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Still crazy to me Luka went 3rd
2025 NBA Draft Thread
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by addict4sneakers,
- Start date
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The crazy thing with victor is that you can’t really point to any flaws. You have to nitpick or say his body may suffer injuries due to height
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He's never shot as well as last week over the course of a season. Could probably be a better rebounder (I think he got the hint to rebound better in the second game last week).
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Everything with the mechanics of his jumper, off the bounce too, is really good
And then you got to see his mental fortitude and heart
Not afraid of the big moments late in close games
You got to see that he’s aware of his potential yet still hungry as hell
And then you got to see his mental fortitude and heart
Not afraid of the big moments late in close games
You got to see that he’s aware of his potential yet still hungry as hell
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Arguably the best scouting report ever.
The only thing ball wise would be his 3 ball not being particularly reliable. But the willingness & mechanics are there, which is half of the battle. If he can get to league average he’ll be a terror attacking closeouts and he should obviously be extremely effective in the painted area outside of that.
He develops wiry strength and he’ll just be a nightmare for all these teams that like to switch.
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Right, I should have said he doesn’t have any glaring flaws
Seemed like his team wasn’t even running plays for him and that waters and others couldn’t get him the ball.. weren’t looking for him at all
Yet he stayed present and didn’t pout or float on either end
He’ll be under the microscope for sure so we’ll be able to really nitpick him.. sounds like his team will only play once or so a week too..
Seemed like his team wasn’t even running plays for him and that waters and others couldn’t get him the ball.. weren’t looking for him at all
Yet he stayed present and didn’t pout or float on either end
He’ll be under the microscope for sure so we’ll be able to really nitpick him.. sounds like his team will only play once or so a week too..
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I think you have to look at the variety and difficulty of shots he was hitting against the ignite and conclude that he's evolved as a shooter and still has more potential to unearth.
I only saw him get slightly frustrated once when his team kept going away from him. He still needs to improve his stamina and strength so he can play harder for longer stretches. But that's 18 year old business. He missed some point blank shots and put backs that will be cash for him once he develops. Easily could've had 45+ in both games
I only saw him get slightly frustrated once when his team kept going away from him. He still needs to improve his stamina and strength so he can play harder for longer stretches. But that's 18 year old business. He missed some point blank shots and put backs that will be cash for him once he develops. Easily could've had 45+ in both games
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Breh likes to pass too, he had some crazy good looks in all his games so far this season
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DEFINITELY is not a yearly thing
You can count them on one hand
Wiggins...Bates (which ended before it started). That's it.
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Neither Wiggins or bates was really justified either. Definitely not Wiggins. Vic is clearly on several different levels
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Wiggins hype was overblown. There were even reports of people saying take Jabari #1 and once you have some kind of push back at #1 it kinda gets tricky.
After I saw Wiggins spam that spin move with nothing really great going for his game I was a bit hesitant on him being a #1 pick type franchise changer, but just went with the hype.
I feel like Zions hype was greater.
After I saw Wiggins spam that spin move with nothing really great going for his game I was a bit hesitant on him being a #1 pick type franchise changer, but just went with the hype.
I feel like Zions hype was greater.
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Would say Wggins' hype had waned by his senior year in HS, but he had more hype in September 2013 than Zion had in September 2018 (dunk highlights aside).
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Should we mention Oden when we mention Durant?
Or not because his skillset wasn’t era-proof? He was obviously a more than perfect fit for where the league was at the time
Or not because his skillset wasn’t era-proof? He was obviously a more than perfect fit for where the league was at the time
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I’ll take it to my deathbed that oden wasn’t near the prospect Durant was. Injuries or not
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The foul issues were surprising unfortunately he didn’t get enough time to figure that out.
He didn’t prove anyone wrong who had questions about his offense tho, can’t argue that.
From what he showed it was tough to ever see a progression to someone you could run everything through.
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Yeah I wasn’t buying anything from him offensively to warrant generational praise. Meanwhile Durant was a 6-11 Tracy mcgrady and had one of the best freshman seasons ever. The league was transitioning to being wing dominant with bean, Bron and Wade dominating the league in 07. People got caught up with his bench press numbers which is crazy because he was almost a whole year younger than his class
We could have said oden could have been dwight offensively but he was even stiffer than dwight.
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Not gonna do hindsight, to me over the last 20 years:
LeBron
Oden
Durant-AD
Luka
Wembanyama
If Wembanyama maxes out his potential (or gets close to it) he's probably 2 behind Bron.
LeBron
Oden
Durant-AD
Luka
Wembanyama
If Wembanyama maxes out his potential (or gets close to it) he's probably 2 behind Bron.
