DeAndre Ayton Spotlight

Only a rising junior, DeAndre Ayton is considered the top prospect in high school basketball. He spent this past weekend at the Top 100 camp and while he did not dominant the competition he was still named to the All-Star team and had several opponents’ state that he was the toughest player to guard in camp.

photo by NBPA

Standing at 6’11” with an already chiseled frame and an athletic grace when he flies up and down the court, Ayton does not want to be labeled as just a back to the basket player and wants to fancy his game after the soon to be number one draft pick in Karl Anthony-Towns.

“Yeah, I picture my game as Karl Towns,” said Ayton. “He runs the floor, plays defense, and shoots the outside jumper.”

When asked his thoughts on another soon to be top pick in Jahlil Okafor, Ayton noted “He did alright, I think he could’ve done more. I’m an athletic big. A stretch four. I don’t like to be in the post that much. I can play in the post, but someone else can play in the post while I’m outside.”

Both Kentucky and Duke have reached out to Ayton along with schools such as San Diego State and Kansas. When asked what schools do the best job developing big men, Ayton quickly said “Coach K and Kentucky, for sure. I mean Kentucky and Duke do a great job with their bigs. Just them two that’s it.”

While the recruiting pitches will certainly start to pick-up, Ayton is not in a rush to make any rash decisions and doesn’t have any plans to follow the Emmanuel Mudiay path overseas.

“Where I grew up and since I’ve been in the United States education is first,” said Ayton. “Got to have something to fall back on if basketball don’t work out. That’s really on my mind. I just got off my injury after I broke my patella. That really got me thinking. I spent two to three months thinking about what I have to fall back on. This was a serious injury. I’m still thinking about college. Maybe like next year I’ll make a decision. My family back home don’t really know much about it, but the family I have in the United States they know a lot and they just tell me to take my time and not rush. We were going to take our time. Step by step. Get as many visits as we can.”

Due to his injury, Ayton did not play in front of coaches in either of the live April recruiting periods; however he did make his return to the court over Memorial Day weekend. Playing for the Supreme Court AAU team on the Under Armour circuit, Ayton wasted no time showing observers why he will most likely be the number one pick in the 2018 NBA Draft as he averaged 16.5 points on 53% shooting to go with 13.5 rebounds per game.

Putting together a string of double-doubles is nothing new for Ayton. His legend started to grow last July during the LeBron James Skills Academy and then in the fall he showed up for a scrimmage in the Bahamas against the University of North Carolina. Going against players four to five years older, Ayton ended up with 17 points and 18 rebounds.

“At first I didn’t want to play, but then I’m like nah I got to get better,” said Ayton. “I was getting banged up pretty bad a little bit, but then I said nah, I’m playing. I’ve got to give these boys buckets. It’s just all natural. I started making baskets and was doing what I do on the boards. Just playing my role. Not doing too much. It was tough at first, but it doesn’t really matter who I’m guarding or who my opponent is and I tell myself I’m the best on the court and no one is going to guard me. I keep that to myself and stay with that the whole game.”

Ayton has all of the natural talent in the world, but sometimes it’s easy to forget how young the talented prospect really is.

“Yeah, I’m easy going,” said Ayton. “I like to meet new people. I play video games a lot. Spend time with my family a lot. Talk about the future. What’s going to happen in the long run. I try to keep humble, keep my head on Earth. It’s great, but being in 10^th grade, a rising junior, I’ve got a lot to think about.” 

NBPA Top 100: Friday Afternoon

Five sessions down, one more to go before the NBPA Top 100 playoffs begin Saturday morning. Despite this being the third day of a long and tiresome camp there were some quality performances in the Friday afternoon session at John Paul Jones arena in Charlottesville.

Top Performers:

Omari Spellman, PF, 6’8”, McDuffie (MA), 2016

The future Villanova big man put together quite the performance off in the auxiliary gym earlier today. While he looks the part of Kennedy Meeks, Spellman is light and quick off his feet and is a loud and vocal player on the court. He scored consistently throughout the game from all areas of the court. He hit several three’s including one in the remaining minutes from the right wing. He also displayed his touch from 12 feet and out when he caught the ball in the post and sized up his defenders which included anyone from Deandre Ayton to Sasha Killeya-Jones. While he used his footwork for open jumpers he used his wide body to create space down low converting on a handful of attempts at the rim. Not known for his leaping ability, Spellman attacked the rim at times and almost converted a spectacular alley-oop. He had his offensive game going on, but he was also a force on defensive as well. Spellman used his body aggressively against the skinnier offensive players, blocked shots, and wasn’t afraid to talk trash. All in all, it was an extremely impressive performance for the senior power forward.

