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NBPA Top 100 Camp

Charlottesville, VA- The cream rose to the top on opening day at the NBPA Camp as highly touted rising seniors Jordan Hamilton, Kenny Boynton and Abdul Gaddy outshined the competition.

Jordan Hamilton, a 6’7 wing from Los Angeles, Ca., had the hot hand in the evening session as he filled it up from all over the court.  His jumper was on and he was extremely active, scoring in transition in addition to getting garbage buckets around the rim.  Hamilton played like an All-American should.  As one scout put it, “he’s going to be a big-time scorer at the next level”.

We can’t talk about big-time scorers without mentioning Kenny Boynton, who has a scoring game that reminds us of high school hoops legend Dajuan Wagner (who once scored 100 points in a single game).  Boynton, a 6’1 guard from Plantation, Fl., has the same confidence, fearlessness and determination to score that made Wagner so great.  Every time he touches the ball he is going to do everything he can to score, and more often than not he’s going to get his way.  Don’t be surprised if he leads the camp in scoring.

Abdul Gaddy, a 6’3 point guard from Tacoma Washington, was also very impressive.  Gaddy is a heady playmaker with a smooth game.  He has a slick handle and rocks his defender to sleep before blowing by with impressive crossovers and spin moves.  His jumper was also dialed in as he put up big numbers in the scoring column on Wednesday night.  If Gaddy continues to play at this level, a top 10 ranking could be order.

Other players in the class of 2009 to shine included 6’8 forward Rakeem Buckles from Opa Locka, Fl., who is an outstanding athlete with a rapidly improving skill game; 6’3 guard Anthony Marshall from Las Vegas, NV, who had more than one eye-catching dunk;  6’8 Karron Johnson from Durham, NC, who is a beast around the rim and one of the best forwards in the camp; 6’9 forward Wally Judge from Jacksonville, Fl., who used his top-notch athleticism to dominate on both ends of the court; and 6’6 forward Terrell Vinson from Rockville, MD, who was the best player on the court in his evening game.

There were also a number of underclassmen that caught our attention, most notably Tristan Thompson, a 6’8 rising junior from Newark, NJ.  Thompson looked like the best player in his class on Wednesday night when he outplayed highly ranked Jeremy Tyler in their head-to-head matchup.  He’s a long athlete that is rapidly developing a skill game under the tutelage of Coach Dan Hurley of St. Benedict’s Prep.  His upside is absolutely ridiculous.

Jared Sullinger and Josh Selby also proved that they should be mentioned among the elite players in the class of 2010.  Sullinger, a 6’7 big-bodied forward from Columbus, Oh., was a force in the paint where he dominated the boards and showed off a soft touch around the rim, while Selby, a talented 6’2 guard Hyattsville, MD, was raining threes in both his games.

We can’t mention the top underclassmen without talking about class of 2011 point guard Myck Kapongo, who also hails from St. Benedict’s.  Kapongo is one of the youngest guards in the camp, but he’s already one of the best.  He is super quick and has a great feel for the game and did a great job of controlling the tempo and getting his teammates involved.  He’s one to keep an eye on. 

Stay tuned to HoopsReport.com for more coverage from the 2008 NBA Players Association Camp!