The 2025 summer evaluation period has drawn to a close with the Nike EYBL Peach Jam wrapping up on Sunday. Over the next few months, uncommitted 2026 prospects will take their visits and begin to whittle down their lists of offers.
Every EYBL season, a handful of players elevate their games and shoot up the rankings as a result. Each session is packed with college coaches, so these late breakouts tend to shake up the recruiting picture in a major way, suddenly becoming high priorities for top programs.
Below is a breakdown of five rising stars from the 17U EYBL circuit, as well as an update on their respective recruiting processes.
Maximo Adams, 6-foot-7 forward, Vegas Elite
As his Vegas Elite coach Rich Thorton says, Adams has been putting up “Wilt Chamberlain numbers” this season. Since May, the do-it-all wing has gone from unranked to No. 41 in the country, per ESPN. “Recruitment has been (going) great,” Adams tells Hoops HQ. “A lot of schools have been contacting me, so we’ve just been building great relationships.”
In between Session 4 (July 9-13) and Peach Jam, Adams picked up offers from Houston, Illinois and Nebraska. Add those to an impressive list that also includes UCLA, Michigan State, Oregon, Arizona State, BYU, Alabama, Texas, Kansas, Kansas State and Missouri. Adams says he doesn’t have a clear order at the moment and plans to take several visits following Peach Jam. He has been in contact with schools, but nothing has been scheduled yet. “I can fit in anywhere, ” he says. “I can play multiple positions and guard multiple positions.” His older brother, Marcus Adams Jr., played for Cal State Northridge last year but recently transferred to Arizona State.
Adams switched EYBL teams from Team WhyNot to Vegas Elite in May and slotted in seamlessly. He led the entire EYBL in rebounding (12.4 boards per game) and ranked fourth in scoring (21.9 points). During Peach Jam, he put up 26 points, 14 rebounds, 2 blocks and 2 steals in a 76-59 win over Drive Nation.
“His biggest strength is his motor,” says Thorton. “Unbelievable scorer. Unbelievable rebounder, and that’s just all motor. He’s highly skilled, but what stands out is that he’s a greedy rebounder and a greedy scorer.”
Whichever school lands Adams will be getting “a pro,” Thorton adds. “An NBA basketball player, that’s what they’re getting. A winner and just a difficult matchup because he’s a three-level scorer, he gets to the foul line, he has unbelievable footwork and goes after every rebound. He really concentrates on his rebounds.” Thorton feels that Adams is “100 percent” a one-and-done player. “I hear the coaches who are recruiting him,” he says. “I hear what they’re telling him.”
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Bryson Howard, 6-foot-5 wing, Pro Skills
Howard, the son of former NBA player Josh Howard, was unranked entering the spring. Since May, he has climbed all the way up to No. 28 in the country, per ESPN, with offers from top programs such as Baylor, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State, North Carolina, NC State and more pouring in. “It’s been a blessing,” he says. “I’ve been preparing for this moment my whole life. And when it finally came, I was very excited.”
A versatile southpaw out of Heritage High School in Frisco, Texas, Howard has grown tremendously on both ends of the floor. He’s a tough defender and a three-level scorer. Last year, he came off the bench for the 16U Pro Skills squad, which he says “took a toll” on him. This year, he was the team’s leading scorer at 21.1 points per game, to go along with 5.7 rebounds and 2.0 steals.
“I’m more confident, for sure,” he says. “After that year, I got in the gym, worked, kept my head down, just kept being humble and working. And look where I’m at now.” He had one of the best performances of Peach Jam, erupting for 37 points on 14 of 19 shooting (4 of 5 from behind the arc) in a 101-90 win over Utah Prospects. “I’ve always been known as (Josh’s) son,” Howard adds, “so for me to make a name for myself is pretty good to know.”
As of now, Howard’s recruitment is wide open. He has five visits set up for the summer but he has yet to disclose them.
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Najai Hines, 6-foot-10 center, NY Rens
When Hoops HQ caught up with Hines at Session 2 of the EYBL circuit in mid-May, he had yet to garner any high-major offers for basketball. He did, however, have several Division I offers for football. Hines is an exceptional tight end, but he has been adamant that he is all in on hoops going forward. “I have zero plans of playing football in college,” he tells Hoops HQ.
The imposing center was unstoppable throughout the AAU season, averaging 13.7 points, 9.9 rebounds (fourth in the EYBL) and 2.9 blocks (first in the EYBL). Through eight Peach Jam outings, he posted 13.1 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per contest, helping lead the Rens to the championship game.
Hines describes himself as a “traditional big” but with “the new age big package.” He does most of his work on the block, but he’s also comfortable stepping out for short jumpers. Defensively, he uses his physicality and athleticism to control the paint.
According to 247Sports’ rankings, Hines has climbed from No. 117 in the country to No. 36 since early June. “I’ve been getting more and more coaches to hit me up,” he says. “I’ve been communicating with them, just feeling it out, seeing what I like, what I don’t like. I’m just waiting it out, trying to see what I want to do after Peach Jam.” Hines adds that he has received several offers in the past few weeks, but he did not want to share the specific schools.
Asked about the factors most important to him as he weighs his college decision, Hines says, “Great guards, great campus, great fans and great coaches. I don’t want to be going to a coach that doesn’t know what they’re doing.”
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Ethan Taylor, 7-foot center, Mokan
A seven-footer with tantalizing potential, Taylor has skyrocketed up the 247Sports’ rankings since early June, jumping from No. 73 to No. 22. During that time, he has picked up offers from Indiana, Iowa, Creighton, Baylor, Kansas, Kansas State, Houston, Texas, Florida State and Oregon. Taylor averaged 9.2 points and 7.3 rebounds in just 16.3 minutes per game during the EYBL season.
“My biggest strengths would be my footwork, my touch around the rim and just what I can do inside the arc,” Taylor tells Hoops HQ. “I’ve been working a lot on trying to expand my game to more face up.”
Taylor led Peach Jam in field goal percentage (75 percent) and had double-doubles against eventual tourney champ Brad Beal Elite (11 points, 15 rebounds) and the Oakland Soldiers (14 points, 10 rebounds).
He has yet to schedule any official visits or narrow down his long list of schools, but he’s seeking “a winning program,” he says. “I want to be effective right away. I want there to be a family environment, everybody’s close. I want there to be a coach who’s going to push me, a coach with success. And a school that utilizes bigs.”
Anthony Brown Jr., 6-foot-1 point guard, Team Durant
One of the shiftiest guards on the EYBL circuit, Brown stole the show on the first day of Peach Jam, dropping 37 points in an upset victory over 14-1 Team Takeover. The electrifying Team Durant star sent the crowd at Riverview Park Activities Center into a frenzy, connecting on nine three-pointers.
And he didn’t stop there. Brown dropped 27 points and 6 assists against Utah Prospects and followed that up with 22 points, including the game-winner, against Nightrydas. The bucket-getter out of Archbishop Carroll in Washington, DC, uses his quickness and elite handles to create separation. He’s a knockdown shooter with deep range but he also finishes well at the rim for his size. In addition to being a prolific scorer, Brown continues to evolve as a passer. He ranked fourth in the EYBL in assists per game with 5.2.
Brown entered Peach Jam slotted at 94th in the country on ESPN and 103rd on 247Sports. Those rankings should rise given his stellar performance throughout the tournament. Brown has set official visits to Mississippi State and Oklahoma State and also holds offers from Maryland, Villanova, Memphis, VCU, Syracuse and Vanderbilt, among others.
