NBPA Top 100 Standouts: East Coast Seniors (Part 1)
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 part one of the senior standouts from the east coast!
Oscar Tshiebwe | 6’8” PF | Kennedy Catholic (PA)
No surprise here, as Tshiebwe proved that he’s one of, if not the best, rebounder in high school basketball. At 6’8” he isn’t the tallest big, but he’s physically imposing with broad shoulders and good strength, and he simply pursues the basketball on both ends harder than anyone I’ve personally every watched. He got stronger as the week went on, and he had multiple double double-double games, including a 22 point 10 rebound game, a 13 point 18 rebound game and a 10 point 11 rebound game, all on Championship Saturday. He finished the camp being named to the First Team after averaging 9.9 points and 10.4 rebounds throughout the event.
Qudus Wahab | 6’11” C | Flint Hill (VA)
Wahab has steadily improved over the past few seasons, and he showed that he’s a legitimate high major big man with consistent performances throughout the four days of camp. He’s a perfect camp big man, as he can run the floor and finish in transition, he can shoot the midrange and you don’t really have to call plays or throw the ball to him in the post and slow the pace down for him. Wahab scored in double digits three times, not an easy feat since he was on a team loaded with big men, and he did a great job playing big on both ends of the floor. He finished the camp averaging 8.3 points and 5.4 rebounds.
Scottie Lewis | 6’5” WG | Ranney School (NJ)
When it comes to two way studs on the wing, there aren’t many better than Lewis in the entire country. He’s one of the best athletes in the country, he has good instincts on both ends of the floor and he’s a great communicator who brings a lot of energy to his team in a lot of different ways. He’s a natural born leader and killer, and his mix of athleticism and skill allows him to do things that most players simply can’t do on the basketball floor. He isn’t the best shooter but he shoots it well enough that you have to respect it, and he has a lightning quick first step. Whether he gets downhill in transition or in the half court, Lewis has the ability to sky high and finish well above the rim in traffic. He was named to the All Camp Team after doing a little of everything, averaging 12.85 points, 3.85 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.2 blocks per game.
Justin Moore | 6’4” WG | DeMatha (MD)
One of the best shotmakers in the entire event, Moore showed that he’s healthy and is ready to make an immediate impact at Villanova after his senior season at DeMatha next year. The 6’4” two guard can flat out score the ball from anywhere on the court. He can create his own shot off the bounce, he moves well without the ball and has great shot mechanics from the feet up and he can make contested shots from all three levels. When his team needed a bucket he came through for them, especially late in the tournament with multiple double-digit games on championship Saturday. He was named to the All Camp team after winning the championship and averaging an efficient 9.8 points per game.
Precious Achiuwa | 6’8” WF | Saint Benedict’s (NJ)
When it comes to NBA prospects, a lot of the NBA scouts were watching Achiuwa and for good reason, he has an NBA skill set and he’s just scratching the surface with how good he can really be. Where this kid really shines is in transition, as he’s 6’8”-6’9” with good athleticism and he can push in transition and go coast to coast with ease. He can put it on the deck and get to his spots with ease, and he’s a guy who can make the contested pull-up using his size to shoot over wing defenders. Despite being as highly rated as he is, he’s extremely unselfish and he brings energy to his team on both ends of the floor. He was named to the All Camp team after averaging 14.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.14 steals per game., and he scored in double figures all but one game.
Isaiah Wong | 6’3” PG | Monsignor Bonner HS (PA)
Wong started out hot as he had one of the most impressive first days of the camp. He showed that he’s probably one of the more underrated lead guards in the country, as he possesses natural talent on both ends of the floor and is able to get in the lane and get to the rim against pretty much anyone at will. He has decent size as a lead guard, can execute the pick-and-roll and he is a dog on the defensive end as he’ll strap up the entire length of the court. He played his best in big games, including a double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds with five assists in their playoff game. He was also named to the All Camp team averaging an impressive 14.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.5 steals per game.
Greg Gantt Jr. | 6’8” PF | Trinity Christian School (NC)
Gantt turned heads throughout the weekend with his mix of high IQ, high motor and high production rate when he was in the game. He’s a super long and versatile forward who plays both in transition and in the half court, can finish above the rim with ease and hits the glass on both ends of the floor. He’s also versatile defensively, as he showed the ability to guard in the post and switch and guard out on the perimeter as well. He ended up getting hurt so he only was able to play in four games, but he showed flashes of what makes him so special and has him as one of the fastest rising recruits in North Carolina.
Aidan Igiehon | 6’10” C | Lawrence Woodmere Academy (NY)
There aren’t many recruits as highly touted as Igiehon on the east coast that I’ve never heard of, but the top 25 big man somehow slipped through my radar, until this past week. The 6’10” versatile big man is lean and mobile, and he’s a walking mismatch with his ability to get up and down the floor, face up and use his quickness to blow by slower big men. He didn’t put up the biggest numbers throughout the week, but his ability as a mismatch four/five at the next level will be troubling wherever he ends up.