2017 Nike Hoop Summit

[awhom111]

Part all-star game, part recruiting, part international basketball...

USA Basketball announced their half of the players, so it seemed like a good time to start the thread. In a trend at the youth national team level for some reason, more than half the players have the same names as their fathers.
https://www.usab.com/news-events/news/2017/02/usa-nike-hoop-summit-roster.aspx

The game will be on ESPN2 at 10pm ET on April 7th. It will be interesting to see Miles Simon coach the American team.

[Olympic Fan]

Part all-star game, part recruiting, part international basketball...

USA Basketball announced their half of the players, so it seemed like a good time to start the thread. In a trend at the youth national team level for some reason, more than half the players have the same names as their fathers.
https://www.usab.com/news-events/news/2017/02/usa-nike-hoop-summit-roster.aspx

The game will be on ESPN2 at 10pm ET on April 7th. It will be interesting to see Miles Simon coach the American team.

The USA roster includes two Duke signees -- Wendell Carter and Gary Trent -- plus our three remaining targets -- Kevin Knox, Trevon Duvall and Mo Bomba.

It should be worth watching ...

[Saratoga2]

The USA roster includes two Duke signees -- Wendell Carter and Gary Trent -- plus our three remaining targets -- Kevin Knox, Trevon Duvall and Mo Bomba.

It should be worth watching ...

So, who do we lose for next year and where do these guys ft?

Must go Matt and Amile and we will miss them both mightily

Jayson is a lottery pick and is expected to leave.

The question marks are Grayson, Luke and Frank, all of whom might be of interest to the NBA.

Then there is the situation at PF/C.

Will Harry make the move based on potential. Will Marques make the move also based on potential?

Will we lose one of our other bigs through transfer? Will Sean graduate as a Jr, or will he stay on the team as a non-playing rep.?

I am not mentioning the other players.

So we have two guards and an inside player to replace and could use a true PG type. My understanding is that Wendell is a big man who could play PF/C and Trent is G/SF

With our targets of a true small forward, another center and a PG, it kind of begs the question about which big men coach K expects to leave and which other guard?

[awhom111]

Now we have the other team:
https://www.usab.com/news-events/news/2017/03/world-team-announced.aspx

It's great that there are a lot of Canadian players coming through, but since almost all them play on the same circuits as the American players, it makes it a little less special. I am looking forward to the German duo of Bonga and Hartenstein as well as Simanic and Sedekerskis.

[Troublemaker]

NBADraft.net‏ @nbadraftnet (https://twitter.com/nbadraftnet) 14h14 hours ago (https://twitter.com/nbadraftnet/status/849813341392355329)
Trent, Porter, Jackson, Carter and Duvall the starters for the first scrimmage for #TeamUSA (https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamUSA?src=hash) #HOOPSUMMIT (https://twitter.com/hashtag/HOOPSUMMIT?src=hash)


Hoping Duval will become the next Duke player with a commonly misspelled name.



Jonathan Givony‏Verified account @DraftExpress (https://twitter.com/DraftExpress) 14h14 hours ago (https://twitter.com/DraftExpress/status/849805485515579392)
Super competitive evening USA practice/scrimmage. Wendell Carter, Michael Porter, Collin Sexton all having some nice moments. No NBA scouts.


Good to hear about Wendell. Sexton has been getting rave reviews the past couple of weeks (McDonald's practice + game, and now Hoop Summit practice).

[Billy Dat]

For those not accustomed to watching this game, it is 1000x better than the McDonalds game as it is less of an All Star showcase and more of a competitive atmosphere. You can get a much better idea of what a kid is made of, I am looking forward to it.

[Olympic Fan]

Sexton has been getting rave reviews the past couple of weeks (McDonald's practice + game, and now Hoop Summit practice).

I'm kind of torn when a top player signs with a bad program. On one hand, I admire the courage to forge your own path, but on the other hand, I wonder if the kid is looking to be a big fish in a little pond.

We had Ben Simmons waste his year of college for a bad LSU team and Markelle Fultz do the same at Washington this season.

