Thoughts on Day 2 of the 2022 NTX Combine, and Picks for the 2022 NTX All-Combine Teams

May 12^th, 2022

By Alan Lu

Yesterday, I decided to take the time to watch the last two games that were played at the 2022 NTX Combine.  This was an opportunity to watch some of the more unheralded prospects compete to showcase their skills in front of NBA and international teams and scouts, and some of the players really performed well in the last two games of this even this year. For those of you who wanted to know of what happened in the first two games on Day 1 of the 2022 NTX Combine, here is a quick recap.

Thoughts on Game 1 of Day 2 of the 2022 NTX Combine, Team 1 vs. Team 3:

The first game of Day 2 was played between Team 1 and Team 3, as I was able to see with thanks to YouTube via NTX Combine.  It was very competitive, especially in the first half, and both teams traded leads.  But Team 1 was really able to get going in the second half, and they played very well on both ends of the floor to help their team to run away with the victory.  The standout performers in this game looked to be Drake Jeffries from Team 3, as well as Savion Flagg and Jamari Wheeler from Team 1.  Here are my thoughts on how Jeffries, Flagg, and other top performers fared this match.

Drake Jeffries put forth a fantastic performance for Team 3 in this game.  He thrived as a sharpshooter, and he also made tremendously athletic, highlight reel-worthy plays on both ends of the floor.

Jeffries did a great job of knocking down threes to provide floor spacing for his team.  He showed a knack for making spot-up threes off the catch, and he also used a pump fake to make a pull-up three later on.  Plus, he also ran off the ball quickly to make a quick dribble handoff three, and Jeffries showed very good running speed when he made a movement three later on.

He also thrived at scoring on hustle plays.  Jeffries would often score on thunderous dunks on backdoor cuts off of misdirection plays, and he did a great job of picking his spots to quickly dart to the rim off the ball to get the basketball.  He also managed to score on a magnetic jam in traffic on a speedy drive in transition.  Plus, he also managed to score on a quick, left-handed drive to the hoop to show his ability to score off the dribble.

Also, he showcased satisfactory playmaking skills in this game.  Jeffries took very good care of the basketball, and he also threw an accurate pass to a roll man to get an assist.  He also was able to leap up to get a defensive board, and he then pushed the ball quickly up the floor afterwards.

Plus, Jeffries also played solid defense in this game.  He did a terrific job of jumping passes to get steals, and he also deflected a pass to nearly get another.  He also excelled as a shot blocker.  Jeffries was able to block a corner three out of bounds, and he also swatted a shot off of a drive due to possessing good athleticism, timing, and instincts.  He also rotated to contest a drive in transition to force a miss.  Sometimes though, he would play too aggressively, which would lead him to wind up out of position.  Other times, he would sometimes get overpowered when defending stronger opponents in one-on-one situations.

In summary, Drake Jeffries put forth a superb showing, as he played a terrific all-around game overall.  He shot the ball really well, but he also threw down a slew of thunderous dunks and made big defensive plays to showcase his strong motor and athletic gifts.  He had a very good 2022 NTX Combine overall, and Jeffries is an underrated prospect that could project into a 3 and D role in the NBA.

Savion Flagg had a solid showing to help Team 1 get the win in this game.  He is a strong, fairly athletic combo forward that showed off a variety of skills to help his team throughout this contest.

Flagg showed a solid ability to score in the post.  He was able to use a series of dribble moves and draw the contact to draw fouls upon his defenders to frequently get to the free throw line.

He also was quite active at scoring on hustle plays.  Flagg showed a knack for scoring off of cuts, and he also ran off of a curl cut and got the ball midway to score on a high-post drive while getting fouled simultaneously.  He also managed to score on a powerful dunk in transition, but sometimes he would rush his shots, which would lead to misses.

Also, Flagg did a good job of scoring on mid-range jumpers.  He also made a pull-up three once, but he struggled to knock down his three-point shots, especially when he would take them off the catch.

