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.
The list of players was cut from 34 to 19 on Monday. The next cut should come on Wednesday morning. The final 12 will leave on Sunday for Istanbul, Turkey.
Let’s discuss the overall top performers from the first six sessions of the 2024 USA Basketball Junior National Team U17 Training Camp.
READ | USA Basketball Press Release | USA Basketball U17 Training Camp Full Roster Breakdown | USA Basketball U17 Training Camp Day 1 Top Performers | USA Basketball U17 Training Camp Finalists Breakdown
In a gym filled with alpha players, the biggest alpha of the group was unquestioned. AJ Dybantsa was able to impose his will against anyone who lined up against him. Dybantsa is listed at 6-foot-8. He has a long frame and explosive athleticism. He was very decisive with his moves as well, planting his foot and getting downhill without much dancing. The pull-up jump shot was a weapon and he was able to get to his spots in the mid-range. He will need to continue shoring up the three-point shot, but even in this setting, against top players from across the United States, he was able to get clean looks at the basket anytime he wanted.
Dybantsa was vocal throughout the camp. He directed traffic on defense, cheered for his teammates, and spoke up with teammates. His flash plays made onlookers take notice and his consistent performances were impressive.
Caleb Holt was one of the younger players with this group last year as the USA Basketball U16 team won gold medal. Holt has not only grown physically over the past 12 months, but he has grown his game as well. Holt is a very good defender, with the ability to guard up or down a lineup, but he has shown some playmaking chops this week. While not currently a point guard, he was comfortable in the role of secondary initiator, limiting turnovers and creating offense. The notable step his game took this week was with the shooting. He confidently stepped into shots and was able to knock them down at multiple levels. He has consistently been a factor all week.
Cam Boozer has become the definition of consistency in this class. The 6-foot-8 forward consistently finds himself in the right position and he consistently delivers in making a play. Boozer is a strong area rebounder and an excellent passer. The son of former USA Basketball gold medalist Carlos Boozer, the forward has scored the ball well this week while connecting those players around him. Boozer was the MVP of the FIBA Americas U16 Championship last year with this group. He has brought a leadership factor to this group and a competitive fire that has set the tone.
It might have taken a day for JJ Mandaquit to get acclimated, but when he did the 6-foot-1 point guard was able to get things running very smoothly. When he was at his best, Mandaquit was a maestro in the pick-and-roll, drawing the defense where he wanted them to go and delivering pin-point accurate passes or tear-drop floaters. On Tuesday, Mandaquit knocked down his jump shots, which opened things up for his team offensively. In the open floor, Mandaquit made quick and decisive decisions, which would typically lead to easy buckets. He is a physical defender and understands angles well. Mandaquit was on the U16 USA Basketball team last year that won the gold medal.
Chris Cenac is coming off an NBPA Top 100 Camp that saw him open eyes by earning MVP honors. In that camp, Cenac showed his ability to handle the ball from knockdown jump shots. In this setting, he played an entirely different role. Cenac rebounded the ball, on both ends at a high rate. He finished shots around the basket and knocked down pick-and-pop mid-range jump shots. He had some flashes in the open floor when he would grab a rebound and push and he spaced the floor with a couple of threes, but he carved out his role of what this team needed, and leaned into the defense, running the floor, and the rebounding and did each of them very well. Cenac’s ability to move and versatility on defense fit right in with the pressing style of this team. Cenac has a high ceiling as a player.
Koa Peat affects the play across the board. With his size and physicality, he is a natural rebounder and defensive presence. But when you add in his basketball IQ and skill set, you see consistent production, each time he steps on the floor. Listed at 6-foot-8, Peat has already won two gold medals with USA Basketball, earning one with the U17 team two years ago and then U16 last year. While he did not pad any one stat through the week, he firmly put his fingerprints in each category, connecting the pieces around him.
One NBA scout watching Deron Rippey play this week made the statement, “This kid always makes the right play.” The 6-foot-1 point guard is a quick-on-quick type of lead guard. He touches the paint with the ball and he picks up for 94 feet. Rippey has shown an innate understanding of how to run a team. Getting his teammates involved while still picking his spots to get his own. He plays with a great pace, understanding how to change speeds, which makes his natural burst seem even quicker. He has also been able to limit turnovers while spending a lot of time in the teeth of the defense. Overall, he was able to stack impressive performances throughout the week.
