The Top Storylines to Watch at Team USA's Junior National Team Minicamp
USA Basketball has become a dominant force at the youth level the last several years as gold medals and international success keep coming to multiple age groups.
One of the reasons for this success is the minicamp that USA Basketball has run for its high school players every fall since 2009. The October camp, which helps USA Basketball select the Nike Hoop Summit team as well as who will try out for next summer's U19 World Championships and U16 FIBA Americas, has given high school players a critical fall event that helps players develop.
For some of the younger classes, this will be the first time many Class of 2019 and Class of 2020 players have participated in a USA Basketball event. With older competition and high stakes to potentially make a national team, it's a great setting for the elite players of the younger classes to learn what it takes to win gold medals.
With so many age groups represented in Colorado Springs, Colorado, this weekend, here's a look at some storylines to follow during the camp's four sessions.
Can Trevon Duval Remain the Elite Point Guard in 2017?
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The crop of Class of 2017 point guards playing in Colorado Springs this weekend will be a great one, as it's headlined by Trevon Duval, the consensus No. 1 point guard in the country. After Duval, the next three point guards in Scout.com's national rankings will try to gain some ground on him as Collin Sexton, Trae Young and Quade Green are all set to participate.
Matt Coleman, a 4-star point guard, will also be looking to build off the momentum he gained with the USA Basketball U18 team this summer as he helped the team win gold. The interesting thing that separates Duval from his point guard competitors is that he didn't win a gold medal with USA Basketball this summer like the rest of the group.
Will that hurt Duval with the USA coaches when it comes time to pick the Nike Hoop Summit team? If Duval plays like he's capable of playing, that won't be an issue, but it is something to monitor.
Does Anyone Make a Move in the Class of Shooting Guards?
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The group of point guards trying to make the team isn't the only heated competition for the Nike Hoop Summit roster. The battle for shooting guard spots will also be tough with three 5-star guards in Hamidou Diallo, Gary Trent Jr. and Lonnie Walker competing for what will likely be two spots.
Diallo and Trent are the highest-ranked players of this group, and they'd appear to have the leg up since they both won a gold medal with USA Basketball over the summer. Walker missed the cut for the U18 FIBA Americas team, but he has a chance to prove himself once again playing against some of the best peers in his class.
Seeing Diallo and Trent potentially go head-to-head would be another fun wrinkle. The talented two guards went head-to-head in a fun matchup at the Pangos All-American Camp back in June, and this would build on their positional rivalry heading into senior year.
Who Emerges from the Crop of 5-Star Big Men?
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Seeing the Class of 2017 big men play against each other in the USA Basketball minicamp should be very intriguing since there are so many 5-star prospects with different skill sets.
Mohamed Bamba is the highest-ranked prospect in the group, and he gives the team a unique defensive dimension thanks to his length and mobility. Wendell Carter has already won two gold medals with USA Basketball as he's nearly a guarantee to make the Nike Hoop Summit roster thanks to previous experience.
Things start to get interesting after that. Western Kentucky commit Mitchell Robinson didn't make the U18 FIBA Americas team after trying out in June, but a strong July has put him ahead of others such as Austin Wiley and Jaren Jackson in the national rankings. Wiley, an Auburn commit, and Jackson, a Michigan State commit, both helped the U17 World Championship team win a gold medal over the summer, but Robinson is a better defensive prospect than both players.
Seeing how Robinson competes against the other elite big men will be the most fascinating part of watching this group of big men.
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Does Michael Porter Jr. Stay the Leader of the Forwards in 2017?
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The wing forwards in the building from the Class of 2017 are certainly talented, but none of them currently stack up to Washington commit Michael Porter Jr.
The 6'8" Porter is coming off of a dominating summer in which he helped lead his MoKan Elite team to the title at the Nike Peach Jam before becoming the leading scorer for the USA Basketball U18 FIBA Americas team that won the gold medal.
Kevin Knox, P.J. Washington and Jarred Vanderbilt are all talented and established 5-star prospects, but none of those forwards have been nearly as productive as Porter throughout the last six months. With Porter shooting incredibly high percentages in the half court and also rebounding at a high level, he's been a constant double-double threat every time he takes the floor.
Porter will likely be asked to be one of the players who sets the tone for the younger players in camp, and he could be in for a big weekend.
How Will Collin Sexton Look After a Breakout Summer?
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One of the huge stories in the recruiting world this summer was the emergence of Georgia native Sexton into a no-brainer 5-star prospect.
After leading the Nike EYBL in scoring by nearly nine points over his nearest competitor during the spring, Sexton made the USA U17 World Championship team and won MVP honors in Spain despite never trying out or competing with USA Basketball before. That unprecedented run helped give Sexton a lot of confidence heading into the July live evaluation period, and he's now sitting in the top 10 in the national rankings.
Wired differently than many in his class, Sexton is incredibly competitive, and his fiery nature could help set the tone in the practices—especially with younger players in attendance. Since Sexton hasn't had much of a chance to compete against Duval—since the two play on different shoe-company circuits—watching those two elite guards play each other should be a nice learning tool heading into senior year.
Does Recruiting Change After the Minicamp?
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Recruiting is in full swing for the Class of 2017, as many of the players in attendance have already formed lists and started taking official visits. But one interesting thing about this year's minicamp is that there aren't many committed prospects.
Of the 17 players trying out from the Class of 2017, only four of them are currently committed. Since many of these players have recruiting overlap where some of the same schools are looking at them, this can be an important fact-finding mission for some players when it comes to forming classes of talented players or figuring out who certain players enjoy playing with.
While it's unlikely that this event will lead to any huge recruiting news, it could be the start of something that takes until the spring to develop.
Who Emerges from the Class of 2019 Prospects?
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Many college basketball fans are going to be focused on what the Class of 2017 is doing at USA Basketball since those players are entering the college game soon, but the minicamp weekend is also a huge chance for younger players to make a strong impression.
With many of the younger players competing in Colorado Springs for the first time, these guys not only have to get used to the altitude and facing elite competition, but they also need to impress the USA Basketball coaches who might eventually select them to play for a national team.
Some of the guards to watch from the Class of 2019 include Cole Anthony, Bryan Antoine and Scottie Lewis, while some of the forwards to track are Matthew Hurt, Vernon Carey, Trendon Watford and Onyeka Okongwu.
Recruiting ratings via Scout.com.
Unless otherwise noted, all quotes and information were obtained firsthand.
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