With dozens of NBA decision makers on hand including a handful of high profile GMs, the Hoop Summit remains one of the top tier scouting events of the entire calendar. This year’s Hoop Summit’s World team was headlined by a 17 year old, potential top 3 pick in next year’s 2024 NBA Draft in French forward Zaccharie Risacher, and a number of other prospects attempting to make a name for themselves.
Mackenzie Mgbako 6’8.5″ 215 lbs 6’10” wingspan, 8’10” standing reach (Nigeria) *Undecided
Mgbako (pictured) was the game’s top performer, exhibiting a smooth offensive game. Also perhaps just as importantly, he got the most mentions from NBA scouts during the week in practices, as a player that stood out to them. Benefiting from having played in last year’s event, he looked extremely comfortable, ending up with a game high 22 points (6-14 fg, and 2-5 from 3) and 8 boards. He flashed his polish, knocking down a step back 3 pointer and was effective in scoring and keeping the World team in the game. While not the most explosive athlete, he is clearly one of the most advanced players in the class. He had a bit of a disappearing act at the McDonald’s All American game with no points but looked like a different player in Portland. Mgbako shows excellent form on his shot and a well developed build. He did not measure with as much length as one would expect looking at him with just a +1.5 wingspan, but a solid 8’10 standing reach. Following the announcement by Kyle Filipowski that he is returning to Duke, Mgboko has asked for a release from his Duke commitment, reopening his recruitment.
Aden Holloway 6’2″ 175 lbs 6-3 wingspan, 7’10” standing reach (Canada) *Auburn
Logging the most minutes of any World team player in the game with 34, Holloway was impressive as he finished with 15 points, 5 boards and 3 assists. Knocking down 2-5 from three and 7-8 from the line, he had an efficient outing. With seven of his points coming from the line, he showed a good ability to get down hill and attack the paint and draw contact. He hit a nice three point shot and overall appeared confident going up against the Team USA guards, whom he’s matched up with dozens of times. Holloway had some solid practices in front of scouts. He’s a score first point with a good shooting stroke and solid speed. His passing ability is pretty good, but he doesn’t seem to have the mindset of a true point guard. While a bit undersized, measuring with a sub 8′ standing reach, he will have to look to make up for his lack of ideal size by further improving his skill level. While his size limits his long term outlook some, it’s always possible he’s not done growing. He’s a player that has clearly made a push up the senior class rankings over the past year and will look to follow in the footsteps of 2021 draft pick, college standout Sharife Cooper at Auburn.
Miro Little 6’3.5″ 194 lbs 6’7.5″ wingspan, 8’4.5″ standing reach (Finland) *Baylor
With limited minutes, Little struggled to impact the game (3 points) making just one three point shot on 1-3 overall shooting. Little is a combo guard out of Finland who has played a couple years of high school ball at Sunrise Christian. He’s got good strength and appears to enjoy a physical brand of basketball. He measured well with solid height and wingspan for a combo guard. Little has unorthodox shooting mechanics and should look to revamp his shot some. He appears to push the ball and in essence shoot it with both hands instead of keeping his guide hand stationary. He should also look to get his shooting hand a little lower on the ball, bending his wrist more. The result is that he has a tendency to shoot it flat, and get little arch on his shot at this point due to his release, which limits his range and ability to consistently replicate his shot.
Garwey Dual 6’4.5″ 175 lbs 6’10.5″ wingspan, 8’8″ standing reach {South Sudan} *Undecided
Dual is still a work in progress but has a lot of intrigue due to his great wingspan and speed and quickness. Dual has ridiculous length for a lead guard with a near 7′ wingspan and 8’8 standing reach. He is intriguing with his ability to use crossovers and handle the ball. His shooting form and touch are both impressive but he still has some work to do in his ability to read the defense and make the right play with the ball in his hands. Dual was a Providence commit but is said to have reopened his commitment. He’s got huge feet, so perhaps he’s still got a growth spurt left in him and will end up a few inches bigger. Dual went scoreless in the game in limited minutes. It’s clear that he still has a ways to go, but is one of the higher upside prospects among this group.
London Johnson 6’2.5″ 163 lbs 6’6″ wingspan, 8’1.5″ standing reach {Jamaica} *G League Ignite
Johnson showed some improvement from last year’s event. But considering he was in his second year at the Hoop Summit, scouts expected more out of him. He finished the game with 8 points 4 boards and 3 assists. He shot just 2-for-9 from the floor, (0-for-2 from 3) and 4-for-6 from the line. Also had a team high 4 assists. He didn’t really stand out in practice during the week as one would have expected, but he did have some moments when he made impressive plays. His shot and scoring are solid, though still need some development. He flashed his ability to handle the ball in traffic and attack the basket and dish the ball. He passes the eye test. He’s more of a score first point than a true point, but should benefit with a second year in the G League where he’s shown steady growth.
Andrej Stojakovic 6’6″ 191 lbs 6’9″ wingspan, 8’6″ standing reach (Greece) *Stanford
Had an impressive performance in the game with 12 points (2-for-5 from 3, 4-for-9 fg and 2-for-2 ft) displaying some impressive shooting and unexpected ball handling. Peja’s son measured better than expected and impressed scouts as one of the top shooters at the event in practices. He has a consistent and effective shooting form, reminiscent of Kevin Martin’s as he starts it at his left shoulder and sort of brings the ball across his body before the release. While a solid athlete, the Stanford commit needs to add strength. Regardless, the talent is definitely there for him to make it at the NBA level if he can get stronger, and impact games on a more consistent basis.
