Follow Me Top 40 Camp Notes: Shooting, Slashing, and Two-Way Edge

The Follow Me Top 40 Camp gave me a chance to evaluate players in a setting where traits have to show up quickly. In camp environments, I am watching more than made shots. I want to see who competes, who understands spacing, who can attack an advantage, who makes the right read, and who brings effort when the ball is not in their hands. This group had a few players who stood out with shooting value, slashing ability, guard skill, defensive edge, and the type of competitive habits that give coaches something to keep tracking.    Beckett showed an intriguing blend as an interior presence who also brought perimeter shooting ability. The cleanest takeaway from his showing was the outside shot. He has size and can step away from the paint and make shots in his middle game and beyond the arc, and it changes how defenses have to guard him. His ability to pull a defender away from the paint and create room for guards and slashers to operate makes him a valuable piece on the floor. His shooting threat was clearly seen as one of the most advantageous components of his game. His profile becomes more projectable as he continue to develop pairing his outside shot with dependable second actions: catch, shoot, attack, or move it on time.     Kaleb showed that what I saw at the UAB Elite camp a week before was what he consistently brings when he steps on the floor. He plays with energy and effort and impacts the game on both ends of the floor. There are a lot of refining to do when it comes to his overall floor game but his ability to impact the game with interior scoring, rebounding, and presence as a shot blocker makes him an inside presence worth tracking. He is young and full of potential.     Braxton is a combo guard with positional size, and he showed playmaking, pull-up touch, three-ball confidence, athleticism, offense initiation, and distribution. That is a strong mix for a guard who brings value on and off the ball. He has potent scoring ability from deep to keep defenders honest, but also enough playmaking feel to create for others. The key for Braxton is shot selection as that was one area that I feel is an area of growth for him. He has tools, can hunt his own offense without breaking the rhythm, make the right read, and still pick his spots as a scorer when it presents itself.       Chance is an aggressive small-guard who impacts the game on both ends of the floor. He showed a defensive edge and pesky on-ball defense. He did a good job of initiating the offense, running the show, and providing multi-level scoring. He is a floor general who was not passive, and he played with confidence, toughness, and purpose, and was constantly locked in as he did not drift through possessions. One thing I liked when watching him create offense was his ability to attack without rushing or forcing the first look. He has a mature floor game with a solid PG IQ.     Xavier is a wing who showed mid-range touch and his ability to get into his middle game off the bounce. He has a good understanding that not every possession gets all the way to the rim or produces a clean three, so his ability to convert with rhythm provides value as he has another way to score when the defense takes away the first option. As he continues to pair his mid-range comfort with rim pressure, passing reads, and defensive activity he will bring two-way impact needed for his senior season.     Koi is an aggressive downhill slashing wing with finishing ability. He attacks the rim with purpose, showed a solid overall floor game and the ability to make good decisions in traffic. Defensively, his length helped him to be a disruptor who made his presence felt against ball-handlers looking to get to the cup. He has a defensive edge that made him one of the most intriguing two-way layers I saw the entire day.

The Follow Me Top 40 Camp gave me a chance to evaluate players in a setting where traits have to show up quickly. In camp environments, I am watching more than made shots. I want to see who competes, who understands spacing, who can attack an advantage, who makes the right read, and who brings effort when the ball is not in their hands. This group had a few players who stood out with shooting value, slashing ability, guard skill, defensive edge, and the type of competitive habits that give coaches something to keep tracking.