EYBL Session II: National Standouts (Pt. 1)

Devin Ugland May 1, 2023 @ 01:17 PM

<p>MESA, Ariz. — The NIKE EYBL circuit doesn't come this far west very often, so when a short drive to see some of the top prospects from across the country presented itself, we had to make the most of the opportunity.</p>   <p>Session II of the EYBL tipped off Friday evening at Legacy Sports Complex just outside of Phoenix and the teams and we were in attendance for the 12-plus hours of games on Saturday night. Below we detail the top national (non-California) performers that we saw.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1054790' first='Aiden' last='Sherrell'], 2024, Vegas Elite</h4>   <p>In the couple Vegas Elite games we saw, Sherrell was a force on both ends of the floor, his biggest impact coming on the defensive end. The 6-foot-9 forward/center proved to be a stout rim protector with his combination of vertical athleticism, timing and instincts when contesting, blocking and changing shots around the basket. Offensively, Sherrell's mobility in transition with his fluidity when catching, gathering and finishing on rim-runs makes him a transition threat. In the half-court setting, Sherrell is an effective screener, roller and lob catcher at the rim.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">AJ Dybansta, 2026, Expressions</h4>   <p>Dybansta impressed in a variety of ways over the course of the weekend. The traits that stood out immediately are things that anyone can pick up on: size and length for his position and freakish athleticism, but the more we watched the more true basketball skill Dybansta showed. At 6-feet-7, the class of 2026 wing has an advanced scoring package complete with everything imaginable: perimeter jump shots, isolation drives and finishes, and transition slashes for poster dunks. One of Dybansta's attributes I hope others noticed was his passing ability. He showed great feel and unselfishness in the evening game on Saturday as he scored 28 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished out six assists in a win over Paul George Elite.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1213156' first='Curtis' last='Givens III'], 2024, Mokan Elite</h4>   <p>In my viewings of him, Givens showed to be among the best at running a team from the traditional point guard spot. The 6-foot-2 junior out of Montverde Academy possesses an elite feel for the game, complete with high IQ decisions in transition and half-court offense. Givens can be effective in ball screen action or when breaking down a defender in isolation where he gets into the lane and uses his pace, vision and timing to find open teammates and put them in position to be successful. Givens looked like a player who had the pulse of his team in the front of his mind and made plays to match that mindset.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1437537' first='Darius' last='Acuff'], 2025, The Family</h4>   <p>If there was one guy who fit the "new age" point guard prototype it was Acuff. The Detroit-product is equal parts scorer and creator who showed he can take the temperature of his team, figure out what's needed, and adjust his game on the fly to meet that need. In a win Saturday over Mokan Elite, we watched as Acuff spent the first half getting teammates involved and in rhythm to keep The Family within striking distance. When the second half started, Acuff came out aggressive offensively and scored 26 of his game-high 30 points to lead his team to a win. He shot 12-for-24 in that game and is shooting 51 percent from the field and 41 percent from three-point range through the first two EYBL sessions.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1131775' first='Derrion' last='Reid'], 2024, Team Thad</h4>   <p>Reid has such an impressive combination of size, length and athleticism, but it is how he uses those physical traits to gain advantages for himself and his team that makes him such an effective player. At 6-feet-7 with ball skills, shiftiness off the dribble and quick-twitch pop in his legs, Reid can play on the perimeter as a wing and as a slasher and finisher in transition. What he does best, however, is dribble himself into post-ups where he can score over smaller defenders or draw the extra defender and throw accurate skip passes to open three-point shooters. Reid's versatility is a big reason why Team Thad is 7-1 through the first two sessions as he's averaging 18.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and a handful of assists per game.</p>

MESA, Ariz. — The NIKE EYBL circuit doesn't come this far west very often, so when a short drive to see some of the top prospects from across the country presented itself, we had to make the most of the opportunity.