Plus, Flagg showcased good playmaking skills in this game.  He is an unselfish player that passed and handled the ball well, and he would throw long, accurate interior passes to find his teammates on the move to rack up assists.  He also excelled at throwing lobs to set up scores for his teammates around the basket.  He also was able to make a behind the back pass to find an open shooter to notch an assist due to possessing solid court vision.  Sometimes though, he would throw inaccurate passes, as a couple of them got intercepted, and another was because his teammate didn’t look for the basketball. 

Adding to that, Flagg did a very good job of rebounding the basketball.  He has a keen nose for the ball, and he would often haul in defensive boards to help his team.  Sometimes, he would push the ball up the court after getting defensive rebounds.  He also played fairly average defense.  Flagg was able to intercept a low pass to get a steal.  Sometimes though, he would lose his focus and have lapses.  He didn’t contest a shot in the post once, which led him to allow a score that time.  He also got beat on a backdoor cut and allowed a dunk to an opponent.

In summary, Savion Flagg played very well, and he had a solid all-around game to help lead his team to get the win.  He has been playing well as of lately, and he is a high-motor combo forward that will rebound the ball, make the extra pass, and also make hustle plays.  He will need to be a more consistent shooter in games, but his skill set and versatility could enable him to develop into a reliable role player in the NBA someday.

UNLV’s 6-9 fifth-year senior forward, Royce Hamm Jr. also played well to help lead Team 1 to get the win in this game.  He is a very athletic, high-motor combo forward that made a lot of energetic plays to help his team on both ends of the floor.

Hamm showed a knack for scoring on hustle plays.  He would often run the floor to score on thunderous jams on the break, and he also caught a lob to score on an emphatic alley-oop dunk midway through this match.  He also caught a lob to score on a backdoor cut.  Plus, he showed a solid ability to score off the dribble, and Hamm was able to drive along the baseline to score on a thunderous dunk.

He also was able to use some solid dribble moves to score out of the post.  Hamm showed off good footwork, balance, and body control to score from the block.  However, he would sometimes rush his moves, as he missed on a couple of jump hooks, and he also would struggle to score in traffic when he wouldn’t get foul calls.  He also had trouble connecting on his threes, and he didn’t shoot the ball very well from the outside.

Also, Hamm showed off adequate playmaking skills.  He was able to throw a sharp pass out of the post to showcase his ability to pass the basketball.  Hamm also handled the ball fairly well, especially in the open court.  However, he had some trouble handling the ball when pressured, as defenders would sometimes poke balls away from him to get him to nearly turn the ball over.  Another time, he didn’t look for the basketball when his teammate threw an inbounds pass, which led to a team turnover.

Also, Hamm did a decent job of rebounding the basketball.  He also defended well.  Hamm was able to hustle back to make a nice, chase down block to prevent an opponent from scoring on the break, and he also directed the shot to a teammate.  He also poked a ball off of a high post player before it went out of bounds to force a turnover.

Overall, Royce Hamm Jr. had a solid showing, and he made a lot of hustle plays to help his team get the victory.  He will need to improve his jump shot and ball-handling skills, but his athleticism, motor, and ability to play multiple positions could enable him to compete for a roster spot in the NBA someday.

Ohio State’s fifth-year senior point guard, Jamari Wheeler also played very well to help lead Team 1 to get the win.  He especially thrived as a shooter, scorer, and facilitator, and he played smart, sound basketball to get the job done at the point.

Wheeler showed a knack for making threes from beyond the arc.  He shot the ball well, especially from downtown.  He showed a knack for making spot-up threes, and he would run off the ball to make movement threes.  He also was able to drain a step-back three from way out to showcase his shooting skills.  Plus, Wheeler showed a fairly solid ability to score off the dribble.  He also managed to score on a backdoor cut.  On the downside, he struggled to make mid-range jumpers in this game.

