What We Learned: 2019 USA Men’s Junior National Team October Minicamp

<p>Intro</p> <p>This past weekend was October's edition of the 2019 USA Basketball Team Minicamp in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Ninety-nine of the nation’s best players from the class of 2020 down to the class of 2023 made their way to the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center for three days and six sessions of drills, practices, and games. Many prospects have been to previous minicamps while others were getting a taste of it for the first time. The camp saw several media outlets, NBA scouts, as well as former collegiate players from across the country take in some of the best high school players in the world and there was plenty to discuss by Sunday evening. These were some of the things that could not go unnoticed as the minicamp came and went over the weekend:</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <ol> <li>IMG’s Frontcourt is in Good Hands Looking Ahead <ol> <li>Watching mostly the underclassmen over the course of the weekend, I got a chance to see what IMG Academy (FL) has in store for the next 3 years. The best young player with extreme upside in my opinion was 2022 F <strong>Jarace Walker</strong>. At 6’7” he is very versatile in his offensive attack. He can put the ball on the floor and finish on either side of the rim, when he’s not finishing above the rim. He has a very good-looking shot from the perimeter and took over a lot of games in a lot of different ways over the weekend. His teammate, 2022 F <strong>Eric Dailey Jr., </strong>was another forward that caught my eye over the weekend. Often times he and Walker were matched up against one another and both players showed great skill as they battled it out with great competition. Dailey Jr. began one game with an emphatic left-hand dunk off the opening tip and impressed me more with his athleticism and length at 6’6”, with Walker flashing more of his shooting ability from the perimeter. Both players were standouts on the weekend and with them being on the same campus during the school year, it could equate to a lot of problems for opponents in the next few years.</li> </ol> </li> <li>Doing the Dirty Work is Valuable on All Levels <ol> <li>When there are nearly one hundred prospects with a high basketball IQ, size, and athleticism, there are only so many things that can separate the good from the great. Consistent hustle would classify as one of the few traits that allow those standout among the rest of the group. In regard to those “game winning” type plays, I was impressed with Durham Academy (NC) sophomore <strong>Marquise “MJ” Rice </strong>as I was any other player over the weekend. At a muscular 6’5”, the off guard was able to slash his way to the rim and finish above the rim with ease. I loved the way he defended his position and rebounded the basketball. He was another player that didn’t look uncomfortable shooting the basketball either as he showed the ability to hit shots from anywhere on the perimeter. Rice was a Swiss army knife on the floor and I loved the plays that he consistently made for his team, putting them in a position to win a lot of games and competitions during sessions.</li> </ol> </li> </ol> <ol start="3"> <li>UNC’s Roy Williams Should be Smiling from Ear to Ear <ol> <li>Roy Williams has traditionally been a coach that recruits players who stay in Chapel Hill for at least two years, if not longer. However, with the one and done” trend becoming more popular in college basketball he has had to adapt to recruiting players who will only remain on campus for one year. Last year it was Coby White, this year point guard Cole Anthony is high on NBA draft boards and with the recent commitments of Woodward Academy (GA) 2020 C <strong>Walker Kessler </strong>as well as long time commit 2020 C <strong>Day’Ron Sharpe</strong>, that popular trend could be one that becomes consistent with the Tar Heels as well. Kessler didn’t make the trip to Colorado Springs however Sharpe was one that impressed throughout the weekend with his strength inside and shooting ability from the three-point line. He abused other big men with his strength inside and punished them when they didn’t contest jumpers when he trailed in transition. Coach Williams will have two legitimate centers that can fill it up from deep and work out on the interior. Christian Brothers College HS (MO) senior and UNC commit <strong>Caleb Love </strong>also looked good from his guard position, defending on the ball and using his athleticism at 6’3” to finish in the lane.</li> </ol> </li> <li>7’ Versatile Big Men are Becoming More and More Common <ol> <li>Taking a look at the USA minicamp roster, you couldn’t help but notice the number of 6’10”, 6’11” and 7’ big men that graced the upperclassmen as well as underclassmen teams throughout the weekend. Senior big men like <strong>Evan Mobley </strong>and <strong>Isaiah Todd </strong>are some of the more popular centers around the country that can play inside-out, but the USA minicamp was a platform for other large big men to show their versatility as well. 2021 Crater (OR) F <strong>Nathan Bittle </strong>was a big that looked very good from the outside. He’s got a stringy frame but good coordination as he finished tricky plays at the rim from guards and looked great shooting the ball from the corners. He has very high upside with his ability to shoot the ball and reminds me a lot of University of Michigan sophomore Colin Castleton. Other big men that showed their ability to score from all levels was Minnehaha Academy (MN) junior <strong>Chet Holmgren</strong>. His ability to handle it like a guard makes him very dangerous and once he has hit a collegiate weight program, he will be another seven-footer with that foreign style of game that is becoming more relevant in the higher levels of the game.</li> </ol> </li> <li>Georgia Represented the State VERY Well <ol> <li>The Peach State had four players head out to Colorado Springs this past weekend, and all had respectable weekends in their own right. The Georgia prospect who I came away impressed most was 2022 Kell (GA) G <strong>Scoota Henderson</strong>. One of younger and smaller players at the minicamp, the point guard held his own against the upperclassmen and did so with efficient pick and roll play. His mid-range gamed looked solid and his passes were very good in the half court and in transition. Henderson surprised a lot of people with athleticism as he was able to finish above the rim, sometimes on the best guards in the camp. He is fearless on the court and will look to continue that momentum going into this season. Sandy Creek (GA) junior <strong>Jabari Smith Jr., </strong>fresh off a gold medal with the U16 squad this past summer looked comfortable in his return to Colorado Springs. His ability to shoot the basketball allows the lane to open up for dribble drive opportunities that he’s capable of making with his skilled finishing ability at the rim. Westlake (GA) sophomore guard <strong>Dillon Hunter </strong>and Pace Academy (GA) junior wing <strong>Matthew Cleveland</strong> showed great flashes on the weekend as well. Hunter with his length and Cleveland with his athleticism, as he able to make several highlight reels with his finishing ability above the rim. Georgia basketball is in great hands moving forward, and it starts with these four leading the way.</li> </ol> </li> </ol>