Top Performers From Night 1 Of Peach Jam
It was an exciting opening night at Peach Jam where there were tons of college coaches all over the place getting their eyes on the court for the first July evaluation period. I was posted up on court five for most of the night where I saw a lot of talent on the court. Here are a few standouts that caught my eyes from day 1.
2019 Armando Bacot | Team Takeover
The big man from Richmond was a force down low all night for his Takeover team. He finished with 12 points and 15 rebounds. He was extremely efficient around the rim and powerful with the ball. I was really impressed with his defense as he was altering shots all night long and moving his feet well.
2020 Jeremy Roach | Team Takeover
The starting point guard for Takeover came up huge last night. But first it should be mentioned that Roach literally just got back from Argentina after winning a gold medal for the USA U17 team. Takeover needed a spark in the second half from someone and Roach was that guy. He was doing whatever he wanted to get to the rim while some of the moves he was doing to separate himself from the defenders were simply unreal. He has a strong iq for a point guard and can set up his teammates well.
2019 Tre Mann | E1T1
Mann is a shot maker and that was on full display from the beginning last night. He can hit jumpers from a lot of different areas on the court while also driving to the rim and putting up floaters. If his team needs a shot, Mann is likely going to be the guy to get the ball.
2019 CJ Walker | E1T1
CJ wins the award for Mr. Versatility from the opening night. His most impressive attribute last night might of been his ability to get up for rebounds. He was getting defensive rebounds all night and immediately getting up the court and attacking the basket. He was hitting shots and finishing in the paint as well. He was one of the most fun players to watch all night. He finished with 14 points and 8 rebounds.
2019 James Wiseman | Bluff City Legends
Wiseman put on a performance that I don’t think I have ever seen before at Peach Jam. He finished with 25 points and 9 rebounds and literally did everything he could to give his team win including a potential game basket at the buzzer. He made shots from all areas of the court, he dunked the ball multiple times, he was making hook shots right in front of the rim and was pulling up in transition with ease. Wiseman showed why he thinks he should be the number one prospect in the country and with this type of performance he very well could be.
2019 DJ Jeffries | Bluff City Legends
Wiseman’s teammate and future Kentucky Wildcat put on a show too last night in front of his future head coach. Jeffries shot the ball well but maybe the most impressive thing was his leaking out on fastbreaks and quickly attacking the basket. He was nearly unstoppable last night running the fastbreak and going straight to the bucket with his quick burst and speed.
2019 Vernon Carey | Nike Team Florida
The other guy that showed why he thinks he should be number one in the country was Vernon Carey. The strong lefty had a great game finishing with 23 points and 10 rebounds. With his size and muscle he is very hard to stop around the basket and he usually gets to do whatever he wants to do, he had a good amount of powerful dunks inside, too. For a big he moves well and can put the ball on the floor a little too.
2020 Scottie Barnes | Nike Team Florida
When talking about the number one player in a class, for the class of 2020, Scottie Barnes deserves to be in that conversation. Barnes is smooth with the ball and moves so well with the ball in his hands. Late in the second half Barnes took over when his team needed points. He was smooth at getting to the bucket and was confident in shooting the ball. He is one of the best bucket getters in the 2020 class.
2019 Scotty Pippen Jr. | Oakland Soldiers
The son of Scotty Pippen led his team to an opening night win over Indy Heat. In my opinion Pippen might be sliding under the radar a tad bit but if he keeps on having performances like last night, his stock should increase. He is vocal on the court and overall a good team leader. He plays smart with the basketball.
2019 KJ Martin | Oakland Soldiers
KJ Martin is the son of former NBA player, Kenyon Martin and it sure does look like he has been practicing with his father. He was using his athleticism to finish shots around the rim and drove the lane all night.
2019 Drew Lowder | Indy Heat
The 6’0 point guard from Jackson, Michigan caught my eye last night. Lowder is a lead guard for Indy Heat who showed off some good vision and overall good point guard skills. He currently has a few low major offers but I can see a few mid majors popping in to try and get his talents at the next level.