Cooper Flagg, AJ Dybantsa and Nolan Traore among standouts at Nike Hoop Summit

PORTLAND, Ore. — There’s a wave of talent ready to hit the NBA in the next couple of years. And NBA fans got a glimpse of it Saturday night at the Nike Hoop Summit, where 24 of the best prospects competed in a game featuring the top high school talent in America against the top international talent. Team USA defeated Team World, 98-75.

Cooper Flagg and Ace Bailey, the top two projected players in the 2025 NBA Draft and the No. 1 and No. 2 ranked high school seniors, respectively, were playing for Team USA and each had their moments. The entire high school season, it’s been Cooper vs. Ace for the top spot, but both players were just happy to compete and team up this week.

“I don’t really care about high school rankings and I don’t think he [Bailey] does either, to be honest,” Flagg told Yahoo Sports. “This is a competitive group and we’ve been going hard all week, pushing each other and getting better. I’m just looking forward and trying to achieve my goals and compete at the highest level.”

AJ Dybantsa, who represented both Jamaica and Republic of Congo for the World Team, was one of the youngest players on the court and solidified himself as one of the best players in high school basketball, regardless of class. French point guard Nolan Traore came into this week a little under the radar but showed why he’s one of the best guard prospects. He was the best point guard during Saturday's game.

A number of NBA scouts and executives attended the Nike Hoop Summit to watch the prospects take part in practices all week. Yahoo Sports takes a look at six players who stood out and are worth keeping tabs on in the upcoming 2025 and 2026 NBA Drafts.

AJ Dybantsa

The 6-foot-8 guard is the top player in the high school junior class and an early favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. His scoring instincts are elite and he has the ability to take over games with how well he can score at all three levels. Dybantsa has great body control around the rim and appears to hang in the air before releasing his shot. During the game Saturday night, Dybantsa led all players with 21 points and added seven rebounds and three assists. His 3-point shot remains an area of improvement, but his shot selection is getting better. Dybantsa passes the eye test with his length and scoring ease and has the potential to be a really special player at the NBA level.

"The NBA scouts here mostly know what I can do and I’m just trying to be more vocal and consistent," Dybantsa told Yahoo Sports. "I don't ever take it for granted when I get a chance to hit the court and improve my game, and I'm going to keep working hard whether they're sitting here at practice and watching me, or I'm working out by myself behind closed doors."

Dybantsa currently holds 24 high-major, Division I offers, including from Auburn, UConn, Kentucky, Kansas, North Carolina and Baylor.

Nolan Traore

Traore was the biggest surprise this week during practice. The 6-3 point guard is the next one up out of France and his playing style, and the way he spaces the floor, matches the NBA game well. The majority of his teammates were playing with him for the first time and were more than impressed.

"Nolan Traore is the best point guard I’ve ever played with, and I learned so much from him this week and how he sees the game," Baylor commit VJ Edgecombe said after the game. "He's not going to talk much, but he's going to lead and facilitate. France has a good one, for sure. Plus he’s fast as hell.”

Traore finished with 18 points and four assists and was so good at reading the pick-and-roll and attacking the mismatch off the dribble. The elite talent coming out of France isn't slowing down anytime soon, and Traore is now an early projected lottery pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Cooper Flagg

Flagg was one of the main players NBA scouts and executives made the trip to see. The 6-9 forward is the No. 1 player in the high school senior class and the early projected No. 1 player in the 2025 NBA Draft. His combination of rim protection, passing and the way he can shoot off the dribble gives him the all-around versatility that NBA teams look for in top prospects. Flagg, a Duke commit, leads Jon Scheyer's No. 1 recruiting class next year, and he also got to go up against his future teammate, 7-2 center Khaman Maluach.

"It was great to go up against him and learn some of his tendencies," Flagg said of Maluach after the game. "He's a great rim protector, and I can't wait to play with him next season."

No one has had a better end to his high school career than Flagg. He was named the Boys Basketball Gatorade Player of the Year, played in the McDonald's All American game and his high school team, Montverde Academy (Florida), went undefeated this year and won the Chipotle National Championship. Flagg led the charge in the second half for Team USA at the Nike Hoop Summit and had a team-high 19 points, 11 rebounds and two assists in the win.

V.J. Edgecombe

The 6-4 guard heading to Baylor has played very well the last couple of weeks, first at the McDonald’s All American game, then with consistent guard play at the Nike Hoop Summit. Edgecombe, originally from the Bahamas, is one of the most athletic guards in the high school senior class and has made strides in his playmaking and guarding the switch on the perimeter. Edgecombe was one of the only players to get things going offensively for the World team in the first half, and he finished with 13 points and two steals in the game.

"Every country has hoopers," Edgecombe told Yahoo Sports. "It’s becoming more universal and there’s talent coming from everywhere now, not just the U.S. Buddy [Hield] and Deandre [Ayton] paved the way for someone like me from the Bahamas, and I'm just looking to do the same for little kids watching me play."

Asa Newell

The 6-9 versatile forward came into the Nike Hoop Summit with a bit of a chip on his shoulder after being snubbed by the McDonald’s All American committee, despite being a top 15 player in his high school senior class. Newell is headed to Georgia next year and showcased his inside-out game all week in the pick-and-pop and with his footwork in the paint. Newell and Flagg were the only players to finish with double-doubles, with Newell scoring 17 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. He’s a player high on NBA scouts' draft boards for 2025 with his versatility offensively and the way he can guard multiple positions.

"I'm just hoping to show [NBA executives] that I'm a leader and I talk on both offense and defense," Newell told Yahoo Sports. "I know when I got to the league, I'm not going to be that guy going off right away, so I'm just showing that I can play my role and I can do all the little things."

Ace Bailey

Along with Flagg, Bailey is the other top player in the high school senior class and is heading to Rutgers next year. The 6-9 wing is a scoring machine who can connect from past 3-point range in catch-and-shoot situations and also create off the dribble. Bailey is also in the conversation for the top overall spot in the 2025 NBA Draft, and both he and Flagg enjoyed the healthy competition in practice and also being teammates this past week.

“Both of us are here to get better and it’s all just talk, what everyone thinks as far as who’s the best,” Bailey told Yahoo Sports. “Me and Cooper have really built a bond this week and that’s what basketball is, a brotherhood, so we’re just going to keep pushing each other to get better.”

Bailey finished with 14 points, six rebounds and two steals in the Team USA win. Bailey leads Rutgers' No. 3 recruiting class coming in next year alongside five-star point guard Dillon Harper, who also put up solid numbers (14 points, seven rebounds) and played well all week.