NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. – Nike’s Peach Jam and the adidas 3SSB Championship are the top two events of the summer and located only two hours apart, making it very convenient for college coaches and NBA scouts to spend ample time at both tournaments.
Noticeably missing from was former No. 1 player in the class, Marcus Spears Jr. of Drive Nation, who elected to class up and committed to Texas where he’ll spend two seasons. His now-former team, Drive Nation, made a Cinderella run to the Peach Jam title game despite having only six players. They lost in the championship game to Cayden Daughtry and the Florida Rebels 71-60 but it was still a remarkable run.
Here’s the latest dish from the top players from Nike Peach Jam and adidas 3SSB.
Cayden Daughtry goes off, wins Peach Jam MVP
Daughtry came in with momentum after being a top performer at EYBL’s Session 4 in Las Vegas and leading all players in scoring during the EYBL season (25.6 points per game) and second in assists (6.2). He capped off his summer with a Peach Jam title and was named the first Tournament MVP ever. It was the single-greatest individual performance in Peach Jam history.
Daughtry also broke the Peach Jam single-game scoring record Thursday night when he posted 43 points (14-of-24 from the field, 4-for-7 on 3-pointers) in a triple-overtime thriller against the New York Rens. He first scored the game-tying bucket at the end of regulation when he blew past four players mid-court and finished with a dunk at the right side of the rim. Daughtry rattled in a deep three-pointer at the end of the second overtime to send it to a one-minute third OT.
Daughtry’s recruitment looks wide open as of now. Head coaches from Miami, Iowa, Michigan, Florida State, Kansas, Louisville, UConn and Illinois attended all his games. He told Hoops HQ in June that he plans to visit Miami, Iowa, Florida State and UConn in the fall.
Antonio Pemberton was the best guard at adidas 3SSB
The 6-foot-2 point guard from Massachusetts was the floor general behind Mass Rivals’ run to the U17 Championship game. He became the talk of the tournament when he hit an incredible game-winning shot over 7-foot Darius Wabbington with four seconds left that shocked powerhouse Compton Magic. Pemberton had 29 points in that game and then followed it up with 31 points in the quarterfinals. He’s a three-level scorer who has a deadly two-dribble pull-up in the mid-range and plays with so much poise and confidence.
Michigan State rolled three coaches deep with Tom Izzo sitting on the baseline for two of the games. Kansas had assistant coaches at every game and Shaka Smart and an assistant were at every game. Kansas and South Carolina are his most recent offers.
AJ Johnson reclass rumors heating up
The No. 1 player currently in the 2028 class has been playing up all summer with the 17U Team CP3. He hasn’t been home in a month after winning a gold medal with Team USA over in Istanbul at the U17 FIBA World Cup and then traveling straight to Las Vegas for EYBL Session 4 and then straight to Augusta for Peach Jam. The 6-foot-8 wing was one of the top scorers at Peach Jam and had 33 points, six rebounds and five assists in a win over Team WhyNot during pool play. Head coaches from Duke, Georgia, Auburn and BYU were sitting courtside at multiple games and rumblings of him reclassing up to the 2027 class in the next few weeks.
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RJ Evans, class of 2029, turning heads
Evans is the son of 13-year NBA vet Reggie Evans. At 6-foot-7, he’s taller than his father and has an incredible feel for the game. Evans is playing up two divisions at the 17U level for Austin Rivers SE Elite and went off for 32 points, nine rebounds and four assists in a very close 79-76 loss to Garner Road on Friday.
He’s been a player NBA scouts and college coaches have been prioritizing all summer long. Evans holds a handful of early offers including Miami, Florida State, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisville and Ole Miss and is a top player to watch in the 2029 class.
Beckham Black backing his newly minted No. 1 ranking in the 2027 class
Beckham is the younger brother of Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black. He is the newly minted No. 1 player in the 2027 high school class after Marcus Spears Jr., opted to reclass up a grade and commit to play two years at Texas.
The Texas native has been consistently climbing the ranks since the end of his high school season at Southeastern Prep Academy. He led Team USA in assists (8.4) and was second in points (19.1) during the gold-medal run.
Beckham marched into Peach Jam to back up his No. 1-ranked status and made a strong statement in AB Elite’s second game of the tournament where he finished with 37 points, five rebounds, four assists, three steals and one block in the 86-69 win over MeanStreets. He followed that up with 24 points and six assists in a win over Brad Beal Elite.
“It just goes to show the work he’s put in to be number one,” Anthony said. “He’s really worked on his shot selection, particularly off the dribble, and gotten a lot stronger from last season.”
Beckham has an official visit set for Texas in the fall and other programs like Duke, USC, Georgetown, Michigan and Kansas are all in the mix.
Darius Wabbington and Yann Kamagate dominate the paint
Standing 7-feet tall with a 7-foot-9 wingspan, Kamagate passes the eye test as a projected NBA prospect. He’s playing up a division with Compton Magic and is the other half of the twin tower in the paint with Wabbington, a 6-foot-10 center from Phoenix. Kamagate recorded 13 points, 14 rebounds, and three blocks against ETG Midwest on Thursday and followed that up with 12 points, eight rebounds and four blocks in the one-point loss to Mass Rivals on Friday. His rim protection is already elite with his timing and footspeed, even when going up against players a year older and guards a little faster and crafty around the rim.
Kamagate is the No. 2 player in the incoming junior class (right behind AJ Williams), according to 247 Sports. Coaches from Duke, Arizona, BYU, Alabama, Arkansas and Michigan were watching him multiple times this weekend.
Wabbington is instantly recognizable on the court with his frame and because he moves so well for a near 7-footer. The most underrated part of his game is his passing ability. The court vision that he has for his age is elite and he’s able to make great reads over the defense with his teammates cutting or running the lanes in transition. Wabbington averaged 15.8 points and 6.4 rebounds during the regular 3SSB season and even though Compton Magic lost two of their last three games, Wabbington logged 20 or more in each game and in the win over ETG Midwest he also added 10 rebounds and five assists.
Wabbington is the No. 12 player in the class, according to 247 Sports, and has scheduled fall official visits to Arizona, Indiana, Louisville and Texas with Kentucky, Baylor and North Carolina also in the mix.
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