Observations on the 2022 Jordan Brand Classic
July 21st, 2022
By Alan Lu
This time around, I decided to watch the 2022 Jordan Brand Classic to further establish what to expect out of the incoming freshman class in college basketball, as well as to watch some of the other top prospects that played in this game that hadn’t played in other high school All-Star games. This game was played on April 15th, and I was able to see it with thanks to YouTube via Jordan. The top performers looked to be Nick Smith, Dillon Mitchell, Amari Bailey, and Cam Whitmore. Here are my thoughts on various prospects fared, as well as my thoughts on how all of the prospects played in this game.
Strong Performances:
(Photo: Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Texas’ incoming freshman swingman, Dillon Mitchell also played really well in the 2022 Jordan Brand Classic. He is a tremendously athletic forward that thoroughly excelled as a scorer and rebounder, and he was named a co-MVP of this event.
Mitchell did a tremendous job of scoring on hustle plays. He would often sprint down the court to score on thunderous dunks on fast breaks, and he also caught a lob pass to score on a high-flying alley-oop dunk. He also drove up court to score on a graceful layup while getting an extra free throw in transition. He also did a great job of scoring off of offensive rebounds and cuts, and he did a terrific job of catching lobs to score on magnetic, alley-oop jams.
He also attempted a pull-up jumper from just inside the arc, but he missed a long two that time. Also, he showcased satisfactory playmaking skills. Mitchell is an unselfish player that will make the extra pass to notch assists. Sometimes though, he would throw hasty passes, as he had one that got intercepted by a defender.
Also, Mitchell did a good job of rebounding the basketball. He was able to haul in multiple boards on both ends of the floor, and he would sometimes push the ball up the court after getting defensive rebounds. He also played adequate defense. Mitchell would look to actively challenge jumpers to force misses. On one play, he was late to get back, which put his team in a scramble situation and led to a fast break score. Another time, he sagged too far off when defending on a switch, and he gave up too much space to a shooter and allowed an open three-point basket.
In summary, Dillon Mitchell put forth a strong performance to help lead his team to a win in this game. He is a very athletic forward that excelled at making hustle plays. He will need to improve his jump shot and shot creation skills, but his vast athleticism, motor, and upside could enable him to go in the late lottery in the 2023 draft.
(Source: Twitter/@Ballislife)
Arkansas’ incoming freshman guard, Nick Smith put forth a superb performance, as he was named as a co-MVP in this game. He did a tremendous job of shooting and scoring the basketball, and he is a vastly athletic combo guard that also showed off some handles and defensive skills in this contest.
Smith did a great job of knocking down threes to provide ample floor spacing for his team on offense. He showed a knack for making threes both off the catch and dribble, and he also managed to draw free throws on a pull-up three due to possessing the smarts to do so. He also showed a knack for getting fouled on speedy, left-handed drives to frequently get to the free throw line.
Plus, he also managed to make a smooth, one-legged, fadeaway mid-range jumper shortly after grabbing an offensive board. On the downside, he struggled to make mid-range jumpers off the dribble consistently, and sometimes he would take rushed, off-balanced shots that would lead to misses.
He also showcased adequate playmaking skills. Smith is a skilled, agile ball handler that showed that he can make creative passes to notch assists. He used a quick ball fake to pass back to a teammate in the mid-post. He also threw an acrobatic, between-the-legs lob pass to a teammate on the break to set up another score. He showed that he can throw solid passes off the dribble, and he also set an on-ball screen to help create a driving lane for a teammate another time. On the downside, he would sometimes try to be too fancy with his passes, which would sometimes be inaccurate and go astray, which would lead to some turnovers.
Though he didn’t grab many rebounds in this game, Smith was able to haul in multiple offensive boards, and he also leapt up to get an acrobatic offensive rebound once to show his leaping skills. He also tipped a ball to a teammate to help his team get a defensive board another time. However, late in this match, he didn’t box out his man, which led his team to allow a tip-in score.
He also played fairly good defense. Smith showed very good leaping and anticipation skills to block a deep three to a teammate. He also actively contested a long two to force a miss. He also ran in to get his hands on a deflected pass to help his team get a steal. However, he also got beat off the dribble once to allow a score. Another time, he was unable to fight through a screen and allowed an opponent to score on an open corner three.
