New Purdue Center Daniel Jacobsen Receives Major Praise at USA Basketball U18 Camp
Incoming Purdue center Daniel Jacobsen is turning some heads while at the USA Basketball U18 training camp. The 7-foot-3 center made some big strides while on the floor in Colorado Spring, Colo. this week.
Jacobsen, a top-150 prospect in the 2024 recruiting class, was one of 30 players invited to training camp for USA Basketball's U18 National Team. ESPN NBA Draft analyst Jonathan Givony had some high praise for the future Boilermaker while at a practice.
"Purdue-bound Daniel Jacobsen has been the best player on the floor for long stretches at USA Basketball so far," Givony wrote. "Putting a lid on the rim at 7'3 (with) mobility and timing. Quick off his feet for finishes. Skillful in the paint. Takes hits and keeps coming. Impressive two day stretch."
Along with Givony's comment about Jacobsen on social media, a video of the 7-footer blocking a shot at the rim also made its way to social media.
The big man with the BIG rejection 🙅♂️@d_jacobsen23 x 🇺🇸 #USABMU18 pic.twitter.com/hTy7qoHMIG
— USABJNT (@usabjnt) May 24, 2024
247Sports' Adam Finkelstein also raved about Jacobsen's performance during the first two days of training camp.
"The most pleasant surprise, however, has been Daniel Jacobsen," Finkelstein wrote. "The 7-foot-3 big man who finished his high school career at Brewster Academy has long been known as an intriguing long-term prospect because of his great size and developing skill. Physically though, he has been a work in progress and often content to try to show his three-point shooting.
"So far in Colorado, he has been asserting himself around the rim, and been as impactful as maybe anyone in the field. He's playing with more athleticism, finishing hard above the rim, battling for real estate in the post, contesting plays defensively, and rim-running. In short, he's making a big impression, and only adding to the optimism about what he can become at Purdue given their pedigree for developing big men."
And by the way he can also do this https://t.co/KxQT4iWSrz pic.twitter.com/QehOJfV3Pm
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 24, 2024
Sounds like Jacobsen is making quite the impression during his time in Colorado. Will it be enough to earn a spot on the 12-man roster for the 2024 AmeriCup?
The team travels to Buenos Aires, Argentina for the AmeriCup, scheduled to be played June 3-9. Obviously, roster decisions will be made prior to that.
Whether Jacobsen makes the team or not, the 7-foot-3 center is proving that he can make a major impact against some of the best prospects in the game. It should create even more buzz about Purdue's incoming recruiting class — ranked 10th nationally via 247Sports.
Matt Painter assembled a really strong recruiting class in the 2024 cycle, with Jacobsen being a key piece. The Boilermakers are also welcoming four-star guards Kanon Catchings and Gicarri Harris to the program, as well as three-star forward/center Raleigh Burgess.
