With
the first July live period in the books, it’s time to take a look back at the
first Adidas Unrivaled camp that took place in Chicago, IL. Adidas invited
approximately 120 players, many of whom play on the Adidas AAU circuit to
compete in a camp style atmosphere similar to Nike’s LeBron James Skills
Academy. In its camp kickoff at the Quest Multiplex gym in the city’s west side
(which also plays host to the McDonald’s All-American practices) the Adidas
team definitely brought together a talented group that ended with two all-star
games on Sunday. College coaches from all of the major conferences packed the
sidelines to watch the drills and games each day.
Bad News:
On
the first day of camp, 6’6” small forward Ray
Smith fell to the floor in agony. It later turned out that the five-star
wing tore his ACL ending any future AAU or high school play. Before he hurt his
knee, Smith was riding high with a strong showing during the spring and June
camp play establishing himself as one of the best slashers in the country. On
Day 1 of the Adidas Unrivaled camp, Smith stood out with his play during the
first drill session and also put together an impressive first game going 7-9
from the field.
Almost
immediately after the camp ended, Smith committed to the Arizona Wildcats.
While the selection did not come as a surprise for the Vegas native, the timing
might have caught some off guard. Given the lengthy recovery for a torn ACL,
Smith will most likely begin to start testing his knee out next spring before
heading to Tucson. Before his injury, Smith was strongest attacking the basket
and finishing at the rim. With a smoothness to his game, Smith always seemed
under control and his jump shot was getting more consistent at every showing.
It might be hard for Smith to be 100% come the start of his freshman year due
to the injury, but Arizona landed a top notch player for the future.
MVP:
Brandon Ingram, 6’8”, SF,
Kingston (NC), 2015
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| Ingram - Growing Up In Chicago |
Did
the light finally come on for Brandon Ingram? Judging from his play in Chicago,
the answer is a resounding yes. Just several weeks ago, Ingram looked lethargic
and lacked aggressiveness during the NBPA Top 100 camp. That changed quickly on
Thursday when he took his defender off the dribble for a left hand lay-up to
kick things off. Soon the long armed Ingram was hitting three’s, attacking off
the pick and roll, and posting up smaller defenders. He had a great Thursday
before coming back to earth on Friday, but then scored 26 points on 10-16
shooting against Jaylen Brown and then ended the camp with 22 points on 10-13
shooting in the all-star game. During the week Ingram averaged 14.3 points
while shooting 9-18 from the three point line. Once primarily a top recruit for
the schools in North Carolina, Ingram now has the attention of Louisville,
Kansas, and Kentucky.
Top Nine:
Chase Jeter, 6’10”, PF,
Bishop Gorman (NV), 2015
Chase
Jeter has slowly risen up the rankings over the past year and he is not done
yet. The five-star power forward got off to a rough start on Thursday, but
started to dominate in front of Coach K and the Duke coaching staff on Friday
and Saturday. Jeter put together several double-doubles and multiple 20 point
games while outplaying Carlton Bragg in their head to head match-up. With his
increased strength, Jeter was able to bang down low while also using his
footwork in the post for short shots over his right shoulder. Jeter also ran
the floor and blocked shots on the defensive end. He averaged 16 points and
eight rebounds per game. Given the amount of attention paid to him from the
Duke staff, it’s hard to see him heading anywhere other than Durham.
Jaylen Adams, 6’2”, PG,
Cushing Academy (MA) 2015
Kevin
Ollie should enjoy coaching the uber explosive Jaylen Adams in Storrs. The
talented point guard did not put up eye popping scoring numbers, but he did
have several games with nine assists. Adams is a sight to see in the open court
and can finish with the best of them. He has a good handle and first step which
allows him to get in the lane almost at will. Defensively, Adams has great
lateral movement and is a shot blocking threat on the break as he perfectly
timed several lay-up attempts by opponents throughout the week.
