2026 USA Basketball Junior National Team Minicamp Preview
The scouting process for the NBA Draft doesn't typically start the year before a player becomes eligible. It starts years earlier, with a first look that sets a baseline. Each viewing after that adds to it, building toward a comprehensive evaluation by the time a prospect reaches the draft. One of the most important checkpoints in that process is the USA Basketball Men's Junior National Team minicamp.
This weekend, Oct. 9-11, 85 players from the classes of 2027, 2028, 2029, and 2030 are expected at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
USA Basketball uses the camp to identify talent for its future national teams and to develop those players along the way. NBA scouts and other talent evaluators, like myself, will be in the gym too. Here is what we get out of it, and why it matters to the drafts ahead.
Why This Setting Matters
Most of the year, scouts see these players in different gyms, in different systems, against uneven competition. The minicamp removes those variables. Players go through the same drills and scrimmage against top competition in their age group, with coaches and teammates most of them have played with little or not at all.
That makes it one of the few settings where a scout can compare prospects directly, see how they respond to unfamiliar roles, and check physical and on-court development against their last viewing.
Class of 2027: The 2028 NBA Draft
The seniors are the closest group to the draft. A one-and-done player in this class has just two seasons left before he is eligible: his senior year of high school and one year of college, which is when his scouting profile really begins to take shape leading into the draft. For this group, the weekend is about updating evaluations ahead of the high school season. This is where the focus sharpens.
Among the names to know:
Beckham Black, Southeastern Prep (Orlando, Florida)
CJ Rosser, Southeastern Prep (Orlando, Florida)
DeMarcus Henry, Compass Prep (Chandler, Arizona)
Cayden Daughtry, Calvary Christian Academy (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)
AJ Williams, Eagle's Landing Christian Academy (McDonough, Georgia)
Asa Montgomery, Hillgrove HS (Powder Springs, Georgia)
Reese Alston, Second Baptist School (Houston, Texas)
Nasir Anderson, Prolific Prep (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)
NaVorro Bowman Jr., Notre Dame HS (Sherman Oaks, California). Committed to UConn.
Jordan Page, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida). Committed to UConn.
Moussa Kamissoko, SPIRE Academy (Geneva, Ohio). Committed to Syracuse.
Dooney Johnson, East River HS (Orlando, Florida). Committed to Gonzaga.
Malachi Jordan, Prolific Prep (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)
Isaiah Hill, Pike HS (Indianapolis, Indiana). Committed to Purdue.
Ahmad Hudson, Ruston HS (Ruston, Louisiana). Committed to LSU.
Chase Lumpkin, McEachern HS (Powder Springs, Georgia). Committed to Alabama.
Class of 2028: The 2029 NBA Draft
The juniors are obviously a year behind. A one-and-done player in this class has three seasons left before he is potentially draft-eligible: two years of high school and one year of college. At this stage, the focus is on trajectory: how much a player has developed physically and skill-wise since the last viewing, and how he stacks up against his peers.
Among the names to know:
Colton Hiller, Coatesville Area Senior HS (Coatesville, Pennsylvania)
Erick Dampier Jr., Madison-Ridgeland Academy (Madison, Mississippi)
Josiah Rose, Faith Family Academy (Dallas, Texas)
Evan Willis, Utah Prep (Hurricane, Utah)
Mason Collins, The Tatnall School (Wilmington, Delaware)
Bentley Lusakueno, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida)
Xavier Young, Faith Family Academy (Dallas, Texas)
Benjamin Berrouet, Dynamic Prep (Dallas, Texas)
Shalen Sheppard, Crossroads School (Santa Monica, California)
Logan Chwastyk, Malvern Prep (Malvern, Pennsylvania)
Donavin Okoth, Bartlett HS (Bartlett, Tennessee)
Michai White, Prolific Prep (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)
Xavier Skipworth, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Florida)
Blaze Johnson, Dynamic Prep (Dallas, Texas)
Jordan Mize, Sierra Canyon School (Chatsworth, California)
Classes of 2029 and 2030: The Long View
Sophomores and freshmen are four and five seasons from draft eligibility, at the earliest. For most of them, this weekend is when the file opens. At this age, a lot of it is simply observing, putting a face to a name, and taking the first step in setting a baseline for evaluation. Those notes matter more later, when there is something to compare them to.
On Site
I'll be in Colorado Springs throughout the weekend evaluating this group. In the meantime, follow me on Instagram at @mattbabcock11 for quick updates from the gym. I'll share the bulk of mysubsequent viewing observations and notes after the camp concludes.
