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  • #54845
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    qDizzle32
    Participant

    I’ve watched every Hoop Summit since 2011 and this year I finally got to witness it live as I traveled up to Portland from California to see this game. So here’s my evaluations for players on both the World Team and Team USA


    World:

    Emmanuel Mudiay: Easily had the most outstanding performance out of all players on both teams. Was a surprise to not be included on Team USA (Born in Congo, raised in Texas) but ended up representing the World squad after all. Without Mudiay, the World Team would have not even had a chance of winning this game if Mudiay would have represented the states. A do all type of PG who can lead his team in scoring, contribute and get his teammates involved. Showed off his explosiveness of attacking the basket (a la Derrick Rose) which we also got to see in the MDAA game. After surprising us by picking SMU over Kentucky, he should immediately have the lead role for Larry Brown’s SMU Mustangs as a true freshmen. Mudiay is one rare playmaker that is not seen annually even with the amount of great PG’s these days. Call me a homer if you want but Mudiay has a great shot of going #1 overall in next year’s draft.


    Karl Towns: The only player in this year’s event who also played in last year’s game as well. He is only eighteen years of age and has already played with and against a number of NBA players as a high school kid with his experience on the Dominican Republic’s National Team. Didn’t get as many minutes as expected with the World Team’s loaded frontcourt and with foul trouble but he looked great during his minutes he played. Towns was a force on defense. Held Jahlil Okafor scoreless in almost the entire first half and had a few good blocks. Never took any outside shots which is one of his biggest strengths. As Towns does have the talent to be a one and done college player, it’s always a unique situation coming into Kentucky. He would have to battle with Dakari Johnson who is expected to stay as there is also his fellow World teammate Trey Lyles coming in and with Marcus Lee returning. Definitely one of the most underrated prospects in this incoming freshmen class.


    Clint Capela: As the Hoop Summit has raised stock for several players in the past for playing in this game (A la Bismack Biyombo, Saer Sene), Capela probably hurt his stock by playing in this game. Although he didn’t have a terrible performance, he finished the game with 5 points and one field goal made. The fact that he was the oldest player in this game and two years older than the average high school senior concerns NBA Teams how he would do against NBA guys. Capela has already entered his name into the NBA Draft but International prospects have a longer deadline to withdraw from the draft and he hurt his chances of being a first rounder in this loaded draft class.


    Jamal Murray: This Canadian had a pretty impressive performance for a player not even the age of a senior. He’s currently considered a sophomore in high school although he is the normal age of junior. One of the two players on the World roster to score in double digits and have 5 assists as well. Has the talent to play at the D1 level in two years so reclassifying to 2015 wouldn’t be a bad option for him. Canada has been catching up in basketball within the past five years more than any other country in the world and the Maple Leaf Country seems to only be continuing to have more talented prospects like Murray.


    Trey Lyles: Looked pretty solid starting at the PF spot for the World Team’s loaded frontcourt, was a point shy of scoring in double digits but played aggressive in the post. His team would have needed him to contribute more in order for them to defeat the Americans which they failed to due for the first time since 2011. As I already mentioned, it is a unique situation choosing Kentucky when one prospect might stay another year and conflict with playing time for the incoming blue chip recruits. It is going to be difficult for John Calipari to have a frontcourt with Johnson, Lee, Towns and Lyles, but Lyles is likely the favorite to start at the 4 unless he chooses to have Towns and Johnson together.


    Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk: First we had to learn how to pronounce Giannis Antetokounmpo and now we need to learn how to say this guy’s name? I was very excited to watch this guy play live after hearing all about his impact performance in last year’s European U16 Championships. The Ukrainian wowed the crowd in the warmups with his windmill dunks after catching it off the backboard and his athleticism he showed off. However, he only scored 2 points and played 13 minutes, but this kid is only 16. Supposedly the Top 1997 born prospect was the youngest player in this game and as there have been multiple players to appear in more than one Hoop Summit (Andrew Wiggins, Karl Towns, Dario Saric), Mykhailiuk should also play in next year’s game too where he hopefully will make an impact. This guy is still two years away from even being eligible for an NBA Draft and this kid is loaded with tons of potential, keep an eye on him.


    James Birsen: This Turkish prospect looked decent while he was in the game. Those Hedo Turkoglu comparisons only existed for the fact that they’re both Turkish and play SF. He briefly contributed for the World as he showed off his mid range game. If he does declare for an NBA Draft at some point before being automatically eligible for the 2017 Draft, he could be second rounder if he continues to play well overseas.


    Brandone Francis: The Dominicano signed with Florida hit a few mid range jumpshots and showed off some of his athleticism. Billy Donovan rarely gives freshmen big minutes and is nowhere near being ready to start for Florida despite the fact that he will be 20 years old by the start of his freshmen season. Possibly won’t even recieve much playing time next year in Gainesville but could end up being successful as a upperclassmen when that time comes.

