UAA LA Recap

Under Armour wrapped up their third and final edition of league play this past Memorial Day weekend in Southern California after previously making pit stops in New York and Indiana. With each team playing four games over a two-day period there were multiple players that showcased their skills.

Top 17U Team To Watch: Team Charlotte

Team Charlotte, led by head coach Jeff McInnis went 4-0 over the weekend winning their games by an average of 15 points. With their four wins, Charlotte finished with the top overall record in the UAA regular season at 11-1. They play a frenetic pace that makes opponents uncomfortable in a hurry. Junior point guard Devon Dotson helps set this pace as one of the quickest guards in the country. Standing at just 6’0”, Dotson has a quick burst and can finish aggressively around the rim. For the weekend he averaged 16 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.8 assists. Meanwhile, the team’s leading scorer, Tyshon Alexander put together another quietly stellar performance averaging just over 16 points a game while going 53% from the three-point line. Creighton certainly got a steal in Alexander.

Top 16U Team to Watch: Team Rio

This distinction probably should go to Team Thad who actually beat Team Rio in their last game of the tournament and finished 11-1 overall, but I was able to watch more of Team Rio over the course of two days. Team Rio is coached by former Rutgers coach Mike Rice, and they are led by two of the top rising sophomores in the country in Bryan Antoine and Scottie Lewis. Both Antoine and Lewis are 6’5” athletic guards that come from the same high school (Ranney) in Jersey. While Antoine was responsible for bringing the ball up the court, both guards are true scorers. Antoine went for 30 points in his first game and then went 3-7 from three in his third game scoring 19 points. Lewis had a weekend high of 16 points against Team Charlotte. Both guards can attack the rim and are threats from the perimeter with a high ceiling going forward.

Notes:

Senior guard Jalek Felton averaged 21.3 points and 5.8 assists putting together three out of four extremely strong performances. He also shot 64% from the floor and 40% from three, despite a 1-10 performance to start the second day. Felton’s passing skills were on display early and often as he was threading the needle with one hand passes and throwing others that most guards wouldn’t dare attempt. Tyler Ulis, Ben Simmons, and Lonzo Ball have been the top passers in the last three high school classes and now Felton will join them from the 2017 class. While his vision has never been questioned, it was nice to see Felton scoring the ball at a high clip. With a quick first step, Felton can beat most defenders off the dribble, but he is sometimes content to hang beyond the 3-point line.

Five-star guard Trevon Duval had an up and down two days in California. In his Saturday night and Sunday morning performances he averaged 19.5 points per game, but fell off at the end with just five points in a blowout win. Despite the uneven scoring performances and three-point shooting, the main takeaway from the weekend was the upper body strength gain made by Duval. It had been since August when I last saw Duval in person, but his svelte physique was immediately noticeable, one which he used to punish smaller guards with on several occasions.

Another powerful point guard was the 6’3” Paul Scruggs from Indiana who helped his Indy Hoosiers go 4-0 with four double-digit scoring performances. To go along with his muscular frame, Scruggs sports a long wing-span and decent quickness which allows him to attack the basket and convert inside the paint.

Five-star center Austin Wiley made his debut this weekend after being plagued with injuries throughout his high school career. Given his size and build, Wiley had a post advantage against most opponents. He averaged 10 points and just over 10 rebounds a game.

DC Premier is another team that went 4-0 to finish at 10-2 in the season. They were led by a three-headed monster of 2018 guard Prentiss Hubb, 2017 combo Naji Marshall, and 6’8” big man Nate Watson. Marshall impressed with his size and ability to attack the basket averaging 15 points per game. Hubb displayed his speed and vision getting baskets in the open court while also averaging 6.8 assists per game. Finally, improving big man Nate Watson from Bishop O’ Connell averaged 12.3 points and seven rebounds a game including an 18 and 11 performance to kick the weekend off. Watson has a powerful base to go along with a good set of hands. Most of his baskets came at the rim, but at one point he did knock down a 12-foot jumper off of the pick and roll. With his play in the spring Watson has received interest from Kansas, Maryland, Providence, N.C. State, Wake Forest, Marquette, Miami, and UNC and he plans on taking a few unofficial visits in June with Maryland being a definite visit.