Deshawn Corprew, SF, 6’5”, Quality Education (NC), 2016

If anyone in the Top 100 had future NFL potential, it would be the 6’5” Corprew. With a powerful physique, Corprew is tough for anyone to stop once he makes his mind up to drive through the lane. He is explosive at the rim and scored time and time again in the second half of his game. While not known for his outside shooting he also let loose and deep jumper that found the bottom of the nut. His style is a little herky and jerky and he could stand to improve on his ball-handling, but Corprew knows his strengths and loves to attack, attack, attack.

Sasha Killeya-Jones, PF, 6’11”, Episcopal (VA), 2016

Despite recently de-committing from Virginia, Killeya-Jones looked right at home early on in Charlottesville. With a tall frame and thin build, SKJ preferred to start outside of the arc on the offensive end. He dropped in a deep jumper to start and followed that up with a tough fade-away jumper over Spellman before hitting another jumper from the sideline. In the second half, his made shots came closer to the basket with a short five foot jumper and a tip-in and he remained engaged and active throughout the game. He has great length and uses that to challenge shots on the defensive end, but struggles with his agility when trying to contain shorter and quicker ball-handlers in pick and roll situations.  

Myles Powell, 6’1”, G, South Kent (CT), 2016

The Jersey guard looks more like a fullback, but he’s also been one of the most productive scorers at the Top 100 camp. He does not do one thing exceptionally well, but he does a lot of things very well. Powell knows how to create space for jump shots and when to attack the rim. Fresh off a 21 point outing, Powell didn’t suffer a letdown on Thursday and continued to score at an impressive clip.

Sam Cunliffe, 6’6”, SG, Rainier Beach (WA), 2016

The recent Arizona State commitment was lighting up the nets throughout his game on Friday afternoon. The smooth looking guard from Seattle had his good looking shooting stroke on point early on connecting from the wing on several occasions. Cunliffe has good footwork and is effective curling off screens for shots or hitting shots off the dribble. Shooting is Cunliffe’s main strength, but he also surprised a few people with a fancy above the rim finish on a two hand dunk. Cunliffe’s game is fun to watch and one that should make an immediate impact in Tempe.

Other Notes:

Alex Barcello hit a trio of three’s in his game this morning. After hitting his first one, Barcello went cold for a spell before finding his shot in the fourth quarter knocking in two in a row.

Kyle Guy and Ty Jerome, two future UVA guards were highlighted on Thursday, but both players had their moments again on Friday. Guy got the stanza going early with a three from NBA range and also had former Cavalier Justin Anderson celebrating after a fancy pass. Guy connected on several shots, but he also got tunnel vision in the second half forcing the issue which led to difficult shots off the dribble when it would have been wiser to pass the ball. Despite a poor stretch, Guy knocked in a spot up three towards the end of the game. Once again, Ty Jerome slid under the radar due to his quiet demeanor and while Jerome was silent early on, he converted a difficult lay-up in the second half after splitting the pick and roll. Jerome functions well as a shooting guard but he also proved he could play spot minutes at the point if necessary.

Power forward Duwan Huell had several high flying finishes above the rim and several put-backs off of offensive rebounds but struggled with his stamina throughout the game looking a bit winded throughout. Huell struggled at times catching difficult passes and also turned the ball over off the dribble.

7’0” junior center Brandon McCoy is an extremely intriguing prospect given his height and length. Right now he is struggling with the physicality of some of the players, but as they say, you can’t teach height. 

NBPA Top 100: Thursday Night Session

Two days down with two more to go at the NBPA Top 100 camp in Charlottesville, VA. Despite the long days the campers did not show any signs of letdown in session number four that took place last night.

Top Players:

Thon Maker, 7’1”, PF, 2016, Orangeville (CAN)

Kelly Kline / UA

Before he announced to a crowd of reporters that he would be staying in the class of 2016, Maker put together his best performance in his three year tenure at the Top 100 camp. Maker started the night off with a soft looking jump shot from mid-range and continued to score from a variety of areas. He finished with 22 points and seven rebounds on 8-11 shooting and 2-3 from outside the arc. After going to the line countless times in the morning session, Maker showcased his skill-set which has made him one of the more talked about high school players over the last few years.

