We really didn't want to rank 6'10 Marvin Bagley from Chatsworth (Sierra Canyon) CA as the best player in this year's NIKE EYBL Finals at the Peach Jam, which was held July 12th-16th at the Riverview Park Activities Center in North Augusta, SC. However, it's kind of hard to deny somebody who finished as the second leading scorer with 24.6 ppg, as the leading rebounder with 14.0 rpg, and the leading shot blocker with 2.6 apg, plus he led the NIKE Phamily to a 3-2 record in pool play and he is just flat out better than everybody else even though he does not really have a defined position and often appears to be bored playing against this level of competition. On the other hand, it was a bridge too far in terms of ranking 6'2 Jr Cole Anthony from Briarwood (Archbishop Molloy) NY next on our list even though he led the tournament in scoring with 25.6 ppg, finished ranked #4 in assists with 5.6 apg, and also was among the leaders in steals with 2.2 spg. His team also finished with a 3-2 record and just missed getting into the playoffs, but there were times when Anthony was more intent upon putting up prolific numbers, instead of making those around him better, which, along with speed, quickness, and athleticism, ability to get to the rim, and high basketball IQ, has always been his bread-and-butter.
Instead, we decided to give the nod to 6'4 Tre Jones from Apple Valley (H.S.) MN, 6'1 James Akinjo from Richmond (Salesian) CA, and 6'6 Keldon Johnson from Huntington (Prep) WV in the #2, #3, and #4 spots ahead of Anthony and the one common denominator is that all three of these guys were the driving force behind Howard Pulley, the Oakland Soldiers, and Boo Williams being three of the better teams in the playoffs. Jones missed several big shots at crunch time his team's 65-58 quarterfinals loss against Bradley Beal, but he did have 30-points, four assists, four steals, 11-22 field goals, and 1-3 3-pointers in this game and clearly outplayed 6'2 Darius Garland from Brentwood (Academy) TN, who only had nine points, four assists, 2-7 field goals, and 1-5 3-pointers and is one of Jones' biggest rivals when we start talking about who should get the nod as the #1-ranked point guard nationally in the Class of 2018. We also continue to suspect that Jones will end up being even better than his older brother (Tyus Jones) based on the fact that he has more versatility and is a much better defender than the MVP of the NCAA Final Four for the Blue Devils back in 2015.
If Akinjo was a stock, now might be a good time to buy, because we're talking about somebody who previously was ranked #102 nationally in the Class of 2018, but is good enough to deserve some consideration for next year's McDonald's All-American Game. However, even more important, he was the heart-and-sole behind the Oakland Soldiers' run through the playoffs and their 70-63 win over Team Takeover in the Championship Game. We're talking about somebody with excellent speed and quickness, a take no prisoners approach, and the versatility necessary to play either guard spot (he finished ranked #10 in the tournament in scoring with 18.8 ppg and led the tournament in assists with 6.7 apg). He also has good strength when it comes time to attack the basket and is more than capable of keeping you honest with his outside shooting, as is evident by the fact that he was 12-28 from behind the arc in pool play and 7-13 from behind the arc in the playoffs. As a matter of fact, he was so important to the success of this team that he gets our unofficial nod as MVP of the playoffs. It also was pretty clear that Johnson picked up where he left off a month ago at the NBA Players Association Top 100 Camp, where he was named the co-MVP and was our #2-ranked player in camp, as this multi-dimensional athletic wing finished ranked #11 in scoring with 17.4 ppg and among the top 20 in rebounding with 7.3 rpg and led Boo Williams with 15 points and 10 rebounds to an impressive 79-70 win over the Houston Hoops in the first round of the playoffs.
