2026 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament Standouts

Style of Play:

The Portsmouth Invitational Tournament is a showcase tournament where under the radar college seniors play and showcase their skillset. The games had a balanced offense with pick and rolls for the ball-handler to score, catch and shoot threes, rim running in transition, and post up opportunities for skilled bigs. The player archetypes that looked well in this tournament are athletes who run the floor well and can dominate with their athleticism, big guards who can attack mismatches and create their own offense, and players who shoot the ball at a high level and at a high clip from three-point range. The intangibles that look well in this tournament are players communicating and directing teammates on the offensive end to make sure they are on the same page and players calling out defensive coverages.

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Standout Players:

Rafael Castro

Position: C

Height: 6 feet 11 inches

Age: 23 Years Old

College Teams: Providence and George Washington

Rafael Castro thrives as an athletic rim running big. He is quick, explosive, and fluid for his size allowing him to outrun opposing teams' bigs and get easy fast-break points. In the half-court, he shows the ability to post up taking advantage of mismatches and sealing off smaller defenders. In the post, he is going to be someone who seals off more than someone who slows the pace down, backs down smaller defenders, and goes for a hook shot or a turnaround shot, which is the most effective type of post offense. As a roll man he is quick and mobile rolling to the rim allowing his team to run quick pick and roll offense for a high-percentage shot. He is a lob threat and an above the rim finisher with good hands. He frees up his teammates for quality looks and high-percentage shots by either setting hard picks or hard off-ball screens making him effective in a free-flowing offense. He can initiate dribble handoffs for his teammates by protecting the ball and having a tight enough handle.

He has defensive versatility and can guard multiple positions. He comes up with timely switches and help defense in the pick and roll when his teammates struggle to fight and navigate picks. He moves his feet well as a big and is physical allowing him to cut off driving lanes and force tough contested long twos, which are low-percentage shots. He can hedge and double team the pick and roll ball-handler forcing them into tough contested passes through his size and length. He has active hands which allows him to deflect passes and force turnovers. In the post, he is an effective defender walling up, not giving up deep post positioning, and uses his length to contest shots.

He has the intangibles on both ends of the floor being vocal and constantly communicating with his teammates. On the offensive end, he is directing the offense telling teammates where to be and what to do, especially on cuts and give and go actions. On the defensive end, he is calling defensive coverages in the pick and roll and being that defensive anchor where everything goes through him. He was one of the most vocal players in this tournament.

Melvin Council Jr.

Position: G

Height: 6 feet 4 inches

Age: 23 Years Old

College Teams: Monroe College, Wagner, St. Bonaventure, and Kansas

Melvin Council Jr. is a downhill attack the rim type of guard. His ability to grab defensive rebounds and push the pace allows his team to play at a faster pace and operate more in transition. He is quick and explosive attacking in space. He can change speeds and directions, play with pace, and is low on his drives making it tough for defenders to stay in front of him. He can start drives slow and then explode as he gets closer to the rim or start drives fast and slow down as he gets closer to the rim. He has the strength and frame to absorb contact, draw fouls, and get to the free-throw line. He starts the game aggressive attacking the rim and then when defenders key in on him as a driver he expands his range to the three-point line making him an inside-out player.

As a passer, he operates on drive and kicks and off dribble penetration and in the pick and roll. On drive and kick and off dribble penetration he gets deep in the paint, attracts multiple defenders, collapses the defense, and sets up open shooters for high percentage catch and shoot three-pointers. He has poise and calmness in his game handling double teams, blitzes, and hedges in the pick and roll. At times, he can struggle to pass through length. He can also overthink as a passer and make tough athletic passes in midair rather than simple ones which can lead to turnovers.

On the defensive end, he picks up ball-handlers from the backcourt and applies resistance wearing them out and making it tough for them to advance the ball.

