The three things that really stand out in our final analysis of this year's NIKE EYBL Finals at the Peach Jam in North Augusta, SC were the total dominance by 6'8 Jayson Tatum from St Louis (Chaminade) MO, the fact that the Georgia Stars took home the championship in both the 16-Under and 17-Under Divisions, and 6'11 Soph Marvin Bagley from Tempe (Corona del Sol) AZ once again reinforced the fact that he is the best prospect in the nation regardless of class and position.
Tatum not only finished right at the top of the list in scoring 24.8 ppg and ranked #10 in the tournament in rebounding with 8.6 rpg, but he also was the catalyst behind his team's runner-up finish in the 17-Under Division, had 28 points and seven rebounds and totally out played 6'11 Harry Giles from High Point (Wesleyan Christian) NC in the semi-finals, and clearly was the best player in the tournament over the likes of 6'7 Miles Bridges from Huntington (Prep) WV, 6'11 Harry Giles from High Point (Wesleyan Christian) NC, 6'5 De'Aaron Fox from Katy (Cypress Lakes) TX, and 6'4 Malik Monk from Bentonville (H.S.) AR, 6'1 Jr Trae Young from Norman (North) OK, 6'9 Jr Michael Porter from Columbia (Father Tolton) MO, 5'10 Jared Harper from Mableton (Pebblebrook) GA, 6'10 Jr Wendell Carter from Atlanta (Pace Academy) GA, and 5'11 Jr Markus Howard from Gilbert (Perry) AZ. As a matter of fact, Tatum was so good that he now has to be prominently mentioned in the discussion, along with 6'8 Josh Jackson from Benicia (Prolific Prep) CA, 6'10 Jr Harry Giles from High Points (Wesleyan Christian) NC, and 7'0 Thon Maker from Orangeville (Athletes Institute) ON, when we start talking about who the top player is in the Class of 2016. Tatum also has improved his outside shooting, has a great mid-range game, and has excellent moves and deceptive quickness and athleticism when he goes to the basket. And, to cap it all off, Tatum took the opportunity to make it official for Duke on ESPN and the word on the street is that 6'11 Harry Giles from High Point (Wesleyan Christian) NC might not be too far behind in terms of picking the Blue Devils.
With two monsters inside, like 6'10 Jr Wendell Carter from Atlanta (Pace Academy) GA and 6'11 Udoka Azubuike from Jacksonville (Potter's House) FL, several good perimeter players in 6'6 Brandon Robinson from Douglasville (Douglas County) GA and 6'4 Trent Forrest from Chipley (H.S.) FL, and a quick little point guard in 5'10 Jared Harper from Mableton (Pebblebrook) GA, we thought all along that the Georgia Stars were the team to beat in the 17-Under Division. And, in the end, their was little doubt as they went 5-0 in pool play and then knocked off the King James Shooting Stars, 79-58, in the quarterfinals;Team Takeover, 83-77, in the semi-finals; and the St. Louis Eagles, 104-77 in the Championship Game. On the other hand, we did not expect the Georgia Stars to knock off a star studded We All Can Go team, 67-62, in the semi-finals that included 6'11 Soph Marvin Bagley from Tempe (Corona del Sol) AZ, 5'10 Frosh Tyger Campbell from La Porte (La Lumiere Academy) IN, 6'1 Soph Camron Johnson from Brentwood (Academy) TN, and 6'0 Soph Darius Garland from Brentwood (Academy) TN, all whom are ranked on our list of the top 100 players nationally in their respective classes. They also coasted to an easy 75-56 win over the Arkansas Wings in the Championship Game and featured a great one-two punch in 6'8 Jr Churna Okeke from Atlanta (Westlake) GA and 7'0 Jr Ikechukwu Obiagu from Atlanta (Green Forrest Christian) GA, plus a very good supporting cast with guys like 6'6 Jr Deaundre Ballard from Atlanta (Southwest Atlanta Christian) GA, 6'3 Soph Jamie Lewis from Atlanta (Westlake) GA, 6'1 Jr Davion Mitchell from Hinesville (Liberty County) GA.