Now we have a great prospect in Michael Porter joining a horrible Missouri program and Sexton -- who I agree looks very impressive in the postseason all-star games -- heading for Alabama.

I wonder how much these one-and-done superstars really help a struggling program. They add excitement and all that, but not often can a player like that lift a bad program to NCAA contention ... then when they are gone, the program is as bad as ever. Better to sign some lower rated guys who will stay and become the foundation of a program.

We can see that LSU is still in the toilet after Simmons ... and Washington in in shambles after Fultz. It will be interesting to see what Missouri and Alabama do next year with their superstars ... and what they do the year after when they are gone.

I'm not saying every top kid should sign with Kentucky, Duke, Arizona or Kansas, but there are 30-40 programs out there where a one-and-done player could change a good team into a title contender.

PS I agree with Billy Dat that the Hoop Summit is far, FAR better than the McDonald's Showcase (I hate to call it a game). Still a danger of reading too much into one game, but at least it's a real game.

[CrazyNotCrazie]

I'm kind of torn when a top player signs with a bad program. On one hand, I admire the courage to forge your own path, but on the other hand, I wonder if the kid is looking to be a big fish in a little pond.

We had Ben Simmons waste his year of college for a bad LSU team and Markelle Fultz do the same at Washington this season.

Now we have a great prospect in Michael Porter joining a horrible Missouri program and Sexton -- who I agree looks very impressive in the postseason all-star games -- heading for Alabama.

I wonder how much these one-and-done superstars really help a struggling program. They add excitement and all that, but not often can a player like that lift a bad program to NCAA contention ... then when they are gone, the program is as bad as ever. Better to sign some lower rated guys who will stay and become the foundation of a program.

We can see that LSU is still in the toilet after Simmons ... and Washington in in shambles after Fultz. It will be interesting to see what Missouri and Alabama do next year with their superstars ... and what they do the year after when they are gone.

I'm not saying every top kid should sign with Kentucky, Duke, Arizona or Kansas, but there are 30-40 programs out there where a one-and-done player could change a good team into a title contender.

PS I agree with Billy Dat that the Hoop Summit is far, FAR better than the McDonald's Showcase (I hate to call it a game). Still a danger of reading too much into one game, but at least it's a real game.

In general I would tend to agree with you. But in the case of Sexton, Alabama is not a total waste of time. Their coach is Avery Johnson, who had a successful career as an NBA point guard (Sexton's position) and also was an NBA head coach for a number of years. And it isn't too far from where he is growing up. So the school actually has a lot going for it, though it would be much better if he was playing there surrounded by better talent. From the program's perspective, it isn't necessarily going to be a game changer, but you don't turn a kid like that down either.

[Troublemaker]

In general I would tend to agree with you. But in the case of Sexton, Alabama is not a total waste of time. Their coach is Avery Johnson, who had a successful career as an NBA point guard (Sexton's position) and also was an NBA head coach for a number of years. And it isn't too far from where he is growing up. So the school actually has a lot going for it, though it would be much better if he was playing there surrounded by better talent. From the program's perspective, it isn't necessarily going to be a game changer, but you don't turn a kid like that down either.

Sexton is also coming in with a pretty good recruiting class (two 4-stars in addition to him) and is going to a bubble team in Bama. I actually expect them to get some preseason top-25 votes and believe they can make the tournament next season with him.

I also think Sexton will probably move ahead of Duval in the PG rankings for 2017 based on his past couple of weeks. So Duke is recruiting the #2 PG in that class, but I suppose I'll still take Duval if he wants to come, haha.

[Olympic Fan]

I also think Sexton will probably move ahead of Duval in the PG rankings for 2017 based on his past couple of weeks. So Duke is recruiting the #2 PG in that class, but I suppose I'll still take Duval if he wants to come, haha.

Except that it's not clear that Sexton is a point guard.

He's the No. 2 rated shooting guard in the class, according to ESPN. He's also listed as a shooting guard in the rsci, (although 247 ranks him as a point guard).

He has the ball in his hands a lot, but he's not a distributor and he has a high turnover rate. He's more a combo guard (like Grayson or Frank Jackson) than a point guard.

