Nike Hoop Summit: 8 top international and USA players who impressed NBA scouts
PORTLAND, Ore. — Twenty-six of the top high school seniors and 2024 NBA Draft-eligible international players traveled to the northwest for a week of practices and scrimmages in front of NBA scouts and front office executives then went head-to-head in a USA versus World game at the Moda Center on Saturday night. The Nike Hoop Summit differs from the McDonald's All-American Game with NBA scouts able to get eyes on young international prospects, as well. The 2024 NBA Draft is wide open at the top, unlike this upcoming draft with a clear-cut No. 1 player in Victor Wembanyama.
The all-star game was very competitive from start to finish with Team USA edging out the World, 90-84.
"Every time we step out on to the court, I know that we're all going to compete," Texas commit Ron Holland told Yahoo Sports after the game. "That's just how this [high school] class is, and I know I'm going to get better and make everyone else better every time we play."
There were a couple players that showed out and separated themselves at Nike Hoop Summit and are players to keep tabs on next year. Yahoo Sports takes a look at eight top performers from the competitive week in Portland.
Ron Holland, Texas
Holland made a strong statement in Houston at the McDonald's All-American Game as one of the best players on the court and didn't skip a beat this week in Portland. The Texas wing did a bit of everything from bullying his way in the lane for dunks and knocking down tough shots from deep with a defender in his face. Holland finished with 15 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists in the Team USA win. Where he was most effective was on the offensive glass, grabbing 5 offensive boards and providing second chances for Team USA.
Texas is coming off an Elite Eight run and have to be thrilled about what they're adding with a player like Holland next season. He's turned a corner and started to put everything together and will be a huge offensive asset for the Longhorns and a must-watch player for NBA scouts.
Isaiah Collier, USC
Collier followed up his impressive McDonald's All-American Game performance with another strong showing at the Nike Hoop Summit. Collier is a 6-foot-4 pass-first point guard who excels when getting downhill and finding open teammates. He did make an effort to show scouts a little more of his outside game, hitting a few 3-pointers off the dribble in the Team USA scrimmage Friday night.
During the game Saturday, Collier was the strongest guard on the court, showcasing his incredible control around the rim and making impossible passes to teammates, sometimes unexpected. Collier finished with 11 points and 3 assists in the win over the World team.
USC is emerging as the favorite to land Bronny James, and Collier and James have started to show a little chemistry as potential teammates the last couple weeks during postseason all-star games.
"It's been great playing with him," Collier told Yahoo Sports. "Just these last couple of weeks and getting to know each other as players. He's a great shooter. I'm a great passer and, yeah, my pitch to him is just to stay home and we can really play well together."
Zaccharie Risacher, France
Wembanyama has put France on the map for young upcoming talent, and the next one up as a top NBA Draft prospect might be only a year behind him. Risacher has great size, measured at 6-9.5 this week with a 6-11 wingspan. He was one of the youngest players competing, just 17 years old. He has an ease to his game and great pace. Risacher's quick release on his jump shot and consistency from behind the arc is what stands out most about his game. During a shooting drill on Wednesday, Risacher made 11 consecutive NBA 3s with close to 100 NBA scouts looking on. Youth and upside outweigh experience for top NBA prospects and Risacher has both. The young wing currently plays for Espoirs Asvel and is averaging 14.6 points and 6.7 rebounds.
"I just want to show [NBA scouts] all aspects of my game and that I can shoot and defend," Risacher told Yahoo Sports. "I didn't really get nervous with all the scouts there and I just tried to focus on my game and show them what I can do."
Garwey Dual, uncommitted
Dual caught NBA scouts' attention with what he did on the defensive side of the ball all week. As a 6-5 guard with a 6-10 wingspan, Dual covers a lot of ground defensively. NBA teams always value length and versatility in guards and Dual has both. He's a bit of a late bloomer but has a ton of upside that left NBA scouts intrigued. The guard from South Sudan recently decommitted from Providence after head coach Ed Cooley took the job at Georgetown and reopened his recruitment. Since then, he's been in contact with Georgetown, Louisville, St. John's and Providence.
Mackenzie Mgbako, Duke
Mgbako, playing for the World team out of Nigeria, was the leading scorer on both teams, finishing with 22 points. The Duke forward is aggressive at attacking the rim and uses his footwork and mobility to maneuver around bigs in the post for his advantage. More than once, Mgbako slipped under his defenders for easy passes or dunks and is so quick about it. He also shot 2-for-5 from 3-point range and is smart in his shot selection off the the pick-and-pop. Defensively, he gets caught flat-footed in transition against quick guards, but his timing in chase-down blocks or anything or in the post is elite and avoids the foul.
Ja'Kobe Walter, Baylor
Walter shot well, particularly from 3-point range, all week and his consistency caught the attention from NBA scouts. He moves well off the ball and finds pockets along the arc that make it easy for other guards to spot him when they're driving the lane or baseline. Once his feet are set, it's hard to defend the way he elevates over the defense. His minutes were restricted in the all-star game, logging only eight, but he did enough in the practices and scrimmage to get NBA scouts' attention and mark Walter as a player to keep tabs on in the next college season.
Justin Edwards, Kentucky
Edwards is one of the top wings in the country and loves to push the ball up the court, after turning defense into offense. With his length at 6-7, Edwards can defend every position on the perimeter well and has the quickness to drop down and anticipate players putting the ball on the ground or grabbing steals from skip passes. There are times when he takes possessions off or looks passive in drills, but Edwards projects well at the next level and NBA teams will be watching closely to see how much he improves under John Calipari's system.
Jackson Shelstad, Oregon
Shelstad received the most applause and cheers when his name was announced as a hometown kid playing 20 minutes away at West Linn High School. The 6-1 guard is one of the quickest guards in the senior class. He played exceptionally well during the scrimmage and the game. He plays bigger than his size at the guard position in the way he elevates on jump shots and creates separation off the dribble. The Oregon guard played consistently throughout the week and capped everything off with a great all-star game performance, finishing with 8 points (including two key 3-pointers) in the win.
"I'm just happy I was able to compete with this group and showcase my talent," Shelstad said after the game. "This is a really talented group of players and I was just happy to be out here and compete and grow my game."
Honorable mentions
Jared McCain (Duke), Aden Holloway (Auburn), D.J. Wagner (Kentucky), Mike Nwoko (Miami)