Shamorie Ponds, 6’0”, PG, 2016, Thomas Jefferson (NY)

After a strong spring playing in the Nike EYBL circuit, Shamorie Ponds has continued his high scoring ways in Virginia. He struggled from three in the night session going 0-4, but he still finished 8-15 overall. Despite being one of the smaller players on the court, Ponds was always finding little holes in the defense and converted crafty lay-ups with both his right and left hand. With a strong handle, Ponds also pushed the ball in transition and played a crucial part in his team’s 63-62 victory.

Udoka Azubuike, 6’11, C, 2016, Potter’s House (FL)

The big fella from Florida strung together a 16 point performance on 7-8 shooting in his rematch with highly regarded junior forward DeAndre Ayton. Back at the City of Palms last December, Ayton won the match-up, but this time around Azubuike tried to do his best Shaq impression and bring the house down. Throughout the course of the game, Azubuike was punishing the rim with authoritative two hand dunks. He was engaged throughout and looked to relish the chance to play against another highly touted big man.

Xavier Simpson, 6’0”, PG, 2016, Central Catholic (OH)

Xavier Simpson is a tough, physical point guard from Ohio and he put up easily the most efficient performance on the day. With a session high of 25 points, Simpson helped his Rockets squad cruise to a blowout victory. Playing alongside Maker, Simpson went 11-13 from the field including a perfect 3-3 from long distance. He also added four assists and three rebounds and only turned the ball over two times. It was quite the turnaround performance from Simpson who went just 1-8 in his game earlier that day.

Billy Preston, 6’9”, PF, 2017, Dallas API (TX)

It’s always nice to see when highly touted players improve. After seeing Preston start for an extremely talented St. John Bosco squad as a freshman, it was remarkable to see how the 6’8” forward looks less than two years later. With a stronger upper body, Preston now looks like a pro. After scoring 10 points on 5-10 shooting in the first Thursday session, Preston added 13 points and five rebounds and the game winning free throw in overtime in the night session. Preston has a smooth style to his game and can now attack better off the dribble where he can finish easier down low with his added strength and he still sports his solid looking jump shot.

Top Backcourt: Frank Jackson & Jaylen Hands

Thunder and lightning is a proper nickname for the backcourt of Frank Jackson and Jaylen Hands. Jackson is a 6’1” guard from Utah that has thrown his name into the ring for the top point guard spot in 2016. So far throughout the camp Jackson has been sensational getting to the rim at will. With the guards stock quickly rising, both Duke and Maryland will receive unofficial visits after the camp ends. To go along with Jackson, Jaylen Hands is the lightning piece of the duo and he is playing at an extremely high level now that he has a chip on his shoulder after being cut from the USA U16 team. After a strong morning session, Hands led his team in scoring in the night session with 14 points on 6-9 shooting. The 6’2” guard from Southern California has a slight build, but with a quick first step he can get in the lane almost any time he wants. Hands displayed a soft touch on his floater and also went 2-3 from three.

Future UVA Backcourt: Kyle Guy & Ty Jerome

2016 UVA commits Kyle Guy and Ty Jerome are already getting ready for their next step as basketball players. The two are sharing the same backcourt together at the Top 100 camp while also getting used to the feel of John Paul Jones arena. In a one point loss, both Guy and Jerome scored 13 points. Guy showed some craftiness with the ball in his hands and alluded an air of confidence whenever the ball was in his hands. Jerome only hit two field goals on the day, but both of them were from behind the arc and he also went 7-7 from the foul line. With those two in the fold, Tony Bennett will certainly be keeping the Cavaliers at the top of the ACC in the future.

Biggest Disappointment: EJ Montgomery’s Injury

Before going down late Thursday night with a leg injury, EJ Montgomery, a five-star power forward from the rising sophomore class was having a blast. He was hitting shots from all over the court and doing so with confidence and a smile on his face. The change in body language was great to see after a disappointing stint in Colorado Springs where the 6’8” forward didn’t make it through the first cuts of the U16 camp. During this time, Montgomery was pushed around and did not look like he belonged. Less than a month later, Montgomery was taking it to the older players and was displaying the same skill-set from his freshman year at Montverde. 

NBPA Top 100: Thursday Morning

The 2015 NBPA Top 100 camp kicked off Wednesday afternoon at the University of Virginia and despite an earlier start time on Thursday morning, a variety of players came ready to play. Each morning and evening stanza features a set of five games. Three games in the first time slot and two games in the second one. John Paul Jones arena plays host to four out of these five games while UVA’s auxiliary gym is the place to be for the other.

