Monthly Archives

July 2026

Top Players from the Nike EYBL Peach Jam

by Carl Berman
written by Carl Berman

North Augusta, SC – U17 DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP

The Florida Rebels captured the 2026 Nike EYBL championship in dominant fashion, defeating Drive Nation 71-60 in the title game. Leading the charge was EYBL MVP Cayden Daughtry, who delivered one of the most memorable Peach Jam performances in recent memory with averages of 32.3 points, 6.1 assists, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.9 steals per game.

Drive Nation’s championship run was equally remarkable, advancing to the finals with only six players after losing top recruit Marcus Spears, who departed early to begin his college career at Texas.

U17 PLAYER SPOTLIGHT

Cayden Daughtry | 6’1″ Point Guard | Florida Rebels Daughtry was simply unstoppable, scoring 30-plus points in seven of his eight game. His 43-point performance against the New York RENS in a triple-overtime thriller will be remembered for years to come, even in defeat. His consistency and clutch play throughout the tournament cemented his status as one of the elite guards in the country.

Beckham Black | Point Guard | AB Elite The consensus top prospect in the 2027 class lived up to the hype with an impressive Peach Jam showing, averaging 24.2 points, 5.3 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game. His tournament-best 37-point explosion against Meanstreets out of Chicago showcased his scoring prowess. Black is strongly considering Georgetown, Texas, and Arkansas in his recruitment.

Troy Fason | 6’0″ Guard | New York RENS Fason’s performance exemplified the transformative power of grassroots basketball. The previously under-the-radar guard burst onto the national scene with a breakout tournament, headlined by a 41-point eruption against the Florida Rebels that put college coaches on notice. He left Peach Jam with multiple scholarship offers from quality programs including Dayton and South Florida. Fason is a name to watch closely throughout the 2026-27 season, with the possibility of reclassifying to attend college this upcoming year.

AJ Williams | 6’7″ Guard | CP3 The top prospect in the 2028 class continued to validate his ranking, averaging 23 points and 8.2 rebounds across five games. His 31-point performance in the quarterfinals against the eventual champion Florida Rebels was impressive, though not enough to advance. Williams is currently being recruited by Duke, Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, and several other high-major programs.

Lewis Uvwo | 6’11” Center | Nightrydas Uvwo established himself as the premier big man at Peach Jam with his defensive dominance. While solid offensively with 11 points per game, his defensive impact—6 blocks and 9.4 rebounds per game—is what makes him a five-star prospect. He led the Nightrydas to the semifinals and is being recruited by Alabama, Arkansas, BYU, Baylor, Florida, and Kentucky. Uvwo is considered wide open in his recruitment.

Kager Knueppel | 6’8″ Forward | Team Herro One of the nation’s elite shooters, Knueppel showcased his range with an 8-three performance against the Florida Rebels. The younger brother of Charlotte Hornets forward Kon Knueppel has already committed to Duke, continuing the family legacy.

U16 DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP

Team Final capped off a perfect season by defeating CP3 74-65 in the championship game, finishing an impressive 22-0 in the U16 division. Rowan Phillips, Ian and Carter Smith, Justin McKie, and Logan Chwastyk were instrumental in Team Final’s championship run.

U16 PLAYER SPOTLIGHT

Bentley Lusakueno | 6’10” Center | CP3 A versatile big man who impacts both ends of the floor, Lusakueno averaged 12 points, 6 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per game. His semifinal performance against AB Elite—21 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 blocks—was his signature moment of the event. He’s considered a top-10 prospect in the 2028 class.

Peter Julius | 6’10” Center | Georgia Stars An elite center for the Georgia Stars 16u squad, Julius dominated the paint with 16.2 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game while shooting an efficient 60.9 percent from the field. His 21-point, 19-rebound performance against Brad Beal Elite was his tournament highlight.

JJ Crawford | 6’4″ Guard | NW Rotary The top prospect in the 2029 class, Crawford displayed remarkable efficiency in four games, averaging 16.5 points while shooting 54.1 percent from three and 52.1 percent from the field. His 26-point, 6-three performance against the Nightrydas was his best showing. Crawford is a prospect to monitor closely over the next two years.

