Nike Hoop Summit practice & game player evaluations: Who stood out?

The Nike Hoop Summit is my favorite week of basketball every year. It’s a wonderfully executed event that allows for an intimate look at some of the top young high school and international talent in the world in a setting that is conducive to intricate evaluation. There are few events that can amass this level of talent-gathering in such a setting, and when it occurs it’s a must attend if you can swing it (the practices are immensely valuable as well).

This isn’t going to be a run-on affection piece of my affinity for the event, however. Nor is it going to be a general recap piece of Friday’s game. Team USA’s bigs outclassed the World Team’s bigs talent-wise, sans DeAndre Ayton (who declined an invitation to attend), due to a far superior combination of athleticism, skill and length. This was apparent on the glass especially where Team USA obliterated their foes.

There isn’t much value to me in just recapping events without a scouting slant, at least on this site. Thus, the following will focus on my player evaluation observations over the course of the week including both practices and the game.

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Two general observations on the class before we dive in:

From my initial observations, the top of the 2018 NBA Draft has higher ceiling outcomes in the top three-to-five than the 2017 NBA Draft. It’s too early to have a definitive read on transcendent talent level (Luka Doncic, who wasn’t at the Hoop Summit, looks to be), but there seems to be more All-Star ceiling caliber players. While I’m not one to overhype a class based on just being the “new class,” 2018 looks damn good at the top and has some interesting depth.

This 2018 five class is loaded with valuable archetypes. Two of the “big three” were at this event and are of course touched on in depth below, but there’s a chance the top three centers will all be able to protect the rim, defend in space and shoot. Again, spend high capital on centers next year!

Onto the player observations and breakdowns.

Team USA

Michael Porter Jr.

Heavy is the head that wears the crown, and over the course of the week, Porter represented himself well as the best player in his high school class. Porter possesses an elite trifecta of position size, fluid and explosiveness athleticism and perimeter shooting. Watching Porter shoot up close is a game-changer. He has almost textbook components across the board. He angles his feet aligning his elbow, has a one-motion stroke releasing the ball at the top of his forehead almost at the apex of his jump, gets good elevation and finally snaps his wrist on his follow-through. His shot also generates a beautiful rotation on the ball, which is something you definitely gain appreciation for in person. Porter can shoot both off the catch with legit NBA range and off the dribble, the latter a testament to his advanced footwork for his age. He shows good body control and footwork to create space on step-back attempts, and hops into shots off the dribble, boding well for this rhythm consistency.

Porter doesn’t have an advanced handle at this stage, but he a great first step (he blew by Jarred Vanderbilt with ease especially during Wednesday’s practices) and has enough handle to attack gaps in defenses to set up his advanced jump stops and spins to get shots off. He gets off the floor so quickly and effortlessly for his size, and he’s very coordinated with the ability to take and make both fadeaways and running hooks on the move. His footwork on his step-back 3 is basically unguardable.

At this juncture it’s fair to deem Porter’s feel level his greatest weakness. He’s relied on his athleticism and shooting up to this point, possessing the ability to elevate over smaller players to shoot, blow by less mobile defenders in straight lines and mostly dominate everyone with his physical tools. He did have a promising drop-off lob to Mohamed Bamba on the move in Thursday’s scrimmage — one of the more advanced playmaking for others plays he’s displayed — but those plays have been few-and-far between.

That all being said, Porter was again the most impressive player at Hoop Summit. His established shooting paired with at the very least sub-elite athleticism differentiates him from other high-level prospects with feel questions such as Andrew Wiggins, Harrison Barnes or Jabari Parker, not to mention his superior size. His athleticism also translates functionally to rebounds and blocks, like in the latter instance with that insane left handed block on Shai Alexander in the second half of Friday’s game. He’s going to be a top three pick in the draft, as NBA decision-makers always hold the intersection of shooting and athleticism in high regard, especially with Porter’s positional versatility in being able to swing between two positions.

Mohamed Bamba

Let’s start with the expected: Bamba has outlier length that shrinks the living hell out of the court. His 7-foot-9 wingspan would be the longest wingspan in the NBA right now, and his 9-foot-6 standing reach is just comically imposing around the basket. Big men like Nick Richards in Friday’s game just kept trying these jump hooks and turnarounds over him, and he snuffs everything out.

