LSU commit Ben Simmons was arguably the most impressive high school player this summer.
I just got home from attending most of the big events in the July recruiting period -- a time where the top high school players have a chance to be seen for a dozen days in the month by all the college coaches.
NBA guys were also allowed to get a look at some of the top high school players at the LeBron James Skills Academy in Las Vegas early in the month.
We talked to some NBA guys in attendance, college coaches and also used what I saw throughout the month to come up with 12 players who have high NBA potential in the Class of 2015 (eligible for the 2016 NBA draft).
1. Ben Simmons, 6-8, 220, PF, Montverde Academy (Florida)
College: LSU Tigers
He’s a long and skilled Australia native who has already committed to LSU, where his godfather, David, is an assistant coach. Simmons does everything well at this juncture -- except for make shots from beyond the arc. He’s a terrific passer, scores from the mid-range extremely well and defends at a high level. His versatility draws comparisons to a young Lamar Odom.
2. Jaylen Brown, 6-7, 220, SF, Wheeler High (Florida)
College: Undecided
Brown is a well-built power wing who plays with a high motor and also possesses a versatile game. Brown’s biggest strength right now is his ability to drive to the basket and finish around the rim, but his perimeter shot has improved significantly. He’s considering UCLA, Kentucky, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Ohio State, Florida and Texas. There’s no ideal comparison, but he’s got some Kawhi Leonard in his game -- a decent shooter at this stage who plays hard and does just about everything else at a high level.
3. Diamond Stone, 6-10, 255, C, Dominican High (Milwaukee)
College: Undecided
He’s a legit big man who is skilled and can score in the post. Stone possesses good footwork and already has the body at 6-foot-10 and more than 250 pounds. Stone will make a college decision on Nov. 12 -- likely choosing from Wisconsin, Kentucky, Kansas, Marquette and UConn.
4. Skal Labissiere, 6-11, 210, PF, Evangelical Christian (Memphis, Tennessee)
College: Undecided
The Haiti native is extremely skilled for someone his size. He’s very long, can score around the basket and is also a guy who can alter and block shots on the defensive end. The schools in the mix to land Skal are Kentucky, Memphis, Ole Miss, Georgetown and UNC.
Jon Lopez/Nike
Kentucky, Kansas and UConn are just a few schools interested in adding Malik Newman to their 2015 recruiting class.
5. Malik Newman, 6-3, 185, SG, Callaway High, Jackson, Mississippi
College: Undecided
He’s an athletic scoring wing who attacks the basket and can also shoot it from beyond the arc. His father, Horatio “Big Train” Webster, played at Mississippi State -- but Kentucky, Kansas, UConn, N.C. State and Texas A&M are also in the mix for his services. Newman has some Tyreke Evans in his game as a natural scorer who could wind up also playing some point guard in college.
6. Henry Ellenson, 6-10, 230, PF, Rice Lake, Wisconsin
College: Undecided
He’s a long and skilled big man who has dropped significant weight in the past year. We’re not saying he’s going to be Dirk Nowitzki, but he’s got a similar skill set for someone his size. Ellenson can shoot and handle the ball at 6-foot-10, and rarely posts up nowadays. His older brother, Wally, recently transferred to Marquette -- and other schools squarely in the equation include Wisconsin and Michigan State. Duke, Kentucky, UNC and Michigan are also involved.
7. Brandon Ingram, 6-8, 185, SF, Kinston, North Carolina
College: Undecided
He’ll need to continue to put on more weight, but he’s so long and skilled that NBA guys will love him down the road. Ingram can handle it, shoot it and also get to the basket and finish. He’s got a Tayshaun Prince-type of body, but is different from Prince in that he’s a better ball handler. A stronger comparison -- at the same stage -- might be Chandler Parsons. Ingram is looking at the four in-state schools -- Duke, UNC, NC State and Wake Forest in addition to UCLA, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville and Florida.