Obviously, prep rankings don't matter ... and it's possible that Sexton will climb past Duval in the various overall rankings (he now trails in every major ranking), but I'm confident that we've targeted the best point guard in this class -- and not just because he's interested in us.

BTW, I wonder how Luke's decision will impact Duval's choice -- reportedly, he has been waiting to see who goes and who stays at his various target schools. Without Luke, we still have Grayson, Jackson and Trent at guard ... no matter what Grayson decides, Coach K has never had any problem getting minutes for four guards in his rotation (especially since he so often plays a three guard lineup).

[Troublemaker]

USA Basketball‏Verified account @usabasketball (https://twitter.com/usabasketball) 5m5 minutes ago (https://twitter.com/usabasketball/status/850087437900500992)
Just in! Official measurements of USA Junior National Select Team that will take on World Team in 20th annual @nikehoopsummit. #HoopSummit


https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C8wd5rKVwAAoi0e.jpg

[Rich]

In a trend at the youth national team level for some reason, more than half the players have the same names as their fathers.

Better than their mothers! (thank you, I'm here all night)

But seriously, what's the difference between "Jr." and "II"?

[pfrduke]

(measurement chart)

How crazy is it that Bamba can reach to 6" short of the rim without leaving the floor? That's incredible length.

[pfrduke]

Better than their mothers! (thank you, I'm here all night)

But seriously, what's the difference between "Jr." and "II"?

Not sure whether it's necessarily the case for any of these kids, but II can be used when it skips a generation (e.g., player has same name as grandfather).

[CrazyNotCrazie]

Better than their mothers! (thank you, I'm here all night)

But seriously, what's the difference between "Jr." and "II"?

Apparently Jr. means named after the father, while II means named after another close family member - thanks for asking as I had been meaning to look that up - I am Jewish so we don't do juniors (since we only traditionally name after the deceased):

http://mentalfloss.com/article/90893/whats-difference-between-jr-and-ii

I am waiting to see college athletes with Sr. on their jersey, like Steve Smith Sr. I wanted to put that on my elementary-school aged son's jersey for shock value but got talked out of it...

[arnie]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C8wd5rKVwAAoi0e.jpg

So Troy Brown and Gary Trent are same height, but Brown's standing reach is nearly a foot higher. Slight difference in wingspan. So Brown either has no neck whatsoever, or Trent has many extra vertebrate?

[DukeFanSince1990]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C8wd5rKVwAAoi0e.jpg

Duval has a 6'9 wingspan? Sucks to a guard being guarded by him. Wow.

[Troublemaker]

So Troy Brown and Gary Trent are same height, but Brown's standing reach is nearly a foot higher. Slight difference in wingspan. So Brown either has no neck whatsoever, or Trent has many extra vertebrate?

Yeah, that's strange. I think Brown may be the freak there since Trent and MJ Walker essentially have the same measurements.


Duval has a 6'9 wingspan? Sucks to a guard being guarded by him. Wow.

Yeah, although there's a bit of Rajon Rondo disease there. That wingspan to height ratio probably makes it hard for Duval to shoot, so it perhaps isn't all positive.

[CDu]

So Troy Brown and Gary Trent are same height, but Brown's standing reach is nearly a foot higher. Slight difference in wingspan. So Brown either has no neck whatsoever, or Trent has many extra vertebrate?

Yeah, pretty sure that is a typo. I am 5'11", with a ~6' wingspan, and my standing reach is about 7'8". There is no way that Trent - who is 7" taller and apparently has arms about 3-4" longer - only reaches 7'10.5".

Apparently, he had a standing reach of 8'4.5" in 2016 and an 8'4" reach in 2015, both as measured by USA Basketball. So my guess it that he is probably in the 8'5" or 8'6" range.

[Troublemaker]

Yeah, pretty sure that is a typo. I am 5'11", with a ~6' wingspan, and my standing reach is about 7'8". There is no way that Trent - who is 7" taller and apparently has arms about 3-4" longer - only reaches 7'10.5".

Apparently, he had a standing reach of 8'4.5" in 2016 and an 8'4" reach in 2015, both as measured by USA Basketball. So my guess it that he is probably in the 8'5" or 8'6" range.

