NBPA Top 100 Scouting: Midwest Seniors (Part 2)
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 two of the rising seniors in the midwest.
AJ Green | 6’2” PG | Cedar Falls (IA)
One of my favorite players at the camp, Green came in with the mentality that he wanted to prove he belonged, and he did just that. After him, along with most of his team, got off to a slow start, Green settled in and became the ultimate glue guy that was willing to do whatever it took for his team to win. He has great fundamentals, takes care of the basketball and is able to make contested shots from all over the floor. He controlled the pace of the game, got them into sets when he needed to and he showed a toughness and high IQ on both ends of the floor that made it hard to take him out of the game. He posted an impressive stat line of 14 points, 10 assists and six rebounds in his second game, and while his averages of 7.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game aren’t eye popping, his leadership and control of the game had much more of an impact than the stat line would represent.
Darius Bazely | 6’8” F | Princeton (OH)
An absolute workhorse, Bazely was the blue collar big man on a Spurs team that got better and better throughout the camp. With a team full of a shooters and a 7’3” big man, he was the guy who banged in the post, ran the floor and cleaned up on the glass on both ends of the floor. He finished third in the camp in rebounding at 7.6 per game, and he posted three double-doubles during the event en route to being named an All Star, all while playing next to the co-MVP in Keldon Johnson. His most impressive game came in their semifinal loss, when he posted a huge stat line of 27 points, nine rebounds, three blocks and three assists. He handles the ball really well for his size, both in transition and in the half court, and he showed the ability to stretch the floor too shooting 40% from deep throughout the week. He’s the perfect fit for the new style hybrid forward and should see his stock continue to rise with a big summer.
Tyler Herro | 6’4” WG | Whitnall (WI)
There’s not much else to say about Herro other than he’s a straight bucket getter! He isn’t the most athletic guy out there, but he has a great IQ as a scorer, and knows how to get to his spots and cashes out when he does. He has good size for a wing, has great footwork on his pull up and he’s able to elevate over defenders in the midrange to knock down shots. He was an efficient shooter throughout the event, shooting over 50% from the field, and he showed great vision as an off guard too. His ability to make the right play and knock down tough shots will make him the perfect fit at Wisconsin.
Musa Jallow | 6’6” WF | Bloomington North (IN)
The 6’6” wing from Indiana played on a team with tons of scoring wings, so he was somewhat delegated to a role player type of position, but what he showed in his time on the court is that he has a ton of upside. He’s freakishly athletic in transition, throwing down numerous big time slams and using his strong upper body to finish through contact. Defensively he was pretty good, showing that he can stay in front of guards in transition and was good in help side defense as well. Wish we could have seen him get more opportunities on the offensive end, but it was impressive to see that he played hard and competed on both ends despite not getting all the touches he may have deserved.
Miller Kopp | 6’6” WG | Houston Christian (TX)
I’m not going to lie, I was not a fan of Kopp on the first day. However, he changed my mind throughout the event by showing that he’s a shooter with good size, surprising athleticism and good instincts on both ends of the floor. He has great footwork off of screens, a quick release that allows him to get his shot off with limited space and he has effortless range with good looking form. He has a strong frame, so he isn’t pushed around easily, and unlike most shooters he isn’t one that’s just going to settle for every open three ball and possibly shoot you out of the game. He finished at an even 8 points per game, and shot an impressive 41% from deep throughout the event.