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To me in terms of most hype as unanimous top pick/franchise changer its:
Lebron
Wembanyama
Zion
Oden
Kyrie
AD
KAT
Lebron
Wembanyama
Zion
Oden
Kyrie
AD
KAT
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I kinda remember a lot of Oden's hype came from/after his combine numbers
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"Generational/phenom" hype starts in High School. Lebron was the next MJ at "16". Wemby hit the national media @ 15. They were banging the "Greg Oden is the NBA's next dominant big" drum when he was in the 10th grade.
Zion's "hype" didn't go from "super exciting athlete with a lot of dunks on YouTube" to "#1 pick" until he got to Duke. He wasn't #1 on ANY mock drafts heading into that year. RJ Barrett was supposed to be Duke's #1 recruit.
AD falls under the late bloomer category. Didn't really hit the scene until heading into his senior year. KAT also wasn't even top 3 in his class.
Zion's "hype" didn't go from "super exciting athlete with a lot of dunks on YouTube" to "#1 pick" until he got to Duke. He wasn't #1 on ANY mock drafts heading into that year. RJ Barrett was supposed to be Duke's #1 recruit.
AD falls under the late bloomer category. Didn't really hit the scene until heading into his senior year. KAT also wasn't even top 3 in his class.
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He dominated Horford and Noah. Basically vaulted him past Durant
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If we're talking about #1 hype since before college and early high school years then it's easily Lebron and Wembanyama.
Probably Iverson in the previous generation.
Probably Iverson in the previous generation.
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Lessons learned from Team USA's junior national team mini-camp? Cam Boozer is going to be really good
USA Basketball assembled 58 of the best high school players for their junior national team mini-camp here this past weekend, an event that has been on hiatus since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Typically a who's who of American hoops, this year's camp was notably missing some of the best juniors and seniors as USA Basketball is still working through the fog of the pandemic and attempting to re-enter a space that is dramatically different than in 2019.
The NBA age limit isn't being eliminated anytime soon
One of the big questions parents, stakeholders and industry members in attendance wanted to know: How long would it be until the NBA went back to drafting high school players, something that could have a significant effect on virtually every player in the gym? The answer seems to be not anytime soon.
One glance around the section of the gym dedicated to NBA scouts revealed the clear lack of urgency teams felt in sending evaluators to attend this camp. While all 30 teams were each allowed one representative, several teams declined to send anyone, while others elected to send only entry-level scouts. Just two general manager/president level executives -- Sam Presti of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Bobby Webster of the Toronto Raptors -- were in the building, along with a handful of assistant GMs. If the NBA age limit elimination is indeed looming, no one had bothered to inform those most affected by that change.
Conversations with representatives of the NBA Players Association, the league office, agents and team executives indicate nothing has changed recently, or in the past four years for that matter, regarding the same disagreements key stakeholders had in negotiations for eliminating the one and done rule which ESPN reported on back in October 2018 and April 2019.
Agents have no interest in guaranteeing full NBA combine participation or giving up control of players' medicals -- the only real leverage they have currently in steering clients away from undesirable franchises with poor track records for player development. NBPA members say they see little benefit to allowing a new class of teenagers to come in and take roster spots from veterans. And NBA executives are openly dreading the idea of returning to high school gyms and being forced to make career-altering decisions with limited information at their disposal. Sources say the union is indicating that in order to give Adam Silver -- who is the clear-cut driving force behind the elimination of the age limit -- what he desires in collective bargaining agreement negotiations in 2024, they expect to receive major financial concessions from team owners in exchange for this bargaining chip, something that may not be attractive to franchises since many believe that making the league even younger will water down the talent level. The fact that college basketball's biggest stars are now able to earn six- and seven-figure deals thanks to name, image and likeness deals softens some of the ethical concerns some had regarding preventing teenagers from earning a living when there is clearly a significant market for their services.
Nevertheless, Silver is on the record as being adamant that changing the age limit is "the right thing to do," this past July, pointing to "societal changes" and saying he is "hopeful that's a change we make in this next collective bargaining cycle, which will happen in the next couple years."
It seems we're in the exact same place now that we've been for many years, and though Silver certainly has the cache to push this through in 2024 if he desires -- with an expected start date no earlier than the 2026 draft, according to what teams have been told -- there are still huge hurdles all sides will need to overcome to get there by then, with this topic being one of many bigger issues the NBPA and NBA will need to reconcile during upcoming labor talks.
The 2023 and 2024 high school classes look far from NBA ready
After three outstanding draft classes -- 2021, 2022 and now 2023, which is shaping up to be a game-changer, headlined by Victor Wembanyama -- it appears that we are headed toward somewhat of a drought as far as high-end talent is concerned.
Recruiting analysts say they are struggling to identify a single player in the 2023 high school class that is worthy of the mantle of the No. 1 player in the class, and the situation doesn't appear to be any better in 2024 either early on, with none of the top players in the class looking like sure-fire NBA starters, let alone all-stars. NBA executives who have evaluated these classes in-depth this past spring and summer say they are struggling to get excited about any of the top upperclassmen. They say there are plenty of nice role players but little in the way of star power.
