Jordan Brand Classic: Practice NotesBy: Evan Tomes

Before they play under the lights at the Barclay’s Center (Friday Night), the top high school seniors had two days of practice at Terminal 23. Here are some of the top prospects who stood out at the Jordan Brand Classic practices:

Skal Labissiere – Kentucky

It is rare when you can give a player the ball, and he can get you a basket from anywhere on the floor. Skal was a constant scoring machine. From the paint to three point range and in between, with just a little room he can find a way to score. He did a great job of creating off the dribble, shooting fadeaways off of a reverse pivot, and shooting jump hooks with either hand. In a class that has some strong bigs at the top, Skal was easily the most impressive.

Antonio Blakeney – LSU

Blakeney had a hot hand, especially during the second practice. His elevated jumper was finding the bottom of the net with no problem. He played solid defense and finished with some explosive dunks. He had the challenge of guarding Malik Newman for the majority of the practice and I have to give Blakeney the edge this time.

Thomas Bryant – Indiana

After coming off of an MVP performance at the Derby Classic over the weekend, Bryant is continuing to perform well. Most of the practice consisted of half court drills, but during the full court drills and brief scrimmages, Bryant’s stock has been on the rise. He did a great job defending some talented bigs, while most are considered better than Bryant; he continues to outplay many of them. He runs the floor well and is always active. He does lack a refined post game, but he played inside more than usual, not shooting many threes.

Malik Newman – Undecided

Known as a scoring guard, Newman did a great job running the point for the West Team. Although he is used to having the ball in his hands, being a distributer rather than a scorer is something that we didn’t see too much from Newman throughout the season. He did a great job of setting up others and rewarding bigs when they ran the floor with him. He still has a long ways to go to become a PG at the college and pro levels however.

Tyler Davis – Texas A&M

Davis might not be the best athlete but that doesn’t make him ineffective. He knows how to use his body and had some of the best post moves on display. With his size and aggression, he didn’t let other players rebound in his area. He played within himself, doing work in the paint.

Ivan Rabb – California

Rabb is considered one of the top players and NBA prospects at the event. He didn’t really live up to it in practice. He didn’t have a bad performance, but didn’t separate himself either. It was easy to forget he was on the court at times. I would like see him assert himself as an elite player.

Isaiah Briscoe – Kentucky

Briscoe is one of very few players considered point guards at the JBC. While he does possess the ability to handle the ball in pressure situations, he usually relies on a screen to beat his defender to the rim. He does a great job of using his body to shield a defender when finishing at the rim. He needs to become a better shooter. Eric Davis did his share of smack talking when matched up with Briscoe. While Davis didn’t have the better performance, Briscoe’s game didn’t put him in his place either.

*Ben Simmons (withdrew), Luke Kennard, & Henry Ellenson did not practice

*Jaylen Brown & Charles Matthews did not participate in the second practice