Historically, the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (PIT) has been a springboard for under-the-radar grinders, with past alumni including Jimmy Butler, Derrick White, and a long list of diamonds in the rough like Craig Porter Jr., Hunter Tyson, …
Historically, the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (PIT) has been a springboard for under-the-radar grinders, with past alumni including JimmyButler, DerrickWhite, and a long list of diamonds in the rough like CraigPorterJr., HunterTyson, ToumaniCamara, and EnriqueFreeman.
Typically, around 10 PIT participants earn invites to the G League Elite Camp in Chicago, just days before the NBA Draft Combine. Strong performances there can propel players onto the main stage—the Combine itself—and into draft conversations.
The 71st annual Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (PIT) had no shortage of talented players. Former NBA player Raymond Felton’s cousin, RJ Felton out of East Carolina emerged as one of the tournament’s most dynamic guards, playing with a relentless edge and elite athleticism. His late addition (replacing an injured Augustas Marčiulionis) became a major storyline, as his athleticism, three-point shooting, rim attacks and transition playmaking made him a nightmare for defenders. On the interior, Kadin Shedrick and Jonas Aidoo dominated with their size, mobility, and defensive presence, while Nelly Junior Joseph and Viktor Lahkin showcased the kind of versatility and physicality that NBA teams covet in modern bigs. Meanwhile, versatile forwards like Jonathan Pierre and Julian Reese flashed two-way potential, and guards like Tamar Bates and Chris Youngblood brought scoring punch and defensive tenacity.
HoopsHype was on the ground all week in Portsmouth, Virginia, at Churchland High School, scouting prospects and gathering intel from coaches and scouts in attendance. Below, we break down the top performers who boosted their stock in Portsmouth.
In 2024-25, Queen averaged 16.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.1 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game. He shot 52.6 percent from the field, 20.0 percent from three, and 76.6 percent from the foul line.
His mother, Tasha Queen, played college basketball at Towson University.
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In 2024-25, Fears averaged 17.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 0.1 blocks, and 1.6 steals per game. He shot 43.4 percent from the field, 28.4 percent from three, and 85.1 percent from the foul line.
Fears’ comes from a strong basketball family, his father, Jeremy Fears, played college basketball at Ohio University and earned Mid-American Conference (MAC) All-Freshman accolades in 2005 before finishing his career at Bradley, and his brother, Jeremy Fears Jr., is a guard at Michigan State.
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In 2024-25, McNeeley averaged 14.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.2 blocks, and 0.6 steals per game. He shot 38.1 percent from the field, 31.7 percent from three, and 86.6 percent from the foul line.
McNeeley’s hails from a strong basketball family, with his great-grandfather (Gordon Elsey played at Tulsa), grandfather (Chuck Elsey at TCU), mother (Ashley Elsey at Rice), and two uncles (both at SMU and one had a stint at Baylor).
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In 2024-25, Harper averaged 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 0.6 blocks, and 1.4 steals per game. He shot 48.4 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from three, and 75.0 percent from the foul line.
His dad, Ron Harper, won five NBA championships, and his older brother, Ron Harper Jr., is currently on the Detroit Pistons. His mother, Maria Harper, played college basketball for the University of New Orleans and is an assistant coach at Don Bosco Prep.
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HoopsHype has updated the list of the top prospects for the 2025 NBA Draft by compiling 10 mock drafts from ESPN, CBS Sports, The Athletic, Bleacher Report, Babcock Hoops, USA Today, NBAdraft.net, SB Nation and FTW. A couple of quick notes on our …
HoopsHype has updated the list of the top prospects for the 2025 NBA Draft by compiling 10 mock drafts from ESPN, CBS Sports, The Athletic, Bleacher Report, Babcock Hoops, USA Today, NBAdraft.net, SB Nation and FTW.
A couple of quick notes on our aggregate mock draft:
All statistics are as of January 20, 2025. We are in the midst of conference play for college basketball and the thick of the regular season for international prospects.
We also spoke with several executives, coaches and scouts for their insight on the prospects for the third edition of this year’s aggregate mock draft.
The 7-foot-2 big man played for NBA Academy Africa and represented South Sudan during the 2024 Olympics. His most recent game against Notre Dame was arguably the best of his collegiate career, recording 19 points (6-of-7 FG) with 10 rebounds and one block.
Here is more from Jonathan Wasserman in his latest mock draft (via Bleacher Report):
“Khaman Maluach’s 19 points against Notre Dame highlighted his advantageous length and mobility for catching lobs, grabbing offensive rebounds and creating easy opportunities. He’s also now up to 77.3 percent from the free-throw line, showing touch we’ve see him use on jumpers before he arrived at Duke.
Workouts will give Maluach a better opportunity to sell teams on his offense and range.
Regardless, he has a clear archetype with the size, length and movement for the easy baskets and rim protection to be deemed easily translatable. The stats might not show a lot of blocks, but the tape shows a disruptive defensive presence who forces his man to have to make difficult finishes over his reach.”