In general, Nick Smith had a tremendous showing in the 2022 Jordan Brand Classic. He had struggled in the McDonald’s All-American game and at the Nike Hoop Summit, but this was a terrific bounce back game to show NBA scouts what he can do in games. He is a very talented combo guard that will have to iron out some of his shot selection and decision-making issues on offense, but his ability to make plays on both ends of the floor combined with his upside could enable him to be a lottery pick in the 2023 draft.
Amari Bailey also played very well in the 2022 Jordan Brand Classic. He is a skilled combo guard that did a terrific job of shooting and passing the basketball, and he made smart, sound, efficient plays to help his team in this game.
Bailey did a great job of knocking down threes to space the floor for his team. He showed a knack for running off the ball to get it to knock down open corner threes. He also was able to make a smooth, step-back three another time. He also would score on hustle plays, as he managed to score on a tip-in late in this match.
Plus, he also showed a solid ability to score off the dribble. Bailey has good body control to finish plays at the rim, and he has good leaping ability to be able to do so. He drove up the court to score on a high-flying dunk on the break. He also drove to the hoop to score on a switch of hands layup.
He also showed off good playmaking skills in this game. Bailey is a patient player that has good court vision, and he showed a penchant for making good passes to rack up assists in transition. He generally threw good interior passes on the break, and he also would tend to throw accurate passes to find his teammates on the move. Sometimes though, he would throw hasty, inaccurate passes that would end up getting intercepted. Another time, he over-dribbled and ended up getting a ball stolen away from him.
Also, Bailey did a good job of rebounding the basketball, as he was able to get boards on both ends of the floor. He also played adequate defense in this game. Bailey was able to run in to intercept a pass to get a steal, and he also caught a deflected pass to help his team get another. He would use his length to contest threes to force misses. He also chased an opposing ball handler off of a three-point line and contested a mid-range runner to force a miss. Sometimes though, he would be late on his rotations and give up too much space to shooters, which would lead him to allow opponents to score on three-point shots. He didn’t always make timely rotations, as he would sometimes end up out of position defensively.
Overall, Amari Bailey had a strong showing to help his team get the win, and he is a skilled, athletic combo guard that showed a knack for making sound plays on offense. He will need to improve his defense, but his ability to shoot and pass the basketball could enable him to be a first round pick in the 2023 draft.
Cam Whitmore also played well in this game. He is a very athletic swingman that excelled at making hustle plays to help his team on both ends of the floor, and he especially played well in the first half of this match. Whitmore did a terrific job of scoring off the dribble. He would often make strong moves to the hoop to score the basketball, and he has good strength and body control that would enable him to draw fouls to regularly get to the free throw line. He can score using either hand, as he would regularly score on acrobatic, switch of hands layups, and he also dribbled off of a screen to throw down a thunderous dunk.
He also was active in looking to score on hustle plays. Whitmore managed to score on a thunderous dunk on a drive in transition. However, he would sometimes miss on fast break drives and cuts due to rushing. He also didn’t shoot well from the outside, and he missed all of the pull-up threes he took in this contest.
Whitmore showed off good playmaking skills in this game. He is an unselfish player that would make good passes off the dribble and in transition to set up scores for his teammates, and he also showed a knack for throwing accurate, long outlet passes to find his teammates in stride. On the downside, he also once dropped a slightly off-target pass that went to an opponent instead.
Also, Whitmore did a terrific job of rebounding the basketball, and he would tend to push the ball quickly up the floor off of defensive rebounds. Whitmore also played satisfactory defense. He would run in to get loose balls to help his team get steals, and he also helped save a ball to a teammate another time. He also helped force a jump ball after an opponent went up for a shot around the basket. However, sometimes he would not always defend a man, as his team would be in scramble situations, and he would not always be in position to make plays defensively. Another time, he bit on a pump fake when defending in transition, which led his teammate to commit the foul another time.
Overall, Cam Whitmore had a solid showing to help lead his team to get the win in this game. He is a very athletic swingman that showed a knack for attacking the hoop to score and rebound the basketball. He will need to be a more consistent shooter in games, but he is a very talented prospect that could end up being a top 5 pick in the 2023 draft.
Michigan’s incoming freshman swingman, Jett Howard also had a solid showing in this game. He is an athletic, versatile playmaker that showed off solid all-around skills, and his solid performance helped his team win in this contest. He showed a knack for scoring on fast breaks. Howard was able to use a ball fake and pivot move to score on a layup. He also used a spin move to score on a floater. He also managed to score on a high-flying, breakaway dunk on a drive in transition.
