CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- The annual NBPA Top 100 Camp kicked off on the campus of the University of Virginia on Wednesday afternoon. Rising senior big man David McCormack got off to a great start and has planned a pair of visits once camp finishes up. More on McCormack and others from the first session of camp.
MCCORMACK PLANS TWO UNOFFICIAL VISITS
If four-star center David McCormack is looking to grab some rest, he won't be getting it in the immediate future. Having just returned home from a trip to Italy with Adidas Basketball, McCormack showed up at NBPA Top 100 Camp with little rest and as soon as he's done with camp on Saturday, he'll be on the move again.
McCormack told Rivals.com that he plans to take unofficial visits to Duke and N.C. State beginning with Father's Day. A few weeks ago, McCormack was on the campus of Virginia.
We'll have more on McCormack during the week but keep an eye on Kansas, Texas, Virginia Tech and perhaps Georgetown as some others who could make some noise with him.
DOTSON TALKS MARYLAND VISIT
A top lead guard prospect in the 2018 class, Devon Dotson has cemented his standing as a national prospect this spring. Planning on cutting his school list any minute now, Dotson, fresh off a visit to Maryland on Monday, recapped how his trip went. “It was a great visit. They talked to my family a lot. I like the facilities after taking a tour of the campus,” he said. “They say that I am a dynamic point guard and they’re looking for me to be a leader from day one. They want me to be that point guard that can put pressure on defenses and make things happen.”
Two weeks back, Maryland landed the commitment of top-100 wing Aaron Wiggins, a close friend and travel teammate of Dotson, another selling point for the Big 10 program. “He is just texting me daily telling me, come to Maryland, come to Maryland,” he said. “I guess they have a recruiter on my team. That is one of my closest friends that we talk about playing together.”
DOSUNMU TALKS KANSAS OFFER
One of the top scoring point guards in the 2018 class, Ayo Dosunmu has not let up off of the gas this spring. After finishing top-10 in scoring on the Nike EYBL circuit, Dosunmu kicked off the NBPA Top-100 Camp in style as he chipped in 21 points matched up against fellow top-30 guard and Louisville commit Courtney Ramey.
A handful of power programs have begun to prioritize as Illinois, Northwestern, Xavier, and a slew of others remain in the mix, though an offer from Kansas last week could change the complexion of his recruitment. “It was a great offer. That is a blueblood,” he said. “One of my close, close friends, Charlie Moore, goes there. I like the way that they run their program and Coach (Bill) Self, he is a hall of fame coach, and what they do is just tremendous.”
MAXEY EYEING WEST COAST VISITS
Even though he just finished his sophomore year, high scoring combo guard Tyrese Maxey has already taken several visits.
To date, Maxey says that he's seen the campuses of Baylor, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas and Texas A&M. All of those programs have offered and they will be involved for the long haul. Up next, though, Maxey has his sights set on some West Coast visits.
According to Maxey, he's trying to set up a trip out West to see the campuses of Oregon, Stanford and California. No date is locked in yet, but he's hoping to fit the visits in later this summer or early in the fall.
DUKE MAKES NINE FOR SWIDER
In early May, four-star small forward Cole Swider released a top eight of Creighton, Indiana, Xavier, Syracuse, Michigan, Providence, Miami and Villanova.
Go ahead and make it a top nine at this point.
Swider recently picked up an offer from Duke and confirmed to Rivals.com that he has added the Blue Devils to his list. According to Swider, Duke had just begun to contact him when he made his initial cut to eight and at that time he only wanted to include programs that had offered scholarships. With the offer, Duke moves back onto the list and will be a factor in his recruitment.
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON PLAYER NOTES
* In the second game of the afternoon session, top 50 wing Jules Bernard was very aggressive on the offensive end. He crashed the boards, got to his spots with the dribble and made things happen in the mid range. Bernard always plays with toughness and opened up with a nice 18 point effort.
* Something to keep in mind as we debate the top point guard in the class of 2018 is the defensive side of the ball. And when that side gets factored in there aren't many that are better than five-star Immanuel Quickley. Quickley remains firm on his final four of Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland and Miami.
* Five-star forward Simisola Shittu was phenomenal to kick off the camp as he was a monster around the basket, finishing everything in the paint. His hands are awesome and so is his production from 15-feet and in. His skill refinement could use some work but whenever he sticks to playing within the paint, he looks every bit of a five-star prospect.
* Having committed to Iowa during his sophomore year, some people may have forgotten just how good Joe Wieskamp is. During his opening round session, the 6-foot-6 wing displayed his entire offensive arsenal as he made timely shots from 15-feet and out, made the proper play on the break and showed off sneaky athleticism at the basket. He is an immediate contributor for Iowa and someone that could evolve into a top-two scoring threat on future Hawkeye teams.
