College Basketball Recruiting: What Each Top Player Proved in July 2015 Showcase

One of the most important months of the college basketball recruiting cycle has just wrapped up, and the July evaluation period went a long way toward determining how good the 2016 class is going to be.

CBSSports.com's Sam Vecenie calls it "the strongest high school class we've seen pass through American hoops in a long time," and members of that class were on display at major showcase events throughout the country in July.

The top players in that class all did something over the past month to prove themselves worthy of such high praise. We've broken down the most notable achievement for 20 of the highest-ranked players in 247Sports' composite rankings for 2016.

PF Edrice Adebayo

What he proved: He's earned his nickname

Edrice Adebayo is his given name, but this summer the 6'9" Nigerian native has shown why he's known as "Bam Bam" on the basketball court. One of the strongest dunkers in the 2016 class, Adebayo spent much of July playing above the rim with Team Loaded at the Adidas Uprising in Las Vegas.

Adebayo averaged 14.6 points and 10.6 rebounds in seven games in the event, with many of those points coming off slams and putback flushes, according to Scout.com.

"Other people hype the name, and, hey, I just let it ride," Adebayo told USA Today's Jason Jordan in April.

Adebayo, who recently picked up an offer from Kentucky, plays high school ball in North Carolina and is a key target for in-state schools UNC and North Carolina State as well as Louisville.

SG Rawle Alkins

What he proved: New York City basketball is back

Rawle Alkins is the New York City area's highest-rated prep recruit in quite some time, sitting at No. 17 in 247Sports' composite rankings for 2016. A place that's considered by many to be one of the birthplaces of top-level hoops in this country hasn't had many notable prospects come out of there lately, but Alkins is trying to change that.

In July he showed off his skills all over, and not just on standard indoor courts. According to Chris Russell of ZagsBlog, Alkins was part of a game at legendary Rucker Park, where he had 24 points and eight assists in a losing cause, and he finished the month playing for Team Rose in the Adidas Nations event in Long Beach, California.

Alkins has offers from 20 schools, most recently Alabama and North Carolina, but the 6'5" guard's front-runner might be Kentucky. He's set to attend the Wildcats' famed Big Blue Madness event in mid-October.

C Udoka Azubuike

What he proved: He's dangerous down low, and not just to the players

At 6'11" and 265 pounds, Udoka Azubuike is one of the biggest prospects in the 2016 class in terms of overall size and strength. And he uses this to his advantage every time he gets the ball, "just going through (defenders), every single time" according to CBSSports.com's Sam Vecenie.

That's led to some of the fiercest dunks on the circuit this summer, as well as some damaged rims and backboards.

"I pulled down the rim one time," Azubuike told ESPN's Jeff Borzello. "I didn't break the glass, but I broke the rim. The rim broke off. It was fun; it was wild."

PG Lonzo Ball

What he proved: He's not afraid of competition

Lonzo Ball hasn't spent as much time on the AAU and showcase circuit as other top prospects, but in July he was front and center at events in Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area, and he didn't disappoint.

The Chino Hills, California, product (and UCLA commit) plays on a team that also features younger brothers LiAngelo and LiMelo and is coached by his father.

According to Raphielle Johnson of College Basketball Talk, since the team isn't sponsored by a major shoe company, it meant the Big Ballers didn't face much of the top competition during the spring, and it led to questions about whether Lonzo Ball was really worthy of being a 5-star recruit.

Some of those claims were quelled by his play in Las Vegas, Johnson noted.

"Lonzo Ball does everything on the floor while he's out there and he has an exceptional basketball IQ and court vision that helps him make plays that others can't," Johnson wrote.

Ball will be the first of three brothers to play for UCLA. LiAngelo, a 2017 prospect, and 2019 prospect LiMelo are also committed to the Bruins, according to CBSSports.com's Gary Parrish (h/t SB Nation's Ricky O'Donnell.)