Plus, he also shot the ball well from the outside. He used an overhead ball fake to knock down a pull-up jumper from just inside the arc. Howard also ran off the ball to get it and made a quick, deep three off of a dribble handoff. Howard also scored on an up and under, fadeaway jumper from the post. However, he struggled to score when he would look to score on aggressive drives to the hoop.
Also, Howard passed and handled the ball very well, and he showcased very good playmaking skills. He is a very good passer on the break, and he would make good reads to swiftly find open teammates to rack up assists. He can find teammates on the move, and he operated the floor like a big point guard on offense.
He also was able to get his fair share of defensive boards to chip in on the glass, and he also would tend to push the ball up the court off of them. Howard also played satisfactory defense in this game. He did a great job of poking balls away to get steals and deflections, and he would actively contest shots both out on the perimeter and in the paint to force misses. However, he would sometimes take bad angles and overplay his man, which lead him to get beat on cuts and to allow easy catches around the hoop to allow scores at the rim.
Overall, Jett Howard is an athletic, skilled point forward that excelled at making plays on both ends of the floor. He is an underrated prospect that could make an immediate impact at Michigan for the upcoming season, and he could end up being a good find for an NBA team whenever he decides to declare to enter the draft.
Vincent Iwuchukwu also played fairly well in this game. He is a very athletic center that showed off versatile scoring skills, and he also made a three to showcase his stretch big potential and floor spacing capabilities for the future.
Iwuchukwu did a great job of knocking down outside shots in this game. Iwuchukwu moved off the ball to effortlessly make an open, spot-up three early on. He also was active in looking to score on hustle plays. He did a good job of scoring on rolls and fast breaks, and he also would look to score on put backs. Iwuchukwu caught a lob pass off of a roll to score on an emphatic, alley-oop dunk. He also scored on a very powerful put back slam. He also would score powerfully on fast breaks. Sometimes though, he would take contested, rushed shots that would lead to misses. He also tried to score on a tough, fadeaway jumper when posting up, but missed that time.
He also displayed adequate playmaking skills in this game. He is an unselfish player that will make the extra pass to find the open man. He also set solid screens to help his teammates get open driving lanes to enable them to score on offense. On the downside, he threw a bad dribble handoff pass that got intercepted once.
Also, Iwuchukwu did a great job of rebounding the basketball, and he especially showed a knack for grabbing offensive boards when he was on the floor. He also played satisfactory defense in this game. Iwuchukwu showed a knack for blocking shots to help his team protect the paint, and he also broke up a lob pass to help his team get a steal. He would use his length to contest shots to force misses, and he also showed a willingness to challenge shots out on the perimeter. However, sometimes he wouldn’t communicate to his teammates where to defend in screen situations, which would lead them to allow scores. He also would be late on his rotations and allow opponents to score on open corner threes. Other times, he would get beat off the dribble and allow scores to his opponents.
Overall, Vincent Iwuchukwu played fairly well on both ends of the floor to help his team in this game. He is an athletic center that has shown an improved jump shot, and he is an underrated prospect that could be a good find for an NBA team in the 2023 draft.
Illinois’ incoming freshman swingman, Ty Rodgers had a solid showing in this game. He is an athletic, point forward that will make hustle plays to help his team on both ends of the floor, and he also can reliably run the team, as he is comfortable with having the ball in his hands.
Rodgers showed off very good playmaking skills in this game. He did a very good job of finding the open man and throwing accurate interior passes to find teammates on the move to set up a wealth of scoring opportunities for them. He showed off pinpoint passing as well as good court vision. Sometimes though, he would be too fancy with his passes, as he threw a no-look pass that ended up getting intercepted.
He also generally excelled at scoring on hustle plays. Rodgers ran in to score on a tip slam. He also managed to score on a broken play at the rim. He also managed to make a quick, long pull-up two on the break. On the downside, he struggled to consistently score off the dribble or to make mid-range jumpers, and he didn’t attempt a single three-point shot in this game.
He also did an adequate job of rebounding the basketball. Rodgers was able to get boards on both ends of the floor, and he also would push the ball up the court off of defensive boards.
Also, Rodgers played solid defense. He did a great job of poking balls away and intercepting passes to get steals. He also rotated to block a shot off of a drive to force a miss, and he would contest jumpers to get stops for his team. On the downside, he tended to be too aggressive on close outs at times, which would lead him to foul opponents on jump shots.
