Nike EYBL 2014 Preview

After almost one month of AAU action, the first and only live period of the spring begins for college coaches on Friday night. With limited time and recruits playing in all parts of the country there will be lots of frequent flier miles earned in a three day span. Big time recruits and big name coaches will be seen in Pittsburgh and Kansas (Under Armour), Dallas (Adidas), and Sacramento (Nike). While the EYBL talent level might be down a bit from last year, it will still be the premier stop for high major college coaches. This year six out of the top seven ranked players in the class of 2015 will be playing on Nike teams and 14 out of the top 25. In addition seven of the top 10 players in the class of 2016 will also be playing. Last year it was players such as Kelly Oubre and Reid Travis that made the leap with the play during the spring and summer Nike AAU circuit. Who will it be this year?

 

New Faces: Who are the top players that made the leap from other shoe circuits to the Nike EYBL?

Ben Simmons, 6’8”, 220, F, Montverde (FL), Each 1 Teach 1, Committed to LSU, No. 4 - 2015

The native of Australia will suit up for the defending Nike champions this year. After staying away from the AAU circuit last year, the smooth and versatile forward will join up with some of Florida’s finest in hopes of becoming the first team to win back to back titles. The future Tiger is a hard cover for anyone on the high school level with a smooth game. He has the size and strength of a power forward, but can handle the ball like a guard. 

Stephen Zimmerman, 6’11”, F/C, Bishop Gorman (NV), Oakland Soldiers, No. 5 - 2015

No longer sophomores, Rabb, Newman, & Zimm are ready to roll

Fresh off another state title at Bishop Gorman, Zimmerman made the jump to the EYBL. No longer will he team with high school teammate Chase Jeter on Dream Vision opting to play with five-star and No. 1 ranked Ivan Rabb and the Oakland Soldiers instead. Early on it looks as though the Soldiers will have the top offensive frontcourt in the EYBL, but how Rabb and Zimmerman mesh remains to be seen.

Henry Ellenson, 6’9”, PF, Rice Lake (WI), WI Playground Elite, No. 62 - 2015

Ellenson noted that he wanted to test himself against the best players and play in an up-tempo style when discussing why he switched AAU teams. He will be able to do just that with the Playground Elite this year. Fresh off a Duke offer, Ellenson will be able to show off his ball-handling and shooting skills to all of the coaches watching the EYBL action.

The Debut: Who are the top young guys playing one year up?

On Saturday at 9am PST, all eyes will be on either Court 1 or Court 4 in Sac-town.

Harry Giles, 6’8”, F, Wesleyan Christian (NC), CP3, No. 1 - 2016

The number one player in the class of 2016 is scheduled to make his first public appearance after tearing both his ACL and MCL in June playing for the 16U USA team. Last April, coaches such as John Calipari, Roy Williams, and Coach K would line up for Giles’ 8am AAU games on the 16U circuit. While there will no doubt be a lot of rust you can be sure that all of the big name college coaches will be there to see Giles back in action. One new face that will be seen following Giles throughout the summer will be that of Danny Manning now at Wake Forest which is right in Giles’ backyard.

Jayson Tatum, 6’7”, G/F, Chaminade College Prep (MO), St. Louis Eagles, No. 2 - 2016

Tatum is ranked number two in the current sophomore class and could easily be the top player soon. Last year the lanky guard destroyed the 16U circuit and scored basically at will. Now that he will be playing on the 17U level it will be hard for Tatum to score so easily, but his advanced skill-set will serve him well. In early April he led his young Eagles team to the championship game of the Swish N’ Dish and just like Giles will also be a main draw for the blue bloods in college basketball.

