Team 8

Coach: Ryan Bernardi

 

#8: 5'8 '22 Vansh Nishchal (Charlotte, NC)

Starting things off, we look at a player that stood out with his strong motor and ability to operate within the team concept, Vansh Nishchal. He's a wiry guard prospect that knows how to play his role and make plays for others while taking advantage of easy scoring opportunities. He's a solid rebounder for his size and showed intensity with his transition defense. Next in his development process is working on his ability to penetrate to the basket, as it would open up his offensive game tremendously. Coach Bernardi on Nishchal: 'Vansh was an awesome kid that was a pleasure to coach. Despite not having the most natural abilities, Vansh played really hard and made all the right plays. He needs to get his handle tighter and become stronger to make an impact. I would like to see him be more aggressive on the catch as well.' Nishchal represents the notion 'heart over height' and displays a strong work ethic, so it'll be exciting to watch his continued growth going forward.

 

#10: 5'9 '22 Isaiah Tate (Kings Mountain, NC)

Next, we look at a player that showcased a lot of very useful skills and a solid amount of upside at camp, Isaiah Tate. He's a young, slightly undersized guard prospect that made a pretty strong impression with his passing instincts and unselfish ability as a floor general. Tate did a great job of playing within the team concept and outworking his assignment on both ends of the floor. Next in his development process is working on his ability to finish, as it would make him an even tougher assignment upon entering the paint. Coach Bernardi on Tate: 'Isaiah has unbelievable court vision. He threw transition passes, roll passes, and drove and handled extremely well! He has a high-arching shot that seemed streaky throughout the day. He got hot in the second half of game one, but did not shoot it well for the rest of the day. At his size, becoming a knockdown shooter will be important. He was a pleasure to coach, as he listened and played with great effort.' Tate is young and showed some quality flashes during his time at camp, so we'll be monitoring his progression over these next few years.

 

#27: 6'0 '20 Arrington Jones (Winston-Salem, NC)

Moving onto a player that continually stands out with his incredible leadership ability, Arrington Jones. He's a smart, team-first point guard prospect with an excellent blend of scoring and playmaking instincts. Jones scores the ball efficiently from all three levels and did a terrific job of forcing turnovers during his time at camp. Next in his development process is working on his consistency in catch-and-shoot situations, as it would make him an even tougher offensive threat. Coach Bernardi on Jones: 'Arrington is a stud. He was all about coming away with team wins. He is an extremely explosive athlete that plays with great bursts of speed. I was really impressed with how he drove and kicked at the right time or finished when the time was right. He has natural leadership abilities and worked hard to motivate his teammates. He has good shooting form but did not shoot it great today.' Jones has all the tools to be a quality scholarship-level prospect, especially if he continues to stand out throughout the upcoming calendar year.

 

#28: 6'0 '21 Cosimino Pagano (Oak Ridge, NC)

Continuing onto a player that made a quality impression with his ability to shoot the ball, Cosimino Pagano. He's an off-guard with a solid frame and an understanding of how to move and operate without the ball. Pagano is a capable shooter and spot-up threat that was able to put the ball on the floor decently well. Next in his development process is working on his ability to make plays for others, as it would make him a more complete offensive threat. Coach Bernardi on Pagano: 'Cosimino needs to play harder to make a greater impact on the game. He does not consistently spring back on defense. He shoots the ball well from three-point territory and has good footwork when driving the ball. He was very coachable and took criticism well but would like to see him be a better teammate. He can develop into a knockdown shooter for maximum impact.' Pagano has some useful skills and could become a productive high school player within the next year or so, especially if he continues to work.

 

#47: 6'3 '19 Antonio Dupree (Hope Mills, NC)

Next, we look at a player that showcased an excellent motor and quality two-way presence at camp, Antonio Dupree. He's a strong, athletic guard prospect with an unselfish approach to the game. Dupree scores the ball effectively from all levels, but does especially well when looking to score inside the arc. He forces turnovers at an excellent rate and made an abundance of plays in transition. Next in his development process is working on the use of his off-hand, as it would make him a more well-rounded offensive threat. Coach Bernardi on Dupree: 'Antonio is an elite athlete that has a good amount of skill as well. He drove it to the rim well, especially when going to his right hand. He has a good jumper from three and midrange pull-ups. He defends the ball really well, particularly without fouling. He played incredibly hard all day and was a pleasure to coach.' Dupree was quite impactful and showed some college-level skills during his time at camp, so it'll be interesting to see if he can be a nice late addition for the right program.

 

#52: 6'3 '23 Jaxon Burnette (Fair Play, SC)

Moving onto a player that currently sits at an excellent crossroads between productivity and long-term potential, Jaxon Burnette. He's a long, young forward prospect that does a terrific job of stretching the floor and knocking down perimeter jumpers. Burnette is a quality finisher that can take smaller defenders near the basket and finish with consistency. Next in his development process is working to become quicker, as it would make him a better all-around defender. Coach Bernardi on Burnette: 'Jaxon is an elite jump shooter for his size and age. He has a great stroke and really shoots it with confidence. That aspect of his game belonged at this level. However, his speed, defense, and effort need improvement. He put very little effort into getting back and was drive past multiple times. Again, for his age, he performed very well, but those aspects of his game need improvement as he continues his development.' Burnette is a very intriguing prospect that looks likely to continue steadily improving, especially if he continues to work.

 

#65: 6'5 '20 Davidson Hubbard (Charlotte, NC)

Continuing onto a player that stood out with his abilities inside the paint, Davidson Hubbard. He's an undersized post prospect that plays with a blue-collar approach and outworks bigger/stronger opponents for rebounds on both ends of the floor. Hubbard made numerous plays defensively and finished well in transition. Next in his development process is working on his ability to drive the ball, as it will cause mismatch problems for opposing big men. Coach Bernardi on Hubbard: 'Davidson is a very effective big man for his size. He moves well, has good hands, and rebounds well for his size. He finishes a high percentage of his attempts within the paint and catches all passes, even bad ones. I did not see him shoot too many jumpers but it looked like he had good form. Davidson protects the rim and rebounds very well. He was very coachable. I would like to have seen him kick it a few more times.' Hubbard enjoyed a pretty productive showing during his time at camp and could be an impactful prospect during his upcoming senior campaign.

 

#71: 6'5 '20 Zachary Murphy (Clayton, NC)

Finishing up, we look at a player that stood out as one of the most impressive offensive performers from camp, Zachary Murphy. He's a long, wiry guard prospect with excellent size and terrific scoring instincts. Murphy scores the ball really well from all levels and is capable of creating for himself or others with relative ease. He forces turnovers well and can do a variety of different things in transition, especially with the ball in his hands. Next in his development process is adding strength to his wiry frame, as it would make him an even tougher assignment for opposing guards. Coach Bernardi on Murphy: 'Zach has a smooth jumper that can really fill the score sheet. He was very coachable and defended on the ball well. He could have got more opportunities to shoot, which could have made his numbers better. He needs to play harder and should absolutely rebound better with his size, which ultimately comes down to effort. He needs to have a higher motor to take his game to the next level.' Murphy was one of the most intriguing prospects on display at camp and should be viewed as a scholarship-level prospect throughout the upcoming calendar year.