ST. LOUIS -- The Nike Elite 100, formerly known as the Hoop Jamboree, was the setting for a gathering of 100 elite underclassmen from around the nation. Previously, the event has been the launching pad for a number of big-time players, including former No. 1 overall NBA picks Greg Oden and Derrick Rose.
This year, Allerik Freeman (Charlotte, N.C./Olympic) and Wayne Selden (Boston/Tilton School) emerged as candidates for top performer.
Standout wing players
Allerik Freeman
2013, SG, 6-foot-4, 210 pounds
He entered the event as ESPN's No. 40 overall prospect in his class. By virtue of his performance and the fact he demonstrated the handle, IQ and bravado needed to the run the point, he's on the fast track up the rankings. The big-bodied guard owns a sleek crossover, range on his jumper and is now armed with the confidence to take his game to the next level. This was his breakout national performance and it was a memorable one.
Kevon Looney (Milwaukee/Hamilton)
2014, SF, 6-6, 170 pounds
He is an exciting prospect. Not only a good player, he's big-time in the classroom. Looney is laced with athleticism and wide shoulders. The rising sophomore is comfortable going to the rack and we were impressed by his desire to go from perimeter to post with relative ease. Looney is one of the top overall prospects in Wisconsin.
Brannen Greene (Monroe, Ga./Mary Parsons)
2013, SG, 6-7, 180 pounds
Few in the junior class have the size he does at the shooting guard spot and even fewer own the range and accuracy he has behind the line. Greene loves to shoot immediately off the catch and has a tendency to settle, but once he develops his pull-up game and shows he can relocate, he'll be able to lock down his standing in the 2013 class.
Greg McClinton (Winston-Salem, N.C./Winston Salem Prep)
2013, SF, 6-6, 180 pounds
McClinton plays the game with explosive athleticism and given the fact he's had knee surgery, it's particularly noteworthy. He's strong offensively going to the rim and from midrange, but the strength of his game is attacking off the catch. At the small forward slot, he's an elite rebounder and an energy giver. McClinton is the guy who hunts a dunk and sticks midrange jumpers.
D'Angelo Russell (Louisville, Ky./Central)
2014, SG, 6-3
The last man added to camp, Russell got to St. Louis and quickly made his presence felt. The lefty is a combo guard with an accurate jumper, strong handle and plenty of upside. Coming into camp, he was an unknown but he's firmly on the high-major radar. Russell already has a tricky handle and enough sizzle to make a positive impression.
Tyler Roberson (Union, N.J./Union)
2013, SF, 6-7
After the first night, Roberson was a candidate for top player in camp. From a position standpoint he can go either way, he can be a versatile 4-man or potentially transition to small forward. Roberson was one of the camp's most active forwards on the glass, he has all the tricks offensively and boasts long arms. Don't be surprised if he turns in the kind of summer that makes him a priority high-major recruit; all the tools are there.
Nick King (Memphis/East)
2013, SF, 6-6, 215 pounds
He is a lefty wing who has a strong body with the ability to score and create. King is a solid ball handler though he is strong to his left hand, and he has really increased his aggressiveness and productivity over the past year. He is a good rebounder, a very good athlete and a streaky shooter with range to 20 feet. However, he's at his best scoring inside 17 feet. Overall, King is a dynamic player who is developing into one of the best wings in the 2013 class.
Marc Loving (Toledo, Ohio/St. John's)
2013, SF, 6-8, 200 pounds
College: Ohio State
He is a skilled combo forward who could develop into a small forward in the future or be a very skilled power forward. With his feet set, Loving is a good shooter to 22 feet. He has decent ball skills and has continued to develop offensive moves off the dribble. His best move is a pump fake and baseline drive that he often finishes with dunks. Loving is extremely long and has a wing span of almost 7 feet. His size, length, skill and athletic ability make him tough to guard and an excellent prospect.
