Garrett Tucker:
Future150 Southeast Analyst. Covering high school basketball across the Southeast.
Charlottesville, VA (Future150) -- With some of the top talent in the country flocking to Charlottesville, Virginia, for the 2013 NBPA Top 100 Camp, players had the opportunity to make statements and separate themselves from the rest - and a few players definitely did.
Here are some storylines from the camp that stood out to the Future150 staff...
PERFORMANCES ARE BIGGER & BETTER IN TEXAS
The saying "Everything is bigger in Texas," applied over the weekend, as Houston Hoops duo Justin Jackson and Kelly Oubre performed just as well as any other players.
Jackson, a North Carolina commit, averaged 13.4 points per game, and he scored in a variety of ways. He may have the best mid-range game in high school basketball.
Hands down, the most impressive prospect of the camp was Kelly Oubre. While he is currently ranked No. 29 in the 2014 Future150 rankings, he will get a bump to a five-star when we update our rankings. The 6-foot-5 wing man scored in a variety of ways at all three levels; he proved he is one of the elite players at his position.
LONG POST PLAYERS SHINE BRIGHT
The center position is revolutionizing before our eyes, as more and more prospects are becoming skilled and mobile at greater heights. This camp was filled with long, active shot-blockers down low who fit the new mold of big men.
Myles Turner followed up the hype that has been around him all summer. He is very versatile with his game. While it was just a camp atmosphere, he showed he can affect the game down low, as well as stretching his game to the outside.
While they are still working projects, Cheick Diallo and Thon Maker showed signs of being top players in their respective classes.
Diallo will make a jump into the top ten when rankings are updated, as he proved he is an elite shot-blocker. He also runs the floor very well and is a competitor. A coach couldn't ask for anything more.
Filled with tons of 2014 players, Maker was one of the youngest prospects in attendance. However, he did not shy away from competition or challenges. He competed against some of the best players in the country at his position.
The most impressive skill-set belonging to a sub-seven-footer has to be Stephen Zimmerman. Some of the facets of his game is unheard of for players his size. The Nevada native's stock continues to explode and blast through the roof. It will be fun to see Zimmerman and Malik Newman compete for the No. 1 spot in 2015.
ISAIAH WHITEHEAD CONTINUES HOT SEASON
One of the most prolific scorers in the 2014 class (and high school basketball in general) is Isaiah Whitehead. The 6-foot-4 guard proved he can score against superior competition, as he averaged over ten points per outing. He is wired to score, so expect to see more of that in the future.
ELITE SHOOTERS CATCHING HIGH MAJOR ATTENTION
There is one name that keeps popping up when the topic of elite shooters is mentioned in the 2014 class, and that is the Alabama product Riley Norris. He is 6-foot-7 inches tall, super long, rangy and athletic to boot. This past weekend at the NBPA Top 100 Camp, he proved once again he belonged in the upper echelon of prospects in the country. Not only is he an elite shooter with unbelievable range, but he proved that he can be a great on-ball defender on the perimeter. After receiving an offer from Florida last week, he has parlayed that with high interest from North Carolina this week.
Hailing from Utah, Brekkott Chapman was one of the unheralded players heading into camp. After this weekend, we are fans. The 6-foot-7 wing man showed tons of different parts of his game. He shot the ball very well, but the most impressive was his athleticism. He scored through traffic and finished at the rim consistently.
NEW NAMES RISE TO THE OCCASION
With it being said that this was the NBPA Top 100 Camp, all of the players were talented, high-major players. However, a couple of players rose to the occasion and proved their worth in front of everyone.
Arguably the most consistent player over the weekend was 6-foot-8 power forward Reid Travis. He wasn't necessarily the flashiest or most impressive player, but nevertheless, the Minnesota native produced game in and game out. With his rebounding and physical play down low, he helped guide his Celtics squad to a championship.
Combo guard Ja'Quan Newton had a breakout performance in the championship game of the NBA Top 100 Camp. He scored 31 points and dished out seven assists en route to a victory for his team. Newton is a solid scorer on all three levels and loves getting into the lane and creating opportunities from his teammates. Overall, Newton was one player that saw his stock on the rise.
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