Tony Bradley Jr.,
6’9.5”, PF, Barstow (FL), 2016
Used
to playing against Nike kids on the EYBL AAU circuit, Bradley Jr. adapted
quickly to the new competition. In his first game, Bradley Jr. scored 20 points
on 10-15 shooting and eventually earned a starting spot in the underclassmen
all-star game. For the camp, the Florida product averaged 14 points per game on
60% shooting. He runs the floor with a purpose which usually led to several
lay-ups or dunks during the course of a game and he also possesses a soft touch
on his jump shot or his hook shot. Bradley Jr. will need to work on his
explosiveness under the basket, but for now his play earned him several looks
from schools outside of Florida and the Southeast. He averaged 15.3 points
while shooting over 65%.
Maverick Rowan, 6’7”,
SF, Lincoln Park (PA), 2016
One
of the words often overheard to describe Rowan’s game this past week was
smooth. The lanky small forward had a sweet looking jump shot that routinely
found the bottom of the net. The future Pitt Panther also showed an ability to
finish at the rim on drives and hit the one dribble pull-up. Rowan hit several
three’s in the all-star game to finish with 12 points. While most players were
dead after the four day event, Rowan immediately went over to the side court to
work on his game until the camp came to a close.
Deng Adel, 6’6”, SF,
Rock Prep (FL), 2015
Always
under the watchful eye of Rick Pitino or a Louisville assistant it came as no
surprise that small forward Deng Adel committed quickly after camp. Adel put
together an extremely efficient camp performance and played with a high motor
throughout with the ability to rattle off six to eight points in a row before
the opponent knew what hit it. A blur on the break, Adel also displayed a soft
touch on his jump shot inside the arc. He was extremely comfortable from about
15-17 feet out on the right baseline and also routinely beat his man off the
dribble.
Jaylen Brown, 6’7”,
SF, Wheeler (GA), 2015
Brown
is the top small forward in the country and while he struggled on Thursday and
early on Friday, he used his upper body strength and speed to turn things
around. He went for 26 on Friday night in one of the most dominant performances
of the week. A high level leaper, Brown averaged 16 ppg during camp and was
always a tough cover on the offensive end.
Kobi Simmons, 6’5”,
PG, (GA), 2016
The
tall, lanky junior point guard was impossible to keep out of the lane and out
of the scoring book. With a strong handle, Simmons constantly beat his defender
off the dribble and scored at the rim whether in the half court of fast break
setting. He led the camp in scoring at 16.5 points per game but also kept his
teammates involved leaving them with pinpoint passes at the basket. Simmons received
an offer from Kansas subsequent to camp and will be one of the most sought
after point guards going forward. Given his height, he will also be on the NBA
radar for the next few years.
TJ Leaf, 6’8”, PF, Foothills
Christian (CA), 2016
TJ
Leaf lived up to his top 10 ranking this week going 26-39 from the floor over a
three day span. The California junior always seemed to be in the right place at
the right time and displayed his versatility on the perimeter and in the post.
He knocked down three’s when he had the chance and finished at the rim over
defenders using his long arms or a crafty reverse lay-up. Leaf is a solid
athlete but has room for improvement in his lateral quickness and leaping
ability to make the next step. Even so, there were plenty of Pac 12 schools in
hot pursuit of Leaf this past week and Louisville offered a scholarship after
their viewings.
Kenneth Nwuba, 7’0”,
(MS), 2018
One
of only two rising freshmen at the camp, Nwuba impressed with his coordination
and defensive ability. Nwuba is a lanky athlete that has a quick first jump.
His offensive skill in the post is quite raw at this point, but he is seriously
advanced on the defensive end which led to the youngster earning a spot in the
underclassmen all-star game.
Other Notes:
Junior
point guard Peyton Pritchard was
impressive in the underclassmen all-star game on Sunday. He shifted speeds
constantly keeping his defender off balance and had his jump shot working from
all areas of the court. After a strong start, Pritchard’s shot started to slide
on Saturday. The 6’0” Oregon point guard spent about an hour on Saturday
working on his shot and the hard work paid off with 15 points in the all-star
game and 3-4 from the three point line. Pritchard is also a hot commodity in
the recruiting world with coaches from the PAC 12, Big 10, and Big 12 after
him. Recently Pritchard made unofficial visits to Wisconsin and Indiana.
