#OTRHoopsReport: Nike EYBL Session III Standouts – May 15, 2017
The third stop on the EYBL circuit showed which players are trending upwards and which teams are close to locking up a Peach Jam spot in July. Photo cred – @JLHemingwayPSB
By: @JLHemingwayPSB
Stars that shined the Brightest
RJ Barrett (Mississauga, Ontario), UPlay Canada – 2019
The evolution of Barrett’s game is fun to watch. The hyper-athletic wing is turning into a play-making guard who is on track to lead the EYBL circuit in scoring. The last underclassman to lead the circuit in scoring was Gary Trent Jr. in 2015. The 6-foot-7 Barrett is poised to be the next underclassmen to lead the country’s premier circuit in points per game. There is still room for the left-hander to grow, however. As good as he is at getting to the line, he is shooting under 60% from the charity stripe. Nevertheless, the Canadian born guard is tough to coral on the perimeter and even harder to trap in a double team.
Marvin Bagley (Sierra Canyon, Arizona), Nike Phamily – 2018
The debate for No. 1 in the class of 2018 is far from over this year. However, with Zion Williamson being sidelined with injuries this spring there is a stronger case to made for Bagley. The 6-11 forward is averaging 25 points and 14.7 rebounds per game while shooting nearly 56 percent from the field. He turned in a monster 31 point, 25 rebound versus Meanstreets on Saturday night. Granted, his team has struggled this year (0-12) in league play. They are dearly missing the production from Cody Riley and Remy Martin from the 2016 season. That being stated, Bagley has done his part to keep his group competitive while doing with efficient output.
Get out of Marvin Bagley’s way ? @PhxPhamily @MarvinBagley #NikeEYBL pic.twitter.com/2LRFqzzWt3
— Overtime (@overtime) May 13, 2017
Bol Bol (Olathe, Kansas), California Supreme – 2018
It was hard to get a seat at all of the Cal Supreme games this weekend. With NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal showing up regularly to watch his son’s (Shareef O’Neal) team play, it clearly drew a huge following. Bol Bol led the way for the most popular team on the 2017 circuit. He put up ridiculous numbers in the three games he played on Saturday and Monday:
29 points, 14 rebounds and 9 blocks versus Meanstreets
21 points, 10 rebounds, 5 blocks and 4 assists versus Houston Hoops
26 points, 13 rebounds and 7 blocks versus The Family
He did all of this while shooting over 65 percent from the field. While he only attempted one 3-pointer on the weekend (a miss), he has connected on 15-29 from distance this year. The 7-2 center is the most unique prospect to come through the ranks in years. Although he is not the most explosive athlete, he is virtually un-guardable in the half court because of his length and shooting touch.
Bol Bol with the RIDICULOUS slam ? @bolmanutebol @CalSupremeBball #2017EYBL pic.twitter.com/lnoafX0hZm
— Overtime (@overtime) May 13, 2017
Tre Jones (Apple Valley, Minnesota), Howard Pulley – 2018
There are many very good point guards in this class: JaVonte Smart, Immanuel Quickley, Darius Garland to name a few. Tre Jones should be mentioned with the best of them. The 6-4 floor general is averaging 20 points, 9 assists and 5 rebounds per game for Howard Pulley. Granted his 3-point shooting may be an area of concern (6-19 on the season), but he has led his team to a 11-1 record. Tre is bigger than his brother Tyus (Minnesota Timberwolves), but perhaps does not play the game with the same abandon in the lane. All said, we like Jones smooth game and ability to set up his teammates better than most at the position.
Tre Jones stays making noise ? @trejones03 @PulleyHoops #2017EYBL #NikeEYBL pic.twitter.com/5JPcvmznTp
— Overtime (@overtime) May 13, 2017
Coby White (Greenfield, North Carolina), CP3 – 2018
White is should make Tar Heel fans happy when he gets onto the Chapel Hill campus next fall. The North Carolina commit is a dynamite scorer. Athletically he is superior to most in the back court. Standing at 6-5 he is well built and has a terrific first step. We saw his ability to finish in the lane this weekend first hand. On the year White is averaging 21 points on 54 percent shooting from the field. He could be listed as a combo-guard as he is apt to initiate the offense at times. However, his specialty is attacking the rim whether he has space or not.
Coby White goes full poster ? @whitecoby4 #NikeEYBL #2017EYBL pic.twitter.com/jNPRynFzNc
— Overtime (@overtime) May 14, 2017
Jonathan Hemingway is a National Evaluator for the OTRHoopsReport. Hemingway serves on the Board of Selectors for the Naismith Trophy. He is also the publisher of CoachHemi.com. He has been involved in the community since 1996 as a coach, camp director and evaluator. You can reach him via email at JonathanHemingway@PeachStateBasketball.com and follow him on twitter @JLHemingwayPSB
