Back by popular demand, the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament mock!
64 of the top senior prospects in college basketball will have the chance to showcase how their games translate to the professional level in front of onlooking NBA, G League, and international front office scouts/executives.
Three weeks ahead of the event, I have once again linked up with the man, the myth, the legend, Sam Meyerkopf, to mock out a field of 64 invitees. This isn’t simply a ranking of the top 64 seniors in college basketball. We have taken into account historical precedent of who typically declines invitations, the molds of prospects who tend to be invited, the PIT’s preference for positional balance, and a lot of intel legwork in order to best project how a realistic 2025 PIT field might shake out.
This was a particularly difficult exercise this year since the pool of candidates is effectively doubled with most fourth year seniors and fifth year COVID seniors exhausting their eligibility concurrently.
After much contemplation, here is the field we landed on (with regular updates logged below as we obtain new intel).
| Prospect | Draft Age | Pre-Draft Team | Position | Height | Weight | Agency | PIT Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wooga Poplar | 22.5 |  Villanova | Combo Guard | 6'5" | 202 |  Octagon | Sales Systems Ltd. |
| Nolan Hickman | 22.1 |  Gonzaga | Combo Guard | 6'3 ½" | 194 | Klutch | K&D Rounds |
| Saint Thomas | 22.2 |  USC | Forward | 6'7 ½" | 234 | Octagon | Jani-King |
| Jamiya Neal | 22.2 |  Creighton | Combo Guard | 6'5 ¼" | 190 | Spencer | Mike Duman Auto |
| Jonas Aidoo | 22.5 |  Arkansas | Big | 6'10 ¾" | 245 | ADS | K&D Rounds |
| Johnell Davis | 24.1 | Arkansas | Combo Guard | 6'3 ¾" | 206 | Roc Nation | Sales Systems Ltd. |
| Kobe Johnson | 22.4 |  UCLA | Wing | 6'5 ½" | 185 | Klutch | Roger Brown's |
| Earl Timberlake | 24.6 |  Bryant | Wing | 6'6 ¼" | 224 |  Edge | Portsmouth Sports Club |
| RJ Felton | 23.1 |  East Carolina | Combo Guard | 6'3 ½" | 208 | Octagon | Portsmouth Partnership |
| Ian Schieffelin | 22.3 |  Clemson | Forward | 6'7 ¼" | 257 | Slan | Sales Systems Ltd. |
| Julian Reese | 22.0 |  Maryland | Big | 6'10" | 263 | ADS | Roger Brown's |
| Oumar Ballo | 23.0 |  Indiana | Big | 6'11 ¼" | 274 | Wasserman | Portsmouth Partnership |
| Kadin Shedrick | 23.9 |  Texas | Big | 6'10 ½" | 230 | Excel | Roger Brown's |
| Jahmai Mashack | 22.6 |  Tennessee | Wing | 6'3 ¾" | 200 | Young Money | Portsmouth Partnership |
| John Poulakidas | 22.2 |  Yale | Wing | 6'5 ½" | 204 | Excel | Mike Duman Auto |
| Tamar Bates | 22.3 |  Missouri | Wing | 6'5" | 192 | Excel | Norfolk Sports Club |
| Jaemyn Brakefield | 24.5 |  Ole Miss | Forward | 6'8 ½" | 226 | Mike Duman Auto | |
| Wade Taylor IV | 22.1 |  Texas A&M | Lead Guard | 5'11 ¼" | 187 | Goodwin | Mike Duman Auto |
| Chase Hunter | 24.2 | Clemson | Lead Guard | 6'3 ¼" | 203 | Assist | K&D Rounds |
| Nelly Junior Joseph | 23.6 |  New Mexico | Big | 6'9 ¼" | 247 | Comsport | Jani-King |
| Erik Reynolds II | 22.8 |  Saint Joe's | Combo Guard | 6'2 ½" | 185 | Octagon | Norfolk Sports Club |
