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Too early to start talking about the 2006 NBA draft? Forget about it. NBA scouts have been combing gyms all summer to get a preview of coming attractions.

Summer might be the dead time for NBA players, but everyone else who plays basketball has stayed pretty busy.

Some of the top college players represented the U.S. at the Under 21 World Championships and World University Games. Several others served as camp counselors at the shoe camps as well as the elite Michael Jordan camp in Santa Barbara, Calif.

Top international players also were everywhere, playing for their home countries in the Under 21 Championships, the Tournament of the Americas, the Eurobasket European Championships and Under 18 Championships.

High school players competed at the three shoe camps, various AAU tournaments and at the Global Games. However, because of the new age restrictions that prohibit high school seniors from jumping directly to the NBA, their impact on this year's draft will be limited to a few players who will skip college and go to prep school this fall.

Insider talked to a number of the top NBA scouts around the world to get a quick look at some players who helped and hurt themselves over the summer. Next week, we'll use the info we gathered to update our top five by position for the first time this year.

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