2014 Scouting Reports On NBA Draft Prospects

Almost three years ago, some of the top 16 and 17 year-old high school players gathered in Colorado Springs for the USA U17 tryouts. There was talent galore in the gym with the likes of Malik Monk, Dennis Smith, and TJ Leaf all getting cut. Two players from that team were drafted in Henry Ellenson and Diamond Stone and now six more are expected to hear their name called Thursday night. Here are my notes from three years ago on: 

• Jayson Tatum
• Josh Jackson
• Harry Giles
• Caleb Swanigan
• Terrance Ferguson
• Ivan Rabb

Jayson Tatum:

Strengths: 

Giles-Tatum talking about college

Standing at 6’7” and probably still growing, there isn’t a whole lot that Jayson Tatum can’t do on the basketball court. While he is the second youngest player on the team, Tatum is the most skilled from an offensive stand point. Not just on the USA team though, in all of high school basketball. He is comfortable playing point guard (and will probably handle the ball a fair amount for Team USA) and on the wing. Tatum also uses both his strong (right) and weak hand (left) interchangeably while dribbling or finishing shots in the paint. He likes to take advantage of miss-matches and can post up smaller defenders and either shoot over them or hit a fade-away. He can drive by slower defenders and finish at the rim or pull-up from 15 feet as well. Tatum dominated AAU at the 16U level last year and averaged 18.9 points in the 17U EYBL this year. Tatum came off the bench for Team USA last year, but he will definitely be one of the focal points this year. 

Weaknesses: 

Strength and shooting are the focal points even though he’s already shown improvements in both areas from his freshman to sophomore season. Tatum has a thin frame, but he has definitely put on muscle in his upper body and will continue to do so over the next two years. The only time I’ve seen Tatum bothered on the offensive end, was when a team put a strong and athletic 6’5” wing on him who tried to rough him up. Tatum still did what he wanted, but had to work a little harder than he was accustomed to. As for shooting, Tatum shot just 28% from three and 42% from the field in the EYBL. During the USA tryouts he was draining three’s from the international line on the first night and continues to improve in this area. One other note, he does not exhibit freakish athleticism like some players but with his height, guard skills, and offensive repertoire it isn’t easy for anyone to slow him down. 

Josh Jackson:

Strengths: 

A top 5 player in the junior class, Jackson is a smooth and skilled wing (although almost one year older than Giles and Tatum). Last year he averaged 11.4 points and 5.6 rebounds in just under 20 minutes a game during USA play. Athletic with a good first step, Jackson is the prototypical wing at the next level. He is very strong in one on one situations and can use his left to right spin move to finish aggressively at the rim. He can break people down off the dribble and is tough to stop once he gets in the lane. Jackson is the type of player that likes to get up and down the court for high flying dunks, but he also uses his length and quickness to lock down defenders on the wing. 

Weaknesses: 

For all his talent, Jackson has a tendency to blend in more than he should. At times you can forget that he is on the floor as he can float from offense to defense aimlessly without making an impact several minutes at a time. His jump shot is also a work in progress. He shot just 2-15 from three during the Under Armour Finals in July, but was very effective from inside the paint. Jackson has the tools and just needs to stay aggressive to fulfill his talents while continuing to hone his jump shot to turn into a threat from all areas on the court.  

Harry Giles:

Strengths: 

Giles is the best pro prospect on the USA team although he still has a way to go before being fully healthy again. After starting two games last year in the FIBA Americas, Giles tore his ACL and missed his entire sophomore season. He returned to the court in May and the beginning months were rough as he tried to return to the player he was as a freshman. After looking tepid during the first USA tryout, Giles suddenly started flashing the skill-set that made him the No. 1 player in his class. With a 7’2” wing span, Giles started throwing down vicious one and two hand dunks in traffic. Giles noted he is at about 90% right now and he is still lacking that quick first step; however, he is able to play in isolation from 15 feet out or in the post. His jump shot is still a work in progress but he can hit off the dribble, from mid-range, and the three point line on occasion. With his length and athleticism, Giles resembles a player in the Chris Webber mode. While not the passer Webber was, his aura on the court is similar. It is going to take time for Giles to fully trust his knee, but when that time comes he could reclaim his top spot in the class of 2016. Oh yeah, he is also the youngest player on the team. 