Ibragaima Sacko 6’5.5″ 222 lbs 7’0.5″ wingspan, 8’7″ standing reach (Guinea)
Sacko is a stocky, undersized power forward with a high motor. He’s a solid athlete with some explosive jumping ability. His game has a fatal flaw, at this stage, as his shot has a very odd release as he gets a pronounced side spin, every time he shoots it. He’ll need to completely revamp his shooting mechanics in the future in order to become a consistent shooter. He only saw a few seconds of game action going scoreless.
Taylor Bowen 6’9″ 187 lbs 7’1″ wingspan, 8’11” standing reach (South Sudan) *Florida St.
The Florida State commit measured extremely well with a near 9′ foot standing reach, though he needs to add weight. Bowen is an impressive physical specimen with his great length and athleticism. He’s fluid running the floor and showing some improvement as a player. His shot is a work in progress as he has some refining to do in his mechanics as he is a bit inconsistent and mechanical and takes a while to get his shot off. His form is reminiscent of a kid shooting a ball too heavy for his strength. While his shot actually hits more often than you would expect, he clearly needs to revamp his shot to have any long term success in extending his range out.
Zaccharie Risacher 6’9.5″ 193 lbs 6’10.5″ wingspan, 8’10” standing reach (France) ASVEL
The youngest prospect on the Hoop Summit World team who turned 18 on game day and easily the top prospect. “6-10 Klay”, Risacher impressed scouts the entire week in practices with his pure shooting stroke and also showing impressive athleticism and mobility. He needs to develop his strength, and with that should come more confidence to play physical and become more assertive. Perhaps the best shooting forward to play at the Hoop Summit since Nikola Mirotic. His father played in the 2000 Olympics, matching up against a USA team featuring Vince Carter and Allen Houston, coming away with a silver medal. While his shot has a repeatable stroke, almost appearing like his throwing darts, he needs to work on getting more arch on it as it’s currently flat, which is apparent when he attempted fadaways and exposes it to getting blocked. There’s a ton of upside with him, but gaining more strength and toughness will be key. Hopefully he will be back in a year’s time to showcase his improvement. Struggled to get on track offensively after coming off the bench. He shot just 2-7 from the field and 0-2 from 3, but on the positive side showed competitiveness (tied for a team high with 8 boards) and tried his best to bring the World team back late in the contest.
Alex Toohey 6’8″ 212 lbs 6’11” wingspan, 9’0″ standing reach (Australia) *Gonzaga
The Zags have a good one coming in. The Aussie should develop into a very strong college player over the next few seasons. He has a pure shooting stroke and shows a real solid feel for the game. While not the fastest or most athletic player, his feel for the game and intangibles are very solid. His standing reach might have been inflated as it was somehow bigger than Michael Nwoko’s who had a 7’3 wingspan and and inch and a half taller, but it’s clear he’s got pretty good length for his size.
Michael Nwoko 6’9.5″ 243 lbs 7’3″ wingspan, 8’11” standing reach (Canada) *Miami
Nwoko was the breakout player of the game. He had 17 points (7-10 fg) and 8 boards and 2 assists in 18 minutes of action. He also had a positive 19 in plus/minus, clearly impacting the game for the World team when on the floor. Nwoko had a very impressive power dunk late in the game, powering through opponents, and overall used his strength to his advantage. He plays with a lot of passion and energy and matched up well against a subpar USA frontcourt, illustrated by his 6 offensive rebounds, and 8 overall. Nwoko has a very sturdy build with thick legs and broad shoulders and measured with a 7-3 wingspan. The Miami recruit has some intriguing attributes considering his huge frame, great length and high motor. He shoots it a little better than fellow big Missi, but doesn’t show much ability from beyond mid-range. The Canadian product by way of Prolific Prep in Napa has an intriguing future outlook under the tutelage of legendary Coach Jim Larranaga. He has elevated himself to being among the class’s top bigs, and in the process onto the 2024 draft radar, in a less than stellar 2023 high school class.
Baye Fall 6’10” 193 lbs 7’4.5″ wingspan, 9’2.5″ standing reach (Senegal) *Arkansas
Fall had just 2 points (1-5 shooting) in the game, struggling to get on track from an offensive standpoint. He’s a specimen from a length standpoint. Fall shows pretty solid shooting mechanics, though his shot breaks down beyond the mid range. He flashes the ability to run the floor and play the game at a high level in spurts. The concerning thing is that Fall may have hit a wall in his physical development. The key to unlocking his ability to impact at the highest level is clearly adding a lot more strength, but that may be no small task. Scouts seem to be skeptical about his upside, as he really struggles when he invariably faces any kind of contact around the basket. Could end up as a solid energy guy at the next level, but right now his effort seems to be inconsistent.
Yves Missi 6’11” 223 lbs 7’2.5″ wingspan, 9’1″ standing reach (Cameroon) *Baylor
The Begium born, Camaroon raised Missi has an intriguing combination of size and athleticism at the center position. The Baylor commit is a nice long term prospect if he can add some key elements to his game. He seemed to play with a good motor in practice during the week. His jumpshot has solid form, but takes far too long to release the ball. It appears that perhaps he revamped his shot recently and is still working through the speed aspect of it because instead of it being an effortless catch and release on muscle memory, it appears that he is thinking through each step as if he just learned to shoot the ball properly. Baby steps. If he can improve the jumpshot in terms of being able to catch and release within game speed, it will greatly enhance his potential for the NBA level. Missi went scoreless with 2 boards in 7 minutes of action.
