May EYBL Notebook: 16u Standouts

As we are near the end of our live period coverage we have reached the mid-way point of our focus on the Nike EYBL circuit as we've already touched on the 15u division with the 17u division soon following this one. The 2028 class is stacked in North Carolina and many of those athletes play in this division on the EYBL so we'll take a deeper look at what those guys were up to in the month of May right now!    In what was a somewhat up and down weekend for [program_tooltip program_id='2226228' first='Team' last='CP3'] EYBL 16u going 2-2 in Memphis during the live period, Coleman was a significant bright spot for this group as he was a consistent producer throughout the session. Coleman averaged 14.8 Points, 5.0 Rebounds, 3.5 Assists, and 1.0 Steals on 45/36/90 shooting splits. Coleman's ability to play the PG position at his size with his athletic prowess makes him a really hot commodity in the recruiting world as he's picked up multiple major offers since the live period. Unlike a lot of guards in his mold, Coleman actually possesses excellent touch from beyond the arc that keeps the defense honest, even though he doesn't shoot it at a super high volume from distance. He's a primary prospect in this stacked 2028 class here in North Carolina and that won't be changing anytime soon.     In what was a successful weekend for [program_tooltip program_id='2220892' first='Team' last='United'] EYBL 16u going 3-1 on the weekend in Memphis, [player_tooltip player_id='2194636' first='Chase' last='Smith'] really upped his production from session one, including a monster 34 point performance in a win new New York Lightning. On the weekend, he averaged 16.5 Points, 6.3 Rebounds, 1.3 Assists, 1.0 Steals, and 1.8 Blocks per game on 66/43/88 shooting splits. Smith's ability to operate as a mismatch in this front-court alongside the other talented pieces on this team. He can hit outside shots, act as a bully in the low post, and work in the two man game with any of the talented guards on this roster. He's a presence on the glass and is showing improved mobility on the perimeter defensively. Smith continues to shine and is making his case as a riser in this stacked 2028 class.     Deng continues to prove his value with this [program_tooltip program_id='2226228' first='Team' last='CP3'] EYBL 16u team as a forward willing to do the dirty work and find a way to help his team in any way possible. On a weekend where this group went 2-2, Deng only played in three of the games but he did average 10.0 Points, 4.0 Rebounds, 2.7 Steals, and 1.3 Blocks per game while shooting 74% from the floor. He plays with a super high level of activity on both ends of the floor, using his length and size to cause disruption and swing possessions on the defensive end of the floor. He's a low maintenance producer that knows exactly what he is and more importantly what he isn't. Look for Deng to continue his level of production and value for this [program_tooltip program_id='2226228' first='Team' last='CP3'] group as they look to make a Peach Jam push and prove his value as a next level prospect in the process.     Parker is a super versatile wing forward that recently announced his transfer to NC Good Better Best and reclassification to the 2029 class. Parker is playing up with [program_tooltip program_id='2220892' first='Team' last='United'] EYBL 16u who enjoyed a 3-1 weekend in Memphis as they look to be a real Peach Jam Contender. Parker averaged 9.8 Points, 6.0 Rebounds, 1.3 Assists, 0.5 Steals, and 1.3 Blocks per game on 60/50/67 shooting splits. Parker's blend of size, skill, and athleticism make him a unique force on this team largely due to his willingness to buy into the role he's in. He's making his threes even though he's shooting them at a lower volume, he's a real presence on the glass for this team and just provides a ton of supplemental production for this group. He'll be in real contention for the top spot in the 2029 rankings.     Allen and [program_tooltip program_id='2226228' first='Team' last='CP3'] EYBL 16u had a bit of an up and down weekend but he was still able to string together some really quality performances along with finding a way to contribute in other ways beyond scoring. On the weekend he averaged 8.5 Points, 4.5 Rebounds, and 0.5 Steals on 33/30/50 shooting splits. The highlight of the weekend for Allen was a 20 Point performance where he went 4 of 6 from deep in a huge win vs fellow NC program [program_tooltip program_id='2220892' first='Team' last='United']. For Allen, stacking multiple of these performances in the same weekend will really set his recruitment off but there's no doubt he's a very capable player in this North Carolina 2028 class and proved to help this team on the glass this weekend despite not shooting quite up to his standard.     Gunter was absolutely brilliant for [program_tooltip program_id='2220892' first='Team' last='United'] EYBL 16u once again as he helped guide them to a 3-1 weekend in Memphis. Gunter averaged 20.5 Points, 4.3 Rebounds, 4.3 Assists, 1.0 Steals, and 0.8 Blocks on 53/53/90 shooting splits for the session. That is simply supreme efficiency at that high of a volume for Gunter who is really establishing himself as a premier guard nationally in this 2028 class. His ability to make shots off the catch while being a well rounded on ball guard make him the kind of guy that flourishes at the next level. He's always under control with this group and has a quiet, yet contagious confidence that translates to the rest of this lineup. Gunter is a guy we'll be tracking closely as this 2028 class shakes out, he's been too good to ignore with his work in EYBL play.

As we are near the end of our live period coverage we have reached the mid-way point of our focus on the Nike EYBL circuit as we've already touched on the 15u division with the 17u division soon following this one. The 2028 class is stacked in North Carolina and many of those athletes play in this division on the EYBL so we'll take a deeper look at what those guys were up to in the month of May right now!