NBPA Top 100 Senior Standouts: East Coast (Part 1)
It was the 25th annual NBPA Top 100 Camp this past weekend, and this was the first year that division one college coaches could attend the camp. What was even more surprising was the amount of media, which was even…
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Continue ReadingIt was the 25th annual NBPA Top 100 Camp this past weekend, and this was the first year that division one college coaches could attend the camp. What was even more surprising was the amount of media, which was even more than usual for a camp that people come from all over the country to cover.
As usual, my goal was to find as many players to write about, some that I knew and some that I didn’t, and with the sheer number I decided to break it up first by class and then by region. With that being said, here’s part one of my East Coast Senior Standouts, focusing on my home state of Virginia as well as a few guys from the Northeast.
Henry Coleman | 6’8” PF | Trinity Episcopal
It’s always nice to be on your second go around at a camp like this, and Coleman looked like he was much more comfortable and ready to play this time. He had scouts buzzing with his high motor, good production on the glass and the upside that he shows if he continues to improve. He showed his usual high motor on the offensive end as he attacked the glass, attacked the rim and ran the floor in transition. He showed a little improvement in his ability to create for himself, but he really brought it as a guy with a great nose for the ball who played hard and got after it. He scored in double digits in five of his seven games, and finished averaging 13 points and 5.3 rebounds while shooting 56% from the field throughout the camp.
Joe Bamisile | 6’5” WG | Monacan
Bamisile has been opening eyes all summer after leading the state in scoring this past season, and he’s going to continue to shoot up the national rankings after his performance this weekend. He uses his length to get deflections on the defensive end and finish at the rim offensively, and he showed the ability to play on and off the basketball and score it at a high clip. He finished in the top five of the camp in scoring after averaging just over 15 points per game, and he really brought it on Saturday during the playoffs as he went for 22, 20 and 15. His ability to shoot the ball with NBA range from deep and his length and finishing ability makes him a lethal scorer in can go in bunches, and it’s looking more and more like Northwestern got a big time steal early in the class.
Mark Williams | 7’0” C | Norfolk Academy
Williams continues his solid summer and continues to boost his stock after a few dominant performances throughout the camp. Using his length on both ends of the floor, and in a camp setting where big men don’t always get touches he showed that he was capable of being an impact without needing the ball that much. He opened the camp with a dominating double-double of 15 points 11 rebounds, and while that was his best game he still showed the ability to be an efficient option offensively shooting over 70% from the field, and he was one of the top shot blockers in the camp as well. He’s looking more and more like a five star every time you watch him.
Cam Thomas | 6’4” WG | Oak Hill Academy
If you had to pick one player that you thought would lead the camp in scoring before it started, I bet you most of the media would have picked Thomas. The leading scorer in the camp did just that all the way up until the playoffs, as he scored in double figures every game and showed his versatility as a scorer. He showed tremendous footwork to create space off the bounce, and he was aggressive getting to the rim instead of settling which he’s prone to do sometimes. He found his way to the line, showed good range off the bounce and has a natural instinct to flat out score the basketball.
Ashley “AJ” James | 6’4” PG | Hargrave Academy
James had a good showing Wednesday during the scrimmages, and he wasn’t there Thursday as he was back home in Virginia Beach walking during graduation. When he got back he had to assimilate, and while he was playing off the ball which isn’t normal for him he still was able to use his quickness and athleticism to get by people and be a menace on the defensive end. His improved size helps him on both ends and makes him able to be more effective on the glass. He didn’t get big minutes or put up big numbers but he showed that he belongs with the best in the country.
Dylan Cardwell | 6’10” PF | Oak Hill Academy
Cardwell was a guy I was interested in watching during the camp after seeing bits of him with Oak Hill last year and AOT during the EYBL session in Atlanta. The Georgia native has a good frame with long arms and he plays with a high motor, and he showed that while he isn’t a big man who can necessarily score in bunches he’s a rim runner and rim protector with big upside if he continues to develop. He got stronger as time went on, his confidence seemed to get better and he completely bought into his role and play hard even though he didn’t get a ton of touches. He looked every bit like a high major big man at the camp, and his recent recruitment is starting to reflect that.
Kadari Richmond | 6’5” WF | Brewster Academy (NH)
I had seen very little of Richmond before this, but I walked away thoroughly impressed with his ability to create shots for himself and others in isolation situations. He has pretty good size on the wing, and while he doesn’t have a lightning quick step he’s shifty and able to get to his spots where he can make contested shots, especially in the midrange. He showed he could score at all three levels and he wasn’t a guy who took a ton of shots, never shooting more than 10 in a game. He had a tough first game but showed resilience as he bounced back and had an almost perfect game in the second one going 9-for-9 from the field and finishing with 18 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and only 1 turnover. He finished the camp averaging 11.6 points and 3.6 rebounds while shooting 57% from the field.
Hassan Diara | 6’3” PG | Putnam Science (CT)
One of the most gifted passers and playmakers in the camp, Diarra continually made everyone around him better, and he put a ton of pressure on the defense with his tight handle and good burst. In transition he continually found shooters and kept his eyes up for lobs, and he made great decisions throughout the camp too. He showed the ability to score at the rim and in the middle game, and he had one of the most impressive games from a point guard of the whole camp when he went for 19 points and 10 assists in game three. He finished the camp averaging 10.2 points and 3.8 assists per game.