Nike EYBL: Cornering the Market

The 2013 live recruiting period kicks off this Friday, April 19^th as Division 1 college coaches begin to crisscross the country in search of their next top recruit. While Under Armour and Adidas are hosting their events in Pittsburgh and Dallas, respectively, most high major coaches will descend upon Garden Grove, CA for the first installment of the Nike EYBL. In its fourth year of existence, the EYBL has cornered the market for top talent with 10 of the top 14 players and 15 of the top 25 players (at least) suiting up for Nike teams. The top two prospects in the class of 2014, Jahlil Okafor (Mac Irvin) and Tyus Jones (Howard Pulley) will spend their 3^rd year on the 17U Nike Circuit while players such as Rashad Vaughn (Wisconsin Elite) and D'Angelo Russell (E1T1) will be making their first appearances. The EYBL currently features teams from 27 states in addition to Canada and DC as the state of Texas leads the way with a total of four teams. Overall, the top notch talent, organized regular season, and playoff structure have solidified Nike’s spot at the top of the food chain for the spring and summer of 2013. 

With the first installment of the 2013 Nike EYBL season kicking off in the LA area this weekend here are some burning questions:

What top teams will emerge?

Last year at the start of the AAU season, Five Star basketball ranked the Oakland Soldiers at the top of their list with superstar Aaron Gordon. The Soldiers struggled throughout the April and May time frame due to injuries, but eventually took home the 2012 EYBL championship with a fully healthy crew at the Peach Jam. The team they beat in the Peach Jam was CIA Bounce led by the top overall player in the country, Andrew Wiggins. CIA dominated the Nike EYBL regular season going undefeated through the first three sessions.

This year, while no teams appear dominant from the outset there appear to be a handful of teams that will challenge for the coveted 2013 championship. Here is a look at a few of the candidates:

Mac Irvin Fire – The Fire already took home one championship in the 2013 Swish N Dish tournament after defeating several EYBL counterparts on the way in the STL Eagles and Chicago rival, MeanStreets. Mac Irvin is led by the top player in the country, Jahlil Okafor, who will create a miss-match in the post every time he steps on the court. Along with Okafor, the team recently added a young point guard to create a deadly inside / outside duo with Okafor. Jalen Brunson is currently one of the top sophomores in the state of Illinois but is expected to blow up nationally once the EYBL begins. Rumor has it that scoring sensation Marcus Lovett, previously from California will suit up as well while top 5 senior big-man Cliff Alexander joined Mac Irvin for their recent tournament in Arkansas. The departure of Jabari Parker leaves the wing position as the team’s biggest question mark. Will Josh Cunningham and Miles Reynolds step up to the challenge?

Houston Hoops – Houston returns the top wing combo in the country with top 10 prospects Justice Winslow and Justin Jackson. Last year the Houston squad went 15-5 in the EYBL and while they do lose a McDonald’s All-American guard in Keith Frazier, they also inherit their 16U team that was one of the top teams in their age group last year.

Team Scan (NY) – Team Scan finished the 2012 season as the top ranked 16U team per Five Star and is led by the long and athletic Chris McCullogh, currently a top six prospect. While they dominated their 16U competition last year, the New York team already suffered a setback in the Northeast Hoops Festival this past weekend. 

Spiece Indy Heat (IN) – The Heat went 13-7 last year winning their Division and they now return their top two scorers in Trevon Bluiett and Trey Lyles in addition to guard Jaquan Lyle. Spice Indy struggled in the Peach Jam last year going 1-4, but with an experienced trio they will look to capitalize in 2013. 

Who will be this year’s James Young and JaJuan Johnson?

At this time last year, Young was a prospect rated in the 20’s while JaJuan Johnson was unranked. Young blew up in Minneapolis during the first EYBL session and quickly solidified himself as a top 10 player and a Kentucky commitment. Johnson blew up during the second session in Hampton and quickly rose up the rankings.

The next James Young:

Rashad Vaughn – Vaughn has quickly risen up the class of 2014 rankings and now is currently hovering around the top 10 on the majority of scouting websites. While Vaughn did not step outside of Minnesota during his high school season, a strong showing in the EYBL will turn him into a top six prospect and the top shooting guard in the country (Note: Rivals already lists him that high). So, while not a true James Young type prospect, Vaughn has a good chance in cementing his name to the top of his class.

Stanley Johnson – Johnson is a freak of nature who dominated competition throughout his junior season at Mater Dei. Standing 6’6” and 220 pounds, Johnson is just too strong and physical for most high school players. He was a key part of the Soldiers championship last year and could jump up from his current ranking at 17 with a strong spring.

Kameron Chatman

Kameron Chatman – Last year Chatman played for ICP Elite along with future Pac-12 standouts in Roshcon Prince and Jordan Bell. Chatman is a long and sinewy wing that averaged 12.3 points per game last year on the AAU circuit. After transferring to Long Beach Poly for his junior season, Chatman was forced to sit out his entire high school based on an eligibility ruling by the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF). Chatman showed strong skills last year and has the potential to make a big leap going into his senior year after a season in street clothes.

The next Jajuan Johnson:

Jordan Barnett – Barnett made it into the top 100 rankings after a strong junior season in St. Louis, but should see his stock continue to rise if his recent play in the Swish N Dish is any indicator. Standing at 6’7” Barnett will prove to be one of the most efficient players on the circuit. He can hit from the outside and can clean up on the interior based on his hard cuts and transition ability. High majors are already all over Barnett, but expect the attention to increase after April.

The Top Backcourt?

If Rashad Vaughn decided to join Tyus Jones and the Minnesota based Howard Pulley Panthers, there would be no debate about this question. As Vaughn will be teaming up with the Wisconsin Playground Elite (allegedly), the top backcourt going into the spring goes to E1T1’s backcourt of Joel Berry and D’Angelo Russell. Berry is considered to be a top three point guard and became Roy Williams’ first 2014 commitment back in January. Last year Berry had the ability to dump the ball down low to big man Dakari Johnson, but this year he will become the go-to guy. While Berry already has one year of the EYBL under his belt, Russell will be getting his first taste of the action after playing for one of the top 16U teams last year in the Louisville Magic. The Magic unleashed Russell on their full court press the past two years so it will be interesting to see if E1T1 does the same thing.

The Top Shot Blocker?

Two years ago a shot blocking machine sporting a high top fade led the Boston based BABC team to the 2011 championship. While no Nerlens Noel, this year the shot blocking machine sporting a high top fade is Goodluck Okonoboh. Last year Okonboh finished 3^rd in the circuit with 2.4 blocks per game and then came into his own at Wilbraham & Monson. This past week Tom Crean came by to check out Okonoboh and with a strong April there will be many more coaches making a voyage to the Northeast. 

The Top Player in the Country? – When Andrew Wiggins re-classified to the class of 2013, Tyus Jones stepped up to beomce the top ranked prospect in the class of 2014. Despite leading his team to the Minnesota 4A state title, Jones eventually lost his top spot to big man Jahlil Okafor of Chicago. Okafor spent his junior season dominating on the national stage in the Chicago Elite Classic, City of Palms Tournament, and Hall of Fame Classic while Jones was left to dominate the state of Minnesota. Now that Jones is back facing national competition will he be able to reclaim the top spot from his friend and potential future college teammate?

There are a lot of unknowns entering the first evaluation period and while the burning questions might not get answered, it will be safe to say that Nike cornered the market on the top high school talent in the country. 

EYBL - LA Schedule (with Team listings)