SF Miles Bridges

What he proved: He can rebound with the best of them

The small forward position is that tweener spot where a lot of players who are too big to be guards but too small to play in the paint end up. But Miles Bridges can do it all, and the rebounding acumen he was able to show in July was most helpful to his reputation.

The 6'6" Huntington Prep star has risen to No. 16 overall and No. 3 in the small forward rankings. At the Peach Jam in Atlanta, he was one of five players to average 10 or more rebounds, and the other four were all taller than him, according to Chip Miller of ZagsBlog.

Bridges announced his top five in July (h/t 247Sports' Ross Martin), narrowing the field down to Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Michigan State and North Carolina. He's already scheduled fall visits to Kentucky and MSU.

PF De'Ron Davis

What he proved: He controls his own future

As arguably Colorado's highest-rated recruit in years, local fans naturally expected De'Ron Davis to stay home and play for the Buffaloes rather than get wooed by offers from bigger national powers.

"There's a lot of pressure to stay home, especially because I grew up in the same neighborhood as Chauncey (Billups)," Davis told Bruce Pascoe of the Arizona Daily Star. "Everybody's trying to get me to follow in his footsteps, but I'm just trying to get the best opportunity for me."

According to the Denver Post's Nick Kosmider, the 4-star prospect from Aurora cut his list to three teams at the end of July, though, and Colorado wasn't on there. Instead he's down to Arizona, Indiana and Texas.

PG De'Aaron Fox

What he proved: He belongs in the discussion for 2016's best point guard

He's currently rated as the No. 3 player at his position, but De'Aaron Fox could very well pass those above him before all is said and done. His Las Vegas performance at the end of July capped a month full of stellar play, which has helped the 6'4" Katy, Texas, resident shoot up the rankings.

Following a 35-point Las Vegas performance, a pro scout told Scout.com's Evan Daniels that Fox "might be the best pro prospect in this class."

Fox looked like he was going to be down to just Kansas and Texas when the month began, and he'd made several visits to those schools. But he's since added offers from Kentucky and North Carolina, and now a national battle is on for him.

CG Markelle Fultz

What he proved: He could get the offer he wanted

Already in possession of nearly 20 scholarship offers from schools all over the country, Markelle Fultz knew he still had something to accomplish because one of the big boys (Kentucky) hadn't joined the competition for his services. And until that happened, he wasn't going to begin narrowing down his choices.

In June he told Kyle Tucker of the Louisville Courier-Journal, "I'm going to keep working until I get one" from Kentucky, and that hard work paid off on July 9, when the Lexington offer came in. Five days later he picked up an offer from North Carolina, and in August he has visits scheduled with Arizona and Louisville.

The 6'4" combo guard from DeMatha Catholic in Maryland is rated as the No. 19 player in the 2016 class.

PF Wenyen Gabriel

What he proved: Some of the best prospects bloom late

The 2016 recruiting class is shaping up to be one of the best in years, overloaded with top talent and known quantities who have been followed for quite some time. But it also includes several breakout stars who burst onto the scene this summer—none more so than Wenyen Gabriel.

A 6'9", 195-pound prospect who attends school at little-known Wilbraham & Monson Academy in Massachusetts but is originally from Africa, Gabriel has grown three inches in the past year and has used that growth spurt to his advantage. This has led to offers from Duke, Kansas, Kentucky and North Carolina in the past two weeks.

"Wenyen Gabriel entered the summer an unranked prospect," Scout.com's Eric Daniels wrote. "He's exiting the summer a potential 5-star prospect with offers from many of the nation's best."

Gabriel has jumped from the 90s to 55th in 247Sports' composite rankings since March.

PF Harry Giles

What he proved: He's not afraid of competition

Harry Giles began the month helping Team USA win a gold medal at the FIBA World Championships in Greece and then returned to the states and dominated at the Peach Jam in Atlanta. According to Vecenie, the month ended with a strong Las Vegas performance, and then Giles continued to set himself up for success by announcing a transfer from Wesleyan Christian in North Carolina to Oak Hill Academy in Virginia.