Also, Wheeler displayed good playmaking skills in this game.  He made good passes off the dribble, and he showed that he can make an array of passes to rack up assists.  He was able to make a swift, wraparound pass to get an assist early on, and Wheeler can find his teammates on the move due to possessing solid court vision.  On the other hand, he also threw a pass that got intercepted once.

Plus, he also did a very good job of rebounding the basketball.  Wheeler also played adequate defense.  He was able to poke a ball away to help his team get a steal, and he also intercepted a pass to get another.  However, sometimes he can be prone to commit reach-in fouls due to over-aggressiveness, and he also can sometimes take bad gambles that may lead him to commit fouls and allow scores.

Overall, Jamari Wheeler had a strong, all-around showing to help get his team the victory in this game.  He was overshadowed by higher profile teammates this past season and can sometimes fade into the background too much, but Wheeler really stepped up in a major way to help his team in this match.  He played very well in this contest, and he could project to be a solid, game-managing point guard in professional basketball.

John Fulkerson also played well in this game, and he thrived at making plays on ends of the court to help Team 3.  He was very efficient as a scorer, and he was able to make shots both inside and out.  He showed off good footwork and scoring touch to score out of the post, and he would use spin moves to score on turnaround jumpers.  He also managed to score on a tip-in.  Plus, he also managed to glide in to score off the dribble, and he also made an open corner three another time.  He showed a much improved, face-up game.  He didn’t take enough shots, but he played unselfishly, and he excelled as a shot maker throughout this contest.

Also, Fulkerson showed off satisfactory playmaking skills.  He generally passed the ball well, as he thrived at getting the ball to cutters to notch assists, and he also made a swift, drive and kick pass to set up a score for a teammate on the break.  On the downside, he stepped out of bounds to commit one turnover once.  He also threw an inaccurate touch pass that sailed out of bounds due to miscommunication.

He also was able to get some rebounds, and he was able to leap up to get an offensive board in this game.  Fulkerson also played solid defense in this game.  He would block shots to help his team protect the paint, and he also deflected pass to nearly get steals.  On the downside, he committed a foul on an opposing ball handler due to over-aggressiveness.

Overall, John Fulkerson had a solid showing, and he made sound plays to help his team throughout the contest.  He will need to show that he can regularly knock down outside shots and defend quicker players out on the perimeter, and he can sometimes tend to fade into the background in games.  Still, he has had some very good games over the course of his career, and he is an energetic big man that could end up carving out a solid playing career in professional basketball.

Mount St. Mary’s 6-9 senior big man, Nana Opoku also played very well to help lead Team 1 to get the win in this game.  He especially thrived as an inside scorer, and he was able to throw down some powerful dunks to bolster his team on offense.

Opoku showed a knack for scoring on hustle plays.  He would often score off of offensive rebounds, and he also ran in to score on a tip slam once.  He also caught a lob off of a backdoor cut to score on a powerful alley-oop dunk.  Opoku also ran the floor to get the ball to score on a powerful jam another time.

He also managed to score on a right-handed drive to the hoop, and Opoku also made a pull-up, mid-range jumper from the baseline to showcase his emerging face-up game.  Plus, he also used a spin move to score on a step-through move in the post.  Sometimes though, he would take tough, contested shots, which would lead to misses.

On the downside, he can sometimes be indecisive, which can hurt his team on offense.  Opoku handled the ball for a little too long once and didn’t take a shot, which led his team to commit a shot clock violation.  He also was indecisive when he got the ball in the post once, and he ended up being called for an up and down violation.

Also, Opoku did a decent job of rebounding the basketball.  He also played fairly average defense in this game.  Opoku was able to alter a mid-range shot to help his force a miss.  On the downside, sometimes he can be late on his rotations and can struggle to defend quicker players, which can lead his team to give up baskets at the rim.

Overall, Nana Opoku is a strong, athletic big man that has very good hands, and he primarily excelled as a finisher around the basket.  He will need to improve in the finer points of the game, but his athleticism and motor could enable him to compete for a roster spot in the NBA someday.

