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 3

A full slate of games took place on Day number three of the Nike Global Challenge yesterday at Whitney Young high school. The USA teams went up against each other producing some entertaining fireworks and the Chinese team pulled a huge early morning upset to propel themselves to the third place game. 

Best Game: USA West 115 USA Midwest 100

Played in front of a packed house in the middle of the afternoon the two USA teams went back and forth until the final minutes with the talented West squad prevailing. Six players scored in double figures for the West including Stephen Zimmerman, Tyler Davis, King McClure, Matt McQuaid, Dejounte Murray, and DJ Hogg. Junior point guard De’Aaron Fox paced the team with 12 assists after facing a 60-49 halftime deficit. On the losing side, senior point guard Jalen Brunson put together a monster performance finishing with 20 points and seven assists.

Shuai Yuan

Biggest Upset: China 114 USA South 110

After losing their first game by 35 points, not much was expected from the Chinese team. Instead they bounced back in a high scoring close win over the USA South team featuring Jaylen Brown. China was led by 6’5” Shang Gao who scored 26 points on 9-16 shooting and guard Shuai Yuan who added 23 points. Later in the day, the Chinese team beat Pan Africa by 21 propelling them to the 3^rd place game on Saturday. Yuan led the way in the evening with 33 points on 7-12 shooting from behind the arc.

Top Five Performances (not including Shuai Yuan)

Chris Clarke, 6’6”, SF, Cape Henry (VA), USA East, 2015

The energetic small forward was a monster in an early morning win over Pan Africa. Clark relentlessly attacked the rim and finished with 19 points and four rebounds on 9-10 shooting. Whether it was on the break or off the wing, Clarke continuously put pressure on the defense and got to the rim. When the opponent went to a 2-3 zone, Clarke flashed to the middle, caught the ball, and was at the rim in one hard dribble. While he rarely shoots from outside the paint, Clarke did hit on his only three point attempt in the second half. In the evening session Clarke added 13 points on 5-8 shooting.

Stephen Zimmerman, 6’11”, C, Bishop Gorman (NV), USA West, 2015

Zimmerman continues to play well in the Global Challenge and might have had one of his best games of the summer against the undersized Midwest team with 21 points and nine rebounds. Zimm did most of his damage down low with lay-ups, dunks, and alley-oops. He ran the floor well and co-existed down low with Tyler Davis. While most of his buckets came in the paint, he did hit a soft seven foot jump shot in the first half and finished 10-16 from the floor. 

Tyler Davis, 6’9”, C, Plano West (TX), USA West, 2015

The 270 pound Davis was too much to handle down low. The big Texan grabbed 14 rebounds, including five on the offensive end and also added 19 points. Despite playing on a hurt foot, Davis got up and down the court and showed some nice foot work on his shots in the paint. He worked the high low with Zimmerman and was solid catching the ball down low or delivering a pin point pass from the top of the key.

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

Despite the loss, Brunson was almost impossible to stop for the USA West team. In the first half he was scoring off the dribble with floaters and lay-ups and then in the second half he started to hit on deep three’s from well NBA range. Overall, the steady point guard finished with 20 points on 7-11 shooting and 3-4 from behind the arc.

Jalen Poyser, 6’4”, SG, Canada, 2015

The Canadian team got their first win of the tournament over Brazil Friday afternoon and Poyser led the way with 23 points including eight of the team’s first ten points in a quick first half burst. Poyser drained two three’s and then beat his man down the floor for a lay-up off of a steal. The athletic guard continued to make a difference throughout the game and kept Brazil just out of reach with his timely shooting. For the game, Poyser went 7-14 from the field and a perfect 6-6 from the line.

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.

Peach Jam: Day 1

The first day of Peach Jam is in the books and big name college coaches popped in and out of North Augusta, SC all day long. With each team playing two games a piece there was plenty of spectacular play from kids with scholarship offers and those trying to get new offers.

Session 1: 17U

Top Performers:

Aaron Holiday, 6’2”, G, 2015, California Supreme

Holiday came off the bench for Cal Supreme and immediately provided the team with a boost thanks to his slick passing. Right off the bat Holiday got in the lane and found a teammate for an easy lay-up despite a crowded paint area and received several “wow, nice pass” comments from the coaches in attendance. After dropping a few more assists, Holiday started his scoring barrage. At 6’2”, Holiday exhibited superb body control when driving the lane. Several times he got to the basket, drew the foul, and then finished the shot. He did not look to shoot at all from the outside, but instead attacked his defender at every opportunity. Even with coming off the bench, Holiday finished with 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists while providing a spark to help his team knock off one of the favorites in Team Takeover in the first game of the day.

