The 25th annual NBPA Top 100 Camp is being held this week at the University of Virginia (Charlottesville VA). 120 high school players from across the nation and beyond are participating. The camp is open for viewing by both NCAA Division I coaches as well as NBA teams.
The camp games (counting toward league standings) began Thursday and several players left an impression on me.
One of the opening games featured a great match-up between 2021 #1 spot contenders 6-9 Patrick Baldwin (Hamilton/Sussex WI) and 6-10 Paolo Banchero (O’Dea/Seattle WA). Baldwin is an extremely skilled and polished forward that is an offensive threat with not just his silky-smooth jump shot but also with his terrific passing ability. Banchero is a talented and strong big man with nice face-up ability as well as a rugged rebounder. Baldwin finished with 16 points on 50% FG shooting to go along with 7 boards while Banchero had 13 points (6/10 FG) and 9 rebounds.
Another contender for the 2021 #1 spot is ultra-athletic swingman 6-6 2021 Terrence Clarke (Brewster Academy/NH) who continued where he left off from the Pangos All-American Camp earlier this month. Clarke knifed his way for dunks and acrobatic lay-ups and scored from deep, averaging 13.0 ppg on 10/16 FG (62.5%) and 4/6 3FG (66.7%) over two games on Thursday.
Making his presence felt early in the camp games on Thursday was 6-9 2020 Mady Sissoko (Wasatch Academy/Mt. Pleasant UT). Strong, athletic and with a motor always seem stuck on 5th gear, Sissoko cleaned the glass, protected the rim and finished with authority. Reminds me of a young Michael Cage (San Diego State/NBA). His first game of the day produced an impressive double-double (10 points/13 boards/3 assists).
Showing his versatile skill set on Thursday was 6-11 2020 Makur Maker (Orange Lutheran/Orange CA). Combining great length and athleticism with excellent shooting and ballhandling skills for his size, Makur has real NBA potential. Averaged 12.0 ppg (57.1% FG; 40% 3FG) and 7.0 ppg on Thursday.
The leading scorer in the camp (based on upon Thursday’s games) is Seattle WA native 6-6 2020 WF MarJon Beauchamp. Beauchamp (who recently announced he is transferring to Bella Vista Prep/Scottsdale AZ) for his senior season) averaged 21.0 ppg over 2 games, shooting a blistering 69.6% FG (16/23) and 60% 3FG (6/10). Beauchamp was co-MVP of the Top 60 Game at the recent Pangos All-American Camp.
While Beauchamp proved to be a premier scoring weapon, 6-9 2020 PF Day’Ron Sharpe (South Central/Winterville NC) proved to be a formidable force on the boards, averaging a double/double – 11.0 points and 12 rebounds per game with a camp high (to date) 14 boards in one game. Sharpe’s future college coach Roy Williams (North Carolina) was courtside for his games and had to have been pleased with what he saw.
I really liked what I saw out of 6-10 2020 Dawson Garcia (Prior Lake/MN). Fresh off a winning a gold medal in the FIBA 3-on-3 U18 World Championships in Mongolia (teamed with Devin Askew, Nimari Burnett and Ethan Morton), this stretch post-forward showed a very nice ability to knock down long range shots as well as being a factor on the boards. Opening round effort of 19 points (three 3s) and 10 boards definitely caught my attention.
6-5 2020 WG Jaylen Clark (Etiwanda/CA) was a very late invitee to the NBPA Camp (got the word just this last Monday) but wasted very little time showing he definitely belonged. The recent Pangos All-American Camp standout (tied for #2 in scoring there at 25.5 ppg) was cooking again in Charlottesville. Had 20 points (5/8 FG), 6 rebounds and 3 assists in his night cap game on Thursday.
West Coast national sleeper 6-2 2020 Keith Dinwiddie (Fairfax/Los Angeles CA) came to play on Thursday. Well-known as a high-scoring guard with a terrific mid-range jump shot, Dinwiddie showed his ability to play on the ball and distribute the rock to teammates with precision here. After Day 1, Keith is tied for the #2 camp spot in assists per game (4.0 apg).
I did not know much about 6-1 2020 PG Shakeel Moore (Piedmont Classical/NC) prior to this year’s NBPA Camp but his athleticism in transition, efficiency scoring the rock (averaged 13.0 ppg on 70.6% FG), tenacious on-ball defense and rock-solid handle stood out during the games on Thursday.
Other standouts that impressed me on Thursday included 6-6 2020 WG Moses Moody (Montverde Academy/FL), 6-5 2020 PG Daishen Nix (Trinity/Las Vegas NV), 6-8 2021 WF Trey Patterson (Rutgers Prep/Somerset NJ), 6-7 2020 forward Henry Coleman (Trinity/Richmond VA), 6-1 2020 PG RJ Davis (Archbishop Stepinac/White Plains NY), 5-11 2021 PG Zion Harmon (Marshall County/Benton KY), 7-1 2021 center Chet Holmgren (Minnehaha Academy/Minneapolis MN), 6-3 2020 PG Jamal Mashburn Jr. (Brewster Academy/NH), 6-1 2020 PG Jalen Cook (Walker/LA), 7-0 2020 Mark Williams (Norfolk Academy/VA), 6-9 2021 PF JT Thor (Huntington Prep/WV), 6-8 2022 PF Kijani Wright (Windward/Los Angeles CA), 6-9 2021 PF Moussa Diabate (DME Academy/Daytona Beach CA), 6-4 2021 PG Devin Askew (Mater Dei/Santa Ana CA) and 6-9 2020 PF Isaiah Cottrell (Bishop Gorman/Las Vegas NV) who just verbally committed to West Virginia.
***Photos courtesy of Cassy Athena
