Notebook: EYBL Session 1
How blessed are we at Vantage Hoops to have one of the top tournaments in our backyard in the first live period of the 2017 summer?!
Nike’s EYBL Session One brought kids and college coaches from all over the country to the Boo Williams Sportsplex in Hampton, VA. Spectators were in awe as some of the best college basketball prospects battled it out in front of coaching legends such as Coach K, Patrick Ewing, Jay Wright, Roy Williams, Frank Martin, Jim Larranaga, Richard Pitino, Mike Wright, Bill Self and others looked on. There was even a basketball celebrity sighting as Mr. “Why He Do That Boy Like That?” FamousLos was in attendance.
But in the end it was all about the kids and the basketball, so without further ado, here’s some of what we learned from the first session of the EYBL.
Boo Williams Looks Back!
From worst to first! After a not so great showing last year in the dead period Session 3 when they went 0-4 at their host site, BWSL has come out on fire this EYBL Season. Hosting the first round, they are sitting at a perfect 4-0 mark with wins over Nike South Beach (FL), UPlay (Can), Southern Stampede (FL) and Team United (NC), all by double digits.
BWSL rolled out a whole new roster of talented players from all over, but it was the sole returning player in Keldon Johnson who stole the show. The four star wing from South Hill, VA who spent last season at Huntington Prep was one of the top performers throughout the event, averaging 25 points and 9 rebounds per game in the four games. He played with great energy and leadership, and showed a high motor and killer mentality when it came to taking over games.
“I just want to be a leader,” Johnson said. “Giving my team more energy and leading them is all I wanted to do. I came out in the second half in attack mode. I want everyone to leave thinkings ‘he can do it all, he’s high major, he’s better than what everyone said and he lived up to the hype.”
Johnson’s performance was up there for the best in the first session, but you don’t get to 4-0 with just one player.
One standout for Boo was 2018 combo guard Jason Wade, fresh off of a state championship with Trinity Episcopal. Wade did a little bit of everything, including setting the tone defensively where he was a playmaker whether they were playing man or zone. He also handled the basketball well, made plays for others and rebounded well at the point guard spot. He may not have put up the numbers others did, but he did a little bit of everything averaging 5 points, 5 rebounds, three assists and three steals in the four games.
A duo of 2019 guys also stood out, as Miller School wing Aundre Hyatt and Teays Valley (WV) big man Mirambeaux Anderson also played well as newcomers. Hyatt shot it extremely well, especially in the second day, and averaged 12.8 points and four rebounds per game while shooting 31% from deep. Anderson, a 6’6” bully of a big man, showed a high motor and soft touch in the middle. He pitched in as the sixth man averaging six points and five rebounds per game.
The final standout was 2018 Keyontae Johnson, who’s originally from Norfolk but transferred last season and starred as an athletic wing at IMG Academy in Florida. He averaged 7 points, four rebounds and two assists per game, while providing some above the rim, highlight worthy finishes.
They’ll still have some things to figure out, but the way that they have started the season and the talented cast they have, Boo looks like they have a good chance to qualify for Peach Jam for the first time in the last two seasons.
Tre Jones Living Up to Legacy
One of the most exciting player at the EYBL was also one of the most recognizable, because he looks just like his brother Tyus Jones who played at Duke for one year in 2015 before being drafted and now plays with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
His brother, Tre, was one of the must see players at Session One, and he did not disappoint. Jones averaged 17 points and 10 assists per game, and had so many finishes, dimes and moves that left everyone going crazy. His ability to get in the lane at will and create plays for others both in the half court and in transition was the most fun to watch, and you have to think with Coach K sitting front row for every game during Day 2 that he may be leaning toward following his brother’s footsteps.
Noah Locke Cooks Against the Best
The 6’2” combo guard was unreal in a highly anticipated matchup with CP3 on day one, where he scored 24 points and hit his first six shots from the field. Despite Melo going 1-3 in their first ever session of the EYBL, Locke averaged 16.5 points per game and shot an impressive 50% from the field. His big game against CP3 came in front of Florida Head Coach Mike White, which is his biggest offer to date.
Meanstreets Duo Comes Up Big in the Clutch
During a time where I was bouncing around from game to game, I ended up watching most of the second half of the Meanstreets (IL) and NJ Playaz game that came down to the wire. With the game close coming down to the wire, a couple of 2018 wings in Tim Finke and DaMezi Anderson took over and clinched a 94-85 win for them.