Weaknesses: 

Getting healthy and working on the outside shot. Right now, Giles is still gaining confidence in his movements. An ACL tear takes time to come back from, but Giles is getting more confident as the days go by. Once his first step improves and he regains a little bit more of his athleticism Giles will be tough for any opposing big to guard. As noted above, Giles hit several outside jump shots in the tryouts although he miss-fired badly on a few as well. He has the range and touch to stretch the defense but needs to continue to hone his form and release going forward. While coming off a knee injury, he lacks vertical explosiveness.

Caleb Swanigan:

Strengths: 

A late addition to the USA tryout roster, Swanigan quickly made a name for himself and earned a coveted spot on the 12-man team. The big man out of Indiana brings a toughness to Team USA and isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. In the first four tryouts, Swanigan was often seen man handling taller big men down low. He did his best work on the offensive glass and after grabbing the board, Swanigan usually used his upper body mass to get the defender underneath the rim and effectively out of the play. He knows he is a beast down low and doesn’t stray from his bread and butter after leading the EYBL in rebounds with 11.9 per game. While not an outside scorer, Swanigan did show a nice touch and soft feet throughout the drill work in tryouts. 

Weaknesses: 

At 6’7” / 6’8”, Swanigan could stand to have another inch or two, although his 7’1.5” inch wing span sometimes makes up for that fact. While he dominated the boards and often scored on put-backs he also got blocked when going straight up a fair amount. When long defenders are in his face he has a hard time scoring without moving them out of the way. While it’s great that Swanigan knows his strengths he will need to improve his face-up ability and propensity to turn the ball over in the post going forward. 

Terrance Ferguson:

Strengths: 

Another repeat member on the USA team, Ferguson is a long and lean 6’6” with a solid shooting stroke. He excels in the mid-range whether it is a shot off the catch or off the dribble. He gets good elevation and with his long arms and he can usually extend above the defender. His elbows are locked in tight and his misses are usually short or long (a sign of a good shooter per Larry Bird). He has range beyond the international three point line even though his percentages would suggest otherwise. There was a lack of pure shooters at the USA tryouts and many observers thought that Ferguson might have the nicest stroke of them all. Ferguson is a strong run and jump athlete although his forays to the basket are usually limited to highlight dunks on fast breaks. Ferguson came off the bench last year for the USA team and will do so again this year looking to become the zone buster for team USA. 

Weaknesses: 

Ferguson is a strong shooter, but he is also trying to develop other parts of his game such as his ball handling and slashing abilities. With an increased handle, Ferguson will be able to do more damage than just pull-up jump shots. Also, at just 170 pounds Ferguson can get tossed around by defenders that are stronger or more aggressive. Ferguson has a good tool set to work with and can become a dangerous player off the bench in Dubai, but needs to continue to focus on getting stronger and turning into more than a jump shooter and dunker on the break. 

Ivan Rabb:

Strengths: 

Using an NBA comparison, I would compare Rabb to a younger Chris Bosh (Updated note: YIKES), although Rabb is a bit shorter at 6’10” and a 7’1” wing span. Last year Rabb started three games on the U16 team and led it in rebounding at 9.8 per game. Rabb is a lean big man that can often get pushed around down low due to his lack of weight, but on the offensive end he can finish with either hand. A natural righty, it isn’t uncommon to see Rabb hit shots with his left hand outside of the paint. He can handle the ball adequately and likes to sprint the floor on the break. Rabb can also hit a 12-15 foot jump shot, although his consistency remains a question. He grabbed (close) to double digit rebounds the past two years in the EYBL. There is also a strong possibility that he is not 100% healthy while in Dubai. 

Weaknesses: 

Due to his skinny frame, Rabb can get pushed around down low by stronger defenders. When he has a bigger defender on him, he should be able to use his quickness to his advantage, but is routinely cut off short on his drives. He needs to learn how to start and stay aggressive for an entire game as he sometimes plays more passively than one would like. Rabb also has a soft touch but needs to continue to work on his mid-range and face-up jump shots to make him a consistent scoring threat from outside of the post area. 

USA 17U Tryouts (Session II)

Session Two is in the books. I don’t know if it was the college coaches in attendance or just a good night of sleep, but the action was a lot more intense in both the drills and scrimmages.

Today marked the one day that college coaches could attend the USA tryouts and almost every head coach from a big time program was in attendance. The ACC was well represented with Roy Williams, Jim Boeheim, Coach K (in his USA polo), Gottfried, Jamie Dixon, and assistants from Wake and Notre Dame. As far as other schools go you had Izzo, Ollie, JT3, Calipari, Alford, Miller, Bo Ryan, Bill Self, Matt Painter, Tom Crean, John Beilein, Mark Fox, and many others. The only two schools with three head coaches were Duke and Michigan. 

