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Wiggins, Randle talk of LeBron James Skills Academy

spt-LBJ-Skills

The move of Nike’s traditional individual high school and college player camp from Akron, Ohio to Las Vegas didn’t break many hearts, and luckily for the NBA scouts and media members present at the LeBron James Skills Academy, the swoosh camp was able to pull in many top prospects who are primarily affiliated with other shoe companies (namely several elite players on the adidas circuit), due to the lack of other events over the weekend.

More than 90 high school players and 20 college players received coaching from instructors ranging from Kevin Eastman to Jay Bilas, played against a talented cohort of prospects, and in some cases be were observed by members of the USA Basketball team (including the event’s namesake, James) that was training in Sin City.

While the depth and overall talent level of the high school portion of the camp was arguably the best of any single event over the course of the spring and summer, two players stood out in the minds of nearly every close observer of the event. 2013 power forward Julius Randle of Prestonwood Christian (Texas) and 2014 wing forward Andrew Wiggins of Huntington Prep (WVa.) via Toronto stole the show and were clearly the elite prospects and top potential NBA players.

Randle can handle the rock in addition to his ideal power forward skills at 6-9, and showed why some talent evaluators consider him to be the top prospect in the 2013 class nationally. The grumbling regarding his floating on the perimeter remains, but his remarkable agility and talent near the hoop are unmatched among post players nationally.

Randle was cryptic, as always, regarding his potential college choice and it’s not clear that any school should feel like they are in good shape for him at present. He declined to name a list, and the reality is that he can attend any school in the country that he wishes to. When he’s in prime form, Randle uses his strong upper body to power through defenders with a skill level sufficient to finish above or near the rim in a variety of ways. A punisher in the post, Randle finishes over people with alarming regularity.

As good as Randle was, it was Wiggins that who the considerable assortment of NBA scouts salivating regarding his potential. Due to this year’s recruiting calendar created by the NCAA, NBA scouts were allowed to attend the event and evaluate players, while college coaches were not. Wiggins is immediately striking as he is like a rocket blasting off when he plants his feet and explodes to the hoop. No player gets up faster and higher than Wiggins.

There is simply no player in high school hoops who has the future potential that Wiggins does.

For what it’s worth, Wiggins listed Kentucky, Florida State, Duke, North Carolina and Syracuse, but his decision is believed to be likely to come down to the Wildcats and the Seminoles (his father played for FSU). Nothing has progressed beyond speculation at this point, but it seems reasonable for Wiggins to explore reclassification to the 2013 class to speed up his seemingly eventual NBA timetable.

While Wiggins and Randle were the cream of the crop, plenty of other players also showed off their talents. Two already committed incoming seniors, point guard Nigel Williams-Goss (Washington) and power forward Bobby Portis (Arkansas) both looked strong. Williams-Goss is among the most intelligent point guards in his class, while Portis has excelled all spring with a nice combination of skill and athleticism, coupled with a 6-9 frame.

Uncommitted prospects that turned heads included class of 2013 big men Kennedy Meeks of North Carolina and Austin Nichols of Tennessee. Backcourt stars included point guard Anthony Barber, a top-10 prospect that is down to Kansas, Louisville and Alabama, and South Carolina native shooting guard Sindarius Thornwell. On the wing, James Young (who recently picked up the Kentucky scholarship offer he desired all spring) had some moments, as did Los Angeles-area player Isaac Hamilton, a member of a talented SoCal hoops family.

Only a few underclassmen received a prestigious honor in even being invited to the camp, and slight 5-9 point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright of Loyola (Calif.) and 6-7 wing forward Jalen Lindsay of Christ Presbyterian Academy (Tenn.) clearly made the most of the their opportunity. Also on the horizon are 6-9 incoming high school sophomores Diamond Stone of Wisconsin and Ivan Rabb of California. Both will receive more attention than they ever thought was possible, sooner rather than later.

In all, the 2012 LeBron James Skills Academy featured a terrific collection of high school talent, and an easy opportunity to evaluate their gifts under one roof in Las Vegas, as exterior temperatures hovered around 110 degrees at peak times.

Kellon Hassenstab runs Hoopniks.com. Follow him on Twitter @hoopniks.