LAS VEGAS, Nevada – The Wootten 150 Camp hosts some of the nation’s top high school prospects, on both the boys’ and girls’ sides, for two days of action at the Las Vegas Basketball Center.
The camp is being led by Joe Wootten, the chair of the McDonald’s All-American Committee and numerous other committee members are also in attendance. So the Wooten 150 Camp provides high school seniors with one final opportunity to make an impression before the beginning of the season.
Two of the weekend’s three scheduled sessions took place on Saturday and featured a variety of breakdown drills, three-on-three competitions, and ultimately five-on-five.
Here are ten things to know based on what we saw on day one:
1. Darius Adams shines early
Darius Adams was one of the first players to stand out on Saturday, showing the overlap of his perimeter size, skill, and feel. He was aggressive with his individual offense, always around the ball, showing his shot-making, and able to make some plays in the open floor.
Adams is set to announce his college commitment on Monday, live on the 247Sports Channel.
2. Braylon Mullins maximizes his opportunities
Braylon Mullins didn’t necessarily get the number of looks he should have to start, so he set himself apart with his defensive tenacity, and by going to the offensive glass. In the evening session, he caught fire from behind the arc during the three-on-three session and threw down a powerful dunk in transition to cap an efficient overall performance.
Mullins recently trimmed his list to Connecticut, Indiana, and North Carolina.
3. Jaden Toombs shines in three-on-three
One of the other standouts in the three-on-three action was Jaden Toombs, who separated himself from many of the other bigs in that segment with his understanding of how to operate in offensive actions. He screened well, rolled into open space, passed, and knocked down short jumpers.
Toombs announced his commitment to SMU earlier this week on the 247Sports Channel.
4. Niko Bundalo headlines night session
It was the story of two sessions for Niko Bundalo, who seemed to be forcing the action to start the day, but was arguably the most dominant player in the evening. His complete offensive versatility was on display as he made some plays off the bounce, showed his shooting touch to the arc, and finished athletically at the rim.
Bundalo has visited Ohio State, Michigan State, and Connecticut.
5. Isiah Harwell back and shooting
Isiah Harwell was back playing competitive basketball on the national level for the first time since last year’s injury. While he’s still not fully cleared for complete games, he was able to go up and down a bit. The biggest takeaway was the progression of his shooting since we last saw him as his three-ball looked very fluid.
Harwell committed to Houston earlier this month.
6. Matthew Able continued to rise
After being one of the summer’s biggest stock-risers, Matthew Able is still trending in the right direction. He had an exceptional sequence Saturday night, knocking down a three, hammering a big dunk, and then knocking down a subsequent three, all in consecutive possessions.
Able announced his commitment to Miami earlier this month on the 247Sports Channel.
7. Jermaine O’Neal makes a steady impact
Jermaine O’Neal Jr. had a very strong first day. First, even amongst this highest level of competition, his athleticism stood out. He got loose in the open floor and rose up on multiple occasions. Then he knocked down his fair share of open shots from the perimeter. Overall, he looked confident and assertive from start to finish.
O’Neal announced his commitment to SMU live on the 247Sports Channel less than two weeks ago.
8. Akai Fleming separates himself physically
With a number of the top guards in the country in attendance, Akai Fleming was another player whose physical tools stood out in comparison to the rest. It was his physical strength and power in particular as he attacked the rim and also showed off his improving shooting range.
Fleming made an early commitment to Georgia Tech last spring.
9. Xavion Staton continues to intrigue
Xavion Staton continues to show all the tools for a very bright future. While he’s still a work in progress, he was arguably the best rim protector in the field on Saturday. Offensively, he had some biggest finishes and even knocked down a couple of threes to show his developing skill set.
Staton is considering BYU, Stanford, UNLV, Michigan, and USC among others.
10. Underclassman steals the show
While the vast majority of the attention was on the seniors competing for the attention of the McDonald’s committee, there were also several underclassmen in attendance and 2027 big man Obinna Ekezie stole the show. He was all of the rim for big dunks, able to physically dominate the lane even against seniors, and even flashed some developing face-up skill.