But we knew about the established-skill rim protection. Where Bamba showed legitimate promise was in the areas of mobility and shooting. Bamba will always be a tad awkward with his build sliding in space, but he has solid range for his size. He had one closeout to a corner 3-point shooter in Thursday’s scrimmage where he got all the way out to challenge, striking the fear of god into the poor local. It’s these kinds of plays that make Bamba so tantalizing. If he can protect the rim in elite fashion AND cover in space, we’re looking at a generational defensive center prospect. He already shows enough mobility and coordination to run the floor hard on rim runs, and if that’s all he ever is offensively that’s more than enough. His footwork is pretty raw, but he has some natural touch.

Along similar lines, if Bamba can really shoot — which is a big question mark — it might be the biggest game-changer in this draft class. And to reiterate, it’s a very sizable question mark. But he does look more fluid than I expected. He shoots the ball over his head, which could generate control issues, and his shot flattens out the farther he extends out, which is why coaches were working with him a lot on knee bend. He mostly shoots squared up from what I saw, not angling his feet, but he still has a solid base with balance. He was comfortably attempting NBA 3s over the course of the week, albeit with dicey success. Bamba is never going to be Kristaps Porzingis in possessing the agility and body control to shoot off movement or off the dribble, but it’s within reason that he could eventually develop a spot-up 3. Some bigs you watch and just know they will never shoot it. Bamba is not one of those bigs. It’s achievable, and that is terrifying.

Collin Sexton

Entering the All-Star circuit, Sexton was largely viewed as a high volume gunner who could get his shot at will but didn’t have the vision or decision-making chops to make plays for others. It seems that reality was based mostly on team construction and situation at lower levels, as that stance quickly shifted with playmaking flashes in the McDonald’s All-American game, and his playmaking acumen was one of the standout skills at the Hoop Summit.

Sexton displayed rare poise, timing and pace in pick-and-rolls especially throughout the week, showing the ability to manipulate the big with his handle allowing his screener time to roll. He was able to make a bevy of lob passes to the dive man, as well as both pocket passes and skip passes, the latter two passes being the most important in the modern NBA game (he had a sweet skip pass to Gary Trent in Friday’s game). He’s already adept at things like keeping defenders in jail on his back in pick-and-roll like he did to Lindell Wigginton again in Friday’s outing. He has the speed, short-area quickness with the ball and natural change-of-direction ability to thrive as a pick-and-roll playmaker with his vision, and his feel for playmaking for others really changes his trajectory as a prospect.

Sexton didn’t shoot it well in Friday’s game and his shot isn’t the most consistent, nor is his shot selection, but he’s capable of creating space and nailing pull-up shots off the dribble, which is one of the premiere skills an NBA lead guard needs. He’s lightning fast with the ball and can pull-up on a dime, and also displays some body control creative finishes around the rim, which is important for his size.

Sexton’s measurables are overshadowed Trevon Duval’s, but in terms of actual on court play it wasn’t especially close at the Hoop Summit. Sexton also has incredibly likable competitive fire, showmanship flare and overall intangibles. If Avery Johnson can hone his lead guard skills, Sexton could be the best lead guard in this class.

Jarred Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt had the strongest first practice on the Nike Campus of anyone on Team USA, where his advanced handle and ability to attack closeouts to blow by less agile adversaries projecting to the four spot shined. Vanderbilt’s skill level was on display in virtually every practice. He had one sequence in USA’s Thursday scrimmage where he dipped really low with the ball and executed numerous dribble moves with a guard-like tight handle, where he maneuvered in tight spaces around bodies. Pairing that skill with the ability to pass on the move, including instinctive touch passes, presents a very alluring combination. Vanderbilt showed some grab-and-go ability in the actual game, and executed drop off passes to teammates on the move. He had one notable high-low bounce pass to Jarren Jackson out of the middle of the zone that illuminated Vanderbilt’s future potential in being able to make plays in advantage situations like on short rolls, where he also sports a workable floater on the move.

As with most players, shooting prowess will determine Vanderbilt’s long-term success. He’s reportedly made sizable improvements here over time, but his shot is still far away. He has a slight hitch at the top at times and uses a ton of arms in his shot. He does angle his feet and does a better job keeping his elbow in. If he continues to refine his technique he has playmaking four upside, as he already has rare vision and handle for his size that you simply can’t teach.

