2014 Scouting Reports On NBA Draft Prospects

Almost three years ago, some of the top 16 and 17 year-old high school players gathered in Colorado Springs for the USA U17 tryouts. There was talent galore in the gym with the likes of Malik Monk, Dennis Smith, and TJ Leaf all getting cut. Two players from that team were drafted in Henry Ellenson and Diamond Stone and now six more are expected to hear their name called Thursday night. Here are my notes from three years ago on: 

• Jayson Tatum
• Josh Jackson
• Harry Giles
• Caleb Swanigan
• Terrance Ferguson
• Ivan Rabb

Jayson Tatum:

Strengths: 

Giles-Tatum talking about college

Standing at 6’7” and probably still growing, there isn’t a whole lot that Jayson Tatum can’t do on the basketball court. While he is the second youngest player on the team, Tatum is the most skilled from an offensive stand point. Not just on the USA team though, in all of high school basketball. He is comfortable playing point guard (and will probably handle the ball a fair amount for Team USA) and on the wing. Tatum also uses both his strong (right) and weak hand (left) interchangeably while dribbling or finishing shots in the paint. He likes to take advantage of miss-matches and can post up smaller defenders and either shoot over them or hit a fade-away. He can drive by slower defenders and finish at the rim or pull-up from 15 feet as well. Tatum dominated AAU at the 16U level last year and averaged 18.9 points in the 17U EYBL this year. Tatum came off the bench for Team USA last year, but he will definitely be one of the focal points this year. 

Weaknesses: 

Strength and shooting are the focal points even though he’s already shown improvements in both areas from his freshman to sophomore season. Tatum has a thin frame, but he has definitely put on muscle in his upper body and will continue to do so over the next two years. The only time I’ve seen Tatum bothered on the offensive end, was when a team put a strong and athletic 6’5” wing on him who tried to rough him up. Tatum still did what he wanted, but had to work a little harder than he was accustomed to. As for shooting, Tatum shot just 28% from three and 42% from the field in the EYBL. During the USA tryouts he was draining three’s from the international line on the first night and continues to improve in this area. One other note, he does not exhibit freakish athleticism like some players but with his height, guard skills, and offensive repertoire it isn’t easy for anyone to slow him down. 

Josh Jackson:

Strengths: 

A top 5 player in the junior class, Jackson is a smooth and skilled wing (although almost one year older than Giles and Tatum). Last year he averaged 11.4 points and 5.6 rebounds in just under 20 minutes a game during USA play. Athletic with a good first step, Jackson is the prototypical wing at the next level. He is very strong in one on one situations and can use his left to right spin move to finish aggressively at the rim. He can break people down off the dribble and is tough to stop once he gets in the lane. Jackson is the type of player that likes to get up and down the court for high flying dunks, but he also uses his length and quickness to lock down defenders on the wing. 

Weaknesses: 

For all his talent, Jackson has a tendency to blend in more than he should. At times you can forget that he is on the floor as he can float from offense to defense aimlessly without making an impact several minutes at a time. His jump shot is also a work in progress. He shot just 2-15 from three during the Under Armour Finals in July, but was very effective from inside the paint. Jackson has the tools and just needs to stay aggressive to fulfill his talents while continuing to hone his jump shot to turn into a threat from all areas on the court.  

Harry Giles:

Strengths: 

Giles is the best pro prospect on the USA team although he still has a way to go before being fully healthy again. After starting two games last year in the FIBA Americas, Giles tore his ACL and missed his entire sophomore season. He returned to the court in May and the beginning months were rough as he tried to return to the player he was as a freshman. After looking tepid during the first USA tryout, Giles suddenly started flashing the skill-set that made him the No. 1 player in his class. With a 7’2” wing span, Giles started throwing down vicious one and two hand dunks in traffic. Giles noted he is at about 90% right now and he is still lacking that quick first step; however, he is able to play in isolation from 15 feet out or in the post. His jump shot is still a work in progress but he can hit off the dribble, from mid-range, and the three point line on occasion. With his length and athleticism, Giles resembles a player in the Chris Webber mode. While not the passer Webber was, his aura on the court is similar. It is going to take time for Giles to fully trust his knee, but when that time comes he could reclaim his top spot in the class of 2016. Oh yeah, he is also the youngest player on the team. 

