This camp has always struck me as a defining moment in time, as players battle to stake their claim among other elites in their class. It also gives way to players that catapult their way into the national recruiting conversation.
2024 6’10” Derik Queen utilized is wide body, polished footwork, sticky hands and soft touch to punish defenders on the block. Queen is very effective as a passer on trail plays and, on the block, where he can hit cross court shooters for open looks. 2024 6’5″ SG V.J. Edgecomb has made the spring/summer season his national coming out party, at NBPA Top100, he further stamped it! Until shutting it down due to injury, Edgecomb was dynamic on both ends. His commitment to defense, blessed with length and a healthy amount of anticipation was troublesome for his opponents. He grabbed his fair share of rebounds, igniting fast breaks for easy buckets. In half-court situations he’s equally ready to score with downhill finishes or his pull-up and three-point range. It’s always great to see players embrace who they are, 2024 6’9″ C Flory Bidunga fits that build. He plays his best basketball in the paint, utilizing his physicality and quick jumps to finish plays. Flory may have had the best play of the camp, definitely the best highlight, finishing his opponent with a vicious dunk. He’s a high energy rebounder and rim protector. 2024 WF 6’8″ Khani Rooths has always showed promise, combining size, length and a skill set that makes him a very intriguing prospect. During the week those attributes came together for some impressive performances. Rooths comes with size for the position and showed his ability to create space for his pull-up as well as catch and shoot three’s.
2025 F 6’9″ Cooper Flagg (top five in rebounding and scoring)showed why he will be in a see-saw contention for the top cat in this class. He has an omnipresent motor and competitiveness, who makes winning plays. The thing that stands-out is his love for the defensive end, giving opponents fits challenging him in the paint. On the offensive end, he has shot making ability, tenacious on the boards and has an improving jumper. 2025 6’10” PF Cameron Boozer (top five in four categories, led in rebounding) will have a say as to whose tops in 2025. Boozer is a bruit in the paint, has hands like catchers mits, finishing with both hands and comes with that same motor and competitiveness as Flagg. Not to be outdone on the defensive end, Boozer is a factor as a rim-protector and rebounder (led camp in rebounding) He is tough on rips to the rim and is a problem working the baseline. 6’5″ 2025 CG Darryn Peterson will want to crash the party. Peterson, the top guard in the class, brings a lot of tools to the dance and will be pushing for consideration for the top. He affects the game in a variety of ways, scoring when needed, playmaker when necessary and defends at a high level. 2025 6’2″ PGDarius Acuff (2nd in scoring) increased his national presence with his camp performance. Acuff was a consistent resident in the paint, utilizing a change of pace and stop-n-go action that kept defenders off balance for high percentage finishes.
Another battle for the top spot will be waged in 2026 with 6’8″ SF A.J. Dybantsa at the top spot and 6’7″ PF Tyran Stokes in the rear view. What makes it even more interesting is that they’ll be teammates at Prolific Prep (CA) this year, as Dybantsa makes the move from Boston…iron will be sharpening iron. Dybantsa (led camp in scoring) brings a fervor for the game that is rare in a young player. He plays in motion, always in attack mode, finishing plays with long step throughs, both hand finishes and dunks. When I first saw him at the UnderClassman All-American Game in 8th grade, he showed those tools but is now stretching the floor with much improved range. Stokes plays more of a power game with quick bounce but has a tool that is rare in those type of players…passing ability (top five in assist and steals). He consistently made plays for others, sometimes seeing plays others couldn’t. The competitive, high-level finisher has his best ball ahead, who won’t be 16 until October.