The weekend in college hoops

Sean Miller showed he can get talent to Xavier, Dame Lillard hosted a unique basketball camp, a couple notable recruits committed, plus more

August 08, 2022

Undersized point guards. They’re a staple in the college game. Whether it was Kemba Walker or Frank Mason III dominating on a national stage or mid-major heroes like Marcus Keene and Chris Clemons scoring in bunches, something about these diminutive dynamos compel us. This season, two of the best floor generals — Memphis’ Kendric Davis and North Carolina’s RJ Davis — check in at a generous 6-0.

That brings us to Trey Green, the reigning Peach Jam MVP. At 5-10, he might be the next great undersized lead guard, and he committed over the weekend. We’ll start there.

THREE POINTERS

1. Xcellent get for Xavier

Sean Miller landed his future point guard when top-100 prospect Trey Green picked the Musketeers. However, this is an instance where the ranking doesn’t tell the whole story — Green balled out at Peach Jam, the most prominent AAU showcase, which launched him into stardom.

On3 is the only recruiting service that has updated its rankings since Peach Jam. It lists Green at No. 65.

While he projects as a multi-year player, he teems with all-league potential. Green’s court vision and feel for the game extend beyond his years. But more notably, he showcased sublime shooting and scoring instincts this summer. Per Synergy, he became “one of only five players to shoot better than 55 percent inside the arc, 40 percent from 3, and 80 percent at the foul line in EYBL play since 2015.”

As the above highlight montage illustrates, Green shows off deep range and terrorizes teams both off the catch and off the bounce. He will pair with incoming freshman combo guard Kam Craft to form one of the Big East’s most formidable backcourts a year from now.

2. Not quite motorsports…

From Thursday through Saturday, NBA All-Star Damian Lillard hosted a camp entitled “Formula Zero” for “a select group of 40 high school and college players,” the Oregonian reported. Lillard’s camp vision:

The three-day event focused on lessons both on and off the court, aimed at preparing the next generation for all aspects of professional basketball. Lillard outsourced help from his AAU coach, Raymond Young; two of his trainers, Chris Farr and Phil Beckner; and former Portland Trailblazers assistant coach, David Vanterpool.

A list of notable attendees:

  • A pair of 5-star guards in the class of 2023, Simeon Wilcher (UNC commit) and Ja’Kobe Walter (Baylor commit) and another Baylor guard, Keyonte George

  • Two 5-star guards in 2024, David Castillo and Jamari Phillips

  • Likely preseason All-American Marcus Sasser (Houston)

  • Michigan State sophomore Jaden Akins, who drew rave reviews, continuing the late-summer surge of the Spartan Dawgs

  • The Mountain West’s most feared big man, Graham Ike (Wyoming)

  • UNC lead guard/Final Four hero, Caleb Love

3. Penny takes a Euro-Step

Memphis added some Spanish flair over the weekend, as Penny Hardaway reeled in 6-7 wing Ian Granja. Granja, who played at Czech Republic’s Get Better Academy last season, becomes the first European player of Hardaway’s tenure.

The move marks the culmination of Penny’s offensive rebrand. After four years of erratic offensive play, the coach landed an elite lead guard in Kendric Davis (SMU) and a playmaking wing in Emmanuel Akot (Boise State) this spring. Granja provides another catch-and-shoot perimeter threat, who also offers shot-creation upside.

But the most pressing question will be this: can the newcomers remedy the Tigers’ longstanding turnover woes?

More recruiting news from the weekend:

  • Kevin Willard landed a major building block in 2023 four-star wing Jamie Kaiser Jr. The 6-6 sharpshooter turned in a terrific summer on the Adidas circuit and will contend for significant minutes the moment he steps on campus.

  • Jerome Tang ignited much-needed recruiting momentum by securing a commitment from 2023 Top-70 combo guard RJ Jones.

  • Scotty Middleton, a top-35 wing in 2023, gave Chris Holtmann his second big-named commitment of the week.

  • Did Travis Ford find Yuri Collins’ successor? Cian Medley (2023), a shifty point guard with a pure shooting touch, committed to the Billikens.

  • Four-star wing Pryce Sandfort chose Iowa after the staff sold him on a Joe Wieskamp comparison

#EXHIBITIONSZN

Sights, sounds from foreign tours and open practices

We don’t put a ton of stock in August exhibition games. So rather than dive into results, we’re trying something else today — compiling key plays and highlights.

UConn

The Huskies shared a clip from an intrasquad scrimmage, complete with a couple of jaw-dropping plays from ultra-glue guy Andre Jackson:

NC State

While the Wolfpack project as a bottom-tier ACC squad this season, sophomore guard Terquavion Smith will still command the eyes of fans, spectators and NBA scouts. He scored 26 points in NC State’s win over Bahamas Select on Sunday:

Auburn

During its trip to Israel, Auburn enticed the Tiger faithful with a glimpse of its re-tooled frontcourt. Both freshman Yohan Traore and Morehead State transfer Johni Broome exhibited instances of brilliance. Check the exquisite ball movement on hi-lo action, as Jaylin Williams finds Allen Flanigan who dishes to Broome for the slam.

Other plays of note:

TWEET OF THE WEEK

The Royal Treatment

Rex Walters, who starred for Roy Williams at Kansas in the early ‘90s, gave insight into a recent phone conversation with his ol’ coach. Williams, who turned 72 early last week, remains a fixture in the college basketball landscape, even after his retirement.

THE FAST BREAK

Links to read as you throw some corn on the grill:

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