NBPA Top 100: Session 3

Session 3 of the NBPA Top 100 kicked off at 11am this morning and featured a ton of strong performances from the guard and small forward spots. With teams playing their 3^rd “regular” season games of the camp, the action was intense as the jockeying for playoff seeding began.

Top Performers:

Isaiah Whitehead, 6’4” 2014, Juice All-Stars

Whitehead averaged 15 points per game on Day 1 and continued that trend with 15 points early on in Day 2. After missing his first shot in the 2^nd quarter, Whitehead got hot in a hurry. He began with a lay-up, followed by a picture perfect three from the right corner, and then went coast to coast for a lay-up where he switched from the right to the left hand in air. In addition he added two assists and another lay-up in the quarter. In Charlottesville, Whitehead has shown off one of the most complete offensive arsenals in the camp. He can attack off the dribble, finish in the paint amongst taller players, and has a textbook looking jump shot when he gets his feet set. Today he also created for open teammates and finished with three assists to go along with 15 points on 6-10 shooting.

Tyler Dorsey, 6’4”, 2015, ICP Elite

Known as one of the top players in the class of 2015, Dorsey wasted no time in showing why he is so highly rated. He started the game off with a deep jump shot from just inside the top of the key and followed that up with a blow-by of Joel Berry en route to a contested lay-up. Dorsey finished with 9 points but showed elite quickness and ball-handling skills that allow him to get shots off at anytime. He also used his long arms to create steals and deflections. Dorsey is a high level athlete and one of the most entertaining players to watch in the camp.

Tadric Jackson, 6’2”, 2014, Georgia Stars

Despite playing in a losing effort, Jackson put up points throughout the game including a flurry late in the 4^th quarter as he tried to bring his team back. Jackson hit deep 3’s from all areas on the court and also got points in the paint after driving by his defender. Not the most elite of athletes at his position, Jackson still managed to do whatever he wanted on the offensive end scoring 16 points.

Jordan McLaughlin, 6’0, 2014

McLaughlin grabbed the spotlight when he finished a lay-up on the break and then turned around and stole the in-bounds pass for another lay-up. The west coast point guard controlled the tempo and played a heady game throughout the game. He was aggressive on offense and attacked the basket and then often found an open teammate for easy shots.

Brandone Francis, 6’5”, 2014, Florida Elite

Francis had one of his finer games of the camp this morning showing off his jump shot to go along with his aggressive drives to the basket. Francis is usually stronger than any of the players that guard him and he used that factor to gobble up offensive rebounds for put-backs which is par for the course. In the first half he also knocked down a 12 foot jump shot and drained a pull-up three to beat the buzzer. 

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

Another efficient game from Jackson as he went 5-6 from the field including 2-2 from the three point line for 12 points. Jackson had his normal mid-range floater game working while also finding openings down low for easy baskets. In the course of a game, Jackson will normally only take one or two three’s and this time he nailed them both, with the last three coming close to the NBA arc. 

Caleb Martin, 6’5”, 2014, Team Loaded

Martin had a fine 2^nd quarter for his team hitting a variety of shots all in a span of a few minutes. He hit a contested deep jump shot, and followed that up with an aggressive drive to the basket for an and-one. He also swished in a corner three-point attempt off a pass from Brekkott Chapman. Martin cooled off in the second half but then hit the game winning free throws in overtime to give his team the win.

Devin Booker, 6’5”, 2014, Alabama Challenge

Booker built on his game from last night and had another efficient and impressive outing. Booker scored 10 points with all five of his makes coming within 15 feet. Another surprising thing about his made shots was the fact that they all came with his left hand. His first basket came on a contested lay-up from the right side where he switched to his left hand to avoid the block. He also added in two other left hand lay-ups, a left hand dunk, and then a lefty floater from seven feet out. Booker continued to handle the ball a fair amount and has one of the better handles for a shooting guard in the high school ranks. Not known for his athleticism, Booker also had a violent block on a defender going in for a lay-up.

Josh Langford, 6’4”, 2016, Atlanta Celtics

One of the youngest players in the camp, Langford showed off his immense skill level in quick spurts today. Being guarded by the older Devin Booker, Langford used his elite burst and explosion to get to the rim for a contested lay-up and then also hit a contested pull-up jump shot over Caleb Martin. Langford only received the ball a few times in an offensive threat position as he was surrounded by older teammates, but when he did he made sure to take advantage.  

Shaqquan Aaron, 6’7”, 2014, Seattle Rotary

Aaron is not the most consistent shooter in the class of 2014, but he has range from anywhere on the court. Going against a lanky wing similar to himself in Derrick Jones early on, Aaron nailed two deep three’s to go along with an athletic drive to the basket. Aaron also miss-fired on several three point attempts but that did not deter him. Aaron can also handle the ball well for a player his size and threw two nice alley-oop passes to teammates after beating his man off the dribble.