Thoughts on Game 2 of Day 2 of the 2022 NTX Combine:

This also presented an opportunity to watch the final game of this event that took place between Team 2 and Team 4, as I was able to see this with thanks to YouTube via NTX Combine.  It was a very competitive match for most of the way, but Team 2 was able to make key plays down the stretch to run away with the victory.

To me, the standout performers were Ty Gordon, Daeqwon Plowden, and Thomas Bell.  Ty Gordon consistently performed well throughout this match, and his strong scoring and distribution skills really bolstered his team’s offense in this game.  Daeqwon Plowden really shot the ball well as he excelled as a scorer, and Thomas Bell was extremely efficient as an inside scorer in this match.  Here are my thoughts on how they performed, as well as others who I felt stood out from the rest of the pack.

Ty Gordon had a strong showing to help lead Team 2 to get the win over Team 4.  He had previously really struggled in the 2022 Portsmouth Invitational, but he played really well at the 2022 NTX Combine, as he’s shown much improved shot making and decision-making skills at this event, especially when he’s running the point.

Gordon did a good job of scoring off the dribble.  He is a speedy playmaker that has a quick first step to the hoop, and he would regularly score and get free throws in this game.  He also changed directions well, and he would use hesitation move to draw fouls to get to the free throw line.  Plus, he also managed to make a smooth, pull-up mid-range jumper from the baseline.  Gordon also made an open three from way out, but he also struggled to make step-back threes from beyond the arc.

He also showcased solid playmaking skills in this game.  Gordon showed a knack for finding cutters to notch assists, and he did a good job of passing off the dribble to find open shooters.  He generally threw solid interior passes to find open teammate on the move.  Sometimes though, he would throw rushed, inaccurate passes that would go astray.

Also, Gordon did a good job of rebounding the basketball.  He also played adequate defense in this game.  He would poke balls away to help his team get steals.  He also applied great pressure on an opposing ball handler to help force his man to commit an over and back violation.  He also would contest jump shots to force misses.  Sometimes, he would play too aggressively, as he fouled a mid-range shooter, and he also over-rotated out on the perimeter another time. 

Overall, Ty Gordon played very well in this game, and he is an athletic, energetic combo guard that has shown a much-improved ability to run the point lately.  He will need to continue to play as well as he did in the two games he played at this event, and if so, Gordon could end up making his way to the NBA someday.

Daeqwon Plowden also played well to help Team 4 in this game.  He thrived as a shooter and scorer, and he played well on both sides of the ball. Plowden shot the ball well, especially from beyond the arc.  He showed that he can make threes both off the catch and dribble, and he especially showed a knack for making open corner threes.  He also was able to run off the ball to make a movement three from the corner.  He also generally thrived at scoring on hustle plays.  Plowden tend to score off of tip-ins, fast breaks, and cuts.  He also ran in to score on a thunderous tip slam after leaping up to grab an offensive rebound.  He also ran the floor to score on a magnetic dunk in transition. 

He also managed to score on a strong drive in traffic, and he would drive hard to the hoop to draw plenty of free throws.  However, sometimes he would tend to take tough, off-balanced layups in traffic, which would lead to misses, especially when he wouldn’t get foul calls.  On the downside, Plowden was quite turnover prone on offense.  On one good play, he was able to make a drive and kick pass to find an open shooter.  However, he had trouble handling the ball when heavily pressured, which would lead him to commit ball-handling turnovers.  He would sometimes hold or dribble the ball too long, and he would get balls poked away from him.  He also stepped out of bounds another time.  He also threw a rushed pass that ended up getting intercepted another time.

Also, Plowden did a fairly good job of rebounding the basketball.  He was able to swoop in to get multiple boards on both ends of the floor.  He also defended well.  Plowden would get his hands on passes to get steals and deflections.  He also has good strength and can play with verticality, and he was able to hold position when defending in the post to force a miss.