Josh Anderson, a 6’5” guard from Louisiana was easily one of the top players over the weekend as he averaged 20 points a game including a 28-point performance against Duval’s We R One team. Anderson used his athletic ability to attack the rim and was able to score or get to the line on a consistent basis.

The Houston Defenders were another team that went 4-0. 6’5” Trevor Moore put on a shooting display Sunday morning knocking down five three’s in the first half. Point guard Cameron Mack is a bit on the under-rated side as he used his explosiveness to get into the lane at will and finally highly ranked Jaedon Ladee came off the bench and used his length to corral rebounds while finishing explosively around the rim.

Jalek Felton - UNC

10 years ago Raymond Felton was leading the Tar Heel fast break for the 2005 National Champions. Almost 10 years later, another Felton is on his way to Chapel Hill. Five-star sophomore Jalek Felton and Raymond’s nephew, made public his decision to follow in the family foot-steps to Chapel Hill. Despite being three years away from setting foot on the Dean Dome floor, the Felton commitment provided a ray of light to the UNC fan base.

While Raymond was a pure point guard, his nephew Jalek is currently known as a combo guard although he possesses some of the best passing skills in the high school game. At 6’3”, Felton is currently ranked No. 6 in the sophomore class by Scout.com and was named to the MaxPreps All-Freshman Second Team last year after averaging 21.9 points per game for Mullins (S.C.) High. This year, Jalek has boosted his scoring numbers and recently scored 51 points in the famed Beach Ball Classic.

In the last week of the 2013 July recruiting period, UNC head coach Roy Williams veered away from his primary targets in the 2013 and 2014 classes to take in a few viewings of Felton, despite the fact that he had just finished the eighth grade.  Felton later attended the 2013 “Late Night With Roy” with friend and fellow UNC target Harry Giles. After countless visits to the Dean Dome this past summer to play and watch pick-up, Felton received the one scholarship he coveted in mid-November and committed just over a month later.

With the academic scandal hanging over the UNC program like a black cloud, there is no doubt that recruiting has taken a hit recently. The Tar Heels have struck out on the majority of their top targets in 2015 and only have three-star forward Luke Maye locked up. They are heavily involved with numerous five-star recruits in 2016, but for Tar Heel fans it is at least nice to know that they have locked up one of the most talented guards in the 2017 class.

Right now, Jalek is an athletic combo guard that can finish above the rim and also hit from well beyond the three point line. While he can score, Felton can also make plays for teammates. During October, Felton was invited to the USA Developmental Camp in Colorado Springs and impressed with his natural passing ability. With two and a half years left to develop there is no doubt that Jalek should be able to follow in his uncle’s footsteps and contribute from Day 1. He might even be able to get his jersey next to Raymond’s in the rafters.

Strengths:

·         -Size and athleticism

·         -Scoring ability, lots of backspin on his outside shot

·         -Ball-handling and passing ability

Improvement Areas:

·         -Killer instinct – Felton can sometimes play too passive and not take advantage of his scoring ability

·         -Outside shot – Good range and spin, but shoots a set-shot from three with a wind-up motion

·         -Turnovers – Can sometimes get too fancy with passes and needs to tighten up moves in the half-court set

USA Basketball Camp: Day 1

Day 1 is in the books from the USA camp with one more to go on Sunday. 48 players took place in the two day USA Developmental Camp with 11 players from the class of 2015 mixed in with 37 freshmen and sophomores making their first appearance in a USA type setting.

Grown Man Strength:

Given the age gap between the seniors and younger kids it’s no surprise that the older guys dominated physically. Last year at this time, Rashad Vaughn (UNLV) and senior Eric Davis went up for a contested lay-up. The older Vaughn finished through contact and the younger Davis ended up on the floor saying “that’s some grown man strength right there.” This year it started out in a few simple half court 2 on 2 and 1 on 1 drills. Small forward Jaylen Brown and Scout.com’s No. 1 player man handled a few of the younger wings as he bulldozed his way to the rim. 7’0” center Stephen Zimmerman took advantage of the much younger EJ Montgomery for easy finishes in the post.