James Young (Troy, Mich./Troy)
2013, SG, 6-6, 200 pounds
Young is a lefty scorer who is wired to put the ball in the basket. He is an excellent athlete with very good skills to match. He is a very good slasher to the basket and is incredible in transition. He also has the ability to play above the rim and is very versatile. When motivated, Young is one of the more dynamic talents in the 2013 class. He is a good rebounder who can rebound in traffic and then push the break. He is a streaky shooter with range to 20 feet, but as long as he stays consistent he will be one of the best players in the 2013 class.
Wayne Selden
2014, SG/SF, 6-5, 225 pounds
He is a big, strong power guard who is a natural scorer and a smooth playmaker. His size and strength make him an excellent rebounder for his position. Plus, he can create off the dribble and is a monster in transition. He also has excellent range on his shot and can shoot well beyond the 3-point line. Selden was perhaps the most dynamic player at the Nike Elite 100 and a definite top 10 player in the 2014 class.
Standout PGs
Nate Britt (Washington, D.C./Gonzaga)
2013, 6-1, 165 pounds
He was arguably the best passer in camp. Britt has squared-off shoulders and despite having plenty of sizzle with his passing game, he's a low-risk, efficient distributor of the ball. He's also a good player inside the arc, but needs to extend his range to maintain his standing as one of the group's top point guards.
Jaren Sina (Lake Hopatcong, N.J./Gill St. Bernard)
2013, 6-0, 175 pounds
College: Alabama
He is a super solid player who makes good decisions with the ball. Sina is a good passer who seems to find the right teammate at the right time and is a very good shooter with range to 22 feet. He can also score off the dribble and is an excellent catch-and-shoot player. He is not the quickest player in the world, but has solid quickness and speed. Plus, he is very crafty and makes winning plays.
Emmanuel Mudiay (Arlington, Texas/Grace Prep)
2014, PG, 6-3, 175 pounds
He distinguished himself in a variety of ways. Mudiay projects as a big point guard. In addition to the size, he's athletic, gets to the rim and has a strong basketball IQ. What we like about him is his pace and overall feel for both the point and wing positions. He's a load for points or wings to deal with. There's every indication to think he will rank amongst the top 10 players in his class and challenge for elite slots at either guard position.
Parker Jackson-Cartwright (Los Angeles/Loyola)
2014, PG, 5-9, 140 pounds
He is an excellent point guard who can score and dish. His smallish stature causes him some problems defensively, but he is tough and scrappy. Jackson-Cartwright has a very good basketball IQ for a kid so young, uses his quickness to get in the lane and score or find an open teammate. He is also a very good shooter with range to 20 feet and as he gets bigger and stronger he will become an elite point guard prospect.
Standout big men
Isaiah Hicks (Oxford, N.C./Body of Christ)
2013, PF, 6-8, 190 pounds
If you looked at all the bigs at camp, Hicks has as much natural ability and upside as any of them. His length allows him to play above the rim and cover a lot of ground on defense. The strength will come and when it does, combined with his touch in the lane, he'll unleash an athletic game that will make him a BCS priority recruit. He's just learning the game and he's going to take time developing his basketball ego. Expectations will be high for him and in time, he'll surpass them.
Kennedy Meeks (Charlotte, N.C./West Charlotte)
2013, C, 6-8, 260 pounds
The MVP of the North Carolina 4-A state championship game keeps getting better. The grind of four days can wear on a 260-pounder, but Meeks is a deliberate player who doesn't waste energy. The comparison here is to Sean May, who was at least two inches taller but shares the same body type, soft hands and nimble feet. Meeks may have been the best finishing big man in camp and definitely was amongst the best rebounders. His outlet passes were impressive. The next step is on the conditioning side.
