Thoughts on Dariq Whitehead, Cam Whitmore, and Jean Montero in the 2022 Nike Hoop Summit

April 9^th, 2022

By Alan Lu

I decided to take the time to watch yesterday’s 2022 Nike Hoop Summit that featured Jean Montero and numerous top prospects for the 2023 draft, with thanks to YouTube via NBA.  Jean Montero had a strong showing, as he thrived as a sharpshooter and as a prolific scorer in this game, but Team USA was able to get a double-digit win, as they were bolstered by the strong play of Dariq Whitehead and Cam Whitmore.  Here are my thoughts on how various prospects fared in this game. For those of you who were interested in the box score of this game, here is the link, courtesy of Proballers.

Strong Performances (7):

Duke’s 6-6 incoming freshman swingman, Dariq Whitehead played very well in his team’s win over the World Team.  He is a very athletic swingman that had a strong all-around game, and he continued to thrive as a sharpshooter and scorer on the floor.

He shot the ball very well, especially from beyond the arc.  Whitehead did a great job of making threes, especially from the corner.  He also was able to use a nifty, behind-the-back crossover move to knock down a smooth, step-back three to show off his superb shooting skills.

He also managed to score on a backdoor cut to the hoop.  He struggled more to score when looking to score inside the arc, as he would sometimes miss on aggressive drives in traffic, and he also missed on a turnaround, fadeaway mid-range jumper.

Also, Whitehead passed the ball very well in this game.  He is a good passer that can make a wide array of passes to notch assists.  He has good court vision, and he can throw sharp interior passes off the dribble to notch assists.  He can aptly find open teammates on the move, and he can make an assortment of passes to get his teammates the basketball.  On the other hand, he also threw a hasty long pass that got intercepted once.

He also showed a solid ability to rebound the basketball.  Sometimes, Whitehead would push the ball up the floor after getting defensive boards for his team.  He also played very good defense in this game.  He showed a knack for jumping passes to get steals, and he also was able to get a loose ball to help his team get another.  He also would contest jump shots to force misses.

In general, Dariq Whitehead had a strong showing in this game, and he played a very good, all-around game to help his team get the victory.  He has been terrific in the high-school All-Star games, and he is a very athletic, skilled swingman that could be a top 5 pick in the 2023 draft.

Villanova’s 6-7 incoming freshman forward, Cam Whitmore turned in another strong showing to lead his team to a win over the World Team.  Whitemore is a very athletic, energetic swingman that shot the ball very well, and he made a number of highlight reel worthy plays to help his team on both ends of the court.

Whitmore shot the ball very well, especially from beyond the arc.  He would use crossover moves to score on smooth, pull-up threes.  He also would make strong, quick moves to score from the post as well as off the dribble.  He also showed a knack for scoring on hustle plays.  Whitmore would run the floor to get the ball and then score on thunderous dunks.  He also used a Euro-step move to draw free throws on a mid-range jumper on the break.  He also managed to score on a quick, backdoor cut to the hoop another time.

He also showed off adequate playmaking skills.  Whitmore did a good job of making passes off the dribble, and he was able to make a swift drop-off pass to set up a score for a teammate on the break.  Another time though, he was called for a charging foul on a drive in transition.

He didn’t grab any rebounds in this game.  Whitmore also defended well, and he was able to block a emphatically shot off of a drive in transition.  Overall, Cam Whitmore played very well in this game, and he is very athletic, skilled swingman that could be a likely lottery pick in the 2023 draft.

Jean Montero put forth a magnificent showing in his team’s loss to Team USA.  Hailing from the Dominican Republic, Montero is a very athletic point guard that thrived as a sharpshooter and scorer in this game, and he put forth a superb, all-around performance in this match.

Montero did a great job of knocking down jumpers, especially from beyond the arc.  He showed that he can make threes both off the catch and dribble.  He was able to  make a smooth, step-back three, and he also ran off a pin-down to knock one down off the catch.  He also managed to make a deep pull-up three from way out, and Montero has a lot of range on his shot.

He also did a decent job of scoring off the dribble.  Montero was able to use a crossover move to score on a right-handed drive to the hoop.  He also would use aggressive moves to draw fouls upon his defenders in order to get to the free throw line.  He also was able to score on fast breaks.  Sometimes though, he would try to rush his shots and force up tough shots in traffic, and he ended up having a couple of his shots blocked.