New players will always emerge in college and others will grow, fill out, improve and dramatically exceed the expectations we currently have for them over the next year or two. But so far, these next two classes are anything but a great advertisement for the elimination of the NBA age limit. Instead, they are proving to be major selling points for players currently in college or overseas to take their time in deciding whether to enter the crowded 2023 draft class to be late first- or second-round picks -- or wait a year and potentially be lottery picks in the 2024 draft.
Lackluster participation and lackluster performances from older players
Many were hoping this weekend would help provide answers regarding who the best players are atop the 2023 and 2024 high school classes, which should make up the backbone of the 2024 and 2025 NBA drafts. Instead, it just muddied the waters even more, as the handful of elite five-star prospects that did elect to attend -- Justin Edwards, ESPN's No. 2 ranked prospect in 2023, Omaha Biliew (No. 9), Ron Holland (No. 10) and Caleb Foster (No. 13) -- did little to separate themselves from the bevy or four-star recruits in attendance.
It doesn't help that only one of the top nine ranked players in ESPN's 2023 recruiting rankings and two of the top 16 from 2024, participated. Be it players declining invites due to hurt feelings after being cut from previous USA Basketball training camps, injuries, illnesses, previous engagements, ineligibility as internationals, or last-minute cancellations, we didn't see the same urgency for participation that we've seen from prior iterations of this camp.
Players have more places than ever to showcase their talent nowadays, with more games being broadcasted on television or streaming services, social media providing a significant platform and new leagues and pathways in place such as the NIBC league, G League Ignite and Overtime Elite (which was well-represented this weekend), opening up exposure opportunities, revenue streams and NIL opportunities that simply didn't exist in recent years.
Being unable to hold this camp since 2019, when most of the current juniors and seniors were just entering high school, USA Basketball has unsurprisingly lost some of the connection to this group of players who weren't as well-scouted as they would have been earlier on in their careers. Finding new ways to innovate, invigorate and return this camp to being a must-attend event for elite prospects from a player development and exposure perspective is a major priority for USA Basketball moving forward. The process is already underway in a major way among younger prospects, who turned out in droves, were mostly full participants and captured the attention of NBA onlookers with what appears to be two spectacular groups of talent in the 2025 and 2026 classes.
Cam Boozer headlines an elite group of underclassmen
The highlight of the weekend came in the camp's final session, when organizers elected to call seven freshmen and sophomores, who had won more scrimmage games than any of their peers, to play and match up with older players. Fifteen-year-olds Cam Boozer and AJ Dybantsa, as well as 14-year old Caleb Gaskins, won their opening game of the scrimmage decisively against a group of 17 and 18-year olds to advance to the championship game of the camp, where only a last-second missed free throw deprived them of another improbable upset.
Seeing the high school seniors celebrate their victory as if they had won an NBA championship, as well as the poise and maturity displayed by the younger group in defeat, punctuated the conclusion many had already reached earlier in the camp -- the 2025 and 2026 high school classes have a chance to be an absolutely special group of prospects if they continue to develop.
Boozer having his way with players three years older than him surprised no one in attendance, but went a long way in staking his claim as not only the best long-term prospect in high school basketball, but possibly the best player period.
It's rare to see a player his age display the type of polish, skill, maturity and intelligence he displayed all camp long. Be it throwing in 3-pointers with soft touch, creating his own shot one-on-one, finding teammates on the move off a live dribble or with outlet passes the length of the floor, playing through contact around the basket, defending guards and big men alike, using both hands to handle and finish and simply making the right decision seemingly every time he had the ball, Boozer's versatility and feel for the game is as strong as any player his age I've scouted. Although Boozer will still only be 15 years old at next summer's FIBA Americas U16 Championship, there's already talk of inviting him to play up almost four years and try out for USA Basketball's FIBA U19 World Cup team, which has never been done by an American player.
Some NBA executives nitpicked his mature, 227-pound frame, questioned whether he'll continue to grow and pondered whether there is No. 1 pick type value in a 6-foot-7, one-position power forward with a near 7-1 wingspan in today's NBA if he doesn't. Most others were simply blown away by how few holes he has currently, how easily the game comes for him and enjoyed marveling in every play he made against the overmatched 18-year olds. It should be noted that he was the youngest 2025 class member in attendance, along with his twin brother Cayden (who had a good camp in his own right).
Cam Boozer was far from the only standout from the younger group, though.
• Meleek Thomas, who just turned 16 in August, was the camp's best overall scorer. The high school sophomore from Pittsburgh dropped a barrage of difficult shots from all over the floor in every session he competed in, while displaying unlimited confidence and a huge personality on both ends of the floor. His toughness and aggressiveness were on another level defensively, and he made an effort to show off his live dribble passing at times, creating and moving the ball with either hand. While not sporting much length relative to his height at 6-4, Thomas has an ideal frame for his age, ample explosiveness, a good feel for the game and arguably the best scoring instincts of any player at the camp. Already the No. 6-ranked player in ESPN's Class of 2025, Thomas will be one of the most sought-after players in his class as word continues to spread about the weekend he had in Colorado Springs.
