NBA Draft Sleepers - Portsmouth Invitational Event Recap

With the 2025 NCAA Decision Deadline, expiring yesterday evening, on May 28th, several marquee & highly touted names, under a significant amount of praise, ultimately made the decision to remain playing college basketball, for the upcoming 2025/2026 season, therefore foregoing this years NBA Draft.

With eyes on the remaining 150+ draft eligible prospects, it becomes more important than ever to leave no athlete unseen.

Thankfully, two members our staff, were able to be granted the opportunity to attend, and cover the, highly coveted, Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, Virginia. Where the nations top college seniors, put on some of their last displays of performance, in front of league front office executives and talent analysts.

We are proud to present our synopsis of the top performers of the event, as we thank the good people at the Portsmouth Invitational, for their willingness to continue to help inform the hoops community of the next wave of NBA and Professional Basketball legends !

Style of Play:

In the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament a lot of teams played a balanced offense that

saw pick and roll, quality catch and shoot threes, rim running in transition, and some

post up opportunities. The type of players that had most success are athletic bigs that

were more athletic and physical than everyone else or players that shot the ball at a

high level and high clip from three-point range.

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The standout players from the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament are:

Moussa Cissé | C | 7' 0" | 22 Years Old | Memphis, Ole Miss, and Oklahoma State

Moussa Cissé is a rim running athletic big. He showed the same skill set in all the

games he played at Portsmouth. He was a rim running big who was quick and

explosive, beating the opposing teams down the floor. He also had good hands and was

a lob threat in transition. He was one of the most athletic players in the tournament and

was an above the rim finisher most of the time. He also got extra possession and

second-chance opportunities on the offensive end with his ability to grab offensive

rebounds. He was able to convert second-chance opportunities into points with athletic

putback finishes. He also had a high-level impact on the defensive end. He was the

defensive anchor for his team, protected the rim in the half-court, and got back in

transition for chase down blocks. He displayed great timing, instincts and covered a lot

of ground when blocking shots. The opposing team's players hesitated on shot attempts

when he was protecting the rim. He was defensively sound and showcased excellent

verticality while contesting a shot. His skill set makes it easy for him to fit a role at the

next level as an athletic rim running big and rim protector.

Khalif Battle | G | 6' 5" | 24 Years Old | Gonzaga, Arkansas, Temple, and Butler

In the first game, Khalif Battle started off being passive and struggling as a shot maker,

which he is capable of being. He was turning down quality looks and taking tough

contested shots. In the later games, he showed his capabilities as a three-level scorer

by creating his own shot from inside, mid-range, and three-point range. He was able to

create separation with a step-back jumper. He got more aggressive, attacking the rim

and getting to the free-throw line, which got him in a rhythm to score. He used his speed

to blow by defenders and get to the rim. When he started to get more aggressive on the

offensive end and knock down shots, it got him more locked in and more engaged on

the defensive end to fight through picks, move better laterally, and take away more

driving lanes.

Oumar Ballo | C | 7' 1" | 22 Years Old | Indiana, Arizona, and Gonzaga

Oumar Ballo was mostly a pick and roll threat, having an effective two man game with

his teammate Ace Baldwin Jr. He was setting good hard picks, freeing up the ball-

handler to get to their spots. He could get screen assists or opportunities to finish at the

rim. He was mobile and quick rolling to the rim, allowing his team to run a quick pick and

roll offense. He had good hands catching the ball and going straight up to finish. He had

a combination of being an athletic finisher in the paint and having touch when finishing

as the roll man. He also created extra possessions and second-chance opportunities,

converting them with athletic put-backs at the rim. On the defensive end, he could

protect the rim and block shots. He showcased flashes of being switchable by coming

up with timely switches and moving his feet well, holding his ground.

Ace Baldwin Jr | G | 6' 1" | 23 Years Old | Penn State & VCU

Ace Baldwin Jr., on the offensive end, was best as a pick and roll ball-handler. He had

an effective big on his team, setting effective picks for him and rolling to the rim. He was

aggressive attacking the rim and always looking to get downhill. He displayed his ability

to change speed and direction, making it hard to stay in front of him in the pick and roll.

He was poised and played with great pace and tempo. His aggressiveness in attacking

the rim got him to the free-throw line at a good rate. Baldwin was one of the best

playmakers, creating offense for others on his team. He was a willing passer and could

find the open man setting his teammates up to succeed, knowing the spots they liked

operating in. He created his teammates' looks off dribble penetration, drive and kick,

and in the pick and roll. He was quick finding the player rolling to the rim, finding

windows allowing his team to run quick pick and roll offense, and setting up the big for

high-percentage shots inside. He was able to attract multiple defenders driving into the

paint, collapse the defense, and then kick it out to shooters for high-percentage catch

and shoot three-pointers.