Also, Montero showed off decent playmaking skills.  He looked to score quite often, but he can make solid interior passes to set up scoring chances for his teammates.  He can find his teammates on the move, and he also can make drive and kick passes to find open shooters.  He didn’t grab many rebounds in this game.  He also played satisfactory defense.  Montero was able to jump passes to get steals, and he also would poke balls away to make things difficult on opposing ball handlers.  However, sometimes he can tend to over-help in the paint, which can lead his team to give up scores to shooters.  He also got overpowered when defending in the post, as he ended up allowing a score to a taller player.

In summary, Jean Montero played very well, and he is a very athletic lead guard that can shoot and score the basketball.  He is a shot maker that can score in bunches, but he will need to look for his teammates more on offense, and he will need to show that he can knock down outside shots on a consistent basis.  He is a very talented prospect that could end up being a solid player in the NBA similar to former Los Angeles Clippers’ star guard Lou Williams, and Montero could be a solid pick in the mid to late first round range on draft day.

Oregon’s 7-0 incoming freshman center, Kel’el Ware also had a good showing in his team’s win over the World Team.  He is a very athletic, energetic center that consistently played well when he was on the floor, and he also showed off a good jump shot to provide floor spacing for his team in this match.

Ware did a good job of scoring in the post.  He would make strong moves down low and then score on powerful dunks.  He also caught a lob off of a back cut and managed to draw free throws on a strong dunk attempt.  Plus, Ware also shot the ball very well.  He moved off the ball to get it, and he was able to make an open, long two from the corner two.  He also knocked down an open three off the catch to show his range in this game.

He also handled the ball up the court and drew a non-shooting foul to show some ball-handling skills.  Plus, Ware also showed a fairly solid ability to rebound the basketball, and he would leap up to get boards on both ends of the floor.  On the other hand, there was one play where he committed an over the back foul when going for an offensive board once.

He also defended well in this contest.  Ware managed to emphatically block an opponent’s put back attempt. He also contested a three to force a miss.  Sometimes though, he can be late on his rotations, and he also committed a foul on a baseline drive, once.

Overall, Kel’el Ware has played very well in the high-school All-Star games, and he’s looking to be one of the best prospects for the 2023 draft.  He is a very athletic, energetic big man that also has shown a good jump shot, and he could project to be a top 5 pick in 2023.

Texas’ 6-7 incoming freshman forward, Dillon Mitchell also had a solid showing to help lead Team USA to a win in this game.  Although he didn’t look to take threes in this game, he was efficient as a shot maker, and he also passed the ball very well on offense.

He did a good job of making pull-up, mid-range jumpers, especially from the baseline, and Mitchell also ran the floor to score on the break.  He passed and handled the ball very well.  He can make an assortment of passes off the dribble to notch assists, and he also was able to find a cutter due to possessing good court vision.

Overall, Mitchell is an athletic, energetic forward that showed off a solid mid-range shot, and he also passed the ball very well in this game.  He will need to extend his shooting range so that he can knock down threes in the future, but his athleticism and emerging skill set could enable him to be a potential first round pick sometime down the road.

USC’s 7-0 incoming freshman center Vincent Iwuchukwu also played fairly well, especially in the first half to help the World Team in this game.  He is a very athletic, energetic big man to made a lot of hustle plays on both ends of the floor.

He showed a knack for scoring on hustle plays.  Iwuchukwu would tend to score off of rolls and put backs.  He managed to score on a thunderous dunk on a roll to the rim while getting fouled, and he also managed to score on a quick put back.  He also showed a decent ability to score in the post.  On one play, he got the ball around the basket, which enabled him to score on a thunderous jam another time.  However, sometimes he would take tough, off-balanced shots due to rushing, which would lead to misses.

Also, Iwuchukwu did a good job of rebounding the basketball.  He also played good defense in this game.  He was able to intercept a pass, and he would hustle back to contest and alter shots off of drives in transition to force misses.  He also successfully drew a charge to prevent an opponent from scoring on the break.  He also would contest threes to force misses.  On the downside, sometimes he would commit fouls when defending in the paint.