The drills were more active today with the score being kept for the majority of them. Loser runs sprints. Shooting drills kicked the day off which turned into 4 on 4 play in the half-court set. In one set, passing was the focus. Once a player scored he had to point toward the man who passed the ball or else the basket wouldn’t count. In the second set, every possession had to have at least one pick and roll. 

Top Performers: 

Harry Giles, 6’9”, PF, Wesleyan Christian (NC), 2016

Yesterday, Jayson Tatum was the main story, but today it was his close friend Harry Giles. While not fully recovered from his ACL injury, Giles played with an aggressive mindset that was missing last night. In a back and forth with Caleb Swanigan, Giles scored 10 points in the first scrimmage. First he threw down a powerful dunk in traffic and then started making moves off the dribble. A baseline drive resulted in a powerful one hand dunk that was mainly a result of the long arms Giles sports. He also isolated Swanigan just above the free throw line extended and after two strong dribbles to the left, Giles elevated up and knocked in a pull-up jump shot. After his first fine performance, Giles subsequently threw several good looking passes and swished a three from the top of the key in his next game.

Giles also missed a few shots pretty badly, but it was exciting to see him get a little bounce in his step back.

V.J. King, 6’6”, SF, Paul VI (VA), 2016

Giles was the story in the first scrimmage, but King was the story in the second scrimmage scoring in double figures. He started off the game with a quick basket and a three from the top of the corner, but then continued with several dunks and a fancy up and under in the middle of the lane. King was certainly feeling it and led his squad to a victory in the second stanza.

Derryck Thornton, 6’2”, PG, Findlay Prep (NV), 2016

Junior point guard Derryck Thornton was impressive throughout the morning session and was fairly dominant during the drill portion. Teaming with Malik Newman in the 4 on 4 drills the duo won the most games. Thornton had his outside shot on point throughout hitting threes from both sides of the court. His jump shot never gets a lot of back spin, but it is usually always online with the basket and today it was falling with regularity. Another thing to note with Thornton is that while he is a right handed player but loves to dribble and pass with his left. He is definitely the best at using his off-hand and his ball handling ability allows him to get to so many places on the court whether it’s breaking the press or penetrating into the paint. 

Other Notes:

While I touched on Giles, King, and Thornton above there were many players that had strong performances and probably too many to list.

Yesterday, TJ Leaf was forced to the sidelines from almost the first moment of camp. Today he was able to participate and while it took him awhile to get going he certainly made his mark during the scrimmages scoring on several consecutive possessions. He buried a three, converted a basket after a drive from the right wing, and finished a drop off pass two feet from the basket with several defenders surrounding him. He might have been forgotten last night, but he got his name back out there today.

6’8” Caleb Swanigan was a beast once again. While Giles scored 10 points in their scrimmage, Swanigan was the high man on the winning team with eight points. He dominated down low and over powered defenders on the offensive end. Several times he basically backed his man under the goal which resulted in an uncontested lay-up.

Henry Ellenson was back at it again. Getting out on the break and hitting outside jump shots. The Wisconsin big man is playing with confidence and showcased his unique skill-set to the college coaches in attendance and to the people in charge of making cuts for the US team.

2016 point guards Dennis Smith, DeAron Fox, and Devearl Ramsey all had their outside shot working today. Smith connected on several jump shots during the drills and scrimmages and Fox was hitting nothing but the bottom of the net on his attempts. In the last scrimmage, Ramsey caught fire hitting two three’s and a deep jumper in a matter of minutes. 6’0” Peyton Pritchard also had his shot falling during the competitive drill sessions, but tallied off towards the end.

USA 17U Tryouts: Session 1

A plethora of top notch talent from the 2015 and 2016 classes was in attendance last night for the first session of the 17U USA training camp in Colorado Springs. All of the players are vying for a spot on the eventual 12 man roster that will compete in the FIBA World Championships held in Dubai come August. The first four sessions are used as tryouts to cut the team down before practices begin in full on Sunday evening. College coaches are allowed to watch both the second and third sessions that take place Friday morning and afternoon.

Intro:

The camp got off to a slow start as introductions were made and players settled in. Stretching and some light drills kicked things off. Soon players were separated out by position and went to various baskets for skill work. After that they started with 4 on 4 and 3 on 2 drills. Towards the end of the session the group was separated into four teams with each team playing three games to close out the night. 