Parker Jackson-Cartwright, 5’9”, PG, 2014, California Supreme

The future Arizona Wildcat did all he could to impress the numerous Pac-12 coaches on hand that will be tasked with slowing him down in the future. Despite his small frame, PJC was not afraid to go after the taller defenders and finished on a consistent basis at the rim. He went 3-6 from the field, but also got to the line 12 times. After beating his defender off the dribble, PJC also found the open man for a game high 10 assists. While he put up 15 points and 10 assists, it was his aggressiveness attacking the glass that was even more impressive. Numerous times, PJC was in the middle of the lane fighting for rebounds with defenders a foot taller than him and finished with a total of five. Along with Holiday, PJC got the best of the Team Takeover guards and put together a mighty fine stat line.

Malachi Richardson, 6’5”, SG, 2015, Team Final

Down nine points at the half, Richardson caught fire to start the second half and quickly closed the deficit. After scoring four points in the first half, Richardson scored 14 points in a five minute span. His first basket came off a pick on the right wing in which he curled to the basket and finished in the paint for a lay-up and the foul. After a short jump shot, Richardson hit back to back three pointers from the wing and then followed that up with a few free throws. Unfortunately after this burst, Richardson didn’t touch the ball in a scoring position for a long stretch. Despite only being an upcoming junior, Richardson has ideal height for a shooting guard along with strength and an outstanding 6’10.5” inch wing span. In his first game at Peach Jam Richardson used his physical attributes and also showed off his jump shot and the ability to score around the rim. He finished with 22 points on 6-12 shooting.

Shep Garner, 6’2”, G, 2014, Team Final

The newly committed Penn State guard played well in front of his future college coach on Thursday morning. With star guard Jaquan Newton struggling at times, Garner took control and played with poise throughout the game. He displayed a quick burst when driving to the basket and also went 2-3 from the three point line, one of which came at a crucial time in the ball game. His final stat line included 14 points on 6-8 shooting with two assists and zero turnovers. 

Angel Delgado, 6’8”, PF, 2014, NY Lightning

Delgado did not play up to his expectations in the first half, but he definitely out worked everyone in the second half. The rugged rebounder finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds and began to dominate the defensive boards as the game got tight towards the end. He also had a strength advantage down low and went to work with power moves in the post off one dribble and two handed dunks in the lane. It took the leading rebounder in the EYBL some time to get going, but once he did the Team Final big men were relatively helpless to stop him.

Game of Interest:

Team Penny vs. Mokan Elite

Mokan Elite jumped out to a surprising lead against Team Penny early on and took a four point lead into halftime. For Mokan, speedy point guard Lourawls Nairn penetrated time and time again and 6’1” guard Noah Knight knocked in shots from the outside. The second half turned into a close back and forth affair in large part due to the play of the Lawson brothers for Team Penny. Keelon Lawson Jr. went for 17 points and 5 rebounds while his younger brother Deedrick Lawson scored 18 points with 15 rebounds. Even with these efforts, it was their senior leader Anton Beard who knocked down a clutch three to give Team Penny a 57-54 lead that they would not relinquish.

16U:

Jayson Tatum, 6’7”, G/F, 2016, STL Eagles

One of the top players in the class of 2016 put on another strong performance in front of a slew of head coaches in the early afternoon. Going against All-Ohio, Tatum played his normal point forward position and used his ball handling skills to get into the paint where he finished with floaters or at the basket. Not an overly dominant performance by Tatum, but he did hit a floater off a spin move for the go ahead basket. In the last game of the 16U pool play he helped lead his team to a victory and will have at least one more chance to play in front of the who’s who of college coaches in the playoffs.

Jalen Poyser, 6’4”, G, 2015, CIA Bounce

In a back and forth affair with Southern Stampede, Poyser made enough key plays in the final minutes to help CIA Bounce get the win. In this stretch he drove by his defender on the wing for a lay-up, hit a three pointer and then got an and-one finish off another drive. To go along with these baskets, Poyser might have had the most exciting miss of the Peach Jam. With 1:30 to go he went behind the back from the left to right side causing his defender to fall. Once the ball reached his right hand he exploded to the lane and tried to dunk over a defender. Unfortunately he got to high and the ball caromed off the back rim as the crowd screamed in disbelief. A high level athlete, Poyser made key plays for his team when it counted not including the missed dunk attempt.

