1. Junior shooting guard Jaeden Mustaf is a winner.
Mustaf had 25 points to help New World 17s defeat Team Loaded VA in three overtimes 64-59 on Sunday in the adidas event in Rock Hill, S.C. NC State coach Kevin Keatts and assistant coach Levi Watkins were front and center for the game, probably thinking how happy they were that Mustaf had unofficially visited and was offered.
One of the key parts about Mustaf’s performance was that it happened in the 17s division for the newly-minted Matthews (N.C.) Carmel Christian product. Very few 2024 prospects are playing in the 17s, so he was doing it against bigger, faster and more athletic bodies for Team Loaded VA. He also faced older competition playing at Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha Catholic.
Seeing him in that kind of setting, along with the semifinals Saturday, some players just know how to make the right play at the right time. Mustaf checks a lot of boxes, but basketball IQ and toughness are near the top. It is what led to him getting 15 free throw attempts, many of them were in must-make situations and he only missed one clutch one.
Mustaf believes he is 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds right now, and defenders sometimes just bounce off him when he makes a drive. He was adept at getting rebounds on the offensive end, which led to getting fouled. Some players can’t handle getting bumped around, but that isn’t a problem for him.
Thinking of different players, Mustaf is similar in some ways to former Duke player Wendell Moore, who went No. 26 overall to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Moore had more ballhandling or playmaking duties, but he was a glue guy type, who did the little things.
Mustaf took a dip in the last rankings, going from 36 to 72, which I wasn’t sure about, but now know what his true value is, which is probably more in the 35-50 range. He’ll need to continue to work on his jumper, but otherwise, he’ll be fine-tuning.
2. There can sometimes be a Yin and Yang to things, so Mustaf won and got the spoils, and that meant that senior forward Dennis Parker ended up with a tough loss.
Parker had an interesting stretch at adidas — I was able to watch him three full games — and his recruitment has been interesting. He’s ranked No. 75 overall by Rivals.com in the class of 2023.
Parker has strong connections in the state of North Carolina, with his mom a Kinston (N.C.) High graduate and she went to North Carolina. She enjoyed meeting Torin Dorn Jr. during Parker’s unofficial visit to NC State in June because she went to school with Torin Dorn Sr. at UNC.
Parker finished with 11 points in the title game, and some things about his game became clear after having him under the microscope. He’s got the potential to be an all-league defender one day if he wants at a listed 6-6 and 180 pounds. I’ll guess that is an older weight.
Parker is a strong finisher in the open court and can hunt down dunks and layups with the best of them in transition. What he’ll need to work on is his jump shot, both in the mid-range and beyond the three-point stripe.
With the game against New World in the a halfcourt setting, the easy run-outs weren’t there as much. Being creative to get a basket was need.
Some college coaches think Parker could be an undersized power forward in college. Playing the comparison game again, another former target comes to mind in some ways — former South Carolina forward Sindarius Thornwell. Torin Dorn could be another one. Some thought the 6-4 Thornwell did his best work being a warrior in the paint in high school. He ended up being a 33.9 shooter from three-point land in 132 games at South Carolina, but he also was just 39.2 percent from the field.
3. I mentioned that NC State had to be smiling about the play of Mustaf, and that was also true in spades about junior wing Jayden “Juke” Harris on Saturday.
Harris erupted for 22 points in the first half and finished with 33 in a grudge match game between his Team Loaded VA 16s squad and Garner Road. Keatts and Watkins were both there to watch Harris and his point guard teammate Tyler Bailey, and junior wings Rakease Passmore and Paul McNeil from Garner Road.
What became clear with Harris is that he knows how to move when the ball isn’t in his hands. That has kind of become a lost art, but they had some set plays to run him off screens and he’s a natural at it. It would be good for whatever college he picks, that the offense will utilize those skills.
Harris combines that off the ball movement with enough wiggle in his one-on-one game. He’s a great shooter, whether catching and shooting or spotting up for a jumper. That’s his ticket in college. He’ll need to get stronger but NC State was ahead of the curve in offering Harris, who mom was a student for a couple of years in the mid-1990s.
The Salisbury (N.C.) High standout is probably getting pulled in different directions by private schools, both in the state or out of state, so that bears watching. After a slow start to the adidas event, he went out with a flourish.
Bailey also played well in that game and he’s a drive-first, paint-touch point guard. He could also play off the ball and makes enough jumpers to keep a defense honest. He’s not everyone’s kind of point guard with his ability to score in bunches, but he plays hard and is clearly ascending as a prospect.
McNeil had a big game against Southeast Elite 16s, but was solid against Team Loaded NC and Team Loaded VA. He knows how to generate his own offense and his jumper was relatively consistent.
Passmore was more like Dennis Parker in many ways, but not as long, though more electric with his bounce. Passmore could also be a defense-first kind of player. He didn’t have much flow in a halfcourt battle against Team Loaded NC, and then struggled in the first half against Team Loaded VA. However, he was active on defense, found his touch and was aggressive in the second half and netted 13 points after halftime. That was the blueprint for future success. While other players might be more polished now, it’s about what he’ll be in a few years.
