Adidas Unrivaled: Thursday Session 1 Recap

The Adidas Unrivaled camp kicked off this morning beginning with two hours of drills for the top prospects on the Adidas AAU circuit. A few head coaches showed up early including Billy Donovan along with a handful of assistants from high major schools but the big turnout came for the first set of games in the afternoon. John Calipari, Tom Crean, Tad Boyle and many others were present for the five games that made up the first session of games in Chicago. 

Players That Impressed:

Brandon Ingram, 6’8”, Forward, Kinston (NC), 2015

Brandon Ingram

Aggressive is not a word usually used to describe Brandon Ingram. A 6’8” string bean that always looks like the youngest player on the court came out firing. First he found himself on the left wing in an isolation situation. After a hesitation dribble, Ingram drove to the basket for a contested left hand lay-up and you could see his confidence rise. Soon after Ingram curled to the left elbow for a jump shot and then also hit a three from the left side of the court. Ingram’s team jumped out to a huge lead and Ingram finished the first half with 14 points on 6-6 shooting. He ended the game with 16 points on 7-8 shooting and his one basket in the second half displayed his more aggressive mindset. Upon seeing a smaller defender on him, Ingram posted up in the middle of the lane and backed his man down finishing with a two hand dunk. The North Carolina native also added six rebounds. Can he continue his aggressive play going forward?

Tony Bradley Jr., 6’9”, Forward, Bartow (FL), 2016

While Ingram started the game with a bang, Tony Bradley Jr. was the team’s leading scorer finishing with 20 points. The athletic forward was extremely aggressive around the rim finishing with his monstrous wing span. He caught almost everything thrown to him and finished 10-15 from the floor. 

Deng Adel, 6’7”, Forward, Rock Prep (FL), 2015

One of the top wings in the country put on an efficient performance during the first session. Adel got started on the break finishing with two consecutive fast break dunks. He also added in a few deep jump shots from just inside the arc and finished with 12 points and five rebounds on 6-9 shooting in a five point win.

TJ Leaf, 6’9”, Forward, Foothills Christian (CA), 2016

Leaf put together a 14 point, six rebound effort on 7-12 shooting. He showed off his versatility on several drives from the three point line including an acrobatic reverse finish. Leaf also attacked the glass and added three rebounds. He missed both of his three’s, but even the threat of his outside shot kept defenders off balance. 

Braxton Blackwell, 6’7”, SF, Christ Presbyterian Academy (TN), 2016

Blackwell scored 16 points on 8-10 shooting and displayed a variety of aspects of his offensive arsenal. All of his points came from around the basket; however they came in different ways. He posted up smaller defenders, drove by slower defenders, and used strong body control to avoid the taller opponents. He guarded the opposing power forwards and also helped his own team initiate offense by playing point forward on numerous possessions. Blackwell played with a bounce to his step and finished with one of the better performances of the afternoon.

Other Notes:

The top prospects at the Adidas camp are small forward Jaylen Brown and power forwards Carlton Bragg and Chase Jeter. All three struggled in the first set of games going a combined 9-30 from the floor. Brown struggled with his jump shot and ball control while going 2-10 and Bragg went just 2-6 in his game. Jeter finished 5-14 and while he had a brief stretch with several impressive baskets in the post he also forced the action at times. Jeter showed good foot work, but also displayed a propensity to always go to his right.

2017 point guard Jaylen Hands went just 2-8 from the field, but the upcoming sophomore appeared to be one of the quicker guards in camp. The 6’1” guard from California displayed an initial quick burst and solid ball handling skills throughout.

Junior shooting guard Curtis Jones scored 16 points on 6-12 shooting including 3-6 from deep. A few weeks ago Jones was showing off his athletic prowess in Charlottesville and now he is looking to show off his all-around game. 

6’7” guard / forward Maverick Rowan got off to a hot start hitting three three’s in early action. He cooled off from deep, but still finished 5-11 overall. His counterpart was 6’7” Brendon Bailey out of Utah how made two three’s and finished with eight points which came in a matter of minutes in the second half. 

7’1” center Khadim Gueye from Florida was only credited with two blocks, but the rangy big man appeared much more devastating in the paint than the stats would lead to believe. He didn’t make a field goal, but Gueye is a shot blocker to watch going forward.

NBPA Top 100: Thursday Morning Recap

Day Two is underway at the NBPA Top 100 camp at John Paul Jones arena in Charlottesville, VA. With over three hours of action to kick off the morning session there were numerous standout performances and highlight real plays as he participant played around 24 minutes per game.

