This weekend, Arizona State head coach Bobby Hurley and the rest of the Arizona State men’s basketball staff held their annual Elite Camp at the Weatherup Center on the campus at Arizona State University.
The camp began with opening remarks from Arizona State’s Director of Basketball Operations, Derrick Wrobel and Bobby Hurley. After speaking to the campers, stretching and dribbling/ shooting drills, then the staff began to make sure everyone was loose and ready to compete at a high level during the games.
The Elite camp had high level players from the state of Arizona and the West Coast present on both courts during the duration of the camp, and I really enjoyed seeing the best the state has to offer before the season begins. It was a great camp from start to finish and really look forward to covering it again next year.
Of the games that I personally saw, here are the top performers from the Arizona State Elite Camp:
2019 6’7 SF Walter Talley Jr.: Desert (Phoenix) Vista H.S.
Talley played very well in both games that he competed in at the camp. He is a physically dominating wing who knows how to use his size to bully smaller and even, bigger defenders on the block, and use his strength to finish through contact with ease. He displayed an improved shooting stroke from the 3-point line and hit a couple of tough mid-range shots off of the bounce as well. What I like about Talley is his never-back-down attitude - regardless of whoever is in front of him. Look for him to have a huge sophomore campaign for Desert Vista.
2019 5’10 PG Jovan Blackshear: Shadow (Phoenix) Mountain H.S.
Blackshear was one, if not the best player at the event. Blackshear has a very high basketball IQ at all times on the court, and truly makes his teammates better. He looks to make the right play every time on offense - hitting people on pick and rolls, finding open shooters, attacking the basket, and finding open cutters with great vision etc. He has cat-like quickness when he is attacking the basket, and every defender had trouble staying in front of him. He also uses a great burst of speed/change of direction in the open court that helps him get behind the defense and score easily/find players in better position to score then him. He shot the ball effectively from the elbows when he was given space, and was able to knock down open 3’s when left open. On defense, Blackshear uses his quick lateral movement and hands to be able to put ball-handlers in positions that benefit him in order to steal the ball from them and start another fast break for him, and his teammates. Blackshear was on his game from start to finish and I look for him to gain a variety of offers very soon.
2019 6’5 SG Majok Deng: Salpointe (Tucson) Catholic:
Deng has the best motor of any player in the state of Arizona, and I feel that it is not even close. He is a high-wire athlete who really excels when he is in transition settings, and can show off his ability to finish above the rim with big-time dunks and entertain everyone in attendance. He had a huge put-back dunk in the half court setting that bought everyone to their feet. Deng also showed a very improved shooting stroke from the 3-point line this summer, as he knocked down shot after shot in the ½ court/ transition settings, regardless of if the shot was contested by a defender or not. He attacked the rim consistently in both games and did finish some plays, but looked better when he was shooting the ball and able to get out in transition. Deng is not only a special player in the 2019 class, but a special person as well. Arizona State offered Deng after the end of the event.
2018 6’7 SG/F Tevian Jones: Chandler H.S.
Jones may have the most upside in all of the state from the wing position. Looking like he may still grow another inch or so, Tevian is a very raw wing who scores in bunches. He shot the ball pretty consistently in both games, but looked most at ease when he was attacking the basket - using his long strides and wing-span to finish around/over defenders in his way. Jones had some big-time athletic finishes as well in transition. Jones will put up very big-time scoring numbers this year for Chandler H.S., and I look forward to tracking his progress very closely.
2018 6’6 SF Timmy Allen: Desert (Mesa) Ridge
Allen is a huge physical body from the wing position, and is one of the most seasoned players in his class in Arizona, and the West Coast as well in 2018. A Paul Pierce clone, Allen knows how to use his body to pin smaller players in a variety of situations - making it easier for him to score from the perimeter and on the block. He is quick off the bounce and attacking the basket, and had some big-time athletic finishes in transition and in traffic, and on defenders as well. While his jumper is still a work in progress, he can knock down open shots when left open from 3. What stands out about Allen is how physical he is on both ends of the court. He is a tough, active defender that will use his size to turn players into situations not in their benefit, and also is athletic enough to rise up and send a shot into the bleachers. He will be the key for a Desert Ridge team that looks to go deep into the Arizona high school state playoffs this upcoming year.
Notes:
2018 6’5 SG Jaxson Baker of Brophy Prep is one of the best shooters of the basketball in the state. He can knock down 3’s from all over the court, and also has a very good feel for the game on the offensive end. He is also getting better at attacking the basket from the wing position as well.
Sunnyside H.S. in Tucson has a very big-time athlete in 2018 6’5 Nikc Jackson. Jackson was very active on the glass in both games that I saw him compete in - getting multiple rebounds and put-backs. He also used his athleticism to finish a few plays with big-time 2-hand dunks. Jackson looks to be one of the better players in all of Tucson this season.
While 2019 6’6 SF Emmanuel Taban of Apollo H.S. did not score in bunches, like some of the other players on the court, he looked very smooth and confident in the drill portion of the camp, and looks to have improved his overall ball handling/shooting from when I saw him play last this summer. He is oozing with upside as a prospect, and I believe he will really take great strides in his overall game and growth as a player this season - playing alongside elite 2017 guards Holland “Boo Boo” Woods and Dre Marin.
6’6 SF Gabe McGlothan of Basha H.S. looks to be the best athlete in the 2017 class in Arizona. He finished many plays in transition with huge dunks that impressed everyone watching. He also shows a very improved shooting touch from 3 as well.
2020 6’2 PG Nico Mannion from Pinnacle H.S. plays well beyond his years. He has an extremely high basketball IQ, in regards to making that right play in tough trapping situations, or knowing when he has a mismatch and scoring on his defender off of the 3; attacking defenders off the dribble by using a quick first step/shifty handle to go where he wants. He is going to be very fun to watch these next four years in Arizona. He will be competing in the Under Armour Elite 24 Next Game in the following weeks in New York.