Weaknesses: 

Getting healthy and working on the outside shot. Right now, Giles is still gaining confidence in his movements. An ACL tear takes time to come back from, but Giles is getting more confident as the days go by. Once his first step improves and he regains a little bit more of his athleticism Giles will be tough for any opposing big to guard. As noted above, Giles hit several outside jump shots in the tryouts although he miss-fired badly on a few as well. He has the range and touch to stretch the defense but needs to continue to hone his form and release going forward. While coming off a knee injury, he lacks vertical explosiveness.

Caleb Swanigan:

Strengths: 

A late addition to the USA tryout roster, Swanigan quickly made a name for himself and earned a coveted spot on the 12-man team. The big man out of Indiana brings a toughness to Team USA and isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. In the first four tryouts, Swanigan was often seen man handling taller big men down low. He did his best work on the offensive glass and after grabbing the board, Swanigan usually used his upper body mass to get the defender underneath the rim and effectively out of the play. He knows he is a beast down low and doesn’t stray from his bread and butter after leading the EYBL in rebounds with 11.9 per game. While not an outside scorer, Swanigan did show a nice touch and soft feet throughout the drill work in tryouts. 

Weaknesses: 

At 6’7” / 6’8”, Swanigan could stand to have another inch or two, although his 7’1.5” inch wing span sometimes makes up for that fact. While he dominated the boards and often scored on put-backs he also got blocked when going straight up a fair amount. When long defenders are in his face he has a hard time scoring without moving them out of the way. While it’s great that Swanigan knows his strengths he will need to improve his face-up ability and propensity to turn the ball over in the post going forward. 

Terrance Ferguson:

Strengths: 

Another repeat member on the USA team, Ferguson is a long and lean 6’6” with a solid shooting stroke. He excels in the mid-range whether it is a shot off the catch or off the dribble. He gets good elevation and with his long arms and he can usually extend above the defender. His elbows are locked in tight and his misses are usually short or long (a sign of a good shooter per Larry Bird). He has range beyond the international three point line even though his percentages would suggest otherwise. There was a lack of pure shooters at the USA tryouts and many observers thought that Ferguson might have the nicest stroke of them all. Ferguson is a strong run and jump athlete although his forays to the basket are usually limited to highlight dunks on fast breaks. Ferguson came off the bench last year for the USA team and will do so again this year looking to become the zone buster for team USA. 

Weaknesses: 

Ferguson is a strong shooter, but he is also trying to develop other parts of his game such as his ball handling and slashing abilities. With an increased handle, Ferguson will be able to do more damage than just pull-up jump shots. Also, at just 170 pounds Ferguson can get tossed around by defenders that are stronger or more aggressive. Ferguson has a good tool set to work with and can become a dangerous player off the bench in Dubai, but needs to continue to focus on getting stronger and turning into more than a jump shooter and dunker on the break. 

Ivan Rabb:

Strengths: 

Using an NBA comparison, I would compare Rabb to a younger Chris Bosh (Updated note: YIKES), although Rabb is a bit shorter at 6’10” and a 7’1” wing span. Last year Rabb started three games on the U16 team and led it in rebounding at 9.8 per game. Rabb is a lean big man that can often get pushed around down low due to his lack of weight, but on the offensive end he can finish with either hand. A natural righty, it isn’t uncommon to see Rabb hit shots with his left hand outside of the paint. He can handle the ball adequately and likes to sprint the floor on the break. Rabb can also hit a 12-15 foot jump shot, although his consistency remains a question. He grabbed (close) to double digit rebounds the past two years in the EYBL. There is also a strong possibility that he is not 100% healthy while in Dubai. 

Weaknesses: 

Due to his skinny frame, Rabb can get pushed around down low by stronger defenders. When he has a bigger defender on him, he should be able to use his quickness to his advantage, but is routinely cut off short on his drives. He needs to learn how to start and stay aggressive for an entire game as he sometimes plays more passively than one would like. Rabb also has a soft touch but needs to continue to work on his mid-range and face-up jump shots to make him a consistent scoring threat from outside of the post area. 