Overall, Vincent Iwuchukwu is a very athletic, strong center that could project to be a solid rim protector in the NBA.  He will need to improve his jump shot and playmaking skills, but his ability to make plays in the paint could enable him to be a potential first round pick sometime in the future.

6-9 Canadian forward, Leonard Miller had a solid showing for the World Team in their loss to Team USA.  He thrived as a spot-up shooter, and he also would run the floor to score on fast breaks.  On the downside, he struggled more to operate off the dribble, as he would miss shots when driving to the hoop, and he also was called for a charging foul on a drive in transition another time.

Also, Miller showed a solid ability to rebound the basketball.  He also played satisfactory defense.  He was able to block shots to help his team force misses, and he also would look to jump passes and poke balls away to get steals and deflections for his team.  On the downside, he got beat off the dribble once and ended up committing the foul, as he had tripped up his opponent on that possession.

Overall, Leonard Miller is a skilled, mobile combo forward that can shoot and defend when he is on the floor.  He may not be an elite athlete, but he is a player that could project into a 3 and D role in the NBA, and he could project to go in the late first to the second round range sometime in the future.

Mixed Bag (9):

Duke’s 7-1 incoming freshman center, Dereck Lively had a fairly solid showing in this game, though his performance didn’t look to be nearly as impressive as when he played at the 2022 McDonald’s All-American game.  Lively was very efficient as a scorer on offense, but didn’t show a more dynamic offensive skill set, and he was also foul prone.

He thrived as a finisher around the basket.  He especially thrived at scoring on hustle plays, and Lively would catch lobs to score on powerful, alley-oop dunks in transition and off of rolls to the rim.  He also managed to score on an open dunk another time.  However, he didn’t look to shoot the ball very often, and Lively didn’t take shots from outside of the basket area.

He also was fairly turnover prone.  Lively was able to pass quickly out of the post to notch an assist.  However, he threw an errant pass that led to a turnover, and he also dropped a pass another time.  He didn’t grab many rebounds in this game, but Lively was able to get a few to help chip in on the glass.  Also, he played decent defense in this game.  Lively was able to block a couple of shots to help his team protect the paint, and he also jumped on a loose ball to help his team get a steal.  However, he didn’t always move his feet well on the defensive end.  Sometimes he would get beat off the dribble, even after making rotations, which would lead him to commit fouls and allow scores.

Overall, Dereck Lively is a very athletic, energetic center that can help his team shore up the interior, but he needs to expand upon his skill set on offense and improve his lateral mobility to help him defend better out on the perimeter.  At the very least, he could bring a lot of the same skills next season that Mark Williams brought to Duke this year.  Hopefully, Lively will show more skills that has made him a very highly touted prospect, but even if he doesn’t, his length, athleticism, and interior play could enable him to be a lottery pick in 2023.

Houston’s 6-8 incoming freshman forward, Jarace Walker made some solid plays to help team USA in this game.  He is a very athletic, energetic forward that would look to make hustle plays, although he also did not take a single three-point shot on offense.

Walker thrived at attacking the hoop to score on offense.  He ran the floor to score on a thunderous, breakaway dunk.  He also was able to get a nice seal to post up, as he then managed to score on a powerful jam.  He also ran in to draw free throws on a tip-in.  Plus, he also was able to make a fade-away mid-range jumper to showcase his mid-range shot.  He also missed on a tough, fade-away from the mid-range another time, but Walker generally excelled at making shots, especially from around the basket.

He wasn’t too noticeable as a playmaker in this game.  Walker can handle the basketball, especially in short segments.  However, on one play, he had a ball ripped away from him to commit a turnover once.  He also showed a solid ability to rebound the basketball.  Walker also played adequate defense.  He was able to run in to intercept a pass to get a steal.  However, he also fouled an opponent on a mid-range shot to commit a foul and allow a score that time due to over-aggressiveness.

Overall, Jarace Walker is a very athletic, high-motor forward that can make hustle plays to help his team on both ends of the floor, but he will need to improve his outside shot in the meantime.  Still, he is a very talented prospect that could be a potential lottery pick in the 2023 draft.

Iraurgi SB’s 6-8 forward, Sidy Cissoko was able to make some very impressive plays on both ends of the floor, despite not shooting often nor looking to score much in this game.  He is an athletic point forward that generally thrived as a facilitator, rebounder, and defender, but he also didn’t look for his own offense nearly enough.