After that it gets a little more difficult, as there was not a lot of separation among guys like 6'2 Darius Garland from Brentwood (Academy) TN, 6'4 Will Richardson from Hinesville (Liberty County) GA, and 6'3 Jalen Carey from Montclair (Immaculate Conception) NJ. However, winning does count for a lot and Garland did a good job of running the show, getting his teammates involved, and finding ways to score to the tune of 15.4 ppg, which ranked him #19 overall when one combines his stats from both pool play and his team's two games in the playoffs. Richardson is another guy who seemed to be equally adept at both creating for himself and his teammates, as he averaged 17.1 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 5.5 apg, and 2.0 spg and finished ranked #13 in scoring and among the top #10 in assists. He does have a tendency to float at times, but he has quick hands and feet, a soft touch, and a great nose for the ball, plus he has a knack for being able to score in a variety of ways. The fact that he is a lefty, is a great kid and an excellent student, and he still has plenty of upside and has no idea how good he is are all just added bonuses. Carey did what he always does, which is use his speed, quickness, and athleticism and crafty moves to the basket and ability to knock down the outside shot, en route to 20.2 ppg, which ranked him #6 overall in scoring.
And rounding out our top 10-ranked players in the tournament are 6'10 Simi Shittu from Saxton's River (Vermont Academy) VT and 6'7 Jericole Hellem from St. Louis (Chaminade) MO, who were polar opposites in terms of expectations entering the week. The former finished ranked #7 in scoring with 20.0 ppg and #8 in rebounding with 8.8 rpg, but was somewhat disappointing after being such a dominant force a month ago at the NBA Players Association Top 100 Camp. On the other hand, Shittu does remind us of a bigger version of Michael Gilchrsit and, with his strength and athleticism and ability to bully his way around the basket and score off transition, he almost has to be one of the top five-ranked players nationally in the Class of 2018. The latter is probably the guy who increased the value of his stock the most in this tournament, as he transformed himself from being a mid-major player into arguably the biggest sleeper to emerge at this year' EYBL Finals at the Peach Jam. We're talking about somebody with good size for his position and the versatility and athleticism necessary to play both inside and outside, as is evident by the fact that he finished ranked #3 in scoring 22.4 ppg, among the top 20 in rebounding with 7.0 rpg, and was one of the best 3-point shooters in he tournament with 16-32 treys.
We also have to give 6'10 Jalin Smith from Baltimore (Mt. St. Joseph) MD the edge over 6'10 Vernon Carey from Ft. Lauderdale (University School) FL, 6'8 Jr Trendon Watford from Mountain Brook (H.S.) AL, 6'4 Javonta Smart from Baton Rouge (Scotlandville) LA, and 6'8 Cole Swider from Barrington (St. Andrews) RI when we attempt to separate players in the 11-15 range due to the fact that he was the guy that stepped up and took over the game at crunch time en route to 20 points and 11 rebounds in Team Takeover's 64-63 win in the semi-finals against Bradley Beal. He has the skills and versatility necessary to play both inside and outside, but it was his length and athleticism, ability to score and rebound in the post, and the fact that he is still a long way away from reaching his upside and potential that really got us excited. We expected a lot more out of Carey based on his the fact that we're talking about our #2-ranked player nationally in the Class of 2019. On the other hand, his 16.2 ppg was good enough to get him ranked #15 in scoring in the tournament and he is fun to watch when he powers his way to the basket. Watford finished ranked #12 in scoring with 17.2 ppg and, once again, he impressed us with his good combination of size, skills, and athleticism, plus he has the versatility necessary to play both inside and outside. Smart is really a two who is trying to become a one and, it appears that this experiment might be working, as is evident by the fact that he finished with 16.0 ppg and 5.0 apg, which ranked him among the top 20 in scoring and top 10 in assists in the tournament, and finished with 33 points and 4-9 3-pointers in his team's 79-71 loss in the quarterfinals to Boo Williams. Swider once again was the best outside shooters that we saw all week (he was 12-28 from behind the arc) and his 20.3 ppg ranked him #5 in the tournament in scoring.
