What We Learned: EYBL Dallas
DALLAS — Five things we learned from Session 3 of Nike EYBL… Jalen Johnson Deserves No. 1 Consideration There are certainly areas that Jalen Johnson needs to improve. If you want to knock the shooting ability, that’s fair.…
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Jalen Johnson Deserves No. 1 Consideration
There are certainly areas that Jalen Johnson needs to improve. If you want to knock the shooting ability, that’s fair. Does he take some unnecessary chances with the basketball? Sure. At the end of the day, Johnson is still arguably the most complete and versatile prospect in the country.
How good is this five-star prospect? Even in one of his worst games of the season, he put up strong numbers. Despite going 6-of-17 from the floor, Johnson still finished with 18 points, eight rebounds, five assists, three steals, and two blocks — statistics that hardly suggest an off day.
Johnson is a triple-double threat every time out. There are a lot of areas that make him special, but most impressive is his ability to rise to the occasion in close games. Johnson just has a switch he can hit when his team needs him most and is so difficult to beat. That was proven again Sunday afternoon after delivering the game-winning assist to knock off Vegas Elite.
Jones is Rising in 2022
He put up big numbers as a freshman at Milwaukee Academy of Science, but I didn’t expect he’d able to replicate those in the EYBL. Armani Jones is deadly sharpshooter who’s quite shifty on the ball and hard to stay in front of, but he’s only about 5-foot-9.
However, height was just a number for Jones in Dallas. He came off the bench was often a go-to scoring threat for Phenom University. Jones has strong handles and can shake some really good defenders in the halfcourt. He’s able to size his man up, make a move, and create an open shot as good as anybody in his class right now.
Jones will likely be overlooked as a college prospect due to his height, but in terms of talent, he’s a top 7-8 talent right now.
Sibley’s Defense Deserves More Credit
We always focused on what Sibely could/will become at the next level. A plus-length athletic forward that can shoot the ball, Sibley has a chance to be a real matchup problem in the coming years.
We’re not talking enough about his defense.
The 6-foot-9 forward has some serious versatility on that end of the floor. Throughout the weekend, he was Phenom’s main stopper and would often switch onto the hot hand. Whether that was a scoring wing, forward, or even a point guard, Sibley had no issues taking on the role.
Sibley uses his length very well and is able to contest/disrupt a lot of shots. He moves well laterally for his size and doesn’t allow many straight-line drives. If he does, Sibley has the recovery ability to make a play on the ball at the rim.
Huibregtse Belongs in the EYBL
It felt like a desperation move at the time. Needing more numbers on their 17U squad, Phenom University brought up Alex Huibregtse from their NY2LA squad.
It turns out, that move had some value aside from just adding another player to the bench.
The Grafton standout held his own in Dallas and also made a number of game changing plays to help his team to a 4-1 record. Huibregtse shoots a high percentage when his number is called in sets to get him a 3-point shot. I loved his response against Pro Skills after he was chewed out in the first half. Huibregtse starting flying around defensively, getting on the floor for loose balls, and hit some big shots in the second half.
Through two EYBL sessions, Huibregtse is averaging a respectable 8.2 points per game on 49.0 percent shooting, including a respectable 48.8 percent from 3-point range as he appears to have worked his way into scholarship status at the next level.
Phenom University Can Win Peach Jam
Okay, this was already known going into the EYBL season, but Phenom University is also one of the favorites in South Carolina.
Phenom finished the three sessions with an 11-2 overall record, winning a loaded Division A which featured the likes of PSA Cardinals (10-3), Vegas Elite (9-4), Pro Skills (9-4), and Nightrydas (8-5).
Most will see the Texas Titans as the favorite in Peach Jam after they posted a 12-1 record and took care of Phenom 86-67 in Atlanta. However, Phenom’s as talented at the forward position as anybody with Johnson, Sibley, Patrick Baldwin Jr., and Jaemyn Brakefield able to create so many mismatch opportunities. Throw in point guard Reece Beekman, who’s playing at a very high level and elevates everyone around him and it would be no surprise to this group take home the title.