NBA Draft

2024 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament Watch List: Previewing Four Must Watch Prospects

With nearly all of the PIT field announced, we’re in for another loaded crop of prospects in the crucial all senior event that kicks out the pre-draft process. Who are four of the events must watch prospects?

Jam Hines

MATT DAYHOFF/JOURNAL STAR / USA TODAY
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The 2024 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (PIT) is set for next week, April 17-20 ahead of the 2024 NBA Draft. The tournament is the first event of the pre-draft process where 64 of the top seniors in the country will play in front of NBA and overseas decision-makers. The PIT committee has nearly named all of the participants with just a few more names to come.

In what is shaping up to be another talent field, here are four prospects to keep an eye on. 

Branden Carlson (Utah) 

With NBA teams always looking for size and shooting, Carlson will draw plenty of interest as one of the top stretch bigs at the PIT and in the draft class. Listed at 7-feet and 220 pounds, Carlson shot 37% from distance on 4.7 3-point attempts per game, both career highs, as his blend of fluid mechanics, touch and confidence shined all season.

He’ll add some value as a shotblocker (1.7bpg career) because of his size and length, but the NBA skill to watch and believe in is his 3-point shooting. 

Isaiah Crawford (Louisiana Tech) 

As a 3-and-D plus prospect equipped with ball skills, multi-level shot-making ability and an NBA-ready frame, Crawford possesses the tools and skillset to catch the eyes of the plethora of NBA personnel who will be in attendance. 

He battled through two season-ending ACL tears early in his collegiate career en route to winning the Conference USA Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year awards this season while emerging as a legit NBA prospect over the past couple of seasons. The 6-foot-6 wing should be amongst the favorites to earn All-PIT honors. 

Malevy Leons (Bradley)

There might not be a better defensive prospect in Portsmouth than Leons, the back-to-back Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year (‘22-’23 and ‘23-’24). Listed at 6-foot-9, he’s a long, rangy and disruptive defender both on and off the ball (3.0 stocks per game, 1.5spg and 1.5 blocks per game). 

Offensively, he functions as a capable dribble, pass and shoot wing, but teams certainly will want him to show consistency as a 3-point shooter at the event and throughout the draft process. Leons is a 35% career 3-pointer shooter that shot a career-low 34% this past season (3.6 attempts per game). If he shoots it well, I’m expecting Leons to be one of the PIT’s biggest risers. 

Vonterius Woolbright (Western Carolina) 

Woolbright will be one of the more intriguing prospects in Portsmouth and a favorite to win the MVP. He dominated the Southern Conference (Player of the Year) with a dynamic mix of versatility, slashing, shotmaking and playmaking to produce one of the top stat lines of any prospect in the country: 21.1 points, 12 rebounds (2.2 offensive) and 5.6 assists per game.

Evaluators will be interested in how Woolbright performs with lesser usage (33.7%) and if there are any encouraging signs of progression in his 3-point shooting (24% on 110 career attempts), which is the swing skill for him. He’s a respectable jumper away from solidifying himself as a draftable prospect.

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Jam Hines
JAM HINES

Jam is a scout with nearly a decade of evaluation experience through his time with former NBA scouting and consulting services, EV Hoops and BPA Hoops. From the high school to NBA level, he brings a wealth of knowledge on prospects.

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