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)
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| 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.
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