Tag: Peach Jam

Duke basketball offers four-star 2026 forward Miikka Muurinen

Duke basketball extended an offer to fast-rising 2026 prospect Miikka Muurinen.

2026 feels like the distant future, but considering that it’ll be 2025 on the calendar once Duke basketball reaches the ACC portion of its schedule this season, the future will be here before we know it.

That said, Jon Scheyer and the Blue Devils will likely focus considerable recruiting resources on the Class of 2026, and there are some terrific prospects for them to choose from. One of them, power forward Miikka Muurinen, received an offer from Duke over the weekend, according to 247Sports’ Travis Branham.

Muurinen, who plays for Compass Prep in Arizona, is originally from Finland. He stands 6-foot-10 and currently ranks as 247Sports’ 44th-ranked player in the Class of 2026, but many recruiting insiders expect him to receive a boost on all recruiting services. Branham named Muurinen the ‘biggest riser’ from Peach Jam, where he averaged 18 points and four rebounds per game for Bradley Beal’s Elite 16U squad.

He shot 62 percent from the field and 50 percent from 3-point range (14-for-28 over six games) as he helped his team win an EYBL championship.

“Muurinen was oozing with talent and upside and looked every bit like a top-10 recruit in the 2026 class,” Branham wrote.

With his stock rising, expect Muurinen’s recruitment to reach astronomical heights in the coming months. Kentucky has also offered him thanks to his Peach Jam performance. His mother played college basketball for the University of North Carolina, so it shouldn’t come as a shock if UNC is a significant factor in this recruitment in the future.

Watch: Rutgers basketball recruit Dylan Harper showcased his exciting potential at Peach Jam

Dylan Harper was scintillating at Peach Jam.

Dylan Harper showed why is the nation’s top recruit at last week’s Peach Jam. The New Jersey guard, who is being heavily recruited by Rutgers, showed no downside to his game at the tournament.

The consensus top player in the nation, Harper is a five-star guard who recently played for USA Basketball in the U19 FIBA World Cup.

Peach Jam is a national invitational tournament that serves as “the championship tournament for Nike Nike Elite Youth Basketball League’s boys premier spring and summer league, is comprised of 84 of the top high school-aged club teams from across the country.”

Notable NBA players such as Kevin Durant, LeBron James and Chris Paul among others have played in Peach Jam.

Harper, a guard at Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.), put together multiple complete performances at Peach Jam while playing for the New York Rens.

 

It was a complete and exciting Peach Jam for Harper, who showcased his ability to dribble and distribute, create his own shot, effectively get to the rim as well as some good range to his offensive game.

He has a top five that includes Duke, Indiana and Rutgers among others.

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Someone turned LeBron James’ intense coaching at Peach Jam into a hilarious highlight montage

The ultimate basketball dad.

On one hand, LeBron James is arguably the best basketball player in the history of the game. On the other hand, LeBron is the most regular basketball dad in the history of basketball dads.

That made for quite the scene at Peach Jam this past week.

LeBron — along with Rajon Rondo — took over coaching duties for his son Bryce’s team, Strive For Greatness, at Peach Jam in Augusta, Ga. And while LeBron has played in some of the biggest games on the biggest stages, he treated the Nike EYBL circuit like it was Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

In an outstanding highlight video that hit TikTok and Twitter (those captions!), we watched as LeBron roamed the sideline, argued with refs, called out a clock malfunction and, really, just got so into coaching. Of note, the audio has some strong language.

He had that LeGamePlan ready to go.

Fans also enjoyed watching the video of LeBron being the ultimate basketball dad. He should keep coaching.

LeBron James was so fired up after coaching his son, Bryce, to a huge comeback victory at Peach Jam

This is a special moment for LeBron and his son Bryce.

After breaking the NBA’s all-time scoring record in front of his two sons, LeBron James is now spending his offseason coaching on the AAU circuit.

Although his older son Bronny has committed to USC next season, Bronny’s younger brother Bryce is playing on the Nike EYBL circuit. Bryce’s team, Strive For Greatness, is currently coached by LeBron and LeBron’s former teammate Rajon Rondo.

Bryce’s squad faced off against New Heights Lightning at Peach Jam, the championship tournament for Nike EYBL spring and summer league held in Augusta, Georgia. The matchup was one of several games broadcast on NBA TV.

