A Surprise Decision: L.J. Peak to Georgetown

One year in Chicago was enough to send L.J. Peak, a talented 6’5” wing scurrying back to warmer weather in South Carolina in order to finish off his high school career in Gaffney. Unfortunately for South Carolina Gamecock fans, Peak’s return home will only last one year before he packs his bags again for Washington D.C. and the Georgetown Hoyas. 

L.J. Peak - Georgetown

In a surprise announcement at his high school gym, Peak chose to spend his college career as a Hoya after narrowing his choices down to Georgetown, South Carolina, and Florida State. To the delight of the crowd, Peak put on a Gamecock hat before flipping it off and replacing it with a Hoya hat. The in-state Gamecocks were rumored to be the front runner, but Peak chose the Hoyas despite recently cancelling his visit to the campus. 

Scouting Report:

Despite a recent drop in the recruiting rankings (ESPN #54, Scout #68, and Rivals #82) L.J. Peak is one of the most well rounded shooting guards in the class of 2014. He can check off all of the boxes necessary for an elite shooting guard: height, athleticism, an ability to score from all three levels, defensive intensity, and an ability to perform under the spotlight. This past season Peak scored in a variety of ways against opponents from all over the country. He attacked the basket off the dribble or on the break often finishing with powerful dunks. He hit mid-range jump shots off the catch or the bounce and also showed off a short floater at times. Peak also proved more than capable from behind the three point line as he usually knocked in shots from either wing position. On the defensive side, Peak used his height and quickness to disrupt players on the perimeter and forced steals that led to easy fast break points while also rebounding well from the guard position. 

While Peak can score in bunches as noted below there were also times where he disappeared for long stretches while watching his talented teammates takeover. In one City of Palms’ game, Peak went 0-8 from the field and in the AAU setting he had several games where he took less than five shots. Peak was a solid performer during the spring AAU setting, but given his high school success a more dominant outing was expected.

Background:

South Carolina

Peak rose to prominence during his time in Gaffney, South Carolina and started to hear from high major colleges early on in his career while receiving his first scholarship offers from South Carolina, Clemson, and Tennessee as a freshman. Although he received offers during his first year of high school, he played a part in a state championship run as an 8^th grader in 2010 before playing a lead role in another state championship as a sophomore in 2012. During his second state title run, Peak earned all-state honors while averaging 17.5 points and 4.3 rebounds per game and was rated 21^st in his class by scout.com.

Illinois

While Peak won a lot of hardware in the state of South Carolina, it was this past winter where he got to test himself against national competition. After winning a South Carolina state title as a sophomore, Peak’s family packed their bags and moved to Chicago, IL as he suited up for Whitney Young.  Peak teamed up with fellow juniors Jahlil Okafor and Paul White to turn an underachieving squad into Chicago public league champions. Throughout the year, Peak got a chance to test himself against the top players in Chicago as well as the country’s top teams in tournaments held in such places as Florida, Tennessee, Massachusetts, and West Virginia. 

Playing alongside the top big man in the country in Okafor, Peak introduced himself to the Chicago hoops scene with a 17 point, 6 rebound performance against Dematha in his first game. In the City of Palms tournament in December, Peak averaged 10 points and four rebounds in three games. As the missing piece for the Dolphins, Peak helped propel his team to a top five ranking in the country heading into a game against another local power, Simeon. 

On a cold January night, Peak showed off his skills to a nationally televised audience on ESPN as Whitney Young took on Jabari Parker and Simeon, the three time defending state champions. While the game highlighted the superstars in Parker and Okafor, it was Peak who stole the show. In the third quarter Peak brought his team back from a nine point halftime deficit by scoring 14 points. His points came off dunks, deep threes, and mid-range jump shots. While his talented teammates did not rise to the occasion, Peak was aggressive throughout and attacked the seniors on Simeon while looking like the best player on the court at times despite the loss.

In a sign of things to come, Peak rose to the occasion in big games as the spotlight grew brighter. He played an integral part in an overtime win to give Whitney Young the Chicago public league championship with a win over Morgan Park and then followed that up by once again stealing the show in the Argo Sectional Semi-Finals against the Curie Condors. 

In front of a packed house that came to see Okafor battle another talented Curie big man in Cliff Alexander, it was Peak who scored 23 points in a winning effort. In a back and forth affair, Joseph Stamps made the mistake of talking trash to after a made shot. Right after the trash talking began; Peak scored 10 points in the fourth quarter and took Stamps’ soul while scoring on him possession after possession. 

One day after this win Peak’s season and time in Chicago came to an end at the hands of Simeon in the Sectional finals. Peak kept his team in the game with a hot first half, but it didn’t last as Simeon was on a mission to get back to the state finals. Despite a blowout loss, Peak finished with 20 points and 7 rebounds against the eventual four time state champion.

