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Monte’ Morris, Jalen Brunson among the top performers at Nike Skills Academy

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LOS ANGELES, CA. JULY 25, 2016. The Academy. Jalen Brunson #6 of Villanova dribbles. (Mandatory photo credit: Jon Lopez/Nike).

Jon Lopez

LOS ANGELES -- I spent the last three days in California watching some of the best college players in the country work out and scrimmage at the Nike Skills Academy. Here are five players that stood out:

Monte’ Morris, Iowa State: The way that the games at the Nike Skills Academy were set up was pretty standard pickup basketball rules. Games were seven minutes long, winners stay on. On Monday night and Wednesday night during the scrimmages, the team that Morris was on went on a long winning streak, and on both nights, he was the best player on the floor for that team. College basketball fans know what Morris can do by now, as do NBA scouts. But he nonetheless impressed this week, and it wasn’t just his change-of-speed or playmaking ability. On the final night of the camp, everyone in the gym was gassed. Six of the 20 or so college kids at the camp were sitting out with “injuries” sustained during grueling three-a-day workouts. Morris? He played through the cramps and the dead legs. During the final session, when he was asked by camp director Miles Simon if he was tired, Morris simply answered “I’m not telling you that” and went out and won upwards of 10 games in a row.

Chris Boucher, Oregon: Boucher played with a ton of confidence all week long, doing all of the things that we’ve come to expect out of Canada’s surprising star forward. His length is ridiculous and he spent much of the week swatting shots at the rim, a terrific skill to have when he’s hitting threes the way that he did in the Hawthorne hangar. Boucher is going to be a very, very valuable piece for the Ducks, but his impact is going to be somewhat limited because he’s still just as skinny as ever.

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LOS ANGELES, CA. JULY 25, 2016. The Academy. Chris Boucher #17 of Oregon dunks. (Mandatory photo credit: Jon Lopez/Nike).

Jon Lopez

Jalen Brunson, Villanova: Brunson is a basketball savant, the kind of player that sees the game a step ahead of everyone else. He had a rough start on Monday night, but throughout the week was consistently creating open looks for teammates that, in many cases, he had never played with before. On the final night of the camp, Brunson had a fun little battle with Jordan McRae, a former Tennessee Vol that has bounced around the NBA the last two years. After McRae bodied Brunson in the post, Brunson answered with a nifty, driving layup before forcing a McRae turnover and shaking him at the other end to hit a game-winning, step-back jumper. I’m not sure if Brunson has the athleticism to end up being an NBA player, but I wasn’t sure that T.J. McConnell or Fred VanVleet had enough athleticism, either.

Jonathan Motley, Baylor: Boucher was the most impressive front court prospect in the camp, but Motley was probably the best front court player in Los Angeles this week. Motley has always been somewhat underrated because of the way he is used at Baylor, but he should be in line for a huge year for the Bears. He showed off a better-than-I-realized low-post repertoire and even knocked down a couple of perimeter shots.

Josh Hart, Villanova: Hart spent much of the week as Morris’ teammate, doing just as much as the Iowa State point guard to ensure that his team was always winning. So while I’m about to hit him with a couple of criticisms, understand that it comes with the caveat that he was awesome this week. Hart’s jumper went in at a really good clip, but his stroke is still weird enough — and his bad misses are still bad enough — that concerns about his ability to consistently make NBA threes are more than valid. The other issue? He has a penchant for make some headache-inducing plays that make you wonder just what in the world he saw that made him think that was a good idea.

NOTABLES


  • On the first night of the camp, the gym was flooded with NBA guys coming through to get in a workout and some high-level pick-up. At one points, Julius Randle, Aaron Gordon, Stanley Johnson, Jordan Clarkson and Devin Booker were all on the same team. They lost to a a squad led by Morris, Hart and Alec Peters.
  • Speaking of Peters, the Valparaiso star played very well all week. I’m convinced that, had he opted to be a grad transfer and leave Valpo, he would have been an impact player at just about any program in the country. If it all comes together for him next season, he’ll have a chance to put up ridiculous numbers.
  • Jaron Blossomgame of Clemson was impressive all week and threw down the best dunk that I saw during the camp. He could’ve turned pro this offseason and ended up getting picked in the second round while earning some guaranteed money. But he opted to return, in part to prove that he’s more than just a capable shooter. He did not do that the last three days.
  • Michigan State’s Miles Bridges is stupid athletic. He’s ridiculous. I’m not sure he’s a human. There are going to be a couple of Big Ten opponents that get utterly embarrassed by him this year. But … beyond the dunks, I’m just not sure how he is going to be able to score at that level.
  • Illinois forward Malcolm Hill might be the most underrated player in the country. The 6-foot-8 forward is what we call a bucket-getter. He’ll probably lead the Big Ten in scoring this season.
  • Edmond Sumner of Xavier has continued to fill out his body. He told me he was up to 185 pounds earlier this summer and that he’ll hopefully be over 190 by the time the season starts. When he committed Xavier he was on the wrong side of 150 pounds. Oregon’s Tyler Dorsey also looks like he’s spent some time in the weight room. One scout said it looks like he’s put on a good 20 pounds since he’s been in Eugene.
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LOS ANGELES, CA. JULY 25, 2016. The Academy. Miles Bridges #18 of Michigan State dunks. (Mandatory photo credit: Jon Lopez/Nike).

Jon Lopez