Overall, Daeqwon Plowden had a solid showing to help his team in this game, and he did a lot of things well on the basketball court.  He will need to tighten up his ball-handling and decision-making ability, but he is a skilled, versatile swingman that could project into a 3 and D type of role in the NBA.

Thomas Bell played well to help Team 2 get the win over Team 4 in this game.  Bell is a strong, fairly athletic swingman that plays much bigger than his listed size, and he was extremely efficient as a scorer to help his team on offense.

Bell did a good job of scoring off the dribble.  He has a solid first step to the hoop, and he was able to finish plays using either hand.  He also managed to score on a powerful dunk on a  drive to the rim.  He also thrived at scoring on hustle plays, as he was able to score on a turnaround layup off of a cut, as well as on a strong put back.  While he was able to get a running start to score on an open, mid-range floater off the catch, Bell struggled to consistently knock down his outside shots, and he also missed on a three-point shot from beyond the arc.

Also, he was fairly turnover prone in this game.  For the positives, Bell would sometimes throw solid interior passes to find teammates on the move.  He was able to find a cutter to notch an assist, and he also threw a very long outlet pass to find a teammate on the break.  However, sometimes he would tend to throw long, inaccurate passes that would sail out of bounds.  He also was called for setting a moving screen another time.

He also showed a solid ability to rebound the basketball.  Sometimes, Bell would then push the ball up the court off of defensive boards.  He also played satisfactory defense.  Bell was able to intercept a pass to get a steal, and he also rotated to swat a ball close to the rim to prevent an opponent from scoring on a drive.  On the downside, there was one play where he got beat off the dribble, which led his team to rotate to commit the foul that time.

Overall, Thomas Bell had a strong showing in this game, and he did a good job of making plays to help his team on both ends of the floor.  He will need to improve his jump shot and passing skills, but his athleticism, motor, and versatility could enable him to carve out a solid playing career in professional basketball.

Ronaldo Segu also played fairly well in this game.  He is a speedy point guard that thrived at scoring on quick drives to the hoop, and he also made a quick spin move to score another time due to possessing good agility and ball handling skills.  He also was able to make a smooth, step-back three.  However, he didn’t take nearly enough threes, and he had trouble consistently knocking down pull-up, mid-range jumpers on offense.

He also showed off adequate playmaking skills.  Segu was able to show that he can make an array of passes off the dribble to set up scoring chances for his teammates, and he also showed that he can make swift, drop-off passes to find open teammates on the break.  Sometimes though, he would telegraph his passes, as he threw a few of them that got intercepted.

He also played satisfactory defense.  Segu would poke balls away to get steals, and he was able to tie up an opposing ball handler that was on the ground to force a jump ball.  However, another time, he got outmuscled when defending a drive in transition to allow a score to his opponent.

Overall, Ronaldo Segu played fairly well, and he thrived as a scorer in this game.  He will need to trust his three-point shot more and play more under control, but his athleticism and scoring skills could enable him to compete for a roster spot in the NBA.

John Knight III also played well in this game.  He is an athletic, powerful playmaker that quietly excelled at making plays on both ends of the floor.  Knight showed a solid ability to score off the dribble.  He was able to change directions and make a jump stop to draw free throws.  He also drove in to score on a powerful dunk in transition.  He also ran in to score on a thunderous tip slam due to possessing good athleticism and motor.  On the downside, he had trouble knocking down dribble jumpers from the mid-range.

Also, Knight showed off solid playmaking skills.  He is an unselfish player that was able to make an array of passes off the dribble and in transition to notch assists.  On the downside, he threw an inaccurate high pass that ended up being dropped and intercepted another time.

Plus, he also did a very good job of rebounding the basketball.  He also played satisfactory defense.  Knight was able to poke a ball away when applying a full court press to get a steal.  He also deflected a pass to nearly get another.  Late in this match, he also rotated to emphatically block a breakaway dunk to a teammate due to possessing good athleticism, timing, and instincts.  Sometimes though, he would there would be miscommunication between him and his teammates as to whom his team should guard, which would lead them to allow baskets when defending against screens and off-ball motion plays.  Another time, he was over-aggressive when contesting the shot in the post, which led him to commit a foul and allow a score.

