Nike Global Challenge: Foreign Recap

The 2014 Nike Global Challenge included four foreign teams in the four day tournament held in Chicago, IL. Teams from Brazil, Canada, China, and Africa were all invited to compete amongst each other as well as the four USA teams in participation. Overall, the foreign teams struggled when faced with competition from the United States; however China participated in the third place game after upsetting the USA South team and the three other foreign teams all showcased a few talented individuals. 

MVP:

Shuai Yuan, China, 6’2”, SG

Yuan struggled in his first game but was on fire for his remaining three games. He led all players in scoring at 24 points per game and made a total of 19 three point attempts including 14 in his final two games. In total, Yuan shot 44.2% from behind the arc and almost 55% overall. He hit 7-12 on Friday night against Africa and followed that up with a 7-13 performance on Saturday in the third place game. While Yuan was deadly from the wings he also had enough quickness to get be defenders when they closed out on his outside shot. He might have started slow, but by the end of the tournament Yuan was one of the most exciting players to watch.

Top Players:

Jalen Poyser, Canada, 6’4”, SG, 2015

The leader for Team Canada was without a question 6’4” shooting guard Jalen Poyser. He was named to the All International team and averaged a shade over 20 points per game. Quick and explosive, Poyser wasted no time showing his athleticism in the opening game going for 17 points against USA Midwest. No matter who was guarding him Poyser got any shot he wanted with a long and quick first step. He could explode at the rim for a two hand dunk or a pull-up for a jump shot. While he was fun to watch in the open court and on drives to the basket, Poyser still needs work on his outside shot hitting just 6-19 from three. He has the ability to knock down several in a row, but a slight hitch in his jump shot prevented him from being a consistent marksman. With continued work on his outside shot, Poyser should have his name listed with the top shooting guards in the country. 

George de Paula, Brazil, 6’4”, G

De Paula's 7 foot wing span - HoopsHypeCA

For a player that was not well known outside of his home country, George de Paula certainly made an impression on his short trip to Chicago. In his first game, de Paula exploded for 34 points on 15-21 shooting against the top team in the Challenge (USA West). Playing predominantly as the team’s point guard, the lefty consistently got into the lane for baskets around the rim and hit 3-6 from deep. De Paula plays with a powerful grace given his running back-esque upper body and was usually too strong for quicker defenders to handle. In addition to his strength, de Paula possessed freakishly long arms sporting a 7’0” wing span. He averaged 20.8 points per game and also displayed a nice passing ability at times from outside the arc hitting the Brazilian cutters in stride for easy lay-ups. He cooled off from three after his first game finishing just 5-21 from the arc while sometimes making his lefty stroke look more like a shot put. Even still, de Paula was always a presence on both ends of the floor. With good hops, de Paula was often seen grabbing rebounds and pushing the break in addition to providing defensive pressure on the ball. De Paula also has a certain fun fact. Thanks to an interview by HoopsHype CA, it came out that de Paula lived with Bruno Caboclo, the recent first round draft pick of the Toronto Raptors.

Chimezie Metu, Africa, 6’10”, C, Lawndale (CA), 2015

Just like AAU teammate Stephen Zimmerman, Chimezie Metu looked like a different player at the Challenge compared to his EYBL play with the Oakland Soldiers. Metu showed off his versatility throughout averaging 16 points and 9.8 rebounds per game for Pan-Africa while shooting 59% from the floor. He ran the floor well and displayed some ball-handling and shooting skills in the half court set. He had a few NBA scouts drooling after hitting a 17 foot fade-away, but Metu still needs to tighten up his shot mechanics. In each game Metu looked “free” and “loose” and given his size and length the future USC Trojan possesses a fair amount of upside.

Gao Shang, China, 6’5, SG/SF

Shang was almost as good as his teammate and International MVP Yuan Shuai. He shot 47.6% from behind the arc (10-21) and averaged 21.5 points per game to go with 5.5 rebounds. In the third place game, Shang stepped up his play and almost helped lead China to another upset scoring 24 points on 8-14 shooting. Not just a shooter, Shang was also a slasher and attacked the basket with aggressiveness and athleticism. He had his best game against Jaylen Brown’s squad finishing with 26 points and eight rebounds in an upset win. 