| Curtis Jones | 23.7 |  Iowa State | Combo Guard | 6'3 ½" | 183 | NEXT | Jani-King |
| Gabe Madsen | 24.2 |  Utah | Wing | 6'5 ¼" | 203 | Verus | Jani-King |
| Darius Johnson | 23.4 |  UCF | Lead Guard | 6'0" | 194 | Mike Duman Auto | |
| Matthew Cleveland | 22.8 |  Miami | Forward | 6'5 ¼" | 208 | LIFT | Portsmouth Partnership |
| Igor Miličić Jr. | 22.8 | Tennessee | Forward | 6'9 ¾" | 231 | Octagon | Jani-King |
| Andrew Carr | 23.4 |  Kentucky | Forward | 6'10 ¾" | 229 | Gersh | Portsmouth Sports Club |
| Jonathan Pierre | 22.2 |   Belmont | Wing | 6'9 ¼" | 215 | GSE | K&D Rounds |
| Bez Mbeng | 22.1 | Yale | Lead Guard | 6'3 ¾" | 176 | Priority | Jani-King |
| Chucky Hepburn | 22.4 |  Louisville | Lead Guard | 6'1" | 192 | Prodigy | Portsmouth Sports Club |
| Viktor Lakhin | 23.9 | Clemson | Big | 6'11 ½" | 252 | Ternopol | Norfolk Sports Club |
| Zach Freemantle | 24.7 |  Xavier | Forward | 6'8 ¾" | 226 | Rize | K&D Rounds |
| Zeke Mayo | 22.5 |  Kansas | Combo Guard | 6'3 ½" | 178 | ADS | Portsmouth Partnership |
| Tyson Degenhart | 22.7 |  Boise State | Forward | 6'8" | 242 | Wasserman | Norfolk Sports Club |
| David N'Guessan | 25.0 |  Kansas State | Big | 6'9" | 210 | Wasserman | Portsmouth Partnership |
| Khalif Battle | 25.0 | Gonzaga | Wing | 6'4 ¼" | 195 | Klutch | Roger Brown's |
| Moussa Cissé | 22.8 |  Memphis | Big | 6'11 ¼" | 225 | LIFT | Portsmouth Sports Club |
| Daniel Batcho | 23.5 |  Louisiana Tech | Big | 6'10" | 250 | UNLTD | Sales Systems Ltd. |
| Chance McMillian | 24.4 |  Texas Tech | Combo Guard | 6'2 ½" | 183 | Life | Portsmouth Sports Club |
| Great Osobor | 22.5 |  Washington | Big | 6'8 ¼" | 289 | GSL | Portsmouth Partnership |
| Cam Matthews | 23.5 |  Mississippi State | Forward | 6'5 ¾" | 235 | LAMF | Portsmouth Sports Club |
| Terrence Edwards Jr. | 23.1 | Louisville | Wing | 6'6" | 192 | Young Money | Roger Brown's |
| Ty Johnson | 21.9 |  UC Davis | Lead Guard | 6'2" | 190 | Octagon | Sales Systems Ltd. |
| Chris Youngblood | 23.4 |  Alabama | Combo Guard | 6'4 ½" | 234 | KBA | Jani-King |
| Cam Carter | 22.3 |  LSU | Combo Guard | 6'3" | 191 | Octagon | Norfolk Sports Club |
| Nate Santos | 23.6 |  Dayton | Forward | 6'6 ¼" | 216 | ADS | K&D Rounds |
| CJ Huntley | 23.5 |  Appalachian State | Big | 6'10" | 223 | DML | Norfolk Sports Club |
| Samson Johnson | 22.9 |  UConn | Big | 6'10" | 228 | RBA | Mike Duman Auto |
| David Joplin | 22.6 |  Marquette | Forward | 6'6 ¾" | 228 | Sales Systems Ltd. | |
| Joe Bamisile | 23.5 |  VCU | Combo Guard | 6'4" | 203 | Siegel | Portsmouth Sports Club |
| Cesare Edwards | 22.5 |  Georgia State | Big | 6'8 ¼" | 229 | NoBro | Mike Duman Auto |
| J'Wan Roberts | 23.8 |  Houston | Forward | 6'6 ½" | 236 | SAGA | Sales Systems Ltd. |
| Patrick McCaffery | 25.3 |  Butler | Forward | 6'9" | 205 | Priority | Mike Duman Auto |
| Steven Ashworth | 25.1 | Creighton | Lead Guard | 6'0 ½" | 170 | Priority | Jani-King |
| Kobe Sanders | 23.1 |  Nevada | Wing | 6'8 ¾" | 208 | On Time | Sales Systems Ltd. |
| Jahmyl Telfort | 24.2 | Butler | Forward | 6'6 ¼" | 228 | Life | Norfolk Sports Club |
| A.J. Hoggard | 23.7 |  Vanderbilt | Lead Guard | 6'3 ¾" | 220 | 540 | Roger Brown's |