Impressive Performers:

Tyler Dorsey, 6’4” G, St. John Bosco (CA)

This past spring Tyler Dorsey de-committed from Arizona while also seeing his ranking plummet. Despite this, the athletic guard was impressive in his morning game showcasing his quick first step. In a close loss, Dorsey utilized a quick cross-over to pull up just outside the paint for a soft jump shot. He attacked the basket off the dribble and constantly put pressure on his defender, no matter the size. Not only was his quickness on display, but so was his hustle. It’s fair to say that Dorsey put out a maximum effort which resulted in an offensive rebound and easy put-back under the basket. Dorsey might have stumbled in the spring, but now with a chip on his shoulder he should be just fine going into July.

Edrice Adebayo, 6’8”, PF, Northside (NC)

In the EYBL, Adebayo was known for his rebounding prowess and second jump ability. Both of these were on display this morning, along with a more aggressive offensive outlook. Going against 7 foot Doral Moore, Adebayo looked for his shot throughout the game. While he was a force on the glass he also hit an eight foot jump shot and connected on several free throws. Feeling a little confident after, Adebayo stepped a bit outside his range and launched a 17 foot jump shot which didn’t connect. Minus this deep jumper, Adebayo was a force to be reckoned with down on the block with his newfound offensive mindset. He ended the game with 17 points and 10 rebounds on 7-10 shooting. 

Jalen Coleman, 6’4”, SG, La Lumiere (IN)

In this day and age most 6’4” scoring guards want to be known as point guards or combo guards. Jalen Coleman is refreshing as he knows he is a true shooting guard. In the EYBL, Coleman shot 50% from three connecting on 46-92 attempts. His textbook jump shot was on display today as he knocked in numerous outside shots. He started with a feathery 15 footer from the right corner and then started knocking in three’s from a variety of areas. Coleman is a pure scorer, but one that is more than just a standstill outside shooter. While his points came from outside the paint, Coleman has the athletic ability to get by his defender.

Cheick Diallo, 6’9”, PF, Our Savior (NY)

Underclassmen tend to struggle at the NBPA Top 100 camp, but last year Diallo took home the MVP despite several standout players in the class of 2014 in attendance. It didn’t take long for Diallo to make his mark in the first game of the morning. Blocking shots, sprinting the floor on both offense and defense, and finishing in the paint led to 18 points and eight rebounds. All of these skills make Diallo one of the most intimidating players in the country.

Other Notes:

·         Class of 2016 point guard Derryck Thornton dropped seven dimes in a two point loss and only committed one turnover. He also added 10 points and was the most impressive true point guard in the morning session. 

·         5’8” sparkplug Demontrae Jefferson is back in C-Ville and he was right back to his high scoring ways. The leading scorer in the Adidas Uprising scored throughout the game while frustrating his opponent, Bryant Crawford on the defensive end. Jefferson scored 23 points on 9-15 shooting. He is always the shortest player on the court, but can get by his defenders with ease and finish against much taller opponents with his ridiculous leaping ability.

·         Five-star Carlton Bragg has a tendency to float outside of the paint at times, but today he was fairly dominant down low. With long arms and a quick first jump, Bragg was able to finish in the post early and often.

·         Brevin Pritzl, the future Wisconsin Badger had the tough task of guarding Tyler Dorsey, but he was able to match Dorsey offensively in the second half. He started the third quarter with a steal and a pull-up three and then nailed another three off a set inbounds play.

·         Georgetown bound Noah Dickerson was a load to handle down low. He used his size to back down defenders in the paint which resulted in both right handed and left handed hook shots. He also operated extremely effectively in the pick and roll. He set good, strong screens that punished the smaller guards and also rolled to the basket for easy buckets. Dickerson finished with 10 points and 13 rebounds. 

·         YouTube sensation Seventh Woods was quiet offensively in the second half (besides a blow by) but put on a defensive clinic. He hounded the opposing point in the half-court set with his quick feet, fought around screens, and also kept the taller Malachi Richardson from getting to his sweet spot at the three point line. 

·         Thon Maker was fairly quiet in his game until the last few minutes. After making the block of the morning by volleyball spiking an opponents shot, Maker hit a five foot shot in the post and then finished with a strong two hand dunk. The versatile big man exerted more energy at the end of the game and his performance rapidly improved. Earlier in the game, Maker showed a propensity to force a foul on contested jump shots. 

Dunk of the Day:

On a fastbreak Gonzaga High point guard Bryant Crawford passed up an easy two points by bouncing the ball off the floor for a strong one handed finish by Carlton Bragg.