2015 Standouts:

Stephen Zimmerman, C, 7’0”, Bishop Gorman (NV)

In June of 2013, Zimmerman was the top ranked prospect in his class. After a subpar spring and summer on the AAU circuit he now sits at No. 14. That being said, Zimmerman is a completely different player than he was during his AAU days. It started with a MVP performance at the Nike Global Challenge in August and continued in both sessions at the USA camp. Looking looser on the court, Zimmerman got up and down with ease, made some viscous dunks and was comfortable hitting shots from all parts of the court. 

Zimmerman is set to kick off his official visits with a trip to Kansas next week. After visiting Lawerence he will be at Kentucky, UCLA, and Arizona. There is also a strong possibility of an unofficial visit to Notre Dame.

Henry Ellenson, F, 6’10, Rice Lake (WI)

It didn’t take long for Ellenson to get going. As soon as full-court drills began Ellenson became a primary ball handler for his team and scored three consecutive baskets on a tough drive and finish in the lane, a deep step back jump shot, and a fast break and one lay-up. Ellenson’s game usually got started from the perimeter where he has range to hit the three point shot, but given his ball-handling skills he was also mixing in step back jump shots with drives to the front of the rim. On the defensive side he mixed it up down low and used his lengthy wing span to contest shots in the paint. 

Ellenson has three schools left on his list: Marquette, Michigan State, and Kentucky. He’s taken officials to both Marquette and Michigan State and will be in Lexington, KY for their Big Blue Madness.

Caleb Swanigan, PF, 6’8”, Homestead (IN)

The best way to describe Swanigan is that of a junkyard dog. While usually a bit shorter than his opponents, Swanigan usually bullies them around down low for lay-ups. He made his mark this way at the 17U USA tryouts in July and continued to do so during Day 1 of the camp. He plays with a hard motor, has a strong upper body, and possesses nimble feet in the post. It didn’t matter if you were a young guy or a senior, Swanigan was looking to punish his defender with simple, but effective post moves. 

Luke Kennard, SG, 6’5”, Franklin (OH), Duke

The future Duke Blue Devil looked calm and under control throughout Day 1. He also caught fire from behind the arc in the evening and hit four three’s in one scrimmage. Kennard handled the ball and was also extremely aggressive on the boards. Throughout the drills and scrimmages Kennard played with a veteran’s poise and was one of the clear leaders of camp.

2017 / 2018 Standouts:

Michael Porter Jr. G/F, 6’7”, Father Tolton Catholic (MO), 2017

In the first day it might have been Porter that generated the most buzz amongst the younger kids. Standing 6’7”, Porter possesses a beautiful jump shot and he also has some sneaky athleticism. It was evident in the drills that Porter had a nice stroke. He got good elevation on his mid-range shots and knocked down shot after shot with an effortless stroke. While he isn’t going to blow by anyone from the perimeter just yet, he was getting the hoop during the 4 on 4 and 5 on 5 scrimmages. With long arms and a solid bounce, Porter Jr. put on a dunk show before the second stanza that was highly impressive. He is still coming into his lanky frame, but the talent is undeniable in the youngster from Missouri.

Jalek Felton, G, 6’4”, Mullins (SC), 2017

When you talk about elite athletes, Jalek’s name will always appear over the next few years. He’s known as a shooting guard but he displayed the best vision in camp threading several through the needle type passes in both sessions. As Raymond Felton’s nephew, Jalek has strong ball handling skills and blow by speed that can get him to the rim where he can easily finish. Felton also has range on his outside shot, but right now he is a fairly streaky shooter. He has the ability to knock down several in a row, but can also miss-fire badly on the next few. In his first USA camp experience, Felton shined brightly on Day 1.

Jarred Vanderbilt, SF, 6’7”, Victory Prep (TX), 2017

A Texas lefty, Vanderbilt made a strong impression on all observers early on. With sinewy strength, Vanderbilt was often slashing to the basket and finishing with dunks at the basket or soft shots over the defender’s outstretched hand. He has good quickness and awareness which allows him to get to the basket and he has the athletic ability to finish. 