Mustaf had 25 points to help New World 17s defeat Team Loaded VA in three overtimes 64-59 on Sunday in the adidas event in Rock Hill, S.C. NC State coach Kevin Keatts and assistant coach Levi Watkins were front and center for the game, probably thinking how happy they were that Mustaf had unofficially visited and was offered.
One of the key parts about Mustaf’s performance was that it happened in the 17s division for the newly-minted Matthews (N.C.) Carmel Christian product. Very few 2024 prospects are playing in the 17s, so he was doing it against bigger, faster and more athletic bodies for Team Loaded VA. He also faced older competition playing at Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha Catholic.
Seeing him in that kind of setting, along with the semifinals Saturday, some players just know how to make the right play at the right time. Mustaf checks a lot of boxes, but basketball IQ and toughness are near the top. It is what led to him getting 15 free throw attempts, many of them were in must-make situations and he only missed one clutch one.
Mustaf believes he is 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds right now, and defenders sometimes just bounce off him when he makes a drive. He was adept at getting rebounds on the offensive end, which led to getting fouled. Some players can’t handle getting bumped around, but that isn’t a problem for him.
Thinking of different players, Mustaf is similar in some ways to former Duke player Wendell Moore, who went No. 26 overall to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Moore had more ballhandling or playmaking duties, but he was a glue guy type, who did the little things.
Mustaf took a dip in the last rankings, going from 36 to 72, which I wasn’t sure about, but now know what his true value is, which is probably more in the 35-50 range. He’ll need to continue to work on his jumper, but otherwise, he’ll be fine-tuning.
2. There can sometimes be a Yin and Yang to things, so Mustaf won and got the spoils, and that meant that senior forward Dennis Parker ended up with a tough loss.
Parker had an interesting stretch at adidas — I was able to watch him three full games — and his recruitment has been interesting. He’s ranked No. 75 overall by Rivals.com in the class of 2023.
Parker has strong connections in the state of North Carolina, with his mom a Kinston (N.C.) High graduate and she went to North Carolina. She enjoyed meeting Torin Dorn Jr. during Parker’s unofficial visit to NC State in June because she went to school with Torin Dorn Sr. at UNC.
Parker finished with 11 points in the title game, and some things about his game became clear after having him under the microscope. He’s got the potential to be an all-league defender one day if he wants at a listed 6-6 and 180 pounds. I’ll guess that is an older weight.
Parker is a strong finisher in the open court and can hunt down dunks and layups with the best of them in transition. What he’ll need to work on is his jump shot, both in the mid-range and beyond the three-point stripe.
With the game against New World in the a halfcourt setting, the easy run-outs weren’t there as much. Being creative to get a basket was need.
Some college coaches think Parker could be an undersized power forward in college. Playing the comparison game again, another former target comes to mind in some ways — former South Carolina forward Sindarius Thornwell. Torin Dorn could be another one. Some thought the 6-4 Thornwell did his best work being a warrior in the paint in high school. He ended up being a 33.9 shooter from three-point land in 132 games at South Carolina, but he also was just 39.2 percent from the field.
3. I mentioned that NC State had to be smiling about the play of Mustaf, and that was also true in spades about junior wing Jayden “Juke” Harris on Saturday.
Harris erupted for 22 points in the first half and finished with 33 in a grudge match game between his Team Loaded VA 16s squad and Garner Road. Keatts and Watkins were both there to watch Harris and his point guard teammate Tyler Bailey, and junior wings Rakease Passmore and Paul McNeil from Garner Road.
What became clear with Harris is that he knows how to move when the ball isn’t in his hands. That has kind of become a lost art, but they had some set plays to run him off screens and he’s a natural at it. It would be good for whatever college he picks, that the offense will utilize those skills.
Harris combines that off the ball movement with enough wiggle in his one-on-one game. He’s a great shooter, whether catching and shooting or spotting up for a jumper. That’s his ticket in college. He’ll need to get stronger but NC State was ahead of the curve in offering Harris, who mom was a student for a couple of years in the mid-1990s.
The Salisbury (N.C.) High standout is probably getting pulled in different directions by private schools, both in the state or out of state, so that bears watching. After a slow start to the adidas event, he went out with a flourish.
Bailey also played well in that game and he’s a drive-first, paint-touch point guard. He could also play off the ball and makes enough jumpers to keep a defense honest. He’s not everyone’s kind of point guard with his ability to score in bunches, but he plays hard and is clearly ascending as a prospect.
McNeil had a big game against Southeast Elite 16s, but was solid against Team Loaded NC and Team Loaded VA. He knows how to generate his own offense and his jumper was relatively consistent.
Passmore was more like Dennis Parker in many ways, but not as long, though more electric with his bounce. Passmore could also be a defense-first kind of player. He didn’t have much flow in a halfcourt battle against Team Loaded NC, and then struggled in the first half against Team Loaded VA. However, he was active on defense, found his touch and was aggressive in the second half and netted 13 points after halftime. That was the blueprint for future success. While other players might be more polished now, it’s about what he’ll be in a few years.
