ST. LOUIS -- The Nike Elite 100, a signature event of the summer and a destination camp for elite underclassmen, delivered the goods. Over four days, 103 players laced them up and went at it. When the dust settled and the final evaluations were in, the verdict was handed down.
This year’s Elite 100 was average in terms of star power, however, the beauty of this camp was its depth. Most of the campers will wind up on high-major rosters and there was not much fat to be trimmed at the end of the list overall.
The Elite 100 is a separation camp. The kids who entered high school with propped-up middle school reputations, greater than their current ability, can no longer hide. With at least a year of high school ball under their belts, the players who peaked physically have the true prospects either nipping at their heels or looking at them in the rearview mirror.
Point guards
After the Nike Elite 100, the thinking is that there’s hope after all for the point guard position nationally. A strong argument can be made that the point guard position was the deepest in camp. No matter your flavor, this place had a solution for your need. A week ago, following the Pangos Camp, long-term expectations for the position seem like muddied water. Having a chance to evaluate a strong contingent of young players in St. Louis rekindled hope for the position.
Shelton Mitchell (Waxhaw, N.C./Cuthbertson) and Louisville commit Quentin Snider (Louisville, Ky./Ballard) could be one year away from delivering state titles to their respective schools. Mitchell was a runner-up in 2A this year. He’s the guy with the knack for winning and feel for the position. The kid has it on a string and while there may be others with more physical talent, there wasn’t another who copied his approach to the game. You want a pass-first, by-the-book creator, you look to Mitchell. His camp team lost in the finals to our surprise guard (see Jordan McLaughlin).
On the other side of the coin is Snider. A better shooter, bigger guard and more apt to score the bigger number, Snider’s defining moment came Saturday. Down 18 points, he pumped in a series of jump shots and took over the game. Before you knew it, his team was ahead for good and he would finish with 29 points. The kid’s expression never changed; it was amazing. In my opinion, we’re looking at a future All-Big East performer and likely four-year starter for the Cardinals. Did I mention he’s gotten better with each event since April?
Top three: Shelton Mitchell, Quentin Snider, 2014 JaQuan Lyle (Evansville, Ind./Bosse)
Surprise: 2014 Jordan McLaughlin (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Etiwanda)
Wing players
In camp settings, especially one this packed with young talent, it’s not enough to come out firing early only to fade late. To truly stand out after four days of action, one has to be consistent, talented and determined. Good prospects turn in strong games; great ones turn in strong camps.
Charles Matthews (Chicago/St. Rita) and D’Angelo Russell (Louisville, Ky./Montverde) were two of the most difficult players to guard at their positions. Matthews came out firing the first day of camp with a smooth game off the dribble. Russell stroked nine 3s in one game and was the scoring leader most of camp. Both missed time with injury on Saturday; both returned to action on Sunday.
However, the player who made the biggest impression might have been Devin Booker (Moss Point, Miss./Moss Point). Halfway through the camp, his team was revving at a high level and winning. Booker was so strong that he even took his team to the championship game of the three-on-three series. This kid is a model high-major player. The genes (his dad was Big Eight POY at Missouri) are there and his mental makeup is awesome. There are no highs in his game and consequently zero lows. He became a top-25 player on the EYBL circuit and then solidified the ranking here.
Coaches talked, camp directors chimed in and players handed out respect. By the time this camp ended, the respect for Booker was nearly unanimous. I’ve seen him a lot since April and have always been taken by his aptitude for making the correct play and sticking jumpers. This kid’s best attributes are his brain and his stroke and that played out on a big stage at the Elite 100. There were better athletes, maybe even better prospects, but there was not a more complete wing player than Booker.
Top five: Devin Booker, D’Angelo Russell, Jalen Lindsey (Franklin, Tenn./Christ Presbyterian), Charles Matthews
Surprise: Therence Mayimba (Rockville, Md./Montrose Christian)
Big men
Two of the best players at the event were bigs. The Elite 100, formerly the Hoop Jamboree, has been the backdrop for numerous elite post players in the past. Greg Oden, Tyler Hansbrough, Spencer Hawes and Julius Randle once did work in St. Louis. Given that company, if the following statement strikes you as grandiose, well, it’s an informed opinion.
Diamond Stone (Milwaukee, Wis./Dominican) was one of the best post players at the event in the 10-plus years I’ve been in attendance. Should he join that celebrated list and transfer prospect status into All-American results is to be determined. His size, hands/feet and touch in the paint are elite for his age. He’s got a real chance to be a special player. Though he’s not as big, Stone has more offense than Andrew Bynum at the same age and every bit the upside, if not more. So far so good for the big fella, but we all know upside is nothing without the capacity to maximize it. Stone gives off the vibe that he’s intent on doing so.
You assume Stone’s going to get bigger and better. In speaking with him at camp, you could deduce that he’s eager to please and just as eager to learn. When given instruction, he soaked it up, embraced the talk and punished guys. Good prospects gave solid efforts against him and he put them in the hole. If he’s missing one element, it’s the ability to play above the rim. Regardless, we’re talking about an exciting young big man.
Although, it’s not crazy to think Kevon Looney (Milwaukee, Wis./Milwaukee Hamilton) was the MVP at camp. Few matched his intensity. He didn’t say two words on the court and dominated. Over four days of viewing, these eyes didn’t see one player block him out. His camp coach was Pervis Ellison, a Final Four MVP, and he couldn’t feed Looney enough. I’ve said this all spring regarding Looney and so far nothing’s changed my mind: he’s amongst the handful of best rebounders in the country.
Not everybody is Stone or Looney but in the life cycle of a prospect, there are singular moments that go a long way in defining the player. Those moments chart the course of future success and when a big man has his breakout effort, confidence typically follows. For Khadeem Lattin (Houston/Canaries), what might seem like a fairly innocuous play in the long term could turn out to be very important. In one game, Lattin’s team was down by 18 points and he was matched against Stone and Ben Bentil (Middletown, Del./St. Andrews), two of the camp’s better post players. Lattin upstaged them both with his hustle, effort and determination. He flew around the court, coming up with blocks, traffic rebounds and maybe the best singular play these eyes have seen from a camp post in a decade.
Lattin chased a rebound, didn’t get it and decided he was going to complete the play on the other end. In a dead sprint, he passed multiple guys on his way to the rim where he chased down a kid who knew he had a wide-open layup. He didn’t, as Lattin crushed it on the backboard. That play changed the game. The question is did it raise the bar another level for a talented yet not-strong-enough big? Was that taste of success enough to lift him to the next stage?
Top five: Kevon Looney, 2015 Diamond Stone, Ivan Rabb (Oakland, Calif./Bishop O’Dowd).
Surprise: 2014 Ben Bentil (Middletown, Del./St. Andrews).
Telep's All-Elite 100 team
PG: Shelton Mitchell, SG: D'Angelo Russell, SF: Jalen Lindsey, PF: Kevon Looney, C: Diamond Stone, 6th man: Devin Booker
Overview
The Elite 100 (formerly the Hoop Jamboree) has a storied history. It launched the summer for stars the caliber of Derrick Rose and O.J. Mayo in past seasons. Though there wasn’t a Mayo or Rose amongst the campers, there were plenty of kids who left the building with a sense of accomplishment. The self-aware players will take a glance in the mirror, measure themselves against their peers and offer up an honest take of the state and standing of their game. In the end, that’s the real upside in events of this nature where the best of the best gather.