot, but right now he is a fairly streaky shooter. He has the ability to knock down several in a row, but can also miss-fire badly on the next few. In his first USA camp experience, Felton shined brightly on Day 1.

Jarred Vanderbilt, SF, 6’7”, Victory Prep (TX), 2017

A Texas lefty, Vanderbilt made a strong impression on all observers early on. With sinewy strength, Vanderbilt was often slashing to the basket and finishing with dunks at the basket or soft shots over the defender’s outstretched hand. He has good quickness and awareness which allows him to get to the basket and he has the athletic ability to finish. 

Ira Lee, 6’8”, PF, Sierra Canyon (CA), 2017

Before the second session some of the players were joking around with Lee about his lack of “bounce.” While players such as Porter Jr. and Felton were throwing down crazy dunks, Lee was struggling to convert his. All the joking around stopped as play began as Lee went harder than every other player on the court. If there was a loose ball, Ira was grabbing it. He attacked both the offensive and defensive boards with an un-matched intensity and also scored a plethora of baskets inside the paint and on short face-up jump shots. He might not be the most athletic specimen at camp, but Lee certainly didn’t let anyone out play him.

EJ Montgomery Jr., F, 6’9”, Montverde Academy (FL), 2018

Billed as one of the top incoming freshman in the country, EJ Montgomery didn’t back down against his older competition. He gave up height and strength in the early going to Stephen Zimmerman, but Montgomery also had the chance to show some of his own skills off. Montgomery is currently a power forward, but he has some perimeter skills in a look-alike Tayshaun Prince body. He scored on several follow-up dunks throughout the scrimmages and also got his lefty jump shot going in the early morning hitting a deep jump shot from the wing followed by an in rhythm three. In high school, Montgomery will go up against some of the top competition in the country including daily match-ups with Ben Simmons which will only increase the skills he already possesses. 

The AAU Duo:

6’10” Wendell Carter Jr. and 6’10” Austin Wiley played on the same Southeast Elite 16U AAU squad this past year and both players and friends are taking part in the USA camp. While they are both starting their sophomore seasons schools from the Southeast have started to take notice. 

Carter hails from Georgia and noted that Georgia Tech came to his school last week and that Texas A&M and Mississippi State had also shown interest. His high school coach also told him that Duke was supposed to stop by next week.

Wiley is from Alabama and is just two hours from Auburn, the school both of his parents attended. He is currently receiving interest from Auburn, Memphis, Clemson, and North Carolina.