Expressions Elite Peach Jam Standouts: 17u

The Nike EYBL's Peach Jam concluded this past weekend in Augusta, South Carolina. Expressions Elite -- pride of Boston, MA -- was the only New England team competing at the tournament. Here are the 17u standouts. Expressions 16u and 15u standouts will be following within the next couple weeks!    Aristode is, in my opinion, the best NBA prospect on Expressions Elite 17u. Despite being only the third leading scorer for his squad during the Peach Jam, he showcased an extremely polished offensive skillset. He shoots the ball well from three (8-19 during Peach Jam) and can get it off quickly. He can also score from the mid-range with some nice fadeaway shots and floaters. At the hoop, Aristode glides through the air and uses his length to finish over and around taller defenders. He's a great athlete with no physical deficiencies who should only be increasingly dominant once he puts some more weight on. The Brewster Academy senior also threw some solid no-look passes, although he was sometimes a bit too unwilling to make the simple one. Finally, Aristode plays with an edge on both ends -- he defends multiple positions with intensity and attacks the offensive glass with great vigor. Aristode has a great chance at being an NBA prospect within the next couple years. He has offers from everyone you'd imagine.     If Aristode is the best NBA prospect from Expressions Elite 17u, Jemison has to be number two. Interestingly enough, the two have very similar bodies and skillsets. Like Aristode, Jemison has an incredibly smooth shot release from three and shoots it with great accuracy -- he shot 40% from three on 35 shots during the Peach Jam, exhibiting his ability to be a big-time shooter at the next level. He moves well without the ball and has good footwork to set himself. He also uses his size and length to glide to the rim and finish with the best of them, but he's a little less able to finish with contact than his wing-mate Aristode. Jemison will be a high-level D1 prospect that should absolutely be on the eyes of NBA teams. 6-foot-8, athletic wing with length who can stroke it? Sign me up.     While he might not be the best prospect on Expressions Elite 17u, you could make a strong argument that James is currently the most important player for them. The strong, sturdy point guard led his squad in points at the Peach Jam and did so by forcing his way to the hoop again and again. Nobody could keep James out of the paint all week; he's extremely shifty with the ball and has a frighteningly quick first step. Once he gets to the paint, James showed off a deep bag of ridiculously athletic finishes. Left hand, right hand, high off the glass, double-clutch, you name it. At times he tried to do a bit too much at the rim (reminds me of Ja Morant in that sense), but I'm confident he'll reign it in at the next level and be more controlled. He needs to work on his outside shot, but the mechanics are there and I would imagine that part of his game will improve. Defensively, James is a pest. He can defend 94 feet and slide his feet with virtually anyone. He's committed to Marquette and will fit right in with Shaka Smart's aggressive defensive scheme.     There's nothing flashy about Harrell's game, but he gets the job done time and time again. He's got an array of jab-step moves that he utilizes at the high-post to score in isolation, and he can also knock down the three off the catch. Most impressive about Harrell is his post-up game; he can bully smaller defenders with his incredible strength, and he has solid touch around the rim. He often looks for the fadeaway when posting up guys smaller than him, but in my opinion he could go to the hoop a bit more. It's rare to see a guard/wing who places such an emphasis on post-ups, but it's clearly a comfort zone for Harrell. Jaylen is also probably the most calm and cerebral player for Expressions; he makes great, under-control passes and has a really solid understanding of when to shoot and when to kickout; he led Expressions in assists during the Peach Jam with 19. Harrell will be playing for Providence next season.     Perry is maybe the most raw player on Expressions Elite 17u, but that makes him an incredibly exciting long-term prospect. He's the best leaper on the team -- he literally gets his head at the rim when he jumps -- and that allows him to be a lob threat offensively and a rim protector defensively. However, the skills and body for Perry are definitely still a work in progress; he can't do much with the ball in his hands and he has trouble defending stronger players in the post with his skinny frame. Once Perry learns how to play a bit more and puts on some weight, he could have a fairly rapid improvement arc and quickly become a high-major prospect. Definitely keep an eye on Perry's development over the next year -- he could begin to look a lot different soon. At the least, Perry is a rim-running, rim-protecting center who can play at the D1 level.     Ibeziako is the hardest playing player on Expressions Elite 17u -- or at least he was during the Peach Jam. The undersized center is an absolute grinder on the defensive end; he's athletic, long, and has an excellent motor, allowing him to guard both taller/stronger and shorter/quicker players. He's also a great post-up defender and has awesome hands. Offensively, Ibeziako mainly acts as a screener, which he does fairly well -- he understands when to slip and when to hold the screen, and he showcased some solid cut-timing during the week. The offensive skills are still coming along but you won't have to urge Ibeziako to play hard or do the little things, which is always exciting for a college coach. He'll find a D1 fit and will make someone very happy.     Brooks is a joy to watch. At only 5-foot-11, he does the most important thing a short guard needs to do to stay on the court: he defends. Brooks picks up 94 feet and gives opposing guards nightmares the entire way. He's unbelievably quick and consistently beats players to the spot, but then he also has great hands once he gets there. He only played 44 minutes during the entire Peach Jam but led the team in steals with six. Offensively, Brooks is ultra-quick and can knock down the three, but he won't wow you with offensive skill. His size could definitely limit his recruitment moving forward, but coaches should still love his ability to defend and make shots. He's a D1 player.

The Nike EYBL's Peach Jam concluded this past weekend in Augusta, South Carolina. Expressions Elite -- pride of Boston, MA -- was the only New England team competing at the tournament. Here are the 17u standouts. Expressions 16u and 15u standouts will be following within the next couple weeks!