A.J. Storr

Position: G

Height: 6 feet 5 inches

Age: 22 Years Old

College Teams: St. John's, Wisconsin, Kansas, and Ole Miss

A.J. Storr is a big guard who takes advantage of mismatches. He is a score-first guard who likes to create his own offense and be aggressive in hunting for his shot. He plays at his own pace and doesn't get sped up. He can elevate and shoot over smaller guards in the mid-range after getting to his spot. With the ball in his hands in one on one isolation situations, he can create a good amount of space and separation from defenders with step-back jumpers. Being a bigger guard, he rebounds well and can push the pace in transition going the length of the court. For most of the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, he had the ball in his hands, but he showed flashes of operating off the ball cutting to the rim or finding the open space along the three-point line for a catch and shoot three-pointer. He has a quick release, fluid shooting mechanics, and deep range. The flashes of him operating off the ball were promising to see since that will be more of his role at the NBA level, rather than having the ball in his hands and creating his own shot.

On the defensive end, he picks up full-court and applies resistance. He has a big frame, is physical, and has disruptive length making it tough for smaller guards to advance the ball when matched up against him.

Kylan Boswell

Position: G

Height: 6 feet 2 inches

Age: 21 Years Old

College Teams: Arizona and Illinois

Kylan Boswell is a guard who plays at a slow controlled pace and uses his body and frame to shield off defenders when attacking the rim. When getting to the rim, he is more of a straight-line driver than a crafty player with good footwork. His aggressiveness getting to the rim combined with his strong frame makes him a threat to get to the free-throw line at a high rate. He can feel the contact, initiate it, and take bumps while still maintaining body control.

On the defensive end is where he stands out the most being able to defend at a high level on and off the ball. He is effective guarding in one on one isolation situations anticipating where his defensive assignment is going and beating them to their spots. He has defensive lateral quickness, moves well laterally, and is physical, allowing him to cut off driving lanes to the rim. He picks up guards from the backcourt and applies resistance making it tougher to bring the ball up. As an off-ball defender, he is a glue guy and physical presence sticking with his matchup and preventing good off-ball movement along the three-point line or cuts to the rim for high-percentage quality looks. He is also quick to navigate and fight through off-ball screens preventing his team from having to help and switch into a bad matchup. He can also create offense from his defense generating steals and deflections and getting out in transition.

The next step for his game is to develop his three-point shot to become a three and d player at the next level and carve out more of a role for himself. Adding a three-point shot and becoming more of a threat will open more driving lanes for him to put the ball on the floor and get to the rim as a result of a harder defensive closeout.

Anthony Roy

Position: SG

Height: 6 feet 5 inches

Age: 24 Years Old

College Teams: San Francisco, Wenatchee Valley, New Mexico State, Langston, Green Bay, and Oklahoma State

Anthony Roy is a player who knows his role, plays it well, and gets his shots within the flow of the offense. He keeps his game simple. His main skillset is his ability to shoot the three off the dribble and in catch and shoot scenarios. He has a quick release, fluid shooting mechanics, and deep range. He is shot ready and doesn't hesitate when getting catch and shoot three-pointers. Even when he isn't making his three-point shots just attempting them at a high volume spaces the floor for his teammates and allows them to operate inside. When defenders closeout on him from the three-point line he has the ability to put the ball on the floor and get to the rim. He changes speed and direction attacking closeouts and isn't strictly a straight-line driver, making it hard for defenders to stay in front of him and keeping the defense on its heels. He doesn't shy away from contact, initiates it, and gets to the free-throw line when attacking closeouts. He has the strength and frame to finish through contact and display body control.

On the defensive end, he showed flashes of fighting through picks, moving well laterally through them, competing, and playing with a high motor, but it's about doing it consistently. He has the frame, size, and length to be a plus defender. He is also vocal on the defensive end calling out his matchup.

