Subscribe to Trail Blazers Fan News

Around The World: Nike Hoop Summit Edition

04/04/12

Written by: DHawes22

On Saturday, April 7 at the Rose Garden in Portland, Ore., the 15th annual Nike Hoop Summit will feature the top players 19-years-old or younger from all across the globe. The American team will be led by Head Coach Kevin Boyle (Montverde Academy, Fla.) and will be pitted up against the World Select Team coached by Roy Rana (Canada Junior National Team).

The Nike Hoop Summit features the consensus Top 2 players in the nation, shooting guard Shabazz Muhammad (Bishop Gorman, Nev.) and center Nerlens Noel (The Tilton School, N.H.) as well as the No. 1 overall player in the Class of 2014, small forward Andrew Wiggins (Huntington Prep, W.Va) -- the youngest player the Nike Hoop Summit has ever had.

Three of the last four No. 1 overall picks in the NBA Draft have participated in the Nike Hoop Summit: Derrick Rose (2008), John Wall (2010), Kyrie Irving (2011). Anthony Davis can make it four of the last five if David Stern calls out his name in the upcoming June Draft.

Other past participants have included Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Durant, Tony Parker, Nicolas Batum, Kevin Love, Kevin Garnett and Derrick Rose.

Don't Miss Your Chance To Witness Greatness. Pick Up Your Tix Today!

Trail Blazers: Talent-Filled U.S. Roster Announced For 2012 Nike Hoop Summit
"Just two players, Kyle Anderson and Tony Parker, come to the team with prior USA Basketball experience. Parker is a two-time gold medalist with USA Basketball, including a 5-0 record in the 2009 FIBA Americas U16 Championship, and an 8-0 record at the 2010 FIBA U17 World Championship. He averaged 3.9 points and 2.9 rebounds per game for the USA in 2010 and 8.2 points and 6.6 rebounds per game in 2009."

Trail Blazers: World Select Team Finalized for 2012 Nike Hoop Summit
"Andrew Wiggins also played for Coach Rana and Canada at the 2010 under-17 World Championship where he scored 20 points in 22 minutes in his country's 103-83 defeat to the United States. Like Bennett, he is playing high school basketball in the USA, at Huntington Prep in West Virginia."

Oregon Live: 2012 Nike Hoop Summit: Team rosters finalized3
"Added to the USA team was 6’3” guard James Robinson (DeMatha Catholic H.S. / Hyatsville, Md.), after Marcus Paige (Linn-Mar H.S. / Marion, Iowa) withdrew due to injury. The World Team named two Lithuanian guards to its squad – Vytenis Cizauskas (6’3”, Zalgiris Kaunas) and small forward Tauras Jogela (6’7”, Zalgiris Kaunas) – after Evan Fournier (6’6”, Union Poitiers Basket 86 / France) and Dmitry Kulagin (6’6”, BC Triumph Lyubertsy / Russia) were unable to participate due to injury."

Draft Express: 2012 Nike Hoop Summit: International Measurements
"The official measurements distributed in Portland at the Nike Hoop Summit."

Oregon Live: 2012 Nike Hoop Summit: Head coach Roy Rana previews the World Select Team (video)
"The Canadian duo of Anthony Bennett and Andrew Wiggins continue to prove they are worthy of the praise being heaped upon them. Bennett was a positive voice for the team during the afternoon, and while he didn't take many shots, he played solid defense and chased loose balls as if it were a real game. At age 17, Wiggins is one of the youngest participants ever to suit up for the World Select Team, and looked a bit passive in the scrimmage session. In drills, however, Wiggins made nearly every shot he took. Curling out top, off-the-dribble and catch-and-shoot, the youngster has great form on his shot."

Oregon Live: Anthony Bennett ready to lead World Team at the 2012 Nike Hoop Summit
"I guess you could say that [I've taken a leadership role]," Bennett said, "I'm loud and I just want to get everyone involved."

Oregon Live: Oregon Ducks recruiting: Anthony Bennett talks about his fit with Oregon
"Bennett has narrowed down his list of potential schools to Oregon, Washington, Florida, Kentucky and UNLV, but has yet to take an official visit. At Findlay Prep, Bennett is teammates with Oregon commit and class of 2012 point guard Dominic Artis, whom Bennett says tries to convince him to come to Eugene "all the time.""

Zambia Daily Mail: Zambian player in World 11 basketbal squad
"Patson Siame is the first Zambian to make it to the World team roster to the Nike Hoop Summit which is a premier basketball match featuring the world’s leading Under-19 players. Siame was spotted by scouts when he made a strong impression at the 2011 Basketball Without Borders event in South Africa."

Los Angeles Loyolan: Zambian center Patson Siame's commitment rounds out recruiting class
"Siame uses his combination of height and athleticism to block shots and dunk relentlessly. He has an impressive motor and runs well." Kerti went on to say, "He’s a good fit for a team that likes to play in transition because he’s proactive with his outlet passing and hustles up the floor to join the fast break."