Vanderbilt in my opinion is a four only, as he lacks the lateral quickness and general speed and athleticism to defend NBA athletes at the three. He’s also not the most explosive vertical athlete and his measurables at 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot-1 wingspan are very average for an NBA four. That necessitates a higher bar for his shooting and playmaking, but he might just end up having enough of the former and be advanced enough in the latter to be a tremendously valuable player.

Troy Brown

Brown’s game numbers-wise doesn’t stand out in All-Star settings because he plays the game the same way every time in just making the right play. He’s a swiss-army knife contributor who brings lead guard vision and floor game to the wing, rendering him one of the few “true wings” in this class. Brown’s measurables weren’t overly surprising, but they were still very impressive. At 17-years-old standing 6-foot-6, weighing 210 pounds and possessing a 6-foot-11 wingspan, Brown has rare size and tools for his age, and when paired with his skill level gives him tremendous two-way potential.

As a high school lead guard you can see the vision and court-awareness components clearly in his game, as he was fully capable of running the point for stints in Friday’s game when Duval got injured and with Quade Green already out. He had a sweet outlet pass to Kevin Knox in the Hoop Summit game, and had numerous quick-decision advanced reads in Wednesday’s and Thursday’s practices, such as a quick entry look to Jackson in Thursday’s scrimmage off a flare action.

Brown pairs that rare floor game with defensive versatility and effectiveness. He’s a little handsy right now and struggles with technique, but he has good lateral foot speed and plays with intensity.

Similar to Vanderbilt, shooting will be crucial for Brown, who likewise has refined his mechanics. He doesn’t have a hitch in his shot anymore and excels now catching on the hop, even though he could do better preparing for his shot. He is also a threat to shoot off the dribble pulling-up on a dime, boding well for secondary pick-and-roll settings in the future, as well as with some motion. His release is still a little flat with just decent rotation, but the strides he’s made are very promising. If Brown shoots well as a Duck he should be a top 10 pick if he chooses to enter the draft. He compares his game to Penny Hardaway, which is telling in terms of mindset.

Wendell Carter

Carter’s game isn’t flashy, but it’s still tremendously effective. He carries and hides his incredible 257 pound build well, possessing rare agility for his size. Carter has really impressed with his space defense thus far in the All-Star circuit. His closeout on Isaiah Hartenstein late in the second half of the Hoop Summit game encapsulates Carter’s solid short area quickness. You don’t see a lot of guys his size who have the reactionary athleticism to change direction North/South like he can.

Carter also has elements of a playmaking five in his game with quietly plus vision — especially seen on wrap-around and high-low passes — and the ability to dribble in large spaces. His touch and ambidexterity also gives him avenues to finish on the move attacking the basket, and his quick spin baseline reverse move with the ability to counter with a simple post fadeaway gives defenders like Richards fits as evidenced in Friday’s game. Carter doesn’t have Bamba’s blue chip rim protection skill or perhaps Ayton’s freakish athleticism and talent if good Ayton shows up, but he’s really solid across the board and is probably the smartest five in the class of the elites. He also has promising shooting upside, as he looks very comfortable shooting with range. He releases at the apex of his jump, gets some elevation and good rotation on the ball. He looks to be a confident shooter right now who could extend his range out to NBA 3.

Carter’s updated 7-foot-3 wingspan definitely aligns more with the eye test than his previous 7-foot-5 mark. He wasn’t a dominant rim protector in practice, and his arm length didn’t stand out as an overwhelming obstacle. But outside of that realization Carter was as good as advertised. He has the leg strength, girth and frame to anchor at the five at the next level.

Jarren Jackson Jr.

The Spartan commit was one of the more interesting prospects at the event. Measuring in a 6-foot-10, 225 pounds, a 7-foot-4 wingspan and a 9-foot-1 standing reach, Jackson has the measurables to be an NBA center with strength addition, which is an outcome that really changes his future projection. It wasn’t really on display over the week of practices or the game but Jackson has grab-and-go ability and some passing acumen, perimeter skills that if brought to the NBA five could be insanely valuable. He showcased a fluid off-the-dribble game in Wednesday night’s practice in flashes, looking coordinated with push shots on the move. Jackson can also shoot it with range, albeit his success rate is perplexing if you watch his shot process closely. He shoots a knuckleball without much of any rotation and his form is awkward with his elbow flaring out, but the results have been there to this point in time.