Sean Pedulla | G | 6' 1" | 22 Years Old | Ole Miss & Virginia Tech

Sean Pedulla is a combo guard who can play on-ball and off-ball. He was a primary

ball-handler on his team that made good decisions. He had a balance between looking

to score and getting his teammates involved. With his off-ball movement, as soon as he

gave up the ball, he would lift and drift along the three-point line, find the open space for

a catch, and shoot three-pointer. He was more of an outside-in player looking to shoot,

forcing a closeout and giving him more of a driving lane to the rim. He found success in

the pick and roll game by using a screen to get to his spot for a three-pointer off the

dribble. As a playmaker, he could make reads in the pick and roll and dribble

penetration. He liked to look for the player trailing in transition after pushing the pace

and attracting multiple defenders. On the defensive end, he was a scrappy and

competitive defender, picking up the ball-handler 94 feet and displaying great

anticipation in the passing lanes to get steals and deflections. He was someone on post

ups where they could shoot over him when it was a size mismatched, but he wouldn't

get backed down in the post.

Julian Reese | F | 6' 9" | 21 Years Old | Maryland

Julian Reese most attractive skillset on the offensive end is as a pick and pop threat

from the mid-range. He has a quick release, fluid shooting mechanics, balance, and a

high release point when taking shots from the mid-range. He also could go to a floater

or a push shot with good touch after setting the pick. When he has smaller players

matched up against him, he could shoot over them in the post and is quick to go up for

the shot. When he had bigger players matched up against him, it was harder for him to

back them down and operate in the post. He has a high motor grabbing rebounds,

creating extra possessions and second-chance opportunities on the offensive end, and

limiting the opposing teams' extra possessions and second-chance opportunities on the

defensive end. He grabs tough contested rebounds through traffic and has strong hands

to hold onto them while displaying great athleticism, flying high to get off the floor for a

rebound. On the defensive end, he has shown flashes to be a help defender and block

shots from the weak side if someone gets beat or has a defensive breakdown. He has

timing and instincts when blocking shots in that situation.

Kobe Sanders | G | 6' 8" | 22 Years Old | Nevada & Cal Poly

Kobe Sanders is a big guard who can create his shot at all three-levels. He has a good

feel for getting to his spots and shooting over smaller defenders. He showcased his

strength and physicality on the defensive end by moving well laterally and cutting off

driving lanes. Other guards he was matched up against on the defensive end couldn't

match his strength and physicality, making it hard for them to get to the rim. He also has

the length to rotate over to three-point shooters and closeout on them, allowing him to

contest, alter, or block three-point shots.

Tamar Bates | G | 6' 5" | 22 Years Old | Missouri & Indiana

Tamar Bates started the first two games with a more limited role as a transition threat on

leak-outs. He was quick, explosive, and filled the lanes well in transition, beating the

other team down the court, taking a catch and shoot pull-up three-pointer, or getting all

the way to the rim for an athletic dunk. He has a quick release, fluid shooting

mechanics, and deep range when shooting catch and shoot threes. In the last game, he

showed more half-court capabilities, being a facilitator and pick and roll player. As a

scorer, he would move well without the ball and constantly along the three-point line,

cutting to the rim and finding the open space. He would be used in give and go actions

where he would pass and cut to the rim immediately. He had a slight hesitation when

cutting to the rim, which made it hard for his off-ball defender to stay in front of him. As a

facilitator, he could get others looks in the pick and roll finding the roller at the rim and

drive and kick situations or off dribble penetration collapsing the defense and finding the

open three-point shooter. On the defensive end, he was playing with energy, fighting

through picks, moving well laterally through them, displaying great communication, and

having a low base when getting through screens. When he got stuck on a pick, he

quickly recovered, got back into the play, and used his length to force a contested shot.

He was also quick on rotations and getting out to three-point shooters, limiting clean

shot opportunities. 

RJ Felton | G | 6' 3" | 22 Years Old | East Carolina

RJ Felton was one of the best role players in this tournament. He knew his role and

played it extremely well. He constantly moved along the three-point line, relocating, and

found the open space for a high percentage catch and shoot three-pointer. He was the

main option for his team off dribble penetration, short roll, and in transition for catch and

shoot threes. He has a quick release, fluid shooting mechanics, and deep range. He

shot the ball confidently and didn't hesitate when shooting. When defenses closed out

on him aggressively, he could put the ball on the floor and get to the rim. He had a quick

and explosive first step that allowed him to blow by the defender and made him effective

attacking the closeout. He also played bigger than his size, going for offensive

rebounds. As a guard, he could run in and be an above the rim finisher on put-backs

which is a rarity for a guard his size.

Johnell Davis | G | 6' 4" | 23 Years Old |  Arkansas & Florida Atlantic

Johnell Davis is an old-school guard. He plays bigger than his size. He is a guard who

likes to play in the post and back to the basket. In the post, he showcased his strength,

physicality, poise, and footwork to work around the smaller guard he was posting up

against. In the post, he is either taking a hook shot, spinning around his defender, or

taking a turnaround shot. This made him effective when the game slowed down and

became more of a half-court offensive type of game. As the tournament moved on, he

displayed his versatility and started showcasing his quickness and athleticism, slashing

to the rim, playing more face up, and blowing by defenders. He showed his high IQ by

understanding mismatches and when and how to attack them. When he had a smaller

guard on him, he would outmuscle them, get deep post positioning, and score in the

post. When he had a slower-footed big that lacked footspeed and couldn't keep up with

him, he just looked to use his quickness and explosiveness to blow by them and get to

the rim.

Evaluations and article written by: Layth Dahman & Jordan Dukes