NBA Draft Analyst Matt Babcock shares insights and scouting notes on standout prospects from the USA Basketball Junior National Team Minicamp.
USA Basketball held its annual Men’s Junior National Team Minicamp this past weekend, bringing together the top young talent nationwide. For me, the event serves as a key platform for evaluating the next wave of high-level prospects. With so many kids in attendance and numerous moving parts, I’ll admit conducting comprehensive evaluations on everyone is challenging. However, a few players managed to stand out. Below, I’ve outlined some of my scouting notes on the prospects who caught my eye:
Chris Cenac Jr., 6-10, 230, C, Link Academy (MO), Class of 2025
Standing close to 7 feet tall, Chris Cenac Jr. immediately caught my attention with his pure outside shooting, frame, athleticism, and overall skillset. Of course, Cenac is still learning the game at his age, but the once intriguing mobile big man is starting to tap into his significant potential. He’s a force inside and out, and if given the opportunity, he’ll throw it down on you—pick your poison. If he continues in the right direction, his current trajectory suggests he has the talent to become a special player. I’m excited about Chris Cenac Jr.'s future.
Darius Acuff Jr., 6-3, 180, G, IMG Academy (FL), Arkansas commit, Class of 2025
Darius Acuff Jr.'s attitude and body language needs improvement, which has made him somewhat polarizing in the scouting community. However, I evaluate and project these young prospects for the long term as an NBA Draft analyst. So, I ask myself, 'Can he improve in these areas?' I believe he can. And if he does, he'll shift the focus toward his impressive strengths. He's a strong, explosive on-ball guard who gets to his spots off the dribble at will, and he's a knockdown shooter with a very repeatable set shot—I’m not sure he missed an outside shot all weekend. Naturally, this combination could be lethal. I plan to keep a close eye on Acuff Jr.'s development, as I believe he has the potential to accomplish big things—and I hope he does.
Mikel Brown Jr., 6-3, 165, G, DME Academy (FL), Class of 2025
I first saw Mikel Brown Jr. at a tournament in Springfield, Mass., a couple of years ago, and to be honest, I feared he was too small. However, he’s grown quite a bit, and I was very impressed with him this weekend. He has a terrific floor presence—cool, calm, and collected. He’s highly skilled, with a tight handle, a smooth stroke, and an excellent feel for the game. Mikel Brown Jr. has definitely moved up in my book.
Jasper Johnson, 6-4, 175, G, Overtime Elite (GA), Kentucky commit, Class of 2025
Jasper Johnson is a crafty lefty scorer—a bucket-getter who can fill it up. However, he’s highly dependent on his left hand and needs to develop a better point guard feel and presence. While he’ll always be a scoring guard, as he should be, further developing his point guard skills will help him level up. But let’s not get it twisted—this guy is a bucket, and that holds a lot of value.
Hudson Greer, 6-6, 190, G/F, Montverde Academy (FL), Creighton commit, Class of 2025
One of the weekend's most pleasant surprises was Hudson Greer's apparent progression, who recently committed to Creighton. Standing around 6-foot-6, Greer possesses a valuable skill set as a player who can coexist with others and be effective without being ball-dominant. He’s a high-level shooter and cutter. Players like Greer sometimes don’t get the same hype as others at this stage of their careers, but I believe the value of his style of play could translate very well at each level.
Brandon McCoy Jr., 6-4, 170, G, St. John Bosco (CA), Class of 2026
Brandon McCoy Jr., a versatile guard with terrific positional size, didn’t necessarily blow me away with any specific skill. Still, his well-roundedness, size, and feel make me like him. And it’s easy to see why he’s so highly rated. I’m looking forward to continuing to evaluate his progress.
Christian Collins, 6-8, 200, F, St. John Bosco (CA), Class of 2026
This was my first time seeing Christian Collins, and although he needs to continue to polish his game overall, his talent and upside are as high as those of anyone who participated in the camp. At 6-foot-8 with seemingly long arms, Collins does a little bit of everything while being a fluid athlete. In this day and age, long, versatile, and multi-purpose players come at a premium. You can count on me to watch Collins’ development closely.
Babatunde Oladotun, 6-9, 175, F, James Hubert Blake (MD), Class of 2027
There’s a lot of buzz surrounding Babatunde Oladotun, and I see why now: he’s 6-foot-9 with notable versatility, impressive ball skills, and tough shot-making ability. I wish he had longer arms; he has a near-even wingspan and needs to add physical strength, but most kids need to get stronger at his stage. Regardless, Oladotun is a unique talent with significant potential.
CJ Rosser, 6-8, 195, F, Northern Nash (NC), Class of 2027
At first glance, I felt like I was watching a young Jabari Smith Jr. Despite their similar appearance, Rosser's playing style is comparable too—a long, versatile, face-up four who can shoot the ball and is a fluid athlete. Rosser is still very young and needs to add strength and maturity, but time is on his side. He’s definitely a player to watch moving forward.
Malachi Jordan, 6-5, 180, G/F, Link Academy (MO), Class of 2027
A strong and explosive wing, Malachi Jordan caught my eye early in the camp with powerful dunks, three-level scoring, and his ability to create his own shot. I expect to see his name pop up more and more, and I’m looking forward to scouting him in different settings.
So, as always, I’ll keep it straight with you: I initially planned to limit this recap to ten players, aiming to provide balance by highlighting names across different high school classes. However, by doing so, I’m leaving out some really talented prospects. And while the class of 2028 is full of talent, I’m not quite comfortable writing about them yet—they’re simply too young. Lastly, keep in mind that many of the country’s top-ranked players weren’t able to attend this camp, for various reasons. All things considered, I think USA Basketball is in a great place moving forward.
This trip was fruitful for me: I was able to track the progress of many top players in the classes of 2025 and 2026, most of whom I had seen before. I also got familiar with some of the younger players, establishing an initial baseline for evaluation—a process that will unfold over the coming years.
And lastly, if any players or parents are reading this, I hope you take any criticism I’ve written constructively. And if you weren’t included in this article, I hope it ticks you off—use it as motivation. There was a ton of talent in the building and likely many future NBA players. But I don’t see anyone as a finished product—not even close; this is just the beginning. The players who stay focused and keep grinding are the ones who maximize their potential and, ultimately, see their dreams come true. So, keep working. I’m rooting for you!