adidas Nations Global Camp: Day 1

The four day global exhibition is back for its third year, and it is taking place once again at the beautiful Integrated Athletic Development facility in Carrolton, TX. The gym is packed with talent and there are up to 5 games running at the same time. On one side are the younger international teams and on the other are the counselors (college vets and incoming freshmen)

We will look closer at the high school and international players over the next few days, but on Day 1, the counselor games were the most closely watched by NBA personnel.

Derrick Favors 6'9 PF

Derrick FavorsPlaying against people that were bigger and more experienced did not prevent Favors from showcasing his athleticism and an improved touch. His wide shoulders and strong body allow him to take contact and create space around the basket. When he makes a catch in the paint, he is almost impossible to stop because of his strength and leaping ability. He was able to knock down a few spot ups from midrange, and his stroke on foul shots also looked good. The thing that he needs to show, which will put him into that top echelon, is being able to create his own scoring opportunities. At this point he depends heavily on his teammates or on broken plays, but he needs to develop his low post repertoire and also his face up game. Combining his physical package with a few go-to moves would make him a scary match up.

Malcolm Lee 6'5 G

Played with a lot of confidence and looked to attack both in transition and in the half court. He was running the point and showed nice quickness, open court speed and good decision making. He has a knack for getting by people off the dribble and finishing at the basket. His frame is a little light and he looks like he would struggle against more physical defenders, but he has a slithery game that lets him get into the gaps and his aggressiveness makes him a difficult match up. Definitely a positive day for Lee, he looked comfortable and poised and like he is ready to make an impact this season.

Scotty Hopson 6'6 SG

Another player who is looking to step his game up in his second collegiate season. Hopson was very active and showed the ability to finish above the rim even over bigger help side defenders. Off the dribble he has a nice mix of moves, and he can get to the basket and complete plays with both hands. His jumpshot was off, but he showed solid form and good elevation. His body still looks weak and he struggles with making decision in the half court. A big part of the problem is that he goes a 100 miles and hour all the time and this gets him into trouble because he tries doing too much.

Dominique Jones 6'4 G

Combining his aggressive approach with his strong body, it makes for a very difficult match up. He handles the ball well and likes getting to the basket, where he can use his strength to take contact and still maintain his body control. He is an active player who can do a damage in a variety of aspects (on the O glass, passing the ball, defensively). His jumpshot looks smooth and he was able to knock down a few, but he lacks consistency and at times he has bad misses. He is a bit of an undersized scoring guard, but with his feel for the game he has a chance for the next level.

Deonta Vaughn 6'1 G

He might be the guy with the most unlikely NBA body and physical package of the bunch, but if there was a player of the day award, Vaughn deserved it today. He is undersized and definitely not explosive, but he has a natural scoring touch and is deceptively quick. Attacking of the dribble he was able to get to the basket at will, and then he used a variety of scoops and reverses to finish. His playmaking is limited, but if he is able to get a good shoot every time he wants to, nobody can knock him for doing it.

Others:

Howard Thompkins of Georgia showed some nice things with the limited amount of touches that he got. He has a well developed body, but his frame shows the potential to still grow. He was able to convert on a few plays around the basket and his soft touch also translates to the 3 point line. James Anderson did not have the best day, he seems to be out of his element in this type of setting and his problems were compounded by the disappearance of his outside shot. Roderick Flemmings also struggled, he did not look comfortable handling the ball on the perimeter. He prefers to get his scoring by overpowering the defense, but against this level of competition he will need to find other ways to score.

COLLEGE COUNSELORS

• Cole Aldrich / Kansas
• Craig Brackins / Iowa State
• Deonta Vaughn / Cincinnati
• Derrick Favors / Georgia Tech
• Demond "Tweety" Carter / Baylor
• Dominique Jones / South Florida
• Donald Sloan / Texas A&M
• Ekpe Udoh / Baylor
• James Anderson / Oklahoma State
• Jarvis Varnado / Mississippi State
• Jerime Anderson / UCLA
• Johnathan Tiller / Missouri
• Kevin Foster/ Santa Clara
• Malcolm Lee / UCLA
• Paul George / Fresno State
• Roderick Flemings / Hawaii
• Samardo Samuels / Louisville
• Scotty Hopson / Tennessee
• Sherron Collins / Kansas
• Terrance Jennings / Louisville
• Tyler Smith / Tennessee
• Tyler Zeller / UNC
• Wayne Chism / Tennessee

US HIGH SCHOOL TEAMS

2010 adidas US NATIONAL TEAM

Head Coach: Ed Schilling Assistants: Pat Riddlesprigger & Troy Berry

2011 adidas US NATIONAL TEAM

Head Coach: Frank Johnson Assistants: Marques Johnson & Brian Sitter