Izaiyah Nelson

Position: C

Height: 6 feet 10 inches

Age: 22 Years Old

College Teams: Arkansas State and South Florida

Izaiyah Nelson's main offensive skillset is being a traditional rim running athletic big. He is quick, explosive, and fluid running the floor which allows him to get high-percentage shots in transition. In the half-court, he plays well as a backdoor cutter and out of the dunker's spot as a lob threat with good hands catching tough passes. He can also catch the ball on the perimeter, take a few dribbles, and get to the rim. He has an effective tight handle for his size and long strides, making it hard for smaller players to get a hand on it and disrupt it. He is an athletic above the rim finisher who dunks most of the time. He gets extra possessions and second-chance opportunities with his ability to grab offensive rebounds. An area of improvement for him on the offensive end is setting picks and operating more in the pick and roll. He shies away from contact and looks to slip the pick more often than setting a hard pick and rolling to the rim.

On the defensive end is where his impact is felt the most. He is a defensive anchor. On the perimeter, he is a versatile defender who can defend multiple positions. He is a switchable defender in the pick and roll. He moves his feet well and has defensive lateral quickness for his size allowing him to stay in front of guards. He is quick on rotations and closing out to three-point shooters using his size and length to contest, alter, or block three-point shots. He can also operate in drop coverage as a rim protector and be an interior defensive presence. When blocking shots he has timing, instincts, and covers a lot of ground. He is disciplined defensively, jumping straight up without fouling when blocking shots. He can also break up lob passes at the rim. He is vocal calling out his team's defensive coverages.

Tobi Lawal

Position: F

Height: 6 feet 8 inches

Age: 22 Years Old

College Teams: VCU and Virginia Tech

Tobi Lawal is best when operating in the open court leaking out in transition. He is quick, explosive, and fills the lane well allowing him to outrun opposing teams and beat them down the floor leading to high-percentage shots in the paint. In the half-court, he operated in the post against smaller defenders. He goes to a turnaround shot in the post with touch and balance. The downside to his game is that he needs to improve his footwork and show more poise getting deep post positioning and backing down smaller defenders rather than immediately going for a turnaround shot as soon as he gets the ball.

His secondary offense in the half-court is cutting to the rim along the baseline backdoor attempting push shots or floaters with good touch. He showed flashes of playing bigger than his size operating as a forward in the pick and roll as a roller. He uses his quickness and mobility to roll to the rim. This will be an effective skill he can rely on more at the next level, with many forwards and guards having to set screens for scorers. He sets good hard picks that free up the pick and roll ball-handler and generate switches for scorers into mismatches.

When teams sagged off him from three-point range, he wasn't afraid to shoot catch and shoot three-pointers. He is slow to get into his three-point shot but has decent mechanics. With time and space to get his shot off, he can shoot the ball confidently and knock down the open ones. He expanded his range and grew more confident as the tournament progressed. In college catch and shoot threes weren't a strength for him but at the next level he will be someone who benefits from the extra spacing. When defenders guard him up close from the three-point line, he has long big strides attacking closeouts. He is physical pushing defenders around and getting to the rim.

In all aspects of the game, he showed his athleticism. He was the most athletic player in this Portsmouth Invitational Tournament and significantly more athletic than anyone else, which he used to his advantage to dominate the game. He is a lob threat with good hands and an above the rim finisher in the open court, as a cutter, and in the pick and roll as a roll man. His touch combined with his high-level athleticism makes him intriguing for the next level.

He is a player who uses his tools to his advantage to grab rebounds. He jumps high for rebounds, rebounds out of his area, and grabs tough contested rebounds through traffic and crowds. He gets extra possessions and second-chance opportunities for his team, while limiting them for the opposing team.

On defense, he is an active defender and moves well laterally. He is an effective post up defender not allowing deep post positioning and using his length to contest or alter shots. He is aggressive denying entry passes in the post and fronting the post causing the post up player to catch the ball farther away and forcing him to operate away from the basket.