Oak Hill has produced dozens of NBA players under coach Steve Smith's guidance, which is one of the many reasons Giles opted to move there. He's cut his list down to five schools (h/t 247Sports' Jerry Meyer)—Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina and Wake Forest—and those teams will have plenty of opportunities to watch him play on national television, since Oak Hill plays all over the country in spotlight games.

Somehow, despite such a big July, the 6'10" Giles slipped from first to second in 247Sports' composite rankings.

PG Kyle Guy

What he proved: He plays much bigger than he looks

He's only 6'2" and 155 pounds, which makes Kyle Guy seem very unimposing. That is until he starts playing and doing so with great flair and poise as he did throughout July at several major national events.

As a result, Guy has become far more well-regarded than he was back when he committed to Virginia in October. Now he's getting looked at as the future of the Cavaliers program, which, with the addition of Memphis transfer Austin Nicholas, looks to be stacked for 2016-17.

"Virginia's got it going right now," ESPN's Jeff Goodman said (via 247Sports).

SF Jonathan Isaac

What he proved: He was ready to pull the trigger

Of the 26 players in 247Sports' composite rankings who have a 5-star rating, eight of them have committed to a program for the 2016-17 season. Four of those commitments took place in July, starting with Jonathan Issac pledging to Florida State on July 6.

Isaac, a 6'10" prospect who plays at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, cited the Seminoles' willingness to show interest in him long before he rose to 5-star status.

"It was their loyalty toward me," Isaac said, per Chris Nee of 247Sports. "They recruited [me] when I wasn't ranked; they have shown me love from the jump."

PG Frank Jackson

What he proved: Utah is a place that produces top-tier talent

Frank Jackson has put the Beehive State on the map with his play this summer, and that's translated into plenty of offers for the 6'3" prospect who was previously committed to BYU.

"He's going to be an absolutely awesome college basketball player," CBSSports.com's Sam Vecenie wrote after watching Jackson with the Utah Prospects in Las Vegas.

Arizona, Duke and Stanford are Jackson's prime suitors; he has already visited Stanford and is set to check out Duke's campus on an official visit this month.

SG Josh Jackson

What he proved: He deserves top billing

Josh Jackson rose to No. 1 in 247Sports' composite rankings in July, riding the wave from a monster performance at the Under Armour All-America camp in Atlanta. It's the second time he's been atop the rankings this year, and he figures to be able to hold on to that spot as long as he maintains the pace he's been on.

The Michigan native (who plays for Prolific Prep in California this year) was stellar as part of 1Nation, earning MVP honors in the 17-and-under division, according to NextUpRecruits.com. He then led that team to a title at the Fab48 event in Las Vegas, which helped him rise to No. 1 in the rankings, according to MaxPreps.

The 6'7" Jackson has offers from 12 schools, with Arizona and Kansas considered the leaders at this point.

PF T.J. Leaf

What he proved: He can hang with international stars

T.J. Leaf didn't make the Team USA roster at the FIBA U-19 World Championships, but he got another opportunity to show off his stuff on a global scale. The Arizona commit from San Diego was part of Israel's U-18 team at the European Championships, helping it to a second-place finish in Division B.

The 6'9" Leaf had 14 points, 16 rebounds and five assists in the semifinal win over Poland, which helped Israel earn a promotion to Division A for next year.

Leaf was able to play for Israel because he was born there during his father's (Brad Leaf's) 17-year career playing in that country.

PF Thon Maker

What he proved: Off-the-court uncertainty hasn't affected on-court play

Thon Maker bounced back and forth between the 2015 and 2016 classes in the past year, at one point looking like someone who could head to Kentucky for the upcoming season. He ultimately chose to remain in 2016, and he'll again play for the Athlete Institute Basketball Academy in Ontario after previously living in Louisiana and Virginia after making his way over from Africa (via Australia).