Injuries:

It didn’t take long for players to start dropping out of the drills. 6’8” power forward TJ Leaf was the first to bow out with an apparent leg injury and 6’10” center Diamond Stone came out shortly after. Unfortunately for Leaf, injuries seem to be the norm for the No. 10 prospect in the class of 2016. Previously in October the California native was only able to participate in the opening session of the Developmental National Team training. As for Stone, he is all but assured a spot on the team regardless of injury. Last year on the 16U team, the No. 1 ranked recruit in 2015 started all five games in the FIBA America tournament averaging 13.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. Stone noted that he hurt his hip flexor in the Under Armour Finals last week and re-aggravated it as practice began. He thought the injury would need at least 3-4 days of rest before being able to get back out on the court. 

Top Practice Player:

Jayson Tatum, 6’7”, G/F, Chaminade College Prep (MO), 2016

Last year Jayson Tatum came off the bench for the 16U team averaging 10 points per game, but this year the 6’7” junior is looking to become a leader. He took a good first step Thursday night with his performance. The newly ranked top prospect in his class, Tatum certainly lived up to his ranking. During drills Tatum pushed the ball up the court and delivered several pin point passes leading to easy dunks for his teammates. Later, when it came time to scrimmage, Tatum showed off his diverse offensive skill-set. 

The first two words that come to mind when watching Tatum play are smooth and skilled. While not the most explosive athlete, Tatum usually has either a quickness or a height advantage on most defenders. When going against a long wing such as 6’6” Terrance Ferguson, Tatum would take two dribbles before releasing a soft floater in the paint. When faced with a smaller defender, Tatum went to the post backing his man down. At one point he made a 15 foot fade-away jumping off one foot. The fade-away was an extremely difficult shot for almost anyone, but one that looked natural for Tatum. He did get carried away in the last scrimmage as he tried to post up the 6’9” Ellenson. Tatum ended up taking another 15 foot fade away from the left baseline and luckily got bailed out by the ref who blew his whistle. 

There aren’t many weaknesses in Tatum’s offensive game, but if you want to nitpick it’s easy to point to his three-point shooting. During the Nike EYBL he shot just 28%; however during the scrimmages he knocked in outside shots from both corners which also happened to be from the international three point line as opposed to the college or high school line. 

Given his size and skills, Tatum currently is a match-up nightmare. He is comfortable playing point guard and distributing the ball, but he also loves to play in attack mode. Advanced footwork in the post and an improved form on his outside shot led to a strong first session for Jayson Tatum.

Three More Top Performers:

Eric Davis, 6’3”, G, Arthur Hill (MI), 2015

Throughout the scrimmages and drills, Eric Davis was extremely consistent. While more comfortable at the shooting guard position, Davis also played point and took great care of the ball. There was nothing flashy to his game, but he didn’t commit any unforced errors. Davis was also extremely efficient scoring wise. As one of the better shooters in camp, Davis hit several outside shots from the top of the key and the corner’s. His jump shot has good rotation after its release and he only took shots within the flow of the offense. Along with his outside shooting, the 6’3” guard also used his first step for penetration. Primarily driving from the left wing, Davis got to the basket and was seen finishing in the paint with either soft floaters or lay-ups. One month ago at the Top 100 Davis was either hot or cold, but last night he stayed hot pretty much the entire time.

Caleb Swanigan, 6’8”, PF, Homestead (IN), 2015

This event was Swanigan’s first experience in a USA setting and despite a travel day that started with a 6am flight the beefy big man did not show any signs of being tired. “You just have to make it through three days, that’s it,” said Swanigan. “I want to do all the things that other players don’t want to do. It all starts with rebounding and effort.”

Rebounding and effort were definitely two things that Swanigan showed early on. While there were eight other big men participating that were at least 6’8”, Swanigan was one of the few that enjoyed banging down low in the post. He pushed weaker opponents aside and was always around the basket looking for rebounding opportunities on both sides of the court. Now, with his body size Swanigan is definitely not the quickest of leapers and he did have trouble converting second chance opportunities at times. Despite several tough shots in the paint, Swanigan was never deterred and always kept attacking. 

While not a jump shooter by any means, Swanigan impressed with his soft feet and fundamental form during shooting drills for the big men group. In both short catch and shoot / one-dribble situations, Swanigan looked comfortable and confident. 