And falling into the 16-20 range on our list below are guys like 6'3 Jr Tyrese Maxey from Garland (South Garland) TX, 6'7 Emmitt Williams from Bradenton (IMG Academy) FL, 6'9 Jr Isaiah Stewart from Rochester (McQuaid Jesuit) NY, 6'9 Darius Bazley from Cincinnati (Princeton) OH, and 6'10 Jontay Porter from Columbia (Father Tolton) MO. We still think Maxey is more of a two than a one based on the fact that what he does is score and he did so to the tune of 19.4 ppg, which ranked #6 in the tournament in scoring. However, he also impressed us with his speed and quickness, ball handling and passing skills, and willingness to get his teammates involved, as he averaged 4.2 apg and had a 28-point/six assist game. Williams did what he always does, which was use his strength and explosiveness to attack the basket and be a dominant force on the boards to the tune of 16.0 ppg and 10.3 rpg. Stewart is a rapidly developing 6'9, 240-pound, monster around the basket and his 11.0 ppg and 9.6 rpg provided the City Rocks' long range bombers (Jackson Boeheim and Joe Girard) with the inside punch that they needed to make things interesting before finally bowing out to Team Takeover, 63-59, in the first round of the playoffs. Bazley doesn't pass the strength test with his wiry frame, but he's got a great nose for the ball, can score in a variety of ways, and was very crafty around the basket en route to 15.0 ppg and 13.4 rpg, which ranked him among the top 25 in scoring and #2 in rebounding. Porter is another guy who isn't scared to do the dirty work around the basket, plus he's one of those guys who helps his team in a lot of different ways, as is evident by his stat line that included 8.4 ppg, 12.0 rpg, 4.6 apg, and 1.6 bpg.
When you live by the sword, you also can die by the sword and this time around the outside shot was not falling for 6'5 Coby White from Wilson (Greenfield) NC, who knocked down only 7-28 3-pointers for the week and saw his team only go 1-4 in pool play. On the other hand, White does have big time athleticism, is explosive in transition, and his 15.4 ppg did rank him #19 in scoring in the tournament. This also is about the right range for 6'10 Daniel Oturu from Cretin-Derham) MN, who provides a physical presence in the post and seems to average a double-double every time we see him play (this time around he had 11.8 ppg and 11.2 rpg), and 6;9 Amadou Sow from Napa (Prolific Prep) CA, who did all of the dirty work inside, averaged 10.3 ppg and 8.5 rpg, and played a pivotal role for the Oakland Soldiers in their run to the title. We did not think 6'11 James Wiseman from Nashville (Einsworth) TN, who averaged only 10.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg, and 2.4 bpg quite lived up to expectations. But neither did the entire Team Penny team and it's hard not to like his incredible length and athleticism and the improvement that he has made thus far this spring and summer. On the other hand, 6'8 Ignas Brazdeikis from Orangeville (Prep) ON is always in attack mode and, with the way runs the court, rebounds, shoots the three, he once again showed that he has the skills necessary to play either forward spot
This next guy does not pass the look test due to his lack of size and strength, but 5'10 Kihei Clark from Woodland Hills (Taft) CA is extremely quick to the basket, brings a lot of energy to the table, and he provided the spark that the Oakland Soldiers needed while averaging 16.0 ppg in the playoffs. However, before any college coaches at the mid-range level attempts to move in for the kill, it's important to point out that Clark has already made an early verbal commitment to UC-Davis. It clearly was a disappointing week for All-Ohio Red, which was one of the best teams with a 13-3 record in spring, but lost two of its first three games in North Augusta, SC and missed making the playoffs. And one of the big reasons behind their demise was the 5-21 3-point shooting in their first three games by 6'5 Dane Goodwin from Upper Arlington (Arlington) OH. On the other hand, Goodwin, who is normally a lights out long range bomber, did manage to knock down 9-17 treys and have a pair of 30-point and 24-point games in his final two games en route to a 19.0 ppg scoring average for the tournament. And we also don't want to forget about guys like 6'10 Taeshon Cherry from San Diego (St. Augustine) CA, 6'6 Brandon Slater from Fairfax (Paul VI) VA, and 7'2 Bol Bol from Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA. Cherry only averaged 10.0 ppg and 7.5 rpg during the course of the week, but he played his way onto this list with 13 points and nine rebounds in the title game and it is hard not to like his versatility, athleticism, and ability to knock down the outside shot. Slater averaged 10.0 ppg and 7.5 rpg and he created all kind of problems for would-be defenders with his length, athleticism, and ability to put the ball in the basket. Bol averaged 14.2 ppg, 6.8 rpg, and 1.8 bpg, but, quite honestly, was one of the biggest disappointments of the entire week, as Cal Supreme went down in flames with a 1-4 record and being a tough customer in the paint he was not.
