In just four years since its inception, the LeBron James Skills Academy has become perhaps the nation's most prestigious high school basketball camp. The Nike-sponsored event gathers an incredible amount of talent and pairs them with top-level instructors, which brings pro scouts to the event in droves (the Las Vegas location doesn't dissuade them, either).
This year's edition is no exception. The camp opened on Saturday morning with 80 of the country's elite prep players, and the big headliner for UNLV fans is Dwayne Morgan, the Class of 2014 forward who committed to the Rebels in March. Morgan has been on fire this summer, and he continued his strong play on Day 1 of the LeBron camp.
UNLV recruit Dwayne Morgan.
In the morning session, Morgan went through most of the drills at full speed, showcasing his ball-handling, footwork and shooting touch. In the afternoon session, he picked it up during a series of 5-on-5 scrimmages. Though he only made a couple buckets (drilling a pair of long 2-point jumpers), Morgan's motor was revved and he stood out on both ends of the court -- not an easy feat considering the collection of talent around him.
And Morgan did it while playing through a sprained right (shooting) thumb, an injury which has nagged him for most of the summer. He had his right hand wrapped with a heavy ice pack after the day's final session, but seemed to be enjoying the camp experience.
"I like it," Morgan said. "It's a lot of competition. Everybody here can play, so you have to bring your 'A' game."
The Baltimore native was also happy to be in Las Vegas again -- his only other trip was his official visit to UNLV.
"I love it already," Morgan said. "I've only been here two times and I love coming here. I'm across the country and I feel like I'm home."
Though Day 1 of the camp was marked by sloppiness in the 5-on-5 scrimmages, expect the level of play to improve on Sunday as players adapt to the setting and spend more time in game situations.
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