USA Basketball Minicamp: Georgia Review
The USA Basketball Junior National Minicamp took place last weekend in Colorado Springs, including 82 total athletes and 4 from Georgia. The athletes were split into two groups, based on their age and which USA team they will eventually be…
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Continue ReadingThe USA Basketball Junior National Minicamp took place last weekend in Colorado Springs, including 82 total athletes and 4 from Georgia. The athletes were split into two groups, based on their age and which USA team they will eventually be trying out for. Starting on Friday, October 11th, and concluding on Sunday, October 13th, the camp provided a great opportunity for players to compete and prove themselves. The Georgia natives in attendance were 2021 prospects Jabari Smith and Matthew Cleveland, along with 2022 prospects Scoot Henderson and Dillon Hunter. All of the Peach State products brought unique aspects to their teams and made significant contributions.
The top 2 prospects in Georgia’s 2021 class, Smith and Cleveland both saw themselves make considerable national ascensions over the summer, but are still hungry for more. One of the younger 2021 prospects in attendance, Smith left no doubt that he is worthy of his Top 5 national ranking and is starting to challenge the other 4 guys ahead of him. At nearly 6’10”, he is continuing to improve the accuracy on his already proficient outside shot. Smith connected from deep all weekend long, and used his perimeter marksmanship to create opportunities off the bounce. He was able to get by opposing forwards and was clearly more explosive when attacking the rim in Colorado Springs. What I liked most was Smith’s commitment to inside play on the defensive end. He wasn’t taking breaks as a rim-protector or rebounder and looked to welcome contact more than I had seen from him previously. Sandy Creek has a challenging schedule this year and we’ll be able to see Smith even more against high-level competition.
Matthew Cleveland’s rise over the past year has been well-documented on this site and he helped himself once again in Colorado Springs. As the weekend went on, Cleveland seemed to adjust and improve in each session. Going against elite size and shot-blockers, he quickly learned that he could not be casual when attacking the basket. After getting some shots sent away early in camp, he routinely drew contact, got to the FT line, and finished in traffic, including a thunderous dunk on the last day. Cleveland also looked comfortable and confident from deep, even with the extended international line. As usual, he asserted himself in transition play by using his length on defense and getting out ahead of the pack on fast breaks. Cleveland has now worked his way into Top 25 conversational nationally and is as confident as anyone currently. It seems that he is looking forward to climbing even more and will definitely have the chance to do so this winter with Pace’s national schedule.
Georgia’s 2022 prospects that participated had nice showings as well. Scoot Henderson went to work just like he did last time he was in Colorado Springs, showing why he is in strong contention for the #1 PG spot in the country. At the high school level, it is very difficult to find other guards who are going to be able to keep him out of the paint consistently. Henderson is a smooth operator who stays low, combines sped and finesse impressively, and is hard to rattle. He showed some nice strides with his shot this weekend also, elevating and connecting on mid-range pull-ups, along with knocking down some wing and corner 3’s. He has the skill and physical traits that you look for in a top tier PG and you can tell he wants to keep getting better.
A lead guard with exceptional size, Hunter looked to use his size advantage on both sides of the ball at camp. He has long arms and moves very well, which allow him to make ball-handlers uncomfortable quite often. Hunter racked a considerable amount of steals and proved to be a reliable finisher in transition. Hunter is slithery in the half-court and his length helps him when gliding to the basket and making things happen in the paint. His outside shot is pretty reliable and he hit a fair share of deep balls throughout the weekend. I appreciated the effort that Hunter made as a defender, his efficient play on offense, and his overall activity.