Every year, the best and brightest young players from around the globe get a chance to take on their American counterparts in the Nike Hoops Summit. This annual basketball game is played under international rules and features the USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Select Team, comprised of the top high school boy senior players, playing against a World Select Team, comprised of top players 19-years-old or younger from around the world.

Tickets for the Nike Hoop Summit are on sale now, with lower bowl tickets going for just $6 when you buy before the day of the event. For more information visit nikehoopsummit.com. ,br>
Here is some information on the players from around the globe who will be descending on Portland for the Nike Hoop Summit on April 12. As you can see, the USA Team is going to have their hands full this year.

Emmanuel Negedu (Nigeria): Brewster Academy, New Hampshire

One of the most talented players on the World Select Team, Negedu averaged 17.1 points and 12.5 rebounds this season for Brewster, leading the Bobcats to a New England Preparatory School Athletic Council Class A championship. Negedu was named Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of New Hampshire. His high school coach described Negedu as follows:

His motor combined with his athleticism is best described as freakish. His best trait is how hard he plays. He has cut his head on the rim a couple times. At 6-foot-6, he plays like somebody who is 6-10. Right when he arrived from Nigeria as a freshman, you could notice his freakish athleticism, and his skill level has improved dramatically since then.

A four star rated prospect, Negedu has already signed a letter of intent to play for the Arizona Wildcats.

Samardo Samuels (Jamaica): St. Benedict Prep, New Jersey

A member of the McDonald’s All-American Team and the New Jersey Gatorade Player of the Year, Samuels has already signed on to play at Louisville next season. A superior athlete at 6-8, 250 lbs., Samuels will probably be relied on to get points in the paint for the World team. Rated as the No. 1 center prospect in his high school class by ESPN, Samuels is described as:

… very effective using his body to create space inside. He understands how to rebound the ball and has excellent hands. He seems to be more explosive getting off the floor each time out, which is a testament to him getting into better shape. Samuels plays with energy and intensity each time out, and is consistent in putting up big scoring and rebounding numbers.

Angel Garcia (Puerto Rico): East Chicago Central High School, Illinois

A highly sought-after college prospect, Garcia entertained offers from many D-I programs before deciding to play for John Calipari at Memphis.

Garcia was considered one of the Tigers' top targets, especially after the 6-foot-11 inch forward put on an awesome display of athleticism and skill at coach John Calipari's elite summer camp in June. Garcia, ranked No. 27 overall in the class of 2008 by Rivals.com, chose Memphis over Indiana. Garcia moved to the U.S. last season and played at East Chicago (Ind.) Central High. He played this summer for the Puerto Rican National Team at the under-19 championships in Serbia, where Memphis assistant coach Chuck Martin traveled to watch him play.

Garcia seemingly prefers to play on the perimeter despite being 6-10. According to ESPN, his hesitancy to play in the post limits his effectiveness as a scorer and a rebounder.

For a kid who's 6'11" he refuses to go down low. Garcia hangs out on the perimeter all day where he displays a good shot to 15 feet. He is thin and soft which explains his hesitancy to mix it up in the post. Obviously, he is not a good rebounder. He really needs to develop his back to the basket game.

Devoe Joseph (Canada): Pickering High School, Ontario

Averaged 22.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists while playing for the Canadian team during the 2007 FIBA U-19 World Championships. Of his performance in the Under 19 Championships, Draft Express.com noted:

Although he played the point for some stretches, he showed very little playmaking mentality. At least, team playmaking, because the great majority of his efforts have a single destination: his own points. The guy has a great ability to release his shot off the dribble, even against opposition, and enjoys a nice soft touch. Still, he takes way too many shots, eventually forcing them and becoming predictable, so his percentages suffered. He has nice ball-handling skills that he uses to unbalance his rivals in order to release his jumper or to attack them looking for the basket, where he shows nice ability to step into the lane and finish around the rim.

Pickering has reportedly signed to play for Tubby Smith at Minnesota.

Zygimantas Janavicius (Lithuania): B.C. Zalgiris Kaunas

A staple at point guard for the junior Lithuanian National teams, Janavicius displays solid playmaking skills on consistent basis. During the U-18 European Championships, Janavicius took on the do-everything role for the Lithuanians. According to Draft Express …

As usual, he was a high-tempo playmaker for Lithuania, a kind of wild player that sometimes gets too out of control. Very incisive as always, the pick-and-roll play was often his first option, usually setting for one-on-one plays deeper in the shot-clock, always trying to split defenses and feed his teammates (he ended up third in assists in the championship) or finish himself with his left-handed layups. He’s certainly an aggressive guy, and even sometimes goes too far and commits offensive fouls in the process. Although pretty erratic in all his actions ending up with very low percentages, he looked a bit better with his mid-range jumper off the dribble, but still showing awful accuracy from behind the arc. If there’s something he will have to work hard on this following season, it’s his shooting stroke. It’s probably the biggest difference with the brighter Janavicius we saw last summer. On defense, he was solid, using his quickness and showing that aggressiveness that drives his entire game.

For more information about these players and the rest of the World Select Team, visit nikehoopsummit.com. Tickets for the Hoop Summit are on sale, with lower bowl tickets going for just $6.