Day 1 Takeaways from USA Basketball 2023-2024 Minicamp
Colorado Springs, Colorado – Evaluating players in a camp setting can be a hit-or-miss situation because there are a lot of variables in play that can act as fool’s gold. Even with that, this weekend is the first time in two years we get a USA Basketball October Junior National Team Minicamp.
The goal was to have 60 of the country’s top players in the 2023 to 2026 classes under one roof. The USA Basketball committee was in attendance, along with the limited number of approved scouts and between 25 and 30 NBA scouts and GMs. USA Basketball split the players into two groups, the 2025s and 2026s were together, and the 2023s and 2024s were together.
Read the storylines from Day 1 of the 2025-2026 group
From a scouting standpoint, the approach for events like these is like ingredients to a recipe. Each viewing on its own is not an evaluation; however, if you put enough ingredients together, you have a dish ready to serve.
Let’s go through day one of the 2023 and 2024 group to see who some early standouts were.
Coen Carr wares on you
Many people watch Coen Carr and want to think he’s just an athlete. That was my first thought as well, and maybe some of that was true. However, like anyone, his game has both grown and matured. As we begin to stir his ingredients together, we are starting to see the recipe come together.
Carr, who is a Michigan State commitment, is a truly premier athlete. His explosion can be breathtaking at times. He aggressively gets on the rim in transition or in the half-court. However, what he showed with the Georgia Stars on Nike’s EYBL Circuit is some passing acumen. What the Greenville (SC) Legacy Early College wing showed us in Colorado Springs is his incredible defensive upside.
Carr is On3s No. 47 player in the 2023 On3 150, ahead of the industry-standard No. 56 On3 Consensus ranking.
Karter Knox continues breakout
Until this summer, Karter Knox had been a player to keep an eye on. After all, the 6-foot-5 guard was the younger brother of Atlanta Hawks Kevin Knox. The genes had you intrigued; however, Knox was moved up to play with the Florida Rebels 17u group during Nike’s Peach Jam, and the five-star started to step out of the shadow and into the spotlight.
During Peach Jam, Knox averaged 18 points while finishing with a 54.2 effective field goal percentage. The Tampa (FL) Catholic junior is now No. 9 in the 2024 On3 150. Knox was also a member of the u17 USA Men’s basketball gold medal-winning team this summer. He averaged 10.6 points and 1.4 steals through the seven-game FIBA tournament.
Knox was a featured scorer for his team on day one of the minicamp. The USA Basketball veteran showcased a threatening jump shot, and when defenders played up on the jumper, he aggressively attacked closeouts, finishing above the rim. Knox’s confidence is riding high right now.
More notes
*Five-star Iowa State commitment Omaha Biliew is a unique prospect in this setting. With the lack of centers on the roster, Biliew provides a unique defensive acumen. Listed at 6-foot-8, Biliew has athletic pop and long arms that provide a different defensive look. Maybe a small ball five in this setting; he can move his feet along the perimeter, provide rebounding, and some weak-side rim protection.
*On3 was ahead of the curve with 2024 wing Annor Boateng as we moved him into our top-20 two updates ago. The strong-framed, 6-foot-5 wing from Little Rock, Arkansas, is about all the right stuff. There are some archetype similarities to Wendell Moore at the same stage, with Boateng’s defensive presence, length, and ability to handle, shoot, and pass. It was another strong performance for the No. 16 player in the 2024 On3 150.
*Duke commitment Jared McCain has made his bones as a bucket-getter. The 6-foot-2 guard averaged 16.9 points for his 32-1 Corona (CA) Centennial High team last year and followed that up by averaging 15.7 with Team WhyNot on Nike’s EYBL Circuit this summer. In this setting, McCain showed he can create off the bounce and has the utmost confidence to score in bunches.