Cissoko can draw free throws on hustle plays, as he was able to do so on a drive in transition as well on a backdoor cut.  Sometimes though, he would miss shots when he wouldn’t get foul calls, and he also missed on both of the threes he took from beyond the arc.

Cissoko also showed satisfactory playmaking skills in this game.  He is a very skilled point forward that threw some scintillating, pinpoint passes to notch assists.  He is a terrific passer off the dribble as well as on the break.  He used a spin move off the dribble and then threw a lob to set up a score for a teammate in transition.  He also was able to make a 360 spin move in mid-air and then threw a fancy, behind-the-back pass to a teammate at the rim to notch an assist due to possessing great court vision.  He is a very crafty passer, and he also can handle the ball in the open court.  Sometimes though, he would struggle to handle the ball when pressured, which would lead him to commit ball-handling turnovers.

Plus, he also rebounded the ball very well.  Cissoko would chase down balls to get boards on both ends of the floor, and he also tipped a ball to a teammate to help his team get an offensive board due to possessing a very good motor.  He also played solid defense in this game.  He showed a knack for jumping passes to get steals, and he also tied up an opposing ball handler to nearly get another.  Cissoko also emphatically blocked a shot to prevent an opponent from scoring on a roll to the rim.  He also would rotate to contest shots to force misses.  Sometimes though he would be too aggressive in trying to make plays on defense.  He bit on a pump fake when defending a cut to allow a score.  He also over-helped in the paint and was late to rotate back to his man, which led him to give up a corner three to his opponent.

Visually, Sidy Cissoko put forth an impressive performance, despite not looking to shoot or score much, and despite also being fairly turnover prone in this game.  He is an athletic, skilled point forward that made some terrific, eye-popping passes, and he also is a rangy defender that can rack up rebounds, steals, and blocks.  Box score wise though, his performance looked to be much more of a mixed bag in this game.  He will need to improve his ability to create his own shot and his jump shot, but his athleticism, versatility, and skill package could enable him to be a potential first round pick in the 2023 draft.

Kansas’ 6-7 incoming freshman swingman, Gradey Dick had some very good moments in this game to help Team USA get the win.  He is an athletic, skilled swingman that passed and defended well, but he struggled to knock down shots on offense.

Dick was able to make an open corner three to showcase his spot-up shooting skills, but he had trouble scoring on mid-range jumpers or on fast breaks.  He also flew in to hammer down a thunderous tip slam off of an offensive board to really bolster the crowd, but that didn’t count because the play had stopped before that.

He also passed the ball very well.  Dick especially passes the ball well in transition.  He was able to make a drive and dish to find a teammate ahead on the break to notch an assist.  He also threw an accurate lob to set up a score for another teammate on the break.

Also, Dick did a good job of rebounding the basketball.  He also played satisfactory defense.  Dick jumped a pass to get a steal, and he also jumped on a loose ball to help his team get another.  He also contested a long two to force a miss.  However, on one play, he bit on a pump fake and then got beat off the dribble to allow a score that time.

Overall, Gradey Dick didn’t play nearly as well as his teammates, but he showed off much more athleticism than before, and he is a versatile player that can make team plays on both ends of the floor.  He seems to have a lot of similar skills to Christian Braun, and Dick could end up getting selected in the late first to the second round range sometime in the future.

Link Academy’s 6-8 high school senior forward, Omaha Biliew had some very good moments with the World Team in his team’s loss to Team USA.  He is a very athletic combo forward that can score the basketball in a variety of ways, and he also showed some versatility in this game.  However, he also missed all of his threes that he hoisted up from beyond the arc.

Biliew is a very good scorer in transition.  He caught a lob to score on a high-flying, alley-oop dunk on the break, and he also scored smoothly on a give and go another time.  He also would aggressively drive to his left to score and draw free throws in transition.  He also showed off a decent mid-range shot, but he had trouble knocking down spot-up threes on offense.

He looked to be fairly average as a playmaker in this game.  Biliew can make a slew of passes off the dribble to set up scores for his teammates.  However, he threw a hasty pass that got intercepted once.  He also lost the ball when handling it another time due to carelessness.  He also did a very good job of rebounding the basketball.  Also, he was able to emphatically block a shot to prevent an opponent from scoring on the break.

