NBPA Top 100 Standouts: Midwest Seniors
The National Basketball Players Association Top 100 Camp has been one of the best camps from both a talent perspective and to teach young and gifted basketball players what to expect moving forward. It took place again this year on campus at UVA in Charlottesville, VA, and was open to both media and for the first time, NBA scouts. There was tons of talent from all over the country, and we’ll be breaking down some of the standouts in a number of different ways.
I will be breaking them down based on area and age group, so we’ll take a look at the senior standouts from the midwest!
Sahvir Wheeler | 5’8” PG | College Station (TX)
Wheeler may have been one of the smaller guards in attendance, but there weren’t many guys that could match up with him at all. The shifty and quick guard got wherever he wanted to with the ball in his hands, ran the pick-and-roll close to perfection and did the perfect amount of both scoring and distributing as well. He made guys on his team better and was fantastic pushing the basketball in transition, and he set the tone defensively by getting underneath ball handlers and making them uncomfortable. He was efficient, flashy and tough, and was a big reason his team was so good throughout the event. He finished as an All Camp performer, averaging 8.9 points, 5.2 assists and 1.6 steals per game.
EJ Liddell | 6’7” PF | Belleville West Township (IL)
One of my favorite guys from the event, Liddell is a perfect fit for teams the way that the game is moving forward. At 6’7” he’s a small ball four man, but he possesses all the tools offensively to play inside-out, he can guard multiple positions and he’s a guy who has a super high motor on both ends. He rebounds and finishes against guys that are taller than him, and he’s able to start the break and push end-to-end with the ball in his hands. He did a little bit of everything, stuffing the stat sheet and scoring in double figures in six of his seven games. He finished as an All Camp performer, averaging 14.2 points and 4.4 rebounds per game.
Patrick McCaffery | 6’8” F | Iowa City West (IA)
It was McCaffery’s second time back at Top 100, and while his team was stacked with scorers that limited his numbers it was his energy and hear that he played with that was most impressive. He has a high IQ which runs in the family, and when he got the opportunity to he showed good athleticism, the ability to get to the rim out of the triple threat and he was impressive in the way he finished at the rim, going in hard for dunks instead of looking for contact or finesse finishes. He has a great skill set and a lot of room to continue to improve, and he’s going to be a very good player for his father at Iowa over the next few years.
Drew Timme | 6’10” PF | JJ Pearce HS (TX)
Timme was impressive in a number of ways, particularly his effort and productivity as a big man on both ends of the floor. He’s a skilled guy who can pass out the post, score with both hands and is always running hard in transition. At 6’10”, he has good footwork with his back to the basket, he can face up and shoot the midrange and he can either start the break with a good outlet pass or he can beat other bigs down the floor with his effort. He isn’t the most athletic guy, but he makes up for it with these things, along with a good understanding and good instincts, and that makes him particularly productive and tough to matchup with. He finished the camp averaging an impressive 10.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, two assists and 1.6 steals per game.
DJ Carton | 6’3” PG | Bettendorf HS (IA)
He didn’t put up the biggest numbers at camp, but Carton showed why he’s considered one of the premier two way point guards in not only the midwest, but possibly the country. He has decent size at 6’3”, but defensively is where he really stood out as he moved his feet well, showed great instincts and used his strong frame to keep ball handlers in front of him. He’s a downhill attacker who plays freely in transition, can break down the defense and get downhill and he’s a big time athlete who can finish in traffic in the paint. His ability to dictate the game and set the tone on both ends of the floor will make him a day one contributor wherever he decides to go.
Grant Sherfield | 6’3” G | Sunrise Christian Academy (KS)
Sherfield, who plays at Sunrise via the Fort Worth, TX area, showed flashes of what makes him a super effective combo guard that can score it in bunches. On the basketball he’s able to create space off the bounce, and off the ball he moves well, reads screens and is an athletic finisher in transition. It all starts when he’s scoring it well, and when he’s making some shots he starts to get involved in the game in more ways. In his second game Friday night, right before the playoffs start, he had one of the more impressive stat lines of 20 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. He’s a streaky but good shooter with deep range, and when he’s in attack mode he’s dangerous and tough to stay in front of. He finished the camp averaging 9.6 points, three rebounds and 2.6 assists per game.
Alonzo Gaffney | 6’8” PF | Garfield Heights (OH)
What’s really scary about watching Gaffney is that you can tell he’s just starting to scratch the surface with how good he can possibly be. The 6’8” forward has tremendous physical features, as he is super long and lanky, and it looks like he’s still growing into his body as far as strength goes. With that, he’s able to run the floor and finish above the rim in transition, come help side to block shots and keep plays alive on the glass on both ends of the floor. What’s also intriguing about Gaffney is that he’s able to handle in transition, put it on the deck and shoot it from deep, all things that he can do but still has room to improve on moving forward. The Ohio State commit averaged 5.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per game at camp, but he’s going to do a lot more when he gets to college and continues to work on his game.
Chris Harris | 6’3” G | South Garland (TX)
Is he a one or is he a two? That was the big question for Harris, but as a guy who likes guards who can do both I was really impressed with him on both ends of the floor. Harris can shoot it from deep, he gets downhill with the ball in his hands and makes plays with others and he is a good defender that can guard both guard positions and makes ball handlers feel uneasy on the regular. He was one of the most consistent players on his team, scoring in double figures five of his seven games, including going for 18 points in the first game of the camp. The Texas A&M commit finished the camp averaging 11.4 points, 2.1 assists and 1.5 steals per game.
Will Baker | 6’11” C | Westlake HS (TX)
I had heard a lot about Baker coming into the camp and was excited to see him play, and he did not disappoint. First off, he looks like the typical Texas big man, a country strong kid who is physical and doesn’t back down from anyone. He played his tail off when he was in the game, pursuing every rebound, running the floor on every play and giving his team extra possessions with his effort. He played with both finesse and physicality around the basket, and just continued to produce as the games went on. He scored in double figures in five of his seven games, including two double-doubles. He was probably the biggest snub from the All Camp team, as he averaged 11.7 points and 8 rebounds per game in a camp that isn’t exactly made for big men to shine in.