• AJ Dybantsa looks like an early headliner of the 2026 high school class, even though age-wise (15.6 years old) he may be better suited in 2025. At nearly 6-8, with a 6-11 wingspan, he brought incisive slashing ability driving into the teeth of the defense and finishing in traffic. The intensity, aggressiveness and toughness he brought offensively also translated to the defensive end, where he proved capable of slowing down smaller players, making plays getting into passing lanes, rotating for blocks and going out of his area for rebounds. Although his hunger for scoring did lead to a handful of wild moments at times, Dybantsa showed some ability to pass on the move and get others involved, as well as some flashes of shot-making pulling up off the dribble that he can still harness into a more consistent weapon. Like Boozer, he was just as effective against older players as he was against his age group, playing with the type of alpha mentality you like to see. How much he grows and how his 184-pound frame fills out will determine just how good of a long-term prospect he is, but the early results are extremely promising.
• Caleb Gaskins turned 14 years old less than two months prior to this event, but you'd never guess that based on his chiseled frame and impressive on-court demeanor. Standing over 6-7 in shoes, 195 pounds, with a near 6-11 wingspan, Gaskins looked like one of the best shooters at this camp, showing outstanding footwork, balance and touch rising off the dribble from difficult vantage points with unlimited confidence and tremendous mechanics. Although not a great ball handler at this stage, Gaskins plays under control and shows good passing ability by creating for teammates. He showed little fear in his matchups with players three and four years older, defending with toughness, using his strong frame and long arms to his advantage and looking like he belonged every time he stepped on the floor. Like other younger, physically mature players in attendance, we'll have to see how he continues to grow and evolves as his career moves on, but it was difficult not to be impressed by the productivity, shot-making and poise he displayed as the youngest player in attendance.
• Jayden Quaintance doesn't have some of the same accolades as his 2025 peers, but showed he deserves to be in consideration as one of the big men prospects in the class. He's got tremendous size for a 15-year-old at just under 6-9 with a huge upper body, a near 7-3½ wingspan, big hands and outstanding explosiveness around the rim. He showed skills in drills but was at his best punishing opponents around the basket with his physical, aggressive approach, finishing above the rim consistently and following misses for emphatic putback dunks. Defensively, his technique leaves something to be desired at times, but he proved to be quite a playmaker with his length and quickness getting off his feet and meeting opponents at the summit. The son of former Kent State player Haminn Quaintance, how he continues to evolve physically and skill-wise and improve his feel for the game will determine just how high of a long-term prospect he is, but there's little doubt he'll be on the radar in some capacity.
Upperclassmen standouts
With many top prospects not participating, several lesser regarded players took advantage of the opportunity to showcase themselves on the USA Basketball platform and ended up earmarking themselves to scouts as players to follow down the road.
• AJ Johnson continued his upward trajectory from the spring and summer, looking like arguably the best long-term prospect in the 2023 class among those in attendance. He's more than a year younger than some of his peers, and is still very underdeveloped physically with his thin 157-pound frame, but dropped vivid glimpses of potential that could give him lottery-level upside if he continues to develop as expected over the next 20 months. Johnson's ability to get to the rim changing speeds fluidly out of hesitation moves with long strides is highly intriguing when paired with the impressive flashes he shows as both a passer and shooter. He's still at an early stage of development physically and skill-wise, and was somewhat feast or famine at times with his decision-making and ability to hold his own defensively, but made several plays over the course of the event that only a handful of players outside the NBA are capable of executing, making him the type of prospect NBA teams will be happy to play the long game with in terms of evaluating his development wherever he ends up next season.
• Coen Carr and his combination of power, explosiveness and intensity was unrivaled among those In attendance. He covers ground exceptionally well defensively, showing impressive rim-protection prowess -- despite standing under 6-6 in shoes with a 6-9 wingspan -- because of how quickly he gets off his feet, closing out on shooters on the perimeter and blocking jumpers in highlight-reel fashion at times. He showed some potential as a small-ball big man who can make a living as a cutter, roller, rim-runner and offensive rebounder for these same reasons, but also dropped some glimpses of skill too, knocking down more jump shots than you'd expect. What his skill level and feel for the game are clearly a work in progress, Carr's physical tools and ability to put his imprint on the game with the physicality and aggressiveness he played with gives him a chance to develop into an intriguing prospect considering he's yet to turn 18.
