2025 Nike Hoop Summit: NBA Prospects Shine in Portland

The Nike Hoop Summit returned to Portland, Oregon, on Saturday night, once again serving as a premier stage for the world’s top young basketball talent. Held at the Moda Center and broadcast nationally on USA Network and Peacock, the annual event featured the USA Team facing off against the World Team, composed of elite prospects aged 19 and under. For scouts, executives, and fans alike, it offered a glimpse into the future of the game—with potential NBA players on both rosters.

In the days leading up to the game, I attended practices and scrimmages, getting an up-close look at the participants—and the week in Portland didn’t disappoint. With so much talent on display, the 2025 Nike Hoop Summit offered valuable insight into the developmental trajectories of top prospects and reaffirmed its status as a must-see event on the scouting calendar.

Here are some of my takeaways on a handful of standout players:

AJ Dybantsa

Position: Forward

College: BYU

Height/Weight: 6'9", 210 lbs

Birthdate: January 29, 2007 (18 years old)

High School: Utah Prep Academy (UT)

Although the hype around Dybantsa has quieted a bit, it's more a reflection of the depth of this high school class than any concerns about his talent or potential. At 6'9" with impressive physical tools—strength, explosiveness, and a natural scoring instinct—his upside remains sky-high. He possesses significant star potential.

Cameron Boozer

Position: Forward/Center

College: Duke

Height/Weight: 6'9", 235 lbs

Birthdate: July 18, 2007 (17 years old)

High School: Columbus High School (FL)

Boozer is a physical force with a high skill level. While he tends to drift to the perimeter a bit too often, his blend of physical tools and polish should make him a day-one star at Duke—with plenty of room to grow as an NBA prospect. Cooper Flagg out, Cam Boozer in—Duke fans should feel lucky.

Nate Ament

Position: Forward

College: N/A

Height/Weight: 6'9", 185 lbs

Birthdate: December 10, 2006 (18 years old)

High School: Highland School (VA)

Nate Ament’s combination of length, fluidity, and versatility had scouts raising their eyebrows all week. While he still needs to add weight and strength, his talent and potential scream upside. Add him to the list of high school prospects with NBA star potential.

Chris Cenac Jr.

Position: Forward/Center

College: Houston

Height/Weight: 6'10", 233 lbs

Birthdate: January 31, 2007 (18 years old)

High School: Link Year Prep (MO)

At 6'10", Chris Cenac Jr. continues to impress with flashes of high-level potential. He’s big, mobile, and highly skilled. In today’s NBA, where spacing and versatility are at a premium, Cenac checks many boxes—including a smooth outside stroke. And with Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson guiding him, there’s little doubt he’ll keep trending up.

Mikel Brown Jr.

Position: Guard

College: Louisville

Height/Weight: 6'2", 175 lbs

Birthdate: April 3, 2006 (19 years old)

High School: DME Academy (FL)

A silky-smooth guard, Mikel Brown Jr. has the ball on a string and can knock down shots from all over the floor. At times, he reminds me of a young Darius Garland. Needless to say, Louisville has a dynamic, prime-time guard coming to town.

Darius Acuff Jr.

Position: Guard

College: Arkansas

Height/Weight: 6'2", 180 lbs

Birthdate: November 16, 2006 (18 years old)

High School: IMG Academy (FL)

Bursty and tough, Darius Acuff Jr. is a problem with the ball in his hands—and with his ability to shoot it, he’s simply hard to guard. He might be the next one-and-done guard coached by John Calipari.

Jalen Haralson

Position: Guard/Forward

College: Notre Dame

Height/Weight: 6'7", 210 lbs

Birthdate: April 30, 2007 (17 years old)

High School: La Lumiere School (IN)

Standing 6'7" with a solid frame, Haralson is terrific with the ball in his hands, flashing some Joe Johnson-type skills with his positional size. That said, while he’s shown on-ball creation in the past, I was impressed by how well he played off the ball and co-existed within the flow. Regardless, Notre Dame is bringing in a future pro.

Tounde Yessoufou

Position: Guard/Forward

College: Baylor

Height/Weight: 6'6", 210 lbs

Birthdate: May 15, 2006 (18 years old)

High School: St. Joseph High School (CA)

At first glance, he looks like Anthony Edwards—strong, athletic, and built similarly. I’ll hold off on making a full-on comparison to the "Ant-Man" just yet, but I’ll say this: Yessoufou is a stud athlete who can already score at all three levels. His NBA potential is very high, and considering I had seen most of the other players more than him beforehand, he moved the needle for me as much as anyone. I’ll be keeping a close eye on him at Baylor next season.

Bogoljub Markovic

Position: Forward/Center

College: N/A

Height/Weight: 6'11", 195 lbs

Birthdate: July 12, 2005 (19 years old)

Team: OKK Beograd (Serbia)

At 6'11", Markovic is mobile and skilled. He still needs to get stronger, but I came away impressed. I’m curious to see what he decides to do next season—enter the draft, stay in Europe, or maybe even come to the States for college? I don’t know, but I’ll be keeping a close eye either way.

Dame Sarr

Position: Guard/Forward

College: N/A

Height/Weight: 6'6", 181 lbs

Birthdate: June 4, 2006 (18 years old)

Team: FC Barcelona (Spain)

One of the more intriguing prospects at this past week’s Hoop Summit was Dame Sarr. While he still has plenty of room for growth, he showed flashes of why he’s considered a top-rated college recruit and NBA prospect. With length, athleticism, and a solid skill foundation, he projects as a versatile two-way player. Once thought to be a lock for the University of Illinois, there are now rumors he could return to Europe—or even enter the NBA Draft. We’ll see.

Tajh Ariza

Position: Forward

College: N/A

Height/Weight: 6'8", 195 lbs

Birthdate: March 25, 2008 (17 years old)

High School: Westchester High School (CA)

The son of former NBA player Trevor Ariza, Tajh Ariza showed a lot of the same attributes as his pops. At 6'8", Ariza displayed impressive versatility on both ends of the floor. He's a top prospect and certainly worth monitoring closely moving forward.

Meleek Thomas

Position: Guard

College: Arkansas

Height/Weight: 6'3", 181 lbs

Birthdate: August 6, 2006 (18 years old)

High School: Overtime Elite (GA)

Known for his scoring ability, Thomas seems to be making a concerted effort to round out his game, showing strides as a more complete guard. But don’t get it twisted—his value still lies in his ability to get buckets. As usual, John Calipari is reloading, with Meleek Thomas and Darius Acuff Jr. headed to Fayetteville.

Mouhamed Sylla

Position: Forward/Center

College: Georgia Tech

Height/Weight: 6'10", 240 lbs

Birthdate: January 31, 2007 (20 years old)

High School: Bella Vista College Prep (AZ)

Although not officially a participant in the Hoop Summit, Mo Sylla was part of the Portland Generals—a team organized by my friends at Pro Insight to scrimmage against the World and USA teams. From those scrimmages, few players impressed more than Sylla. He displayed size, strength, and athleticism, along with a solid foundation of coordination and touch around the rim. Sylla is heading to Georgia Tech next season.