NH Lightning, led by Preston Fowler, held a 10-point lead at one point during the game. But after a strong second-half performance from Strive for Greatness, the two eventually forced overtime.

SFG’s Brayden Burries finished with 27 points as LeBron’s team finished on top when it was all said and done.

It wasn’t easy to get into the building for the show, but for those who did, it was worth their time.

Bryce, who is reportedly transferring from Sierra Canyon to Campbell Hall, received his first Division I offer from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh.

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Report: NBA scouts ‘prioritized’ Bryce James during Nike Peach Jam

Bryce James, son of LeBron, had the attention of NBA scouts during the Nike Peach Jam in Strive For Greatness games.

Being the son of LeBron James is sure to garner attention from the professionals. While his youngest son Bryce James is not at the top of the recruiting rankings, NBA teams were sure to take a look at his play during Nike Peach Jam this week.

Krysten Peek, an NBA draft analyst for Yahoo! Sports, reported that scouts from teams including the Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat, New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns and Atlanta Hawks “made James a priority” on Monday, the first day of games.

James scored 12 points, making two of his six 3-point attempts, as his Strive For Greatness team defeated the Expressions in the 16U division 78-69.

Peek wrote:

A 6-4 shooting guard, James has excellent shooting mechanics and a high release. He’s getting to the rim a bit easier and has found a second burst in transition.

Read her full report here.

Here’s a video with three of his shots, two of which are 3-pointers.

On Wednesday, LeBron James and Rajon Rondo showed up to take part in the coaching of the team—to no avail, as the Florida Rebels got the 72-67 win over Strive For Greatness.

A Campbell Hall School (Valley Village, Calif.) shooting guard in the class of 2025, James is hoping to use this school year to improve his play and become a legitimate Div. I prospect. He certainly has the attention of scouts — as proven by the showing at the Peach Jam — but he must continue getting better to make it at the next level.

Related: Top prospects Cooper Flagg, Cameron Boozer face off at Peach Jam

Top prospects Cooper Flagg, Cameron Boozer face off at Peach Jam

Cooper Flagg and Cameron Boozer faced off at Nike Peach Jam for a battle of the top two 2025 prospects, with Flagg getting the upper hand.

Scouts from a dozen NBA teams packed the Riverview Park Activities Center on Wednesday as the top two prospects in the class of 2025, Cameron Boozer and Cooper Flagg, faced off in the Nike Peach Jam.

Boozer is the No. 1 recruit in the class, but Flagg has been fighting to get the better of him and leapfrog the Columbus (Miami, Fla.) power forward in the rankings. Flagg took home MVP honors in a head-to-head matchup last week at the NBPA Top 100 Camp.

Flagg, a power forward at Montverde Academy (Fla.), looked to bounce back offensively after scoring just seven points on Monday afternoon — a game he impacted on the defensive end more than the offensive, recording 10 blocks.

Boozer, who helped his team win the Peach Jam title last year alongside his twin brother Cayden Boozer, recorded 16 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists and five blocks in the Peach Jam opener.

Flagg and his own twin brother, Ace, led Maine United to the win over the Boozers’ Nightrydas on Tuesday with a margin of 73-65. Cooper had 21 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and two blocks, while Ace had 22 points and 11 rebounds.

Cameron had 22 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks, while Cayden, a four-star point guard, recorded 11 points and five assists.
See some highlights from the performances below. The two main attractions scored from all three levels and put their defense on display in the post:

Report: Thunder scouts at Peach Jam headlined by Cooper Flagg and Cam Boozer

Both players headline the 2025 high school class.

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Despite the 2023 NBA draft wrapping up less than two weeks ago, it’s never too early for teams to start scouting the upcoming draft classes.

That’s exactly what the Oklahoma City Thunder did on Wednesday when Yahoo Sports draft expert Krysten Peek reported they — along with several other teams — were in attendance for this year’s Peach Jam tournament. The tournament consists of several of the top high school prospects on 84 high school teams.

The headliners were Cooper Flagg and Cameron Boozer, arguably the two top prospects in the 2025 high school class — unless they reclassify for 2024. Both players have offers from Duke and will likely be draft eligible in the 2027 NBA draft class.