Overall, Ty Rodgers played well, and he showed off strong playmaking skills as well as better than advertised athleticism in this game. He passed and handled the ball well, and he made good team plays throughout the contest. On the other hand, he will need to improve his jump shot and ability to score in the half court. He is a talented prospect, and he could be a player to watch in the upcoming season.
Mixed Bag:
Chris Livingston played fairly well despite the turnovers, as he was able to make some solid plays on both ends of the floor in this game. He is a very athletic, high-motor forward that showed off versatile scoring skills, and he also shot the ball well, especially from beyond the arc.
Livingston shot the ball fairly well from the outside. He was able to make a step-back three from way out, and he also was able to make an open-spot-up three from well beyond the arc. He struggled more to make pull-up jumpers off the dribble. He was able to draw free throws on one left-handed drive, but he missed on another.
He also did a good job of scoring on hustle plays and around the basket. He would tend to score on aggressive drives in transition, and he has a good first step that would enable him to get all the way to the hoop to regularly score. He also would score opportunistically around the basket, but he also would sometimes take tough, contested shots that would get blocked or lead to misses.
Also, Livingston was quite turnover prone in this game. For the positives, he showed that he can handle the ball in the open court, and he would make drive and kick passes to find open teammates. However, he would sometimes throw passes too hard that would get dropped by his teammates, and he would throw hasty, inaccurate passes that would lead to turnovers. Another time, he also tried to handle the ball when guarded by his man, but ended up committing a ball-handling turnover late in this match due to carelessness.
He also did a very good job of rebounding the basketball, and Livingston did a terrific job of grabbing offensive boards for his team. Also, Livingston played satisfactory defense. He would run in to intercept passes to get steals, and he also poked a ball away to get another. He did a great job of forcing turnovers, and he also would contest threes to force misses. He also aggressively pressured an opposing ball handler out on the perimeter to force a pass. However, sometimes he would give up too much space to shooters, which would lead them to make three-point shots. Other times, he would defend too aggressively, which would sometimes lead him to be out of position and commit fouls. Other times, he would be late to get back on defense, which would lead his team to allow scores around the basket.
Overall, Chris Livingston had a solid showing in this game. He did a very good job of making hustle plays, and he also shot the ball well, especially from beyond the arc. He will need to be more accurate with his passes and also look to be a more disciplined defender in games. He has played well in the high school All-Star games, and he could end up being a first round pick in the 2023 draft.
Brandon Miller had a decent showing in this game. He looked to have played well visually, and he seemed to make sound plays on both ends of the floor, despite not having a great box score from a statistically.
Miller showed a knack for making threes, as he was able to show that he can make them off the catch and dribble. He also made a deep pull-up three effortlessly early on. On the other hand, he had trouble scoring off the dribble, and he would often miss on floaters from the mid-range.
He also passed the ball very well. He did a good job of making passes to find open shooters and teammates in transition. Miller also rebounded the ball well, and he would tend to push the pace off of defensive boards. He also defended fairly well. He was able to jump on a pass to get a steal, and he would actively contest jump shots to force misses. However, sometimes he would be late on his rotations, which would lead him to commit fouls and allow scores around the basket.
Overall, Brandon Miller is a very athletic forward that excelled as a three-point shooter and showed off point forward skills. He struggled to make shots inside the arc, but he is a talented prospect that showed off an intriguing skill set and he could be a potential first round pick in the 2023 draft.
Indiana’s incoming freshman combo guard, Jalen Hood-Schifino had a decent showing in this game. He shot the ball fairly well, especially from the outside, but also was a bit turnover prone, and had some defensive miscues when he was on the floor.
Hood-Schifino did a fairly good job of knocking down threes to provide some floor spacing for his team on offense. He showed a knack for making pull-up threes, as he can make them from way out. However, sometimes he would be too streaky with his shot, as he also missed his fair share from beyond the arc. Hood-Schifino was able to make a mid-range floater, but he struggled to make pull-up, mid-range jumpers consistently. He also did a good job of scoring on aggressive drives in transition, and he was able to score on a switch of hands layup.
He also showcased satisfactory playmaking skills. Hood-Schifino is an unselfish player that will look to find the open man, and he also can make passes off the dribble and find teammates on the move to get them the basketball. On the downside, he would sometimes throw hasty passes that would get intercepted, and he also threw a long inaccurate outlet pass that sailed out of bounds.