Meanstreets went 4-0 on the weekend, and Finke was their go-to guy for most of the weekend. He scored 26 points in their win over Playaz, including a couple of clutch threes late, and he averaged 18.8 points per game in just 19 minutes per game. He has great size for a shooter at 6’5”, and he has the right mentality to get it done late in close games.
Anderson was equally impressive in their win over the Playaz, finishing with a game high 30 points and hitting clutch free throws down the stretch. An athletic wing from South Bend, Indiana, Anderson brought energy and was impossible to stop in downhill situations where he used his athleticism to finish at and above the rim.
With this duo and a lineup of talented and deep wings, there’s no doubt that Meanstreets will be a tough out in Division A this summer.
Cormac Ryan and Kofi Cockburn Dominate
Sticking with the duo theme, the NY Rens were one double OT lost away from being 4-0 on the weekend, and it was an inside-out duo that dominated when I saw them blow out Team Final of Philadelphia.
A new addition to the Nike Circuit, 2018 Cormac Ryan made a huge splash for the Rens in his first EYBL session. A tough as nails wing from Milton Academy, Ryan dominated off the circuit last season with Middlesex Magic, and he answered the questions about whether he was good enough to do it on the Circuit. Playing almost 30 minutes a game throughout the weekend, Ryan averaged 16.5 points, 3 rebounds and two steals per game for the Rens. His ability to shoot it off the catch, attack and finish through contact all while being a secondary ball handler shows why he has so many high major programs touting him.
In the paint, 2019 Kofi Cockburn of Christ the King showed tremendous upside, almost averaging a double-double with 10 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. The 6’10”, 240 lbs. big man showed good mobility for his size, finished everything in traffic with a dunk and was an intimidating post presence.
The two new additions to the Rens should set the tone with their high motor, versatility and toughness that impacts the whole team.
Khyree Temple Shows He’s for Real
There’s been a lot of buzz since he came back and helped lead Phoebus to the state semifinals, and he made a huge impact in the 16U EYBL Tournament for Boo Williams. The 6’5” forward has a motor that doesn’t stop, and he’s only scratching the surface on how talented he can be. He runs the floor like a gazelle and is a walking highlight reel in transition, but that’s not all he can do. He plays extremely hard on both ends, can protect the rim and jumps passing lanes defensively and he showed a good face up game in the paint.
If he can continue to work on his lateral quickness defensively and his jump shot offensively, it wouldn’t be a stretch to think that he’ll have a chance to transition to the wing later in his career, which should see his recruitment take off.
Other Notes
- For Boo Williams 16U team, 2020 Cam Thomas thrived playing alongside 2019 Chase Coleman. With a distributing point guard on the floor, Thomas was able to move without the ball to get easy shots from deep or layups off of cuts. He shot it extremely well throughout the tournament, including a 30 point game in their win over Southern Stampede. He has a killer mindset and plays much more mature than his age.
- No one made a name for themselves possibly as much as Southern Stampede guard Jalen LeCque. The 2019 guard from Christ School (NC) by way of the Bronx showed tremendous toughness and scoring ability. He had over 30 in multiple games, including a 38 point game, and he only seems to be scratching the surface. He’s athletic, tough and finishes things at the rim and through traffic.
- Two big men that stood out were Team Melo’s Nate Roberts and Southern Stampede’s Josh Roberts. No relation, but the two are both long, athletic and play hard on both ends of the floor. With their ability to get up and down and shoot the basketball, coaches will be all over them moving forward.
- Hudson Catholic/Team Final big man Louis King is the bruiser coaches are looking for because he’s much more than just that. At 6’8″, he’s a strong post with soft touch around the basket, but his physicality is almost matched by his athleticism and killer instinct. They’ll lean heavily on him for their inside play throughout the EYBL.
- Riverdale Baptist (MD) sophomore Tyrese Samuel, who’s playing with UPlay of Canada, was really versatile in scoring 19 points in their loss to Boo Williams. He hit four threes, handled the ball in transition and ran the floor and finished above the rim. If he can rebound at a consistent level, he’ll be an intriguing big in the 2019 class.