8. Antonio Blakeney, 6-4, 170, SG, Oak Ridge High (Orlando, Florida)
College: Undecided
He’ll need to add strength, but he’s a long and athletic wing who can just put points on the board. Think of a Jamal Crawford-type. Blakeney can get to the basket and also can make shots from behind the arc, making him extremely difficult to guard. He recently trimmed his list of finalists to seven: Kentucky, Louisville, Florida State, Missouri, Oregon, LSU and USC.
9. Jalen Brunson, 6-1, 190, PG, Adlai Stevenson High (Lincolnshire, Illinois)
College: Undecided
First of all, this is a subpar point guard class -- and that’s being kind. Brunson, though, is a tough kid who has the pedigree (his father is former Temple star Rick Brunson) and is also a guy who can both run a team and also score when necessary. Brunson has some Kyle Lowry in his game. His top schools are Temple, Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State, Villanova and UConn.
10. Ray Smith, 6-7, 185, SF, Las Vegas High
College: Arizona Wildcats
He tore his ACL early in July, so few got a chance to really see him. However, those that have seen him ooze at his potential. He’s long, athletic and is a more than capable shooter. One observer said he is a more advanced DeMarre Carroll at the same stage in terms of how he scores. Smith also considered UConn, but opted to commit to Arizona just days after suffering the knee injury that could put him on the shelf for most, if not all of his senior season.
11. Stephen Zimmerman, 6-11, 225, PF/C, Bishop Gorman High (Las Vegas)
College: Undecided
NBA guys love Zimmerman’s size and skill set. He runs the court well, rebounds outside of his area and is a terrific passer for a big man. The one issue that worries them, though, is an elbow injury he suffered a few years back that limits his movement. Zimmerman is looking at Kansas, Kentucky, UNLV, North Carolina, UCLA, Arizona and Indiana.
12. Cheick Diallo, 6-9, 220, PF, Our Savior New American (Centereach, New York)
College: Undecided
He’s a long and athletic power forward who plays with an extremely high motor. Diallo played hurt for much of the summer, but he still went hard. He runs extremely well, rebounds at a high level and is in the Ben Wallace mold. Diallo is considering Kansas, Kentucky, Iowa State, St. John’s and Pittsburgh.
I just got home from attending most of the big events in the July recruiting period -- a time where the top high school players have a chance to be seen for a dozen days in the month by all the college coaches.
NBA guys were also allowed to get a look at some of the top high school players at the LeBron James Skills Academy in Las Vegas early in the month.
We talked to some NBA guys in attendance, college coaches and also used what I saw throughout the month to come up with 12 players who have high NBA potential in the Class of 2015 (eligible for the 2016 NBA draft).
1. Ben Simmons, 6-8, 220, PF, Montverde Academy (Florida)
College: LSU Tigers
He’s a long and skilled Australia native who has already committed to LSU, where his godfather, David, is an assistant coach. Simmons does everything well at this juncture -- except for make shots from beyond the arc. He’s a terrific passer, scores from the mid-range extremely well and defends at a high level. His versatility draws comparisons to a young Lamar Odom.
2. Jaylen Brown, 6-7, 220, SF, Wheeler High (Florida)
College: Undecided
Brown is a well-built power wing who plays with a high motor and also possesses a versatile game. Brown’s biggest strength right now is his ability to drive to the basket and finish around the rim, but his perimeter shot has improved significantly. He’s considering UCLA, Kentucky, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Ohio State, Florida and Texas. There’s no ideal comparison, but he’s got some Kawhi Leonard in his game -- a decent shooter at this stage who plays hard and does just about everything else at a high level.
3. Diamond Stone, 6-10, 255, C, Dominican High (Milwaukee)
College: Undecided
He’s a legit big man who is skilled and can score in the post. Stone possesses good footwork and already has the body at 6-foot-10 and more than 250 pounds. Stone will make a college decision on Nov. 12 -- likely choosing from Wisconsin, Kentucky, Kansas, Marquette and UConn.
4. Skal Labissiere, 6-11, 210, PF, Evangelical Christian (Memphis, Tennessee)
College: Undecided
The Haiti native is extremely skilled for someone his size. He’s very long, can score around the basket and is also a guy who can alter and block shots on the defensive end. The schools in the mix to land Skal are Kentucky, Memphis, Ole Miss, Georgetown and UNC.