Obviously Jackson eviscerated the World Team’s frontline in Friday’s game on the offensive glass and showed his ability to finish with either hand inside. A lot of his production in that game came in a garbage man role on putbacks or drop-off finishes, but he’s capable of more.

I definitely have questions about Jackson’s game, especially his mobility in space. His feet are a touch heavy and he doesn’t have the same kind of reactionary quickness as some of the other fives in this class. He also lacks explosive athleticism from a stand-still. But his size and length can compensate for a great deal and help erase these minuses to an extent. Jackson definitely helped his stock at the Hoop Summit.

Kevin Knox

In many ways Knox is a poor man’s Porter. He’s a plus athlete who is incredibly smooth and fluid gliding around the floor armed with legitimate combo-forward size at 6-foot-9. He isn’t the vertical athlete or quite as big as Porter, but you can see how they might be of similar archetype.

However, Knox’s game is much more of a stretch four at this juncture. He lacks feel and ball-skills, the former being on full display in Thursday’s scrimmage and Friday’s game forcing up shots and showing poor shot selection. That was an issue for Knox all week and has been every time I’ve watched him play. He can really shoot it and get out on the break to score when he’s aggressive, but when he’s not scoring offensively you don’t notice him because he doesn’t impact games in other ways, especially passing. His shooting upside looks like one of the better bets of the group, as he has a smooth one-motion release and keeps his motion close to his body. But there is a lot of necessary improvement that has to materialize in other aspects of his game.

Luckily Knox was the youngest USA player at the event, and you can’t teach his size, athleticism and shooting intersection. If he refines his handle and improves as a passer, he could be a special player. He definitely has the tools on both sides.

Trevon Duval

Duval’s measurables first and foremost are incredible for a lead guard. At almost 6-foot-3 with a 195 pound frame and close to a 6-foot-10 wingspan, Duval has a Wade Baldwin-type build and tools (with a much better handle). His upper body strength especially is very impressive. Duval’s best skill right now is his combination of dribble moves to break down defenders and get to the basket. He can dip incredibly low with the ball showing good hip flexibility, explode towards the basket blowing by defenders routinely and he has a very tight handle in very confined spaces navigating through traffic. He has good shake for his size, relying mostly on very quick and low crossovers. Throw in some vision as well as some body control finishing around the rim with the strength to finish through contact and you have the makings of the player who most believe is the best lead guard in this class.

But Duval has two potential red flags: shooting and decision-making. His form is awkward. He brings the ball around to the outside of the right of his body, shoots squared up without angling his feet and probably shoots it with too much arc. The end result is a product that screams lack of control. He doesn’t get good elevation on his shot either, which is more important for smaller guards. Defenders are going to go under on him every time in pick-and-roll at the NBA level, and that’s a killer. Throw in the fact Duval also has turnover and decision-making flags with a proclivity for wild passes — like he displayed in practices — and it makes for a player that has sizable strengths but also legitimate weaknesses.

Duval is probably still a top 10 pick, but right now I’d rank him behind Sexton based on a limited sample.

Gary Trent Jr.

Trent was one of the few players where my preexisting evaluation didn’t change at all. He’s a microwave shooter and scorer who has the physical maturity of a 30-year-old (he can run right through smaller players on drives). When he’s not scoring, you don’t really notice him on the court similar to Knox, only he doesn’t have Knox’s physical tools, athleticism or upside. His shot is legitimate with a compact release and good rotation, but his shot selection is dicey and he screams gunner. He can fill it up when he’s on, but with all due respect I have no idea why Trent started over Brown in Friday’s game. He didn’t really stand out at all over the week outside of making some shots in front of NBA executives on Thursday. Shooting off screens in elite fashion is really the only way I see Trent making it as an NBAer.

Quade Green

Green’s court time was limited due to suffering a concussion in practice, which is really unfortunate. During his brief stint in drills I thought Green represented himself fine, especially shooting on the move keeping his elbow in. At 6-foot with a 6-foot-1 wingspan, his measurements were pretty damning.