Ira Lee, 6’8”, PF, Sierra Canyon (CA), 2017

Before the second session some of the players were joking around with Lee about his lack of “bounce.” While players such as Porter Jr. and Felton were throwing down crazy dunks, Lee was struggling to convert his. All the joking around stopped as play began as Lee went harder than every other player on the court. If there was a loose ball, Ira was grabbing it. He attacked both the offensive and defensive boards with an un-matched intensity and also scored a plethora of baskets inside the paint and on short face-up jump shots. He might not be the most athletic specimen at camp, but Lee certainly didn’t let anyone out play him.

EJ Montgomery Jr., F, 6’9”, Montverde Academy (FL), 2018

Billed as one of the top incoming freshman in the country, EJ Montgomery didn’t back down against his older competition. He gave up height and strength in the early going to Stephen Zimmerman, but Montgomery also had the chance to show some of his own skills off. Montgomery is currently a power forward, but he has some perimeter skills in a look-alike Tayshaun Prince body. He scored on several follow-up dunks throughout the scrimmages and also got his lefty jump shot going in the early morning hitting a deep jump shot from the wing followed by an in rhythm three. In high school, Montgomery will go up against some of the top competition in the country including daily match-ups with Ben Simmons which will only increase the skills he already possesses. 

The AAU Duo:

6’10” Wendell Carter Jr. and 6’10” Austin Wiley played on the same Southeast Elite 16U AAU squad this past year and both players and friends are taking part in the USA camp. While they are both starting their sophomore seasons schools from the Southeast have started to take notice. 

Carter hails from Georgia and noted that Georgia Tech came to his school last week and that Texas A&M and Mississippi State had also shown interest. His high school coach also told him that Duke was supposed to stop by next week.

Wiley is from Alabama and is just two hours from Auburn, the school both of his parents attended. He is currently receiving interest from Auburn, Memphis, Clemson, and North Carolina.

32 Thoughts On The Peach Jam / UAA Finals

Peach Jam Champs - NJ Playaz

1. Northeast basketball rules in 2014. This past Sunday, the NJ Playaz AAU team took home their first Peach Jam championship with an 85-83 win over Team Penny. One year after not even making the Peach Jam, the famed Playaz basketball club went 13-3 in the regular season and then 7-1 at the Peach Jam to cap an impressive season. Meanwhile, down in Atlanta the Philly based We-R1won the 17U championship in a blowout against the New Jersey based Sports U squad in the Under Armour finals. The WE-R1 group dominated last year on the 16U level and carried over their winning ways. 

2. Ben Simmons makes his claim as the No. 1 player in the class of 2015. Playing for E1T1 in the Nike Peach Jam, the 6’8” Simmons averaged 18.8 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. Not too shabby. One month ago, the future LSU Tiger was the clear cut MVP at the NBPA Top 100 camp and carried his strong play into July. Simmons separates himself from the pack with his versatility. He is comfortable grabbing a defensive rebound, bringing the ball up the court, and blowing by his man for a basket in the paint or delivering a nice, crisp pass to a teammate. His passes are thrown with power and accuracy and are a thing of beauty to watch up close. Oh yeah, with good quickness and length he is also a strong defender.

3. Be careful. While everyone is anointing Simmons as the top prospect right now, it always makes sense to take a step back and think about the long term rather than the here and now. In the summer of 2011, everyone had just anointed Shabazz Muhammed as the No. 1 prospect over Andre Drummond. Shabazz outplayed Drummond at the Adidas Invitational in Indianapolis and locked up the top spot for good. Fast forward a few years and Muhammed is still struggling to make it in the NBA while Drummond turned into a steal for the Detroit Pistons. While Simmons has been dominant lately he still has his weaknesses to work on. 5-17 from three during the EYBL and 62.7% from the line means he needs to improve his outside game. Judging from the improvement Simmons made from this past December, I wouldn’t bet against him.

4. Where is Malik? After getting hurt at the LeBron Skills Academy, Malik Newman was shut down and couldn’t participate in the Peach Jam. A shame indeed. Last year Newman wowed coaches and observers alike with his performance. Teams routinely double and triple teamed the athletic shooting guard to no avail. In May 2012, Newman played great in his first EYBL tournament (Dallas) and never looked back. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to watch him turn in one more great EYBL performance. 