    Team USA:


    Jahlil Okafor: The young Team USA veteran has represented his country in International competition every summer since 2011. Had a lot of expectations of making an impact in this game and he did. Really struggled in the first half as he went up against Karl Towns and didn’t even score a basket until more than halfway through the 2nd quarter. Okafor really picked it up in the 2nd half where he ended up scoring 14 points along with 10 boards. Okafor’s post game is something very special with the lack of true Centers these days. Although he did not have his best performance tonight, he still had a great game. The #1 ranked high school prospect from the Class of 2014 has already proved more than enough in his young career and is still considered the #1 pick of the 2015 Draft by most experts.


    Justise Winslow: Both Winslow and Okafor returned in their USA jerseys where they helped Team USA’s U19 squad win the gold medal last summer as incoming HIgh School Seniors playing with mostly College Sophomores. Winslow was a huge factor for Team USA in the same way he was with them last summer. His powerful defense led Team USA to get many extra possessions along with his explosive ability to attack the basket as well. Kept the Americans in the game with his big 9 points at the end of the 2nd quarter. Not only did Winslow help Team USA pull of the victory but he should immediately make an impact with Duke next year whether Jabari Parker stays or not. Has a perfect body for the pros but really needs to work on his outside jumper in order to successfully be a one and done player. Has everything it takes to be a solid NBA player except for his outside shot. Justise Winslow led all Americans in scoring with his 16 points.


    Kelly Oubre: Oubre climbed up the 2014 rankings last summer for a good reason. His monster athleticism is very rare to find in any class. Played aggressively attacking the basket and even showed off his decent outside shot. Oubre is definitely likely to be a one and done player as him and Wayne Selden will be a force at the wing positions next year for the Kansas Jayhawks.


    Cliff Alexander: Expected much more from the other Chicago big man on the US squad. Went 2 for 7 on field goals and ended the game with 6 points. Alexander played a little disappointing as he played very soft around the rim. Cliff is only scary player to guard with the way he can finish around the basket. Played impressive defensively as he had a few powerful blocks and got robbed for goaltending twice. However that did not really happen. Only had one dunk and a layup but he really needs to not be so afraid of getting fouled or swatted. If he can do so, Alexander could definitely be the #1 pick in next year’s draft.


    Tyus Jones: Had one of the best performances out of all players in the game. Played most of the game as he had 13 points, 6 assists and 5 steals. Jones may not have elite athleticism but still gets the job done. The Americans could have not won this game without his effort and importance he had to the team. Tyus Jones and his best friend Jahlil Okafor will be a force at Duke next year. If Jabari Parker stays (Still unlikely but we won’t know until it happens), Duke will easily have the most talented roster in the nation with Okafor, Parker, Winslow, Sulaimon and Jones in their lineup. Many believe that Jones will be competing with Quinn Cook for the starting PG job, Jones definitely has what it takes to immediately make an impact for the Blue Devils and could even be a part of a dual PG backcourt like Coach K did with Quinn Cook and Tyler Thornton. Tyus Jones may not be the best athlete but could still be a one and done and an possibly an immediate starter in the NBA, depending on the situation of the team he goes to.


    Myles Turner: The only uncommitted player for Team USA had the most disappointing performance for the Americans. With their also loaded frontcourt with Okafor, Alexander and Travis, there would have to be two odd men out not starting, so the #2 ranked high school prospect ended up not starting. Prior to getting hurt in the 3rd quarter and not returning, Turner failed to use his athleticism in the post while playing and only had 2 points which came from a mid-range jumper. Even struggled getting rebounds over smaller players on the World team. Turner is still more than likely to be a lottery pick and a one and done wherever he goes, but is still a long shot of reaching his expectations as he also did not play very impressive in the MDAA game as well. Whoever lands the Texas sized big man will be very fortunate for adding that this Texas sized talent to their roster.


    Stanley Johnson: Despite his great athleticism, Johnson struggled to score as he only made one FG as his 5 other points came from free throws. However, he did a great job on defense for the Americans and his motor at least helped him get fouled, ultimately leading him to make those free throws. Has improved his outside jumper but it still needs improvement to successfully be a one and done player. With the Arizona Wildcats likely losing Aaron Gordon and Nick Johnson to the NBA, they will rebuild with Johnson coming in and with Rondae Hollis-Jefferson playing a bigger role next year.


    Reid Travis: The soon to be Stanford Cardinal did a good job at doing what he needed to do. The late addition to the roster played aggressive in the post and contributed a lot on defense. Travis will more than likely be an upperclassman at the collegiate level who could possibly receive All-American honors at some point of his career at Stanford.


