Future Kansas wing Javon Bardwell makes all-tourney team at international event
Javon Bardwell, the first member of the high school recruiting class of 2027 to commit to play basketball at Kansas, earned a spot on the five-player Adidas Eurocamp all-tournament team following his recent performance at the 70-player, three-day event in Treviso, Italy.
Bardwell, a 6-foot-6, 175-pound small forward out of the Overtime Elite program in Atlanta and Compton Magic AAU team in California, scored 25 points on 11-for-19 shooting (3-of-7 from 3) with seven rebounds in Adidas 3SSB Select Team’s 89-83 victory over Next Generation.
Bardwell — he’s currently ranked No. 13 in the class of 2027 by 247Sports, No. 24 by Rivals and No. 37 by ESPN at this early date — also scored 11 points and grabbed eight rebounds in an 81-66 loss to Eurocamp 1 in his only other game in last week’s tourney.
“The 2027 Kansas player has flashed dynamic shot-making, high-level defensive intensity and explosive finishing in front of a big audience of NBA scouts in Treviso,” Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com wrote from the event.
“Bardwell’s production was impressive, but so was the way it came. Bardwell played with confidence, showed smooth wing flashes and looked comfortable creating offense within the flow of the game,” wrote SI.com.
Other all-tourney selections: Maxence Lemoine, Malique Lewis, Joaquim Boumtje and Pavle Backo.
“For a player already committed to one of the premier college basketball programs in the country, performances like this matter. Eurocamp gives players a chance to compete against different styles, different levels of physicality and prospects from all over the world. Bardwell didn’t just hold his own in that setting. He stood out as one of the top performers of the day. He also had the opportunity to learn from Philadelphia 76ers star VJ Edgecombe, who is a special guest at the event,” SI.com added.
More praise came from thehoopspill.com which wrote on Instagram: “Javon Bardwell put on a show at Adidas Eurocamp, showing exactly why he’s one of the most highly-touted guards in his class. The 6-6 playmaker displayed his versatility on both ends, knocking down shots, creating for teammates and making an impact defensively against top competition from around the world. Bardwell’s size, skill set and poise continued to stand out throughout the event as he proved he can compete with some of the best young talent in basketball.”
Bardwell, who goes by the nickname “Vonny,” is off to a spectacular start on the AAU circuit this spring/summer season.
He averaged 20.7 points and 6.7 rebounds a game through two events of the summer Adidas circuit.
On May 16, he scored 32 points on 11-of-18 shooting with seven rebounds and four assists in Compton Magic’s 75-71 victory over Garner Road at the Adidas event in Mishawaka, Indiana. On May 15, he scored 26 points with 10 rebounds and two assists in a 71-64 win over Mass Rivals. He had 19 points and eight rebounds in a 64-36 win over Team Lillard and 18 points and three rebounds in an 82-57 win over Atlanta Celtics.
After the 32-point effort against Garner Road, Pro Insight wrote: “Bardwell was in attack mode, making his impact felt in all areas of the floor with a high energy level, consistently generating paint touches and drawing contact at the rim. Defensively, he was active, routinely disrupting the opponent.”
A Harlem, New York native who grew up in Arizona, Bardwell committed to KU on Oct. 3, choosing the Jayhawks over offers from Texas, Louisville, USC and others.
He plays for Diamond Doves in the Overtime Elite League. According to the OTE website he averaged 17.9 points (on 45.7% shooting), 6.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists during OTE games last season. He averaged 15.0 points and 4.3 rebounds per game in the OTE playoffs.
Ever since he committed to KU there’s been talk he might switch to the recruiting class of 2026 and play for KU in 2026-27. With no apparent movement on that front, it appears he’s sticking with the class of 2027.
“Javon Bardwell has a great frame with length and projectability,” wrote Jamie Shaw of Rivals. “He will need to continue adding strength and consolidating his game, but he is a high scoring wing around 6-6 as things stand.”
Adam Finkelstein of 247Sports offered an extensive scouting report on Bardwell after the first AAU tourney in California.
“Bardwell is a big-time athlete and elite leaper with the positional size and length to match on the wing. He gets his head on the rim with ease, was one of the most emphatic finishers in the field and a constant threat in the open court,” wrote Finkelstein. “There are signs of skill as well, but he hasn’t always been efficient with his process of trying to show it. He has a good first step, elongates his strides going through the lane and has a little bit of handle when not trying to do too much with it.
“He has shooting potential, a high release, and can get his pullup off whenever he wants, albeit a pattern of settling for tough ones and sometimes shooting down on his release. He has real upside on the defensive end. The bottom line is that he’s ultra-talented and still has a lot of potential to keep putting the pieces together.”
In other class of 2027 news, Rivals reports that NaVorro Bowman Jr., a 6-3 senior-to-be point guard from Notre Dame High in Sherman Oaks, California, has set up official visits to Texas and Stanford with KU and Arizona also in the mix. He is ranked No. 18 nationally by ESPN and No. 19 by Rivals.
Bowman has been competing at USA Basketball’s Under 17 World Cup training camp in Colorado.
“The toughness and physicality and grit of NaVorro Bowman Jr showed up each time he stepped on the floor,” wrote Jamie Shaw of Rivals. “The 6-3 point guard was the best perimeter rebounder in attendance and he gave effort every rep when defending the point-of-attack. While his decision-making will need to tighten some, he showed he could shoot the ball. He is the son of former All-Pro NFL linebacker NaVorro Bowman.”
