NBA Academy Games: Top Performers

Atlanta, Georgia – The NBA Academy brought five teams with fifty-plus players from around the world to Atlanta for the NBA Academy Games. Joining the teams from Latin America, Africa (x2), Australia, and Europe were domestic AAU teams MoKan Elite, All Iowa Attack, and Howard Pulley.

Past NBA Academy players include NBA Draft picks Josh Giddey, Dyson Daniels, Bennedict Mathurin, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, and Ulrich Chomche. Collegiate players like Oumar Ballo and Khaman Maluach were also part of the academy.

On3’s Jamie Shaw was courtside for the NBA Academy Games to talk top performers.

On3 MVP: 4-star PF A’mare Bynum

A’mare Bynum was a matchup issue in each of his game. Paired off with the opposing team’s center, Bynum would face up from the mid-post and attack downhill off the bounce. He can knock down shot, but he was at his best here using his ball skills to create an advantage. Bynum does have some defensive questions, but he is an active rebounder and does not shy away from contact.

Bynum has set five official visits. Head coaches from Iowa and Nebraska were in watching. The other schools, LSU, Colorado, and Ohio State were also in. He finished with 24 points while going 10-16 from the field with eight rebounds in the morning game on Thursday.

2. 3-star PF Trevin Jirak (Northern Iowa)

This setting was the perfect one for the 6-foot-9 Trevin Jirak, a big man who can dribble, shoot, and pace. He plays at his own pace, and what the All Iowa Attack team does so well is line him up from different levels on the court and play through him. He is a quick processor and an excellent passer. While he is a bit heavy legged, he has a nose for the ball that goes with touch and pace.

Jirek committed to Northern Iowa earlier this week. The Panthers had a coach front and center for each of his games. He finished his morning outing with 15 points, ten rebounds, and seven assists with two blocked shots. His afternoon session saw 14 and seven with four assists.

3. 4-star C Julius Halaifonua

Immediately, walking into the gym you notice Julius Halaifonua and his size. The 7-foot-0 center with the NBA Global Academy has the height and strength that you notice immediately. As he gets on the floor, his offensive game leads to pretty consistent production. Halaifonua has excellent hands with good touch, able to get to both shoulders on the block and score either way. He can also step out and spread the floor with a consistent pick-and-pop range from three.

Halaifonua is a solid area rebounder and he plays through contact, comfortably using his play on the block to set up his ability to knock down his jump shot. He has taken official visits to Virginia Tech and Xavier at this point and is currently setting up more in the coming weeks. On3’s No. 33 overall player in 2025 finished his morning game with 19 points going 7-13 from the field and 1-1 from three.

4. 4-star C Tommy Ahneman

It has been a whirlwind couple of months from the Gatorade North Dakota State Player of the Year. Tommy Ahneman is a unique player in today’s game as his low-block skills are among the most advanced in this domestic class. The 6-foot-10 post has soft hands with good touch. He has a comfortable go-to move, going over both shoulders and an array of counter-moves getting clean looks in most one-on-one situations.

While he is going to have to continue adding strength to his base and core, what really popped today was the passing. Ahneman would set a big target on the block, receive the pass, and move the ball away from the help. He hit cutters, weak side drifting shooters, and kick-out and re-post. His athleticism will continue to be questioned, but he has a nose for the ball, does not shy away from contact, and he understands angles. Ahneman finished the morning game with 10 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, and four blocked shots.

5. 3-star PF Oscar Goodman

Oscar Goodman has been building a name for himself over the past twelve months and that growth culminated with a standout performance at the FIBA U17 World Cup. Goodman has a strong frame and he is a physical player, not shying away from contact while in the paint. The 6-foot-7 forward took his man away from the basket, spread the floor, and attacked the front of the rim. He is a better athlete than expect, finishing multiple dunks in traffic. He also showed that he can stretch the floor with a consistent three-point shot off the catch.

Goodman rebounds his area well and what he lacks in foot speed on defense, he makes up for with physicality. He finished his morning game with 12 points and nine rebounds, going 4-7 from the field and added two steals. His recruitment has a chance to blossom on the heels of this past month.