Okeke is a high energy athletic power forward with big time athleticism, an aggressiveness on the boards, and the talent necessary to be ranked among the 30 juniors nationally. plus he knows what he is as nearly all of his 17 points in the title game came either around the basket or off transition. Obiagu's offensive repertoire is extremely raw, as is evident by the fact that he didn't score a single point in the Championship Game. However, his seven rebounds and seven blocked shots tell the real story, as we're talking about one of the best rim protectors/shot blockers to come down the pike in a long time. Ballard is a long lanky athletic 3-man who is equally lethal with his outside shooting and ability to get to the basket and he too played a key role with 13 points, 5-11 field goals, and 3-5 treys in the Championship Game. Lewis is still recovering from an injury that sidelined him all of last season, but he did impress us with his ability to slash to the basket en route to 12 points and 5-9 field goals in the title game. Mitchell had 17 points and was 7-12 from the field in the Championship Game, but it was his 21 points and 3-5 3-point shooting that helped put a dagger into the heart of We All Can Go in the semi-finals.
Bagley led the 16-under Division in scoring with 29.3 ppg and also finished ranked #2 in rebounding with 14.3 rpg and, with normal development and progression, he's one of those rare breads that has superstar written all over him. He likes to bring the ball up the court and pull the trigger from behind the arc, but it's his incredible length, quickness, athleticiism, and explosiveness to the basket that really helps set him apart from all the rest and a long list of big time head coaches, including Duke's Mike Krzyzewski, Kentucky's John Calipari, Arizona's Sean Miller, Arizona State's Bobby Hurley, Auburn's Bruce Pearl, Virginia's Tony Bennett, Wake Forest's Danny Manning, and Illinois' John Groce, kept showing up at all of his games. Bagley also hit two key free throws to put his team over the top for good in his team's final win in the tournament, which was a 73-69 victory over CP3 in the semi-finals, and he is much less emotional on the court than he used to be when things do not go his way. On the other hand, Bagley only knows one speed, which is extremely fast, and, as a result, he often fails to finish around the basket due to the fact that he's off balance and totally out of control. However, it's a lot easier to tone somebody down a little bit than to make somebody bigger, stronger, faster, and more athletic.
We've already talked how good 6'8 Jayson Tatum from St Louis (Chaminade) MO was in this event, but, believe it or not, 6'8 Jr Miles Bridges from Huntington (Prep) WV was not too far behind. We're talking about a physical specimen with his strong upper body around the basket, but Bridges also ran the court, finished off transition, knocked down threes, and played like a man possessed en route to 22.8 ppg and 10.0 rpg, which ranks him in second and fifth in scoring and rebounding respectively. Bridges also is dramatically improved since we saw him on numerous occasions earlier this spring and last winter and, as a result, he now has to be regarded as a legitimate top 10-ranked senior nationally. And right now Kentucky appears to be the heavy favorite over schools like Michigan, Michigan State, Indiana, and North Carolina. And, of course, there was 6'11 Harry Giles from High Point (Wesleyan Christian) NC, who finished ranked #12 in scoring with 18.2 ppg and #4 in rebounding with 11.0 rpg and guided his team to within a last-second shot loss against the St. Louis Eagles of being in the Championship Game. Giles will need to develop better post moves and get bigger and stronger physically, but it's hard to argue with his explosiveness to the rim, spectacular dunks, and ability to rebound and block more than his share of shots.
We also thought the race was too close to call between 6'5 De'Aaron Fox from Katy (Cypress Lakes) TX and 6'4 Malik Monk from Bentonville (H.S.) AR for the #4 spot in our rankings, as they both have world-class athleticism and are virtually unstoppable when they attack the basket. The former finished with 19.0 ppg and 6.6 apg, which ranks him #10 in scoring and #3 in rebounding in the tournament, and the latter finished with 20.6 ppg, which ranks in #5 in scoring in the tournament. Fox is a better passer, but Monk is a better outside shooter and they both are good enough to be ranked in the 5-10 range nationally in the Class of 2016. We also were not surprised that Arkansas head coach Mike Anderson and Razorbacks assistant coach Melvin Watkins were at all of Monk's games, especially in light of the fact that Monk been rumored to be a near lock for the school that is right in his backyard for a long time. In sharp contrast, Fox appears to be much more wide open and among those schools showing the most interest are Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor, Louisville, Arizona, and Kansas.
