Jack’s EYBL Session 4 Standouts (Part 1)
A lot of things went on in Hampton, VA last weekend, as it was the final session of Nike’s Elite Youth Basketball League. With only five spots clinched coming into the weekend, there was a lot at stake and many of the stars came out to shine. There were big time performances from players throughout the weekend, so I will be giving a number of my standouts over the next week. We’re lucky enough to have one of the best tournaments in the country in our backyard, so we feel it necessary to bring you coverage of players from all over the country, not just in VA.
On a more somber note, we’d like to wish our deepest sympathies and condolences to the family of James Hampton, a rising senior from Washington, DC who was playing with Team United out of Charlotte. Hampton collapsed during their game Saturday afternoon and passed away at the hospital. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and the Team United family.
Enjoy the write ups!
Trayce Jackson-Davis | 6’9” PF | Indy Spiece Heat 17U
After watching Jackson-Davis, I found one of the national scouts I know and asked about him, to which I wasn’t surprised he responded, “Yeah he’s a five star.” A long and super explosive power forward, Jackson-Davis dominated the paint on both ends of the floor, showing some moves that others simply couldn’t do. He had soft touch with both hands, and effortless leaping ability as he was able to square his shoulders and explode above the rim for finishes. He finished with 21 points and 8 rebounds in a close loss to Team CP3 when I watched.
Ethan Brittain-Watts | 6’1” PG | Indy Spiece Heat 17U
Brittain-Watts opened Session 4 on fire for Spiece, as he went for 17 points against Team CP3 in their loss. A dual threat PG that can also work off the basketball, he showed that he can be a guy who fills it up in bunches after lighting it up from deep. He finished with 17 points, hitting five three-pointers, three of which came in the first half. His ability to both create shots and make tough ones made him a very tough guard.
Antavion Collum | 6’8” G | Team CP3 17U
Collum was extremely impressive in CP3’s win over Spiece, as he did a little bit of everything and showed how versatile he can be. At 6’8”, he’s a legitimate guard who can handle it and make plays for others and himself. He isn’t the greatest shooter, but he’s able to use his size to rebound and start the break, get downhill and finish at the basket or make plays for others. He finished with 19 points, 13 rebounds and three assists in their win when I watched them.
Wendell Moore | 6’6” WF | Team CP3 17U
Moore didn’t shoot the basketball particularly well when I watched him, but his ability to impact the game in so many ways on both ends of the floor is something special. He’s so intelligent, as he understands and exploits mismatches on the offensive end, and he has great instincts defensively that allow him to jump passing lanes and take charges. He gets others involved and gets them easy scoring opportunities, he gets to the free throw line and he’s just an all around game changer when you watch him play. He finished with 16 points, 7 assists and five rebounds when I watched him, and he also took three charges.
BJ Mack | 6’9” PF | Team CP3 17U
The first thing you notice about Mack from the high school season is that he is making tremendous changes to his body. One of his Oak Hill coaches tells me he’s down about 35 pounds, and that has made him more mobile and able to run the floor and explode better. He showed his all around skill set, especially on the offensive end as he made some midrange jumpers, he sealed and scored around the basket with both hands and he competed on the glass on both ends. He finished with 11 points and four rebounds when I watched them, and if he continues to get into better shape he should have a big impact this year at Oak Hill.
Justin Moore | 6’4” G | Team Takeover 17U
The Villanova commit is part of a deep and talented Takeover backcourt that features five or so high major prospects, but he may be the guy who can create and score in more ways than any other. Moore can play both on and off the basketball and he can score it from all over the floor. In their blowout victory over Team Final, Moore scored 12 points on 4-for-8 shooting from the floor, he hit a three, he got to the line four times and he pitched in five rebounds, three assists and two steals. He’s getting his explosiveness back and that’s only going to make him more difficult to guard moving forward.
Hunter Dickinson | 7’0” C | Team Takeover 17U
A 2020 playing up on the best AAU team in the land, Dickinson is extremely intriguing because he’s able to impact the game in the paint and out of the paint and he makes it all look so easy. At 7’0”, he has great touch with both hands in the paint, he can step outside and make shots and he’s an excellent passer in the post and out of double teams. He’s able to use his size to make an impact in short periods of time, and with their depth they don’t need him to absolutely dominate the game from tip to buzzer.
Kofi Cockburn | 6’10” C | NY Rens 17U
One of the most physically imposing big men in the country, Cockburn has a frame, and game, a lot like Dwight Howard. He keeps things simple in the post, as he has good footwork but doesn’t try to do too much, and he’s able to finish a lot of plays in the paint with dunks, ferocious dunks that bring his team energy. He has a soft touch from the free throw line, he’s able to own the paint with his size and athleticism and he’s simply impossible to matchup with one on one in the paint.