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The Jordan Brand Classic Global Showcase had some international flavor to kick things off at the Barclay’s Center. With several countries represented, here are some players to become familiar with.

Addison Patterson 6’6 190 SG/SF – Athlete Institute (Canada)

The 6’6 versatile wing ran the point for the Blue Team and showed some solid court vision while passing out of drives and half court distributing. In an ideal environment, I see him a secondary ball handler or a scoring wing with playmaking ability. Although he missed a few layups, he’s got good driving ability and wasn’t too phased by the defense but can work on protecting the ball in tight spaces to minimize turnovers. He used his hands a bit much on defense but has tools and athleticism to be a good perimeter defender and rebounder for position. In addition to his athletic gifts, he made two of his three attempts from downtown. Over the course of the practices and games, Patterson looked like the top talent of the bunch, earning MVP with 25 points and eight rebounds.

Killian Hayes 6’4 204 SG – Cholet (France) 2001

Hayes had a nice showing to earn MVP of the Red Team. He’s a very good slasher off the dribble, splits the defense, and showed an array of crafty finishes. His court vision is advanced; showing ability to drive and kick, also throwing precise bounce passes to lead the game with seven assists. Hayes was very active defensively, while it led to some steals, it also resulted in four fouls. He only made one of his six attempts from three but can shoot from deep finishing with 13 points and five rebounds.

N'Faly Dante 7’0 220 C – Sunrise Christian Academy (Mali) 2001

Dante shot an efficient 8-10 with most of his points coming from dunks, including four plays in a row towards the end of the game where he finished each one with a jam. He’s a willing screener and scored several baskets by simply running the floor and reaping the reward, including catching an oop off the backboard. He put the ball on the floor a little but didn’t get anywhere with it and is raw offensively at this stage. Dante stood out with his size standing at seven feet, grabbing six rebounds and blocking a few shots.

Cashius McNeilly 6’4 177 PG – Thornlea (Canada) 2001

McNeilly was solid but didn’t have his best showing with 5-14 shooting but finished with 15 points and five rebounds. He’s very athletic, as he’s very quick with the ball and an effortless on foot jumper. He’s got a nose for the ball and glides all over the court. Offensively, he’s got a quick trigger and gets off his shot but must improve. His shot mechanics aren’t bad but he tends to drift at times when he shoots off the dribble.

Theo Maledon 6’3 170 PG – INSEP (France) 2001

Maledon had similar production to McNeilly with 15 points while shooting 5-14. He knocked down three from deep with a high arching shot. He had other good looks from outside but they just bounced out. His half court distributing was on point, showing good court vision and lead passing while baiting the defender to setup others. He didn’t show any above the rim plays but showed some ability to get to the basket but must improve as a finisher. Maledon grabbed four rebounds and passed out four assists to go along with his 15 points.

Elijah Hutchins-Everett 6’10 224 PF – Immaculate Conception School (USA) 2001

Hutchins-Everett posted the only double-double of the game with 12 points and 12 rebounds. He never quits on the offensive boards, using his size and strength to establish position in the paint. He’s more of a half court offensive player as he’s not very quick or explosive and likes to bang underneath. He lacks offensive technique in the post but can get his shot off with his superior size. He did step out and show his outside shooting ability making two of his three attempts from behind the arc.

Karlo Matkovic 6’6 201 PF – Cedevita Zagreb (Croatia) 2001

Matkovic stands at 6’6 but plays bigger than his height. He’s got very good run and jump athleticism, attacking the basket with consistent aggression. He had one play where he threw down a jam over the top of Bernardo Da Silva. He showed some face up ability from midrange with solid shooting mechanics. He does lack ball skills and at his height he will need to develop a better perimeter game. He played solid defense and guarded opponents who were a few inches taller. Matkovic ended with 12 points while shooting 5-6 from the field.

Kay Bruhnke 6’5 193 PG/SG – Regnitzal Basket (Germany) 2001

Bruhnke didn’t stand out with his stat line of four points, six rebounds, and three assists. He did show some creativity off the dribble and deceptive athleticism. He didn’t make either three-point attempt in the game but shot from the perimeter in the practices.

Allen Udemadu 6’10 220 PF – Pro Vision (Nigeria)

Going into the game, I expected a big output from Udemadu, who only scored one point. He did show very good face up ability in practices, along with solid athleticism. He can score in the post and has very good court vision at his height. He had a few plays in the game where he distributed out of the post, making the right pass a little late that resulted in a turnover. He played good defense and was very active on boards, grabbing seven rebounds. Despite the lack of scoring, Udemadu could be a very good player down the road.

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