Early Standouts and Takeaways From NBA Draft Combine Week

The G League Elite Camp took place in Chicago this weekend with college stars such as Markquis Nowell and Johnell Davis looking to improve their NBA prospects.

The NBA’s draft combine week got underway over the weekend with the G League Elite Camp, where NBA personnel evaluated 45 prospects on the fringes of the NBA radar hoping to work their way into draft pick consideration. In 2022, two Elite Camp participants went on to get drafted, though most players at the event are angling for two-way contract consideration (particularly given the NBA is adding a third two-way contract slot for the 2023–24 season).

After two days of athletic testing, drills and five-on-five action, here are some notes on what stood out most from the event.

Five-on-Five Standouts:

Perhaps the most statistically productive player of the weekend was Auburn’s Johni Broome, who imposed his will at the rim in both games with 23 points in Game 1 and 17 points and 8 rebounds in Game 2. He didn’t necessarily show off any parts of his game he hadn’t shown in college, but was clearly helped by improved spacing. Most would have expected a return to Auburn before this event, but Broome may have opened some doors for himself. He was one of eight players invited following the event to the main NBA combine this week.

Several college stars on the fringes size-wise for NBA consideration put their games on display. Markquis Nowell, one of the stars of March Madness, measured in below 5'7" without shoes but brought his typical New York City flair to the game.

“That’s going to come with me anywhere and everywhere,” Nowell says. “This is still a little kid game, so I try to have that joy and passion when I’m out there.”

Markquis Nowell set the NCAA tournament record with 19 assists in one game while leading Kansas State to the Elite Eight this year :: Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports

Kendric Davis (Memphis) and Tyger Campbell (UCLA) also had their moments running the show. Campbell’s command of the game remains impressive, and while he’s not an explosive playmaker he has a knack for getting the ball to the right spots. If nothing else, he’ll be an outstanding Summer League point guard. Davis put on a show in his second game, showcasing his handle and passing ability en route to 16 points and seven assists. That performance earned Davis a spot at the NBA combine. Meanwhile, Antoine Davis, the NCAA’s second all-time leading scorer, had shaky decision-making at times, but his high-level shot-making ability translated to a high-level game after spending all five years of college in the Horizon League.

One surprise standout was Sir’Jabari Rice, who has slowly worked his way onto the prospect radar and received a combine invitation. Rice was an unsung hero for Texas’s Elite Eight team and flashed a lot of the same skills this weekend that he did for the Longhorns and in April at the Portsmouth Invitational. He has a unique rhythm to his game that helps him get to spots as well as one of the best shot-fakes anywhere in the world, and his length allows him to be an impactful defender. Rice scored in double figures in both games and shot 3-for-8 from three on the weekend.

In addition to Broome, Davis and Rice, five other players received combine invitations:

• Clemson’s Hunter Tyson, who measured well at 6'7.5", shot the ball extremely well in the drills portion and played a solid floor game in the scrimmages.
• Clemson’s P.J. Hall, who showcased some intriguing shooting flashes for a big man after being a relatively low-volume shooter from beyond the arc in college this season.
• Princeton’s Tosan Evbuomwan, who didn’t make a major statistical impact in either game but showed off a 7'1" wingspan and has had scouts intrigued by his playmaking ability.
• Overtime Elite’s Jazian Gortman, who had some strong scoring flashes and has impressive creativity off the bounce.
• Weber State’s Dillon Jones, a jumbo wing who had an impressive second day defensively and in transition.

There were also a few players that warranted strong consideration that didn’t make the cut for the NBA combine. Florida big man Colin Castleton wasn’t quite as productive on Day 2 and still isn’t much of a floor spacer, but was a strong rim presence. Rutgers’s Clifford Omoruyi measured out at a 7'6.5" wingspan and had a strong first game, if nothing else setting the tone for additional NBA attention should he return to school in 2023–24. And Drew Peterson (USC) won’t wow you physically, but found ways to impact winning in the scrimmage setting.

Stay-or-Go Decisions:

Another key element of the Elite Camp is the college angle, given several players participating are on the fence regarding a return to school and some are even weighing options in the transfer portal. While players still have time to leave an impression before the May 31 early entry withdrawal deadline via pro days and individual team workouts, how they perform in this setting can shape NBA feedback for those stay-or-go decisions.