Nike Hoop Summit: Friday Rewind

The Nike Hoop Summit practices concluded on Friday as both the World and U.S. team made their final preparations for their match-up on Saturday afternoon. The U.S. team had both a morning and evening practice while the World team had a single practice in the afternoon.

World Team:

Skal - Ken Nowaczyk/USA Basketball

NBA scouts and General Managers were out in full force to watch the World team Saturday afternoon. The long and talented team wasted no time in picking up the energy in the practice as they started with full-court shooting drills to get warmed up. It only took a few jump shots from Kentucky bound Skal Labissiere to see his immense potential and to understand why he might finish as the No. 1 ranked player in his class. Standing around 7 feet, Labissiere moves well and stays square to the basket on his jumpers. He gets good elevation and has a high release point allowing his shots to fall softly through the net. After getting warmed up, the World team went right to scrimmaging.

To start the game, the team was divided up with Jamal Murray, Stefan Peno, Ben Simmons, Thon Maker, and Zhou Qi on one team and Federico Mussini, George de Paula, Nedim Buza, Skal Labissiere, and Cheick Diallo on another. 2016 Kentucky bound forward Tai Wynyard came off the bench.

Team 1:

Right away, small forward Ben Simmons made his presence known. Without a true point guard on the team, Simmons handled the ball a fair amount and initiated the fast break after grabbing his own defensive rebounds. He knocked in a NBA three-pointer from the right corner to kick things off and then scored on two strong drives to the basket. He had a quickness advantage on Nedim Buza and used just one or two dribbles to get Buza off balance before accelerating down the left lane and finishing short runners with both his left and right hand. Throughout the game, Simmons was blazing in transition and also converted a nice finger roll after a drive down the middle of the lane.

Along with Simmons, Canadian shooting guard Jamal Murray showed off his deep range hitting multiple three’s proving that the deeper three point line did not make a difference. 7 foot forward Thon Maker struggled throughout the scrimmages before throwing down a rim rattling one hand dunk towards the end. Maker prefers to play outside the paint; however on Friday his shot was not falling and he struggled driving to the basket. While Maker has range on his shot, his misses were all over the side of the rim rather than falling short or long. 7’2” center Zhou Qi from China made a return appearance after missing numerous practices due to an ankle injury suffered on the first day of practice. Qi showed his ability to get up and down the floor well for a player his size and held his own on the defensive boards. Given his lack of upper body strength and 209 pound frame, Qi was not banging around down low on the offensive end. Qi prefers to hover around the foul line area looking for short jump shots which he can knock down given his shooting touch.

Team 2:

I came to see Skal. Both the media and NBA personnel have fallen in love with the power forward from Haiti and while it was a quite performance from the future star you could see why basketball minds are enamored with him. Skal waited until the last stanza to score a basket and did so with a right handed hook shot in the lane and he followed that up with a left-handed tip dunk in the middle of the lane where his whole forearm was above the rim. One area where he could have been more aggressive was when he caught the ball at the free throw line against a zone defense. He had several opportunities to turn and shoot from 10-12 feet but instead he passed on those open looks.

6’1”, 154 pound Federico Mussini and the 6’6” George de Paula ran the team’s offense with their contrasting styles. Mussini is short and quick and can knock in three’s from deep and get by his man off the dribble. Once past his defender, Mussini’s physical deficiencies come into play and he is often driving looking for an open teammate to kick the ball to. On the other hand, de Paula is strong and athletic and will try to use his almost 7 foot wing span to dunk on a defender’s head (which he tried). De Paula was aggressive in the scrimmages, but sometimes to the detriment of his teammates who often became upset with his lack of passing. In the first two scrimmages, de Paula took several forced jump shots and shooting is definitely not his forte. When he is driving and attacking he is a tough cover but not when shooting long and contested jump shots.

6’8” wing Nedim Buza put together a thrilling shooting display during the scrimmages knocking down deep three’s whenever his feet were set and he had some space. Buza has good lift on his outside shot and his attempts were always straight on-line with the basket. While he proved to be a knock down shooter, it was also clear that creating his own shot was not his forte. Lacking foot speed, Buza needed high picks to free him of a defender before launching a jumper.