Overall, Omaha Biliew is a talented prospect that could project into a 3 and D role in the NBA.  He’ll need time to improve his outside shot and ball-handling, but his ability to make hustle plays combined with his 3 and D mentality could make him an interesting prospect to watch in the future.

UCLA’s 6-5 incoming freshman guard, Amari Bailey passed and defended well, and he is an athletic scorer that made solid hustle plays.  However, he was inefficient in making his shots, and he didn’t take any threes in this game.

He was at his best when he would look to score off of offensive rebounds.  He also would sometimes score on fast breaks, and he can drive quickly up the court to score and get free throws.  He also managed to bank in on a nifty, one-legged, mid-range runner to score off the glass.  However, sometimes Bailey would take tough, off-balanced shots, and he would tend to miss on drives in transition and mid-range jumpers due to rushing.

Also, Bailey passed the ball very well, and he has good court vision that enables him to pass well off the dribble and in transition.  He also showed a solid ability to rebound the basketball.  He also defended very well.  He was able to poke a ball away to get a steal, and he also is an active defender that would jump on loose balls, apply heavy ball pressure, and he also contested a shot in the post to force a miss.  Sometimes though, he would be caught ball watching, as it led him to foul an opponent on a cut another time.

Overall, Bailey didn’t make shots efficiently, but he fared well in the non-shooting and scoring related elements of the game.  He will have to work on his jump shot and shot selection, but he is an athletic combo guard that could project to be a potential first round pick sometime down the road.

Dayton’s 6-7 incoming freshman point forward, Mike Sharavjamts had some good moments with the World Team in their loss in this game.  He is an agile point forward that has good court vision, and he passed and defended well when he was on the floor.  However, he also struggled with his jump shot, and he didn’t seem to get nearly as much playing time as his teammates received in this match.

Sharavjamts ran the floor hard to get the ball, and he managed to score on a give and go.  However, he also missed on both corner threes he attempted from beyond the arc.  He also passed and handled the ball well.  He was able to find a teammate ahead on the break to notch an assist.  He also is a good passer on the break due to possessing good court vision.

Though he didn’t get many rebounds, he was able to get a board in this game.  Sharavjamts also played decent defense in this game.  He would block shots to help get stops for his team, and he also swatted a mid-range shot to a teammate.  He also managed to get his hands on a pass and also poke a ball away to get steals for his team.  However, sometimes he would struggle to guard more athletic opponents.  He got beat off the dribble, which led him to commit a foul that time.  Another time, he didn’t box out, and ended up fouling an opponent on a tip shot.

Overall, Sharavjamts is an agile, skilled point forward that showed that he can comfortably run the point when the ball is in his hands, and he also will make high motor plays to help his team on both ends of the floor.  However, he didn’t shoot the ball very much nor shoot well, and he will need to improve his on-ball defense.  He is an intriguing prospect whose versatility and skill set may make him a second round prospect for the future.

Arkansas’ 6-4 incoming freshman guard, Nick Smith had his ups and downs in his team’s win over the World Team.  He wasn’t particularly efficient as a shooter or scorer in this game, and he was fairly turnover prone, but he made some good passes on offense, and he also defended well.

Smith showed a knack for scoring on hustle plays.  He is a very athletic guard that thrived at scoring on acrobatic tip-ins as well as on fast breaks.  He also made an open three, but he had trouble consistently knocking down threes or mid-range jumpers in this game.

He looked to be fairly average as a playmaker in this game.  Smith would throw solid interior passes to notch assists, and he also can make an assortment of passes to create scoring chances for his teammates.  However, sometimes he would throw inaccurate passes that would go astray, and he also was called for stepping out of bounds another time.

Also, Smith didn’t grab many rebounds in this match, but he was able to get one for his team.  He also played very good defense.  Smith would poke balls away to get numerous steals, and he also would actively contest outside shots to force misses.  Overall, Smith will need to improve his jump shot and decision-making skills, but his vast athleticism and defensive skills could enable him to be a first round pick in the 2023 draft.

Ohio State’s 6-11 incoming freshman center, Felix Okpara turned in a decent showing in the World Team’s loss to Team USA.  He didn’t shoot the ball very much, but he was very efficient as an inside scorer, and he also defended fairly well.  He is a strong, physical big man that would often get deep position, and he would score on jump hooks.  He also thrived at scoring on hustle plays, as he managed to score on a powerful tip slam as well as on a cut.

