After a slow start, the USA team got things going in the second quarter and cruised to a 22 point victory, 102-80. The talent level across the board is possibly the most impressive of any Hoop Summit team as there’s a good chance every single member of the team ends up playing at the NBA level, and a number of players are likely one and done first rounders. Here’s a look at the USA squad’s prospects.
Cam Whitmore 6-7 220 SG/SF Archbishop Spalding (MD) *Villanova
19 points / 7-8 FG / 2-3 3P / 0 rebounds / 2 assists / 1 steals / 2 turnovers
Whitmore (pictured) is a a powerful and explosive wing with an intriguing skill set showing the ability to handle and pass and really excels on the defensive end with his toughness and intensity. He is extremely mature physically and attacks the rim with bad intentions. In practice he flashed his elite leaping ability finishing at the rim and also showed some ability to create off the dribble in order to get to the rim, with some solid ball handling ability. he fits the style of Villanova players to a tee with his tenacity and toughness but his athleticism is a cut above anyone on their current roster. Based on his play in Portland, look for Whitmore to be a potential one and done lottery pick. Shades of Mitch Richmond with his ability to play bully ball and also knock down shots.
Dariq Whitehead 6-6 190 SG Montverde Academy (FL) *Duke
17 points / 6-12 FG / 5-7 3P / 5 rebounds / 4 assists / 3 steals / 3 turnovers
Whitehead showed once again why he’s arguably the top prospect in the class. He’s got a lot of tools in his toolbox with a number of stepback and crossover dribble moves. And his jumper is one of the purest in the class. Whitehead carries himself like a pro, and really seems to have a solid self awareness for such a young player. He’s currently working to play point guard and add better ball handling and passing to his skill set. One knock is that at times he seems to shoot on the way down, however it doesn’t seem to be a big detriment as he hits his outside shot with great regularity. He’s probably the safest bet out of this entire group to be a one and done top 10 pick next season.
Amari Bailey 6-5 190 SG/PG Chicago, IL Feb 17, 2004 Sierra Canyon School (CA) *UCLA
10 points / 5-11 FG / 5-7 3P / 5 rebounds / 4 assists / 3 steals / 3 turnovers
A high flyer, Bailey reminds you of former Arizona standout Jarryd Bayless. Bailey matched up with Montero and had some trouble defensively. He’s more of a combo guard and while he’s got decent quickness, he was not match for Montero’s quickness when they squared off. Bailey has shown some improvement in his shooting. He’s still more of a scoring guard that a true point guard. He’ll be able to expand upon his defensive game under Mick Cronin at UCLA and should have a shot to be a one and done if he can keep improving as a playmaker and shooter.
Anthony Black 6-6 200 SF/PG Duncanville, TX *Arkansas
0 points / 0-1 FG / 0-0 3P / 2 rebounds / 1 assists / 0 steals / 0 turnovers
Sustained an ankle injury in practice the day before that may have slowed him down some in the game. Seemed more focused on looking to impact the game with passing and defense. Got hung on the rim on an easy breakaway dunk attempt, apparently the lid on the rim was real for him. Was the only player in the game unable to score, going 0-1 in 13 minutes. But on the week, he impressed as one of the few players putting great energy in on the defensive end of the floor. His versatility is his selling point but whether he can truly play the point position is up for debate. Either way, he’s shown a willingness to do whatever it takes to win. Earlier in the year Black led his high school team, Duncanville, to an upset win over Monteverde in the Hoop Hall West event in Arizona.
Gradey Dick 6-7 195 SG Sunrise Christian Academy (KS) *Kansas
4 points / 1-5 FG / 1-2 3P / 4 rebounds / 2 assists / 1 steals / 0 turnovers
Had an impressive baseline drive and dunk in the Thursday warm up game against the Portland Generals. Dick wasn’t one of the game’s statistical standouts shooting just 1-5 and finishing with just 4 points. However, he’s well liked by NBA scouts as he combines excellent shooting ability with solid size and athleticism. He joins the National Champs next year and has stated he would like to be a one and done. He’ll have a chance as he joins a great program and has the makings of a pro. he still needs to add some strength and become better at attacking the basket off the bounce. Grady is a future pro, but s little behind some of his classmates like Whitmore from a physical standpoint. But he could easily end up one of the top 5 players from this group when all is said and done.
Kyle Filipowski 6-11 230 PF/C Wilbraham & Monson Academy (MA) *Duke
3 points / 1-5 FG / 1-2 3P / 8 rebounds / 1 assists / 0 steals / 2 turnovers
Filipowski is a skilled bigman who shows a nice feel for the game and excellent maturity. The future Dukie had a solid week showing the ability to knock down mid range and outside shots as well as some handle to get to the basket on drives. His biggest detriment is the fact that he doesn;t have the fastest foot speed and struggles to move laterally and get by opponents off the dribble. he has the appearance of a multi year Duke player and can develop into a star at the college level and reach the NBA. However, he may be slightly overrated in his class, as many rankings are projecting players for college.