AAU:

With his transfer back to the southeast, Peak recently joined up with the talented CP3 All-Stars on the Nike EYBL circuit. During the four regular season sessions, CP3 went 15-3 as Peak teamed with Theo Pinson and Shelton Mitchell to form a talented and athletic backcourt. Through 18 games Peak averaged almost 12 points a game and 4.3 rebounds while shooting 52% from the field. Next week he will have a chance to add to his high school hardware with a Peach Jam championship in his native state of South Carolina.

The Future:

Overall, Peak is a perfect fit for Georgetown’s Princeton offense and he also adds another skill set to the Hoyas already talented 2014 recruiting class which includes combo forward Isaac Copeland and point guard Tre Campbell. In JTIII’s offense, there are many backdoor cuts for lay-ups and dunks in Peak’s future not to mention open jump shots from the wing and corners. The multi-dimensional scorer should thrive in this type of half court offense. 

Back in the comforts of Gaffney, SC with his college commitment out of the way, Peak will look to close out his high school career with one more state championship. After a brief pit stop in the Windy City, fans in South Carolina will get one last chance to watch their star player before he brings his diverse skill set up north to Washington D.C. and the Big East.

Nike EYBL #4 - Minneapolis

The final installment of the Nike EYBL takes place this Memorial Day Weekend outside of Minneapolis, MN as teams try to position themselves for a coveted spot in the Nike Peach Jam. 24 teams make the prestigious Peach Jam tournament which will take place during the first live recruiting period of July. With many teams lumped together in the standings the five games played by each team will go a long way in determining the make-up of Nike’s playoff. After two months of competition, here is a look at some of the most intriguing storylines this weekend:

Top Games:

Team Takeover (13-0) vs. Meanstreets (9-4)

Time: Friday, 9pm

Dion Wiley - Takeover

Team Takeover is the lone remaining undefeated team in the EYBL at 13-0. Last year CIA Bounce entered their last EYBL session with a similar 13-0 record and got trounced by Meanstreets on the opening night in the Bay Area 68-49. This year, Takeover looks to avoid that same fate. The undefeated team from DC is led by sharp-shooter Dion Wiley who is currently averaging 14.1 ppg while shooting 48.1% from the three-point line. On the opposite wing is guard Phil Booth who is averaging 10.6 ppg and is shooting 45.5% from three.  Getting the ball to these sharp shooters is the recent Georgetown commit, Tre Campbell who is averaging 4.1 assists per game with a 2.7 assist to turnover ratio. On the other side, is the Chicago based squad who is looking to knock off another team from the undefeated ranks. Tyler Ulis leads the way with 15.7 ppg and 5.5 apg. Despite standing only 5’8”, Ulis can get into the lane at will which leads to easy baskets for his teammates or frequent trips to the foul line. Just like last year, Meanstreets has the potential to cause an upset on the first night.

Each 1 Teach 1 (9-4) vs. Mac Irvin Fire (7-6)

Time: Sunday, 8am

Two of the most talented teams face off bright and early Sunday morning. E1T1 blew through its opposition two weeks ago in Dallas by an average of 24 points per game. They already featured a top notch backcourt in Joel Berry and D’Angelo Russell, but recently picked up Grayson Allen and big man Trayvon Reed. To go along with these highly ranked players, E1T1 received breakout performances from small forward Boubacar Moungoro and power forward Michael Gilmore. This heavily balanced team will go against a Mac Irvin team that is finally at full strength. The top two big men in the country finally teamed up in Dallas, and despite losing their first two games, Jahlil Okafor and Cliff Alexander were a treat to watch. Both players averaged near double-doubles and after winning their last two games could be ready for a long win streak.

Top Match-ups:

Theo Pinson (CP3) vs. Rashad Vaughn (Wisconsin Playground Elite)

Time: Sunday, 11am

Two of the top wings in the country get to go at it on Sunday morning. Playing in his home state, Rashad Vaughn will look to cement his place as the premier wing in America and prove that he has overtaken all of the players like Pinson that were ranked higher earlier in their careers. This past Wednesday, Pinson committed to the University of North Carolina after being a top target for the past three years. While Pinson recently committed the Tar Heel staff had seemed to make Vaughn their top target over the past five months with both players taking visits during the same weekend in March. Vaughn is currently averaging 19.2 points and 6.4 rebounds per game despite facing constant double teams and box-and-one defenses. Pinson on the other hand is averaging 13.6 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. Vaughn will look to show off his offensive prowess and one up one of the better defenders in the EYBL.