Okpara also was able to get several defensive boards to help chip in on the glass.  He also did a good job of blocking shots to his teammates to help his team protect the paint.  Overall, he is a strong, mobile center that can help his team shore up the interior, but he will need to be more assertive on offense and he will need to improve his outside shot.  Still, he could be a second round prospect sometime in the future.

Lackluster Performances (7):

Baylor’s 6-4 incoming freshman guard, Keyonte George had a few good moments in this game, but he still struggled to knock down shots, and he didn’t shoot well overall.  George showed that he can make smooth, pull-up jumpers both from the mid-range and from three-point land.  He also ran off a ball screen and got fouled on a deep three to get three free throws.  However, he had trouble consistently scoring off the dribble, and he also was very streaky with his jump shot on offense.

He also showed off decent playmaking skills.  He threw an accurate lob pass to a roll man to notch an assist.  George did not get any rebounds in this game.  He was able to deflect a pass hard out of bounds to nearly get a steal, and he also contested a three to force a miss once.  However, he got overpowered when defending on a roll, which led him to commit a foul and give up the basket to his opponent that time.

Overall, George didn’t have a great game, but he could develop into a legitimate shooter over time.  He will need to improve his jump shot and defense, but he could be a prospect to watch sometime down the road.

Arkansas’ 6-7 point forward, Anthony Black didn’t seem to have a big impact in this game, but he is a tall playmaker that showed some playmaking and defensive skills to help Team USA in this match.

He rarely looked to shoot or score much on offense, and he ended up having a shot blocked on a drive in transition once.  On the plus side, Black is a good passer that made good drive and kick passes to set up scoring chances for his teammates.  He also was able to get a pair of boards to help his team out on the glass.  Plus, he also ran in to emphatically block a shot off of a drive in transition to a teammate.

Overall, Black is a tall facilitator that can run the point and play some defense, but he will definitely need to improve his shooting and scoring skills.  He will most likely need to spend several seasons or more at Arkansas to hone his game, but he could project to be a second round prospect when he enters the NBA draft sometime down the road.

Duke’s 6-8 incoming freshman forward, Mackenzie Mgbako also didn’t have a great game in the World Team’s loss to Team USA.  He struggled to knock down shots, as he especially had trouble making outside shots.  He did a better job of scoring off the dribble, though he still struggled.  He tended to favor driving to his left.  On one good play, he used a pump fake move and drove to his left to score at the rim.

However, he was quite turnover prone on offense.  He threw an inaccurate pass that sailed out of bounds.  He also had a ball poked away on a dribble handoff that led to another turnover.  He was able to get a pair of boards to help his team chip in on the glass.  Mgbako played adequate defense.  He was able to run down an errant pass to get a steal.  However, he got beat on a Euro-step move that led to a scramble and to his team allowing a score that time.

Overall, Mgbako is a fairly athletic, energetic forward that will need to improve his jump shot, playmaking, and rebounding skills.  He will need time to develop and hone his game, but if so, he could be an intriguing prospect to watch in the future.

Auburn’s 6-10 incoming freshman big man, Yohan Traore also didn’t play very well for the World Team in this game.  He was able to score on a powerful dunk, and he also drew free throws on an aggressive, baseline drive to his left to show a promising face-up game.  However, he had trouble knocking down shots, especially from beyond the arc.  Traore could not find his shooting touch from beyond the arc, as he threw up an air-ball, and he also missed too hard and didn’t show any touch the other time he shot a three.  He also airballed a turnaround jumper from the post, and Traore generally had trouble making plays on offense in this match.

He didn’t grab many rebounds, but Traore was able to chase down a defensive board to get it for his team once.  Overall, Traore didn’t have a great game, and he really struggled on offense, but he showed some handles and the ability to score in the paint at times.  He’ll need time to develop and hone his game, but if he can do so over the course of multiple seasons at Auburn, he could end up projecting to be a second round prospect sometime down the road.

I had really big expectations for Kyle Filipowski yesterday, but the 6-11 Duke commit’s performance was very disappointing in Team USA’s win over the World Team.  He didn’t make shots efficiently, was turnover prone, and he struggled defensively in this game.  I thought he was going to be the next super prospect based on the hype he was coming in with, but instead, he turned in a really poor performance in this match.

