Last Saturday’s Nike Hoop Summit was chock-full of outstanding talent. And for the third time in the last four years, the World Select Team outlasted the USA, 103-101.
Duke recruit Luke Kennard was the USA Select Team’s leading scorer with 22 points and did it quietly and efficiently. World Team star and Kentucky recruit Skal Labissiere, “The Haitian Revelation,” should compete for the No. 1 pick in 2016’s NBA draft because he has some of Anthony Davis’ offensive traits.
Here are five more guys who also impressed me and should make an instant impact on the 2015-2016 college basketball season.
1. Ben Simmons | 6-9 | Forward
Committed to LSU
When I watched Ben Simmons in January of his high school junior year, my first reaction was that he is a more athletic and complete player than Duke’s Jabari Parker, who at the time was the consensus No. 1 pick in the NBA draft. I feel more strongly about that than ever.
The LSU-bound Simmons is my favorite right now to be college basketball’s national player of the year in 2015-2016. I describe Simmons as a “positionless player” in the mold of a Magic Johnson or LeBron James and that is only slight hyperbole.
Simmons can impact the game from almost anywhere on the court. And like James and Johnson, he could easily be a full-time point guard if he so chose because, even at 6-foot-9, he is a gifted ball handler, a great passer and has a high basketball IQ.
Because of his handle and his size, Simmons is a “rip and run” rebounder who can go coast-to-coast. And although he looks at times like he’s playing in cruise control, he turns on his speed with the ball when he needs to, and can explode to the basket.
Around the basket, Simmons scores easily because, in part, he is ambidextrous. He scores fluidly with either hand.
If there is one area where Simmons can improve at the moment, it is his outside shot. He has to take care of a side-spin rotation on his follow-through that can be corrected. He should go right to work on it when he gets to Baton Rouge this summer.
There were other interesting prospects at the Hoop Summit, including Kentucky 7-foot recruit Labissiere, who was impressive. But right now, Simmons is a man among boys at the high school level. The next challenge is about to begin.
2. Brandon Ingram | 6-10 | Forward
Undeclared
The first time I saw Ingram play was when an Adidas High School All-Star team participated in the Adidas Eurocamp in Italy last June. And my first reaction was that he played like a right-handed Tayshaun Prince.
At 6-foot-10, Ingram is skinny enough to slip through a wet straw and emerge dry. And, he plays likes he’s not showing a lot of effort. But don’t be fooled by appearances. He is skilled enough to play small forward, shoots it well and, with physical maturity, will be able to use his height and athleticism around the basket.
Ingram and his pterodactyl-like wingspan will cause havoc on opponents’ perimeter players if he buys into the defensive end of the floor.
From Kinston, North Carolina, the home of former North Carolina Tar Heels Jerry Stackhouse and Reggie Bullock, Ingram is the prize in a recruiting battle between the Heels, Duke, Kansas, Kentucky and NC State. Wherever he ends up, he’ll be fun to watch.
3. Jalen Brunson | 6-1 | G
Committed to Villanova
Jalen Brunson is a Philly guard.
I know that he played his high school basketball in Chicago, where they have produced great college guards through the years. But when you study the family tree -- his father Rick Brunson was one of Temple’s all-time best -- and the fact that he’s heading to Villanova to play, he’s as Philly as a soft pretzel with mustard.
With the departure of some outstanding players in the Wildcats’ backcourt, coach Jay Wright should slide Brunson right into the mix there. First of all, the 6-foot-1 left-hander is a pure point guard who has strength and quickness to get into the paint off the dribble. And once he’s there, he usually makes the correct read to pass or shoot.
That point guard savvy comes, in part, because Brunson’s father not only played, but also coached in the NBA. So the son plays with the maturity of a seasoned basketball veteran. In fact, he’s a screen-and-roll savant.
Brunson is also a winner. He topped off a tremendous senior season with an Illinois 4A state title and an Illinois Mr. Basketball award.
Expect instant impact from him upon his arrival on the Main Line.
4. Allonzo Trier | 6-4| G
Committed to Arizona
Where was Trier this past season, when the defensive-oriented Arizona Wildcats could have really used his scoring? He was finishing up his high school career at Findlay Prep in Las Vegas.
Trier scores like he breathes. And while he didn’t have his best shooting game at the Hoop Summit, making four of 12 attempts, it is clear that Trier has a gift for scoring. First of all, he is relentless in transition, using his 6-foot-4 size and terrific end-to-end speed to get to the basket. And he usually finishes once he gets there.
He also looks to have a good shooting stroke from deep, but mixes it up by getting into the midrange to shoot his pull-up jump shot over small guards. And I have always loved his footwork in creating his own shot via his dribble game.
Given that Sean Miller’s team will likely lose a number of key starters, including leading scorer Stanley Johnson, Trier should step in immediately because of his ability to put the ball in the basket. If you saw him dominate in last summer’s Nike Peach Jam, you know that burden should come easily to him.
5. Jamal Murray | 6-4 | G
Undeclared
Murray is wasting his time in high school next season. The Canadian was the leading scorer in the game, dropping 30 points in the World Team’s win. And there was some talk in Portland that he can graduate with the Class of 2015.
Murray is already 18 years old and, at 6-foot-4, has good size and physical maturity. He also has a mature game as a combo guard. He scored in different ways last Saturday, from inside and out, and ran his World Team well versus the USA’s pressure. He is poised.
I am assuming he’s not ranked in ESPN’s top 60 in the Class of 2016 because he attends prep school in Canada, but he’s a top 20 talent to me.
It would not surprise me if he makes the decision to leave early for college soon because his stock with high-majors rose last weekend. Duke and Kentucky, I am hearing, have inquired about him. While both need depth in their backcourts, the Blue Devils have no one who is considered a point guard, especially with Final Four Most Outstanding Player Tyus Jones heading to the NBA.
While Duke has recently reached out to Class of 2016 point guard Derryck Thornton, Murray can play there as well, and would give Mike Krzyzewski an offensive weapon on the perimeter to go along with Grayson Allen and incoming freshman Luke Kennard.