The NY2LA Sports 2016 Futures Camp was hopping, almost literally, from the get go on Saturday in Illinois. A stacked group of young talent attended the camp to test some combine measurable, learn some skills, compete and get their games ready for the upcoming season. Many got a good idea of where they are at compared to other players in their classes, and what areas of their physical ability and their play they need to improve upon. Those in attendance had the opportunity to see who’s really out there to compete or who’s out there just for a show. While one-on-one victories don’t give a great measure of how well one can help a team, it was fun to see the competitive spirits come out in different players who wanted to take on challenges. Others did a great job showing off their fundamentals, their all out effort, or their raw ability that just needs a little more skill refining. All together, the players at the camp all added great value to the event and made it a day of fun for basketball enthusiasts present.

Throughout the day, and in the Top 20 games in particular, five players really put forth top efforts and displayed uncanny abilities to make plays and at times completely take over contests. In the 2020 class, Jalen Johnson (Sun Prairie, WI) and Jamari Sibley (Milwaukee, WI) shared camp MVP honors. Harlon Beverly (Southfield, MI) and Tyger Campbell (La Porte, IN) were the Co-MVP’s for the 2019 class. Putting out a fantastic showing each game Saturday, 2018 PG Carlos Curtis took home the respective MVP award.

Below you can read up on how these players earned their camp awards and be sure to check back throughout the week for recaps on some of the other top performers from the 2K16 Futures Camp.

2016 NY2LA FUTURES CAMP CLASS OF 2018 MVP
CARLOS CURTIS – 2018 – PG
6-3 – MILWAUKEE RIVERSIDE – MILWAUKEE, WI
What a day, what a day, what a day. Curtis was absolutely the top performer all around on the day. Offensively, Curtis showed every tool you want to see. He handled the ball well, attacked defenders with authority in transition, and got to the rack at will in the half court. He hit jumpers, knocked down some shots beyond the arch, and his 40” vertical leap was certainly utilized on those poor rims. Defensively, Curtis played hard, kept guys in check and was on the boards rebounding the basketball. It’s getting more difficult to find real flaws in his games besides building more and more overall consistency with his shooting.  Curtis was excellent on Saturday as he set the tone with his activity, athleticism, and energy and was the consistent Alpha in the 2018 class on Saturday.

2016 NY2LA FUTURES CAMP CLASS OF 2019 CO-MVP’s
HARLOND BEVERLY – 2019 – G/F 
6-4 – SOUTHFIELD CHRISTIAN – SOUTHFIELD, MI
Beverly was basically sensational from start to finish, heading up the games with an eye-popping performance where he cashed in on several perimeter shots, going 4 for 6 from deep. Not only was his outside game impressive Saturday, but he handled the ball cleanly and was able to attack the rim through crowds and finish with a seeming ease. He displayed good athleticism making plays above the rim, and had a smooth speed up and down the court (particularly in transition or pushing baseline to the hoop). The one area he didn’t have to use much which will be fun to see if he can do is a consistent mid-range game and what that tool could do for him – defensively, fear inducing. He finished the day off with another stellar output scoring 18 points with 3 steals and 3 rebounds.

TYGER CAMPBELL – 2019 – PG 
6-0 – LaLUMIERE – LA PORTE, IN
Tyger sure knows how to score the basketball and he can do it in a variety of ways. That ability was absolutely showcased at Futures, as he would at times glide to the hoop through traffic and finish, and other times he showed grit and determination as he’d fight through a swarm of contact and find a way to get the ball in the hoop with a soft touch. He mixed a couple pull-jumpers in his array and proved he can hit from three when open also (hitting 3 three’s in the Top 20 game en route to a roughly 21 point performance). One of the most impressive aspects to his game Saturday was his defensive intensity and his want to lock-up the player across from him. An area that will be interesting to see Campbell develop is in getting teammates involved passing, because he flashed the capability Saturday and with his ability to break down defenses, he can then really take over games and contribute even more substantially as a floor general.

2016 NY2LA FUTURES CAMP CLASS OF 2020 CO-MVP’s
JALEN JOHNSON – 2020 – G 
6-4 – SUN PRAIRIE – SUN PRAIRIE, WI
Johnson has that great blend of size and guard skills, and he put them to great use each game Saturday. The Sun Prairie product had his shot working well, hitting from inside and outside the arched area with regularity. He was really good on the boards on both ends of the floor, handled the ball with confidence, got to the rack pretty much whenever he wanted and had a great percentage overall from the field. Johnson also flushed a few dunks home with ease on the breaks. The area that will be intriguing to see him develop will be matching up one-on-one versus quicker guards and using his length and athleticism to still shut them down. It was a solid day for the young man.

JAMARI SIBLEY – 2020 – F – WI UNITED
6-7 – NICOLET – MILWAUKEE, WI
The mix of length, athleticism and skills that Sibley possesses is definitely awesome, and he once again made full use of them. Stretching out to practically 9 feet in the combine’s “Reach” test, Sibley has an impressive wing span and when he used it defensively Saturday, he made life very tough for opponents who either tried to get by him or score over him inside. On offense, Sibley used his ball-handling ability to get past defenders off the bounce, showed his little mid-range jumper continues to improve, and ultimately, if he’s around or at the hoop, he’s putting the basketball in it. Getting stronger physically will of course be another step for him over the next couple years, but he should garner plenty of attention in quick order, regardless. A big time prospect with a big time future.