Malik Dia

Position: PF

Height: 6 feet 9 inches

Age: 22 Years Old

College Teams: Vanderbilt, Belmont, and Ole Miss

Malik Dia is a skilled forward. In the open court, he operates more as a ball-handler than a leak-out rim runner. As a ball-handler in transition he has a tight handle for his size, plays at his own pace, and gets into a dribble pull-up jumper. He can grab defensive rebounds and push the pace. As a leak-out guy, he showed flashes and potential to be quick to run the floor and get all the way to the rim for high-percentage dunks and layups, but he had the ball in his hands more. In the half-court, he has an effective face-up game, creating his own shot off the dribble and creating separation with a step-back jumper. He operates in the post getting to turnaround shots. He has finesse, footwork, balance, and the size to shoot over smaller defenders when getting into that shot. He resorts more to skill and finesse in the post rather than using physicality and strength to back down smaller defenders. He is someone who doesn't like playing through contact and shies away from it.

Despite standing out on offense and being one of the most skilled players in this tournament, it is his defense that raises concerns and holds him back. He struggles to guard in space, is too upright, and doesn't move well laterally. He is slow on rotations and closing out on three-point shooters. When defending in the post, he allows deep post positioning and gets backed down leading to the post up player getting high-percentage shots.

Boopie Miller

Position: PG

Height: 6 feet 0 inches

Age: 22 Years Old

College Teams: Central Michigan, Wake Forest, and SMU

Boopie Miller is a guard who is a downhill driver as his main source of offense. He is quick pushing the pace in transition as a ball-handler. He plays at his own pace and is under control. He has a tight deceptive handle that defenders have a hard time disrupting. In the half-court, he either has a quick and explosive first step to blow by defenders or has the shiftiness to get them off-balance. He changes speeds and directions, either starting drives slowly and speeding up as he gets closer to the rim or starting drives fast and slowing down as he gets to the rim. He is a crafty finisher with good footwork and has a variety of finishes which allows him to navigate traffic and still be effective against bigger bodies crowding the paint. When he is not getting to the rim he can create separation from the defender with a step-back jump shot. He has lift and elevation getting off the ground, which makes it easier for him to get his shots over contests.

As a passer and facilitator he operates in drive and kick and off dribble penetration, in the pick and roll, in transition, and finding cutters in the half-court. As a drive and kick passer and off dribble penetration he gets deep in the paint, collapses the defense, and sets up three-point shooters for high-percentage catch and shoot three-pointers. In the pick and roll he is quick to find the roller at the rim and set them up for high-percentage shots in the paint. In transition, he sets up run out opportunities, finding the player leaking out.

On the defensive end, he has the qualities you want in an undersized guard. His main defensive skillset is picking up ball-handlers from the backcourt and applying resistance. He can fight through picks having defensive lateral quickness and moving well laterally with a low base. He has the strength to stay in front of bigger guards and hold his own. The only downside to him defensively is that his lack of size allows bigger players to shoot over him.

Felix Okpara

Position: C

Height: 6 feet 11 inches

Age: 22 Years Old

College Teams: Ohio State and Tennessee

Felix Okpara is a big who thrives running the floor in transition. He is quick and explosive as a rim running big outrunning opposing teams and converting on easy fast-break points. In the half-court, he is a pick and roll player as the roll man. He uses his quickness and mobility to roll to the rim or slip picks to get there. When he is not operating in the pick, he operates as a backdoor cutter and plays out of the dunker's spot finding the open space in the paint and making himself available for the guards to find him. He is a lob threat with good hands and an athletic finisher in the paint.

On the defensive end, he protects the rim with his shot-blocking ability. He is quick rotating from the weak side and gets to shots. He has timing, instincts, and covers a lot of ground when blocking shots. He is more of a rim protector, but he showed flashes of being able to handle being switched out on the perimeter. He guarded in space effectively moving his feet well for his size and being physical cutting off driving lanes, forcing low percentage tough contested long twos from mid-range.