Tyrin Lawrence and Olivier Nkamhoua particularly piqued college coaches’ interest this weekend because they’re also in the NCAA transfer portal. Lawrence played well in his first game as a slashing guard capable of knocking down perimeter shots, but struggled when given more on-ball opportunities on Sunday.

“I try to tell [college coaches] I’m going to try to focus on the draft first and then school second, so trying to keep them at bay while focusing on what I really want to do, which is the draft,” Lawrence says. “For me to stay in, I would need some type of guarantee [from an NBA team], I don’t just want to go out on hope. So hopefully I can get that, but if not, I wouldn’t mind going back to school.”

Lawrence listed Auburn (where he has visited), Georgia, Kentucky, Miami, Memphis and Texas as some of the schools in hottest pursuit, with a return to Vanderbilt also on the table.

Tyrin Lawrence averaged 13.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game while shooting 36 percent from three-point range for Vanderbilt last season :: Steve Roberts/USA TODAY Sports

Nkamhoua entered his name in the portal in late March and represents one of the top potential frontcourt options for college teams if he were to return to college. That said, Nkamhoua was born in Finland and will be a valued commodity in the professional game because of that even if he doesn’t earn an NBA contract. He indicated this weekend he has “put all his focus” into the pro route despite talking to a few schools.

UConn starting point guard Tristen Newton originally committed to the Huskies last spring anticipating spending only one year there after transferring in from East Carolina, but is now open to a return to school for his fifth year of eligibility. Newton had an impressive showing Sunday with 14 points and six rebounds after struggling Saturday.

“A school like UConn, I feel like that’s right under the pro level. We run our organization as pros, pro action. So it would more so be a guarantee [from an NBA team],” Newton says of his decision-making process. “I’m not going to jump in there just to say ‘I’m in the draft’. But the best case possible, if some team says they’ll get me, then we’ll see, talk to my family, talk to my agent and see what’s best for us.

Johnell Davis, one of the stars of March with Florida Atlantic, showed some intriguing flashes with his burst athletically, skying for multiple offensive rebounds and looking confident with the ball in his hands. If he returns to FAU, the Owls will likely be ranked in the top 15 of the preseason AP poll.

“My thought process was just to get good feedback, see what I need to work on and if I’m good enough to come out,” Davis says. He cited a guaranteed contract as his target to leave school early.

Kentucky guard Antonio Reeves is one of three Wildcats in the midst of the draft process who could stay or go, alongside Chris Livingston and Oscar Tshiebwe, who got NBA combine invitations. He had 16 points despite missing all four of his three-point attempts Sunday. Reeves’s shooting makes him a valuable potential piece for Kentucky even with five-star freshmen Robert Dillingham and D.J. Wagner matriculating this season. Reeves didn’t have a specific target for a reason to stay in the draft, just whether feedback from scouts was positive enough.

Anton Watson has been one of college basketball’s best glue guys at Gonzaga, but looked more confident as a shooter in this setting and made quick decisions with the ball. Watson says he had four individual workouts in the week leading up to Elite Camp as he weighs beginning his pro career or a final season in Spokane.

“I definitely just want to hear the most feedback from this camp … seeing if teams would draft me late second round but definitely keeping the option open of going to school,” Watson says. “I think we’re going to have a good squad coming back [at Gonzaga].”

Johni Broome, Dillon Jones and P.J. Hall earning NBA combine invites could swing their stay-or-go decisions after initially all being guys that seemed more likely than not to return to school. They’ll get further opportunities to impress scouts in five-on-five action later this week. It is worth noting that two players from the G League Elite Camp (Marcus Sasser and Jalen Wilson) who got moved up to the NBA combine last year eventually chose to return to school anyway.

A few more notable stay-or-go decisions we haven’t touched on:

• Chris Beard’s first season at Ole Miss could be defined by whether Matthew Murrell returns to school. The talented wing is clearly a high-level athlete and an NBA team could invest in him if they believe in his shot.
• Norchad Omier starred for Miami as a small-ball center, but measured at 6'5.5" without shoes. He showed more perimeter skill this weekend than he did in college, but is still a work in progress there.
• Isaiah Stevens (Colorado State) is one of the best college point guards in the country and doesn’t have much more to prove at that level, but struggled this weekend. If he returns, the Rams have NCAA tournament potential.