M.J. Walker

This year’s Joshua Langford, Walker didn’t get the stage to really showcase his skills as Team USA’s obvious 12th man. Outside of making 3s occasionally Walker didn’t pop.

World Team

R.J. Barrett

People may vary in their evaluations of some of the World Team prospects, but one thing was (or should be) unanimous: R.J. Barrett was by far the best NBA prospect.

There were stints of play such as during Monday’s practice where Barrett was noticeably the best player on the court. That’s pretty incredible considering Barrett is two or three years younger than the players he was playing against. As a 16-year-old Barrett lacks overall “polish” and doesn’t shine especially bright in skill drills due to more limited development, but when the lights come on in five-on-five settings he shows game-changer potential.

Not phased by the moment, Barrett has rare confidence for his age that allows him to stand out in settings like this. He is an assertive scorer who wont just defer to seniority. He had, I believe, 10 points in the first five minutes of Monday’s scrimmage, showcasing his patented advanced footwork and natural change of speed usage. Few players that I’ve seen his age have such a natural feel of how to accelerate, change direction side-to-side stepping around bodies or slow down with the ball. A lot of guys just go one-speed into the lane at that stage of development. Barrett can legitimately navigate his way around bodies. A lot of pros can’t do that.

Barrett’s shooting still understandably needs work. He has a wider base, which creates a push shot release and flattens his shot some, as well as limits his shooting versatility. Barrett can make spot-up 3s at a reasonable clip, but isn’t much of a threat yet to shoot on the move or at a high level off the dribble. But again we’re talking about a 16-year-old. He does shoot in front of his forehead and gets decent rotation while angling his feet to align his elbow. He’d do well to hold his follow through more consistently and get better wrist action as a result, the latter of which isn’t clean right now.

What impressed me most about Barrett in the Hoop Summit game was how he handled pressure and his vision on the move flashes. He displayed similar patience in Thursday’s scrimmage in front of scouts, hitting the dive man once and throwing another dynamite lob on a dribble-drive. If he continues in positive fashion along the skill development curve and adds explosiveness, Barrett looks like a dynamic scorer who can also playmake for others. I don’t like using narrative terms like “gamer,” but if you were ever going to use that it would be applicable here.

Nick Richards

Richards was the most consistent player on the World Team over the week, but was especially fantastic on Tuesday and Thursday. Easily the most coordinated and physically gifted five on his team, Richards has legit run and jump athleticism, armed with a quick second jump and is very quick off the floor in general. He’s a fairly bouncy lob-catcher with average hands. He also shows nice elevation and touch on his jump hook that was seen in Friday’s game, as well as soft touch from midrange that he showed in drills all week. Richards has enough offensive game to drop step quickly around less mobile bigs like Dos Anjos and even shows an awareness to draw swing-through fouls, both on display in the World Team’s final practice Thursday in front of executives.

Richards can protect the rim some defensively, with above average length and vertical pop. He actually had the best no-step vertical on the World Team, which is pretty impressive (or just a total indictment on everyone else). In the actual game he wasn’t as good, which is understandable going against the USA size and length machine. He provided little resistance against a Carter drop step on the baseline and was consistently too upright defending the perimeter.

Overall Richards isn’t a one-and-done kind of talent. He is a far cry from the best three fives in this class, as well as Mitchell Robinson. But he should be a productive college player at the very least.

Isaiah Hartenstein

From what I could gather, there were mixed responses to Hartenstein’s performance over the course of the week, probably aligning with how much each individual evaluator had seen of him previously. I came into the week not seeing much, but his play largely aligned with the tape I’d seen. Hartenstein really does stand out physically, especially compared to the rest of his team. He has legit size with a physically imposing NBA ready frame. He definitely has the size and strength to play the five at the next level, which again changes perhaps the lens of how you view his NBA future. You can see his strength in a second half drive in Friday’s game where he dislodged a rock solid Carter a few feet on a dribble pull-up.

Hartenstein held true to reputation and what I’d seen before in showing good vision in practices. He repeatedly made high-low reads in drills and executed reads like kicking the ball out when he penetrated gaps and the wing defender dug down. Overall he just made a very concerted effort to pass in multiple settings, including Thursday’s big practice in front of NBA scouts, and his vision definitely stood out.

