Colorado Springs, Colorado – Thirty-four of the best players born in 2007 from across the United States were invited to participate in the USA Basketball U17 Junior National Team Training Camp. The association invited the players to Colorado Springs, Colorado for a Training Camp that begins on June 15 at the US Olympic and Paralympic Training Center.
The USA Basketball Junior National U17 Team will participate in the FIBA Men’s U17 World Cup which is scheduled for June 29-July 7 in Istanbul, Turkey. The team will be coached by Atlanta (GA) Pace Academy head coach Sharman White. Scott Fitch of Fairport (NY) High and Chet Mason of Cleveland (OH) Brush High will be White’s assistant coaches. Dominic Amorosa, Frank Bennett, Rob Brost, and Nick LoGalbo will also be helping out as a court coach during Training Camp.
Let’s discuss the top performers from day one of the USA Basketball Junior National Team U17 Training Camp.
READ | USA Basketball Press Release | USA Basketball Junior National Team U17 Training Camp Roster Breakdown
On a floor filled with players who are used to being the best players on the court, AJ Dybantsa was the alpha. Dybantsa, a 6-foot-9 small forward at Hurrican (UT) Utah Prep, displayed a wide array of shot creation throughout the small-sided and five-on-five sessions. On3’s No. 1 overall player in 2025 is among the five tallest players in the camp. His ability to self-create consistently earned him clean looks at the basket. He decisively got downhill in the half court, knocked down spot threes off-ball rotations, and he elevated in the mid-range to knock down pull-up jump shots. His offense was not forced, but he was able to get a lot of what he wanted throughout the two sessions. He was also the loudest voice in the gym.
Good things seemed to happen when Deron Rippey was on the floor. Listed at 6-foot-1, the point guard got anywhere on the floor he wanted, touching the paint consistently, and making a play. Rippey plays with an excellent pace, and he does not force things, moving the ball and relocating. Defensively, Rippey shined as well. He was able to heat the ball up, guarding for 94 feet on each possession. He also made a couple of spot threes on relocation kickouts. Through both sessions, Rippey’s team played together and they won, the floor general elevated the play of those around him.
Throughout the last four years, Cameron Boozer has continued to spoil onlookers with consistency and productive outputs. The 6-foot-9 forward is currently leading Nike’s EYBL Circuit in points and rebounds per game. Boozer, the son of former NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer, has a sturdy frame with very strong hands. Where he shines is with his positioning. He has the ability to read the play and seemingly always be in the right spot to make the play. Boozer is a smooth catch-and-shoot threat from beyond the arc. He scores around the basket and he is an excellent area rebounder, seemingly gathering every ball off the rim and either tossing an outlet or pushing the break. Boozer won gold medal with this group last year, at the U16 level, as he led the team in scoring and earned MVP honors. He is steady.
Koa Peat is a veteran of USA Basketball, winning gold medals each of the last two years. Listed at 6-foot-8, Peat continues to be a matchup issue. His versatility allows him to line up at multiple levels on the floor. He is an excellent passer with touch and good floor vision. He likes to face up, whether he is pushing the break off the rebound or getting the ball in the half-court. Scoring the ball, Peat is at his best when getting downhill toward the rim. He has a soft touch, is able to finish with both hands and absorb the contact. The Five-Star Plus+ forward has a nose for the play, and he seems to consistently find a way to be involved.
Jalen Haralson is the ultimate connector, and he showed that today. The ball rarely sticks in his hands and, today, he was able to knock down shots off the catch. Haralson rebounded his area well and was a threat to immediately push the break. He did some good things on the defensive end here, switching up and down the opposing line up showing versatility. He is a good processor with the ball and is not afraid of the physicality in the paint. The jump shooting was the real takeaway from today’s sessions for Haralson, which simply unlocked more to his game.
While the fireworks did not flash here, like they did when he earned MVP of the NBPA Top 100 Camp last week, Chris Cenac found his comfort zone early on Day 1 of the camp. The 6-foot-10 power forward was one of the top rebounders in the camp. He chased everything in his area and was able to consistently high-point, and secure, rebounds in traffic. Cenac also showed intriguing touch, knocking down multiple mid-range jump shots off the catch. The most interesting piece of Cenac’s game today was the passing. He threw multiple outlet passes on a dime as well as some good finds as his team ran actions off him in half-court sets. He was excellent as the roll man in the pick and roll, consistently finding his space and scoring at the basket. Cenac’s skill set is expansive, which is very intriguing, and each time on the floor his confidence rises. The ceiling is high for Cenac.
Alijah Arenas made shots. His performance today was as simply stated as that. Arenas, who is the son of former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas, has a lengthy frame with nice positional size, listed at 6-foot-5. He played today with a lot of confidence. He drifted well with the initiator and stayed on balance which led to efficient, and open looks. The jump shot was smooth, the release was quick, and he found space within two dribbles.
Tajh Ariza did a nice job picking his spots today. While he did not force the action, he made some very loud plays, plays that changed the momentum of games. Ariza, the son of former NBA Champion Trevor Ariza, is listed at 6-foot-8. He has excellent length and at 16 years old he is also one of the younger players in camp. Ariza knocked down multiple catch-and-shoot threes, spacing the floor. He also made some plays in the passing lanes, showing anticipation and aggression. He also had multiple dunks in traffic, as he quickly turned defense into offense and purposefully filled the lanes. Ariza has a lot of upside as he continues to carve out his own game, the tools are there and his flashes were loud.
Caleb Gaskins is one of only three 15-year-olds in this camp, yet physically, he is one of the most impressive. Gaskins has long arms, huge hands, and broad shoulders. He played with a great pace today, showing a jump shot and explosive burst in transition. Defensively, Gaskins is intriguing. He can slide his feet on the ball, use his length in the passing lanes, and switch down to affect play at and around the rim. Offensively, he picked his posts well, spaced the floor with his shooting, and finished in transition. It was not a loud day, but his effective play elevated those around him.
Davion Adkins burst on the scene during the USA Basketball Junior National Team Minicamp. His production has not slowed down, with his game even expanding some. Adkins, who made his name off his explosive burst and athletic pop, was knocking down jump shots through out both sessions today. He has a smooth lefty jump shot with a questk release and he is comfortable knocking down shots from the mid range extended out to the corner three. The 6-foot-8 Adkins is an intriguing player who is clearly on a steep incline of development. He is finding his confidence and with that he is consistently finding production in this setting.