He also did a decent job of rebounding the basketball. Sometimes, he would push the pace after getting defensive boards for his team. He also played decent defense. Hood-Schifino was able to rotate to block a shot off of a roll to himself, and he also intercepted a pass to get a steal. He also managed to poke a ball away to nearly get another steal. On the downside, there was one play where he didn’t even contest a shot inside when defending a bigger player, which led his team to give up the basket. He also played too aggressively and closed out too hard, and bit on a pump fake, which led him to be out of position and allow an opponent to score on a floater.
Overall, Jalen Hood-Schifino showed off versatile scoring skills, and he was able to do a little bit of everything, but he also was a bit streaky with his jumper, and also had some defensive lapses at times. He’s an agile, skilled combo guard that could be an impact player at Indiana for the upcoming season, and he may be a prospect to watch in the future.
Dereck Lively had his ups and downs in this game. He didn’t look to go outside of himself very much on offense, but he ended up missing some easy shots on offense. He rebounded and defended well, but he showed off clumsy ball handling skills at times, and he didn’t show quite as much shot blocking or rim protection skills that he showed in the McDonald’s All-American game.
Lively was active at scoring on hustle plays. He was able to score on a powerful dunk off of a roll to the rim while getting fouled, and he also drove to the hoop to score on a thunderous dunk in transition. He also scored on a thunderous dunk on the break late in this match. However, sometimes he would miss on dunks by trying to throw it down too hard, and he also missed on a jump hook when posting up once.
He also showed off solid playmaking skills. Lively passed the ball well, and he was able to cut to the hoop and throw a lob pass to a cutter to notch an assist. He also would set solid on-ball screens to help his teammates get open driving lanes and jump shots to score off of them. However, he had some trouble handling the ball at times, as it almost led him to turn the ball over a couple of times.
He also did a decent job of rebounding the basketball. Lively was able to haul in boards on both ends of the floor. He also played solid defense. He did a great job of hustling to catch errant passes to get steals. He also would actively contest shots both out on the perimeter and in the paint to force misses. On the downside, he would sometimes play too aggressively, which would lead him to wind up out of position, which would lead him to commit fouls and allow scores at times.
Overall, Dereck Lively had some good moments, but he didn’t look to stand out as much as he had in the other games. He will need to improve his face-up game, but his ability to make hustle plays could enable him to be a solid bet to go in the first round of the 2023 draft.
Cason Wallace had a decent showing in this game. He didn’t make any of his threes, but he was comfortable at making mid-range jumpers, and he made some very athletic plays to help his team on the court. Wallace showed a knack for scoring on mid-range jumpers. He would often dribble to his left to score on mid-range shots, and he also managed to score on a one-legged, fadeaway jumper from the mid-range. He is a crafty scorer that really excelled at making shots from intermediate distances. He also excelled at scoring off the dribble. He was able to score on a thunderous dunk on a drive in transition. He also went to his right and utilized a crossover and a hesitation move to score while getting an extra free throw.
Plus, he also drew free throws on a cut to the hoop. On the downside, he missed all of his threes that he took from beyond the arc. He also showcased fairly average playmaking skills. Wallace generally looked to score first, but he was able to make some passes off the dribble to set up scoring chances for his teammates. On the downside, sometimes he would throw hasty passes that would make it difficult for his teammates to get to or to catch.
Also, Wallace did a decent job of rebounding the basketball. He also played solid defense in this game. He would poke balls away and get his hands on passes to get a plethora of steals. He also showed a knack for contesting shots both out on the perimeter and in the paint to force misses. On the downside, he would sometimes be caught ball watching and lose track of his man, which would lead his team to allow scores at the rim.
Overall, Cason Wallace played fairly well in this game. He excelled at scoring and defending, but he didn’t make any threes or get enough assists on offense. He is a very athletic, combo guard that has shown that he can make plays on both ends of the floor, and he is a talented prospect that could end up being a first round pick in the 2023 draft.
Michigan’s incoming freshman big man, Tarris Reed had a decent showing in this game. He was able to show off a solid mid-range game, and he also rebounded the ball very well, but he also struggled defensively over the course of this contest.
Reed showed a knack for scoring on hustle plays. He thrived at scoring on strong drives in transition, as he was able to score on a powerful layup and dunk in this game. He also excelled at making mid-range jumpers, and he even made a one-legged, fadeaway jumper shortly after grabbing an offensive rebound. On the downside, he missed on a right-handed, half-court drive, and he also struggled to make threes or score from the post.
