NBA PM: Portsmouth Invitational Tournament Standouts

Last week week at Churchland High School in Portsmouth Virginia, NBA personnel and agents gathered to evaluate the 64 college seniors participating in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. The PIT is the first stop for many “under the radar” senior prospects on the path to this summer’s NBA draft. The PIT is comprised of twelve games played over the course of four days. Each player is guaranteed three games, including both a winners and loser’s bracket. The event gives NBA, D-league, and overseas decision makers the chance to see how college seniors perform when thrown into an entirely different environment than that of the comfy confines of their respective college teams.

In past years, due in part to their PIT performances, players like Jimmy Butler, Wesley Matthews, and Dorian Finney-Smith positioned themselves effectively to secure a roster position come their rookie season. This year’s crop of players are hoping that their PIT provides them the leverage to do the same thing, beginning with tournament MVP Houston’s Damyean Dotson.

Dotson showed why he was named to the American Athletic Conference first team this past season. He carried his strong play over to the PIT, where he averaged 14.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 6 assists, while shooting 56 percent from the field en route to leading his team to the championship. Expect Dotson to battle it out during Summer League.

Along with Dotson, George Washington’s Tyler Cavanaugh’s performance also stood out. Cavanaugh showed that he can stretch the floor with his shooting ability, shooting 46 percent from behind the arc throughout the tournament, while ranking second in the tourney in scoring with 19.3 per game. Cavanaugh has decent size, and because of his shooting ability, may have a shot at working his way onto a roster spot come next season.

In addition to Cavanaugh, Ole Miss’ Sebastian Saiz was another big man who had a good showing. Saiz’s length and ability to rebound and finish, along with his fairly high motor, helped the 6-foot-8 big finish strong this week.

Maybe\ one of the most intriguing prospects at the PIT was Eastern Washington’s Jacob Wiley. Wiley, listed at 6-foot-7, 220 pounds, has good length and plays with a high motor. Wiley’s presence was felt all week, especially when it came to putting the ball in the basket and on the boards. He finished tied for sixth in scoring at 17.3 points per game and fourth in rebounding, with 9.3 points per game.

Another rebounding machine was Emmanuel Omogbo. Omogbo, who finished the season with Colorado State as the 14th best rebounder in the country with 10.4 per game, continued his beastly ways on the glass. Omogbo lead the PIT field in rebounding with a 11.3 average per contest, while also averaging 13 points, one of only two players all week to do so.

In the backcourt, the Cyclones’ Mitrou-Long and the North Florida’s Moore were red hot from behind the arc. Mitrou-Long ranked fourth in scoring, with 18.3 points per game, and led the tourney in three-point field goals made per game with 4.7. Mitrou-Long tore it up from three through the first two games, making 13 out of 26. Mitrou-Long cooled off in his final game, but not before establishing his ability to knock down shots in bunches from well behind the NBA arc. Moore was also on fire, averaging 58 percent from three. This was the highest three-percentage for players with at least 15 three-point attempts during the PIT.

The “get buckets award” (if there was one) should go to the leading scorer of the PIT, Middle Tennessee State University’s JaCorey Williams, who averaged 20.3 points per game. Despite his unorthodox jumper, Williams found a multitude of ways to score the ball. He is a high-energy guy, who combines great athleticism and provides good activity on the defensive end of the floor. Williams definitely helped himself this week. Look out!  If Williams keeps this sort of production up, he may very well get the chance to do so in the league.

Duke’s Matt Jones showed why his solid all around game has been so important to the Blue Devils over the past several years. Jones, a perimeter defender, finished second in steals with 2.7 steals per contest, while also shooting a perfect percentage from the line.

At the point guard position, Georgia’s JJ Frazier and Monmouth’s Justin Robinson put on a show. What Frazier (5-foot-10) and Robinson (5-foot-8) — both generously listed — lacked in size, they made up for in production.  Their exciting style of play gave the crowds packed in at Churchland High School their money’s worth.

Frazier started the week off with a bang, using his southpaw release to knock down shots in bunches. Frazier’s performance should really be no surprise, as he was a first team All-SEC selection for the Bulldogs this past season and picked up where he left off this past season at the PIT. Frazier, like Robinson, seemed to be able to get to anywhere on the floor with ease and displayed his off-the dribble shot making ability, knocking down jumpers from all over the court.

As impressive as Frazier was, Robinson was equally if not more remarkable. The diminutive dynamo finished tied with Virginia’s London Perrantes for first in assists with 8.7 per game, while also posting 2 steals per game. Robinson’s stellar decision making ability and craftiness in pick and roll situations allowed him to keep opposing defenses off balance in order to set up his teammates for scoring opportunities. Robinson may have done the best job of anyone at the PIT this week. Due to his strong PIT performance, Robinson, the two-time MAAC player of the year, may very well have locked up a Chicago combine invite.

This year’s Portsmouth invitational gave the players mentioned above a stage to showcase their abilities to a plethora of overseas scouts and the entire NBA. Considering the expanded opportunity that will be created by the new “two-way” contracts for players for this up coming season, the latest PIT field may have an even greater chance to secure a NBA roster spot during their rookie season. Only time will tell if these Portsmouth Invitational standouts will get the chance to play in the big leagues this upcoming season. However, one thing is for sure: they are all trending in the right direction.

Listed are the members of the PIT all-tournament team: Houston’s Damyean Dotson, George Washington’s Tyler Cavanaugh, Ole Miss’ Sebastian Saiz, Middle Tennesse’s JaCorey Williams, Monmouth’s Justin Robinsons, Duke’s Matt Jones, Georgia’s JJ Frazier, Virginia Tech’s Zach LeDay, Eastern Washington’s Jacob Wiley, Colorado State’s Emmanuel Omogbo, Iowa State’s Naz Mitrou-Long, and North Florida’s Dallas Moore.