MEMPHIS — The best high school prospects in the country convened at the Memphis Sports & Events Center this weekend for Session 2 of the Nike EYBL Circuit. College coaches packed into the 16-court facility to take in the action, including Duke’s Jon Scheyer, Houston’s Kelvin Sampson, UConn’s Dan Hurley, Alabama’s Nate Oats, Arkansas’ John Calipari, Kentucky’s Mark Pope and many more.
The three-day showcase is one of the premier recruiting events of the offseason, leading up to the Nike EYBL Peach Jam in mid-July. It allows coaches to evaluate recruits in a highly competitive, pressure-filled environment. Several of the marquee games — most of which featured the Oakland Soldiers, who are headlined by 6-foot-7 forward Tyran Stokes and 6-foot-3 guard Jason Crowe Jr., the consensus Nos. 1 and 6 prospects in the class of 2026, respectively — were standing-room only.
With a lot of buzz surrounding the class of 2025, the players next in line have flown under the radar. Below are some of the standout performers from Memphis, including insight into their recruitment processes. All the players spotlighted are rising seniors.
Jordan Smith Jr., 6-foot-2 guard, Team Takeover
Team Takeover dominated the session, going 4-0 with an impressive victory over the Oakland Soldiers in the most heavily attended game of the weekend. Smith, a consensus top-five prospect in the class of 2026, is Team Takeover’s engine on both ends of the floor. The high-flying, explosive guard averaged 17.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.3 steals. While not a three-point shooter, Smith — from Fairfax (Va.) Paul VI Catholic — excels at attacking the basket, particularly in transition. He also is a lockdown defender. “I really like to get after it on defense,” he told Hoops HQ. “I take pride in that.”
Smith has been on official visits to Duke, Georgetown, Louisville and Syracuse, and plans to visit Kentucky and Arkansas soon. Two of his former high school teammates, Patrick Ngongba II and Darren Harris, play for the Blue Devils. Smith says he is looking for a program that matches his play style and that will best prepare him for the NBA, as he is aiming to be one-and-done.
“It’s just slow and steady right now,” Smith said about his recruitment. “I’m taking some visits soon. I’m just having fun with the process, too. I’m not trying to make it like a business yet because I know once I get to college, it’s all going to be business.”
Qayden Samuels, 6-foot-5 forward, Team Takeover
Samuels, also a consensus five-star recruit, is Takeover’s go-to option offensively. The sharpshooting lefty from Forestville (Md.) Bishop McNamara averaged 20.8 points and shot 52.4 percent from behind the arc through four outings. He compares his game to that of former Rutgers star and projected No. 2 overall pick Dylan Harper. “We’re both left-handed. We both get to our spots,” Samuels told Hoops HQ. “We play at our pace. I love watching his game.”
Samuels, a top-20 recruit, says Georgetown is at the top of his list. “They’re always recruiting me,” he said. “I think it’s because I’m down in that area — DC area, DMV. They love me up there. They make me feel welcome.”
Samuels mentioned three other schools high on his radar: UConn, Alabama and Rutgers. He intends to really zero in on his recruitment after the summer and before beginning his senior year.
Jason Crowe Jr., 6-foot-3 guard, Oakland Soldiers
A smooth lefty with a tremendous handle and deep range, Crowe leads the EYBL in scoring (25.0 points per game). In the Soldiers’ highly anticipated matchup with Team Takeover, he dropped 35 points on 47.8 percent shooting, albeit in a loss. As Crowe told Hoops HQ, he likes to study NBA superstars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Brunson, noting how they utilize crafty footwork and change-of-pace to create offense and draw fouls.
Crowe — from Inglewood (Calif.) High — has offers from Kentucky, hometown UCLA, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas and several others. He said he hasn’t really gone through the process of breaking down his options yet, but that he will prioritize “a team environment, a great culture and a coach that’s going to let me go.”
Kentucky is thought to be one of the leading contenders. Jason Crowe Sr. is a longtime friend of Kentucky assistant Jason Hart, as the two were teammates at Inglewood High in the mid-1990s.
Tyran Stokes, 6-foot-7 forward, Oakland Soldiers
Stokes, the consensus No. 1 prospect in his class, made his EYBL debut in Memphis, generating considerable buzz. The dynamic forward did not disappoint, averaging 18.3 points, 9.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.0 steals. With tremendous size for a wing, Stokes — from Sherman Oaks (Calif.) Notre Dame — can both handle the ball up top and dominate the interior. His all-around game has given him a firm grip on the No. 1 spot in the rankings. Whenever Stokes and the Soldiers took the floor, they commanded the attention of a majority of the coaches in attendance.
Stokes was supposed to visit Kentucky this weekend, but he postponed it so he could play with the Soldiers. He has taken official visits to Louisville and Kansas. He also has offers from Alabama, Houston, Gonzaga, North Carolina, Michigan and several more top programs.
Dylan Mingo, 6-foot-5 point guard, PSA Cardinals
Mingo, from Long Island Lutheran, is a consensus top-10 recruit who scored at least 20 points in three of his four outings, including a masterful 31-point performance on 13-of-19 shooting against Team Herro. Already an elite scorer, Mingo is focused on improving as a passer before he’s off to college in a year.