Keyonte George 6-4 205 SG IMG Academy (FL) *Baylor
8 points / 2-6 FG / 1-3 3P / 0 rebounds / 1 assists / 0 steals / 0 turnovers
George has one of the best isolation games in the class as he shows excellent ability to use the dribble to set up shots. He’s got a very polished shooting stroke and is a volume scorer with a lot of confidence. He’s been one of the highest rated kids in the class for the past year. George had a bit of a disappointing week from an athletic stand point. He struggled to stay in front of opponents as a defender and really struggled to get lift at the rim, failing to dunk on breakaways both in the game and in practices. Whether there’s some issue going on with his health is uncertain, but he needs to drop the extra body fat and concentrate on improving his conditioning and athleticism.
Dereck Lively 7-1 220 C Westtown School (PA) *Duke
8 points / 4-4 FG / 0-0 3P / 3 rebounds / 1 assists / 1 steals / 2 turnovers
Lively came into the event rated by some as the number one player in the country. And while he’s a very intriguing prospect due to his length and potential, he still has a ways to go. He showed some wrinkles in practices and in the warm up game against the Portland Generals on Thursday night. He seemed very easily knocked off balance and appears a bit top heavy. He’ll need to use the summer to gain more core strength in order to become more balanced and hit the ground running at Duke next season and solidify a position as a one and done, lottery level talent. For now, he looks raw and a long ways away from his peak from a physical and skill standpoint, But there’s a lot to like as he’s a smart, focused individual and should be able to soak up some great coaching under new Duke Coach Jon Scheyer and staff.
Dillon Mitchell 6-7 200 SF Montverde Academy (FL) *Texas
6 points / 3-5 FG / 0-0 3P / 3 rebounds / 1 assists / 1 steals / 2 turnovers
Mitchell is the class’s freakiest athlete and has been compared to a Kelly Oubre 2.0 type of wing. He still needs to gain consistency on his shot but there’s certainly intrigue as at times the lefty shows excellent form. he really thrives cutting to the basket and at times can create off the dribble and get to the basket quick with his long strides. He showed a lot of confidence and personality in practices and appears that Texas has a budding star on their hands. He has the talent to be a one-and-done lottery pick, and could shoot up the rankings if his skill level keeps developing as his season progresses at Texas.
Nick Smith 6-4 185 PG/SG North Little Rock (AR) *Arkansas
10 points / 4-10 FG / 1-5 3P / 1 rebounds / 3 assists / 2 steals / 4 turnovers
Smith drew rave reviews for his performance at McDonald’s practices from scouts. And while he had flashes in Portland, the overall impression was that he still has work to do to be a surefire lottery guy. He’s intriguing due to his combination of length and athleticism and ability to create offense. His shot while solid, seems to have some mechanical issues that will need to be addressed. At times the ball comes off his hand without any spin and lacks consistency. It’s apparent that he has touch, and is polishing his floater, but when he ventures out on the perimeter it can be a bit of an adventure. But over time he should be able to iron out the flaws and become a consistent shooter.
Jarace Walker 6-8 220 SF/PF IMG Academy (FL) *Houston
6 points / 3-5 FG / 0-0 3P / 3 rebounds / 4 assists / 2 steals / 1 turnovers
Walker is a very skilled forward showing great strength and athleticism as well as versatility to make great passes and even push the ball up the floor. He’s got a bit of a hitch in his shot and will need to work on developing a cleaner release as he take a long time to get his shot off. Walker plays with great energy and seems to have a great basketball IQ. Houston will be a great spot to develop as a defender. So the big question will be how his jumpshot develops and how long it keeps him from becoming an offensive standout.
Kel'el Ware 7-0 210 C North Little Rock (AR) *Oregon
11 points / 4-5 FG / 1-1 3P / 5 rebounds / 0 assists / 1 steals / 0 turnovers
Ware is a very intriguing big due to his great size and strength and stead all around game. In the game he caually knocked down a three pointer as well as a free throw extended jumper, showing excellent form. While Lively is ahead of him on many boards, we’ve become convinced that ware is the big with the brighter future as he shows the steadiness and balance to contribute right away at Oregon and has the more NBA ready body. He’s also a guy with immense upside with great leaping ability, a strong motor, and very nice shooting touch and mechanics. Ware has a real chance to be a freshman standout and a lottery pick after just one season.
**Unlike with the World team, the USA Team measurements were not made available to media.