Overall, John Knight III had a solid showing to help Team 4 in this match.  He didn’t take any threes though, and he will need to improve his outside shot, but his athleticism, and ability to make plays on both sides of the ball could enable him to compete for a roster spot in the NBA.

Vanderbilt’s senior point guard, Rodney Chatman also played fairly well in this game.  He showed off versatile scoring skills, and he also defended very well when he was on the court.  He did a decent job of scoring off the dribble, and he was able to split a double team to score once due to possessing solid speed, balance, body control, and finishing ability.  He also showed that he can knock down pull-up jumpers to help his team space the floor.  He struggled more to make threes off the catch, and he also airballed a fadeaway mid-range jumper once, as he would sometimes be streaky with his outside shot.

Also, Chatman showcased fairly average playmaking skills.  He is an unselfish player that would swing the ball to find the open man.  He also threw a sharp interior pass to find a teammate on the break.  However, he would sometimes struggle to handle the ball when pressured, which would lead him to step out of bounds a couple of times.  He also telegraphed a pass that got intercepted another time.

He also was able to chase down a defensive board to help his team chip in on the glass.  Chatman also defended very well.  He was able to intercept a pass to get a steal due to possessing good hops and instincts.  He also poked a ball away, and then applied considerable ball pressure to force his man to pass the basketball another time.

Overall, Rodney Chatman showed off versatile scoring skills, and he also played tough, tenacious defense to help his team in this game.  He will need to improve his playmaking skills, but his defense and motor could enable him to compete for a backup point guard role in the NBA.

E.J. Anosike played fairly well in this game.  He is a strong, high-motor combo forward that was able to score and rebound the basketball to help his team in the paint.  He generally thrived at soring on hustle plays.  Anosike thrived at scoring on rolls, and he also ran in to score on a tip-in.  He also ran the floor to score on a reverse layup.  He showed a penchant for drawing fouls upon his defenders to frequently get to the free throw line.  Sometimes though, he would rush his moves, which would lead to misses, especially when he wouldn’t get foul calls.

He also drove hard to the hoop to score on a switch of hands layup.  Anosike also was able to show a decent shooting touch, and solid strength to score several times in the post.  However, he would tend to take tough, rushed shots, and he would sometimes struggle to score against length and athleticism.

He also showcased fairly average playmaking skills.  He is an unselfish player that would look to find the open man.  However, he also had trouble handling ball pressure when driving to the hoop at times, and sometimes he would mishandle the ball and lose it to commit turnovers.

Also, Anosike showed a solid ability to rebound the basketball.  He also managed to push the ball up the court off of a defensive board once.  He also played adequate defense in this game.  Anosike was active at using his length and strength to contest shots, and he would capably defend out on the perimeter and in the paint to force misses.  On the downside, he would sometimes struggle to defend quicker players.  He got beat off the dribble to allow a score.  He also sagged too far off of a shooter, and allowed his man to score on a three another time.  He also would sometimes commit fouls due to over-aggressiveness.

Overall, Anosike had his ups and downs, but he was able to score and rebound the ball in volume, and he had a solid NTX combine overall.  He will need to expand upon his offensive skills and add more elements to his game, and he will need to improve his outside shot, but his production and motor could enable him to compete for a roster spot in the NBA someday.

Jordan Shepherd also played well to help Team 2 get the win.  He is a fairly athletic, high-motor combo guard that thrived as a shooter, scorer, and defender in this game.  He would run off the ball to make quick, movement threes to provide floor spacing.  He also showed a knack for scoring on backdoor cuts, and he also threw down an emphatic dunk once.  Plus, he also ran off a ball screen to get the ball and then scored on a right-handed drive to the hoop.  Shepherd didn’t take enough shots in this game, but he was very efficient at making them on offense.

