Arkansas’ John Calipari and Kansas’ Bill Self appear to be assured of having their top transfers next year as Johnell Davis and AJ Storr will bypass the G-League Elite Camp. According to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony Davis, Storr, Eli Ndiaye, and KJ Lewis have turned down their invitations to the NBA G-League Elite Camp. All four players were early draft entrants and weren’t expected to be drafted.
Source: The NBA informed teams that the following players will not be attending the G League Elite Camp (commentary is my own):
Eli John Ndiaye (Real Madrid in-season)
KJ Lewis (returning to Arizona?)
AJ Storr (transferring to Kansas)
Jaylen Wells (invited to NBA Draft Combine) pic.twitter.com/OXHcBcLwNz— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 6, 2024
Two College Stars Appear To Make Decision On Future, Washington State Star Freshmen Gets Promoted Plus 6 Players Receive Invites To G-League Elite Camp
Davis has been one of the best players in Conference USA the past two seasons, earning conference Player of the Year honors this season. However, the 6-4 guard transferred to Arkansas this spring. He will still participate in individual team workouts this month, so it is possible but unlikely that he will remain in the draft.
Davis is a two-way guard with good size. While Davis took his game to another level last year, he may have decided that if he can replicate that for another season in college. He will likely now play for perhaps the best coach in college basketball at getting players to the next level.
Storr, probably more so than Davis, needs at least another year in college basketball. Storr is a big wing who loves to attack the rim and is a capable 3-point shooter. He projects well defensively, but shot selection, playmaking, and decision-making are areas that he needs work to improve.
Besides, Self has done an excellent job at developing NBA wins recently, with Kelly Oubre Jr., Svi Mykhailiuk, Christian Braun, Ochai Agbaji, and Gradey Dick being among his first-round selections since 2015. Storr is slated to make at least $750,000 in NIL money.
Lewis is expected to return to Arizona after seeing about 19 minutes a game off the bench as a freshman. Meanwhile, Washington State freshman Jaylen Wells also won’t be attending the Elite Camp; instead, he has been elevated to the NBA Draft Combine. Wells had an outstanding freshman campaign and may not return to Washington State.
Six Players Receive Late Invites To G-League Elite Camp
As a result of this player movement, the NBA invited six new players to the G-League Elite Camp. Givony said these new invites are Boogie Ellis, Aaron Estrada, Zyon Pullin, Chaz Lanier, Jaelen House, and Taran Armstrong.
Boogie Ellis, Out of Eligibility
Ellis is a 6-3 combo guard who is a very good 3-point shooter. Ellis is not a good distributor but he is a decent ball handler. He shot the ball well at the Portsmouth Invitation in what was an otherwise meh performance as he struggled with efficiency and ball handlers.
Aaron Estrada, Out Of Eligibility
Estrada played for four programs in five seasons. Estrada is a high-volume scorer who doesn’t shoot the ball particularly well from deep. He is also a good distributor but turnover-prone. He scored and shot the ball well in the Portsmouth Invitation, though turnovers were a huge problem.
Zyon Pullin, Out Of Eligibility
Pullin played his first four seasons at UC Riverside before transferring to Florida for his final season. The 6-4 guard is a slasher who gets to the free throw many times and is an excellent free-throw shooter. He is an efficient shooter who doesn’t shoot many threes and is a quality distributor.
Chaz Lanier, North Florida
Lanier concluded his career at North Florida by producing the best campaign, averaging 19.7 points and 4.8 rebounds, shooting 51% from the field and 44% from the 3-point line. Lanier is in the transfer portal, so he will likely return to college as he should.
Jaelen House, Out of Eligibility
House played five years of college basketball, with the last three solid campaigns at New Mexico. The 6-1 score-first point guard is an interesting prospect as he is a distributor who has decreased his turnovers over the years. However, House doesn’t shoot the ball well and is a high-volume 3-point shooter.
Taran Armstrong, Cairns (Australia)
Armstrong is a 22-year-old Australian who played two seasons at Cal Baptist before moving to the Australia NBL this past season. The 2022 WAC Freshman of the Year, a graduate of the NBA Global Academy, averaged 7.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.7 assists while shooting .470/.250/.681 for Cairns.