Hmmm, on second thought, I think you're right. Typo makes the most sense.

[proelitedota]

Gary Trent Jr is Justice Winslow sized. :cool:

[awhom111]

The World Team made a late addition, because they definitely needed another Canadian:
https://www.usab.com/news-events/news/2017/04/world-team-replacement.aspx

[CDu]

How crazy is it that Bamba can reach to 6" short of the rim without leaving the floor? That's incredible length.

Bolden measured at 9'4.5" standing reach, so he is just 1.5" shy of Bamba's reach.

[CDu]

Gary Trent Jr is Justice Winslow sized. :cool:

I was waiting for someone to make that connection.

[Troublemaker]

Another scrimmage this evening in which "our guys" dot the starting lineup for USA:


Andrew Nemec‏Verified account @AndrewNemec (https://twitter.com/AndrewNemec) 2h2 hours ago (https://twitter.com/AndrewNemec/status/850141727834820609)
Team USA starting 5 - Duval, Trent Jr., Porter Jr., Carter Jr., Bamba

[BD80]

Gary Trent Jr is Justice Winslow sized. :cool:


I was waiting for someone to make that connection.

So he'll play the "4?"

[MChambers]

So he'll play the "4?"

Duke doesn't have positions, don't you know?

[Troublemaker]

Same starters as the scrimmage from yesterday.



USA Basketball‏Verified account @usabasketball (https://twitter.com/usabasketball) 3m3 minutes ago (https://twitter.com/usabasketball/status/850527303239049216)
USA starters for the @nikehoopsummit (https://twitter.com/nikehoopsummit): @DatGuy_Trey (https://twitter.com/DatGuy_Trey), @THAT_KID_GARY (https://twitter.com/THAT_KID_GARY), @TheMPJ1 (https://twitter.com/TheMPJ1), @wendellcarter34 (https://twitter.com/wendellcarter34) & Mohamed Bamba #HoopSummit (https://twitter.com/hashtag/HoopSummit?src=hash)




Duval, Trent, Porter, Carter, Bamba

[Duke79UNLV77]

What happened to Carter's hair???

[accfanfrom1970]

Duval will definitely by a Duke commit, he limped
off the court. Foot? Lower leg? Toe?

[Troublemaker]

Duval will definitely by a Duke commit, he limped
off the court. Foot? Lower leg? Toe?

Yep, I'm sure every Duke fan watching thought the same thing. Duval might as well verbally commit tonight.

[mattman91]

Duval will definitely by a Duke commit, he limped
off the court. Foot? Lower leg? Toe?

It's over.

[Duke79UNLV77]

Very cool new Kyrie commercial.

[richardjackson199]

Duval will definitely by a Duke commit, he limped
off the court. Foot? Lower leg? Toe?

How bad was it?

[Troublemaker]

How bad was it?

Probably minor. Wouldn't be surprised if it were just a sprained ankle, but he hasn't checked back in and appears to be on the bench with his warmups back on. USA probably taking no chances with his injury.

In his brief appearance in the game, Duval put good ball pressure on the World, made a nice pass inside to Porter for free throws and hit a 3.

[devildeac]

How bad was it?

He'll miss 2 summer sessions, the first month of practice and at least the regular season games in November and December. :rolleyes:

[devildeac]

Probably minor. Wouldn't be surprised if it were just a sprained ankle, but he hasn't checked back in and appears to be on the bench with his warmups back on. USA probably taking no chances with his injury.

In his brief appearance in the game, Duval put good ball pressure on the World, made a nice pass inside to Porter for free throws and hit a 3.


Wow, if he can do that, just think what he can do locally/regionally in the ACC. ;)

[Olympic Fan]

How bad was it?

Not bad ... after sitting out most of the first half, he started the second and played about half the second half.

I love (and desperately want) Duval

Carter and Trent had their moments. Barring injury, both are in the rotation next year and both will fit in well.