5. Allonzo Trier and Isaiah Briscoe were two EYBL vets when the season started, but they were also two of the most overlooked / taken for granted for players. Trier and Briscoe were ranked in the 20’s in the class of 2015, but both guards had fantastic AAU seasons. Briscoe led his Playaz squad to the championship while averaging 19.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5 assists per game including a near triple double in the championship game. Meanwhile, Trier averaged a whopping 29.8 points per game including a 42 point game in the Peach Jam. He also averaged 4.3 rebounds per game and took 243 free throws on the year. No longer is the duo overlooked or taken for granted.

6. Putting the Under Armour finals in Suwanee was a success. Minus the complete lack of cell phone reception in the field house it was extremely convenient to make the two hour drive from Peach Jam. Coaches drove and flew from event to event and allowing them to watch the top prospects in all age groups.

7. Hitting the jackpot. On Wednesday afternoon the 16U Nike teams kicked off the second July live period at exactly 5pm. With the majority of coaches catching the showcase games in Suwanee it was fairly easy to move from court to court which allowed me to set eyes on Jayson Tatum’s game on one court and DeAndre Ayton’s game on another. While Tatum was busy carving up the Team Final defense in every way imaginable, Ayton was displaying his athletic traits with a spin move down the lane and subsequent three from the wing. You can’t complain about being able to watch the top sophomore and junior in the country on side by side courts.

8. Speaking of Tatum, boy is he fun to watch play. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see the talents the 6’7” junior possesses, but it has taken over a year for scouts to rank him at the No. 1 spot. I first saw Tatum play when he dominated 16U play in 2013 at the NY2LA Swish N’ Dish. While not an elite athlete, Tatum is the most skilled player in high school. With advanced footwork and moves, Tatum can score from almost any area on the floor and finish effectively with both hands. All of the top coaches were at Tatum’s games this week and one can expect a brutal battle between goliaths during this recruitment.

9. While I’ve had Tatum No. 1 for awhile this marked my first time getting to see Harry Giles in person. Last year before Giles tore his ACL, Dave Telep noted if he “could give one scholarship to anyone in high school basketball it would be Harry Giles.” The 6’8” forward is still working his way back and struggled at times during the Peach Jam but he looks like a physical specimen on the court. I can’t wait to see him a few months down the road when he is even more comfortable on the leg.

10. Malik Monk was all the rage on Friday night going for 40 points against Team Penny on 14-20 shooting, but the explosive junior shooting guard was only 3-11 the game before and 3-20 the game after. Monk can get his shot almost any time but will now need to work on being more consistent. With his brother on the Arkansas coaching staff, is there any doubt he ends up in Razorback red?

11. Rewind back to December 2013. In the City of Palms tournament, shooting guard Antonio Blakeney was ranked No. 68 in the country and had a match-up with the then No. 7 prospect in Tyler Dorsey. Blakeney scored 30 points in a loss, and while Dorsey had the better overall game it was certainly had to see a big discrepancy between the two. After the game Blakeney noted that he was just trying to pick off the top players and move up the rankings. Now, after the Peach Jam Blakeney might be the No. 2 shooting guard in the country behind Malik Newman. With improved athleticism and a better mid-range game, Blakeney is a true scorer. He sometimes jacks too many bad shots, but when his AAU team needed a basket they could always count on the 6’4” Blakeney to get one as he averaged 19.5 points per game. 

 

12. 6’10” big man Tyler Davis is a beast. In bracket play at the Peach Jam he averaged 19.2 points and 10.8 rebounds per game including a 36 point, 13 rebound performance. Earlier in the spring, Davis was just working his way back from a knee injury but now the big bodied Texan is dominating in the low post. 

13. Slick Rick has been doing work during the live sessions. After constant viewings of Deng Adel in Chicago, the 6’7” forward committed to Louisville (no surprise) and then one week later power forward Ray Spalding committed. Adel was impressive at the Adidas Unrivaled and Spalding is just beginning to tap into his vast potential. Now Pitino and the Cardinals can focus on that shooting guard they want. My money is on Antonio Blakeney, but the Cards have cast their net wide with viewings of Allonzo Trier, Isaiah Briscoe, and others.