• Justin Edwards was the highest ranked 2023 prospect in attendance, and while the Kentucky-bound recruit didn't have a great showing, still displayed some of the things that made him such a highly regarded prospect. Edwards has good size for a wing at 6-7 in shoes, with a plus wingspan and displayed strong shot-making ability all camp long either spotting up on the wing or ducking behind handoffs. He does a good job of attacking closeouts with his head up and playing with strong intensity defensively, showing a high floor that makes it easy to see him developing into a good NBA role-player in time. Improving as a ball-handler in the half-court will be the next step in his development, as well as maximizing his quickness, explosiveness and thin 183-pound frame.
• Ron Holland surprised some scouts by electing to sit out the final session of the event, and didn't have a great showing overall, struggling to make shots and not always making great decisions with the ball in his hands. Holland's energy and enthusiasm was infectious in drills, and his high-level passing ability and defensive versatility were on display in some segments of the camp, but wasn't able to get quite as much done in this setting as he has in previous times we've seen him and hasn't filled out his thin 184 pound frame.
• Jared McCain showed he's a lot more than just a social media superstar, looking to be in the best shape of his career, bulking up to 194 pounds and getting more done creating inside the arc for himself and others than we've seen in previous viewings. He's always been known as one of the best shooters in his class and also brings an excellent feel for the game to go along with an assertive, but team-oriented demeanor. Although he lacks a degree of explosiveness creating from a standstill or finishing around the basket, he's starting to develop more fluidity with his hesitation game, has toughness defensively and is the type of knockdown shooter that you simply can't rule out in today's NBA.
• Layden Blocker shined thanks to the energy he displayed defensively, combined with his speed, explosiveness and relentless scoring instincts. He was a menace putting pressure on opposing ball handlers in the backcourt, as well as attacking the basket and playing above the rim in transition. Not blessed with great size or a huge frame at under 6-2 in shoes and 169 pounds, and having room to improve as a ball handler and perimeter shooter in the half court, the fact that Blocker is the same age as most juniors might give him more room to grow than some of his peers. NBA scouts appreciated the toughness he displayed, while noting that his less-than-ideal measurements will mean he'd be best suited playing college ball for a while as his skill-level evolves.
• Vyctorius Miller is far from a finished product with his thin frame and clear lack of experience, but still dropped impressive glimpses of talent as a 6-5 guard who can pass off a live dribble, make open shots and has plenty of room to grow and fill out, having just turned 17. The game clearly comes easily for him, despite his tendency to get knocked off his spots, blown by defensively and cough up the ball under pressure, things that make sense considering his lack of bulk at under 170 pounds. Tall, fluid guards in his mold who can handle, pass and shoot are coveted in today's NBA, which will cause scouts to play the long game when it comes to evaluating his progress.
• Jamari Phillips was the lone 2024 class recruit participating in the underclassmen portion of the camp, as he's younger than most players in his class with his 2006 birth date. He showed off his strong scoring instincts all camp long, measured a big 6-8 wingspan and 189 pounds, throwing in jumpers from all over the floor and getting to his spots with strong ball handling ability, either to finish creatively around the basket or find teammates on the move. His aggressiveness translated to the defensive end too where he displayed a high intensity level and a no-nonsense approach. Phillips lacks a degree of explosiveness and is still figuring out his best long-term position, but has strong versatility to tap into.
USA Basketball assembled 58 of the best high school players for their junior national team mini-camp here this past weekend, an event that has been on hiatus since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Typically a who's who of American hoops, this year's camp was notably missing some of the best juniors and seniors as USA Basketball is still working through the fog of the pandemic and attempting to re-enter a space that is dramatically different than in 2019.
The NBA age limit isn't being eliminated anytime soon
One of the big questions parents, stakeholders and industry members in attendance wanted to know: How long would it be until the NBA went back to drafting high school players, something that could have a significant effect on virtually every player in the gym? The answer seems to be not anytime soon.
One glance around the section of the gym dedicated to NBA scouts revealed the clear lack of urgency teams felt in sending evaluators to attend this camp. While all 30 teams were each allowed one representative, several teams declined to send anyone, while others elected to send only entry-level scouts. Just two general manager/president level executives -- Sam Presti of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Bobby Webster of the Toronto Raptors -- were in the building, along with a handful of assistant GMs. If the NBA age limit elimination is indeed looming, no one had bothered to inform those most affected by that change.
Conversations with representatives of the NBA Players Association, the league office, agents and team executives indicate nothing has changed recently, or in the past four years for that matter, regarding the same disagreements key stakeholders had in negotiations for eliminating the one and done rule which ESPN reported on back in October 2018 and April 2019.