Very. VERY small sample size, but I've seen two all-star games and I have not been impressed by Kevin Knox. That could be very unfair -- some guys just don't function well in that environment. That could be him. But he does seem stiff ... he made some nice drives, but could never finish -- in fact, he didn't come close to finishing, throwing up some wild shots that don't come close. Didn't see tough on the boards and his defense was bleh!

The more I see Bamba, the more I love his game. Of all the guys still up in the air for Duke (Grayson, Duval, Knox and Bamba), he's the one we need least -- no, that's not quite right. But if he comes, we have a logjam in the post with Bamba, Bolden and Carter. I've been arguing that K will start two post guys next year -- or at least find 25-plus minutes for both. But I can see how he can keep THREE post guys happy. So maybe better if Bamba doesn't come ...

Yet, I love his game. He's not much of an offensive player, but he's such a great rim protector/rebounder. Did you see the play where the International guy tried to lob it over him on the break ... and Bamba went up and got it? LOVED that.

Interesting game in that with Duval hurt early and Quade Green out, Collin Sexton had to run the point. Great prospect, but you can see his limitations as a point guard. I thought the wilder the game got, the better he played -- he struggled against a set defense. But he also was a whirling dervish on defense. I love his game ... just not sure he can play the point.

I really liked the Canadian kid with the hyphenated name who is going to Virginia Tech next year. The Jackson kid going to Michigan State is awfully good. If Bridges stays, that's quite an athletic combo.

It ticked me off when the announcers starting talking about next year's top five ... Biancardi had Louisville at No. 1 and said they don't lose anybody. Is he aware that their three best players have declared for the NBA draft (I know they can come back, but as of now, they are on the NBA list) ... plus they graduate Mathiang, who was a solid big man for them. The other commentator was such a cheerleader for the SEC that it was annoying.

Still, a fun game to watch ... much, MUCH better than the McDonalds game.

New week, we've got the Jordan Brand game. Hopefully, we'll know a little more about Duke's targets by then. Supposedly, Knox will announce Wednesday on signing day (on the ESPN signing day special). Don't know if his trip to Missouri changes that.

[Saratoga2]

Not bad ... after sitting out most of the first half, he started the second and played about half the second half.

I love (and desperately want) Duval

Carter and Trent had their moments. Barring injury, both are in the rotation next year and both will fit in well.

Very. VERY small sample size, but I've seen two all-star games and I have not been impressed by Kevin Knox. That could be very unfair -- some guys just don't function well in that environment. That could be him. But he does seem stiff ... he made some nice drives, but could never finish -- in fact, he didn't come close to finishing, throwing up some wild shots that don't come close. Didn't see tough on the boards and his defense was bleh!

The more I see Bamba, the more I love his game. Of all the guys still up in the air for Duke (Grayson, Duval, Knox and Bamba), he's the one we need least -- no, that's not quite right. But if he comes, we have a logjam in the post with Bamba, Bolden and Carter. I've been arguing that K will start two post guys next year -- or at least find 25-plus minutes for both. But I can see how he can keep THREE post guys happy. So maybe better if Bamba doesn't come ...

Yet, I love his game. He's not much of an offensive player, but he's such a great rim protector/rebounder. Did you see the play where the International guy tried to lob it over him on the break ... and Bamba went up and got it? LOVED that.

Interesting game in that with Duval hurt early and Quade Green out, Collin Sexton had to run the point. Great prospect, but you can see his limitations as a point guard. I thought the wilder the game got, the better he played -- he struggled against a set defense. But he also was a whirling dervish on defense. I love his game ... just not sure he can play the point.

I really liked the Canadian kid with the hyphenated name who is going to Virginia Tech next year. The Jackson kid going to Michigan State is awfully good. If Bridges stays, that's quite an athletic combo.

It ticked me off when the announcers starting talking about next year's top five ... Biancardi had Louisville at No. 1 and said they don't lose anybody. Is he aware that their three best players have declared for the NBA draft (I know they can come back, but as of now, they are on the NBA list) ... plus they graduate Mathiang, who was a solid big man for them. The other commentator was such a cheerleader for the SEC that it was annoying.

Still, a fun game to watch ... much, MUCH better than the McDonalds game.

