LONG BEACH, California — adidas Nations closed out play on Monday night with a televised doubleheader at Long Beach City College. The third-place and championship games showed the country, once again, that the Class of 2016 will be superior to 2015 and it also was a good proving ground for a number of prospects that will be back on the circuit next year. CBT’s Raphielle Johnson and Scott Phillips were there once again to take in the action.
– Dennis Smith, Jr. has the best week of anyone
Ultra-talented 2016 point guard Dennis Smith, Jr. has always had the talent to dominate, but after a somewhat wild spring, the 6-foot-2 point guard is finally putting efficient performances together with the ball in his hands. adidas Nations was a perfect example of this. Smith dominated play on both ends of the floor at times, as going into the championship game on Monday night with Team Lillard, he was shooting 21-for-29 from the field while dishing out 20 assists to only five turnovers. Over a four-game stretch against mostly older competition — in which he also added two-plus steals a game — that’s incredibly impressive. The point guard race is tight in 2016 with Derryck Thornton, UCLA commit Lonzo Ball, Kobi Simmons and DeAaron Fox — if you view Fox as a point guard, which I think he can be down the line — but Smith appears to be the leader of the pack right now. He’s a bonafide top-five prospect in this 2016 class and deserves more discussion for a higher spot with continued excellence. (SP)
– Spring/summer give 2017 F Billy Preston much-needed reps
Given the talent that many of the players at high-level camps possess, it can be easy to forget that these are kids who can be overwhelmed by the moment on occasion. That was the case for 2017 forward Billy Preston, who in the championship game was playing on national television for the first time in his life. Things didn’t go well for neither he nor his Team Wall teammates, as they were soundly defeated by Team Lillard with players such as Dennis Smith, Thon Maker and Eron Gordon proving to be too much to handle. However just as big of a factor for Preston as the talent in front of him were the nerves, and it’s something he can learn from moving forward.
“I thought I had a good camp until the last game,” Preston told NBCSports.com following the defeat. “I came out a little nervous, and I didn’t play that [well]. It’s an honor to be invited to a camp like this, and I’m [in the Class of 2017] so I learned a lot from the older guys, the college guys and the pros who played. It was a good experience.”
As for Preston’s recruitment, he’s a very interesting prospect given the fact that he didn’t play much high school basketball as a freshman. Preston played in a handful of games at St. John Bosco in southern California before transferring to Redondo Union in mid-January, where he was unable to play per California state transfer rules. So having the opportunity to play with and against talented players all spring and summer has proven to be invaluable for a player who’s already receiving attention from many Pac-12 schools and recently received offers from UCLA and UConn. (RJ)
– DeAaron Fox plays well at both guard spots
Another impressive guard performance this week came from Texas native and 6-foor-3 guard DeAaron Fox. Fox played alongside Smith for the title-winning Team Lillard and the duo proved to be nearly unguardable together. Fox played both guard spots, although he told NBCSports.com that he would like to be a point guard in college he is comfortable in either guard role, and thrived wherever he played on the floor. Fox made plays for other players, hunted buckets by attacking the rim and also knocked down some shots. Overall, it was a really solid week for Fox and it looks like he’s solidifying his spot as a five-star guard. (SP)
– Eron Gordon caps good week with another solid performance.
With five players finishing the title game in double figures, Team Lillard didn’t lack for contributors in their 106-78 win over Team Wall. One of those five was 2016 guard Eron Gordon,who scored 16 points on 8-for-15 shooting to go along with four rebounds. Gordon shot the ball well from mid-range and was also able to get to the basket on a couple occasions as well, finding looks for himself without forcing the action. Gordon spent the majority of his time at the camp playing off the ball with Dennis Smith Jr. running the show for a team that went undefeated, and he performed well in that role as he shot 50 percent or better from the field in every game other than the opener (nine points on 3-for-10 shooting). (RJ)
– Late phone call provides Dominic Green with a great opportunity.
Due to a number of injuries at adidas Nations throughout the week, some players were called in to help with the depth of certain teams. One player fortunate enough to receive a call was 2015 forward Dominic Green, who looked to do his best to simply fit in with his teammates upon his arrival Saturday afternoon. One of Green’s best attributes is his length, something the aimed to make good use of on the defensive end of the floor.
“My coach called me and asked, ‘do I want to play with the best players in the nation?'” Green told NBCSports.com. “And I said [I would]. I just tried to defend and not allow my man to score, and try not to turn over the ball on offense.”
The call to join a team that included Duke commit Chase Jeter and five-star wing Jaylen Brown capped a solid month for Green, whose improved play in July has led to increased interest on the recruiting trail. Holding offers from Montana and UTEP, Green has heard from programs such as Arizona State, Washington State, Gonzaga, USC, Saint Mary’s and Oregon State among others. And according to Green, the reason why he’s receiving more attention now than he did during the high school season is a simple one.
“During the high school season I wasn’t giving my best effort, and in July I was giving 100% effort,” Green noted. “That allowed me to play better.” (RJ)
– Rawle Alkins’ old-school game continues to impress
After a strong showing at adidas Uprising early in July, New York native and 6-foot-4 guard Rawle Alkins continued to play well at adidas Nations throughout the week. With a strong frame and an attack mentality, Alkins loves touching the paint and making plays by being a creative scorer around the basket. While the jumper is still a work-in-progress, it’s really fun to watch Alkins operate within 15 feet of the basket. He finishes creatively with his off-hand and isn’t afraid to use the glass, Alkins will post up smaller guards and he also has a hook shot in his arsenal for those moments as well. Even after seeing Alkins play about eight times or so this summer he was throwing out new ways to score around the basket and it was fun to watch. (SP)