The King Is Back: Malik Newman, 6’4”, G, Jackson Tigers

It seems like just yesterday that combo guard Malik Newman was dropping buckets in the Dallas EYBL in 2012. Now, after another state championship under his belt the EYBL veteran is ready for his third year on the circuit. Last year Newman led the EYBL in scoring with 24.1 points per game despite having just finished his sophomore year. Some of his games were simply amazing such as the 36 point performance he put up on Spiece Indy last year on 13-20 shooting and the 32 points he put on Arkansas. Newman can score in pretty much any situation and is almost impossible to guard in one on one situations. He can drive with either hand, shoot off the dribble, and can utilize the pick and roll. It will be fun to watch Newman, the No. 2 ranked recruit up close again which will begin on Friday night against Each 1 Teach 1.

Don’t Forget About Me: Mickey Mitchell, 6’7”, SF, Texas Titans

After his freshman year Mitchell was considered a top five player in the class of 2015. After an ACL injury that forced him to miss action last summer Mitchell is now ranked No. 31 in the class. Mitchell committed to Ohio State last August and currently remains a Buckeye despite having his older brother transfer out of the football program in February. Before he tore his ACL, Mitchell was a do everything type of player. He could handle the ball comfortably and shoot efficiently from the outside. He will play for one of the top teams in the country and will look to become a topic of conversation once again.

Players That Could Make the Jump:

Jawun Evans, 5’10”, PG, Kimball (TX), Texas Elite, No. 38 - 2015

Last year Evans played for the SC Raptors Elite AAU team and the Clemson staff was in full pursuit. Evans subsequently moved to the Dallas area and had a stellar junior season for Kimball High. Arguably the quickest point guard in his class, Evans is now ranked No. 38 in the country and will be playing in the EYBL circuit. With a strong spring, Evans could rise up in a class void of five-star point guards.

Antonio Blakeney, 6’3”, Oak Ridge (FL), E1T1, No. 39 - 2015

Blakeney was the leading scorer in the City of Palms tournament this past weekend and will look to bring his high scoring ways into the EYBL circuit. The 6’3” shooting guard has his choice of suitors right now and after a significant rise in the rankings sits at No. 39 in the country. He can get by defenders in one on one situations and can also hit multiple threes per game. If the wiry guard can show an improved mid-range game he could become one of the top scorers in the EYBL.

Jarvis Johnson, 6’0”, PG, De La Salle (MN), Howard Pulley, No. 71 - 2015

Last year Johnson came off the bench for Howard Pulley and showed his explosive athleticism at times, but was forced to play behind future Duke guard Tyus Jones. Now with free reign at the point guard spot, Johnson should become one of the most exciting players to watch. Last year he averaged 8.7 ppg and 2.2 apg, but bumped that up to 12.6 ppg during five Peach Jam games. He currently sits at No. 71 in the class of 2015.

Raymond Spalding, 6’9”, PF, Trinity (KY), The Travelers, No. 75 - 2015

Spalding averaged about five points and four rebounds per game last year in the EYBL, but given his height and length he is an extremely intriguing prospect. He averaged 13.4 points and 10.3 rebounds per game this past high school season and will look to build on that during the AAU season. Spalding currently sits at No. 75 in the rankings, but oozes potential which has in-state programs Kentucky and Louisville interested in the junior.

Esa Ahmad, 6’7”, F, Shaker Heights (OH), All Ohio Red, No. 92 - 2015

The powerful 6’7” Ahmad got off to a strong start in April beginning with a championship run at the NY2LA Swish N’ Dish. Right now, Ahmad is too strong for most wings and too quick for most power forwards. He can drain threes from the wings and finish with muscle down low. The top teams in the Big 10 are interested and will be keeping a close eye on Ahmad going forward. He is currently ranked No. 92, but will most likely make a big jump when the next rankings come out.

Josh Reaves, 6’5”, SF, Paul VI (VA), Team Takeover, No. 98 - 2015

The junior swingman had a coming out party this past season playing for Paul VI in the WCAC. After barely playing as a sophomore, Reaves was one of the big surprises during the high school season. He has drawn interest from ACC and Big East schools in the mid-Atlantic and also just cracked the Top 100 at No.98 this past winter. Playing for the always strong Team Takeover should help Reaves continue to develop as the interest continues to grow.