The distinction between vision and decision-making is not always obvious in players. As a general point of reference, guys like Nikola Jokic have both. For a cross-positional comparison, players like D’Angelo Russell have vision but not decision-making (at least on a very good level). Hartenstein definitely falls in the latter camp. Vision is probably harder to acquire, so it is a positive Hartenstein currently possesses that attribute, but his decision-making leaves a lot to be desired. He had one grab-and-go in practice where he threw a simple pass right to the other team, and a lot of his passes are wild attempts into contested areas.

Two other observations of Hartenstein’s game. First, his shooting is a considerable question mark. He gets sidespin on his rotation because he uses his guide hand too heavily and uses his thumb too much, which leads to inconsistent results. I’m definitely not a shot doctor, and Hartenstein does have positive shot qualities like angling his feet and shooting at the top of his forehead. But it’s far from an established skill, as evidenced by his foul shooting in Friday’s game.

Second, I’m just not sure how Hartenstein is going to score at the next level, especially when you consider the shooting questions. He pulled up short of the basket on a lot of floater attempts, which were essentially live ball turnovers. He doesn’t have the explosiveness to finish in traffic around the rim and isn’t a pull-up threat. He has some perimeter skills with a workable handle. I just don’t know if it will translate. He did show good touch on a post-up over Dos Anjos in Thursday’s scrimmage, and he was decent protecting the rim from a rotation setting (he showed nice hustle on a recovery block running back in transition in that same scrimmage).

I think Hartenstein can be a rotation player at the next level if things go right for him, but I definitely don’t see the lottery talk after last week.

Kostja Mushidi

Mushidi posted excellent measurements, sporting a sturdy 226 pound frame at 6-foot-5 with an absurd 7-foot wingspan. He’s incredibly mature physically for an 18-year-old, and clearly popped there in relation to his team.

Mushidi’s NBA future is largely tied around his shot. He doesn’t get a lot of elevation but his mechanics are fairly clean, and he doesn’t need to dip the ball with his strength off the catch, which expedites his release time. He usually shoots off the 1-2 on the catch, and in practices he definitely didn’t show the proclivity to shoot off the dribble that he did in Friday’s game. He did shoot well during Thursday’s scrimmage and Friday’s game, which were the two outings NBA executives attended. That will boost his stock some.

Mushidi didn’t really shine in any other setting. The ball slows him down as he doesn’t have an advanced handle and lacks side-to-side quickness. His lack of shake is a pretty substantial negative, as is his lack of vertical athleticism as a finisher around the basket. He does have some vision but lacks the functional athleticism with the ball to really unleash it. All of this just puts heightened importance on his jump shot and necessitates definitely above average defense to be an NBA player. Mushidi has the size and length to pester on the defensive end, and has a bit of dog in his playing style. He’s probably a second round pick if he comes out, maybe even climbing into the late first depending on who ultimately declares and what teams need roster flexibility with a draft-and-stash.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker

For my money, Alexander-Walker was the most skilled player on the World Team. He really stood out in drills especially in practices, but also showed  lowkey slashing prowess in scrimmages with his ability to change speeds getting into the lane and plus footwork. He’s a clever finisher with good body control and an ambidextrous passer and finisher, which helps him compensate for a lack of explosive athleticism (even though he can finish above the rim in space with ease). Alexander-Walker also uses screens well and has some shake with the ball. He didn’t have a big game Friday but you could see the craft in the first quarter on the screen he rejected that ultimately resulted in a Jackson nice rotation block. He also had an up-and-under move in the second half that illuminated his body control.

Alexander-Walker’s main skill is his dynamite shooting with insanely soft touch and great rotation on his release. He has the ability to sprint off a pin down screen and nail a 28-footer fluidly, an unmatched skill amongst his World Team brethren. Shooting on the move will be a paramount input for his basketball future.

Overall, Alexander-Walker still looks a bit diminutive size-wise on the court despite possessing baseline measurables for an NBA two guard. He didn’t generate a lot of buzz at the Hoop Summit mostly because his best practice by far was the first practice on Sunday night where a lot of folks didn’t attend. But Buzz Williams is getting a hell of a player.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

The Wildcats are getting a solid player in Alexander, who brought consistent energy, communication and leadership over the course of the week in practices. Alexander is probably more of a combo-guard than a lead guard at the NBA level, lacking the scoring prowess, elite vision or the burst and explosiveness to be a high-level consistent primary creator. But he did show nice composure over the course of the week getting into the lane on hang dribbles leading to jump stops and executing both pocket passes and kick-out skips. I thought Alexander handled Team USA’s ball pressure reasonably well Friday, showing a good handle and some poise.