14.  Coach K is a seat vulture. Sure coaches love to get that first row seat at midcourt in order to get the attention of their top recruits, but for Coach K it is always a priority to be in one of three spots 1) Mid-court 2) Right under the basket 3) Straddling two courts if multiple games are going on. In Chicago, the Duke staff was front and center for Chase Jeter and at Peach Jam they were front and center for Harry Giles, Ivan Rabb, Jayson Tatum and others. When Giles played against Ben Simmons on Thursday night the court was jam packed. Without an open seat, Coach K settled in on the baseline corner and slowly but surely got himself close to center court by the time tipped.

15. Staying on the Coach K tangent for a second, he certainly knows how to grab the spotlight. In Las Vegas it was reported that he had a heart to heart with LeBron and I am going to guess that the talk was down for all the high school campers to see. In North Augusta, Coach K and Jeff Capel were on the court talking to Chris Paul during warm-ups standing just within an arm’s reach of Harry Giles.

16. Moving down the 15-501 we have UNC coach Roy Williams. Ol Roy most likely won the award for most time spent at Peach Jam. While other coaches were checking out the UAA showcase on Wednesday night or the NY2LA Summer Jam in Milwaukee, Williams was front and center for Tatum’s 5pm game and then Giles’ 8pm game. On Friday, Williams took in Rabb and Zimmerman’s morning game before heading to Suwanee for two games to watch Rayjon Tucker and PJ Dozier. Then he was right back to Peach Jam for the night cap. 

17. Over 300 coaches were at the UAA showcase games on Wednesday night, but I counted only four head coaches in the stands for the championship game on Saturday night. Shaka Smart, Tony Bennett, Archie Miller, and Brad Brownell were all in attendance for the 7:20pm tip.

18. Props to the NY2LA Summer Jam. Last year Mequon, WI was the place to be during the second live period with Cliff Alexander and Myles Turner going at it along with Karl Towns Jr. and Kevon Looney. This year, when Under Armour took their tournament down south I assumed that this tournament would struggle. Wrong. They loaded up on top Adidas and Midwest teams and put together another top notch tournament.

19. Time to talk big men. First up is Diamond Stone, a 6’10” center from Milwaukee who is set to announce his college decision on November 12. Throughout the UAA tournament he averaged 18.6 points and 11.4 rebounds, but looked tired and a bit lethargic in his last two games. Both of which were losses. Kevin Ollie and the UConn staff spent a lot of time at Stone’s games this past week and are in good shape going into the stretch run.

20. Oakland Soldiers big man Ivan Rabb is considered the No. 1 recruit in 2015 by ESPN. In my mind, Rabb reminds me of a young Chris Bosh before he turned into a spot up jump shooter in the NBA. Rabb had a strong EYBL season but due to some sub-par guard play struggled at times during the Peach Jam. He still averaged 13.6 points in bracket play, but only scored 4 points on 2-7 shooting in the quarterfinals.

21. Rabb’s teammate, 7’0” center Stephen Zimmerman recently announced the schools for his official visits. UNC, Kentucky, Kansas, and Arizona were four of the schools noted but it’s fair to wonder how Zimm’s game will translate to the next level. He can run the floor, spot up from the elbow, and pass but that “nasty” factor is still missing. Just like Rabb, Zimmerman struggled in his final game scoring just four points. In the total EYBL he averaged 8.4 points per game and scored 15 points just once. 

22. When people talk about 6’9” center Cheick Diallo from Our Savior (NY) the first thing that gets brought up is his motor. There is no doubt that Diallo goes harder than pretty much anyone on the court in every game he plays. This past week, Diallo put together two double-doubles in the quarter-finals and semi’s and finished the EYBL averaging 16.4 points and 9.9 rebounds. 

23. Diallo’s teammate Thomas Bryant was slowly sliding down the recruiting rankings ever since he was a Top 5 player as a freshman. During the EYBL regular season, Bryant averaged 9.6 points per game, but in bracket play he averaged 16 points including a 26 point, 13 rebound performance against Indy Spiece Heat. Just like Diallo, Bryant is a hard worker but sometimes his reactions aren’t the quickest. With his recent play it looks like Bryant might be starting to stop his slide.