New week, we've got the Jordan Brand game. Hopefully, we'll know a little more about Duke's targets by then. Supposedly, Knox will announce Wednesday on signing day (on the ESPN signing day special). Don't know if his trip to Missouri changes that.

With 80 minutes available at the 4 & 5 slots, why can't three buys get 25 minutes each? If K starts 2 bigs and they are young players, they aren't likely to handle more than that. As far as Know is concerned, can't he play small forward?

[CDu]

With 80 minutes available at the 4 & 5 slots, why can't three buys get 25 minutes each? If K starts 2 bigs and they are young players, they aren't likely to handle more than that. As far as Know is concerned, can't he play small forward?

Yes, three guys can get 25 minutes or so each at PF/C. No, Knox does not sppear to have SF skills at this point.

[subzero02]

Gary Trent Jr is Justice Winslow sized. :cool:

It's Justise....

[westwall]

Yes, three guys can get 25 minutes or so each at PF/C. No, Knox does not sppear to have SF skills at this point.


Agree that 3 bigs should not be a problem; unCheats did fairly well with that situation. Knox had a moment or two but did not appear eager to mix it up inside. At this point I wonder whether he could be the rebounder that Tatum became. Thus, if he does not have SF skills, then what?

[FadedTackyShirt]

For the record, sincerely hope all of Duval, Knox, and Bamba play for Duke, but it's interesting to see how both style of play and the prototypical Duke player have evolved.

Laettner, Brian Davis, and Hurley used to be the faces of Duke basketball, but their teammate Grant Hill was more representative of the average Duke student during their era. Brand was later on a Sports Illustrated cover headlined, "Preppies No More".

K would probably prefer to play Knox as a stretch 4, but confident he could make Bolden, Carter, and Bamba work too.

Some will sneer if Bamba goes to Kentucky or Carter's a OAD, but both have more in common with Grant, Battier, and Ryan Kelly than with Laettner, Davis, Hurley, and Brand.

No way Grant would be a four year player today. Better to focus more on how well student-athletes represent Duke on and off the floor and institutional fit than raw tenure in this era.

[CDu]

Agree that 3 bigs should not be a problem; unCheats did fairly well with that situation. Knox had a moment or two but did not appear eager to mix it up inside. At this point I wonder whether he could be the rebounder that Tatum became. Thus, if he does not have SF skills, then what?

Knox will either have to develop SF skills in a hurry (unlikely), or develop a willingness to mix it up in traffic.

[Kedsy]

Yes, three guys can get 25 minutes or so each at PF/C. No, Knox does not sppear to have SF skills at this point.

I haven't seen him. Are you saying that because his shot isn't good enough? Could he defend SFs?

[CajunDevil]

I haven't seen him. Are you saying that because his shot isn't good enough? Could he defend SFs?

I've only seen Knox in McD's game and his shot mechanics and results appeared good enough to play SF at Duke, and his ability in transition and halfcourt on O in the 4th Q (when D was actually played) was impressive. I'm not sure about his handles as a secondary or tertiary ballhandler or his defense... Knox doesn't appear as able to battle inside like Tatum or Justise, so playing him at 4 wouldn't be all that effective, imo. In fact, after the McD's game I was most excited about seeing Knox in Duke blue of any of the three uncommitted recruits.

[CDu]

I haven't seen him. Are you saying that because his shot isn't good enough? Could he defend SFs?

Neither his shot nor his ballhandling are up to it. Could he defend 3s? Yes. But - especially if we get Duval - playing him at SF would be murder on our floor spacing.

[Troublemaker]

Knox had an awful Hoop Summit, but I wouldn't read too much into it.

I still like him a lot. I think he'll be able to hit the college 3 and swing between SF and PF as needed. I actually like that he's not as advanced offensively as Tatum; I would want the two leading scorers next season to be Wendell and (hopefully) Grayson in some order. I'm hoping Knox can come in and be like Justise -- defer some to Jahlil, Quinn, and Tyus, defend his butt off, and take advantage of transition opportunities. Knox has Justise-type athleticism that I'm hoping to see on Duke's roster next season as a combo forward. However, if he decides to go elsewhere, I look forward to rooting for Javin and Jack as well.