He also showcased fairly average playmaking skills. Reed passed the ball well, and he would find teammates ahead on the break to get them the basketball. On the downside, he had some trouble handling the ball when pressured, as he would sometimes get balls poked away that would lead to turnovers.
Plus, Reed did a terrific job of rebounding the basketball. He is a strong, athletic big man that showed a knack for grabbing rebounds, especially on the defensive end, and he would tend to push the ball up the court after getting defensive boards for his team.
Defensively, he looked to be about average at best. For the positives, he was able to get his hands on passes using his length and quickness to get steals and deflections. He also showed decent footwork when defending out on the perimeter, and he would contest shots to force misses. However, he would sometimes not communicate to his teammates where to defend screens, which would lead them to give up baskets. Other times, he wouldn’t hustle back on defense, and he also would get beat off the dribble, which would lead his team to allow scores.
Overall, Tarris Reed had his ups and downs, and he is an athletic, energetic big man that would look to score and get rebounds in the paint. He will need to improve his face-up game and defense, but he could be a prospect to watch for the upcoming season.
Indiana’s incoming freshman forward, Malik Reneau had a decent showing in this game. He is an athletic, energetic player that excelled at making hustle plays to help score the basketball. Reneau showed a knack for scoring on fast breaks. He would tend to score on aggressive drives in transition. He was able to use a crossover to his right to score on a layup, and he also would take it up the floor to score on magnetic jams. Plus, he also thrived at scoring off of offensive rebounds. On the downside, he missed on an open layup off of a cut, as he took the shot at an odd angle.
He also struggled to score on half-court drives or in the post, and he also missed an open corner three another time. He also showcased adequate playmaking skills. On one good play, Reneau threw a very long outlet pass to help set up a score for a teammate on the break. On the downside, when he got the ball on a cut another time, he was called for stepping out of bounds.
Also, Reneau did a great job of rebounding the basketball. He also was able to push the ball quickly up the floor off of a defensive board. He also played decent defense. Reneau would actively contest shots to force misses, and he also poked a ball away to nearly get a steal. However, sometimes he would get caught ball watching, which would lead his team to commit fouls and allow scores. Another time, he got overpowered on a drive in transition, which led his team to give up the basket.
Overall, Malik Reneau played fairly well on both ends of the court. He will need to improve his jump shot and ability to make plays in the half court, but he is an athletic combo forward that could be a prospect to watch for the upcoming season.
Lackluster Performances:
Kyle Filipowski is an agile, skilled big man that played well in the first half, but he struggled with his jump shot as he continued on throughout this match. He was able to make a smooth pull-up three to show off his floor spacing potential, but he struggled to make threes throughout the game. He did a good job of scoring off the dribble and in transition, but it didn’t wash out his inability to make threes later on in this game.
He showed off adequate playmaking skills. Filipowski at times passed and handled the ball well, and he was able to make passes on the break and from the post to notch assists. He tended to make good reads on the court, but sometimes he would make hasty decisions that would lead him to turn the ball over, and he also dropped a couple of passes that resulted in turnovers.
He did a good job of rebounding the basketball, and sometimes he would push the ball up the court off of defensive boards. However, there were a couple of times where he didn’t box out his man, which would lead him to allow offensive boards and as well as a tip-in score around the basket.
He also played average defense at best. Filipowski did a good job of poking balls away and deflecting passes to nearly get steals, and he also would hold his ground when defending in the post and contest shots to force misses. On the downside, sometimes he would be late to get back, which would lead his team to allow easy fast break baskets. Another time, he over-rotated and wasn’t in position to defend a drive at the rim, as he flew past his opponent, which led his team to give up the basket that time.
Overall, Kyle Filipowski didn’t have a great game, and he had his ups and downs throughout the match. However, he played better than how he fared at the 2022 Nike Hoop Summit, and he showed more playmaking and shooting potential than previously. He will still need to be a more consistent player in games, but with continued development, he could end up swiftly moving up draft boards in the future.
Kam Craft had his ups and downs throughout the contest. He really struggled in the first half, but he played significantly better in the second half, and he even threw down an alley-oop dunk to help give his team a boost.
Craft struggled to knock down threes, but he was able to make a pull-up three on the break. He was much better at making two-point shots, and he especially thrived at scoring on hustle plays. He was able to make a mid-range floater, caught a lob to score on an emphatic alley-oop dunk on the break, and he also made a backdoor cut to score on a give and go.
He didn’t seem to make many noteworthy passes, but he was able to find a teammate on the break to set up a scoring chance for him. He didn’t rebound the ball very much, but he was able to grab a defensive board in this match.