Boozer is the son of former NBA player Carlos Boozer, who played for 15 years from 2002 to 2017.

Who knows where the Thunder will be by then, but considering their future draft capital for the remainder of the decade, they’ll likely get a shot to draft either one if the time comes.

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Before he was a Boston Celtic, a baby-faced Jayson Tatum wowed fans at Peach Jam

Tatum was an absolute killer even back then.

Though now a star for the Boston Celtics and one of the top players in the world, it was not all that long ago that Jayson Tatum was relatively unknown to those of us not obsessed with NBA draft prospects or paid to analyze them. In fact, it was in 2015 that the future Boston star emerged onto the national scene with a dramatic comeback win over future college teammate Harry Giles III’s CP3 squad in the Peach Jam semifinals.

After that victory, the St. Louis native declared for Duke where he’d team with Giles, averaging 24.1 points, 7.9 assists and 2.6 rebounds per game in the process.

Check out a clip of baby-faced Jayson Tatum being an absolute killer even back then while we wait for the NBA season to arrive.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

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Hubert Davis watches 2024 teammates and key UNC targets at Peach Jam

Hubert Davis and assistant coach Jeff Lebo were on hand to watch five-star 2024 prospects Cam Scott and Jarin Stevenson on Wednesday.

The UNC basketball program has three members of its staff at the Peach Jam live evaluation period in South Carolina this week, which began on Wednesday.

The first stop for the UNC staff was for newly offered 2023 four-star forward TJ Power. Power had 16 points and nine rebounds in front of Hubert Davis, Jeff Lebo and Sean May.

Davis, along with Lebo then turned their attention to two key 2024 targets — both with offers — in [autotag]Cam Scott[/autotag] and [autotag]Jarin Stevenson[/autotag]. Both play for the 16U Team United roster.

Scott, a 6-foot-5 guard, is a five-star prospect in the 247Sports Composite Rankings. He already has a strong relationship with UNC and has been on campus a few times for unofficial visits up to this point.

He holds offers from North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida State, Clemson, LSU, Georgia, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas Tech and more.

Stevenson is a 6-foot-8 forward who is ranked No. 16 in the 247Sports Composite Rankings and is also a five-star prospect.

He has a total of 3 offers so far, landing them from UNC, NC State, and Wake Forest. However, he does have other programs showing interest in him such as Florida State and Virginia.

Stevenson has already been labeled as a standout this week at Peach Jam from 247Sports national recruiting director Eric Bossi.

Both recruitments are ones that the UNC staff are heavily involved in and have been for quite some time already.

Both prospects should be visiting North Carolina this fall.

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Team Final beats Brad Beal Elite to win Nike EYBL Peach Jam championship

Team Final beat Brad Beal Elite on Sunday to claim this year’s Nike EYBL Peach Jam title.

Team Final entered the 2021 Nike EYBL Peach Jam as the headliner of the biggest grassroots basketball event of the summer. Loaded with top 100 talent, including top 2022 recruit Jalen Duren, the Philadelphia-based AAU program traveled to Georgia as the heavy favorites to win a championship.

And they delivered on those expectations.

Powered by Duren, five-star center Dereck Lively II, four-star shooting guard Corey Floyd Jr. and four-star shooting guard Otega Oweh, Team Final defeated Brad Beal Elite by a final score of 64-61 to take home this year’s Peach Jam title. Brad Beal Elite had a chance to tie the score at 64 with a three within the final 10 seconds, but failed to get a shot off before the final buzzer sounded.

Team Final’s Peach Jam championship caps its dominant run on the Nike EYBL circuit this season. Team Final went an eye-popping 42-5 during the spring and summer and cruised through Peach Jam pool play to reach the playoffs. Oweh, who entered the Peach Jam as one of the more underrated players in the class of 2022, shined throughout the playoffs, posting 19 points per game, including 17 in Team Final’s win over Brad Beal Elite.

Duren and Lively both also played key roles in Team Final’s triumph over Brad Beal Elite. Duren notched 17 points, 10 boards and three assists in the win, while Lively secured a double-double himself with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Lively was clutch for Team Final down the stretch, coming up with numerous key baskets in the fourth quarter.

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