Chipotle Nationals: African Standouts

There was some amazing African talent on display at the Chipotle Nationals, lets look at who stood out.

AJ Dybantsa: Congo/Jamaica 🇨🇬🇯🇲 (6’9, 17 years old)

Strengths

AJ Dybantsa’s Prolific Prep squad failed to advance past the quarterfinals losing in an overtime battle to Link Academy & Tre Johnson. Despite the loss, AJ Dybantsa showed why he is regarded as a potential #1 draft pick. His God-given length & athleticism allow him to excel in transition and get downhill at will. The skill is evident as well, using his rangy frame to euro step & pro-hop through traffic, regularly sliding through creases you don’t think are there at first glance.

Dybantsa makes things happen with the ball in his hand, constantly making plays for others due to his ability to draw multiple defenders. His height allows him to see over double teams, making it risky for defenses to opt for that coverage.

Dybantsa is a smothering on-ball disruptor with the foot speed to contain guards as well as the length to take away clean looks. I would like to see him be a bit more aggressive in closing out possessions with rebounds so that he can kick-start the break.

Per Synergy, Dybantsa shot 35.1% from 3, while his 3PA/FGA (3 pt. field goals attempted/ field goals attempted) is 0.38. Being clutch is also in his game as he made an extremely timely step-back 3 to send the quarterfinal game into a 2nd overtime vs. Link Academy.

Areas of Improvement

The best version of AJ Dybantsa is a player who is constantly assertive. He can regularly draw multiple defenders to create open looks and be a force on the glass while being a downhill force in transition. Though Dybantsa can make tough shots I want to see a better shot diet such as easy layups due to proper sealing technique, backdoor cuts when overplayed, and more activity on the offensive glass. He likes to settle for contested hang dribble step-backs and at times dribbles the air out of the ball instead of entering attack mode on the catch. It’s good that he embraces contact however he can be loose with the ball on drives, fumbling and exposing it a bit too much. Defensively, his issue is over-aggression which leads to bad technique that takes him out of plays rather than an inability to guard in space.

The encouraging aspect about AJ Dybantsa is that his improvements are all slight tweaks. He has the size, speed, and mentality to immensely succeed at the NBA level hence his #1 projection. 

Patrick Ngongba II: Central Africa Republic 🇨🇫 (6‘11, 18 years old)

Note: Due to Ngongba’s injury that derailed his senior season, we are relying on film and statistics from his junior season (Paul VI) as well as his Nike EYBL film & statistics (Team Takeover).

Making his season debut in the Chipotle Nationals was a huge feat for Patrick Ngongba II. The Duke commit had a strong summer on the EYBL circuit however he was sidelined with a broken foot and worked his way back to help his Paul VI team. Due to the nature of his injury Ngongba II played limited minutes however he showed some flashes of what makes him coveted. Though Ngongba is working himself back into playing shape he showed impressive flashes as a screen setter and was extremely smooth with soft hands & impeccable footwork. As a reliable threat in the post, he understands how to seal defenders and favors a right hook in the post.

Ngongba also handles double teams with patience, using his height and physicality to see over the top & deliver timely passes. He does have nice midrange and short-range touch so I am curious to see what his touch from range can develop into. Defensively he has size but as of right now he is not a shot-blocker, hopefully, proper wall-up technique and weak side activity will be enough to bother offenses. Transforming his body will help him unlock his athleticism and in turn, improve his ability to guard in space. Getting into peak condition after this foot injury will be imperative for the defensive aspect of Ngongba’s game and overall draft profile going forward.

Alier Maluk: South Sudan 🇸🇸 (6’11, 18 years old) 

The South Sudanese native showed impressive flashes in Indianapolis shooting the ball and he played with a high level of activity on the glass. Headed to Florida State next year, he will be immersed in a program with a track record of producing productive NBA talent. The intrigue with Maluk is that at 6‘11 he protects the rim and is a threat from range. Going forward we will be monitoring his ability to play “.5” basketball(“.5” basketball is a philosophy that emphasizes deciding to pass, shoot, or drive the basketball within a half second) and his decision-making within that conceptual style of play.

Maluk shot 33% from range with his 3PA/FGA being 0.33. At 6’11 he is a legit floor spacer. His catch-and-shoot ability is reliable so it will be interesting to see if he can move into the realm of movement shooter in the coming year.

At his size he can put the ball on the floor with ease, he also is a solid off-ball cutter.