Other Players to Watch:

Deyonta Davis, 6’9”, PF, Muskegon (MI), Spiece Indy Heat

The relatively unknown Davis committed in December to the in-state Spartans. He led his Muskegon team to the Class A state championship in Michigan this past year by scoring 26 points on 10-12 shooting while adding 13 rebounds and three blocks. Max Preps named him a second team junior All-American.

Aaron Folzan, 6’8”, SF, Northfield Mount Hermon (MA), Expressions Elite

Folzan averaged almost 10 points and six rebounds per game last year in the EYBL but also knocked in 47 three pointers at a 36% clip. He has range on his jump shot and is comfortable shooting beyond NBA range. He should see his scoring rise by at least five points per game this year.

Dejounte Murray, 6’4”, SG, Rainier Beach (WA), NW Express, No. 46 – 2015

Rainier Beach was one of the top high school teams in the country this past year and shooting guard Dejounte Murray was their top underclassman. Murray currently is being pursued by the majority of PAC-12 schools and received a big rankings boost with his high school play. With a strong AAU performance his stock could continue to rise.

Five Teams to Watch:

1) Oakland Soldiers – With Rabb and Zimmerman playing together the Soldiers will have two top five players in the same front court along with 6’10” Chimezie Metu, 6’6” Rex Pflueger, 6’1” Max Hazzard and possibly Derryck Thornton from the class of 2016.

2) Team Scan – Just like the Soldiers, Team Scan has a formidable front court with 6’9” Cheick Diallo and 6’10” Thomas Bryant. While they might not be as talented on the offensive end it will be tough for any opponent to score in the paint. Team Scan also gains the services of Tyus Battle, one of the top wings in 2016.

3) Texas Titans – The Titans return pretty much their entire team and they are led by a group of top ranked players from Plano, TX in Mickey Mitchell, D.J. Hogg, and Tyler Davis. Powerful guard King McClure also returns as does 6’11” Djery Baptiste.

4) Texas Elite – Another Texas team that was predominantly underclassmen last year features a loaded squad. The top players on this team are 6’9” Elijah Thomas, 6’5” guards Austin Grandstaff and Matt McQuaid, and also 5’10” point guard Juwan Evans.

5) All Ohio Red – As noted above this team won the Swish N’ Dish and finished second in The Real Deal In The Rock tournament. They blew out Mac Irvin and the St. Louis Eagles a month ago and are a well balanced team. They push the pace and have players that can score inside and outside. D’Mitrik Trice is a sparkplug at the point position.

Bonus Teams:

6) Each 1 Teach 1 – The defending champions lose a lot, but they also add Ben Simmons and big man Daniel Giddens. These two will team with the Charles Barkley of the EYBL in Alex Owens. Last year Owens was huge off the bench in the Peach Jam. Along with these guys down low, Antonio Blakeney will light things up from the outside.

7) Arkansas Wings – The Wings took home the 16U crown last year in North Augusta and feature high scoring guards in Malik Monk and Melvin Frazier. They also added 6’10” Skal Labissiere.

Five Games to Watch:

1. Team CP3 vs. Oakland Soldiers (Saturday, 3PM PST)

The return of Harry Giles for CP3 and the first game for Rabb and Zimmerman in the EYBL.

2. Jackson Tigers vs. E1T1 (Friday, 8:30PM PST)

High scoring Newman goes against Blakeney and the defending champions.

3. Texas Elite vs. Team Scan (Sunday, 8AM PST)

Elite will be without big man Elijah Thomas but has plenty of fire power at the guard spots when taking on the twin towers of Bryant and Diallo.

4. Houston Hoops vs. Mac Irvin Fire (Saturday, 3PM PST)

Top point guard in Jalen Brunson and De’Aron Fox match-up while Luwane Pipkins will provide plenty of three's.

5. Texas Titans vs. All Ohio Red (Sunday, 3PM PST)

Esa Ahmad goes against a taller Titans squad.