This would be a tremendous pick by Oklahoma City as they add more depth to their frontcourt, even if he is not ready to contribute right away.
But there is plenty of reason for promise and excitement. As a lob threat, per CBB Analytics, he leads all freshmen in alley-oops (13) by quite a bit.
Cooper Flagg led four Duke basketball players in a new NBA mock draft from Bleacher Report, including three Blue Devils in the top 11.
The Duke men’s basketball program has churned out first-round NBA draft picks this century, and this year’s roster has no shortage of lottery candidates.
Freshman superstar [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] entered the 2024-25 season as the slam-dunk favorite to go first overall, and after his 42-point performance against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, that already seems like a done deal. He turned 18 just three weeks ago, but he’s still averaged 2.9 combined steals and blocks and made 66.7% of his shots (and 64.3% of his 3-pointers) over the last four contests.
Fellow first-year star [autotag]Khaman Maluach[/autotag], a 7-foot-2-inch center who already represented South Sudan at the Olympic Games, is coming on strong. He put together 19 points and 10 rebounds against the Irish, his second double-double of the season, and Duke’s increased offensive efficiency pretty directly overlaps with his increased presence as a lob threat and pick-and-roll piece.
[autotag]Kon Knueppel[/autotag], Duke’s third freshman starter, entered the lottery conversation over the summer, and despite some timid box scores in late November and early December, he’s done enough lately to keep himself there.
Here’s where the three of them (and one of their teammates) ended up in Jonathan Wasserman’s latest mock draft from Bleacher Report.
Cooper Flagg – No. 1 overall (Washington Wizards)
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Flagg, whom Wasserman compared to former Blue Devil Jalen Johnson (on the offensive end), has scored at least 19 points in seven of Duke’s last nine games. He’s already notched six double-doubles, and his team-leading 3.9 assists weren’t even part of the selling point out of high school. If his recent run of shooting efficiency is a newfound comfort rather than a simple hot streak, he’s going to rise into some rare tiers of prospects.
Khaman Maluach – No. 8 (Oklahoma City Thunder)
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How’s this for shooting efficiency? Maluach is 79.1% from the field this season and hasn’t missed multiple shots in a game since November 16. Most of his offensive production comes within a few feet of the basket, but if the Olympian gets his hands on the ball near the restricted area, it’s almost an automatic two points.
Maluach has flashed more than his height this season. He’s got impressive speed for his frame, helping him amass 1.1 blocks and open up more opportunities thanks to off-ball movement, and he’s unafraid to pull from 3-point range. He’s just one-for-five from behind the arc this year, but the shot looks good, so don’t be stunned if that percentage improves.
Kon Knueppel – No. 11 (Golden State Warriors)
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If you told a Duke fan this offseason that Knueppel would average 15.0 points and shoot 40.5% from 3-point range through the first five games of the proper conference schedule, they wouldn’t have blinked. The Wisconsin five-star may not have the expected headlines from when he was seen as a legitimate threat to lead the Blue Devils in scoring, but he’s been every bit of the offensive creator that was promised. A 2.81 assist-to-turnover ratio is just a bonus.
Tyrese Proctor – No. 52 (Orlando Magic)
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With three freshmen in the starting five, the Blue Devils needed one of their upperclassmen to take a step forward in big moments, and Proctor met the challenge. The third-year guard is shooting 42.7% from the field and 41.9% from 3-point range, both career highs if they hold, and his 11.1 points and 3.6 rebounds are both personal bests as well. He’s come through in some titanic moments, including a pair of massive threes against the Auburn Tigers, and his efficiency and poise will be essential in the postseason.
While he wasn’t one of the most touted names before the NCAA season began, Illinois guard Kasparas Jakucionis is climbing up mock drafts.
Jakucionis, who previously played for Barcelona in Spain, is one of the best young guards in college basketball. He is averaging 16.4 points as well as 5.6 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game while shooting 41.4 percent on 3-pointers for Illinois.
With good positional size in the backcourt and also still a very young prospect, there is a lot to like about his game. Here is more from Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo (via ESPN):
“The 6-foot-6 Lithuanian is playing fantastic basketball, controlling games with outstanding pace as a scorer and passer, getting to spots on the floor and playing through contact or finishing skillfully around the basket while making high-level pick-and-roll reads and hitting 3-pointers off the dribble.
The 18-year-old has made significant strides physically over the past 18 months and is on an impressive trajectory, making the transition from Europe to college look easy. He has been showcasing his talent on one of the best teams in college basketball.”
Already very impressive in the pick and roll and able to create his own jumper on 3-pointers, the scoring upside is huge for the guard. Jakucionis scored at least 20 points in six consecutive games between November 25 and December 22.
He is averaging 1.4 unassisted 3-pointers per game, per CBB Analytics, which is the most among all freshman.
ESPN’s mock draft has Jakucionis going to the Hornets, but plenty of teams will have interest in his services if he keeps playing this well.