Agents have no interest in guaranteeing full NBA combine participation or giving up control of players' medicals -- the only real leverage they have currently in steering clients away from undesirable franchises with poor track records for player development. NBPA members say they see little benefit to allowing a new class of teenagers to come in and take roster spots from veterans. And NBA executives are openly dreading the idea of returning to high school gyms and being forced to make career-altering decisions with limited information at their disposal. Sources say the union is indicating that in order to give Adam Silver -- who is the clear-cut driving force behind the elimination of the age limit -- what he desires in collective bargaining agreement negotiations in 2024, they expect to receive major financial concessions from team owners in exchange for this bargaining chip, something that may not be attractive to franchises since many believe that making the league even younger will water down the talent level. The fact that college basketball's biggest stars are now able to earn six- and seven-figure deals thanks to name, image and likeness deals softens some of the ethical concerns some had regarding preventing teenagers from earning a living when there is clearly a significant market for their services.
Nevertheless, Silver is on the record as being adamant that changing the age limit is "the right thing to do," this past July, pointing to "societal changes" and saying he is "hopeful that's a change we make in this next collective bargaining cycle, which will happen in the next couple years."
It seems we're in the exact same place now that we've been for many years, and though Silver certainly has the cache to push this through in 2024 if he desires -- with an expected start date no earlier than the 2026 draft, according to what teams have been told -- there are still huge hurdles all sides will need to overcome to get there by then, with this topic being one of many bigger issues the NBPA and NBA will need to reconcile during upcoming labor talks.
The 2023 and 2024 high school classes look far from NBA ready
After three outstanding draft classes -- 2021, 2022 and now 2023, which is shaping up to be a game-changer, headlined by Victor Wembanyama -- it appears that we are headed toward somewhat of a drought as far as high-end talent is concerned.
Recruiting analysts say they are struggling to identify a single player in the 2023 high school class that is worthy of the mantle of the No. 1 player in the class, and the situation doesn't appear to be any better in 2024 either early on, with none of the top players in the class looking like sure-fire NBA starters, let alone all-stars. NBA executives who have evaluated these classes in-depth this past spring and summer say they are struggling to get excited about any of the top upperclassmen. They say there are plenty of nice role players but little in the way of star power.
New players will always emerge in college and others will grow, fill out, improve and dramatically exceed the expectations we currently have for them over the next year or two. But so far, these next two classes are anything but a great advertisement for the elimination of the NBA age limit. Instead, they are proving to be major selling points for players currently in college or overseas to take their time in deciding whether to enter the crowded 2023 draft class to be late first- or second-round picks -- or wait a year and potentially be lottery picks in the 2024 draft.
Lackluster participation and lackluster performances from older players
Many were hoping this weekend would help provide answers regarding who the best players are atop the 2023 and 2024 high school classes, which should make up the backbone of the 2024 and 2025 NBA drafts. Instead, it just muddied the waters even more, as the handful of elite five-star prospects that did elect to attend -- Justin Edwards, ESPN's No. 2 ranked prospect in 2023, Omaha Biliew (No. 9), Ron Holland (No. 10) and Caleb Foster (No. 13) -- did little to separate themselves from the bevy or four-star recruits in attendance.
It doesn't help that only one of the top nine ranked players in ESPN's 2023 recruiting rankings and two of the top 16 from 2024, participated. Be it players declining invites due to hurt feelings after being cut from previous USA Basketball training camps, injuries, illnesses, previous engagements, ineligibility as internationals, or last-minute cancellations, we didn't see the same urgency for participation that we've seen from prior iterations of this camp.
Players have more places than ever to showcase their talent nowadays, with more games being broadcasted on television or streaming services, social media providing a significant platform and new leagues and pathways in place such as the NIBC league, G League Ignite and Overtime Elite (which was well-represented this weekend), opening up exposure opportunities, revenue streams and NIL opportunities that simply didn't exist in recent years.
Being unable to hold this camp since 2019, when most of the current juniors and seniors were just entering high school, USA Basketball has unsurprisingly lost some of the connection to this group of players who weren't as well-scouted as they would have been earlier on in their careers. Finding new ways to innovate, invigorate and return this camp to being a must-attend event for elite prospects from a player development and exposure perspective is a major priority for USA Basketball moving forward. The process is already underway in a major way among younger prospects, who turned out in droves, were mostly full participants and captured the attention of NBA onlookers with what appears to be two spectacular groups of talent in the 2025 and 2026 classes.
Cam Boozer headlines an elite group of underclassmen
The highlight of the weekend came in the camp's final session, when organizers elected to call seven freshmen and sophomores, who had won more scrimmage games than any of their peers, to play and match up with older players. Fifteen-year-olds Cam Boozer and AJ Dybantsa, as well as 14-year old Caleb Gaskins, won their opening game of the scrimmage decisively against a group of 17 and 18-year olds to advance to the championship game of the camp, where only a last-second missed free throw deprived them of another improbable upset.
Seeing the high school seniors celebrate their victory as if they had won an NBA championship, as well as the poise and maturity displayed by the younger group in defeat, punctuated the conclusion many had already reached earlier in the camp -- the 2025 and 2026 high school classes have a chance to be an absolutely special group of prospects if they continue to develop.