    Joel Berry II: Just as expected, Berry was only used as the backup to Tyus Jones. With Mudiay not representing the United States in this game, they did not have many PG’s to choose from in this average PG class. He was the only player on Team USA to end the game scoreless and did not do much in his 7 minutes of action. Being the age of a normal college freshmen gave him an advantage of being so highly touted as a high school prospect. Berry will obviously not be starting for the Tar Heels next year with Marcus Paige returning. Could possibly not even be the 2nd string PG for the team next year with Nate Britt still being in Chapel Hill. His lack of elite size and athleticism will easily be a disadvantage at the ACC level and is definitely a four year college player and could very well be a pro in Europe.


    Theo Pinson: As the other future North Carolina Tar Heel was put on the roster for mainly his outside shooting and scoring, he only had 3 points in this contest. However, Pinson still recorded 4 assists and 2 steals as he ended up helping a lot on defense. Roy Williams is the type of coach who prefers giving more minutes to the upperclassmen even if they are not as talented (Dexter Strickland starting over PJ Hairston and Reggie Bullock). After the improved season of JP Tokoto last year, there’s a good chance that only Pinson or Justin Jackson will be starting for North Carolina next year as several former McDonald’s All-Americans have came off the bench as freshmen playing for Roy Williams.

    James Blackmon- Got the least most minutes out of all players on Team USA with their roster of 11 players. As he was mainly put on the roster for his shooting ability, he did knock down one three pointer. Did get a few other touches in the game as he played a little passive as he had a few good shots to take and then went 0-2 at the free throw line. Being 6’3 is always a disadvantage for any non point guard. Blackmon is also another four year guy and he should feel thankful for not picking Kentucky because he never would have gotten the opportunity to even be a starter playing behind the blue chip recruits they get annually. If Blackmon could have a successful career at Indiana, he could potentially be a 2nd rounder at the best.

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  • #888847
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    TenSecondTom
    Participant

     nice evaluations

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  • #888736
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    TenSecondTom
    Participant

     nice evaluations

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  • #888857
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    Land of Grant
    Participant

    Thanks for taking time to do this great write-up.

    Karl Towns seems like Kentucky was the wrong pick for him. I think he has the tools to tear up the NCAA next year (18 ppg, 9 rpg, 3 apg, 2 bpg whereabouts) if he gets playing time, and I’d pick him #1 overall because he’s a big who can play on the perimeter or inside who will do wonders for spacing and be able to create his own shot, and be a dominant defensive player who can lock bigs down in the post and guards down on the perimeter.

    I just hope he gets a chance to show that with Poythress, Lyles, Dakari, and Marcus Lee around.

     

     

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  • #888746
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    Land of Grant
    Participant

    Thanks for taking time to do this great write-up.

    Karl Towns seems like Kentucky was the wrong pick for him. I think he has the tools to tear up the NCAA next year (18 ppg, 9 rpg, 3 apg, 2 bpg whereabouts) if he gets playing time, and I’d pick him #1 overall because he’s a big who can play on the perimeter or inside who will do wonders for spacing and be able to create his own shot, and be a dominant defensive player who can lock bigs down in the post and guards down on the perimeter.

    I just hope he gets a chance to show that with Poythress, Lyles, Dakari, and Marcus Lee around.

     

     

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    • #888869
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      lalaila
      Participant

      yeah I also really really like Towns game, he looks something real unique..

       

      If Okafor is such a heavy leader for #1 overall next year (by chad ford) then Karl Towns and Mudaiy fills up my top3

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    • #888759
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      lalaila
      Participant

      yeah I also really really like Towns game, he looks something real unique..

       

      If Okafor is such a heavy leader for #1 overall next year (by chad ford) then Karl Towns and Mudaiy fills up my top3

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  • #888881
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    BGfor3
    Participant

    I was very disappointed with Clint Capela. He showed poor defensive awareness, fundamental post defense, looked physically weak and even fumbled some passes. It was just a first impression but he looked like just an athlete, not a basketball player. He supposedly had a very poor week too.

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  • #888771
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    BGfor3
    Participant

    I was very disappointed with Clint Capela. He showed poor defensive awareness, fundamental post defense, looked physically weak and even fumbled some passes. It was just a first impression but he looked like just an athlete, not a basketball player. He supposedly had a very poor week too.

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  • #888893
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    ncballer

     Have you seen Berry play outside of all-star games?  The kid was the best player on arguably the best AAU team in the country and led them to only one loss the entire season.  He even outplayed your beloved Tyus Jones in one of those games and picked his pocket 3 or 4 times that game.  

