Advertisement

Chris Cenac, Kiyan Anthony lead top performers from USA Basketball junior minicamp

krysten peek
Staff writer
·6 min read

The USA Basketball junior minicamp is the premier fall event for NBA scouts and executives to see some of the best high-school talent in the country. Eighty-six players, who range from freshmen to seniors, competed in four sessions at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado over the weekend. NBA general managers Sean Marks (Brooklyn Nets), Sam Presti (Oklahoma City Thunder) and Calvin Booth (Denver Nuggets) were among the scouts and executives from all 30 teams in attendance.

“This is a great benchmark for us, especially watching the younger players, and getting an initial evaluation on them to track throughout their high school career,” one NBA scout told Yahoo Sports.

Senior Chris Cenac, who has had a breakout summer, was one of the best players on the court with his inside-outside game and budding 3-point jumper. Kiyan Anthony also continues to look more consistent with his long-range shot. (His dad, Carmelo, was watching from the sidelines and giving pointers all weekend.)

Here’s a look at six top performers from the older group and five players to keep tabs on in the 2027 and 2028 high-school classes.

Cenac made the loaded 17U Team USA roster that won a gold medal at the FIBA World Cup this past summer. The 6-foot-10 center exploded onto the scene after being named the MVP at the NBPA Top 100 camp and has a ton of NBA potential with his size, length and versatile skill set. Over the weekend, Cenac was stepping into his 3-ball more comfortably and moving extremely well for his size. There were times during the 5-on-5 scrimmages where he led the break or made great outlet passes.

"Every time I come here [to a USA Basketball event], I learn something new," Cenac told Yahoo Sports. "And just to play with some of the top guys and learn from them, they push me to get better."

Cenac's college decision is down to Auburn, Arkansas, Baylor, Houston, LSU, Kentucky and Tennessee.

Anthony has seen a steady rise in the rankings and continues to perform well against other top players in his class. The 6-4 guard is a dynamic scorer who can get a shot off from anywhere on the court, something he’s clearly learned from his dad. Anthony is a bit stronger from last high-school season but still has plenty of room to add more strength to his frame. His handle has improved and he’s much quicker at making decisions off the pick-and-roll while limiting turnovers.

Anthony is down to three final schools — Syracuse, USC and Auburn — and plans on making his college decision early in November.

Holt is a 6-5 shooting guard in the 2026 high-school class and a top-five player in the country. He won a gold medal with Team USA at the U17 FIBA World Cup over the summer and looked fantastic all weekend. Holt is a lock-down defender and a three-level scorer who was deadly from the 3-point line. He has a chance to move up the rankings with how well he’s playing heading into his junior season at Grayson (Georgia).

"I wanted to come out and prove that I was one of the best guards in the country," Holt told Yahoo Sports. "I can shoot the ball, pass and I wanted to show that I'm willing to do anything the coaches ask me to do."

Connecticut has offered Holt recently and head coach Dan Hurley went down for a practice in September. Kentucky has also offered, and head coach Mark Pope traveled to see Holt practice last month as well. Baylor, Alabama, Auburn, Cincinnati, North Carolina and Georgia Tech are also involved with the talented shooting guard.

Greer transferred to powerhouse Montverde Academy (Florida) for his senior year and showed he’s more than just a 3-point specialist this weekend. He made plays at the rim and was cutting well off the ball, drifting on the perimeter in drills when the point guard got in the lane. Greer has a high IQ and is a quick decision-maker who passes the ball well when his shot isn’t there.

The 6-6 wing committed to Creighton on Sept. 13, choosing the Bluejays over Alabama, Arizona, Kansas, Arkansas, Duke, Baylor, UCLA, Connecticut and a slew of other high-major programs.

Acuff rarely missed shots during scrimmage play and was fantastic at advancing the ball in transition, making great reads and passing up the court for easy buckets. The 6-2 senior is the No. 1 point guard in the country and showed why with how well he ran half-court sets.

Acuff is headed to Arkansas next year, choosing John Calipari’s program over Kansas and Michigan. Acuff won a gold medal with Team USA at the U18 FIBA Americup in June and averaged 17.8 points and 4.1 assists during the tournament.

Collins passes the eye test with his 6-9 frame and his ability in the pick-and-roll. His game also screams upside potential with his patience on the block and his footwork around the rim. Collins is a top-15 player in the junior class and holds a handful of offers, including from Alabama, ASU, Kansas, Oregon, SMU, Texas, USC, UCLA and Georgia Tech.

Collins plays high-school ball for St. John Bosco (California) alongside the No. 1 player in the 2026 class, Brandon McCoy. The duo looked very comfortable playing alongside each other in drills, and many college coaches have made stops to watch practices prior to the season starting.

Baba Oladotun burst onto the scene at the minicamp last year as a freshman and had a strong summer playing for Team Durant on Nike’s EYBL circuit. The 6-10 wing looks like a mini Kevin Durant and has a budding 3-point jumper that’s hard to defend with his high release. Oladotun is one of the top players in the 2027 high school class and a player NBA teams are watching closely.

Marcus Spears Jr., a 6-8 sophomore out of Dallas, was one of the best players on the court in the younger group. His combination of size, shot creation and movement off the ball was impressive all weekend. Spears continuously made the right play and had great body control at the rim.

Point guard Nasir Anderson made a lasting first impression on every NBA scout with his grit on the court, tenacious defense and strength as a primary ball-handler. Anderson had a poster dunk off the tip during 5-on-5 scrimmage play that set the tone for the rest of the weekend. He has an Anthony Edwards-like attitude and is a player to watch in the 2027 class.

Sophomore wing Malachi Jordan got better and better as the weekend went on. He has great size at 6-7 and can do a bit of everything whether that’s hitting corner 3s, sealing on mismatches and being a threat in the pick-and-pop.

Freshman guard Quinton Wilson showed early flashes of what type of player he can develop into as his career progresses. He already has a natural feel for the game, is great off the bounce and plays with a lot of pace.