| Ace Baldwin Jr. | 24.0 |  Penn State | Lead Guard | 6'0 ¾" | 191 | Portsmouth Partnership | |
| Jaden Akins | 22.3 |  Michigan State | Combo Guard | 6'3 ¾" | 189 | Priority | K&D Rounds |
| Sebastian Thomas | 22.7 |  Rhode Island | Lead Guard | 6'1 ¼" | 167 | Roger Brown's | |
| Obinna Anochili-Killen | 23.7 |  Marshall | Forward | 6'7 ¾" | 224 | Edge | Roger Brown's |
| Adama Bal | 21.5 |  Santa Clara | Wing | 6'6 ¼" | 208 | Wasserman | Portsmouth Sports Club |
| Sean Pedulla | 22.7 | Ole Miss | Lead Guard | 6'1 ¾" | 199 | K&D Rounds | |
| Deivon Smith | 23.3 |  St. John's | Lead Guard | 6'0" | 174 | WeShall | Norfolk Sports Club |
There are typically some PIT invitees who decline their invitations. This is often driven by agency strategy if a player is deemed likely warrant an NBA Combine or G League Elite Camp invitation. It’s possible that the collegiate NIL draw will further drive down the volume of underclassmen testing the waters, leading to agents anticipating more spots in the G League Elite Camp for seniors.
While declining is a clear decision for draftable NBA Combine shoe-ins, more prospects decline year to year than really should. We’d advocate in favor of PIT participation for the majority of this list, but took our best stab at projecting potential declined invitations.
Projected Declines
Nique Clifford (Colorado St) Kam Jones (Marquette)
Ryan Kalkbrenner (Creighton) Johni Broome (Auburn)
Maxime Raynaud (Stanford) Chaz Lanier (Tennessee)
Hunter Sallis (Wake Forest) Walter Clayton Jr. (Florida)
Brice Williams (Nebraska) Oscar Cluff (South Dakota State)
Miles Kelly (Auburn) Kadary Richmond (St. John’s)
LJ Cryer (Houston) Will Richard (Florida)
Jamal Mashburn Jr. (Temple) Caleb Love (Arizona)
Alijah Martin (Florida) Lamont Butler (Kentucky)
Matt Murrell (Ole MIss) Dawson Garcia (Minnesota)
Norchad Omier (Baylor) Arthur Kaluma (Texas)
Hunter Dickinson (Kanss) Vlad Goldin (Michigan)
Dylan Cardwell (Auburn) Micah Peavy (Georgetown)
Malik Thomas (San Francisco) Javon Small (West Virginia)
Cliff Omoruyi (Alabama) Jalon Moore (Oklahoma)
Eric Dixon (Villanova) Tyon Grant-Foster (Grand Canyon)
Payton Sandfort (Iowa) Mark Sears (Arizona)
Sion James (Duke) Coleman Hawkins (Kansas St)
Koby Brea (Kentucky) Grant Nelson (Alabama)
RJ Davis (North Carolina) Amari Williams (Kentucky)
Ryan Nembhard (Gonzaga) John Tonje (Wisconsin)
The injury bug unfortunately plagues some seniors during their pre-draft process. There are typically a few players who are unable to participate at PIT due to their injury status, but sometimes these prospects will still make the trip down to Portsmouth to interview with team personnel.
Injured Reserve
Tyrese Hunter (Memphis) Jacken Moni (North Dakolta St)
KJ Adams (Kansas) Jax Robinson (Kentucky)
Keshon Gilbert (Iowa St) Brooks Barnhizer (Northwestern)
Aaron Scott (St. John’s) Ian Martinez (Utah State)
Max Shulga (VCU) Augustas Marciulionis (St. Mary’s)
Some seniors on the PIT alternates list take the initiative to travel down to Portsmouth, conduct interviews with NBA teams, and be present as a potential replacement in case of injury.