Rowan Phillips | 6’6″ Guard | Team Final One of the top shooting guards in the 2028 class, Phillips was a key factor in Team Final’s EYBL 16u Peach Jam championship. Dynamic at getting to the basket and finishing strong, Phillips averaged 16.8 points and 3.3 rebounds during Peach Jam.

Benji Berrouet | 6’7″ Power Forward | AB Elite A double-double machine, Berrouet averaged 17 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 blocks per game. His 24-point, 16-rebound, 4-block performance against Vegas Elite showcased why he’s one of the top big men in the 2028 class. He led AB Elite to the 16u semifinals before falling to CP3. While he’ll be recruited by several schools, Texas and Houston appear to be early favorites.

This article was written by Andrew Keeling, a correspondent and scout forNetScouts Basketball. You can follow Drew on X @BBallScout2288

Top Performances from the FIBA U17 World Cup

by Carl Berman
written by Carl Berman

Istanbul, Turkiye – Following seven intense games of action in Istanbul, the FIBA U17 World Cup concluded with many elite prospects demonstrating highly scalable, transferable skill sets. Evaluating how these pieces project requires looking past raw production and focusing on structural floor geometry, deceleration windows, and defensive processing. By analyzing the film and technical mechanics of the tournament’s top performers, a clearer picture emerges of how their games might translate to higher levels of competition.

Team USA’s 6’11” center Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje was named the MVP of the tournament. The Duke recruit’s level of play scaled up with every passing round to anchor the USA’s gold medal run. Averaging 19.6 points and a tournament-leading 10.9 rebounds per game alongside 2.1 blocks, Boumtje Boumtje established himself as a violent glass cleaner with fundamentally sound box-outs. What makes his projection tantalizing is his internal and external versatility; along with punishing teams inside on putbacks, he flashed an elite shooting stroke by connecting on 53.1 percent of his triples and was highlighted by an overwhelming 31-point, 16-rebound performance against Puerto Rico.

Serbia’s 6’9″ forward Nikola Kusturica functioned as a premier modern two-way weapon, averaging 24.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.3 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game alongside a tournament-wide 24.7 efficiency rating. Utilizing his size, Kusturica applied suffocating on ball pressure defensively while demonstrating sharp weak side anticipation to block shots from the interior out to the perimeter line. Offensively, his explosive first step allowed him to win downhill reps or turn face-up out of the post, enabling him to shoot an elite 60.8 percent on two-point field goals. In the final against Team USA, he maintained high efficiency by aggressively drawing contact to get to the free-throw line 22 times, finishing with 37 points and making 17 free throws.

Türkiye’s 6’3″ point guard Omer Kutluay operated as the tournament’s premier offensive engine, finishing second in scoring with 28.4 points per game while comfortably leading the field with 9.0 assists and adding a solid 6.1 rebounds per game. Kutluay showed a masterclass in pacing and poise under heavy pressure, routinely manipulating defensive geometry out of primary actions. He consistently punished defensive hedges by making precise reads with skip passes or attacking downhill to force low-man rotations and create perimeter shooting space. His exceptional processing speed was on full display in a brilliant quarter-final performance against France, where he logged 30 points and 11 assists with remarkable finesse.

Puerto Rico’s 5’10” guard Dwight Gaines functioned as an absolute lightning bolt off the dribble and catch, averaging 25.9 points, 5.3 assists, and 3.4 rebounds per game. Gaines weaponized elite foot speed to generate separation against longer, switchable defenders, making him incredibly tough to track through dribble handoffs and tight screen coverage. In the pick and roll, he masterfully utilized a stop-and-go change of pace, sealing the recovering defender on his back before decelerating into contact to draw and-one floaters. Defensively, his anticipation in passing lanes was predatory, leading the tournament with 4.9 steals per game, highlighted by a 36-point, 9-assist, 8-rebound, and 6-steal masterclass against Côte d’Ivoire.

New Zealand’s 6’4″ guard Jayden Cecil exploded as the tournament’s leading scorer, averaging 29.9 points along with 5.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game while shooting 38.3 percent from deep on high volume. Cecil possesses an elite downhill motor, consistently probing for micro-gaps in the defense where he can explode to the rim with balance. Defensively, he used highly active hands to generate deflections and spark transition opportunities. While he recorded a tournament-high 42 points in group play, his most scalable showing came in a more efficient, lower-volume 37-point performance against Serbia.