The 7-footer hasn't let any of that get in the way of being a star during the summer, and he's been dominant in every event he participated in during both June and July, 247Sports' Jerry Meyer wrote.

"Maker runs the floor as well as any big man in recent memory, plays with energy and quick feet on the defensive end and scores with touch on the offensive end," he wrote. "He is currently playing with a more attacking approach to the basket while also shooting the ball well from outside."

CG Malik Monk

What he proved: Why Kentucky has made him a top target

The best players in the state of Arkansas tend to end up as Razorbacks, but Malik Monk isn't the normal prospect from these parts. Now sitting at No. 4 in the 2016 class, the 6'3" combo guard has offers from the ACC, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC. And that includes Kentucky, which doesn't get involved unless a player is really something.

Monk showed his value immensely in leading his USA South team to the title at the Nike Global Challenge in Chicago, and for that effort he was named MVP, according to 247Sports' Chris Fisher. He averaged 21.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 7.3 assists, finishing with a 47.8 percent three-point shooting percentage in three games.

Monk, from Bentonville, then returned to his Arkansas Wings team and scored 34 in a game in Las Vegas at the end of July, according to Vecenie.

CG Kobi Simmons

What he proved: He has work to do handling the ball

Rated as a combo guard, Kobi Simmons is projected to be a point guard at the college level. However, his play this summer has indicated that he needs to improve on the non-scoring parts of that position in order to truly be a floor leader.

According from Ryan O'Donnell of SB Nation, Simmons averaged better than 20 points per game in seven contests in Las Vegas but had 23 turnovers to just nine assists during that span.

"There's one word that comes to mind for Simmons' game: aggression," O'Donnell said. "This manifests itself positively when he gets his own offense going, but can also be detrimental when he fails to get teammates involved and turns the ball over too frequently."

The 6'5" Georgia native is deciding between Arizona, Ohio State, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina and Xavier, according to 247Sports' Fisher.

PG Dennis Smith

What he proved: He's deserving of all the in-state love

The 6'3" Dennis Smith is the top-ranked point guard in the 2016 class, per 247Sports, but it's very likely he'll be staying close to his North Carolina roots for college. Duke, North Carolina, North Carolina State and Wake Forest are in his final six, along with Kansas and Louisville, though since making that announcement (via ESPN's Goodman), Kentucky has extended him an offer.

He's had a terrific July, starring in several events across the country that have made his stock continue to rise. And with talk that he could be a package deal—to NC State—with fellow rising prospect Edrice Adebayo, according to CBS Sports' Matt Norlander, he's at the center of one of July's biggest recruiting stories.

"If the Wolfpack could land this combo featuring a point guard who might well be the best floor leader in his class and a big man whose stock is now climbing into top-10 territory, it could change the makeup of the ACC come the fall of 2016."

Package deals have become all the rage in college basketball recruiting of late, though the most significant one that's happened the last few years was Tyus Jones and Jahlil Okafor to Duke for 2014-15.

PF Jayson Tatum

What he proved: A commitment hasn't impacted his play

Jayson Tatum is the biggest name in the 2016 class to have decided his future, committing to Duke during the EYBL Peach Jam in Atlanta on July 12, according to ESPN's Paul Biancardi (via Sporting News' Alec Brzezinski). A move like that could have signaled the end of his summer, with nothing left to prove, but that's not how the 6'8" St. Louis native operates.

And it's why Tatum continued to put forth amazing effort throughout the month, most recently by playing for the Arkansas Wings as they won The 8, an elite AAU tournament held in Las Vegas on July 26.

Now Tatum will likely focus more of his efforts on helping Duke land other big-name recruits for 2016, including "best friend" Harry Giles.

Recruiting rankings and information courtesy of 247Sports unless otherwise noted.

Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.