Kameron Chatman, 6’7”, 2014, ICP Elite

Chatman was one of the most impressive players in the EYBL and averaged close to a double-double in points and rebounds with 15.8 and 9.8, respectively. The one thing he struggled with was his outside shooting going 9-54 from the three point line (16.7%). This morning Chatman sported a nice looking stroke and nailed a mix of three’s and deep jump shots. Already one of the most versatile players in the class, if Chatman can continue to shoot the ball well he will be one tough player to guard.

Nike EYBL #4 - Minneapolis

The final installment of the Nike EYBL takes place this Memorial Day Weekend outside of Minneapolis, MN as teams try to position themselves for a coveted spot in the Nike Peach Jam. 24 teams make the prestigious Peach Jam tournament which will take place during the first live recruiting period of July. With many teams lumped together in the standings the five games played by each team will go a long way in determining the make-up of Nike’s playoff. After two months of competition, here is a look at some of the most intriguing storylines this weekend:

Top Games:

Team Takeover (13-0) vs. Meanstreets (9-4)

Time: Friday, 9pm

Dion Wiley - Takeover

Team Takeover is the lone remaining undefeated team in the EYBL at 13-0. Last year CIA Bounce entered their last EYBL session with a similar 13-0 record and got trounced by Meanstreets on the opening night in the Bay Area 68-49. This year, Takeover looks to avoid that same fate. The undefeated team from DC is led by sharp-shooter Dion Wiley who is currently averaging 14.1 ppg while shooting 48.1% from the three-point line. On the opposite wing is guard Phil Booth who is averaging 10.6 ppg and is shooting 45.5% from three.  Getting the ball to these sharp shooters is the recent Georgetown commit, Tre Campbell who is averaging 4.1 assists per game with a 2.7 assist to turnover ratio. On the other side, is the Chicago based squad who is looking to knock off another team from the undefeated ranks. Tyler Ulis leads the way with 15.7 ppg and 5.5 apg. Despite standing only 5’8”, Ulis can get into the lane at will which leads to easy baskets for his teammates or frequent trips to the foul line. Just like last year, Meanstreets has the potential to cause an upset on the first night.

Each 1 Teach 1 (9-4) vs. Mac Irvin Fire (7-6)

Time: Sunday, 8am

Two of the most talented teams face off bright and early Sunday morning. E1T1 blew through its opposition two weeks ago in Dallas by an average of 24 points per game. They already featured a top notch backcourt in Joel Berry and D’Angelo Russell, but recently picked up Grayson Allen and big man Trayvon Reed. To go along with these highly ranked players, E1T1 received breakout performances from small forward Boubacar Moungoro and power forward Michael Gilmore. This heavily balanced team will go against a Mac Irvin team that is finally at full strength. The top two big men in the country finally teamed up in Dallas, and despite losing their first two games, Jahlil Okafor and Cliff Alexander were a treat to watch. Both players averaged near double-doubles and after winning their last two games could be ready for a long win streak.

Top Match-ups:

Theo Pinson (CP3) vs. Rashad Vaughn (Wisconsin Playground Elite)

Time: Sunday, 11am

Two of the top wings in the country get to go at it on Sunday morning. Playing in his home state, Rashad Vaughn will look to cement his place as the premier wing in America and prove that he has overtaken all of the players like Pinson that were ranked higher earlier in their careers. This past Wednesday, Pinson committed to the University of North Carolina after being a top target for the past three years. While Pinson recently committed the Tar Heel staff had seemed to make Vaughn their top target over the past five months with both players taking visits during the same weekend in March. Vaughn is currently averaging 19.2 points and 6.4 rebounds per game despite facing constant double teams and box-and-one defenses. Pinson on the other hand is averaging 13.6 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. Vaughn will look to show off his offensive prowess and one up one of the better defenders in the EYBL.

Malik Newman (Jackson) vs. Allonzo Trier (Athlete’s First)

Time: Saturday, 11am

These two standout guards in the class of 2015 are also two of the premier scorers in the EYBL. Newman currently leads the league with 23.7 points per game, while Trier is not far behind with 19.2 points per game. Both guards can score in multiple ways and like the ball in their hand on the offensive end. In Dallas, Newman put on the most impressive scoring display seen this year with 36 points in 24 minutes. This scoring barrage was still not enough to top the 37 points put up by Trier a few hours earlier. Both players are the stars of their teams and they will each get their fair share of shots.

