North Augusta, South Carolina has been buzzing with basketball talent the past couple of days, hosting the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) for their annual Peach Jam tournament. The Peach Jam is essentially a end of the year tournament to decide a champion of the prestigious AAU league that runs in four different sessions from spring into summer. College coaches from around the country travel to each session to check out the new batch of future college basketball stars. It’s an event that every recruiting junkie marks on their calendar.
The stakes don’t get any higher than at the Peach Jam. The tournament has a reputation for producing nail-biting games because of the high level of competition that is playing. There are zero gimmes in pool play, and every game is a physical and mental struggle in bracket play. As the years have gone on and the Nike EYBL circuit popularity has grown, the number of good basketball players interested has increased.
Even with local AAU events being scheduled every weekend, and other national events like the Adidas Uprising taking the country by storm, the EYBL and Peach Jam continue to bring the best players in. The best want to go against the best, whether it be because of a struggle for positional dominance or having a step up on one’s local competition. No matter the reason, it’s no secret the EYBL circuit host great basketball games, and the Peach Jam is the climax.
The Peach Jam also can bring out a player’s true colors, and show who will stand up to the test of winning the exclusive tournament. It’s not an easy task, but some made it look easy all weekend.
De’Aaron Fox — Houston Hoops
Fox’s Houston Hoops team might not have made it to the semifinals, but it wasn’t because of a lack of quality play from Fox. The Texan point guard averaged 19 points per game during pool play, leading Houston Hoops to bracket play. He would also averaged 6.6 assists per game and 2.4 steals per game, which were ranked 3rd and 4th in Peach Jam pool play, respectively. His 19 points per game came in ranked 10th in the Peach Jam pool play. He didn’t have a great quarterfinal game against the St. Louis Eagles, scoring 21 points, but on 38 percent shooting. A tough shooting day didn’t affect Fox’s impact on the game though, as he would also dish seven assists. Fox has a lot of interest from teams like LSU, Texas, and Louisville, and will step into any program next year ready to go. He’s personally my favorite point guard for his class.
Miles Bridges — The Family
Bridges has had a great spring, highlighted by leading his Michigan-based team to the Peach Jam. Bridges has done everything for The Family, and averaged 22.8 points per game in pool play, good for second best in the Peach Jam. He was also fifth in the Peach Jam in rebounds per game, pulling down 10 per game. That’s right, Bridges was one of the few guys to average a double double in the ultra-competitive league. Not to mention he blocked 1.8 shots per game, 10th in the league. Although The Family didn’t make it out of pool play, it was obvious how well Bridges played, and how good he can become, something Anthony Collins (NextUpRecruits) and I discussed:
@NextUpAntC @MilesBridges01 Not to mention @cassiuswinston is back, too. Dark horse for Peach Jam.
— Bailey VanHouten (@LWOSVanHouten) July 8, 2015
@LWOSVanHouten if @MilesBridges01 consistently attacks + doesnt settle for jumpers, he can just about beat teams singlehandedly in Peach Jam
— Anthony Collins (@Collins__Sports) July 8, 2015
The explosive 6’8″ small forward is heavily considering Kentucky and Michigan State. He announced he would visit the Spartans in the fall, and he would be a huge in-state get for Tom Izzo.
Jayson Tatum — St. Louis Eagles
Fresh off his commitment to Duke University, Tatum had a consistent Peach Jam that was capped off with the championship victory over the Georgia Stars. Tatum can quietly dominate a game, and plays a smooth brand of basketball. Equipped with his midrange jumper, Tatum averaged a league best 24.8 points per game during pool play, and stepped up in bracket play by scoring 29, 28, and 24 points in the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals. Tatum had 8.6 rebounds per game, 10th in the EYBL Peach Jam pool play. His stepped up game during bracket play led to the title, and we all know that is Coach Krzyzewski’s goal every year.
Harry Giles — Team CP3
Despite a heartbreaking loss to the St. Louis Eagles in the semifinals, Harry Giles had yet another great tournament. His clutch, sweeping left hand hook shot with four seconds left was the only reason the Eagles needed such an incredible shot in the first place. Giles was consistent throughout the entire Peach Jam, though. He averaged 18.2 points per game — 12th in the league — and 11 rebounds per game, which was fourth in the Peach Jam. Yes, Giles was another guy to average a double double. He was a double double guy in bracket play as well, averaging 16 points and 14 rebounds per game. Tatum — the man who beat Giles in the semifinals — is very close to Giles, so there has been natural talk of a package deal to Duke. North Carolina and hometown college Wake Forest are also on the radar.
Xavier Simpson — King James
Simpson was one of the breakout players in the Peach Jam this year. It’s not that he was unknown, but that he played up to a level we haven’t seen from him before. He was third in the Peach Jam pool play in points per game, averaging 21.5. That was well above his EYBL regular season average of 15.6 per game. He also raised his assist numbers from 4.4 in the regular season to 7.5 during the Peach Jam, which was good for first in the league. Simpson was also 11th in steals per game as well, getting two per game. His performance and leadership at the point guard spot lead King James to a surprise bracket play appearance. Although Simpson didn’t perform as well there — he scored just five points and three assists — he was the main reason they were there. His recruitment is wide open with Xavier, Michigan State and Purdue leading the way according to 247Sports.
Trae Young — MOKAN Elite
It’s tough to say Trae Young a breakout performer like Simpson, mostly because Young has been playing well all EYBL season long. That said, he is the only junior on this list, and that’s accomplishment enough. His game spoke for him, though. While junior teammate Michael Porter Jr. gets most of the attention — he did average 20 points per game and nine rebounds per game — Young was MOKAN’s catalyst. He also averaged 20 points per game, and 7.2 assists per game, sixth and second in the Peach Jam, respectively. He was an efficient 46 percent from the field and 40 percent from three. A rise in the point guard’s ranking should be on hand, as 247Sports has him as a four-star right now. There are a plethora of teams recruiting Young right now — he is believed to be a package deal with Porter Jr. — but Duke is seemingly the favorite at this point.
Kassoum Yakwe — PSA Cardinals
Yakwe was kind of a dark-horse for this list, but there is no good reason why. He was the EYBL’s regular season Defensive Player of the Year, and continued to dominate on that end of the court during the Peach Jam. Yakwe is only 6’7” but has a ridiculous amount of reach and anticipation that allowed him to lead the Nike Peach Jam in blocks per game with an outstanding 5.8. That was over two more than the next guy — Brison Gresham with 3.2 per game. He literally changed gameplans and made life extra difficult for any guards coming into the lane. Not to mention he grabbed 11.8 rebounds per game, good for second at the tournament. Yakwe made a great impression this spring, and has interest from a number of schools, some in which are Iowa State, Kansas, and St. John’s. Whatever school he ends up picking, their defensive future will be bright.