In the morning session, the viewings began in the auxiliary gym where a handful of talented 2016 and 2017 prospects took the floor.

Quick Hitters:

1) Gary Trent Jr. has been the shooting guard from the class of 2017 that has garnered the most national attention, but DJ Harvey (DeMatha) is right up there with him when it comes to the top shooting guards in the country. Harvey’s shooting stroke is a thing of beauty and he gets exceptional lift on his shots as well. In the morning session, Harvey started from mid-range and hit a tough pull-up and a trio of three’s from the wing and corner. With his shooting performance, Harvey had the standout performance in the auxiliary gym.

2) Last year rising junior point guard Matt Coleman played at the ScoutsFocus camp that was going on across the street at UVA’s old UHall arena during the Top 100 camp. This year the speedster is at the real thing and in the morning he showed off an aggressive mindset that was sometimes missing during the EYBL season. He started the morning off with a pull-up three and then quickly added a running bank shot from the left side of the floor. Coleman used his quickness to attack the pick and roll and found teammates for open baskets. The 757 native had his phone ringing at 12:01am on June 15^th, but it’s a former local coach that is showing strong interest. While at VCU, Shaka Smart recruited Coleman, but not that aggressively as he knew Coleman was bound for a big time school. Now that Smart is at Texas he has put the full-court press on Coleman.

3) Thon Maker’s journey is well-documented and the 7’1” forward is now making his third appearance at the Top 100 camp. While Maker has struggled over the past two years he came out aggressive today attacking the basket when he got the ball in his hands while also patrolling the paint on the defensive end. He missed a fair amount of close shots but he drew fouls and got to the line where he was able to convert.

4) Senior big man Barrett Benson received a lot of attention this past winter for his play in the Chicago suburbs and the four-star played a solid game this morning. He hit face-up jump shots and converted in the paint. He didn’t try to force the issue and let the game come to him.

5) 6’8” small forward Brendan Bailey showcased his three point stroke at this camp last year and he did the same thing this morning. While still extremely thin and lanky, Bailey has added some noticeable muscle to his upper body. This time around at the Top 100 camp, Bailey was more aggressive and looked for his outside shot. With a high arcing shot, Bailey is one of the top outside marksmen at the camp.

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.

A Man On A Mission: TJ Haws

Sharp shooter TJ Haws won his third state championship at Lone Peak High School in Utah this past year and is on a mission to win a fourth one as a senior. This past season, Haws played an integral part on the most dominant hoops team in Utah history. Lone Peak went 30-1 and finished the year ranked fourth in the country by Hoopniks.com. They went 16-0 in the state of Utah and won their games by an average of 29 points per game, including a 72-39 state championship win. The Knights also traveled the country winning over fans in Chicago, Florida, and Massachusetts with their up tempo style of play and three point shooting acumen. In a starting line-up that included BYU bound point guard Nick Emery and big man Eric Mika, Haws was the lone underclassman to start for the team. With the graduation of four starters Haws will have a difficult time winning a fourth straight championship, but he is already embracing the challenge. 

While his former teammates graduate, Haws is currently spending his off-season on the AAU and camp circuit working on his game. Last year he was primarily seen running the wing while draining three’s from all areas of the court or finishing at the basket after an athletic move. During the NBPA Top 100 Camp in Charlottesville, VA, he was seen running the point. Standing at 6’3”, Haws usually towered over his opponent as he went up against the 5’8” Tyler Ulis and 5’10” Chris Chiozza in camp games. The shorter and quicker guards tried to bother Haws with full-court pressure but he used his dribbling skills and quickness to break the press and set up the team’s offense. With the departure of Emery, the majority of the ball-handling duties at Lone Peak will eventually fall to Haws.

 “I thought I did pretty well at the point. It was a good experience going against those athletic point guards and will only help me for my future,” Haws said. “My dad played point at BYU and that’s the position I’ll be trying to play when I get there after my mission.”

Known as one of the top shooters in high school hoops, Haws was normally deadly from well behind the college three point line as he hit four three’s in Chicago against Proviso East and averaged just over three made three’s a game in the City of Palms tournament. During the camp, Haws did not get as many shot attempts as normal while manning the point, but he still found times to show off his stroke and quick release. 

“I kind of like playing the point better because I can push the ball and find open looks in transition” Haws noted.

