Standout Prospects In Portsmouth Invitational Tournament
The Portsmouth Invitational Tournament is the start of the draft process post-college season. All 30 NBA teams were in attendance watching these competitive games over a four day period. Let’s dive into the ten standout prospects that participated in the PIT.
Toumani Camara | Dayton
Camara was the clear best prospect in the PIT. His ability to blow-by bigs, perimeter skill, and ambidextrous finishing made him a mismatch nightmare for opposing defenders. He’s an explosive finisher around the rim with the ability to stretch the floor. He defended well and had some nice passing flashes that we didn’t get to really see at Dayton. If anyone here in Portsmouth was to get drafted, I’d bet it’s Camara.
Sir’Jabari Rice | Texas
Rice led his team to the PIT championship and was the MVP award winner. He has an elite NBA skill in which not many players here possess and that’s his pump fake. He seems to always get defenders off balance on his fakes mostly due to his ability to sell it but he also shoots and passes out of the same pocket which makes it hard to predict what he’s really doing. It opens up so much for him offensively. He was the most vocal player all week long and was joyful to be around.
D’Moi Hodge | Missouri
Hodge was one of the best shooters all week long as he made a variety of different shots off the catch, movement, and dribble while also defending with toughness. He has smooth shot mechanics with good touch from all around the perimeter. He doesn’t have a ton of creation skills or advanced passing ability but he plays a role at a high level that every NBA organization wants on their roster. He’s the best 3-and-D prospect in Portsmouth this year.
Justyn Mutts | Virginia Tech
Mutts has the best combination of tools, athleticism, and skill in PIT this year. He’s a forward that measured in at 6-foot-7 with a ridiculous 7-foot-3 wingspan. Despite being a sixth year senior, he has some untapped potential that an NBA team could take a swing on in the second round and work on developing the outside jumper as in his college career he shot 30.3 percent from three on one attempt per game. He’s a jumper away from being a rotational player in the NBA.
Nathan Mensah | San Diego State
Mensah is undoubtedly the best rim protector in PIT this year. He helped lead his team to the championship game this week just like he did in college with the Aztecs. His high level defense has resulted in a lot of team success which should definitely make teams interested in him. He flashed some scoring flashes in PIT which made scout's question if there’s actually something there. The high level rim protection, good pick and roll defense, and great feel for the game makes him an underrated center prospect.
Timmy Allen | Texas
Allen was effective all week long scoring inside the arc. The forward did a good job at getting to his spots from the mid-range and painted area. He’s a bit undersized for a power forward but he has the skill and toughness to potentially make up for it in the NBA. He was able to take slower bigs off the dribble and take advantage when smaller defenders were matched up onto him. He made some nice passes when defenders focused so much on him in isolation situations. He did a good job of finding cutters and shooters.
Craig Porter Jr. | Wichita State
He’s the most intriguing point guard prospect in PIT. Porter Jr. only measured in at 6-foot-2 with a 6-foot-4 wingspan yet he averaged a ridiculous 1.5 blocks and steals per game. His great vertical pop, quickness, and defensive anticipation makes him a great defensive prospect. He has a promising offensive skill set. He’s a good finisher through contract and a tough shot-maker off the dribble. He shot 36.3% from three and the majority of those jumpers were off the dribble. His passing ability is often slept on.
Taevion Kinsey | Marshall
Kinsey was the best vertical athlete in PIT this year. He’s one of the greatest players to have ever played for Marshall. He showed some nice flashes and highlights over the last week. His flexibility as a finisher stood out although he did struggle to finish through contact due to the lack of core strength. The jumper wasn’t clicking but did make some difficult mid-range jumpers. His elite burst, vertical athleticism, and passing ability is worth betting on.
Tevian Jones | Southern Utah
Jones was one of the best scorers in PIT this year. He was a pleasant surprise to not only myself but multiple other scouts. He went off for 36 points in one game in which included seven made three’s. He’s a pure scorer that showcased high level shot-making ability from all over the perimeter. The game looks like it comes natural to him and he’s such a smooth player when watching him. He measured at 6-foot-7 which is a great size for an elite shot-making wing.
Pete Nance | North Carolina
Nance didn’t put up crazy numbers in PIT but his impact was felt. He was doing a good job defending the rim as a weak side defender and defending out in space against quicker ball-handlers. His feel for the game on both ends of the floor has always stood out when watching him. His jump-shot has no arc which has led to him being an inconsistent shooter. The touch is there but it’s tough to make jumpers consistently with no arc. The combination of size, feel, and positive impact towards winning is awesome.
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