I’m not at all sold on his shot however, which leaves his future more in question. He doesn’t get much lift and his release isn’t that quick due to bringing the ball across his body. He really struggled shooting off motion to his right in practices, and he could improve his footwork there incorporating more of a hop step. Alexander does present a threat shooting off the catch at a standstill, but his off the dribble upside doesn’t look to be there.

Given his combination of size at 6-foot-6 and length with almost a 6-foot-11 wingspan, Alexander has incredible tools to work with, along with apparent green flag intangibles. If his shot comes around he could be something. We’ll see if Coach Calipari gives him the on-ball usage.

Borisa Simanic

Simanic was the total opposite of Barrett at the event: He shined in perimeter oriented drills especially but totally disappeared in five-on-five settings. The allure with Simanic is obvious. A near 7-footer with his fluid athleticism, coordination and ability to shoot on the move is a rare find. Simanic has an effortless jump shot that he can get off easily without a ball dip. He looked incredible in shooting drills working with the wings and guards coming off motion to his left taking 3s. If you sent people just that film he’d have a lot of fans. Hell, from my tweets it probably seemed like I really liked him just because of this setting.

Alas, his game just didn’t translate to game settings. He didn’t show enough handling creation in scrimmages, a vital input to his future success, and when his shots didn’t fall he didn’t impact the game at all. In Friday’s game he looked absolutely shook when pressured, and the stage looked way too big for him.

Simanic’s intersection of size, fluid athleticism (he’s also very quick off the floor to finish going right but struggles with his left) and shooting creates a stretch four trajectory. But right not he lacks the physicality to guard the interior, as evidenced by him struggling against Hartenstein and company when he went with the big group in drills and the fact that he’s rail thin. If he showed more handle, heightened vision and didn’t completely come undone in Friday’s game, I’d say he could be a top 35 pick potentially. I’m not 100 percent sold he gets drafted now.

Tadas Sedekerskis

Sedekerkis had probably the roughest week of practices outside of Angus Glover, the latter of course due to injury. He shot well in shootarounds after practice and has nice form, but virtually nothing translated to drills or scrimmages. To add insult to injury, he was consistently stepping out of bounds preparing for shots and had his toe on the 3-point line too often. He was also the only player at the event who measured in with a negative wingspan. Not the best showing for Sedekerkis.

Lindell Wigginton

Projecting as more of a scoring guard, Wigginton has a decent frame, solid burst and some explosiveness gathering off two feet finishing at the rim. He showed his limitations as a playmaker and handler under pressure in Friday’s game, turning the ball over far too often when pressed up on by Team USA. I also didn’t think he displayed above average lateral quickness throughout the week defensively, which makes him a difficult projection beyond college.

Possessing just average guard measurables at 6-foot-2 with a 6-foot-3 wingspan and non-special athleticism, Wigginton didn’t pop for more me enough skill-wise.

Felipe Dos Anjos

A gargantuan human being at 7-foot-3 with an insane 9-foot-6 standing reach, it’s easy to get the general intrigue with Dos Anjos. He has nice touch on his jumper when not contested (he looked really comfortable in shooting drills) and looks coordinated enough to run the floor functionally. The game just seemed too fast for him throughout the week, however, as he was consistently a step slow and guys like Richards went right around him at will. He’s not quick off the floor as a shot blocker and can’t defend in space due to lateral mobility limitations. It was a tough setting for him, especially going against the athleticism and length of Team USA’s frontcourt on Friday.

Ikechukqu Obiagu

Obiagu is a physical specimen and a typical Leonard Hamilton imposing athletic five. Unfortunately he’s just a total zero on offense, possessing insanely poor touch around the rim and a shot that looks broken extending way above his head. He also has average at best hands catching in traffic and isn’t especially coordinated. He can definitely run the floor and be a rim protecting and rebounding threat with his tools in college, but he lacks the athletic fluidity to be much else given his skill limitations at this juncture.

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Angus Glover

Glover suffered a knee injury early in the week and thus missed most of the event. I feel horrible for him.