Throughout the scrimmages the world team looked crisp. They worked on attacking the full-court press and zone defenses that the U.S. will most likely throw at them on Saturday. The U.S. will put pressure on the guards and look to speed the game up. Look for Ben Simmons to have a huge role in helping the World team combat the aggressiveness of the U.S.

U.S. Team:

The United States had two practices on Friday. The morning session consisted primarily of shooting drills and other team competitions while the evening practice featured another scrimmage against former college players. This time around the scrimmage consisted of three, 10 minute quarters.

This time around, small forward Jaylen Brown was ready to participate and took over the starting small forward spot from Brandon Ingram. The starters were Jalen Brunson, Malik Newman, Brown, Ivan Rabb, and Stephen Zimmerman. Unlike Thursday where the U.S. basically went five in and five out, substitutions were made in a more liberal manner.

Brown did not waste any time getting started making a driving lay-up, a corner jump shot from the right side of the court, and another lay-up in traffic. Throughout the course of the scrimmage Brown played primarily small forward, but also saw some time at the power forward spot where he was banging around down low with the taller and stronger opponents. In the last stanza, Brown made another driving lay-up and finished a short floater from the left side of the basket after drawing contact.

Shooting guard Malik Newman had an up and done scrimmage despite a variety of shot attempts. He was best in the open court attacking the basket and converted a few jumpers throughout but also miss-fired on several long two’s. It wasn’t an efficient performance for Newman, but it was quite the performance for Luke Kennard. One of the first players off the bench, Kennard scored a quick three baskets with a follow-up off a missed shot, a two dribble jumper from the right corner, and a cutting lay-up off of a nice feed from Briscoe. After his quick burst, Kennard sat out the rest of the scrimmage opting for some rest before the real game on Saturday.

The U.S. team also received some strong bench play with Isaiah Briscoe, Allonzo Trier, and Brandon Ingram all making plays. Briscoe continued his attacking style and even added a three in from the left wing. Trier had his soft, high arcing shot working throughout and Ingram was able to pick his spots with a few mid-range jumpers and a put back after a miss from five feet out. As for the U.S. big men, Ivan Rabb was the most active hitting short shots with both hands and relishing the contact with the former college players.

Match-Up:

The 2015 Nike Hoop Summit tips at 3pm EST on ESPN2. Last year the U.S. team won 84-73 behind the eventual trio that led Duke to the 2015 NCAA championship. Justise Winslow led the way with 16 points and Jahlil Okafor and Tyus Jones scored 14 and 13, respectively. This year, the U.S. guards will look to set the tempo and pressure the World team into turnovers. The World team has good height and length. Will Ben Simmons and Skal Labissiere lead the World team to a victory or will Malik Newman, Jaylen Brown, or Allonzo Trier step up for the U.S.?

Nike Hoop Summit: US Scrimmage

The Nike Hoop Summit is underway in Portland, OR this week and Thursday marked the third day of practice for the U.S. team. The early afternoon consisted of putting in plays and some light scrimmaging as the team saved up for the 6-8pm session. In this stanza, the U.S. team scrimmaged for four, 10 minute quarters against a variety of players from Portland University and other local schools in addition to future Oklahoma Sooner, Payton Pritchard (class of 2016). It also happened to be the only practice that NBA scouts could attend for the U.S. team and the gym was packed with over 100 scouts and General Managers. The U.S. team used its length and athleticism to combat its strength disadvantage and won the first three quarters comfortable before squeaking out a fourth quarter victory.

The starters included Jalen Brunson, Malik Newman, Brandon Ingram, Ivan Rabb, and Stephen Zimmerman. 

Guards:

Malik Newman – Newman got the start alongside Jalen Brunson and showcased his scoring ability throughout. Without being tasked to start the offense, Newman was free to attack the basket and look for mid-range jump shots within half-court offensive sets. He started the scrimmage off with a three from the left wing and added in a step-back jumper. In the second half Newman put up points in a hurry scoring off a pick and roll and using screens to find open 17 foot jump shots. The uncommitted guard was one of the top performers on the day and used his first quick step to constantly free himself from his defender.