Arizona Daily Star: Tarczewski leads East in all-star game
"Kaleb Tarczewkski helped lead the East team over the West in the All-American Championship in New Orleans on Sunday, with eight points and six rebounds. The game was the first of three big events in successive weekends for Tarczewski. The big man from New Hampshire will play for the USA in the Nike Hoop Summit on Saturday in Portland, Ore., and then join Grant Jerrett and Brandon Ashley at the Jordan Brand Classic in Charlotte, N.C."

NOLA: Final Four: Kentucky's John Calipari has the formula for success
"Muhammad and Noel are in Saturday’s Nike Hoops Summit (your host, Nike Basketball senior director Lynn Merritt, the second person Davis hugged Monday night), after which they might just decide they’ll look good in blue and white, if only for one season. And if they need any more persuading, the American team coach is Kevin Boyle, who coached current Kentucky freshman Michael Kidd-Gilchrist in high school. There’s no guarantee that Muhammad, Noel and Bennett all will choose to take their talents to Rupp Arena. The current crop of Wildcats spent their weekend in New Orleans pointing out that Kentucky isn’t for everyone. It requires checking egos and buying into Calipari’s “Blue Together,” defense-first style."

Brampton Guardian: Bennett aiming for the Summit
"The Nike Hoops Summit features many of the world’s top under-19 players in action at the Rose Garden, the home of the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers. Bennett, a 6-foot-8 forward who attends Findlay Prep in Nevada, is averaging 16 points and 10.1 rebounds and helped Findlay became the second ranked team in the US according to ESPN. The Pilots are also the No. 1 seed for the ESPNHS High School Invitational this weekend in North Bethesda, Maryland."

CBS: Top PG recruit Paige injures foot
"The Tar Heels' season is over, but apparently their injury epidemic isn't. The latest to be affected is top PG recruit Marcus Paige. A 6-1 Iowan who is expected to replace Kendall Marshall next season, was scratched from the Nike Hoop Summit in Portland, Ore., because of a foot injury."

Max Preps: Andrew Wiggins Named Gatorade West Virginia Boys Basketball Player of the Year
"Wiggins is an extremely skilled player with elite athleticism," said Paul Biancardi, National Director, ESPN Basketball Recruiting. "He can play on the perimeter and on the post. He's got a quick first step and can get to the basket whenever he wishes, and his jump shot has range beyond the 3-point line. He has all the tools to be successful, from a skill standpoint and a physical standpoint."

Sports Illustrated: Hoops Roundup: Muhammad trims list; Bennett continues to wait
"Muhammad has been trying to keep his leanings under wraps, speaking highly of both Coach K's history of success at Duke and John Calipari's ability to develop NBA players at Kentucky. On April 11, Muhammad plans to announce. The college basketball world will be watching."

Las Vegas Review-Journal: Gaels' Muhammad nets Player of Year
"It's a testament to Shabazz that he did what was best for the team this year and didn't just rely on his outside shot, but went down in the trenches and got dirty and went down and battled inside, and took advantage of mismatches when they were there," Rice said. "I know a lot of players, even at his size, that want to hang outside and be guards and shoot the ball, but he definitely wanted to win this year and do whatever it took for the team to accomplish that."

MLive: Future Michigan State guard Gary Harris didn't need flashiness to impress at McDonald's All-American Game
“He does a lot of things that you don’t see on the stat line, but it helps the team win,” West Team guard Rasheed Sulaimon said. “When teams need him to score, he can score. When they need him to lock down the best player on the opposite team, he can do that. He can rebound. He’s just a great all-around player.” Harris is scheduled to show his stuff in two more nationally-televised spring showcases -- the Nike Hoop Summit in Portland next week and the Jordan Brand Classic in Charlotte the week after that -- before getting some much-needed rest due to groin strains suffered during his senior year at Hamilton Southeastern High School in Fishers, Ind."

Arkansas Sports 360: Sylvan Hills' Archie Goodwin Picked For USA Junior National Select Team
"Goodwin, who signed with Kentucky in November, is among “elite high school seniors” chosen for an April 7 game against the World Select Team. The 15th annual all-star game will be played in Portland, Ore. as part of the Nike Hoop Summit."

Wildcat Blue Nation: Nerlens Noel continues to set visits while his suitors prepare for March Madness
"It’s going to be a busy March for the top rated recruit in the 2012 class. Nerlens Noel has a top five of Kentucky, Syracuse, UConn, Georgetown, and North Carolina. He has already paid visits to Kentucky and Syracuse and is in the process of scheduling visits to the other schools. Noel will visit Georgetown from Sunday to Tuesday and will be with the team when they learn their NCAA fate. He is also planning to visit North Carolina after the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament, perhaps around March 19-20. As of now, no date has been set to visit UConn and you have to wonder if the fact that the Huskies are ineligible for the 2013 NCAA Tournament is playing a role in Nerlen’s decision making process. Noel has no timetable for the decision and will also play in the Nike Hoop Summit on April 7. The National Signing period begins about a week after that."

