NBPA Top 100: Midwest Seniors (Part 3)
The NBPA Top 100 camp took place last week from Wednesday through Saturday at John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, VA. The goal of the camp is to take some of the best talent around the country and have them compete in a controlled environment, all while learning from current and former NBA players what it takes to make it to the NBA and what it’s like once you make it there. The atmosphere was great, as there was tons of talent throughout the gym, national scouts everywhere and competitive games from the beginning to the end. It was a great place to evaluate, and over the next few days I will be giving my take and breaking down the game of some of the top performers I saw (there was no way I could see everyone). Here’s a look at part three of the rising seniors in the midwest.
Courtney Ramey | 6’3” PG | Webster Groves (MO)
Another big time get for Louisville, Ramey was in his second straight Top 100 Camp and what impressed me the most was that he was more concerned with winning than making himself look good. His stat line of 7.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game may not blow you away, but the fact that he played over 30 minutes only one game and never took more than eight shots in a game shows me that he’s a team first guy who can score it efficiently (shot 52% throughout the event), but doesn’t need to be a volume shooter to do so. He’s terrific off the bounce, showing the ability to create space and make shots with a dwindling shot clock, and he presses the issue in transition where he can find open shooters and make plays for others.
Kendric Davis | 5’9” PG | Sam Houston (TX)
The only small guard that I think actually listed himself close to actual height (haha), Davis was a dynamic playmaker on both ends of the floor, and had one of the most clutch plays when he hit a game winner on game two where he didn’t settle and attacked the paint, drawing an And-One and finishing the free throw to win the game. He’s obviously limited somewhat because of his size, but Davis showed tenacity and competitiveness on both ends of the floor that made him so good down the stretch. He can shoot it out to 25 feet off the bounce, has a lightning quick first step and the ability to hang in the air to finish or make passes at the last moment. The hard nosed guard is committed to TCU, and if Jamie Dixon’s past at Pittsburgh shows anything it’s that those style of guards thrive in his systems.
Tyger Campbell | 5’10” PG | La Lumiere (IN)
(Photo by Jon Lopez)The DePaul commit showed up after day one, and while I was a little skeptical he quickly made a believer of me by showing that he’s smart and talented enough to negate his height at the high major level. He plays with great pace, has the ball on a string and has unreal vision that allows him to make plays for guys that no one else can really make. He’s great in ball screens because he can shoot off the bounce when defenders go under and he can press the issue and force help where he’ll find teammates for easy looks, and he’s also got a great middle game with an array of floaters and pull ups allow him to score when defenders don’t commit. If he can continue to get stronger and simply progress on both ends he’ll be a tremendous get for a rebuilding DePaul program.
Jaedon Ledee | 6’8” F | Kinkaid (TX)
LeDee was impressive on both ends of the floor, and his skill set for his size is very impressive. At 6’8”, he can play and guard both on the perimeter and in the post, and he has a college ready body that means he should be able to step in and play multiple positions at the next level immediately. He’s a strong finisher with both hands, can stretch the defense off the catch and he’s really efficient off of a limited dribbles. However, he can also handle in transition and makes good passes for a guy his size. What was even more impressive was his motor though, as he got after it on the glass on both ends of the floor, and his 8.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game average was even more impressive when you see he shot over 61% from the floor and only played about 23 minutes per game.
Race Thompson | 6’8” F | Armstrong (MN)
Long, skilled and athletic, Thompson has a ton of potential and he showed flashes of what he can do at the next level and why almost all of the Big Ten is recruiting him. He’s a tweener forward that’s more of a power forward offensively, but he has the vision and ability to get up and down that translate’s out to being a perimeter player. Where he really has the chance to excel immediately at the next level is on the defensive end. He has the length and foot speed to guard almost any position on the floor, and he makes every pass difficult when on the ball and has great instincts jumping passing lanes off the ball. He has to bulk up and get stronger, but his long term potential is very high.