After that it gets a little more difficult, as 6'1 Jr Trae Young from Norman (North) OK beats out 6'9 Jr Michael Porter from Columbia (Father Tolton) MO, 5'10 Jared Harper from Mableton (Pebblebrook) GA, 6'10 Jr Wendell Carter from Atlanta (Pace Academy) GA, and 5'11 Jr Markus Howard from Gilbert (Perry) AZ all are vying for the #6 spot on our list. Young also picked up where he left off earlier this spring, as he finished tied for #6 in scoring, along with Porter and Howard, with 20.0 ppg and #2 in assists with 7.2 apg. He also is extremely quick off the dribble, has that competitive edge, and does a great job of balancing his scoring with his passing. Porter also finished ranked #9 in rebounding with 9.0 rpg and he seemed to be much more in the flow and played much better than he did when we saw him a month ago at the NBA Players Association Top 100 Camp. Harper finished tied for #7 in the tournament in assists with 5.0 apg, but it was his total dominance along the road to the championship that got our attention. We're talking about somebody who was hitsteam's leading scorer with 24 points in the semi-finals and had 34 points, eight assists, four rebounds, two steals 11-21 field goals, 3-7 3-pointers, and 9-12 free throws in the Championship Game. He also was the obvious choice for tournament MVP honors.
Harper does lack size, but he has a great feel for the game, makes excellent decisions, gets his teammates involved, can score in bunches, has great nose for the ball, knows how to defend, and already has cast his lot with Auburn, which is ironic in light of the fact that Tigers head coach Bruce Pearl took another undervalued guy like this back when he was the boss at Tennessee and turned him into one of the best 3-point shooters (Chris Lofton) in college basketball history. We also have to give Antonio Curro of NY2LA Sports.com an assist on this one, because he was the guy who suggested that Harper be a last minute addition to the NBA Players Association Top 100 Camp. And this obviously gave Harper the added experience and confidence necessary to be able to play like this in this tournament. Carter is a beast around the basket with his size, athleticism, and ability to score, rebound, block shots, and finish around the basket and he too turned the heat up in the playoffs, as is evident by the fact that he had 25 points, 13 points, eight blocked shots, and 8-10 field goals in the title game. Howard is another guy who lacks size, but is capable of putting up prolific numbers and, as a result, he falls more into a combo guard mold than a point guard mold.
Another guy who picked up where he left off at the NBA Players Top 100 Association Camp was 6'6 Jr D.J. Harvey from Hyattsville (DeMatha) MD and, thanks to his size, versatility, athleticism, and ability to make things happen in the open court, he was the catalyst behind Team Takeover finishing with a 4-1 record and advancing into the final four of the playoffs. Ditto picking up where he left off at the NBA Players Association Top 100 Camp with 6'1 Jr Xavier Simpson from Lima (Senior) OH and this prolific scoring combo guard finished with ranked #3 in the tournament in scoring with 21.5 ppg and #1 in assists with 7.5 apg. We also once again were very intrigued with the size, quickness, and athleticism of 6'9 Jonathan Isaac from Bradenton (IMG Academy) FL. However, he lacks the strength and toughness around the basket necessary to play any four at a higher level and, as a result, we're talking about an athletic 3-man who is best when he's attacking the basket, but also shows a mid-range and long range jump shot from time to time. Another one of the top assist men in camp was 6'0 Cassius Winston from Detroit (Univ. of Detroit Jesuit) MI and he also impressed us with his ball handling and passing skills, court savvy, ability to knock down the outside shot, and great upper body strength, which he uses to get to the basket and draw the and-one.
