The Portsmouth Invitational Tournament is one of three NBA draft camps, though it is the league’s only one limited to college seniors. The PIT held its 70th annual event in Portsmouth, Virginia, this past week.
The Portsmouth Invitational Tournament aims to allow lesser-known players who have exhausted their collegiate careers to showcase their talents in front of NBA and European personnel. Since 1965, over 100 players who have participated in the PIT have been drafted by NBA teams, and many more have spent time in the league.
10 NBA Prospects Who Improved Their Stock At Portsmouth Invitational Tournament
Furthermore, 48 of the players have been drafted since 2000, with Tyrese Martin being the latest, with Golden State taking him with the 51st pick in 2022. Martin has spent most of the last two years in the G-league, playing for the Iowa Wolves this past season, though he appeared in 16 games for the Atlanta Hawks in 2022-23.
While most of the players drafted this century have been first-round choices, six have been Derrick White (2017), the latest first-round choice and one of the two most well-known players, with Jimmy Butler being the other.
Here is a look at who improved their NBA draft stock the most.
Tristan Enuroma
Tristan Enuroma was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2024. The 22-year-old forward reached double-figures in all three games, averaging 16.8 points and 5.3 rebounds. He connected on 18 of 37 (48.6%) shots from the field, although he was just 2 of 10 (20%) from beyond the arc and 12 of 13 attempts from the charity stripe.
Enurama spent five seasons in college, starting his career at Kansas. The Netherlands national also spent one year at Iowa State before spending two campaigns at Cleveland State. He earned All-Horizon League first-team honor in both seasons with the Vikings, finishing in the top 10 of the league in points and rebounds.
[Enurama] has a great combination of skill, size, length, and mobility for a power forward, said Isaac Condra of Sports Illustrated. “It’s clear he has the versatility and talent to play in the NBA. With Enaruna transferring down to a mid-major, he was able to develop his on-ball skills and become more comfortable and confident with the ball in his hands.”
“The next step for the 6-foot-8 power forward is developing his 3-point jumper. He made some strides in his final year in college, but he’s still quite inconsistent from the outside. As someone who’s a non-center, then it’s going to be extremely vital that he becomes more effective as an outside shooter, especially off the catch.”
Enurama is expected to receive an invitation to the G-League Elite camp in Chicago on June 11 and 12.
Tolu Smith III
Tolu Smith III went through the NBA draft process in 2023 but returned to Miss State for a fifth season. Smith didn’t start the season until the end of December due to injury. The 6-11 big man had a solid campaign, earning All-SEC first-team honors in 2022-23 and 2023-24.
Smith is a strong, athletic big who excels in scoring in the low-post and on the glass.
Smith produced one double-double in the PIT, averaging 14.0 points, 8.3 rebounds (3.0 offensive), and 1.0 blocks per game.
Joel Soriano
Joel Soriano spent the last three seasons at St. John’s. While Soriano’s final two campaigns were solid, his grad year wasn’t as good as his senior season.
Soriano thrived in Portsmouth. The 6-11 big man compiled two double-doubles and grabbed double-digit rebounds in the three games. He averaged 17.3 points and 12.7 boards (6.7 offensive) while shooting 53.7% from the floor.
Soriano is a strong, physical scorer who thrives in the low post and glass, particularly on the offensive end. He can knock down mid-range jumpers and is a good shot-blocker, though he is only an average athlete who needs to expand his low-post moves.
Isaac Jones
Isaac Jones is an offensive-minded big who loves to physically and is a bruiser. The athletic Jones is a decent low-post scorer who thrives in finding open space. He is also a decent playmaker and defender, though he does need to improve his shooting.
Jones spent just two seasons at the Division I level, playing one year each at Idaho and Washington State.
Jones was highly efficient offensively while also being active on the offensive glass and defensive end in Portsmouth. He scored 15 points in the three games and topped the 20-point mark twice.
Jones averaged 18.3 points on fewer than 10 shots a game, 7.1 rebounds (3.0 offensive), and 2.0 steals. He made 23 of 29 shots from the field (79.3%), 1 of 1 from the 3-point line, and 9 of 13 (69.2%) from the free-throw line.
Aaron Estrada
Aaron Estrada is a combo guard who scores and creates havoc on the defensive end. He is not a great shooter, but he is a good rebounder.
The athletic 6-3 guard scored double figures in his three games in Portsmouth, including 30 in one game. He also did a decent job as a playmaker, recording 13 assists, though turnovers were a problem (14). Estrada added 15 rebounds and six steals while compiling .479/.353/.667.
Sean East II
Sean East had a magnificent senior campaign at Missouri, doubling his scoring average from his junior season. The 6-3 combo guard showed off his scoring prowess in Portsmouth, averaging 20 points a game. He scored at least 18 points in all three games, with 24 being his highest total.
East shot the ball exceptionally well despite his weakness in 3-point shooting. He got to the free-throw line a ton and compiled a shooting slash line of .578/.273/.947.
East does need to improve defensively and his outside shooting.
Jahmir Young
Jahmir Young had a strong tournament as a scorer, defender, and distributor. He came in with question marks regarding 3-point shooting and turnovers and really didn’t address those issues. Still, he had a terrific tournament overall.
Young scored in double-figures in all three games, scoring 22 in his final contest, and doled out six assists twice. The 6-1 point guard averaged 16.7 points on 48.8% shooting from the field and 1.3 treys at a 33.3% clip. He also doled out 5.0 assists, grabbed 3.3 rebounds, and came up with 1.7 steals.
Hunter Cattoor
Hunter Cattoor entered the tournament as one of the best shooters, and he didn’t disappoint on that front. The 6-3 guard is a solid scorer who finished his collegiate career with 1500 points and 300 triples. But where he impressed in Portsmouth was rebounding the ball and on the defensive end.
Cattoor knocked down at least two threes in all three games and scored in double figures twice. The 23-year-old guard also grabbed five rebounds and came up with two steals in all three contests. Eight of his 10 field goals were three-pointers, and he made 10 free throws.
Cattoor finished the tournament with 12.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.3 steals, and 1.3 assists. He compiled a shooting slash line of .417/.500/.917.
Josh Oduro
Josh Oduro had a nice senior campaign, his first with Providence, after spending his first four years at George Mason. The 6-9 athletic big man can do a little bit of everything. He is an efficient scorer who can stretch the defense, although he is not great from beyond the arc. He is a strong rebounder and a tough defender.
Oduro produced one double-double and scored in double-figures in all three games in Portsmouth. Oduro compiled 14.7 points on 59.7% shooting from the floor and 7.3 rebounds. He also totaled 1.7 steals and 1.3 blocks.
Riley Minix
Riley Minix came into the Portsmouth Invitational as one of the most unheralded players. He spent most of his career in NAIA before moving to Morehead State as a grad transfer. The athletic 6-7 wing showed off his scoring prowess and two-way ability in his lone season at Morehead State to earn an invitation to the PIT.
Minnix continued his solid play at the PIT. He scored in double-figures twice, averaging 13.7 points and 2.7 treys while compiling a shooting slash line of .536/.571/.750. He also contributed 5.7 caroms (2.7 offensive) and 1.0 steals.
Honorable Mention: Jesse Edwards, Rayj Dennis, Eric Gaines, Branden Carlson, and Jarod Lucas.