Other top performers from NBA Academy Games

C Ugonna Ike (NBA Global Academy): There is a real conversation where like has the most upside in this event. The lefty has excellent timing that pairs well with his twitchy athleticism and length on the defensive end. When asked to make plays with the ball, he was comfortable getting to his right shoulder with some patience. Listed at 6-foot-11, he is a class of 2026 player to continue watching.

PG Dash Daniels (NBA Global Academy): The younger brother of NBA guard Dyson Daniels, Dash is a 6-foot-5 guard in the class of 2027. Like his brother, the long-armed Daniels is a versatile and gritty defender, guarding the point of attack or off the ball. He is the primary ball handler for this NBA Global Academy team, and he takes care of possessions. He is not a super-dynamic-type paint touch guard and he needs to clean up his shooting touch, but he puts the ball in advantageous spots on the floor. There is a nice upside here as he is playing with, and against players two and three years older than him.

PF Mouhamed Camara (NBA Academy Africa): He is raw, and that is obvious from the opening tip. With that said, the 6-foot-8 Senegalese forward has some real tools that are hard to ignore. His length and his instincts on the defensive end are pretty substantial with his length and instincts in the passing lanes, along with his ability to run and slide. He needs to tighten his ball skills, but there is a lot of upside to go along with a player who consistently finds his way around the ball.

SF Ahmed Abouelela (NBA Academy Africa): The Egyptian-born wing plans a smooth floor game with the ability to handle in the open floor, knock down open shots, and move the ball in the half-court. He knocked down shots prior to going down with an injury and showcased instincts in the passing lanes. His archetype is very valuable in today’s basketball.

PG Aginaldo Neto (NBA Academy Africa): The Angolan point guard is blessed with high-level burst, but he is really growing with his pace. He has played well here in the pick-and-roll and has shown he has the patience and handle to probe the defense and make a play. He is a smaller guard but he plays with toughness and his explosive burst puts the opposition on their heels.

C Gabriel Ferreira (NBA Academy Latin America): The motor is hard to ignore wrapped in a 6-foot-11 frame. He has good length and simply finds his way around the ball. At this point in his development, he does not have much offensive skill outside of the dunker spot and rolling toward the basket. But he puts pressure on the front of the rim and is a physical presence that keeps coming at you throughout the course of a game.

F Diamant Blazi (NBA Academy Select): Blazi is one of the most explosive athletes in the event. He is a violent leaper, attacking the rim in transition and finishing in a very loud manner. His release is high and he elevates well in the mid range. He is going to need to continue adding to his offensive game, getting more off the bounce and straightening out the jump shot, but his explosion is eye-opening.

SF Chuck Love (MoKan): There is a three and D aspect to Love’s game that is very intriguing. Listed at 6-foot-7, the wing can guard up or down a lineup with his length and fluidity. He can also knock down shots with his feet set, spreading the floor. He will need to continue getting stronger and adding to his offensive arsenal, but there is a clear pathway here with some patience.

PG Aaron Rowe (MoKan): The Missouri commitment ran the show for his MKan team. They put the ball in his hands and let him make plays. Rowe is a smaller guard, physically, but he has a nice change of pace and is able to put two feet in the paint consistently.

PF Andreas Holst (NBA Academy Select): It was hard not to notice 7-foot-0 center Holst, from the second he stepped on the floor. Holst is a fluid and explosive athlete, finishing numerous dunks in warm-ups where his eyes look even with the rim. While he is still adjusting to the speed of the game and tightening his overall skill set, he already does some things on the floor that affect the game. For starters, Holst has a confident shooting stroke with deep range. He has good balance when shooting off the catch and a consistent release point. His footwork and balance when shooting off movement will need continued work.

G Bode Goodman (All Iowa Attack): The 6-foot-2 guard simply always seems to be in the right place. He is an aggressive backdoor cutter finding multiple open finishes per game. While his shooting form is a little unorthodox, but he is a confident shooter when his feet are set. Despite his 6-foot-1 size, his IQ puts consistent pressure on the defense. Very productive.

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