Bonus:

During the breaks at the NBPA camp, another showcase is going on right across the street at UVA’s UHall arena. Put on by ScoutsFocus, the camp features a fair amount of players in the 2016 and 2017 classes. One who stuck out early, was Curtis Jones a 6’3” shooting guard out of Paul VI High School in Virginia. Jones hit a three from the top of the key and finished a fast break with a monster tomahawk jam. With his size and ball-handling ability, Jones was the best player in his game.

Adidas Nations: Carlton Bragg

Many of the USA underclassmen struggled this past weekend competing against their older peers at the Adidas Nations in California; however power forward Carlton Bragg did not fall into that category.  

Bragg is a 6’8” forward out of Cleveland, OH and he capped off a fantastic summer by turning in one of the most impressive underclassmen performances of the weekend. In three games Bragg averaged 11.3 points and 3.3 rebounds per game while shooting 54% from the field, 60% from three, and 83% from the line. 

Carlton Bragg - Kelly Kline/Adidas

The sample size was small, but Bragg’s performance level increased throughout each game culminating with an 18 point, 4 rebound performance against the USA team featuring Jahlil Okafor, Kevon Looney, and Stanley Johnson. 

“I’ve been doing pretty well,” said Bragg. “I’ve progressed a lot, really, with all of the talent out here. It feels good, lots of great competition.”

In this game, Bragg had both his inside and outside game firing on all cylinders. He ran the court well and finished down low with several vicious right handed dunks. Bragg scored several times on post moves, but he also knocked down several mid-range jump shots and a three pointer.

“My motor, getting back and forth, and my inside game are my strongest areas,” said Bragg. “I’ve been working a lot on my outside game though.”

The work paid off as the long and athletic forward showcased his new and improved outside jump shot. Bragg’s shot mechanics and follow through looked good and even when he missed, his shot was right on target.  

He also displayed a set of intangible attributes that not many players possess. A high functioning motor and a joy for the game were evident when watching Bragg on and off the court. Despite a double digit deficit to the older USA team, Bragg still went 100% and when on the bench he was busy cheering on his teammates and shouting out encouragement. 

“Oh yeah,” said Bragg with a smile. “I’m always trying to get into the game on the court and the bench.”

Bragg wrapped up his sophomore year with a state championship at Villa Angela-St. Joseph’s and began the spring ranked20^th in his class. He slowly worked his way up the rankings after stellar play at the Pitt Jam Fest in April and the Spiece Run N Slam in May. 

He entered the summer at the number 12 spot, but after a dominant performance at the Adidas Invitational he will most likely see his ascent up the ranking list continue. 

While his overall ranking keeps increasing, so does the attention from college coaches. In June, Bragg took unofficial visits to Illinois and Ohio State and he wants to get to Indiana and Kentucky. 

If the past few months are any indication, Bragg is just starting to scratch the surface of his potential. While some of his peers struggled this past weekend, Bragg stepped up to the challenge and went blow for blow with the top players in the senior class.

Adidas Nations: Recap

The 2013 Adidas Nations tournament took place this past weekend in Garden Grove, CA and wrapped up with a televised championship game in Long Beach, CA. Some of the top talent in the 2014, 2015, and 2016 classes played against each other and against foreign teams from Africa, Asia, Australia, Latin America, and Russia. After four months of continuous travel, the players were on their last fumes but still managed to compete. Here’s a look at some of the standout players.

2014:

Stanley Johnson, 6’7”, F, Mater Dei (CA)

Johnson continued his impressive summer play and led his team to the championship game. His team lost by four points, but Johnson finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds. He used his strength and speed to find open shots in the lane and also hit two shots from behind the arc. On a stacked team, Johnson averaged 11.8 points per game and proved that he is one of the toughest players to guard in the high school ranks.

Jahlil Okafor, 6’10”, C, Whitney Young (IL)

Kelly Kline / Adidas

The top player in the country used his massive size to put up 13.7 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. After being named to the first team of the U19 FIBA World Championships, Okafor had somewhat of a quiet summer on the AAU circuit. In California, it didn’t take long for Okafor to establish his dominance. He scored on his patented left to right hand spin move along with numerous lay-ups and dunks. Okafor even had a few possessions where he grabbed the defensive rebound and went coast to coast through traffic for baskets.

D’Angelo Russell, 6’4”, G, Montverde Academy (FL)

After a very rough April – June period, it’s safe to say that Russell has returned to claim one of the top spots in the shooting guard hierarchy. His confidence was on full display this weekend as he took a team high 59 shots in five games. The lefty was knocking in three’s from the wing just like he did this past year at Montverde and was also hitting pull-up jump shots and attacking the basket. His versatility was also seen in the championship game as he finished with 11 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists.