He played fairly average defense in this game. Craft would look to contest jumpers to force misses, and when in position, he would use his length to contest shots to do so. He also managed to jump on a loose ball that was deflected by his teammate to help his team get a steal. On the downside, he had trouble staying with quicker players, as he would tend to get beat off the dribble, which would lead him to commit fouls and allow scores.
Overall, Kam Craft didn’t have his best game, but he was able to make a string of good plays in the second half. He showed off better athleticism than anticipated in the second half, but he seemed to be quite sluggish in the first half. He will need to play with more energy on a consistent basis, and he will need to improve his shooting and defense, but he was able to make some solid team plays, and he could be a prospect to watch sometime in the future.
Dariq Whitehead had been one of the stars and best players of the McDonald’s All-American and Nike Hoop Summit games, so it was thought that he would also dominate in the 2022 Jordan Brand Classic. But the unthinkable happened, and Whitehead ended up not making a single field goal throughout this contest.
Whitehead really struggled to knock down jump shots, and he would rarely look to go all the way to the basket. Known for being a sharpshooting marksman, he actually really struggled to knock down threes in this game. He was able to draw a good share of free throws, though. Whitehead was able to use a crossover to draw three free throws on a deep, pull-up three. He also used a crossover and a hesitation move to draw free throws on a layup off of a drive in transition.
He also displayed adequate playmaking skills. He generally did a good job of throwing interior passes off the dribble to set up scoring chances for his teammates. On the downside, he can sometimes be prone to rushing, which can lead him to be turnover prone. He over-dribbled into traffic while trying to push the pace and had a ball stolen away from him. He also threw an inaccurate outlet pass that ended up getting dropped and intercepted.
He didn’t grab many rebounds, but he was able to get a couple of defensive boards in this game. Whitehead also played about average at best defense in this game. He was able to poke a ball away to get a steal. He also was able to get back on defense to contest a long two to force a miss.
On the downside, he would sometimes get beat off the dribble as well as on cuts, and he would give up on plays, which would lead his team to allow scores. Other times, he wouldn’t give full effort defensively, as he rotated to commit a lazy reach-in foul on a drive that led his team to give up a score and an extra free throw.
It was baffling to see Dariq Whitehead play this poorly in the 2022 Jordan Brand Classic, but it also seemed almost eerily similar to how his former high school teammate, Caleb Houstan would play when he would struggle at Michigan. Whitehead missed a couple of outside shots early, and then he would really try to force the issue by firing up quick, contested jump shots that would miss, and then compound matters by committing bad turnovers and making mistakes defensively. Whitehead is a lottery level talent, but he will need to find a way to play significantly better when his shot is not falling, or he could be due for a worse season than expected, which could end up hurting his draft stock a bit in 2023.
Dior Johnson is a talented, athletic combo guard that was invited to play at the 2022 Nike Hoop Summit, so I was expecting big things from him in this game. Unfortunately, he got off to a rough start, and while he played better in the second half, his struggles to make shots or to make decisions at the point made it difficult for him to get going for most of this match.
Johnson was at his best when he would look to score on dribble, mid-range jumpers. He can use either hand to do so, and he was able to make a smooth, step-back mid-range jumper. He also managed to use a crafty Euro-step move to his left to draw free throws on a fadeaway jumper another time.
He also was quite active in looking to score on hustle plays. Johnson was able to cut to the mid-post to get the ball, which enabled him to score on a layup. However, he would tend to take tough shots in traffic, which would sometimes lead to misses. He also was unable to make any of his threes, and he also had a couple of his shots blocked in this game.
Also, Johnson was fairly turnover prone on offense. For the positives, he can throw accurate, long passes to find teammates on the move, and he was able to throw a crisp, lob pass to a roll man to notch an assist. On the downside, he would sometimes throw hasty passes that would get intercepted, and he also over-dribbled and had a ball stolen away from him.
He didn’t grab many rebounds in this game, but Johnson was able to chase down a ball to help his team get a defensive board once. Defensively, he looked to be about average at best. For the positives, he was able to run in to get his hands on a pass to get a steal, and he also stole a ball away to get another. He also would contest jumpers to force some misses. On the downside, he tended to play too aggressively. He committed a couple of bad fouls by fouling opponents on jump shots, and he would be too aggressive on close outs. He also over-rotated and flew right past an opponent, which led to a scramble and to his team allowing a score around the basket early on.