See You Later:

ICP Elite (4-9)

Despite adding two highly ranked players from Southern California in Daniel Hamilton and Tyler Dorsey last session, ICP stands at 4-9 and is most likely out of the running for the Peach Jam. Despite their lackluster record, ICP could prove to be one of the more entertaining teams this weekend. To go along with Hamilton and Dorsey, is an ICP regular in Kameron Chatman. While Chatman’s EYBL rise is no surprise, he has been quietly gaining steam each weekend and will most likely see a nice jump in the recruiting rankings. Standing at 6’8” Chatman is currently averaging 15.8 points and 10 rebounds per game. ICP ends their session on Memorial Day Monday against Each 1 Teach 1.

Southern Stampede (5-8)

The team from Georgia stands just 5-8 despite having stockpiled a plethora of talent from the southeast. This team is led by studs such as Jalen Lindsay, Ahmad Hill, and Jakeenan Gant and also added two guards from the Florida Elite program in Lance Tejada and Adonis Hernandez for a few games in Dallas. After suffering an opening night loss to Seattle Rotary in Dallas, the Stampede reeled off three consecutive wins. Small forward Lindsay had one of the most impressive weekends averaging 18.5 points on 53% shooting. Their last game comes on Monday morning against the Mac Irvin Fire.

EYBL-Dallas - Day 2 Continued

While Tyus Jones and Joel Berry were going head to head and Malik Newman was going off for 36 points there were numerous other standouts throughout the 40 games that went on during Day 2 of the Dallas EYBL. 

Theo Pinson, 6’6”, 2014, CP3

In the first set of Saturday games, Theo Pinson made his presence known on both sides of the ball early and often in helping his team to a 13 point halftime lead against Team Texas Elite. Pinson went 5-9 in the first half including 1-2 from the three point line. Outside shooting is usually the main weakness associated with Pinson, but he showed off an improved form in this early morning tilt. From the start Pinson had shots go in and out from fifteen feet and the top of the key. Despite the close misses, Pinson didn’t lose confidence and shortly thereafter knocked in a twelve foot jump shot and a three from the right wing. On the defensive side of the ball, Pinson forced two early turnovers and converted both of those steals into a fast break dunk and lay-up. In the second half, Pinson added in eight more points for good measure as CP3 became the only team in the tournament to break 100 points in a 35 point win. Pinson finished with 19 points on 8-14 shooting and added seven rebounds. 

Gary Clark, 6’7”, 2014, CP3

Clark had a very efficient game in the morning set scoring 17 points on 7-9 shooting. Several times, CP3 ran specific play sets to get Clark the ball in the low post and he responded with a few quick right handed hook shots and also a face-up medium range jump shot. Clark showed off a soft touch, good hands, and quick moves when catching the ball in the post.

Matt Mcquaid, 6’5”, 2015, Team Texas Elite

While the young Texas Elite squad was overwhelmed against CP3, the skinny sophomore took charge in the first half attempting to keep his team within striking distance. After miss-firing on his first two outside shots, Mcquaid calmly drained four three pointers in the first half including one he hit from the left corner while getting fouled. After knocking in his first three, he gained confidence and became more aggressive calling for the ball and moving through the half court sets in an effort to get open looks. Mcquaid ended up going 5-9 from behind the three point line throughout the game. 

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

In one of the most anticipated match-ups against Expressions Elite the lanky forward got off to a slow start but quickly caught fire during the middle of the first half. After starting out 1-4, Jackson hit his patented floater from seven feet out and added in a three pointer from the top of the key while also hitting several baskets down low off of drives or basket cuts. With the score tied 36 all at the half, Jackson continued his stellar playing scoring 16 second half points as his Houston Hoops team ended up winning 81-65. Jackson added seven rebounds and played hard on both sides of the ball throughout the contest. 

Kelly Oubre, 6’7”, 2014, Houston Hoops

Another one of the talented Houston Hoops wings, Oubre scored 17 points on 4-9 shooting. Oubre hit two threes from the corner and also used his size and athleticism to get to the free throw line nine times. Oubre was very active on the defensive end and also helped with ball handling duties on occasion. The size and strength combination that Oubre possesses makes him one of the most challenging covers in the circuit.

Abdul Malik Abu, 6’7”, 2014, Expressions Elite

Malik-Abu struggled mightily with his shooting during the game against Houston going 3-19, but he also managed to grab 14 rebounds. Malik-Abu is one of the strongest forwards in the country and showed off his power and athleticism with a violent dunk off a stand still jump at one point early in the second half. 

Aaron Falzon, 6’8”, 2015, Expressions Elite

Falzon looks a bit like Klay Thompson and while he does not have the same shooting ability he did manage to knock in four three pointers throughout the game. After forcing a bad shot from the top of the key to start the game, Falzon settled into the flow and went for 14 points and 7 rebounds. With Expressions Elite trying to make a comeback at the end of the game, Falzon turned into the go-to guy on offense as his teammates tried to find him for open looks behind the arc as he showed off range from several feet behind the arc.