24. Oh Henry! Another Wisconsin big man Henry Ellenson was in Augusta, but unlike his Nike counterparts the 6’10” forward was playing in the Nike Elite Youth Invitational. In early April, Ellenson’s weight loss and improvement were noticeable but with his relentless work ethic the Rice Lake native is now in the conversation as one of the top players in the country. In-state coaches Bo Ryan and Wojo were watching him at every turn, not to mention other schools such as UNC, Duke, Kentucky, etc. Ellenson helped lead his Wisconsin Playground team to the championship. A sweet shooting big that can also play point forward and break the press transformed his body, game, and recruitment in the past 10 months. 

25. Don’t anger Malik Beasley. The 6’4” guard from the Georgia Stars noted he received some trash talk on twitter before his opening Elite Youth game. Whoops. Beasley took out his aggression in an easy win constantly attacking the basket with a purpose. One of the most explosive players in the country threw down some high flying dunks while dropping 24 minutes. “They thought it was going to be fun, but it definitely wasn’t fun for them,” said Beasley afterwards.

26. How does Luke Maye’s game translate to college? The 6’7” forward has one of the quickest releases in the game and can score points in a hurry; however he is a below the rim type player with average athleticism. Davidson would love to get a player like Maye, as would several ACC schools. Maye’s father played at UNC and the UNC staff was seen monitoring several of his games. 

27. What a difference a year makes. Last year, Jawun Evans was making waves in the Peach State tournament by being the fastest player on the court. At the time the Clemson coaching staff was three deep for him on opening night. Now, he is a top 10 prospect per 247 recruiting analyst Jerry Meyer. Evans is extremely quick with a knack for always making the right play. This year he played in the UAA Finals and led his team to the semi-finals with coaches from all over the country watching.

28. There were a lot of players that caught my eye for the first time, but two stood above the others at the Peach Jam. Alterique Gilbert, a 5’11” jet from Lithonia, GA was first seen on Thursday night in a packed house. While everyone was there to see Simmons and Giles, it was the rising junior guard who scored 22 points on 8-16 shooting. With a lethal crossover, Gilbert made people take notice. After this game he went on to score 21, 17, and 31 points in his next three games. While he didn’t play at Gilbert’s level, Mac Irvin Fire small forward Davon Dillard was also impressive with his brute strength and anger attacking the basket. Dillard averaged 7 points per game, but scored 18 against the Oakland Soldiers on 8-11 shooting. 

29. The one non-highly ranked player that made me take notice in Suwanee was 6’9” LaRond Williams who committed to Long Beach State in the spring. Williams was running the floor like a gazelle and trying to block everything that came his way. With long arms, height, and explosiveness, Long Beach State wrapped up a three-star prospect that might turn out to be key contributor for years to come.

30. The Peach Jam featured a plethora of young prospects in the class of 2017, but the Under Armour tournament had a few of their own including two with well known family members. I started Friday with a viewing of Raymond Felton’s nephew, Jalek Felton who already stands 6’4.” Long armed, athletic, and extremely quick in all of his movements the talented shooting guard was a blast to watch. I even skipped the 17U semi-finals to watch him in action again. While he definitely needs to tighten up his game a little bit, the future is bright for Felton. Moving onto Saturday, I was able to catch the long and lean Tomas Murphy, the younger brother of Erik and Alex. Tomas demonstrated a high skill level in the post scoring in different ways and also added a three from the top of the key. In the afternoon he moved up to the 17U level and more than held his own.

31. Troy Brown drew raves from his play at the LeBron camp one week prior and it was apparent right away why. 6’5” with speed and handles, Brown got to the rim at will and made his fellow 15U opponents look helpless. Brown had the last game of the night, but assistants from UCLA, Cal, and Kansas were in the stands to check out one of the most exciting players in the class of 2017.

32. On Monday and Tuesday I got to watch the Vegas Summer league in person before heading off to the Peach Jam. The physicality of the summer league was impressive as the grown men; even the ones that were barely over 19 were fighting for a future paycheck and battling every possession. After seeing all of the young talent coming up through the ranks it will be fun to watch the players in the class of 2015, 2016, and 2017 develop with some becoming Vegas summer league players in the near future.