KSR's Jordan Brand Classic Practice Standouts
The 21st annual Jordan Brand Classic is taking place this week in Chicago, with practices opening the event on Thursday, followed by the game itself Friday evening. It’s a collection of the best basketball talent in the class of 2022, including Kentucky signees Cason Wallace and Chris Livingston.
KSR was in attendance at practice Thursday morning to get a glimpse of the future Wildcats, who were clear standouts to open the day. Beyond Wallace and Livingston, the cream rose to the top with several other five-star prospects spread across the three-hour practice session.
Who were the top performers in the competitive five-on-five scrimmages? How did the Kentucky signees stack up against the best of the best? KSR has the complete breakdown.
Team Flight
Nick Smith Jr. (Arkansas)
The 6-foot-4 combo guard was the best player on the floor in the entire practice session, and it really wasn’t close. Smith broke down his defenders to set up clean looks at all three levels, showing off his abilities as a primary ball-handler. And then when he got to his spots, he converted, knocking down pull-up jumpers on both elbows and hitting his attempts from three. Smith also pushed the pace and thrived in transition, allowing for easy finishes at the rim for him and his teammates. He looks the part of a day-one impact player in the SEC.
Cason Wallace (Kentucky)
While Smith stole the show offensively, Wallace was the top threat defensively, lurking on the perimeter for turnover opportunities and maintaining tight man-to-man coverage. After starting the morning matched up against Xavier signee Kam Craft, the Kentucky signee switched over to cover Smith, creating one of the best offensive vs. defensive battles of the day. Both sides won their fair share of possessions, including one steal-and-score highlight for Wallace on the Arkansas signee.
Offensively, Wallace played both on and off the ball, facilitating for his teammates while also impressing as a slasher. His biggest highlight of the day — and likely the biggest highlight of anyone — came on an isolation drive to the basket that resulted in a filthy poster dunk on Michigan signee Tarris Reed.
“I got a lane, saw the paint open,” he told KSR. “I said ‘I’m gonna go dunk it.’ And he just so happened to jump.”
Was that a mistake on Reed’s part? “Obviously [laughs]. We’ll leave it at that.”
Chris Livingston (Kentucky)
It was simply a solid all-around effort for Kentucky’s other signee in attendance. Livingston showed off his versatility defensively, guarding one through four at various parts of the scrimmage. He also fought on the glass and pulled down some strong rebounds in traffic. Offensively, he scored on several breakaway dunk and layup opportunities to go with some interesting finishes in the half-court. A bit cold from deep, Livingston played his best at the small-ball four, catching and driving for tough buckets around the rim. A freight train with a full head of steam, the future Wildcat is a mismatch nightmare in transition.
The 6-foot-7 forward needs to get more consistent with his jumper, but the other aspects of his game are coming together quite nicely. Physically, he’s as college-ready as they come.
Kyle Filipowski (Duke)
The versatile 6-foot-10 forward signed on to play at Duke next season was brilliant working out of the high-post, finishing with touch on floaters and jump hooks near the basket while also destroying the rim on several dunks. He’s also a significant threat in transition with his passing, finishing and ability to run the floor. Filipowski is simply too big and too skilled to be shut down offensively, and that showed in the early morning practice session. The future Blue Devil has all of the tools to be a force in Durham next season.
Team Air
Dillon Mitchell (Texas)
You won’t find a better athlete in the senior class than Texas signee Dillon Mitchell, who goes out of his way to tear the rim down on every single dunk attempt. At 6-foot-7, 180 pounds, he’s a rim-running terror who explodes at the basket, but also finishes with touch on crafty layup attempts. Incredibly long and quick, he’s a defensive threat, as well, capable of forcing turnovers and converting on highlight-worthy scores in transition. His jump shot remains a work in progress, but his athleticism and engagement will allow for a wildly productive freshman campaign in Austin.
Vincent Iwuchukwu (USC)
Iwuchukwu is not the most skilled, versatile or athletic center in the class. He doesn’t have one aspect of his game you could classify as elite from a pure fundamental standpoint. What he does bring to the table, however, is non-stop energy and effort, working his tail off on both ends of the floor to produce for his team. Whether it be grabbing a tough rebound, blocking a shot at the rim, setting a hard screen or finishing a dunk attempt, he’s just solid at everything and goes out of his way to outwork you. The 7-footer is fairly ranked anywhere between the 20-30 range, but Iwuchukwu is the kind of player you bet on in college.
Dior Johnson (Oregon)
After a slow start to the day, Dior Johnson separated himself as a creator late, showing off his ability to pass, finish and knock down shots. He’s crafty and creative, allowing for a smooth individual run where he scored or assisted on a handful of consecutive buckets. The future Oregon Duck needs to bulk up a bit, but the pure skill is there.
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