Boozer having his way with players three years older than him surprised no one in attendance, but went a long way in staking his claim as not only the best long-term prospect in high school basketball, but possibly the best player period.
It's rare to see a player his age display the type of polish, skill, maturity and intelligence he displayed all camp long. Be it throwing in 3-pointers with soft touch, creating his own shot one-on-one, finding teammates on the move off a live dribble or with outlet passes the length of the floor, playing through contact around the basket, defending guards and big men alike, using both hands to handle and finish and simply making the right decision seemingly every time he had the ball, Boozer's versatility and feel for the game is as strong as any player his age I've scouted. Although Boozer will still only be 15 years old at next summer's FIBA Americas U16 Championship, there's already talk of inviting him to play up almost four years and try out for USA Basketball's FIBA U19 World Cup team, which has never been done by an American player.
Some NBA executives nitpicked his mature, 227-pound frame, questioned whether he'll continue to grow and pondered whether there is No. 1 pick type value in a 6-foot-7, one-position power forward with a near 7-1 wingspan in today's NBA if he doesn't. Most others were simply blown away by how few holes he has currently, how easily the game comes for him and enjoyed marveling in every play he made against the overmatched 18-year olds. It should be noted that he was the youngest 2025 class member in attendance, along with his twin brother Cayden (who had a good camp in his own right).
Cam Boozer was far from the only standout from the younger group, though.
• Meleek Thomas, who just turned 16 in August, was the camp's best overall scorer. The high school sophomore from Pittsburgh dropped a barrage of difficult shots from all over the floor in every session he competed in, while displaying unlimited confidence and a huge personality on both ends of the floor. His toughness and aggressiveness were on another level defensively, and he made an effort to show off his live dribble passing at times, creating and moving the ball with either hand. While not sporting much length relative to his height at 6-4, Thomas has an ideal frame for his age, ample explosiveness, a good feel for the game and arguably the best scoring instincts of any player at the camp. Already the No. 6-ranked player in ESPN's Class of 2025, Thomas will be one of the most sought-after players in his class as word continues to spread about the weekend he had in Colorado Springs.
• AJ Dybantsa looks like an early headliner of the 2026 high school class, even though age-wise (15.6 years old) he may be better suited in 2025. At nearly 6-8, with a 6-11 wingspan, he brought incisive slashing ability driving into the teeth of the defense and finishing in traffic. The intensity, aggressiveness and toughness he brought offensively also translated to the defensive end, where he proved capable of slowing down smaller players, making plays getting into passing lanes, rotating for blocks and going out of his area for rebounds. Although his hunger for scoring did lead to a handful of wild moments at times, Dybantsa showed some ability to pass on the move and get others involved, as well as some flashes of shot-making pulling up off the dribble that he can still harness into a more consistent weapon. Like Boozer, he was just as effective against older players as he was against his age group, playing with the type of alpha mentality you like to see. How much he grows and how his 184-pound frame fills out will determine just how good of a long-term prospect he is, but the early results are extremely promising.
• Caleb Gaskins turned 14 years old less than two months prior to this event, but you'd never guess that based on his chiseled frame and impressive on-court demeanor. Standing over 6-7 in shoes, 195 pounds, with a near 6-11 wingspan, Gaskins looked like one of the best shooters at this camp, showing outstanding footwork, balance and touch rising off the dribble from difficult vantage points with unlimited confidence and tremendous mechanics. Although not a great ball handler at this stage, Gaskins plays under control and shows good passing ability by creating for teammates. He showed little fear in his matchups with players three and four years older, defending with toughness, using his strong frame and long arms to his advantage and looking like he belonged every time he stepped on the floor. Like other younger, physically mature players in attendance, we'll have to see how he continues to grow and evolves as his career moves on, but it was difficult not to be impressed by the productivity, shot-making and poise he displayed as the youngest player in attendance.
• Jayden Quaintance doesn't have some of the same accolades as his 2025 peers, but showed he deserves to be in consideration as one of the big men prospects in the class. He's got tremendous size for a 15-year-old at just under 6-9 with a huge upper body, a near 7-3½ wingspan, big hands and outstanding explosiveness around the rim. He showed skills in drills but was at his best punishing opponents around the basket with his physical, aggressive approach, finishing above the rim consistently and following misses for emphatic putback dunks. Defensively, his technique leaves something to be desired at times, but he proved to be quite a playmaker with his length and quickness getting off his feet and meeting opponents at the summit. The son of former Kent State player Haminn Quaintance, how he continues to evolve physically and skill-wise and improve his feel for the game will determine just how high of a long-term prospect he is, but there's little doubt he'll be on the radar in some capacity.
Upperclassmen standouts
With many top prospects not participating, several lesser regarded players took advantage of the opportunity to showcase themselves on the USA Basketball platform and ended up earmarking themselves to scouts as players to follow down the road.