Interview
Steve Settle (Temple)
Update Log
4/8/25 3:00 p.m. EST: Removed Steve Settle (Temple) from Mock and added David N’Guessan (Kansas State) to Mock per updated intel.
4/9/25 1:00 p.m. EST: Moved Aaron Scott (St. John’s) from Mock to IR and moved Max Shulga from Projected Declines to Mock per updated intel.
4/9/25 1:05 p.m. EST: Removed Samson Johnson (UConn) from Mock and moved Kobe Johnson (UCLA) from Projected Declines to Mock per updated intel.
4/9/25 1:10 p.m. EST: Removed Simas Lukosius (Cincinnati) from Mock and moved Wade Taylor IV from Projected Declines to Mock per updated intel.
4/9/25 1:15 p.m. EST: Removed Zhuric Phelps (Temple) from Mock and added Jaemyn Brakefield (Ole Miss) to Mock per updated intel.
4/9/25 1:20 p.m. EST: Moved Ian Martinez (Utah State) from Mock to IR and moved Matthew Cleveland (Miami) from Projected Declines to Mock per updated intel.
4/9/25 1:25 p.m. EST: Removed Jordan Gainey (Tennessee) from Mock and moved Andrew Carr (Kentucky) from Projected Declines to Mock per updated intel.
4/9/25 1:30 p.m. EST: Moved Lamont Butler (Kentucky) from Mock to Projected Declines and moved Igor Milicic (Tennessee) from Projected Declines to Mock per updated intel.
4/10/25 9:00 a.m. EST: Removed Zack Austin (Pitt) from Mock and added CJ Huntley (Appalachian State) to Mock per updated intel.
4/10/25 9:30 a.m. EST: Removed Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones (UCSD) from Mock and added Chris Youngblood (Alabama) to Mock per updated intel.
4/10/25 10:00 a.m. EST: Removed Caleb Grill (Missouri) from Mock and added Bez Mbeng (Yale) to Mock per updated intel.
4/10/25 11:00 a.m. EST: Removed Matt Cross (SMU) from Mock and added Obinna Anochili-Killen (Marshall) to Mock per updated intel.
4/10/25 11:45 a.m. EST: Removed Jamiya Neal (Creighton) from Mock and added Deivon Smith (St. John’s) to Mock per updated intel.
4/11/25 9:00 a.m. EST: Removed Darius Hannah (Bradley) from Mock and added Moussa Cisse (Memphis) to Mock per updated intel.
4/11/25 9:15 a.m. EST: Removed Stevie Mitchell (Marquette) from Mock and added Sebastian Thomas (Rhode Island) to Mock per updated intel.
4/13/25 11:15 a.m. EST: Moved Malik Thomas (San Francisco) from Mock to Projected Declines and added Ty Johnson (UC Davis) to Mock per updated intel.
4/13/25 11:45 a.m. EST: Removed Cam Hildreth (Wake Forest) from Mock and added AJ Hoggard (Vanderbilt) to Mock per updated intel.
4/13/25 12:00 p.m. EST: Removed Ben Gregg (Gonzaga) from Mock and added Patrick McCaffery (Butler) to Mock per updated intel.
4/13/25 12:15 p.m. EST: Removed Andy Garcia (Texas A&M) from Mock and added Cesare Edwards (Georgia State) to Mock per updated intel.
4/13/25 2:15 p.m. EST: Removed Bent Leouchten (UC Irvine) from Mock and added Joe Bamisile (VCU) to Mock per updated intel.
4/14/25 1:15 p.m. EST: Removed Mitchell Saxen (St. Mary’s) from Mock and re-added Samson Johnson (UConn) to Mock per roster release.
4/16/25 3:15 p.m. EST: Moved Max Shulga (VCU) from Mock to IR and re-added Jamiya Neal (Creighton) to Mock per updated intel.
4/16/25 3:20 p.m. EST: Moved Augustas Marciulionis (St. Mary’s) from Mock to IR and added RJ Felton (East Carolina) to Mock per updated intel.