Filipowski was at his best when scoring on hustle plays.  He ran in to score on a tip-in, and he also drew free throws on a tip-in.  He also drew free throws after getting the ball in the post once.  However, he can tend to force the issue too much, which can get him into trouble.  He would tend to get his shots blocked and stuffed around the basket, as he would be too predictable with his moves.  He also struggled to score off right-handed drives, and he would tend to miss tough, off-balanced shots in traffic.

He was able to throw an entry pass to notch an assist.  However, Filipowski had trouble handling the ball when pressured, as he had a ball poked away to commit a turnover.  He also quickly handled the ball once up court, but then threw a long, rushed pass that got picked off by a defender.  For that fleeting moment where he showed a mere glimpse of his ball-handling potential, he then immediately threw a hasty pass that resulted in a turnover.

Filipowski did a great job of rebounding the basketball.  Defensively, he struggled in this game.  On one good play, he was able to get his hands on a pass to help his team get a steal.  He also contested a shot off of a drive in transition to force a miss.  However, he would tend to get outmuscled and give up deep position when defending in the post, which would lead him to commit fouls and allow scores.  He also didn’t get back another time, which led his team to give up a fast break basket.

Overall, Kyle Filipowski was very disappointing in this game, and he didn’t show much of anything, except for being able to rebound the basketball.  I certainly hope he’s much more skilled than what he showed in this game, and he didn’t even look to be a very good athlete when he was on the floor.  If this game is indicative of his future skill set, then Filipowski might not be anywhere close to being deserving of the hype he’s been receiving for next season.  Time will tell to see how well he will play at Duke for next year, but he didn’t seem to play very well at the Hoop Summit at all in this game, and he will need time to hone his skills to improve in the future.

Duke’s 6-4 incoming freshman point guard, Tyrese Proctor didn’t have a great game in the World Team’s loss in this game.  He didn’t seem to make much of an impact on either end overall.  For the positives, Proctor was able to make an open corner three to show his shooting skills.  He also threw a nice bounce pass to a cutter to also show some passing skills. 

However, he had trouble scoring off the dribble.  He also struggled to handle the ball when pressured, which led him to being turnover prone.  He fell and lost the ball when trying to bring it up the court due to clumsiness and rushing.  He also had a ball stolen away from him to commit another turnover.  Proctor didn’t grab many rebounds in this game.  He also was too aggressive when closing out on a shooter, which led him to foul a three-point shooter once.

Overall, Tyrese Proctor didn’t play very well, and he didn’t show much in his team’s loss in this game.  He will need to improve his ability to knock down shots, and he will need to run the team better at the point.  He also looked to be only an average athlete, so he might not have as much upside as the other prospects in this game.  Based solely off of this game, Proctor will likely project to be a similar player to Quinn Cook at the collegiate level, and he will most likely need to stay in school and hone his game to be able to do so.  If he can reach his full potential, Proctor could maybe end up developing into a backup point guard role in the NBA someday.

Norcross’ 6-4 high school senior point guard, London Johnson didn’t play very well for the World Team in their loss in this game.  He really struggled to score off the dribble and had a couple of his shots blocked when taking mid-range jumpers, and he missed his only three-point attempt from beyond the arc.  On the plus side, Johnson was able to score on a crafty, double-pump layup on a drive in transition in traffic.

He was fairly turnover prone on offense, though.  He had trouble handling the ball when pressured, which would lead him to commit ball-handling turnovers.  Johnson was able to get a pair of defensive boards to help his team on the glass.  He also played adequate defense, and he was able to poke a ball away to get a steal.

Overall, Johnson will need to improve significantly on offense, but he is an agile combo guard that showed that he’s capable of scoring in a lower volume role, and he also showed that he can be a plus-level defender.  He will definitely need to improve on offense, but he could project to be a solid role player at the collegiate level over time if he stays in school to hone his game.  If so, he could end up carving out a playing career in professional basketball someday.

In conclusion, those were the thoughts I had in watching all of the prospects that participated in the 2022 Nike Hoop Summit.  I had fun watching the game, and it will be interesting to see how well they will play next season, as well as to see where Jean Montero ends up going in the 2022 NBA Draft.  Thanks for reading.