Jon Lopez/Nike
Kentucky, Kansas and UConn are just a few schools interested in adding Malik Newman to their 2015 recruiting class.
5. Malik Newman, 6-3, 185, SG, Callaway High, Jackson, Mississippi
College: Undecided
He’s an athletic scoring wing who attacks the basket and can also shoot it from beyond the arc. His father, Horatio “Big Train” Webster, played at Mississippi State -- but Kentucky, Kansas, UConn, N.C. State and Texas A&M are also in the mix for his services. Newman has some Tyreke Evans in his game as a natural scorer who could wind up also playing some point guard in college.
6. Henry Ellenson, 6-10, 230, PF, Rice Lake, Wisconsin
College: Undecided
He’s a long and skilled big man who has dropped significant weight in the past year. We’re not saying he’s going to be Dirk Nowitzki, but he’s got a similar skill set for someone his size. Ellenson can shoot and handle the ball at 6-foot-10, and rarely posts up nowadays. His older brother, Wally, recently transferred to Marquette -- and other schools squarely in the equation include Wisconsin and Michigan State. Duke, Kentucky, UNC and Michigan are also involved.
7. Brandon Ingram, 6-8, 185, SF, Kinston, North Carolina
College: Undecided
He’ll need to continue to put on more weight, but he’s so long and skilled that NBA guys will love him down the road. Ingram can handle it, shoot it and also get to the basket and finish. He’s got a Tayshaun Prince-type of body, but is different from Prince in that he’s a better ball handler. A stronger comparison -- at the same stage -- might be Chandler Parsons. Ingram is looking at the four in-state schools -- Duke, UNC, NC State and Wake Forest in addition to UCLA, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville and Florida.
8. Antonio Blakeney, 6-4, 170, SG, Oak Ridge High (Orlando, Florida)
College: Undecided
He’ll need to add strength, but he’s a long and athletic wing who can just put points on the board. Think of a Jamal Crawford-type. Blakeney can get to the basket and also can make shots from behind the arc, making him extremely difficult to guard. He recently trimmed his list of finalists to seven: Kentucky, Louisville, Florida State, Missouri, Oregon, LSU and USC.
9. Jalen Brunson, 6-1, 190, PG, Adlai Stevenson High (Lincolnshire, Illinois)
College: Undecided
First of all, this is a subpar point guard class -- and that’s being kind. Brunson, though, is a tough kid who has the pedigree (his father is former Temple star Rick Brunson) and is also a guy who can both run a team and also score when necessary. Brunson has some Kyle Lowry in his game. His top schools are Temple, Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State, Villanova and UConn.
10. Ray Smith, 6-7, 185, SF, Las Vegas High
College: Arizona Wildcats
He tore his ACL early in July, so few got a chance to really see him. However, those that have seen him ooze at his potential. He’s long, athletic and is a more than capable shooter. One observer said he is a more advanced DeMarre Carroll at the same stage in terms of how he scores. Smith also considered UConn, but opted to commit to Arizona just days after suffering the knee injury that could put him on the shelf for most, if not all of his senior season.
11. Stephen Zimmerman, 6-11, 225, PF/C, Bishop Gorman High (Las Vegas)
College: Undecided
NBA guys love Zimmerman’s size and skill set. He runs the court well, rebounds outside of his area and is a terrific passer for a big man. The one issue that worries them, though, is an elbow injury he suffered a few years back that limits his movement. Zimmerman is looking at Kansas, Kentucky, UNLV, North Carolina, UCLA, Arizona and Indiana.
12. Cheick Diallo, 6-9, 220, PF, Our Savior New American (Centereach, New York)
College: Undecided
He’s a long and athletic power forward who plays with an extremely high motor. Diallo played hurt for much of the summer, but he still went hard. He runs extremely well, rebounds at a high level and is in the Ben Wallace mold. Diallo is considering Kansas, Kentucky, Iowa State, St. John’s and Pittsburgh.
