Oladokun, a 16-year-old from Upland, Calif., was invited to the Pangos All-America Camp in Las Vegas, which included most of the prime 100 prospects within the nation. The camp was not held throughout an in-person analysis interval so it drew solely N.B.A. evaluators — together with the Oklahoma City Thunder’s normal supervisor, Sam Presti, and the Denver Nuggets’ president of basketball operations, Calvin Booth — and recruiting analysts.
At 6-9, 210 kilos, Oladokun performs like an overgrown pet — extra enthusiasm than grace — however he made his mark by relentlessly banging for rebounds with a number of the finest prospects within the nation.
“I was so nervous,” mentioned Oladokun, who has a 4.5 grade level common and has, because the camp, acquired scholarship gives from the University of California, San Diego, and U.C. Davis, in addition to a proposal for a roster spot from Yale, which doesn’t award athletic scholarships however can present different monetary assist.
“A huge part of basketball is confidence; it doesn’t matter if you have the skill,” he continued. “The camp helped me display what I could do even though I didn’t play to my ceiling. I realize they’re great players, but they’re just like me in a lot of ways.”
These revelations have been occurring from coast to coast.
In a principally empty health club final Friday evening, Efstathiou discovered himself matched up towards Alassane Amadou, a spindly, athletic 6-9 wing from Quakertown, Pa., who was being watched intently from the baseline by Marquette Coach Shaka Smart and an assistant coach, Cody Hatt. (They took turns applauding when Amadou made a play in entrance of them.)
Efstathiou’s staff, which misplaced two starters to harm in its opening sport, was shortly down by 22 factors when Amadou got here flying down the lane for a dunk that Efstathiou was helpless to forestall.