    I will say that he is a system PG (whereas Jones is more likely to succeed in any system etc) and he performs better after knowing and playing with his guys a while.  Your expectations for him are VERY low.  Kendall Marshall came in with similar ones, so I guess we will see, but anyone that has seen Berry play consistently knows that he is the tyoe likely to struggle in All-star games and is a system PG.

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  • #888782
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    ncballer

     Have you seen Berry play outside of all-star games?  The kid was the best player on arguably the best AAU team in the country and led them to only one loss the entire season.  He even outplayed your beloved Tyus Jones in one of those games and picked his pocket 3 or 4 times that game.  

    I will say that he is a system PG (whereas Jones is more likely to succeed in any system etc) and he performs better after knowing and playing with his guys a while.  Your expectations for him are VERY low.  Kendall Marshall came in with similar ones, so I guess we will see, but anyone that has seen Berry play consistently knows that he is the tyoe likely to struggle in All-star games and is a system PG.

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  • #888856
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    tortue
    Participant

     What about Damien Inglis ? Did he play well ?

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  • #888967
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    tortue
    Participant

     What about Damien Inglis ? Did he play well ?

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  • #888894
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    iguapops420
    Participant

     Towns has the potential of a Rashed Wallace IMO. Similar skills and body type. That’s the guy I’m expecting out of Towns when all is said and done.

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  • #889005
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    iguapops420
    Participant

     Towns has the potential of a Rashed Wallace IMO. Similar skills and body type. That’s the guy I’m expecting out of Towns when all is said and done.

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  • #888904
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    kg_2_kp
    Participant

    I may be in the minority here but I am just not all that impressed by Jahlil Okafor at this point. Big body yes and plays with a motor and physicality but I just don’t see the footwork, skills or polish that his game was so hyped up for possessing. Does a good job posting up and establishing position on the block but once he catches the ball he’s very mechanical and slow with his movements. Barely elevates when finishing around the hoop. Struggles immensely when guarded by length as Myles Turner and Karl Towns both gave him fits during these showcase events. I don’t doubt that he’ll be an effective college player, but all this hype about him being the potential #1 pick, Tim Duncan comparisons, future all-star, etc. I just don’t see it. Former H.S. prodigies such as DeMarcus Cousins, Zach Randolph, Eddy Curry and even Al Jefferson were all light years ahead of this kid and much more impressive at the same stage. All possessed better footwork, athleticism, post moves and touch than Okafor does. Heck even Kwame Brown (yes, that KWAME BROWN!!!) flashed more potential and skills than Okafor does right now. Good college player, yes…but his potential as a big in the league? Im VERY skeptical as to how good he’ll eventually become.

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  • #889015
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    kg_2_kp
    Participant

    I may be in the minority here but I am just not all that impressed by Jahlil Okafor at this point. Big body yes and plays with a motor and physicality but I just don’t see the footwork, skills or polish that his game was so hyped up for possessing. Does a good job posting up and establishing position on the block but once he catches the ball he’s very mechanical and slow with his movements. Barely elevates when finishing around the hoop. Struggles immensely when guarded by length as Myles Turner and Karl Towns both gave him fits during these showcase events. I don’t doubt that he’ll be an effective college player, but all this hype about him being the potential #1 pick, Tim Duncan comparisons, future all-star, etc. I just don’t see it. Former H.S. prodigies such as DeMarcus Cousins, Zach Randolph, Eddy Curry and even Al Jefferson were all light years ahead of this kid and much more impressive at the same stage. All possessed better footwork, athleticism, post moves and touch than Okafor does. Heck even Kwame Brown (yes, that KWAME BROWN!!!) flashed more potential and skills than Okafor does right now. Good college player, yes…but his potential as a big in the league? Im VERY skeptical as to how good he’ll eventually become.

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  • #888918
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    elonelite
    Participant

     ^^^^are you stupid?

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    • #889105
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      ncballer

       Heaven forbid one disagrees with another poster.  

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    • #888994
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      ncballer

       Heaven forbid one disagrees with another poster.  

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    • #889123
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      kg_2_kp
      Participant

      did you sign up today just to ask that? What about my post was stupid or untrue? Tell me plz oh great one…..i’ll wait

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    • #889012
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      kg_2_kp
      Participant

      did you sign up today just to ask that? What about my post was stupid or untrue? Tell me plz oh great one…..i’ll wait

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  • #889029
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    elonelite
    Participant

     ^^^^are you stupid?

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  • #889113
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    theprophet
    Participant

    everything i watch or read on this lyles kid seems really positive. can he can be a top 3 pick someday? i know he can really shoot and has nice size.

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  • #889002
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    theprophet
    Participant

    everything i watch or read on this lyles kid seems really positive. can he can be a top 3 pick someday? i know he can really shoot and has nice size.

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