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.