Daniel Giddens, 6’10”, Wheeler (GA), 2015, Ohio State

Daniel Giddens

On the Fourth of July, Daniel Giddens ended his college recruitment and committed to Thad Matta and Ohio State. Now he is focused on retaining his spot with the USA team after getting 13 minutes of action per game last year. The 6’10” power forward / center is well-known for his defensive abilities and chiseled frame, but last night Giddens looked very comfortable and confident on the offensive end. Early on he connected on a jump shot from 14 feet out and later on he backed down a weaker defender and finished with a right handed hook shot in the paint. He also attacked the glass with his quick first leap and was an overall solid contributor in all of the scrimmages. If Giddens can combine some of the scoring skills he flashed in the first session with his shot blocking abilities, he might just make his second straight appearance on Team USA.

Other Notes:

6’4” shooting guard Malik Newman was the leading scorer for the 16U team last year averaging 16.2 points per game on 47% shooting. He was forced to miss the Peach Jam last week and appeared at camp with a heavily bandaged hand. Newman started slow taking several tough step-back jump shots usually with a hand in his face, but he turned it on towards the end. In the last scrimmage he blew by Eric Davis on the right side of the court and finished with an emphatic slam. This led to a few more blow by’s and dunks as none of the opposing big men wanted to challenge the athletic Newman in the air. After some time off the top scoring guard in the country looked a bit rusty, but he seemed to grow more confident as the night went on.

Last October after the USA Developmental Camp it was safe to say that Henry Ellenson didn’t have much of a shot making the final 17U team. Fast forward 10 months and the 6’9” forward from Rice Lake is probably a lock. Ellenson got out on the break for easy baskets and showed off his shooting touch in drill work and occasionally during the games. He definitely gets a little too comfortable behind the three point line but on back to back possessions he drove by Caleb Swanigan for a dunk and then finished with contact using his left hand. Last week at the Nike Elite Invitational, Ellenson primarily played outside of the paint, but these tryouts will force him to bang down low while proving the opportunity for a pick and pop when the time is right. 

6’9” Harry Giles started the first two games in last year’s 16U tournament before tearing his ACL. He is slowly starting to get more comfortable on the court with his movements, but still is a long way from being 100% healthy. The rising junior ran the court well and was the recipient of several Tatum assists throughout the day. In the drills, Giles looked smooth but it also appeared he was thinking about every move in his mind instead of just reacting naturally. Little by little Giles will get there.

Ivan Rabb is rated the No. 1 player in the country by ESPN, but you wouldn’t have known that last night as the 6’10” power forward from Oakland blended into the big man crowd. At times he looked to be limping which could have been an injury or a carryover from a strenuous Peach Jam. Initially he tried to take some defenders off the dribble but was usually cut off before he could get in a good scoring position. In the last scrimmage, Rabb did come alive displaying his fundamental footwork in the post. He is comfortable finishing and shooting with either hand and converted several shots in a crowded paint area. 

Just like Caleb Swanigan, this was Dennis Smith’s first USA basketball experience. The 6’1” guard from North Carolina shot up the rankings this past spring and is considered the best point guard in the class of 2016. Playing with USA “veterans” such as Newman, Tatum, and Giles, Smith still managed to stand out. Despite his size he can finish well above the rim which was evident when he threw down a violent right hand dunk. His ball-handling skills are also off the charts and he broke down his defender to create scoring opportunities for his veteran teammates throughout the scrimmages. While he has deep range on his outside shot, this is an area of improvement for Smith as he miss-fired badly to the left and right of the basket on several outside attempts.

One player who is probably a long shot to make the team is 6’10” junior center Terrell Brown from Barrington, RI. Despite this fact, Brown more than held his own against his more highly touted peers. Right now Brown is lacking in the strength department, but he used his length to corral several offensive and defensive rebounds. He ran the court well and even knocked in a corner three towards the end of the night. 

6’6” Terrance Ferguson is another Team USA veteran and the Texas native is athletic with a nice mid-range jump shot in his repertoire. He averaged just under 6 points per game last year on the USA team and is definitely one to keep an eye on through the remaining tryouts. 

Where Are The Shooters?

Last year the USA team as a whole shot 27.8% from three. Seventh Woods (4-11) and Malik Newman (10-28) were the only players that finished above 35%. In the tryouts, there still aren’t any knock down shooters, say like a James Blackmon Jr. from the class of 2014. Tatum’s shot is improving and the 6’9” Ellenson is more than comfortable from behind the arc, but the outside shooting situation is still a little dicey. For my money 6’0” point guard Peyton Pritchard is the best pure shooter in camp, but he will have his hands full making the team with all of the talented point guards in camp.