Brandon McCoy was at his best as a connecting guard. When he played alongside a primary initiator, McCoy was able to find lanes to attack the basket and get into the mid-range off one and two dribbles. He also moved the ball well, especially in transition, where he was a terror. Even with the fluid success of his offensive game, he shined defensively all week. He guarded across all three perimeter positions using quick hands and feet along with great anticipation. McCoy had numerous chase-down blocks or blocks from behind as well. He sat out on Tuesday for precautionary reasons after taking a fall on Monday. He is a USA Basketball veteran having won a gold medal with this group at the U16 level last year.
There are so many players in this camp who are able to initiate from different positions, so Cayden Boozer has been able to find his production this week on the defensive end. He has good positional size with solid athleticism. Boozer has been physical at the point-of-attack and he has shown excellent anticipation in the passing lanes. Offensively, he has acted as a connector, limiting turnovers, and quickly getting his team into sets. Boozer is a veteran of USA Basketball, having won a gold medal with this group at the U16 level last year.
Caleb Gaskins has one of the more physically impressive frames in the camp, despite being the youngest player in this USA Basketball Training Camp. While he is not super dynamic, he has played a mistake-free game, and been able to pick his spots to make a play. Gaskins did not attempt anything he knew he could not do, he moved his feet on defense, and he knocked down spot shots from the corner. The overall value be brought was a net positive throughout the week, showing some positional versatility playing some as a wing and some as a four. He found his role and leaned into it.
4-star SF Tajh Ariza (2026) found himself consistently around the ball and making plays. He has been aggressive in the passing lanes on the defensive end, using his 6-foot-8 frame to turn defense into offense. He also knocked down shots from the corner.
4-star SF Jalen Montonati (2026) is a noted shooter from the U16 USA Basketball team last year, and the threat of his shooting has provided spacing in camp so far. The 6-foot-6 Montonati has been up and down as a shot-maker, going through a flurry in some sessions and then not making shots in others.
4-star SG Jordan Smith (2026) is a tough-minded player, giving it everything he has from start to finish. He is going to need to tighten his overall offensive arsenal, but his energy has been infectious. Where he has been able to make his name here is on the defensive end of the floor.
4-star SF Elijah Williams (2026) has been able to pick his spots this week and show some flashes. He has nice size with solid length. He was not asked to do much self-creation, but he knocked down some shots which was able to spread the floor, and he moved the ball well.
Five-Star Plus+ SF Tyran Stokes (2026) took a hit on Sunday and sat out for preventative measures the next couple of days. It was a limited viewing, but in the time he played in Sunday’s sessions, he was able to show his explosion in the open floor.
4-star PF Jaden Toombs (2025) has been a steady performer all week. The 6-foot-9 post player has rebounded well, moved the ball from the paint, and finished around the basket. There is a comfort with Toombs that you know what he is going to bring each time out.
4-star SG Alijah Arenas (2026) showed some shot-making chops early in the camp. When he was at his best, the 6-foot-5 shooting guard played well within two dribbles and was a catch-and-shoot threat in the half-court. He will need to continue tightening things up, but has good positional size and nice length.
4-Star PG Kingston Flemings (2025) brings a toughness to the floor, and that was obvious through the drill portions and games played. He is a tough positional rebounder and defends the ball with a purpose. Offensively, he is going to have to sort through the jump shot, but he was able to touch the paint and make reads. His play at the point of attack was disruptive.
4-Star SF Caleb Gaskins (2026) has one of the more physically impressive frames in the camp, despite being the youngest player. While he is not super dynamic, he has played a mistake-free game. Gaskins did not do anything he knew he could not, he moved his feet on defense, and he knocked down spot shots from the corner.
4-star SF Jalen Haralson (2025) picked his spots and had a solid performance this week. The x-factor in his game is the jump shot, and while it was falling on Sunday, it was more sporadic as the week continued. Haralson defended well, moving his feet and playing physically. He also rebounded the ball and the ball never stuck with him on offense. He was a nice connector who was able to make some plays throughout the week. Was an overall good showing for him.
