Next in Line: Middle School Standouts from the NYBA Camp

The middle school portion of the NYBA Development and Recruitment Camp provided an early look at several promising young prospects who displayed a combination of skill, confidence, competitiveness and long-term potential. Throughout the camp, these players found different ways to make their presence felt, whether through shot-making, paint pressure, playmaking, defensive activity, rebounding or positional versatility. Princeton Ruffin, Braylen Cole, Dantwan Claybrooks, [player_tooltip player_id='3586612' first='Jackson' last='Robinson'], Corey Wallace, and Connor McCurley each showed intriguing qualities that should make them players to continue tracking as they develop and prepare for the next stage of their basketball journeys.    Princeton is a budding high-level scorer with the ability to produce at all levels and range that extends deep. He showed the three ball, crafty finishing, and the ability to put pressure on the rim. He can threaten from outside, get into the paint, and finish with craft once he is there. His transition play, emerging athleticism, and reads add substance to his scoring package. His shot-making and rim pressure is the common theme to his overall game. He presents a scoring problem because the defense has to account for both the deep shot and the ability to finish an attack.     Braylen is an aggressive guard who initiates the offense and gets paint touches. He can put the action in motion and bring an attacking element to the possession. The combination of offensive initiation and his on-ball defensive pressure provides a look at his involvement on both ends of the floor. Whether he is getting his own team into their offense or taking responsibility for the opposing ball handler he showed to be a back-court talent who can impact the game on a consistent basis, make others around him better, and disrupt the offense at the point of attack.     Dantwan was a young talent whose name was mentioned amongst the coaches before I even laid eyes on him. He showed a fluid offensive game, a high motor, and the ability to score through physical play inside. He moves naturally into scoring areas and can finish possessions around the basket without needing the offense to stop for him. His work on the glass gives him another avenue to produce, creating second-chance opportunities and helping complete defensive possessions. The motor stood out because it kept him involved beyond the initial action and allowed his physicality to affect multiple parts of a possession. As his footwork, touch and decision-making continue to improve, his blend of activity, rebounding and interior scoring can become a reliable frontcourt package with tremendous upside.     Jackson is a backcourt talent who can play on and off the ball. He has a quick first step that gives him a way to get the defense moving, and his playmaking carries that advantage into the next action. The drive-and-spray element is a useful part of the profile as he can get downhill and move the ball back out rather than allowing the possession to end with the initial attack. His quickness and passing work together. he has a budding IQ, an understanding of the game, and showed solid work on the glass. He showed the ability to contribute with his reads, rebounding, as well as his creation, giving him ways to impact a possession without having to score it himself.     Corey showed the ability and confidence to make difficult shots when the defense pressured the possession. He can maintain his balance through pressure, create enough separation and make plays with his passing skills, and convert attempts that are not always generated by clean actions. His shot-making gives him value as he can make plays when the offense needs a player to manufacture a look. The next step is making sure the difficulty of the shot remains connected to strong decision-making, using his creation to produce efficient attempts for himself or teammates. As his handle, pace, and playmaking continue to develop, his confidence as a shot maker can become an important part of a complete combo-guard package.     Connor is a wing who can stretch the floor, handle the ball, and push in transition. His skill set gives the offense different ways to use him as he can space the floor when another player initiates, then put the ball on the deck and push the action when the opportunity is there. His handles adds value to his shooting ability because he is not limited to solely being a spot-up shooter.

The middle school portion of the NYBA Development and Recruitment Camp provided an early look at several promising young prospects who displayed a combination of skill, confidence, competitiveness and long-term potential. Throughout the camp, these players found different ways to make their presence felt, whether through shot-making, paint pressure, playmaking, defensive activity, rebounding or positional versatility. Princeton Ruffin, Braylen Cole, Dantwan Claybrooks, Jackson Robinson Jackson Robinson 5'9" | CG TN , Corey Wallace, and Connor McCurley each showed intriguing qualities that should make them players to continue tracking as they develop and prepare for the next stage of their basketball journeys.