Türkiye’s 6’7″ forward Darius Karutasu, averaged 23.3 points and a second-best 10.9 rebounds per game while shooting 43.2 percent from beyond the arc. Karutasu stretched floor geometry as a textbook modern forward, utilizing a remarkably high release point that required minimal catching windows to get his shot off over contesting wings. When defenders over-closed, he showed the functional handle to put the ball on the floor, collapse the paint, and facilitate over the top to vertical lob threats, highlighted by a tournament career-high 37 points and 6 three pointers against New Zealand.

This article was written by Zeya Benitez of NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Instagram, or on twitter.

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Top International Players Through the Round of 16 at the FIBA U17 World Cup

by Carl Berman
written by Carl Berman

Istanbul, Turkiye – The Round of 16 has been completed at the FIBA U17 World Cup, with several prospects consistently producing across multiple statistical categories while impacting the game in a variety of ways.

Leading the way is Türkiye’s 6’3″ point guard Omer Kutluay, who averaged 32.3 points per game in group play, leading the tournament in scoring, while also averaging 10.3 assists to lead the field. He has also added 7.7 rebounds per game, an impressive mark for a guard, showcasing his all-around impact on both ends of the floor through the first three games; Omer is currently averaging 28.0 points per game, third in the group, with 6.8 rebounds and 9.8 assists.

Second is his teammate, Türkiye’s 6’7″ forward Darius Karutasu, who averaged  27.0 points per game in group play, second in the tournament, along with 11.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks during his first three games. Karutasu is an effective floor spacer who can attack closeouts, facilitate to lob threats, and create offense off the dribble. With his high release point, he needs very little space to get his shot off, making him a difficult matchup for defenders. Currently, Darius is averaging 26.5 points per game and 11.5 rebounds per game, number one in the group, and 2.8 assists per game and 3.3 steals.

For Canada, 6’5″ forward Isaiah Clarke averaged 14.7 points and 11.0 rebounds in group play, ranking second in the tournament in rebounding during the team’s first three games. His most notable performance came against China, where he recorded 19 points and 18 rebounds. Clarke consistently produces by utilizing his motor for putbacks, attacking downhill with physicality, and creating second-chance opportunities through his rebounding. Currently he’s averaging 11.8 points per game with 8.8 rebounds per game, ranked fourth in the tournament with 1.6 assists per game.

Another standout has been New Zealand’s 6’4″ guard Jayden Cecil, who exploded for a tournament-high 42 points. Cecil utilizes active hands to create extra possessions and attacks downhill with poise, consistently finding gaps in the defense to generate efficient scoring opportunities. He’s currently averaging 29.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.2 per gar game, leading the group in points.

Italy’s 6’6″ forward Simone Ventura, one of the tournament’s most efficient players, posting a 21.3 average efficiency rating while averaging 19.7 points and 1.3 assists per game during the group phase. Ventura relies more on skill than athleticism with a lean build, using polished footwork, patience, and touch around the basket to create scoring angles. He understands how to decelerate, can space the floor, attack from both the perimeter and the post, and manipulates defenders with deceptive movement. Defensively, he has also showcased timely help-side rotations and rim protection, displaying strong instincts as a weak-side shot blocker. Currently, Simone Ventura is averaging 16.0 points per game, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists.

Lastly, Serbia’s 6’8″ shooting guard Nikola Kusturica has functioned as a premier modern, three-and-D weapon. He showcased high-level consistency throughout the group phase, producing 17.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.3 steals, and 2.3 blocks per game alongside a 20.7 efficiency rating. Through the Round of 16, Nikola is averaging 22.0 points per game, ranked 6th in the tournament, 6.8 rebounds per game, and 2.8 assists per game. Utilizing his size, he creates effectively off the dribble while applying intense on-ball pressure defensively with active, disruptive hands. His sharp anticipation allows him to block shots anywhere from the interior to the perimeter, while his explosive first step allows him to excel going downhill or turning face-up out of the post. Kusturica’s immense two-way upside has projectable translation, directly fueling wins for his team so far.

This article was written by Zeya Benitez of NetScouts Basketball.