Nike EYBL Peach Jam – Ramsey’s Friday Notebook

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After a long week of pool play it is time to enter into tournament play at the 2024 Nike EYBL Peach Jam. Prep Hoops Indiana has had boots on the ground in North Augusta, South Carolina since Sunday afternoon covering all of the action from this great event. Before tournament play gets underway and we eventually crown a champion on Sunday, let's empty out the notebook from another day in the gym on Friday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Stars Shine in Early Morning Matchup</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Fans who got their morning started at 9:00 a.m. at the Riverview Activities Center were treated to quite the show. While the final score would indicate a bit of a blowout, the Oakland Soldiers defeated the PSA Cardinals 90-75 after leading by 20-plus late, it was the individual performances that made this matchup so fun.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Throughout this week in North Augusta, it has become abundantly clear that Tyran Stokes is the top prospect in the Class of 2026. The better question is really where he stacks up among the best prospects in all of high school basketball. Stokes, a 6'7” 225-pound physical freak, finished with a triple-double of 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists to lead the Oakland Soldiers. Class of 2025 number one prospect AJ Dybantsa added 23 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. Those two combined for 48 points on just 26 shots. Absolutely incredible efficiency from the top prospects in their respective classes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Along with Dybantsa and Stokes, four-star forward Chris Nwuli really stood out for the Oakland Soldiers as well. The super athletic, 6'7” Nwuli put up 18 points on 7-11, 1-1, 3-4 shooting while also grabbing 7 rebounds. His abilities shouldn't be overlooked while playing next to two of the best prospects in the country.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the loss for the PSA Cardinals, four-star, Top 20 prospect [player_tooltip player_id='1411404' first='Darius' last='Adams'] scored 22 points. He is incredibly fluid off of the ball and operates well in off-ball screening action. Adams was able to match Dybantsa and Stokes shot-for-shot through periods of the first half, but the tandem was too much down the stretch. Four-star point guard Kayden Mingo was very impressive as well finishing with 16 points, 4 rebounds, and 9 assists. He is a pure floor general.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Nightrydas Elite Continue to Dominate</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It feels like we have an inevitable collision course here in North Augusta that will culminate in the Oakland Soldiers and Nightrydas Elite matchup up for the 2024 Peach Jam title. Both programs finished pool play 5-0 with wins on Friday morning. After the Oakland Soldiers took down the PSA Cardinals 90-75 to begin the day, Nightrydas Elite beat City Rocks 78-58. These teams have been dominant throughout the spring and summer and seem to be at a bit of a different level from the rest of the field.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cameron Boozer posted a patented double-double of 20 points and 11 rebounds while fellow five-star, top five prospect Caleb Wilson added his down double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Dante Allen stuffed the stat sheet as usual finishing with 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Brad Beal Elite 16u is a Powerhouse</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This group is really, really fun to watch. Between 6'10” forward Miikka Muurinen, 6'6” wing JJ Andrews, and 6'7” wing [player_tooltip player_id='2195051' first='Jaylan' last='Mitchell'] (2027) there are some very high-level prospects on Brad Beal Elite 16u. On Friday afternoon they were able to pull away from [program_tooltip program_id='2076927' first='Indy' last='Heat'] 16u for a 81-64 victory that made them a perfect 4-0 in pool play.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Muurinen is probably the best long-term prospect of the bunch due to his impressive combination of size and skill. He can step out as a legitimate floor-spacing threat while still serving as a consistent rebounding and shot-blocking threat. However, in this one, it was JJ Andrews who was absolutely dominant. Not only did he lead all scorers in the game with 29 points, but he did so without missing a field goal. Andrews was a perfect 10-10 from the field living above the rim with some impressive dunks at the end of his drives. [player_tooltip player_id='2195051' first='Jaylan' last='Mitchell'] added 13 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists. In the loss for [program_tooltip program_id='2076927' first='Indy' last='Heat'], Ohio State commit Marcus Johnson scored 24 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Other Notes</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1534261' first='Justin' last='Curry II'] had a strong shooting performance for [program_tooltip program_id='2076927' first='Indy' last='Heat'] 16u in their loss to Brad Beal Elite. There was a stretch in the third quarter where the 6'3” shooting knocked a deep one in behind a handoff and then, on the very next possession, hit a trailing catch-and-shoot three from well beyond the NBA arc. He has played well in North Augusta.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Really impressed with Jalen Montonati of MoKan Elite 16u. He finished with 17 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists in an afternoon win. The 6'7” Montonati is a prototypical small forward with an impressive combination of athleticism and skill level. He looked smooth in catch-and-shoot situations, had enough game with the ball in the open floor to create his own a bit, and looked to be an excellent passer. Top 25 Class of 2026 prospect nationally.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[program_tooltip program_id='2076927' first='Indy' last='Heat'] 17u fell 74-56 on Friday evening to finish pool play 2-3 leaving them short of making the weekend tournament portion. Indiana head coach Mike Woodson and Notre Dame head coach Micah Shrewsberry were among those in attendance to watch five-star [player_tooltip player_id='1297052' first='Jalen' last='Haralson'] as this game was played at 6:00 p.m. when the live evaluation period started. However, it was not a very efficient showing for [program_tooltip program_id='2076927' first='Indy' last='Heat']'s star players. Jeremiah Fears finished with 15 points on 14 shots while Haralson scored 12 points on 12 shots. As a team, [program_tooltip program_id='2076927' first='Indy' last='Heat'] shot just 26.7% from the field. Spencer Ahrens continued his excellent week scoring 19 points to go with 9 rebounds.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->