Cam Whitmore showed the immense potential that labeled him as one of the best basketball players in the country. Leading up to draft night, he was a top candidate to secure the fourth slot. Before this, he was considered among the top fifteen recruits in the country as well. Whitmore was a five-star recruit out of high school and he never failed to impress scouts on the court.
The Houston Rockets player spent an entire year at Villanova participating in a total of 26 games. He averaged 12.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game and played as a starter in 18 matchups.
The 19-year-old small forward was named Big East Freshman of the Year in 2023 before Villanova got knocked out of the NCAA post-season in the first round. Whitmore was named McDonald’s All-American and participated in the Nike Hoop Summit as well as the Jordan Brand Classic tournament.
According to Sports Illustrated, Cam Whitmore was “one of the best athletes in the country last season. He plays with power and energy that sticks out when he’s on the floor.” Whitmore was expected to be selected No.4 overall until the teams began to pass up on him due to concerning medical reports. This was quite an upset for Whitmore especially after he had an incredible college run with the Villanova Wildcats.
Cam Whitemore was unaware of the “medical concerns” that led to his fall in the 2023 NBA Draft
From being a top candidate for the fourth spot in the 2023 NBA Draft, Cam Whitmore, unfortunately, slipped further away from it. The Rockets did not draft him at the fourth slot but instead selected Amen Thompson of the Overtime Elite.
The 6″7 foot forward averaged 16.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 5.9 assists while being extremely reliable according to the Rockets. According to Sports Illustrated, Houston did not want to risk drafting Whitmore as high as the fourth pick due to medical concerns.
Tough bucket by Cam Whitmore 😤 pic.twitter.com/f0CpDpfadX
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) July 18, 2023
Surprisingly, Cam Whitmore seemed unaware of any lingering injuries or health-related issues. He told Kelly Iko of The Athletic, “I feel fine, it’s my body.” Another major letdown was his long history of poor workouts and interviews. Luckily enough, Whitmore got a second chance as the Rockets eventually came back to select the 20th pick in the draft. Since then, Cam has been performing exceptionally well and far better than expected.
Cam Whitmore is this year’s Summer League MVP:
20.4 PPG | 5.6 RPG | 3.0 SPG
The No. 20 overall pick and the Rockets (5-0) play in the championship game tonight 🚀 pic.twitter.com/GhJ5xQWiJs
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 17, 2023
While Amen Thompson has also been great, Cam Whitmore outperformed his rookie teammate during the 2023 NBA Summer League Tournament. He led the Rockets to an undefeated record of 5-0 ultimately earning a shot at the title.
Whitmore averaged 19.3 points and 7.7 rebounds playing 31 minutes per game. At times, Whitmore showed great potential in the absence of Thompson as well. Even though the Rockets failed to capture the title, Whitmore rightfully earned Summer League MVP honors.