NBPA Top 100 Camp: Thursday Standouts
ORLANDO, Fla.—The NBPA Top 100 camp is one of the must-attend June events on the calendar. Bringing in several of the nation’s top prospects to Disney’s Wide World of Sports, this is the last opportunity for players to play in front of college and NBA coaches before July starts.
In order to be able to hone in on games, I stayed at court 1 and caught teams as they rotated my way.
Morning Session
The most dominant performance I saw during the morning session went to 2026 W AJ Dybansta. 31 points on 12-18 shooting says a lot. He was able to do whatever he wanted on offense, especially on drives to the basket. His handle and bag of counters worked for him all morning. Dybansta was also the clear leader of his team. It was noticeable from the second floor of the gym. In camp settings, defense is optional, but it wasn’t for Dybansta. He took it seriously on that end and looked like a guy that wanted to impress next-level scouts and coaches.
I hadn’t heard much from Tucker over the last six months or so. It was good to see him back in the spotlight, and he quickly reminded why he’s a 5-star prospect. He had a mature feel for the game and a deep scoring package that can work from all levels on the floor. At 6-foot-6, Tucker is a multi-positional guard who can reasonably slot in at all perimeter spots throughout at game. Tucker showed a lot in a one game sample with 21 points and 8 rebounds.
Pettiford is such a perfect fit for Auburn. He fits their recent success with shotmaking guards with speed. Pettiford plays like a guy who’s going to be taking plenty of big shots at the end of games at the next level. The future Tiger started June well with a standout performance at the Pangos All-American camp in Vegas and looks to be closing the month as well as he started it here in Orlando. Pettiford opened Thursday with a near triple-double with 23 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists.
Flory doing Flory things was the sentiment yet again. For those who haven’t gotten the Bidunga experience, he can be an overwhelming presence around the basket with this athleticism and motor. He’s not the tallest big man, but he’s physically imposing nevertheless. A left-handed, posterizing dunk was not only his highlight of the day, but it was probably the most memorable dunk I’ve seen in person this year. Those moments are always on the table when he plays, and somewhere around 10 rebounds is the norm for him.
BODYBAG SZN IS HERE 😈 @Top100Camp pic.twitter.com/ijbir0dRdi
— Overtime (@overtime) June 29, 2023
I’ve been fortunate enough to see a lot of Cameron Boozer over the last year. His Thursday performance was on the quieter side of what I’ve seen from him, but he still finished with a 13 and 10 double-double. His scoring wasn’t working at its highest level, but he left his mark on the game elsewhere. The rebounding number speaks for itself, but Boozer also made some outstanding passes throughout. He’s held in such high regard for a reason.
Afternoon Session
Knueppel has outstanding feel for the game. He’s among the best in the country in that regard. He’s also one of the best shooters in the country. Knueppel is savvy defensively which showed via multiple stops and deflections, including while guarding at the five spot. Offensively, he has a skill set that allows him to get to his spots without overwhelming speed or bust. He uses his body well to create space. Knueppel also pulled 14 rebounds by out-hustling guys and battling harder on the glass.
Thomas dropped 17 points to start the afternoon session. They came in a variety of ways too. He had his jumper working at times. From mid-range to the 3-point line, Thomas showed that part of his game, and he used some craft on drives to get to the basket. Thomas’ positional size and length always intrigue. He’s one of the more esteemed guards in his class, and he looked the part.
Liam McNeely did what he does best in the sense that he hit plenty of shots, but it was his rebounding tenacity that stood out the most. Hitting shots is a given with him. McNeely pursued rebounds aggressively. There was no lackadaisical, cool-guy approach.
Acuff is an exciting guard, especially when he gets cooking from the field. He got up plenty of shots on Thursday, but he made a healthy percentage of them. He backed up a 30-pointer in the morning session with 22 more points to close the day. He’s been one of the year’s risers and added a strong performance to his quickly-expanding resume.
Quaintance closed the day on a high note with a 13 and 10 double-double. His size, length, strength and athleticism combine to make one of the best big men in the country. His impact was felt on both ends of the floor. The stats tell the scoring and rebounding imprint he left on the game, but his defensive effort deserves praise as well. Quaintance uses his length well on that end of the floor to block and alter shots. Of course, his rebounding prowess limits opponents to single-shot possessions as well.
Efficiency was the name of the game for Labaron Philon to close out Thursday’s slate of games. The Link (MO) Academy guard went 7-8 for 15 points. He’s been known as a prolific scorer throughout his HS career to this point. On Thursday, he certainly showed his efficiency in that regard. He added 7 rebounds in the game too.
Zoom Diallo is one of the most dangerous guards in the 2024 class. He’s a downhill driver that can pick teams apart with his jumper when teams sag off him to keep him from getting to the basket. He had 18 points in the last game of the day.
More quick hitters
Drake Powell shot the ball well in a 15-point outing during the morning session. 5-8 from the field on 3-5 shooting from 3-point range.
Caleb Wilson picked up an offer from Kentucky after a day that included a double-double. I wouldn’t say the game I saw was his best scoring outing, but he did everything else well. Blocking shots, making passes, and obviously rebounding the ball.
Morez Johnson had dominant moments around the basket to start the day. Athletically, physically he’s tough to contend with. A force on both ends.
Khani Rooths scored on all levels, and his voice could be heard from across the gym. The 6-foot-8 wing pulled rebounds and initiated breaks, showing his dexterity with the ball.
Jamari Phillips had some outstanding scoring moments , especially when shooting. He has a quick trigger and can pick teams apart with his jumper. He had a loud 15 points in the game I saw.