Malik Newman (Jackson) vs. Allonzo Trier (Athlete’s First)

Time: Saturday, 11am

These two standout guards in the class of 2015 are also two of the premier scorers in the EYBL. Newman currently leads the league with 23.7 points per game, while Trier is not far behind with 19.2 points per game. Both guards can score in multiple ways and like the ball in their hand on the offensive end. In Dallas, Newman put on the most impressive scoring display seen this year with 36 points in 24 minutes. This scoring barrage was still not enough to top the 37 points put up by Trier a few hours earlier. Both players are the stars of their teams and they will each get their fair share of shots.

See You Later:

ICP Elite (4-9)

Despite adding two highly ranked players from Southern California in Daniel Hamilton and Tyler Dorsey last session, ICP stands at 4-9 and is most likely out of the running for the Peach Jam. Despite their lackluster record, ICP could prove to be one of the more entertaining teams this weekend. To go along with Hamilton and Dorsey, is an ICP regular in Kameron Chatman. While Chatman’s EYBL rise is no surprise, he has been quietly gaining steam each weekend and will most likely see a nice jump in the recruiting rankings. Standing at 6’8” Chatman is currently averaging 15.8 points and 10 rebounds per game. ICP ends their session on Memorial Day Monday against Each 1 Teach 1.

Southern Stampede (5-8)

The team from Georgia stands just 5-8 despite having stockpiled a plethora of talent from the southeast. This team is led by studs such as Jalen Lindsay, Ahmad Hill, and Jakeenan Gant and also added two guards from the Florida Elite program in Lance Tejada and Adonis Hernandez for a few games in Dallas. After suffering an opening night loss to Seattle Rotary in Dallas, the Stampede reeled off three consecutive wins. Small forward Lindsay had one of the most impressive weekends averaging 18.5 points on 53% shooting. Their last game comes on Monday morning against the Mac Irvin Fire.

Nike EYBL #3 - Dallas

The third installment of the 2013 Nike EBL takes place in Dallas, TX this weekend and marks the first session that will take place without college coaches in attendance. With each team playing four games spread over three days, the games throughout the weekend should be competitive and lively. Here is a look at some of the top games and individual match-ups:

Top Individual Match-Up:

Tyus Jones (Howard Pulley) vs. Joel Berry (Each 1 Teach 1)

Time: Saturday (12:30pm)

Tyus Jones - #1 PG

Two of the top point guards in the class of 2014 face off against each other in this Saturday match-up. Jones is currently the top ranked point guard in the country and is averaging 22.1 points per game and a league leading 7.7 assists. Meanwhile, the future Tar Heel in Berry is averaging 13.2 points per game and 4 assists per game. Berry has struggled somewhat in the EYBL turning the corner on his defender, but this weekend is a chance for him to prove that he deserves mention as one of the top point guards in the country.

Top Team Match-ups:

Expressions Elite (MA) 9-0 vs. Houston Hoops (TX) 8-1

Time: Saturday (11:00am)

Expressions Elite is one of the two remaining undefeated teams after the LA and Hampton sessions, while the talented Houston Hoops squad looks to hand the Massachusetts based squad their first loss. Expressions Elite joined the EYBL this year and features four players scoring in double figures led by Abdul-Malik Abu and his 16 ppg. Meanwhile, the Houston squad is led by a talented wing trio in Justin Jackson, Justise Winslow, and Kelly Oubre who are averaging 17.1, 14.6, and 16.2 points per game, respectively and are veterans of the EYBL circuit. Houston was upset in their final game in Hampton after an 8-0 start and will look to get back on track in their home state.  

Team Takeover (DC) 9-0 vs. BABC (MA) 8-1

Time: Saturday (11:00am)

Team Takeover is the other undefeated EYBL team and they are led by sharp shooters Dion Wiley and Phil Booth. Wiley is currently shooting a nice 30-60 from behind the three point line while Phil Booth is 10-23. While both of these guards can score the ball, they need someone to get them the ball. This duty falls to point guard Tre Campbell, who is fresh off a Wednesday evening commitment to Georgetown. Campbell is currently averaging 4.7 assists per game with an extremely impressive 3.5:1 assist to turnover ratio.  Takeover faces off against another nationally acclaimed program in BABC that sits 8-1. Despite losing the majority of their fire power from last year, BABC’s only defeat came in a 67-68 defeat against Indy Spiece. BABC is led by the Rhode Island state player of the year in Bonzie Colson Jr. who is currently averaging 18.3 points and shooting 62 percent from the field. This match-up features two of the most consistent AAU teams in the circuit and should be a back and forth affair.