He also displayed adequate playmaking skills.  Shepherd would throw timely passes to find open teammates to help set up scoring chances for them.  On the downside, he also threw an inaccurate inbounds pass that sailed out of bounds another time.

He also played good defense in this game.  Shepherd would chase down errantly thrown passes to get steals, and he also deflected a pass to nearly get another.  He altered a shot off of a drive to force a miss.  He also contested a three to get a stop another time.  On one play though, he got beat on a spin move off the dribble to allow a score.

Overall, Jordan Shepherd played well at the 2022 NTX Combine this year, and he is a fairly athletic combo guard that showed off a variety of skills to help his team in both games.  He struggled with his jump shot during the 2021-22 college basketball season, but he shot the ball much better in this game.  He will need to be a more consistent shooter in games, but his ability to shoot and defend could enable him to compete for a roster spot in the NBA someday.

Valparaiso’s 6-5 senior swingman, Kevion Taylor shot the ball fairly well for Team 4 in his team’s loss in this game.  He did a good job of making open, spot-up threes, and he was able to move off the ball to knock one down.  He also threw a long outlet pass to set up a score for a teammate on the break.  He also was fairly active at crashing the defensive glass. 

On the downside, he didn’t take many shots, and he struggled to create shots for himself and his teammates.  He missed on a baseline, mid-range floater.  When pressured as the ball-handler, he dribbled backwards and then committed a half-court, over and back violation.

Overall, Kevion Taylor played much better in this game after not being very noticeable in the first game he played at this event.  Though he’s not an overwhelming athlete, he is a spot-up shooter that can knock down threes, especially when he’s given ample time and space to get his shot off.  He will need to refine his overall game, but his ability to knock down spot-up jumpers could enable him to carve out a fairly solid playing career in professional basketball.

After giving this some thought, I have decided on my picks for the 3 Stars on Day 2 of the 2022 NTX Combine.

The 3 Stars on Day 2 of the 2022 NTX Combine:
1. Drake Jeffries, Team 3
2. Savion Flagg, Team 1
3. Ty Gordon, Team 2

Drake Jeffries turned in a dominant showing, as he really impressed me with his sharpshooting prowess, and by making tremendously athletic plays to help his team on both ends of the floor.  Savion Flagg played a smart, sound all-around game, and he was a triple-double threat to help Team 1 get the win in the first game of Day 2.  There were a lot of solid candidates for the third spot, but Ty Gordon looked to have been the most consistently strong performer in the second game, and his scoring and playmaking skills helped catapult Team 2 to get a double-digit win over Team 4.

My Picks for the 2022 All-NTX Combine Teams:

After having watched all four of the 2022 NTX Combine games, here are my picks for the All-NTX Combine teams, as these players impressed me the most in this tournament.

My 2022 All-NTX Combine 1st Team:
C Tommy Rutherford, Team 3 (Not Eligible for the 2022 NBA Draft)
F Jericole Hellems, Team 1 – My Pick for the 2022 NTX Combine MVP
F Daeqwon Plowden, Team 4
G Drake Jeffries, Team 3
G Ty Gordon, Team 2

Jericole Hellems shot the ball really well, and he did a terrific job of shooting and scoring the basketball on the first day of this event. He showed his sharpshooting prowess by being able to make a plethora of jumpers, and he also was able to score on crafty drives to the hoop. He played unselfishly and he also was able to block a shot in this game, and he turned in a superb showing at this event.

Daeqwon Plowden thrived as a shooter and scorer at this event. He is an athletic, powerful swingman that did a great job of making shots, and he also was active at crashing the glass to help his team get rebounds. He played well in both of the games, and he played very well in this tournament.

Drake Jeffries shot the ball very well from beyond the arc, and he turned in tremendous performance on Day 2 of the games that were played at the 2022 NTX Combine. He was able to throw down numerous highlight reel-worthy dunks, and he played stellar defense on the second day. He showed off his sharpshooting prowess, but he also showed off very good athleticism and played with a great motor as the games wore on, and he had a strong showing at this tournament overall.