Top Shooters:

Corey Johnson, Canada, 6’4”, SG, Vermont Academy, 2015

Armed with a jump shot straight out of a shooting video, Corey Johnson hit five three’s in the opening game of the Challenge. While he cooled off a bit after his initial outburst, Johnson finished the four day event shooting 38.5% from three (15-38). Right now Johnson is hearing from mid-majors along with schools such as Creighton and Virginia Tech but expect that to change come November with the arrival of the National Prep Showcase. He can hit three’s from a stand still position as well as off the dribble and has good size and strength for a shooting guard. 

Lucas Vezaro, Brazil, 6’0”, G

It wasn’t a good first game for the Brazilian guard who went 1-12 from the field, but after getting the initial jitters out Verazo was a knock down shooter from deep. He then went 4-7, 3-7, and 4-10 from behind the arc. Not the quickest or most athletic of guards, Verazo consistently found open space from the left and right wings with the help of George Paula’s penetration. He averaged 17.3 points per game while shooting 39.3% from behind the arc.

Tantalizing Prospects:

Ted Kapita, Africa, 6’9”, PF, Huntington Prep (WV), 2015

Big man Ted Kapita started the Global Challenge with a bang, but ended with a whimper. At 6’8” and sporting a chiseled upper torso, Kapita dazzled the crowd and the NBA scouts with his professional ready body and output. In a close loss in Pan Africa’s opening game, Kapita finished with 36 points and 16 rebounds in an overtime loss on 15-22 shooting. He played with energy, led the break at times, threw down alley-oop dunks, and even scored on jump shots from 15 feet. After that performance, a lot was expected of Kapita going forward. Unfortunately, in subsequent games Kapita averaged 8 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. He struggled with foul trouble and showed that he was still fairly raw on the offensive end. A good straight ahead runner, Kapita lacks fluidity at times and is not the quickest on his feet laterally. He still showed some glimpses on a spin move down the lane, but wasn’t able to regain his opening game magic. Kapita stood out for his basketball body, but he is still a raw talent with room to grow.

Lucas de Souza, 6’9”, PF, Brazil

De Souza is another long and lean stretch forward that was one of the key contributors for Brazil. He made an impression in his first game running the floor, stepping outside for deep jump shots, and being active on the defensive side of the floor. He averaged 10.5 points and almost seven rebounds a game throughout, but often played a bit out of control evidenced by his 13 turnovers. De Souza was quick off his feet and possessed a versatile skill-set; however he did not excel in any one single area. He hit a three in his first game but he shot with his right elbow out wide leading to a fair amount of jump shots off the rim. Overall, de Souza was fun to watch on both sides of the floor and has potential given his height, length, and athleticism but will need to work on his skill-set to become a more dominant player in the future.

Future Potential:

Narcisse Kalamba, Canada, 6’6”, SF, Montreal, QC

Not to be confused with the Boardwalk Empire protagonist, Valentin Narcisse, the Canadian Narcisse Kalamba exhibited lots of potential over the four day span of the Global Challenge. A long and lanky wing, Kalamba was a blur on his drives to the basket and averaged 10.8 points per game. He excels in transition but is still a work in progress when it comes to his jump shot. He did hit several mid-range shots and four three pointers but shot under 44% from the floor and 23.5% from the arc. Kalamba still shoots more of a set shot than an actual jump shot and needs to work on locking in on his follow through given many of his misses were off to the left and the right. Kalamba has the athleticism and skill on the break, now he just needs additional work on his shooting mechanics in order to become the leader for next year’s Canadian team.

Most Explosive:

Yakwe Kassoum, Africa, 6’7”, Our Savior New American (NY), 2016

Long and lean, Kassoum was the most explosive foreign player given his strong two footed jumping ability. He averaged just 6.5 points per game, but was a menace on the defensive end whether it was blocking shots or pressuring the ball handler all over the court. Right now Kassoum has lots of unharnessed power, but is still raw on the offensive end. He has the size of a small forward, but lacks the offensive skills to play consistently outside the paint. He struggled mightily to dribble the ball on the break, but he could get into the paint on one or two dribbles in the half court set. Once he got in the paint he usually finished going to his left with a lay-up or jump hook. Either option wasn’t getting blocked given his leaping ability.