As of now, his recruitment is wide open. “The top schools are Texas, Illinois, Alabama, Penn State, Missouri, Baylor and a couple of others,” he told Hoops HQ. He has not yet taken visits. He intends to more thoroughly explore his options at the end of the summer. His older brother, Kayden, is a four-star recruit who is about to begin his freshman year at Penn State.
JaShawn Andrews, 6-foot-7 forward, Brad Beal Elite (Committed to Arkansas)
With future coach John Calipari watching from the sidelines, Andrews had a few eye-opening performances in Memphis, including putting up 32 points (on 13-of-21 shooting), 8 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals in a 91-76 win over MoKan.
Andrews, a consensus top-40 prospect from Little Rock (Ark.) Christian Academy, is a strong, athletic wing who impacts the game in numerous ways. “I’m very versatile and a winner,” he told Hoops HQ. “I play to win. Wherever the coach needs me to play, I’ll play in that position.”
Andrews committed to Arkansas right before the weekend. “I love Coach Cal, I love the coaching staff, I love the state of Arkansas,” he said. “I had a great feeling from the jump that it was going to be them.”
Austin Goosby, 6-foot-4 guard, Drive Nation
Goosby, a consensus top-35 prospect from Melissa (Texas) High in the north Dallas suburbs, flashed an extremely versatile skill set. He guided Drive Nation to a 4-0 record, averaging 16.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.8 steals per game. “I can go get a bucket and I like creating for my teammates a lot,” he said. “I feel like facilitating is a huge part of my game that’s going to stand out at the next level.”
Goosby has SMU, Texas, Texas A&M and BYU at the top of his list right now. He says the most important thing is finding a place that feels like family. “If they can get involved early and reach out a lot and keep me in their loop, then I feel like that’d be a good fit,” he told Hoops HQ.
Jaxon Richardson, 6-foot-5 forward, Florida Rebels
Richardson, the son of former NBA player Jason and younger brother of projected lottery pick Jase, drew huge crowds throughout the weekend. An athletic wing with bounce like his dad, Jaxon — a five-star prospect ranked in the top 25 — had a number of highlight slams. In his debut, he put up 21 points (on 9-of-16 shooting) and 6 rebounds to help the Rebels get a 77-57 win over Team United
“I’m an energy guy,” Richardson told Hoops HQ. “I bust my butt 110 percent on the court every day. I give everything that I got. I’m an athletic finisher. I also use my athleticism to create plays for my teammates. And I’m a catch-and-shoot type of guy, so if a guard gets in the paint and I’m open for a catch-and-shoot, I’m going to hit the shot. I’m just bringing energy all around the game.”
Richardson plays for powerhouse Miami Columbus, where Duke commits Cameron and Cayden Boozer starred; Jase also went there, and fellow five-star recruit Caleb Gaskins will be a teammate again next season. Jaxon is weighing offers from Alabama, Cincinnati, Michigan, USC, Florida, Georgia and other prominent programs.
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, who coached Jason and Jase, watched Jaxon on Saturday, and Alabama coach Nate Oats was in attendance at several of Jaxon’s games, as well.
Maximo Adams, 6-foot-7 forward, Vegas Elite
Adams, a consensus four-star prospect, is currently ranked in the high 80s but should rise if he continues to play how he did in Memphis. From perennial power Chatsworth (Calif.) Sierra Canyon, Adams switched programs from Team WhyNot to Vegas Elite ahead of the event and averaged 19 points and 10 rebounds per contest.
“I can play multiple positions,” Adams said about his game. “I can guard multiple positions. I can shoot the three and shoot the middie.”
Adams has garnered interest from several schools, but he singles out Oregon, Arizona State and SMU as his leaders. His older brother, Marcus Adams Jr., played for Cal State Northridge last year but recently transferred to Arizona State. Maximo expects to make his decision around the beginning of his senior season.
Najai Hines, 6-foot-10 center, NY Rens
A four-star prospect from Plainfield (N.J.) High who is ranked outside the top 100, Hines was one of the most dominant forces in Memphis. He controlled the paint for the NY Rens, swatting shots, grabbing rebounds and throwing down powerful dunks. In a 70-65 win over the PSA Cardinals on Saturday, Hines put up 17 points, 15 rebounds and 9 blocks. He averaged 15.0 points, 11.0 rebounds and 4.3 blocks in four outings, helping the Rens go undefeated.
“I’m definitely a traditional big, but I do have a bag,” Hines told Hoops HQ. “Above all else, I’m a defensive player. I love to block shots. I love to get into peoples’ chests and make them do dumb things. I try every game to be the best I can. If I’m having a bad game, I’ll find another thing I can do, whether it’s scoring, rebounding, blocking or just playing straight up defense.”
Hines is planning to transfer to a prep school for his senior season. An exceptional tight end, he has received several Division I offers for football, but he told Hoops HQ he wants to play basketball exclusively in college. Hines, who grew up in the Raleigh, N.C., area, has yet to pick up any major offers for hoops, but that may change after his performance in Memphis.
