From April 5 to 7, 65 United States high school players from the class of 2025, 26, and 27 participated in a team USA Basketball Junior National Team minicamp in Phoenix, Arizona. This event allowed the players to get themselves some exposure to the team USA program, feel the experience of the Final Four, and showcase themselves in front of national media and NBA scouts. Here are a number of the top performers. To hear from several of the players about their experience at the minicamp interviews are here: Link
Brandon McCoy PG 6’4 St. John Bosco HS, St. John Bosco CA Class of 2026
Came into the event as the highest rated player as the near consensus top prospect in the class of 2026. McCoy did nothing to change this opinion, however he had a somewhat quiet camp. He came across very well in our interview with him and mentioned that his point guard skills are currently his area of focus. A tenacious defender and very slick ball handler, he had some wow plays whether it be getting dunks on the break and knocking down smooth pull up shots, but there’s certainly a lot of work left for him to claim the top player in his class mantle outright. He’s in the 6-3 to 6-4 range and still somewhat of a combo guard and he also will need to continue to fill out. Overall he was clearly as advertised the most talented prospect at the event, but he’s got plenty of room to improve. He did not show much of the killer instinct that one expects from the top player in the class. Developing a switch to have different persona on and off the floor is one further aspect he can develop. An impressive individual with a bright future. At his age being too critical about his game is nitpicking. The talent and attitude and make up are all there for him to become something special. It will take hard work and not allowing the hype and distractions to derail him.
Meleek Thomas PG 6’3 Lincoln Park HS, Pittsburgh, PA Class of 2025
Meleek Thomas’ strength and athleticism stood out against the rest of the guards at the minicamp. He finished off plays with high flying dunks on several occasions and at times just overpowered some of the younger guards in camp. On a couple occasions, he caught a pass on the baseline and with one step finished the play off with a one handed flush. Blessed with a smooth jump shot with range made him a very difficult cover to defend and gives him option as a scorer. The consensus top 10 player in class did not disappoint and as he said in his interview with us (link here) is set up for a strong summer circuit performance
Jason Crowe PG 6’2 Lynwood HS, Lynwood CA Class of 2026
Jason Crow is already considered one of the elite players in the country and nothing that took place at the camp changed that. While still slim, Crowe has grown both in height and strength since I last watched him last spring. The lefty displayed a smooth jumper and a quick release. He showed advanced knowledge on pick and roll reads and a good blend of scoring for himself and creating for others. Not an elite vertical jumper but he showed a good ability to get downhill by slithering past defenders or splitting double team actions in pick and roll. He finished plays off at the rim by causing contact into the defender, thus creating space. Is a good finisher and driver with either hand.
Xavion Staton 6’11 C Sierra Vista HS, Las Vegas, NV Class of 2025
Xavier Staton was a defensive force at the Minicamp. He consistently protected the rim with his long wingspan, particularly well as a weak side help defender, and was able to swallow defensive rebounds as they fell off the rim. Offensively he was able to finish strong with put backs and two handed jams where few players here could challenge him due to his length and bounce. He showed good form with his shot even making a few corner 3s. NBA Scouts in the stands were intrigued by him due to his length and potential as a shooter but had some questions about his body. Not the swiftest moving laterally so it brings up the question of whether it can it improve as his body matures?
Hudson Greer 6’6 Wing Lake Travis HS, Austin, TX Class of 2025
Greer is a high flying wing who showed on multiple occasions his ability to finish plays off on the fast break with strong two hand jams. On half court sets, he seemed to mainly stay beyond the three point line where he was proficient and showed a nice repeatable stroke. Adding strength to his frame is the key to taking his development to another level.
Cam Holmes 6’5 Wing Millennium HS, Goodyear, AZ, Class of 2026
Nobody played better than Cam Holmes on day 1 of the mini camp. The lefty was simply on fire from beyond the arc making rainmakers. Blessed with long arms and good athleticism, Holmes was able to get deflections and transition it into fast break flushes. He enjoys running the offense on half court sets and creating for others. Should he choose to continue to do so. Holmes needs some refinement in pick and roll situations as he can pound the ball a bit and/or take poor angles in pick and roll reads.
Mikel Brown Jr PG 6’2 OTE, Wichita KS, Class of 2025
Mikel Brown Jr showcased his smooth jump shot which may have been best at camp. A quick release and nice soft touch was on full display at the Minicamp. He showed great efficiency in his dribble use as a point guard, weaving his way and finding angles in pick and roll situations to get downhill. Also showcasing his Euro step to find a lane to the rim. Has good vision creating for himself and others with his handles in Phoenix. Average in size in NBA terms, he needs to add strength as he missed some plays around the rim due to contact.
Jalen Montonati SG 6’6 Owasso HS, Owasso OK Class of 2026
Jalen Montonati was a consistent offensive threat throughout the weekend and showed some real potential as a three level scorer. He finished plays off with dunks, and made his share of catch and shoot threes in half court sets. He has good size for a guard and showed a high level of confidence and competitiveness. He needs to add strength while maintaining his quickness.
Alex Constanza 6’7 Forward Westminster Academy, Weston, FL Class of 2026
Alex Constanza played as a hybrid forward in camp. He has good strength and the ability to create space. He was good both in pick and pop situations and as a spot up shooter. He showed some ability to put it on the floor pump faking it from long distance and taking one dribble mid range shots or side step threes. Defensively was able to defend both guards and post players at this event, showing good lateral quickness in addition to his aforementioned strength.
Devin Cleveland PG 6’1 Kenwood Academy HS, Chicago IL, Class of 2027
Devin Cleveland looked every bit of a 15 year old playing against some full grown bodies but what he lacked in body maturation he made up for in competitiveness and in shooting. Blessed with a quick release and a nice shooting stroke he was one of the players who shined on day 3 here in Phoenix. He had some difficulties getting downhill and keeping the bigger guards from scoring, but both of these things should get worked out as his body matures.