Luke Kennard, 6’5”, G, 2015, King James Shooting Stars

Courtesy of UM Hoops

While Jayson Tatum’s game drew some big names, the game between Kennard’s King James team and Team Final drew everyone in town. Calipari, Coach K, Izzo, Matta, Groce, Roy, Larry Brown, and Josh Pastner were just some of the high major coaches that stopped in for a look. Kennard, the flashy shooting guard did not disappoint in the first half. He hit a three of the dribble and another one off the catch early on. He also added in a few no look passes for good measure. Kennard cooled off in the second half, but hit a running lay-up and added in some free throws at the end to finish with 20 points. While not an elite athlete, Kennard can do more than just shoot. He is a solid ball handler with decent quickness and he combines those two factors to beat his man off the dribble on occasion. After his game it was easy to see why some of the top schools are after him.

Tyus Battle, 6’5”, G/F, 2016, Team Final

His team got down from the start, but this did not deter Tyus Battle from putting on a show. He hit two three’s right off the bat and finished with 15 points in the first half and 25 for the game. On his outside shots, Battle had a nice release and rotation on his shot. He is also quite the athlete that allows him to do more than just shoot jump shots. Battle attacked off the dribble and went to the line nine times. On the defensive end he used his strength to push players off their spot and also blocked several shots by the basket. Battle went against another 2016 stud in V.J. King and it’s safe to say that Battle “won the battle.”

Session 2: 17U

Chieck Diallo, 6’9” C, 2015, Team Scan

Continuing on his strong NBPA Top 100 Camp, Diallo dominated Houston in the second half of a very competitive game. While still raw on the offensive end and lacking many true post moves, Diallo still scored 20 points on 7-11 shooting to go along with 11 rebounds. Time and time again, Diallo finished on dunks or lay-ups in traffic. He also scored off a power one dribble move to the right side of the basket and an 18 foot jump shot that he actually meant as a lob for a teammate. Diallo is one of the most explosive big men on the circuit and nobody runs the court harder. With his quick leaping ability he also blocked four shots and was the main reason momentum changed hands in the second half. 

Justin Jackson, 6’7”, F, 2014, Houston Hoops

Jackson did not have his normal performance, but still went for 15 points on 7-15 shooting. As he does every game, he hit a variety of floaters from 6-10 feet and also added a nifty one dribble move through traffic for a left hand lay-up. In the second half, he hit two floaters in a row, but then disappeared for a stretch. With the shot blockers on Team Scan, Jackson stayed active on the glass and was credited with four offensive rebounds. 

Robert Johnson, 6’3”, 2014, Boo Williams

Another player who has been playing out of his mind recently is Robert Johnson who lit up the Texas Titans for 23 points (despite the forfeit). Johnson went 4-9 from three and had the college coaches in attendance wondering if he shot like this all the time. With two stellar performances and two wins on the court it’s a shame that his team was forced to forfeit both games due to an ineligible player. 

Game of Interest:

Mac Irvin Fire vs. Jackson Tigers

The last game of the night drew a capacity crowd to court 3 with the top players in the senior and junior classes facing off. Big man Jahlil Okafor is the top ranked player in the class of 2014 while scoring sensation Malik Newman is the top player in the class of 2015 and was coming off a 40 point explosion in the morning. Even though these players at the top, it was Big Cliff who stole the show with a 23 point, 13 rebound, and 4 block performance. Alexander was dunking everything in sight and tried his best to rip the rim off in the second half. With the Alexander dunk fest, Mac Irvin pulled away in the last seven minutes to win by 10 points. Before this run though, the game was very tight and even tied at one point in the second half. For the Tigers, Newman scored nine first half points and then scored a quick 10 to start the second half as the crowd started buzzing about the “Malik show” beginning. Unfortunately the Mac Irvin coaches had other plans and threw every type of junk defense at Newman to keep him out of his comfort zone. Box and one’s, double teams at half-court, traps, triple teams, you name it, and Newman saw it. He scored 25 points, but struggled mightily from the field after his initial second half explosion. To go along with Alexander, Okafor added in 17 points and 16 rebounds while Torry Johnson came off the bench to score 12 points on 3-4 shooting from behind the arc.