THE HOOP SCOOP'S RANKING OF THE TOP 30 PLAYERS BASED PRIMARILY ON PERFORMANCE AT THE NIKE EYBL FINAL AT THE PEACH JAM
1) 6'10 Marvin Bagley from Chatsworth (Sierra Canyon) CA (NIKE Phamily)
2) 6'4 Tre Jones from Apple Valley (H.S.) MN (Howard Pulley)
3) 6'1 James Akinjo from Richmond (Salesian) CA (Oakland Soldiers)
4) 6'6 Keldon Johnson from Huntington (Prep) WV (Boo Williams) -
5) 6'2 Jr Cole Anthony from Briarwood (Archbishop Molloy) NY - (PSA Cardinals)
6) 6'2 Darius Garland from Brentwood (Academy) TN (Bradley Beal)
7) 6'4 Will Richardson from Hinesville (Liberty County) GA - (Each One Teach One United)
8) 6'3 Jalen Carey from Montclair (Immaculate Conception) NJ (NJ Playaz)
9) 6'10 Simi Shittu from Saxton's River (Vermont Academy) VT (CIA Bounce)
10) 6'7 Jericole Hellem from St. Louis (Chaminade) MO (Bradley Beal)
11) 6'10 Jalin Smith from Baltimore (Mt. St. Joseph) MD (Team Takeover)
12) 6'10 Jr Vernon Carey from Ft. Lauderdale (University School) FL (NIKE Team Florida)
13) 6'8 Jr Trendon Watford from Mountain Brook (H.S.) AL (NIKE Team Florida)
14) 6'4 Javonta Smart from Baton Rouge (Scotlandville) LA (Houston Hoops)
15) 6'8 Cole Swider from Barrington (St. Andrews) RI (BABC)
16) 6'3 Jr Tyrese Maxey from Garland (South Garland) TX (RM5 Elite)
17) 6'7 Emmitt Williams from Bradenton (IMG Academy) FL (Each One Teach One United)
18) 6'9 Jr Isaiah Stewart from Rochester (McQuaid Jesuit) NY (City Rocks)
19) 6'9 Darius Bazley from Cincinnati (Princeton) OH (Mean Streets)
20) 6'10 Jontay Porter from Columbia (Father Tolton) MO (Mokan Elite)
21) 6'5 Coby White from Wilson (Greenfield) NC (Team CP3)
22) 6'10 Daniel Oturu from Cretin-Derham) MN (Howard Pulley)
23) 6'9 Amadou Sow from Napa (Prolific Prep) CA (Oakland Soldiers)
24) 6'11 Jr James Wiseman from Nashville (Einsworth) TN (Team Penny)
25) 6'8 Ignas Brazdeikis from Orangeville (Prep) ON (CIA Bounce)
26) 5'10 Kihei Clark from Woodland Hills (Taft) CA (Oakland Soldiers)
27) 6'5 Dane Goodwin from Upper Arlington (Arlington) OH (All-Ohio Red)
28) 6'10 Taeshon Cherry from San Diego (St. Augustine) CA (Oakland Soldiers)
29) 6'6 Brandon Slater from Fairfax (Paul VI) VA (Team Takeover)
30) 7'2 Bol Bol from Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA (Cal Supreme)