While the rush of NBA Free Agency is taking place on most sports fans’ televisions and computers, the recruiting season is carrying on. The AAU season is quickly approaching the dog days of summer, and the Nike EYBL Peach Jam will be here on July 8th. The Peach Jam — the most prestigious AAU event hosted by Nike in South Carolina — is always a great event to see the new batch of future NBA free agents. The best players are (usually) there, and it turns into a great brand of basketball with every team chasing the championship. Almost every team has a couple of youngsters on their team — the youngsters represent the class of 2017 this year. The class has a lot of potential, and looks to be balanced — not too top-heavy, but also complete with it’s ‘class-changers’.
The class still has a lot of time to decide their intentions and make their plans for the future. That doesn’t mean we can’t get to know some of the future, though!
Michael Porter Jr. is one of those guys when you walk into the gym and say, “whoa.” He is a lanky, 6’9″ small forward that has a bundle of potential as a junior. The shooting ability combined with his ferociousness attacking the hoop is a lot to handle for the opposing team. He was one of the three sophomores to make 2nd team All-EYBL, averaging 17.4 points per game for MOKAN Elite. D1circuit.com — who covers all EYBL play — described Porter’s play as being a “point forward” for his team, adding to his versatility.
Porter is still most recognized by his put-your-man-on-a-poster dunk this past December, but his game is a lot more than once-a-year dunks.
DeAndre Ayton is another one of those guys when you walk into the gym and say, “whoa.” He’s a physically imposing player for his age; he is listed at 6’10” 220 lbs., but he plays much bigger. While he can dominate high school opponents with his physical play, Ayton won’t be able to rely on his physical advantage at the next level. He runs the floor so well for a big man, and is able to defend just about anyone on the court. He isn’t your normal big man with heavy knees and certain future health risks. He’s adapt for the league of now with his ability play fast. That can only benefit him going forward. Ayton is the consensus top recruit in this class — so far. He will keep working to improve his game to make sure the rest of these guys don’t catch him.
Jarred Vanderbilt is a smart player — he has a 4.3 GPA — that knows how to use his body momentum and angles to get to the basket. He’s another one of those guys that need to get stronger in the next year or so because he will ultimately project as a slasher. He should get exponentially better as the next year comes along, though, and it’s a safe bet Vanderbilt will stay in the recruiting top ten. He played for Team USA at the World U16 Championships which helped sustain himself as one of the best in his class. He was also a 2nd team All-EYBL performer for Houston Hoops, averaging 15.1 points per game.
Gary Trent Jr. is a guard you could consider a late bloomer, even if he’s only a junior. He has increased his play this spring to a tremendous level. An argument can definitely be made that Trent Jr. Is playing the best basketball out of any junior so far this season. He is a high-scoring guard that can either hit the jumper in your eye, or slip by you for an easy two-point layup. He led the entire EYBL (2nd team All-EYBL player) in points per game this spring — his team, Howard Pulley, didn’t make the Peach Jam. It’s a shame we don’t get to see what he could have done there — and has displayed his talent at high school events like the recent Nike Basketball Academy and playing for Team USA at the World U16 tournament. After starting the year trying to make a name for himself, it seems as though Trent Jr. has done alright.
Wendell Carter is another athletic big man in this class that seems to have a lot of potential heading into his junior year. He has long arms that block everything that comes into the lane. He’s listed at 250 pounds, but it doesn’t show; he’s more built than fat. He does well on post ups because he knows when to back a guy down or face up and beat him off the dribble. Carter is going to be a rim protector at the next level with a lot of athletic ability. It’s hard not to be hopeful that the rest of his game will grow into his athletic ability because he will be scary good if he can put it all together. He played on Team USA’s U16 team at the World Championships, which was a good showing for him as well.