Ahmaad Rorie, 6’0”, PG, Lincoln (WA)

The only true point guard on his squad, Rorie helped guide his team to the championship game and scored seven points on 3-4 shooting. Throughout the tournament, Rorie set-up the team’s offense but also provided some scoring from the point guard spot. He has a quick release on his shot and was efficient in his shot selection which included an 11 point game on 5-7 shooting. 

Jalen Johnson, 6’9”, F, Yipsilanti (MI)

Johnson took a backseat to his talented teammates but the up and coming power forward’s potential was evident during the weekend. He only averaged 4 points and 2 rebounds per game but he did put together a six point, eight rebound performance in extended minutes. Right now, Johnson is still a bit raw, but can run the floor and his length and bounce allows him to block shots in the post.

2015:

Carlton Bragg, 6’8”, PF, St. Joseph (OH)

The 6’8” forward was one of the most impressive underclassmen in the tournament. He averaged 11.3 points and 3.3 rebounds per game while shooting 54% from the field. His stat line improved each game, culminating in an 18 point, 4 rebound performance against a senior laden USA team. In three games, Bragg’s inside/outside game was on full display. He threw down viscous dunks off of rebounds, hit short post-ups, and knocked in several three’s. Normally known as an inside player, Bragg has worked hard on his outside game and made significant strides in this area. Expect his rise up the rankings to continue.

Moustapha Diagne, 6’9”, PF, Pope John XXIII (NJ)

One of the top risers during the spring on the east coast, Diagne averaged 8.7 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. His best game came in his last game, where he put together an 11 point, 8 rebound performance. He showed off fancy footwork in the post which created easy scoring opportunities and he also hit several jump shots from just past the foul line. Diagne ran the floor hard and was one of the few players that never coasted during a game.

2016:

Josh Jackson, 6’6”, G, Consortium College Prep (MI)

One of the top players in his class, Jackson did not show any fear going against guys one or two years older than him. In three games he averaged 12 points and four rebounds. A legit 6’6”, Jackson used his height to score over defenders in the post and also shoot over them on the wing. He earned high praise for his play in Vegas and carried it over to the weekend in California. Jackson shot just a tad under 50% as he went 16-33 from the field, but is definitely a kid that will have all the major coaches at his games down the road.

Derryck Thornton, 6’0”, PG, Findlay Prep (NV)

Despite his small stature, Thornton controlled games better than almost every other point guard in the tournament. Great ball-handling skills allowed him to find spaces in the defense for open shots or passes to teammates. He scored 9 points a game and had a 4-4 performance in game two. Thornton’s quickness gave him an advantage over most defenders but will need to continue to work on his strength. 

Foreign Teams:

Sidy Ndir, 6’3” G, Africa

The athletic guard finished 3rd in the tournament with 16.4 points per game including a 23 point performance in the 3^rd place game. Ndir went 3-7 from the three point line in this game, but showcased his speed and quickness throughout the event. In a pool play game, Ndir caught the ball on the left wing and blew by his man and in one dribble finished with a graceful two hand dunk.

Jonah Bolden, 6’8”, F, Australia

Bolden is set to come to the States to suit up for Findlay Prep, but in this tournament he scored 13 points per game and added in seven rebounds in three games for Australia. A long and athletic forward, Bolden displayed his inside / outside game throughout. With his height and length, Bolden was able to score in the post off hooks and short jump shots, but he also stepped outside the paint and went 3-8 from three. On his shots, Bolden had nice rotation and good looking form and will soon enjoy a much heavier dose of attention from recruiters.

Other Notes:

While the high school games were going on the college camp counselors were playing against each other in front of a plethora of NBA Scouts. When watching the high school and college games simultaneously it was remarkable at how much stronger the college players were despite some of them being just a year or two removed from their own participation at Adidas Nation’s.

Only two freshmen played in the games, both of them from Kansas in wing Wayne Seldon and center Joel Embiid. The strength of Seldon was remarkable as was the increased skill level of Embiid from just over a year ago. Technically, Seldon could have been playing with the high school kids since just last year he was considered a 2014 recruit. At times Seldon was dominant with the college kids due to his physicality and should provide Coach Bill Self with a nice presence on the wing next year.

Other standout players included Jahii Carson of Arizona State, Russ Smith of Louisville, and Cory Jefferson of Baylor.

JUCO star and future Louisville point guard Chris Jones made an appearance. Despite only standing 5’9”, the future Cardinal is extremely strong and quick and will have no problem adjusting to the college game.