MBB Recruiting—Day 2 Minicamp

WESTFIELD, Ind. – Another day in the books at USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team Minicamp, coinciding with tonight’s Final Four matchups in Indianapolis. A fresh batch of analysis, Purdue recruiting news and more in our GoldandBlack.com notebook from Saturday’s action at the Pacers Athletic Center.

Darius Wabbington eyes Purdue visit:

2027 four-star Sunnyslope (Ariz.) big man Darius Wabbington is one of the top names that competed this weekend in Westfield, and the Boilermakers have caught his attention. Purdue offered Wabbington in May 2025, and have been in communication with him since.

“I’ve been talking to them for a minute now. We have a good relationship. I have a good relationship with Coach PJ (Thompson). Have a good relationship with Coach (Matt) Painter. So we just talk here and there,” Wabbington said.

The 6-11 center has a versatile skillset, where he thrives having the ball in his hands at the top of the key, which is where coaches like to have him with his vision and facilitating ability. He had a pair of dimes to cutting teammates with the ball up top. A strong frame also paves the way for success in the low post for the 2027 standout, although we didn’t get to see much of that on Friday or Saturday. Wabbington can also step out and knock down threes, which he did three times on Friday night.

The passing prowess resembles that of Trevion Williams, but Wabbington is a better shooter than the former Boilermaker from the perimeter and doesn’t have the same wiggle in the post. He seems destined to play the five in college, but that remains to be seen.

“Just their success with bigs and people in my position, over and over, Zach Edey, and you can just go down the line. Like, they’re big man university, almost. They’ve had a lot of success recently and developing them. So that’s something that intrigues me,” Wabbington said.

Wabbington is looking to visit West Lafayette some time in the future, although he did not have a date lined up as of Saturday.

“I plan to, coming up, going on a visit there. I really like their school, and I just really like the coaches there,” Wabbington said.

Purdue, Indiana, Louisville, Texas, Arizona, and Washington are among the programs recruiting Wabbington the hardest right now. He took an official to Washington in October, and also hopes to visit Texas, Arizona, and Louisville, but again, does not have any dates set.

Purdue target Jaxson Davis embracing “smaller guard” title

2027 four-star Warren Township (Ill.) point guard Jaxson Davis embraces the “smaller guard” title, which gives him an edge on the court. Knowing he’ll be doubted by some, Davis has made it a mission to be a fearless defender and make the right plays, at the right time, for his team.

“I mean as a smaller guard, I’m always going to be overlooked because of my height. So I bring a different intensity to on-ball defense, just getting deflections and steals, trying to disrupt the offense,” Davis said.

Davis broke down his defender, got into the lane and floated a perfect lob to 2028 four-star center Logan Chwastyk for a slam on one possession. Then, he missed a triple, but got his own offensive rebound and kicked it out to a teammate for an open shot. Those are the kinds of plays Davis produces with regularity, even when he doesn’t have his shots falling.

In a highly competitive setting, Davis was relegated to a facilitating role. Top-15 small forward Malachi Jordan was the focal point of the offense when Davis was on the floor. He provided a steady presence as the ball handler and was as pesky as usual defensively.

Davis wants to be a guy that can get into the paint and create plays for himself, although he excels at getting his teammates the ball with an opportunity to make plays. As he continues to progress, he wants to work on finishing around the rim, especially against bigger defenders roaming the paint.

“I would say just being able to get downhill into the paint and just be able to make open reads that open up shots for me, hit floaters, and hit open threes,” Davis said.

“I would say just being consistent at hitting shots off the dribble and just finishing over bigger guys. There’s obviously big guys down there trying to block my shot, so to be able to shoot floaters and get my layup off high off the backboard is a huge part I need to work on,” Davis said.

Purdue has made Davis a priority in the class, and the high interest is mutual. The Illinois native sees how Braden Smith was able to thrive in West Lafayette, and wants to emulate that in his own game, as a smaller guard.

“Obviously they just had a really good point guard, Braden Smith, and I watch a lot of him—seeing how they utilize him, what reads he’s making off screens. I feel like that can help me at the point guard position, just trying to learn what angles to take because he’s a smaller guard like me,” Davis said.

2028 Purdue target Erick Dampier Jr. shines:

The blue bloods haven’t extended offers yet, but they will.

Erick Dampier Jr. had a quiet Friday night and came back with fire on Saturday morning. The 2028 five-star and No. 5 overall player in the class was active on both ends of the floor in the second session.

Dampier sees his strength as rebounding and defense. With his big frame and strength, especially for his age, it’s easy to see why. He stands his ground in the post and can affect shots in the paint, as he came flying across the court to swat away a layup attempt from 2027 four-star guard Beckham Black, who flew by his defender.

“My defense in general, being able to block out, defend any position. I feel like I move better than a regular center and faster, and I can block, rebound, everything,” Dampier said.

The 2028 recruit also ran the floor well in transition, which led to a pair of easy dunks. He sees the pick and roll as a strength in his game, and that was a focal point for his group when they were on the floor on Saturday.

Dampier is looking to continue improving his quickness and athleticism this off-season. While he has some explosivity to his game, Dampier has the build of an old school big man and has the motor to be a difference maker down low.

Purdue is one of two Power 5 offers for the Mississippi native to this point in his recruitment, but Kentucky, Duke, Arkansas, and Texas A&M have shown interest. This summer could be a big one for the five-star talent, when college coaches can start communicating with 2028 recruits.

Brief notes on the rest:

– It was another subpar shooting day for Kevin Savage, but the Georgia native continued to share the ball well and wasn’t hesitant to look for his own shot. He may have been the smallest player at the camp, but he has a level of explosion, quickness, and toughness that helps make up for it.

– Reese Alston is a legit two-way player. He can really affect people with his length on the defensive end, and has shown to be a three-level scorer. Purdue’s recent guard history, and Matt Painter’s pedigree, are two things that are intriguing to him about the program.

“Coach Painter is definitely a great coach. Coached a lot of great guys like Jaden Ivey, Braden Smith. So, just a great coach, a great program, and a great staff. They have a great community over there.”

– Didn’t get to see much of Isaiah Hill during the season session, as Purdue’s targets were dispersed, but the Pike big man impressed Darius Wabbington when the two matched up on Friday night.

“He’s really good. He’s an excellent three point shooter, real tall, lanky, great shot blocker. That’s why I love coming to these, because I get to play against those other guys that I don’t usually get to see. So he’ll challenge me and get better as a player.”