NBPA Camp: Day One in Review

CCHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - Day one of NBPA Top-100 Camp showed off a wide variety of talent at all positions. While most players are still gaining chemistry with their teams, a number of participants made the most of their opportunity on a national level on Thursday.

2015 point guard Jalen Brunson of Stevenson (IL) - The no-nonsense 6-foot-1 point guard is a coach's favorite because he is a student of the game. Brunson continues to excel at the pick and roll, as well as pocket passes. His shot selection on Thursday was phenomenal, and his accuracy from behind the three-point line was spot on. Brunson needs to get quicker and continue to pack on strength, but his showing at camp left an impression on most. He listed offers from UConn, Temple, Tulsa, Purdue, Illinois and Xavier, with interest from Michigan and Michigan State. To the No. 45 rising junior, a head coach who can be a father and mentor on and off the court will be important.

2016 center Thon Maker of Carlisle School (VA) - One of only a few freshmen at NBPA camp, Maker held his own against stronger, more experienced competition. He is still lean but is beginning to fill out and his energy around the basket is fantastic. With strong, yet developing post moves, Maker converted around the basket on many occasions with dunks and layups. He had a relaxed feel during the games, ran the floor well and worked hard in the paint for rebounds. Extremely early in the process, Maker has yet to focus on any schools, but knows of Arizona, Georgetown, Maryland, Kentucky, Kansas, LSU, Memphis, NC State and other schools being involved. At the end of the day, Maker is a rare, special physical specimen with his size, energy and skill set.

2015 center Stephen Zimmerman of Bishop Gorman (NV) - Considered one of the top players regardless of position in his class, Zimmerman was phenomenal on Thursday as he showed off his fundamentals on the offensive side. A great defender with length and energy, he continues to improve all facets of his game and skill set. He is best in the post when backing down his defender. Zimmerman uses a number of moves to get to the basket and score by using a consistent short-range jump shot. His vertical and athleticism were also very noticeable. Recently, a number of east coast schools in Michigan and Notre Dame have thrown their names into the race for the soon to be junior. Arizona, Auburn, UConn, UNLV, UCLA, Kansas, Florida State and others have offered, while Duke is a school evaluating him to keep a close eye on. Zimmerman, among other 2015 stars, will likely be flooded with calls on June 15th when college coaches can begin making unlimited contact with rising junior prospects.

2014 power forward Kevon Looney of Milwaukee Hamilton (WI) - Looney has earned his No. 8 ranking for a reason. He continues to back up his ranking with his constant improvement on the court, which has been a sight of beauty. Long and lanky, yet starting to fill out, the Wisconsin native was a monster on the offensive glass as he gave his team a number of second chance opportunities by rebounding and finishing in the post. His defense around the rim has improved, and Looney is still doing a great job of playing on the rim as his handle continues to improve. When driving to the rim, he's like a freight train as the big man can be quite unstoppable at times. Duke, Michigan State, Florida, Michigan, Tennessee, Stanford, Georgetown and UCLA appear to be the main schools involved for Looney, who has yet to officially cut his list down, but could do it soon. The Blue Devils and Gators carted him hard this entire spring, along with others.

2014 center Myles Turner of Trinity (TX) - Turner has been the breakout player of the spring, and for good reason, too. With a high-level body for a big man, he has a similar frame to Fresno State's Robert Upshaw. An outstanding defender who has the capability of dominating and taking over a game, Turner has the ability and did that from time to time in Thursday's action. He had some of the tougher matchups in the camp, but faired well against his opponents. At No. 78 in the rankings, Turner will be due for a bump up when the new Rivals150 rankings are unveiled. Oklahoma State, Miami, Duke, UCLA, Louisville, Texas, Baylor, Kansas, UNLV, Arizona and Kentucky are targeting him, but Turner insists he is wide open, with the plan of cutting his list down to ten schools at the end of July. As he hopes to become more familiar with programs, look for a fair amount of visits to be taken in August.

Recruiting Notes

2014 guard Jaquan Lyle of Evansville Bosse (IN) waited until the first night of camp to announce he had trimmed his list to four schools. Louisville, Florida, Tennessee and Indiana made the cut. After taking in the Cardinals' campus earlier in the week, Lyle has plans to head to Tennessee Elite Camp next weekend.

2015 shooting guard Malachi Richardson of Roselle Catholic (NJ) was unable to suit up, but still wound up receiving another offer. He added Arizona to his already long list. Richardson recently picked up scholarships from Florida, UConn and Georgetown to go along with around a dozen others.

2014 forward Devin Robinson of Christchurch (VA) continues to reel in offers with his long frame and versatile game. Notre Dame, Miami, Texas, Indiana, UConn, Kansas, Georgetown, Florida State, Cincinnati, Rutgers, Oklahoma State, Louisville, Xavier, Boston and others have been keeping tabs on him for a while, and more will likely come in after a big summer with the Richmond Squires.

For the latest in college basketball recruiting, head to TheRecruitScoop.com for the latest details and notes on offers, visits, commitments and more. To contact Alex Kline, you can reach him by email at MaryKlineClassic@gmail.com or on Twitter at TheRecruitScoop.