• AJ Johnson continued his upward trajectory from the spring and summer, looking like arguably the best long-term prospect in the 2023 class among those in attendance. He's more than a year younger than some of his peers, and is still very underdeveloped physically with his thin 157-pound frame, but dropped vivid glimpses of potential that could give him lottery-level upside if he continues to develop as expected over the next 20 months. Johnson's ability to get to the rim changing speeds fluidly out of hesitation moves with long strides is highly intriguing when paired with the impressive flashes he shows as both a passer and shooter. He's still at an early stage of development physically and skill-wise, and was somewhat feast or famine at times with his decision-making and ability to hold his own defensively, but made several plays over the course of the event that only a handful of players outside the NBA are capable of executing, making him the type of prospect NBA teams will be happy to play the long game with in terms of evaluating his development wherever he ends up next season.
• Coen Carr and his combination of power, explosiveness and intensity was unrivaled among those In attendance. He covers ground exceptionally well defensively, showing impressive rim-protection prowess -- despite standing under 6-6 in shoes with a 6-9 wingspan -- because of how quickly he gets off his feet, closing out on shooters on the perimeter and blocking jumpers in highlight-reel fashion at times. He showed some potential as a small-ball big man who can make a living as a cutter, roller, rim-runner and offensive rebounder for these same reasons, but also dropped some glimpses of skill too, knocking down more jump shots than you'd expect. What his skill level and feel for the game are clearly a work in progress, Carr's physical tools and ability to put his imprint on the game with the physicality and aggressiveness he played with gives him a chance to develop into an intriguing prospect considering he's yet to turn 18.
• Justin Edwards was the highest ranked 2023 prospect in attendance, and while the Kentucky-bound recruit didn't have a great showing, still displayed some of the things that made him such a highly regarded prospect. Edwards has good size for a wing at 6-7 in shoes, with a plus wingspan and displayed strong shot-making ability all camp long either spotting up on the wing or ducking behind handoffs. He does a good job of attacking closeouts with his head up and playing with strong intensity defensively, showing a high floor that makes it easy to see him developing into a good NBA role-player in time. Improving as a ball-handler in the half-court will be the next step in his development, as well as maximizing his quickness, explosiveness and thin 183-pound frame.
• Ron Holland surprised some scouts by electing to sit out the final session of the event, and didn't have a great showing overall, struggling to make shots and not always making great decisions with the ball in his hands. Holland's energy and enthusiasm was infectious in drills, and his high-level passing ability and defensive versatility were on display in some segments of the camp, but wasn't able to get quite as much done in this setting as he has in previous times we've seen him and hasn't filled out his thin 184 pound frame.
• Jared McCain showed he's a lot more than just a social media superstar, looking to be in the best shape of his career, bulking up to 194 pounds and getting more done creating inside the arc for himself and others than we've seen in previous viewings. He's always been known as one of the best shooters in his class and also brings an excellent feel for the game to go along with an assertive, but team-oriented demeanor. Although he lacks a degree of explosiveness creating from a standstill or finishing around the basket, he's starting to develop more fluidity with his hesitation game, has toughness defensively and is the type of knockdown shooter that you simply can't rule out in today's NBA.
• Layden Blocker shined thanks to the energy he displayed defensively, combined with his speed, explosiveness and relentless scoring instincts. He was a menace putting pressure on opposing ball handlers in the backcourt, as well as attacking the basket and playing above the rim in transition. Not blessed with great size or a huge frame at under 6-2 in shoes and 169 pounds, and having room to improve as a ball handler and perimeter shooter in the half court, the fact that Blocker is the same age as most juniors might give him more room to grow than some of his peers. NBA scouts appreciated the toughness he displayed, while noting that his less-than-ideal measurements will mean he'd be best suited playing college ball for a while as his skill-level evolves.
• Vyctorius Miller is far from a finished product with his thin frame and clear lack of experience, but still dropped impressive glimpses of talent as a 6-5 guard who can pass off a live dribble, make open shots and has plenty of room to grow and fill out, having just turned 17. The game clearly comes easily for him, despite his tendency to get knocked off his spots, blown by defensively and cough up the ball under pressure, things that make sense considering his lack of bulk at under 170 pounds. Tall, fluid guards in his mold who can handle, pass and shoot are coveted in today's NBA, which will cause scouts to play the long game when it comes to evaluating his progress.
• Jamari Phillips was the lone 2024 class recruit participating in the underclassmen portion of the camp, as he's younger than most players in his class with his 2006 birth date. He showed off his strong scoring instincts all camp long, measured a big 6-8 wingspan and 189 pounds, throwing in jumpers from all over the floor and getting to his spots with strong ball handling ability, either to finish creatively around the basket or find teammates on the move. His aggressiveness translated to the defensive end too where he displayed a high intensity level and a no-nonsense approach. Phillips lacks a degree of explosiveness and is still figuring out his best long-term position, but has strong versatility to tap into.