Nike Global Challenge: Day 1

The NIKE Global Challenge kicked off last night at Whitney Young High School in Chicago, IL. The tournament takes place over a four day span with the championship occurring Saturday afternoon..

There are eight teams overall, four from the USA along with a team from Canada, Brazil, China, and Africa. The first night featured two games: USA Midwest vs. Canada and USA West vs. Brazil. 

Game 1: USA Midwest 97 Canada 82

The USA team had an athletic advantage and used that to jump to an early double-digit lead in the first quarter and pulled away in the 3^rd quarter after a Canadian run cut it to 5 points.

Malik Monk, 6’3” SG, Bentonville (AR), 2016

The junior shooting guard would have rather been in Dubai playing for the 17U USA team; however he made the most of his opportunity at the Global Challenge on opening night. Monk finished with 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 steals on 7-13 shooting (0-5 from three). Coming off the bench, Monk dished out a few assists early on. He had a driving lay-up in the first half and finished over one of Canadian’s 6’10” post players. In the second half, his high flying abilities were on display as Monk got out on the break several times for dunks and finished several lay-ups off of basket cuts in the half court set. 

As noted earlier, Monk missed all of his three’s and also a 17 footer after a vicious right to left cross. There is no doubt that Monk can knock down three’s in a hurry, but today he didn’t take any three’s in rhythm. Instead of going straight up and straight down on his shots, he floated either right or left which caused the ball to go in that direction. 

While his shot wasn’t on target, Monk was very active on the defensive end with several deflections and steals on the perimeter. In his first game, Monk was the second leading scorer finishing right behind another junior in Omari Spellman.

Omari Spellman, 6’9”, PF, Macduffie (OH) 2016

Spellman, a 6’9” junior from Ohio resembles UNC big man Kennedy Meeks in body type but is still extremely light on his feet. He can pound down low on the defensive end and got into some heated battles with several of the Canadian big men throughout the game. On the offensive end he prefers to do most of his work outside of the paint. 

Spellman hit 2-3 three’s and added in a 15 foot jump shot off a curl to finish with 15 points on 6-10 shooting. The big man also converted a right handed scoop on a drive, a one handed reverse dunk alone under the basket, and a coast to coast lay-up. All fairly impressive feats for someone that is listed at 268 pounds. On the downside, Spellman only grabbed one rebound.

Jalen Brunson, 6’2”, PG, Stevenson (IL), 2015

In his first game, Brunson looked at home playing in the Chicago area. The top point guard in the class of 2015 scored 11 points and dished out five assists while registering only one turnover. He hit 3-5 three’s including a nifty looking step back in the second half. Brunson uses his shoulder to create space on his drives and found Malik Monk on numerous occasions in the second half. Brunson played with a calm and steady demeanor and only turned the ball over once.

Team Canada:

Despite the loss, the Canadian talent shined in their opening loss to the USA Midwest team. Three players scored in double figures including 6’4” guard Jalen Poyser who finished with a team high 17 points. Poyser rivaled any of the American players with his athleticism and was usually able to free himself for a shot any time he wanted. He finished with 17 points which came on a variety of quick and explosive moves which included a euro-step in traffic and a two hand dunk off a drive from the right wing. 6’0” guard Munis Tutu ran the show for the Canadians and he showed off his play making skills with six assists. Tutu is extremely quick and was also very active on the defensive end. Wide bodied Jordy Tshimanga finished with eight points and eight rebounds. Tshimanga displayed solid footwork in the post, but will need to improve his lift when going up for a shot going forward. Long and lean Kyle Alexander, a 6’10” big man also scored eight points in just 13 minutes and was active attacking the glass. 

USA West 94 Brazil 80

After a tough first couple minutes, the talented USA West team quickly put some separation between the Brazilians and had a double digit lead for almost 35 out of 40 minutes.

