The 2022 annual and famous Nike EYBL Peach Jam came to a close this past Sunday after a long grinding week in North Augusta, South Carolina. National media, NBA scouts, and even college coaches all attend at some point during last week’s elite tournament. A few prospects we already know had outstanding performances and put up numbers during last week’s event. Here we take a look at a few other prospects who also stood out at the 2022 Nike Peach Jam or Peach Invitational Tournament.
2023 PG Jaland Lowe (Houston Hoops) – The biggest stock booster throughout last week at the 2022 Nike Peach Jam? Jaland Lowe. The 6-foot-2 point guard came in with a chip on his shoulder and it certainly showed on the floor. Lowe was one of the most consistent prospects in North Augusta, averaging 17.7 PPG 48% FG 40% 3PT and 4.7 APG through seven games. He is a crafty lefty that plays with a quick twitch, has terrific ball skills, a nice in-between game, and an elite floor general. Jaland consistently made plays out of the pick and roll and plays with toughness. He is a high competitor and earned offers from multiple schools recently after his great performances.
2023 PG Simeon Wilcher (City Rocks) – The future of North Carolina basketball is in excellent hands with Simeon Wilcher making his way to campus in a couple years. Wilcher was in another zone in North Augusta last week, averaging 17.8 PPG 51% FG, 4.8 APG, and 4.6 RPG through six games. The 6-foot-5 point guard has such elite size and shows so much skill on a consistent basis. Simeon was able to score when he wanted too while creating scoring opportunities for his teammates. He is so good at putting pressure on defenses when getting downhill and attacking the rim. Although he did not shoot as well from beyond the arc, Wilcher was able to prove he is capable of knocking down perimeter jump shots.
2023 F T.J. Power (BABC) – T.J. Power has had a major stock-boosting type month over the last few weeks and proved why during last week’s Nike EYBL session. His team, BABC, was not necessarily competing in the Peach Jam portion, but Power was still able to put scouts, college coaches, and national media on notice playing in the Peach Invitational Tournament (PIT). He is a 6-foot-8 forward with a nice handle, feel, and high IQ for the game. Power can really shoot it, has the positional size for the next level, rebounds effectively, makes good decisions with the ball, and can just completely score it on all levels. He has earned offers from multiple schools over the last few months.
2023 PG Caleb Foster (Team Thad) – Caleb Foster has had an over the top month of July running with Team Thad (TN) in the Nike EYBL. The Duke commit had another eye-opening session and this time in North Augusta. He averaged 25.6 PPG 39% FG 41% 3PT, 6.4 RPG, and 4.0 APG through five games. Foster continued to showcase his scoring ability, perimeter shot making skills, and ability to rebound at the point guard position. He holds a nice balance of facilitating and scoring. The 6-foot-5 point guard is apart of the loaded 2023 class that new Duke head coach Jon Scheyer has assembled in the next couple of years.
2023 F Mackenzie Mgbako (NJ Scholars) – The future Duke Blue Devil actually had a very impressive week last week during NJ Scholars (NJ) run in the Nike EYBL Peach Jam. MacKenzie has shown much improvement on his consistency and perimeter shooting. The 6-foot-8 forward averaged 18.6 PPG 48% FG 35% 3PT and 8.3 RPG in six games in North Augusta. Mgbako played with a nice motor, showing he is able to be an asset rebounding the ball at his size. He showcased his explosiveness in some possessions when finishing at the rim, spacing the floor with his three-point shooting, and defensive versatility guarding much bigger opponents at times.
2024 PG Dylan Harper (NY Rens) – Dylan Harper honestly prove he is capable of running the point guard position throughout the grassroots season even at 6-foot-6. He helped lead the NY Rens to the 16s Nike EYBL Peach Jam championship last week. He averaged 16.0 PPG 44% FG, 5.4 APG, and 5.7 RPG through 7 games. The rising junior showcased his pace, reads as a point guard, aggression when attacking the rim, athleticism, and ability to be an effective rebounder for a guard. Harper has a mature frame already and utilizes it to the best of his abilities on the court. Certainly boosted his stock over the last couple of months.
2023 SG Bronny James (Strive For Greatness) – Bronny James Jr. deserves much more recognition for his play style on the court and especially after an eye-opening week in North Augusta, South Carolina. The now rising senior had two games where he scored at least 25 points or more. The 6-foot-3 guard showcased his elite abilities throughout the entire week in the Peach Invitational Tournament. He was able to put scouts and college coaches on notice. Proving he can create his own offense, showing his defensive impact, making plays offensively for teammates, and obviously his athletic abilities. James Jr. has a real nice feel for the game and could be an interesting role player at the college level.
2023 SG DeShawn Harris-Smith (Team Takeover) – DeShawn Harris-Smith is one of my personal undervalued prospect in the 2023 class. The 6-foot-5 guard just consistently plays hard and seems to always play with a chip on his shoulder. He was the main reason why Team Takeover (DC) had their incredible run to the Nike Peach Jam championship game. Harris-Smith is a big body two-guard that can be impactful on both ends of the floor. He utilizes his football-like frame when driving to the basket, has next level strength that helps him defend bigs down low, showcased he is capable of hitting perimeter shots, and rebounds at a high rate for a guard. The rising junior should have opened more eyes of the national media and college coaches that were in attendance last week in North Augusta.
2023 PG Jordan Ross (Mokan Elite) – Before the grassroots season tipped-off in early March, Jordan Ross was apart of my list of prospects who I felt were sleepers coming in. The 6-foot-3 point guard was apart of the success Mokan Elite (KS) had on winning the Nike EYBL Peach Jam title. He might not be the most flashiest prospect, but his poise and feel for the game go unnoticed every time. He has positional size, he is a reliable shot maker, and can run plays for his team. He is a very high quality point guard that seems to always make good decisions with the ball. Ross received some interest and offers during his time in North Augusta and could receive much more attention over time.
2024 F Marcus Allen (FL Rebels) – I thought Marcus Allen had a sort of stock-boosting type of tournament during last week’s Nike EYBL Peach Jam out in North Augusta, South Carolina. The 6-foot-7 forward sort of gets lost in the shuffle in the loaded 2024 class but proved to be one of the better prospects last week. He averaged 17.8 PPG 50% FG and 5.5 RPG through six games. Marcus was able to utilize his big football-like body frame more than anything to secure buckets. He displayed his ability to hit shots from all levels, help secure rebounds, defensive versatility, and transition scoring. He played at a solid pace throughout the week and will be interesting to see how his develop grows over the next couple of years.
The Grind Hoops by Samad Hines 