Grayson Allen, 6’4”, 2014, E1T1

Allen continued his hot shooting off the bench in a blowout win against Howard Pulley to cap off the Saturday morning session. After scoring 30 points the first night, Allen went for 17 points on 6-8 shooting. Playing off the ball, Allen wasted no time getting into the action as he fired up shots the first two times he touched the ball resulting in two swishes. Allen got to the basket a time or two and even lofted a nice alley-oop to Trayvon Reed after working his way into the lane.

D’Angelo Russell, 6’4”, 2014, E1T1

The first two EYBL sessions were a struggle for Russell as he tried to adapt to a new team and new system. His game against Howard Pulley could potentially signal his turnaround. Russell went 6-7 from the floor including 3-4 from behind the line. It seems as though Russell’s favorite three-point spot is a few feet below the free throw line extended and this is where he did his damage. After Russell knocked in a three over Tyus Jones, he started to show off a little of his helter-skelter type game that made him one of the top players on the 16U Adidas and UA circuit last year. He also added in 7 rebounds for good measure. 

Trey Lyles, 6’9”, 2014, Spiece Indy

Despite an early deficit due to the 36 point Malik Newman point barrage, Spiece Indy stayed within striking distance and eventually took the lead in the final minutes. This was in large part due to the play of their big man Trey Lyles who is one of the smartest big men on the circuit. Lyles knew he had a strength advantage down low and went to work. Lyles backed his man down for baskets coming off turns to both the right and left shoulder near the basket and also hit a few five to seven foot jumpers when given space. 

Ivan Rabb, 6’10”, 2015, Oakland Soldiers

Rabb showed off why he is considered to be one of the top players in the class of 2015 playing against Athletes First from Oklahoma. The tall and lanky big man can run the court and finished in the low post. Rabb got his Oakland squad off to a quick start scoring six early points down low off of offensive rebounds and quick post moves. He finished the game with 12 points and 10 rebounds on just seven shots. 

Stanley Johnson, 6’7”, 2014, Oakland Soldiers

Johnson was unstoppable at the end of his second game and wouldn’t let Athletes First back into the game. In the last few minutes Johnson isolated his defender(s) at the top of the key and scored several times off of simple crossovers at the three point line. After getting his defender to switch directions, Johnson used his strength advantage to bully his way to the basket. He finished with 22 points on 7-12 shooting and got to the line 12 times. Overall, Johnson is one of the toughest covers in the game. 

Rashad Vaughn, 6’6”, 2014, Wisconsin Elite

Vaughn had another sub-par shooting effort going 4-12, but managed to get to the line 11 times where he converted eight. After taking the EYBL by storm and cementing his rep as the best shooting guard in the country, opposing teams have started to make it harder on Vaughn to get open looks. On Saturday afternoon, Team Louisiana employed a box and one approach on Vaughn which kept him from getting into a rhythm. Vaughn often brought the ball up the court in the second half but was forced to play distributor as he often had two defenders on him anytime he got close to the three point line. At the end of the day, Vaughn finished with 18 points 8 rebounds, and only one turnover. Most importantly his team got the win.

Tyler Ulis, 5’8”, 2014, Meanstreets

Meanstreets was in dire need of a win after starting play in Dallas with a 0-2 record. With a one point lead at the half against Team Final, Ulis seized control in the second half and led the Chicago based Meanstreets to a 75-69 win. Despite his size, Ulis controls the game better than any point guard on the Nike circuit. He hit open three’s when his team needed a bucket (2-4 3-pt) and got into the lane for floaters and foul shots at will. He went 11-11 from the line and finished with 23 points and 8 assists.

Mikal Bridges, 6’7”, 2014 and Malachi Richardson, 6’5”, 2015, Team Final

These two wings scored 16 and 13 points respectively in their loss to Meanstreets. The talented and lengthy wing duo each hit a combined six three-pointers and provided Team Final with offensive miss-matches throughout the game. While both players can shoot the ball, they also possess the athleticism to get to the basket and impact the game in other ways as they combined for 10 rebounds.

Luke Maye, 6’6”, 2015, Team United

An under-sized power forward, Luke Maye can put up points in a hurry. Despite starting his last game of the day against 7’1” center Trayvon Reed, Maye was active on the offensive end getting 23 shots up for a total of 23 points. Maye has a quick release and a high arc on his jump shot which allows him to turn and face against almost any defender. He also doesn’t tire easily and was constantly crashing the boards looking for put back opportunities. 

Kameron Chatman, 6’7”, 2014, ICP

Chatman led ICP to a close rivalry win with Seattle Rotary scoring 16 points including several baskets as the game winded down. Despite sitting out this past high school season, Chatman got the best of another high profile wing in Shaqquan Aaron who did not score until the final shot of the game. Chatman performed well in all of his games and benefited from an influx of Southern California talent to improve the competiveness of his team.