During five games, Haws only averaged 5.2 points per game but kept his teammates such as Myles Turner and Ben Bentil happy with his passing. The opposing guards thought they could take advantage of Haws with their quickness but he was able to stay in front of his man defensively while also getting by their pressure on the offensive end. He produced a modest stat line during the camp, but ran the point against some of the top players in the country and did so with a limited amount of turnovers all while looking like a natural point guard.

In the upcoming July time frame, Haws will suit up for the Las Vegas Prospects and compete in tournaments in Long Beach, Milwaukee, and Las Vegas before returning back to Utah. 

When asked about a four-peat, Haws said “We have a pretty good chance. We won’t be able to compete on a national scale like we did last year, but we should be alright in Utah. We have some players ready to step up along with a transfer from Lehi (upcoming sophomore guard Frank Jackson who scored 30 on Lone Peak this past year).”

In the upcoming season, Haws knows that he will need to shoulder the scoring burden along with a fair amount of ball-handling duties. We already know that the scoring burden won’t be a problem for the prolific scorer, and after his play at the NBPA Top 100 camp playing point guard won’t be much of a problem either. Already a top 50 player in the country, Haws is putting in the work during the off-season to improve his game in and close out his run at Lone Peak with a fourth state title.   

Spring Riser: Brekkott Chapman

photo - Desert News

Each spring there are a few players that rapidly ascend up the high school recruiting rankings during the spring and early summer. For some of these players the jump is attributed to a spike in their performance, while for others it is attributed to increased exposure on the national circuit. For Brekkott Chapman, a 6’8” combo forward out of Roy, Utah, both of these factors played a part in his rapid ascension through the 2014 rankings.

Chapman currently sits un-ranked in Scout.com’s top 100 and at number 87 by Rivals, both of which were made prior to the spring AAU circuit.  When the new rankings are released expect to see a jump into the top 40.

As a junior, Chapman averaged 19 points and 8 rebounds a game as he lead his team to a 17-7 record and the Utah 4A state quarterfinals where they lost to Bountiful 50-44. He finished the year as a top five scorer in 4A, but was held to just two points in their season ending loss as Bountiful harassed him with physical defenders and forced him out of his comfort zone. 

In AAU and camp play, Chapman worked hard to get back into his comfort zone playing for the Utah Prospects on the Under Armour AAU circuit while also attending the Pangos All-American and NBPA Top 100 camps. 

In Charlottesville, VA for the Top 100 camp, Chapman played both forward positions on the offensive and defensive ends and looked comfortable in both spots. 

“I prefer the three, but either the three or four is fine,” Chapman said when asked about his preferred position. 

Standing at 6’8”, Chapman has ideal height for a combo forward, but it’s his jumping and shooting ability that make him a nightmare match-up on the offensive end. On the first night at the NBPA Top 100 camp, a recruiting analyst noted “I had no idea he could do that” after watching Chapman throw down another high-flying dunk. Chapman routinely caught taller defenders off guard as he blew by them on the wing for a dunk or acrobatic finish while also displaying his smooth lefty stroke when given space on the perimeter. 

During the three day Top 100 camp, Chapman showed off his dunking prowess and soft outside touch in every game he played averaging nine points per game. He played on one of the most talented teams in the camp and scored between seven and thirteen points in all seven games with a variety of shots from all over the court. He drained three’s from the wing, but also looked comfortable operating in the paint where he used fundamental post moves and soft fade away jump shots to keep his defenders off balance. 

Due to his light frame, Chapman is not as strong on the defensively as he is offensively, however he was quick to bring up his defensive efforts in Charlottesville. 

“Defensively I’ve been doing really well. I stopped my guy, played really good help defense and just tried to do what I can do,” Chapman noted

With his recent play, Chapman has drawn interest from a majority of west coast schools with Arizona and UCLA being the latest big names to show interest. While the heavy hitters in the Pac-12 are starting to pay attention it was the three local schools (BYU, Utah, and Utah State) that were on him the earliest to go along with Gonzaga and Arizona State. For now, Chapman plans to play out the summer which includes stops in LA, Milwaukee, and Vegas before deciding on what schools he wants to visit.

While Chapman is not sure about what schools to visit, he is positive that his high school team will make another state tournament run.

“I feel that we will have a better squad this year with the other juniors coming back that all work really hard and I think we can make it to the finals,” Chapman said. 

When his play over the past few months, Chapman has shown recruiting analysts and college coaches his multi-dimensional skill set. After mixing it up as a combo forward with some of the best players in the country, one can be sure that Chapman will not shy away from physical play come his senior year.