Ty Gordon is an athletic, quick score-first point guard that thrived at driving to the hoop to score and pass the basketball, and he showed much-improved decision-making skills with the ball in his hands at the point. He also rebounded the ball very well, and he played very well in both games that he played in this tournament.

Tommy Rutherford did a tremendous job of scoring and rebounding the basketball, and he was extremely efficient as a scorer for his team. He played very well at this event, and he is a hard-working, low post scorer that showed a deft shooting touch in both of the games he played at this event.

My 2022 All-NTX Combine 2nd Team:
C Marcale Lotts, Team 1 (Not Eligible for the 2022 Draft)
F Savion Flagg, Team 1
F Thomas Bell, Team 2
G David Azore, Team 1
G John Knight III, Team 4

David Azore played very well on the first day of this tournament, and he is an athletic combo guard that took smart shots, and he excelled as a crafty shooter and scorer when he was on the floor. He was able to get to his spots to score at will, and he also showed off solid playmaking and defensive skills. He didn’t play on Day 2, but he turned in a strong showing on the first day of games at this tournament.

Marcale Lotts is an athletic, combo forward that shot the ball very well, and showed off versatile scoring skills, as he was able to finish plays above the rim, and he would knock down threes to show his floor spacing capabilities. He was a versatile player that excelled as a shooter, scorer, and rebounder at this event, and he was able to help Team 1 get both wins in this tournament.

John Knight III is a very athletic point guard that excelled at attacking the hoop to score and pass the basketball. He thrived at taking the ball to the rim to score, and he also was able to make some really athletic plays on the court. He also rebounded and defended well, and he played well in both games that he played in this tournament.

Thomas Bell is an athletic, high-motor swingman that excelled at making hustle plays to help his team in this tournament, and he did a terrific job of rebounding the basketball. He also defended well and he was able to rack up steals. He played bigger than his listed size, and his ability to match up to taller players proved to be helpful for his team in this tournament.

Savion Flagg is an athletic, physical combo forward that dominated on Day 2 of the games that were played at the 2022 NTX Combine. He struggled on the first day, but he showed off strong, all-around skills, as he especially impressed with his playmaking and rebounding skills in the second game that he played in. He was one of the best players on Day 2, and he could be a player that could potentially make his way onto an NBA roster in the future.

Honorable Mention:
Nana Opoku, Team 1 (Not in the 2022 Draft), Stokley Chaffee, Team 4 (Not Eligible for the 2022 NBA Draft), E.J. Anosike, Team 2, Ronaldo Segu, Team 4, Jamari Wheeler, Team 1

I also received athletic testing and combine measurements from the people that work at the 2022 NTX Combine. There were some very interesting numbers to take away from all of this.

Nysier Brooks was the tallest player at the combine, as he measured at 7 feet tall at this event. He also had the longest standing reach at 9’2.5″, and Malik Williams was the only other player to have a standing reach that reached 9 feet or more, as his was measured at 9’0.5″.

John Knight had the highest max vert at 40.5 inches, and he was tied with three other people, Nana Opoku, Drake Jeffries, and Aaron Wheeler for the best standing vert jump. Jamari Wheeler had the best lane agility 1 time at 10.95 seconds, and Brandon McKissic had the fastest lane agility 2 time at 10.6 seconds. Jericole Hellems had the fastest shuttle 1 time at 2.57 seconds, and Jamari Wheeler had the fastest shuttle 2 time at 2.55 seconds. Also, E.J. Anosike bench pressed the most as he was recorded as having bench pressed 16 times.

In all, I had fun watching these games that were played in the 2022 NTX Combine. They played at a fast and frenetic pace, and there were several notable players that played very well in this tournament. Also, the 2022 NBA Playoffs have been going on, and it will be exciting to see which teams will advance to the Conference Finals. Thanks for reading.