Draft Express: Kyle Anderson Profile
"Offensively, Anderson is an excellent ball-handler for his size, using his length to maintain a low and controlled dribble, while playing at his own unique pace. Despite possessing an underwhelming first step and average quickness, his outstanding footwork and ability to change speeds fluidly keeps defenders off balance while he surveys the court from his terrific vantage point. Anderson has a tremendous basketball IQ and excellent vision, giving him the ability to pass ahead in transition beautifully and find the open man unselfishly with pinpoint accuracy in the half-court. This is the reason he's viewed by some as a future point forward or even a point guard, and has drawn perhaps unfair (or at least premature) comparisons to the likes of Magic Johnson and Jalen Rose."

Draft Express: Anthony Bennett Profile
"Bennett is a huge presence defensively at this level due to the sheer length, strength and explosiveness he brings to the table, but his fundamentals are nothing to write home about and he has little to no experience, as you might imagine. He did make an effort to compete and was fairly vocal in the one scrimmage we got to see, although that hasn't always been his reputation from what we understand. He appears to be an extremely coachable player, though, which is always a good sign."

Draft Express: Mitch McGary Profile
"McGary runs the floor extremely hard and plays with an unbelievable amount of energy, diving on the floor for loose balls and having no qualms about using his body to assert himself inside the paint. He clearly has a huge passion for the game, pounding his chest at any opportunity, firing up his teammates and being a very positive influence both on and off the floor. He boxes out opponents well and is a massive presence on the glass, often going out and grabbing rebounds well out of his area thanks to sheer desire."

Draft Express: Shabazz Muhammad Profile
"A fairly complete offensive player, Muhammad can put up points in bunches from anywhere on the floor, both in transition or in the half-court. He attacks the rim relentlessly with his solid first step and finishes with authority whenever possible, showing good upper body strength taking hits in the paint and drawing fouls. If the paint is closed off, Muhammad can pull up off the dribble smoothly with range out to the 3-point line, having the ability to just throw the ball in the basket thanks to his excellent touch."

Draft Express: Nerlens Noel Profile
"Now standing close to seven feet tall, with a frame that continues to mature, a long wingspan, and tremendous athleticism, Noel looks every bit the part of a top notch big man prospect. One of the best finishers in high school basketball thanks to his incredible combination of length and explosiveness, Noel is a phenomenal target around the basket. His ball-handling skills seem to be coming around as well, as he showed the ability to create his own shot from the perimeter or in transition with a quick first step and unbelievably long strides which big men at this level simply cannot stay in front of."

Draft Express: Tony Parker Profile
"On the offensive end, Parker's greatest asset is his ability to score around the basket, something he had a tough time displaying here. He boasts good hands, soft touch, and a good ability to establish position down low, where he's capable of finishing on simple moves by taking advantage of his physical tools. He actually has some ability to get above the rim in the post, showing some deceptive explosiveness in the right situations, but definitely could improve some here by maximizing his physical condition, toning down while maintaining his power."

Draft Express: Rasheed Sulaimon Profile
"Few guards at the high school level display his combination of scoring versatility and agressiveness. Able to make plays in the mid-range area or draw contact at the basket with a full head of steam, Sulaimon can score with a floater in the paint, a silky smooth pull-up jumper, and an increasingly consistent catch-and-shoot jump shot that he knocks down with range. He draws fouls at a high rate and is absolutely tenacious in transition, often finishing plays above the rim and through contact. He needs to continue improving the consistency of his jumper and polish up his advanced ball-handling skills, but Sulaimon has improved his scoring arsenal considerably in recent years, and doesn't take no for an answer in his quest for getting buckets."

Draft Express: Kaleb Tarczewski Profile
"As we've noted before, Tarczewski has excellent size at 7-0, to go along with good mobility and a rapidly improving frame. Not a prolific shot-creator, he's capable of finishing with authority when opportunities are created for him, as he has good hands and gets off the ground fairly well. His back to the basket repertoire is simple, but fundamentally sound, mostly consisting of jump-hooks and up and under moves, sometimes using the glass. While he surely lacks a degree of aggressiveness asserting himself at times inside the paint, particularly in terms of carving out post-position and demanding the ball, he also doesn't force the issue, showing solid vision passing out of double teams."

Draft Express: Andrew Wiggins Profile
"Wiggins is currently at his best in transition. He has the ability to get to the rim effortlessly and finishes with excellent extension around the basket, sometimes using his body to shield opponents. He makes plays that other players his age simply can't make thanks to his athleticism. He regularly goes out of his area for rebounds and plays in the passing lanes. He plays with intensity."