The Rivalry Games:

Cal Supreme (3-6) vs. Oakland Soldiers (3-6)

Time:  Sunday (8:00am) 

 

Both teams enter the Dallas EYBL with matching 3-6 records; however this California rivalry is sure to provide some early morning fire works on Sunday. While most 8am games can be quite sluggish, this NorCal / SoCal rivalry should be intense from the opening tip. Both teams feature familiar faces in point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright for Cal Supreme and the powerful Stanley Johnson for the Oakland Soldiers. Jackson-Cartwright is currently averaging 10.9 points per game to go along with a 2.4:1 assist to turnover ratio. The diminutive point guard has some help down low with forwards Payton Dastrup and Zylan Cheatham who are two of the hottest names on the west coast. Leading the way for the defending champions from Northern California is Stanley Johnson who is currently averaging 18.8 ppg and 11.6 rbg. With his size and strength, Johnson is pretty mutch an offensive mis-match for any opponent. Accompanying Johnson is one of the top players from the class of 2015 in Ivan Rabb. Despite his youth, this talented big man is currently averaging 13.4 points and 12.2 rebounds per game. 

ICP Elite (OR) vs. Seattle Rotary (WA)

Time: Saturday (6:30pm)

Shaqquan Aaron

In a Pacific Northwest battle, the Portland and Seattle based squads go head to head on Saturday evening. Similar to the California rivalry game, the records of both teams are less than stellar with ICP at 2-7 and Seattle at 1-8. Despite the records, one of the most intriguing individual match-ups will take place between a pair of lanky small forwards in Kameron Chatman for ICP and Shaqquan Aaron of Seattle Rotary. Both players have had an interesting three year high school career thanks to transfers and the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF). After transferring from Jefferson High in Portland to the California powerhouse in Long Beach Poly, Chatman was forced to sit out his junior year by the CIF.  On the other side, Aaron recently helped his Rainier Beach high school squad (Seattle) win a state championship; however this came after he was forced to sit out his sophomore year in California after the CIF ruled him ineligible after transferring to Taft (from Mater Dei) for his sophomore year.  Chatman is currently averaging 16.3 points and 11.4 rebounds while being heavily recruited by west coast schools and Michigan. Aaron has already committed to play for Rick Pitino’s Cardinals and is averaging 10 points per game. 

NY Lightning (6-3) vs. NJ Playaz (5-4)

Time: Friday (7:30pm)

This northeast match-up between the New York Lightning and New Jersey Playaz on Friday evening features two teams over .500 and two of the top scorers in the EYBL. Junior to be Isaiah Briscoe is one of the top players in the class of 2015 and leads the Jersey squad with 21.8 points per game, currently 3^rd in the EYBL. Up I-95, Mike Williams leads the Lightning with 18.2 points per game. Williams started off the EYBL season with a 7-7 performance from the three point line and continued his hot streak throughout the first weekend hitting 51.4% from deep. While Briscoe is a household name, Williams will look to continue build his reputation with another stellar performance.

The Return:

Jahlil Okafor - After dominating the high school season and his first AAU tournament of the spring, the talented big man and top player in the country went down with an injury that kept him out of the first two EYBL sessions. If the three year veteran of the 17U Mac Irvin Fire comes back this weekend it could mark the start of one of the most unstoppable low post tandems seen on the AAU circuit in some time. During April, fellow big man Cliff Alexander dominated the opposition in his first EYBL action averaging almost 15 points and 12 rebounds per game. Despite being public school rivals, the top big men in the class of 2014 have played on different AAU teams throughout high school. With Alexander recently joining up with Mac Irvin teaming the top two big men in the country might just be unfair. 

Trey Lyles - A 6’9” power forward will make his return to the EYBL this weekend after a solid performance in the Fort Wayne Shootout. Lyles plays for Indy Spiece and will add a strong low post presence to the already talented team which stands 6-3 and features standouts Jaquan Lyle, Vijay Blackmon, and Trevon Blueitt.

Other Notes:

·         The CP3 All-Stars are the only team out of 40 on the circuit to have five players averaging double figures led by the wing duo of Theo Pinson and L.J. Peak.

·         Star freshman Thon Maker created some buzz in this same Dallas set-up last year playing for the 17U Jackson Tigers. Despite the fact that Maker had not set foot in high school he ran the floor and showed off a skill-set very rarely seen in a player his size and age. He now suits up for Boo Williams and is averaging 7.7 points and 2.6 blocks per game. 

·         Sophomore stud Malik Newman also blew up in Dallas last year as well. One of the top players in the class of 2015 and the current leading scorer in the EYBL, Newman will face off against Ivan Rabb Saturday morning for class of 2015 bragging rights.

·         One of the more underrated match-ups will occur on Saturday evening when the up and coming Jalen Brunson takes on Tyus Jones. Brunson struggled with his shot in LA but went 7-16 from the three point line in Hampton. Both guards have similar styles and it will be a chance for Brunson to test his skills against the best. Also, this game will feature the top two players in the country on the same court in Okafor and Jones who could also be possible future college teammates.