Recruiting: Under Armour Elite 24 observations

Recruiting decisions will pick up full steam following the last high school event of the summer. But first, who impressed in the Under Armour Elite 24 game?

The Elite 24 game in Brooklyn completes what has been an outstanding summer of high school events that consisted of shoe brand AAU circuits and all-star games like the McDonald’s All-American Game and the Jordan Brand Classic.

With 30 NBA scouts in attendance and multiple NBA players sitting on the sideline, this was the final opportunity for the 2017 recruits to impress and the first chance for the 2018 talents to put themselves on the map.

Related Story: Hamidou Diallo going right to the pros?

College decisions will be pouring in over the next couple of months due to the downtime that the prospects have before they tip-off their regular high school seasons.

But before we get to the point of predicting who is going where, let’s talk about what we learned from last night’s Elite 24 game on Pier 2 in Brooklyn Bridge Park.

(SIDE NOTE: The level of play, especially defensively, was similar to an All-Star game, but there is still some things that we can take away when looking at the big picture)

• We’ll start with Trevon Duval, the 6’3″ five-star point guard from Delaware. Duval is the top lead guard in the class of 2017 and is ranked 5th in ESPN’s top 100. But until you watch him play, you won’t understand how good he actually is. Duval handles the ball like it’s on a string. He’s explosive, quick, fast and aggressive. He finishes at the rim with ease and is an athletic freak. He is also an elite passer and ignited the crowd with his 1-v-1 battle with fellow point guard Isaiah Washington. Duval tends to turn the ball over and gets out of control at times (six turnovers on Saturday night), but he is special to watch and should have a major impact at the next level (and the NBA eventually). The high school free agent had 25 points on 12-of-19 shooting and nine assists in Team Drive’s win over Team Clutch.
• Speaking of Washington, the 6’1″, 160 pound 2017 point guard wasn’t even supposed to be in this game. While he deserved a spot in the event from the beginning, the Bronx, NY native was a late add after he scored 46 points (!) in a game at Dyckman Park. Washington actually held his own against Duval. He played solid defense at times and used his crossover to burn him on a couple of possessions on the offensive end. The four-star guard is currently unranked in ESPN’s top 100, however, he should enter the mix rather soon. Washington scored the second most points, 36 on 12-of-23 shooting, in Elite 24 history behind Lance Stephenson’s 38.
• An up-and-down pace isn’t exactly Austin Wiley’s game, but he dropped 22 points on 10-of-17 shooting on Saturday. The 2017 Auburn commit, who stands at 6’9″, 250 pounds and is 19th in ESPN’s top 100, finished around the rim with ease and grabbed 12 total rebounds (which certainly helped Team Clutch in transition).
• While Wiley may not thrive in an All-Star game-like environment, Hamidou Diallo lives for it. The 2017 6’5″ off-guard and 12th ranked player in ESPN’s top 100 threw down numerous special dunks and also dished out a couple skilled passes.
• Zion Williamson, a 6’7″ 2018 forward who is ranked 10th in ESPN’s top 100, finished with 23 points on 10-of-10 (!) shooting. Williamson is versatile, tough and smart and should be a massive addition for a program down the road.
• In order to be a successful shooting guard beyond high school, a prospect must be able to shoot the basketball consistently from the perimeter. M.J. Walker, 18th in ESPN’s top 100 for the class of 2017, has greatly improved in that area and proved himself last night by hitting 5-of-11 shots and two three pointers. Walker finished with 15 points, but most importantly, his shooting motion and mechanics looked developed.
• With his uncle Raymond Felton in the crowd, Jalek Felton scored 16 points on 8-of-15 shooting. The 24th best player in the class of 2017 and the 7th best shooting guard showed off his full arsenal as he attacked the basket at will, used his athleticism to finish above the rim, played excellently in transition and dropped impressive dimes. UNC is getting a player that will contribute right away from the get-go.

Again, while this one game may not be the best indicator for all these players, there are some takeaways that can be kept in the back of the mind moving forward.

It was obvious why Duval is the best point guard in the class of 2017. It’s obvious that Washington should be in the ESPN top 100. And it’s obvious that Williamson is the best of the best in 2018 despite having two more years of high school basketball remaining.

Next: LSU off-season question marks

The Elite 24 is a terrific event and it was once again filled with terrific players that should make a major impact on college basketball, whether it’s in 2017 or moving forward in 2018.