Stephen Zimmerman, 7’0”, C, Bishop Gorman (NV), 2015

Zimmerman got the start for the West and seemed to be in a much better position than during the AAU season with the Oakland Soldiers who lacked strong play from the guard and wing spot.

Zimmerman was quiet in the first half finishing with just 2 points on a left handed lay-up in coverage but came alive in the third quarter. An offensive rebound turned into a put-back to start the quarter and Zimmerman was off and running. Soon after he got fouled on a dunk attempt and calmly swished two free throws. He then recorded an assist from the high post, grabbed rebounds on both sides and threw several pin point outlet passes. Zimm scored on a short hook shot off of another offensive rebound in addition to a well run pick and roll opportunity, and a strong two hand dunk in the paint. 

The three time state champion from Nevada can go long stretches without making an impact but when he plays with the energy and intensity shown in the third quarter it is easy to see why he is so highly regarded. One of the better passing big men, Zimmerman is very comfortable operating from the high post.

West Shooters:

The West team is loaded with outside shooting capability. Shooting guard Austin Grandstaff got the start and immediately hit a three from the wing. Combo forward DJ Hogg got in on the outside action along with shooting guard Matt McQuaid, and Dejounte Murray. 

West Point Guards:

Junior point guard De’Aaron Fox got the start while future UCLA Bruin Aaron Holiday came off the bench. Both guards were too quick for their Brazilian counterparts. Fox got into the lane and dished out assists while he also got in on the three point action while Holiday showed off his speed and body control by pushing the ball on the break and weaving in and out of defenders for contested shots in the lane.

Marques Bolden, 6’11”, C, Desoto (TX), 2015

The youngest big man on the team put together quite the performance including the dunk of the night when he elevated and released a crushing two hand dunk. Bolden ran the floor well and was active on the glass and in the paint. On the court he looks like Darien Townes, a former big man at Georgetown and Arkansas and definitely impressed the NBA scouts in attendance. 

Brazil:

The two most impressive players for Brazil were 6’3” guard George Lucas Alves de Paula and 6’9” power forward Lucas Teodoro de S. Colimerio. George Lucas took it to the Americans to start the game and with his strong build resembled a powerful running back on the court. The lefty hit a three early on and finished at the rim on several occasions. The long and lean Lucas Teodoro gave up size down low; however he ran like a gazelle up and down the floor. He blocked shots, scored down low off of put-backs and also hit a 15 foot jump shot from the corner.  Just like Bolden, Lucas Teodoro had the NBA scouts taking notes from their courtside seats.

Individual Focus: Corey Johnson, 6’4”, SG, Vermont Academy (VT), 2015

The top shooter award on opening night belongs to shooting guard Corey Johnson from Team Canada who hit 5-10 three’s on the night to finish with 15 points. He recently hit 6-15 from three in Canada’s silver medal run at the U18 FIBA America’s tournament and quickly showed off his perfect shooting form in Chicago. In the first quarter Johnson knocked down an open three from the left wing with his body square and strong rotation on his shot. He then added three’s off the dribble, from the corner, and with a hand in his face. Consecutive three’s in the third quarter got Canada to within five points before losing steam. 

After the game, Johnson noted, “Overall, we did good. It was the first time we were all together. We were able to grow as a team even though we had just one practice together. It was a slow start, but once I found my feet I hit some shots. I think I can do a few things better such as attacking and facilitating for my teammates.”

Next year Johnson plans to suit up for the Vermont Academy and will play against high level competition in the New England prep school ranks which will help him increase interest and “get the highest D1 scholarship” that he can get. 

“Interest wise I have Virginia Tech, Harvard messaged me, UMASS, Creighton is going to offer me soon, Lehigh, and a bunch of other mid majors like Delaware, Northern Illinois,” said Johnson.

While he did hit five three’s, Johnson is more than just a shooter. He has good size and a good build for a shooting guard and also finished with six rebounds and pushed the ball in transition when given the opportunity. With increased exposure during the high school season, it isn’t a stretch to say that a lot more high majors will come knocking on the Canadian’s door.