Allonzo Trier – The future Arizona Wildcat was the leading scorer for the U.S. with 20 points including an and one three to win a sluggish fourth quarter for the U.S. Trier hit several three’s from the wing and looked comfortable several feet behind the arc. Trier’s ability to get to the rim against more athletic defenders has been questioned but he displayed a good bounce off the dribble and was at ease finding his shot.

Briscoe drives against Pritchard - photo by Ken Waz

Isaiah Briscoe – The powerful combo guard was manning the point guard position when he was in the game. He used his upper body strength and in and out dribble to constantly get deep into the lane where he was able to use his wing span to convert lay-ups or dish out to open teammates. Briscoe was intense on defense and put the most pressure on Pritchard when he was handling the ball. In addition to his baskets close to the hoop, Briscoe converted a long two from the left corner in the second half.

Luke Kennard – Throughout the course of the game, Kennard was the best defensive rebounding guard. He got off the ground quickly and is a good two-footed jumper which he also displayed when going for two-handed jams on various fastbreak attempts. Kennard knocked in several three’s, but struggled when he had to put the ball on the floor. He has a good first burst, but is hampered after one dribble when going towards the basket.  

Jalen Brunson – It wasn't a great scoring day for Brunson although he found the basket several times in the second half. His outside shot was off, but ran the offense well and minimized turnovers. Brunson played stellar defense on Pritchard picking him off twice and showed good instincts in intercepting a few other passes.

Small Forwards:

Brandon Ingram – The rising senior prospect started for the U.S. and finished with 13 points. He got to the line in both halves by attacking the basket and converted 7-8 from the line. He miss-fired on his three point attempts but knocked in a 12 foot jump shot after a pick and roll with Brunson in the second. Ingram used his length to block several jump shots as well on the defensive end. He didn't play as well as he did at McDonald’s, but he still looked comfortable and confident in his surroundings. Over the next few months he will need to continue to work on his strength and explosiveness as the fouls he drew today could have easily turned into blocks or missed shots against more athletic players.

Jaylen Brown – After participating in drills to start the practice, Brown was held out of the scrimmage with a sore hip.

Big Men:

Ivan Rabb – Over the last year, Rabb has worked on his body to get stronger and healthier. After winning a California state championship, Rabb’s effort has been top tier over the past two weeks. He scored close to the rim in the first half with both hands. He also displayed his passing ability with several touch passes to open teammates and operated well at the top of the key. Rabb was forced into a few contested shots in the second half going against stronger defenders and he noted that continuing to get in the weight room was one of his priorities.

Stephen Zimmerman – Big Zimm had a strong run in the second quarter scoring nine points in a quick burst. He converted a touch pass from Rabb and finished close to the rim including an and-one. While he scored in a hurry in this quarter he was also challenged by the physical play and struggled to score with the ball in his hands. He also didn’t get a chance to showcase his 12-15 foot jump shot during the course of the game.

Chase Jeter – The future Duke tandem of Kennard and Jeter connected several times for baskets including one where Kennard took the ball up the court and after attacking the basket he dished out to Jeter for a swish from the foul line extended. Jeter used his go-to move (right hook) to score in the second quarter.

Caleb Swanigan – Swanigan scored three points in the first half and struggled to convert down low; however he used his upper body to keep the opposing post players out of the paint and also man handled a smaller defender down low in the fourth quarter. He stepped outside the paint twice miss-firing on both of his jumpers which he was knocking down in the McDonald’s practices. Swanigan has the power to bang with college players but will need to work on his explosiveness off of two feet.

The U.S. won the first quarter 27-14, the second quarter 34-21, and the third quarter 31-15. With both teams looking tired the fourth quarter it was an issue getting the ball in the hoop on both sides. Down 15-12, Allonzo Trier hit a three from the top of the key and got fouled with two seconds left providing the U.S. with a 16-15 win. While not on the U.S. team, Payton Pritchard relished the opportunity to go against the older U.S. players. When he walked in the gym, the scouts were buzzing about the performance he put on a year ago in the Hoop Summit scrimmage despite being just a sophomore. While he struggled from the floor, he displayed good ball-handlings skills and was constantly getting into the paint showing good body control and an ability to avoid getting his shot blocked by the U.S. big men.

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.