Overall, Dior Johnson didn’t have a great game, but he is an athletic, combo guard that can ably create his own shot to score on offense. He will need to improve in the finer points of the game, but his ability to get shots up combined with his athleticism could enable him to be a prospect to watch sometime down the road.
Keyonte George played the point for most of this game, but he looked to be fairly uncomfortable running the point, and he really struggled to make plays throughout this contest. He ran the floor and made a quick, open spot-up three on the break early on. On the downside, he struggled to consistently make threes throughout the contest, and he really started forcing it. He was unable to make any of his pull-up threes, and he also missed on a contested, spot-up three from way out. He didn’t look to take open spot-up jumpers nearly enough, and he kept trying to take difficult jump shots that would result in misses instead.
On the plus side, he also made a good hustle play, as he was able to run in to score on an athletic tip-in. However, George was quite turnover prone on offense. For the positives, he is an unselfish player that will make the extra pass to keep the ball moving, and he was able to make some drive and kick passes to find open shooters. However, he had trouble handling the ball when pressured, and he showed sloppy ball-handling in which he had a couple of balls poked away from him that led him to turn the ball over. He also threw a crosscourt pass from the post that got intercepted another time.
He did a decent job of rebounding the basketball. He was able to get boards on both ends of the floor, and he also pushed the ball up the court off of a defensive rebound. On one play though, he crashed too hard on a rebound attempt, which led him to be late to get back in transition, and his team allowed a fast break layup as a result. He also played adequate defense in this game. George was able to run down a loose ball to get a steal after an opponent threw an inaccurate lob pass that went astray. He also would actively contest jumpers to force misses. On the downside, he would give up too much space to shooters, which would lead him to give up three-point baskets. He also would have trouble staying in front of opponents off the dribble or on cuts, and he also didn’t always hustle back on defense, as his team would be prone to giving up dunks on fast breaks.
Overall, Keyonte George didn’t play very well, despite having big expectations for this game. He didn’t shoot the ball very well and was quite turnover prone on offense. He will need to be a more consistent player in games, but if so, he could end up moving up draft boards in the future.
Kel’el Ware put forth a very disappointing showing in the 2022 Jordan Brand Classic. After having played very well in the McDonald’s All-American game and Nike Hoop Summit, he turned in a really poor performance that could cause NBA scouts to question his motor in the future.
He didn’t take many shots on offense, but he was surprisingly inefficient in the limited touches he received on offense. He was at his best when he looked to score on hustle plays. Ware ran the floor and drew a non-shooting foul when catching a lob. He also scored on a powerful dunk off of a roll to the rim. However, sometimes he would take contested, rushed shots, as he missed on a layup in transition, and he also had his shot blocked on a roll another time.
He also attempted to take a step-back three from the corner after initially backing down his man from the high post, but missed in his lone three-point attempt. He also showcased satisfactory playmaking skills. Ware passed the ball well and set good screens for his teammates. He threw an interior pass to a roll man to notch an assist, and he also showed that he can pass out of the post. He also set solid on-ball screens to help create open driving lanes and jump shots for his teammates.
On the downside, he didn’t grab many rebounds, but Ware was able to get a board on each end of the floor. Ware was about average at best defensively. He was able to hustle back to swat a shot to help his team protect the paint. He also would get his hands on passes to help his team get steals and deflections, and he would make it difficult for opponents to get their passes through. However, he tended to be too aggressive on the defensive end. He would tend to commit aggressive fouls when trying to defend shots around the basket. Another time, he didn’t go out to defend a three-point shooter out on the perimeter, which led his team to give up an open three-point basket. Another time, he over-hedged and didn’t get back to a roll man in time, which led his team to give up a dunk.
Overall, Kel’el Ware has shown an immense amount of talent and potential in the other two high school All-Star games, but he really faded into the background in this game in the 2022 Jordan Brand Classic. He will need to keep his motor on high when playing in games during the upcoming season, and surely his disappointing performance in this game doesn’t dampen his draft stock too much. He is a very talented prospect that could still end up being a lottery pick in 2023 due to his size, versatile scoring skills, and rim protection skills, but he will need to play much harder and be more focused in games in the future.
Other Notes:
Adem Bona was credited as having played roughly 5 minutes in this game, but I didn’t notice him at all on the floor. Therefore, I won’t give him an evaluation here. Anyways, those are my thoughts on how prospects fared in this game. Thanks for reading.