Jayden Hodge Wing 6’6 St Rose HS Belmar, NJ Class of 2026
Jayden Hodge had a couple of huge dunks on day 2 including one where he the defender made a business decision to slide away. He has excellent strength for a player his age. and bullied his opponents on day 3 when the class of 2025 were separated out from the group. He has good form on his shot but needs some work on his set up time as his release was not particularly quick here in Phoenix and may become an issue as he moves up in levels.
Jordan Page CG 6’6 Broughton Magnet HS Raleigh NC, Class of 2027
One of just two 14 year olds at the camp Jordan Page showed very promising athleticism, wingspan, and very strong handles. The USA mini camp coaches took particular attention to Jordan and coached him on nuances both on offense and defense. Finished plays off with dunks and showed great footwork on his Eurostep. He moves well laterally and is a very fluid athlete. It’s too early to pronounce much with him, but certainly a kid to keep an eye on going forward
Tajh Ariza Wing 6’8 Westchester, Playa Del Rey, Class of 2026
Tajh Ariza showcased a huge wingspan and fluid body movement. He has strong handles and is a great slasher. He needs to add strength as he didn’t always finish plays off when bumped. With his length has the ability to shoot while opponents have no ability to affect his shot. However his shot tends to come off flat. His combination of handles, length, and athleticism is rare, giving him a real opportunity as a prospect.
Davion Adkins C 6’8 Oak Cliff Faith Family Academy, Dallas, TX Class of 2026
Davion Adkins was a ball of energy trailing offensive players on the fast break and pinning their shots on the backboard or coming from the weak side and returning the shots back to sender. Offensively he’s explosive finishing plays with two handed power dunks either on fast break or half court sets. Offensively is primarily a pick and dive offensive threat. As an undersized post player the lefty needs to continue to work on his jump shot to increase his opportunities at the next level.
Kaden House PG 6’3 Desert Mountain, Scottsdale AZ Class of 2026
Kaden House typically is a ball dominant scorer, here at the mini camp he focused on creating for others and shooting the occasional jump shot. A bit of a push shot, Kaden had mixed results with his jumper here but he did hold his own on the defensive end keeping opponents in front of him and getting some steals. His willingness to adapt his game to the situation and focus on being a distributor and defense, two things that were less an emphasis for him when I watched him both at EYBL and in his high school season demonstrated his strong focus to win and succeed.
Deron Rippey Jr PG 6’1 Blair Academy, Brooklyn NY Class of 2026
Deron Rippey’s game is very typical for a New York point guard. He showcased his strong handles and quick first step to get to the hole. He was able to score around much taller defenders with an elite level lay up package. Scored the buzzer beater of the weekend making a running bank 3 point shot to win a scrimmage by one point. At his height needs to continue to work on his outside shooting for the next level. His point guard skills still needs some refinement but the athleticism and talent was impressive.
Elijah Williams F 6’6 Brother Rice HS, Phoenix, AZ Class of 2026
Elijah Williams showcased good handles, a strong motor and an ability to finish plays around the rim. He displayed some good understanding as the ball handler in pick and roll situations, taking advantage of downhill opportunities to finish plays off or hit the diver on the pass. He also displayed a good change of pace dribble to get downhill on dribble drives. He often finished plays off with a eurostep and seems to have great balance as he decelerates.
Koa Peat PF 6’8 Perry HS, Chandler, AZ, Class of 2025
Every day of the event Koa Peat was able to finish plays off with fast break dunks or put back dunks. His high motor and energy is unquestioned. Defensively he works hard for steals to get his fast break opportunities. On weak side opportunities he double pinned shots with both hands against the backboard on several occasions. Strong as an ox, he is probably the most intimidating defensive player in this summer’s circuit. However, he still didn’t demonstrate any improvement in his shooting or the ability to create for himself from the wing on half court sets which will be necessary for the top level.
Malachi Moreno C 6’11Great Crossing HS, Georgetown KY, Class of 2025
Malachi Moreno was one of the more steady bigs in Phoenix. He has nice soft hands to catch balls off passes and rebounds and soft touch around the rim. Displayed some solid footwork in the post but lacks explosiveness around the rim.
Terrion Burgess F 6’8 Benton HS, Marion, AR Class of 2025
Terrion Burgess had a highlight reel level dunk on day 1 of the minicamp. In addition to his lengthy wingspan, he displayed elite athleticism and a high motor. He is limited on half court sets as he is on the thin side as a screen setter and the lefty jumper is still very much a work in progress.
Babatunde Oladotun Wing 6’7 Blake HS, Silver Spring, MD Class of 2027
One of the younger players at the event showed elite handles for a player his size. He was able to self create and get to the hole on occasion. As his body matures should be able to finish plays off with power. Has to continue to work on extending his range but was one of the better long term prospects in Phoenix.
Darius Wabbington PF/C 6’9 Sunnyslope HS, Phoenix, AZ, Class of 2027
Darius Wabbington was the best young center at the minicamp. He has all the making of being a strong pick and pop option and already makes good decisions as passer with the ball in his hands at the top of the key or the high man in a high low. Can absorb contact and finish around the rim with his soft hands. Has room to work on his body.
Nikola Bundalo PF 6-10 Western Reserve Academy Uniontown Ohio Class of 2025
Sadiq White PF 6’8 Myers Park , Charlotte NC, Class of 2025
Sadiq White was best at this event on the fast break finishing off plays with his elite athleticism. Made several attention grabbing dunks including a two handed put back in one of the scrimmages.