The rest of our top 20 ranked players at this year's NIKE EYBL Finals at the Peach Jam includes 6'4 Ty Jerome from New Rochelle (Iona Prep) NY, 6'7 V.J. King from Fairfax (Paul VI) VA, 6'4 Andrew Jones from Irving (MacArthur) TX, 6'2 Myles Powell from Hamilton (Trenton Catholic) NJ, 6'7 Jr Paul Washington from Henderson (Findlay Prep) NV, and 6'7 Kassoum Yakwe from Centereach (Our Saviore New American) NY. However, expect for Jones and Yakwe, there is not a lot new to add from the multiple times that we've seen them earlier this spring and summer. Jones finished ranked #11 in the tournament in scoring with 18.4 ppg and we really like this 6'4 slashing athletic 2-guard's quickness in the open court and they way he finishes at the rim. Yakwe played like he had something to prove after not getting invited to the NBA Players Association Top 100 Camp, as this long athletic multi-dimensional 4-man finished second in the camp in rebounding with 11.8 rpg and first in blocked shots with 5.8 bpg.
And, as we dig deeper on our list of the top 5- ranked players in the tournament, which we published yesterday, some of the players that are new names or we have something new to talk about include 6'8 Robert Williams from Vivian (North Cadde) LA, 6'6 Maverick Rowan from Ft. Lauderdale (Cardinal Gibbons) FL, 6'4 Jarron Cumberland from Wilmington (H.S.) OH, 5'11 Charlie Moore from Chicago (Morgan Park) IL, 6'4 Soph Javonte Smart from Baton Rouge (Scotlandville) LA, 6'1 Alterique Gilbert form Lithonia (Miller Grove) GA, 6'10 Tony Bradley from Bartow (H.S.) FL, 6'2 Unique McLean from Granby (MacDuffie) MA, 6'8 Kevin Marfo from Worcester (Academy) MA, 6'0 Jr Jordan Ford from Folsome (H.S.) CA, 6'0 Nassir Barrino from Jersey City (Hudson Catholic) NJ, and 6'4 Jakolby Long from Mustang (H.S.) OK. Williams finished as the #3-ranked rebounder in the camp and, with his length, athleticism, and enormous upside, he is a major steal for Texas A&M. Rowan did not play well as he did when we saw him in the NIKE EYBL-Minneapolis Session, but he is a must priority for both Louisville and St. John's and right now it appears to be too close call for this sharp shooting prolific scoring tough hardnosed deceptively athletic 2-guard. Cumberland finished ranked #4 in the tournament in scoring with 20.8 ppg and what this strong athletic 2-guard does best is use his body to get to the basket and score. Moore may lack size, but he already is on track to be the next outstanding guard to hail from the Mac Irvin Fire program and he knows how to both get his teammates involved and light up a scoreboard, as is evident by the fact he finished ranked #15 in the tournament in scoring with 17.2 ppg.
Smart has the size, skills, and athleticism necessary to be equally effective at either guard spot and he already was clearly the best player on his team, which is a major feat when one remembers that he is just a rising sophomore. Gilbert gets mentioned because he averaged 18.2 ppg and 3.8 apg, which ranks him among the top 20 in scoring and top 15 in rebounding in the camp. Bradley is one of those guys who gets better and better every time we see him and it's hard not to like his physical attributes, athleticism, and ability to score and rebound in the paint. McLean doesn't have a true position and outside shooting is not his forte, but he's second to none when it comes time to slash to the basket and he definitely has a flare for the spectacular when it comes time to throw one down. Marfo is a physical specimen in the post and we liked the way he overpowered would be defenders when it came time score and crash the boards. Ford's lack of strength still is a cause for concern, but he has good ball handling and passing skills, changes speeds extremely well, and appeared to be less turnover prone and played with a lot more confidence. Barrino is a tough little point guard who makes a living using his speed and quickness to get to the basket and lock his man up defensively. Long is an strong physical athletic 2-guard who is like a jack-of-all-trade, as he does everything pretty well, but nothing exceptionally well.