Brian Bridgewater (Baton Rouge, La./Episcopal)
2013, PF/SF, 6-5, 230 pounds
The plan is to transition to the small forward position but for him to do that he'll have to develop perimeter offense and a wing handle. His DNA is that of a mini-Charles Barkley type. Bridgewater isn't big, but his motor runs high and his body is built for contact. A consummate hustler, contact doesn't faze him. He's doesn't have high-major power forward size but neither did Jamelle Cornley and he was a standout at Penn State during his career.
Christian Wood (Palmdale, Calif./William J. Knight)
2013, PF, 6-8, 180 pounds
He is a long and lean combo forward who is similar to a young Austin Daye. He is skilled and with his feet set he's an excellent shooter to 22 feet. Wood is very thin and definitely could use a few pounds. He is a good athlete and had one of the best upsides of anyone at the camp. Defensively, he is a solid shot-blocker but can be pushed around some at times. Wood is a decent rebounder. As he continues to grow and get bigger and stronger, look for Wood's national profile to definitely increase.
Nolan Berry (Ballwin, Mo./DeSmet Jesuit)
2013, PF, 6-8, 190 pounds
He's about as vanilla as it gets on the court and that's his calling card. Over the course of four days he was consistent and played at a high-major level. Berry went out and did his job and played to his strengths. Most face-up 4-men have difficulty -- or lack the desire -- to be good rebounders; Berry doesn't. The grandson of "Easy Ed" Macauley, the MVP of the NBA's first All-Star Game, also has range on his jumper and touch in the paint.
Noah Vonleh (Georgetown, Mass./Haverhill)
2013, PF/SF, 6-7, 190 pounds
He is a skilled combo forward who is best as a power forward at this point in his development. He will be reclassifying to the 2014 class next season. Vonleh plays hard and is very productive. He is very skilled for a power forward and can play multiple positions. He has solid ball skills and can score some off the dribble. He is a very good rebounder and is a good scorer in the paint. Noah is best when facing the basket. He has made himself into one of the better young players in the country. Moving into the Class of 2014 raises his profile even further.
Austin Nichols (Memphis/Briarcrest)
2013, PF, 6-7, 195 pounds
He is a do-it-all power forward whose look and game remind you of ex-76er and all-time great Bobby Jones. Nichols is a solid athlete with good length and is very gritty and crafty. He can use either hand in the paint to score, is a good rebounder and knows how to play. He is a very effective player, which is what every team needs. Someone who will rebound, play defense and doesn't need the ball to score.
Moses Kingsley (New Albany, Miss./New Albany)
2013, C, 6-9, 210 pounds
He was the best shot-blocker at the Nike Elite 100 camp. The African import has come to the United States and made an immediate impact. He takes away the rim defensively and is developing offensively. He plays hard and is active on both ends of the court. He finishes dump-offs and putbacks in the paint. Right now Kingsley's impact is on the defensive end of the floor but his length, size and activity allow him to be productive on the offensive end of the floor without having a high skill level.
Notes
• Coaches who don't mind small point guards will be smitten by 2014 sub-6-footer Jackson-Cartwright.
• Stephen Clark (Oklahoma City, Okla./Douglass) was quiet until the playoffs. The 2013 point guard unleashed his accurate jumper and put his team into the camp championship game. His semifinal performance was one of the camp's best individual efforts.
• Emmanuel Mudiay (Arlington, Texas/Grace Prep) is very open, as most freshmen are, though Baylor and Texas are on him hard.
• One of the unique bigs at camp was Jarquez Smith (Haddock, Ga./First Presbyterian). The 2013 power forward has inside game and outside ability. If he balances the two and rebounds his position, big things will be on the horizon.
• The two best shot-blockers in camp were 2013 prospects Goodluck Okonoboh (Boston/Tilton) and Kingsley.
Dave Telep is the senior basketball recruiting analyst for ESPN.com. His college basketball scouting service is used by more than 225 colleges and numerous NBA teams. He can be reached at espndt@gmail.com. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter. John Stovall, a recruiting coordinator, has worked as director of scouting for Prep Spotlight Scouting Service and magazine for 15 years.