ROCK HILL, S.C. — Beckham Black trots down the shiny hardwood floor at the Rock Hill Sports & Event Center, dipping past defenders and dodging traps before darting down the lane and finishing with a picturesque layup.
Then he did it again and, through different variations of juke moves, again, firmly entrenching himself as one of the top players at the NBPA Top 100 Camp.
The dominance was a carryover from the Nike EYBL season and a high school campaign that saw him average 21 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists per game at Southeastern Prep (Florida).
It’s a fitting production profile for the No. 2 overall player in the SCNext 100.
“I’m used to being the go-to guy,” Black said. “That has always been my role. I like having the ball in my hands, so I can make things happen.”
That mentality has earned him a virtual who’s who list of college suitors who are all ironically selling him on a very different role.
“Most of the coaches talk to me about coming in and being a big part of the rotation,” Black said. “It’s different, but I’m fine with it. Up to this point, I’ve always been the best player; obviously, that’ll change in college. They want me to come in and play a role.”
It’s a stark contrast to how college coaches sold top-tier recruits in the pre-transfer portal era — before the NCAA removed the requirement that Division I transfer athletes had to sit out a year in April 2021.
Now, with an abundance of experienced options, the pitch for high school stars is centered around contribution over stardom.
“I’m not the type of player that needs to hear that I’ll get all the shots and things like that,” said Ahmad Hudson, an LSU commit who is ranked No. 22 overall in the SCNext 100. “Coach [Will] Wade did tell me that he thought I was better than most of the guys on the LSU roster last year, so that was big to hear, but he doesn’t tell me it’s all about me. I’m fine with it.”
The consensus among players at the NBPA Top 100 Camp was that being a key cog for a contender yields you the same, or potentially better, results as being a one-man scoring band.
That much was evident in last year’s NBA draft lottery when just one player (Dylan Harper) averaged at least 20 points a game in college.
“You’ve got experienced players in the portal and overseas that can help you win,” Black said. “I think that’s cool that I’ll probably have a mentor while I’m there. You can learn a lot from someone who’s done it already. Coaches talk about coming together and being a part of something bigger than yourself.”
Most of them.
As the Nike EYBL’s top scorer (23.7 points per game) and No. 2 assist man (6.6 assists per game), Cayden Daughtry is fielding his fair share of old-school sales pitches from college coaches who say they want to give him the ball from day one.
Still, with the likelihood of proven college ballers being added to most rosters every year, Daughtry is skeptical about those spiels coming to fruition.
“Since I had a big spring, the coaches are telling me that I’m going to be that guy from the jump,” said Daughtry, who is ranked No. 13 overall in the SCNext 100. “That’s cool to hear, but is it going to happen? I know that coaches are going to get guys from the portal, so you just don’t know.”
After committing to LSU last month, Hudson said he’s using circuit hoops and camps like the NBPA Top 100 to help wire him mentally for his time in Baton Rouge.
“On my team this spring, I play with a lot of great players and at the Top 100 Camp I’m playing with the top players in the country,” Hudson said. “That’s how it’ll be in college, a lot of high-level guys, so I just try to impact the game in a lot of different ways. The coaches told me I can be a big piece, so the more I do, the more I can help us win. I don’t care about being the star as long as I’m helping us win.”
It’s clear that winning at the collegiate level takes a heavy transfer portal presence. In April, Michigan cut the nets down with five transfers in its eight-man rotation, and in 2025, UConn won with three transfers in the rotation.
“Winning it all, that’s the goal for all of us once we get to college,” Daughtry said. “I don’t care about anything but doing the best I can in whatever role I’m playing. How a coach recruits me won’t change that.”
