EYBL Session 1 Top Performers: Justin Edwards, DJ Wagner, and others
Orlando, Florida — The first live period of the summer began this weekend and college coaches joined courtside in Orlando for the Nike EYBL to see the nation’s top talent. Saturday was the first full slate of games, and they did not disappoint.
Here are your top performers of the day.
Six games are being played simultaneously throughout the day, so therefore it’s impossible to see each game and every player. With that being said, this recap will only be based on the games I watched.
2023 4-star SF Zayden High
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 99
JL3 (TX) 17U
Quite possibly the most pleasant surprise of the day was Zayden High. After hearing of his 27 point game Friday night, I had to go check this guy out. The 6-foot-9 forward did a little bit of everything Saturday, whether that was knocking down catch-and-shoot threes, driving to the rim and finishing through contact, blocking shots, etc. You name it, Zayden High did it. Buy stock now.
TCU and Kansas State both offered this weekend. Colorado, Texas A&M, WKU, SMU, Arkansas, Houston, and others have also offered, however, I’d expect to see his list continue expanding.
In the game I watched, his final stat line consisted of 31 points, four rebounds, and two blocks.
2023 4-star SG Chris Johnson
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 33
JL3 (TX) 17U
Chris Johnson went on a heater and was incredibly efficient. The 6-foot-5 Texas native is a real-deal scorer and is just one of those dudes you want to have the ball in their hands if you’re in need of a bucket. Johnson made shots from all over the floor, finishing with 23 points, on nine-of-13 from the field, and two-of-four from three-point land. He also grabbed five boards and dished two assists.
Arkansas, Kansas, Tennessee, amongst others are heavily involved in his recruitment.
2023 4-star PG Aden Holloway
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 46
CP3 (NC) 17U
Aden Holloway of CP3 (NC) was a scoring machine today. The 6-foot guard scored the ball in a variety of ways, including floaters, pull-up jump shots, and really any way he wanted to. Holloway is a confident shooter who’s not afraid to pull the trigger but also knows how to get his teammates involved. He finished with 21 points and seven assists.
His teammates — five-stars Robert Dillingham and GG Jackson — both had tremendous games of their own. Dillingham also finished with 21 points, and Jackson finished with 15 points (7-12 FG), and 15 rebounds.
2023 5-star SF Justin Edwards
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 13
Team Final (PA) 17U
Justin Edwards of Team Final put on a show today. The lefty wing immediately showed his ability to score, knocking down three shots within the first three minutes. The five-star has such a smooth game and handled the ball comfortably. If you’re playing against Edwards, then you might want to put your best defender on him because he will shoot you out of the gym. He finished with 23 points (9-13 FG) and grabbed 13 rebounds in front of Kentucky head coach John Calipari.
Edwards has visited UK and Tennessee officially, and UConn unofficially.
2023 PF Arrinten Page
On3 Consensus Ranking: Unranked
The Skill Factory (GA) 17U
Arrinten Page immediately caught my eye when I saw him last weekend at the Team USA junior national minicamp (where he was one of my standouts). Today the 6-foot-9, 225 pounds forward of The Skill Factory caught my eye once again. You can tell the big man is just starting to scratch the surface. He’s physically college-ready, has good hands, can catch and finish lobs, and has a nice touch around the rim. In the game I watched, Page finished with 17 points (7-11 FG) and seven rebounds.
Page is one of those dudes that’s criminally underrated, and many college coaches will regret not offering him. Within the last week, Indiana, Alabama, and Georgia have offered him (his first high-major offers).
2023 5-star CG Dajuan Wagner Jr.
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 1
NJ Scholars 17U
Dajuan Wagner Jr. has put on a scoring clinic during the first EYBL session. On the weekend, he’s averaging 24.3 points per game, good enough for second overall in the entire 17U age group. He’s played confidently, despite the pressure placed upon him. His jump shot has been falling for him at a high rate (53%) and this weekend he’s clearly looked like the best scoring guard in high school basketball.
Kentucky head coach John Calipari and staff + newly-hired Louisville assistant Nolan Smith has been at each of his games. This will likely come down to a dog fight between the two rival programs.
2023 4-star C Aaron Bradshaw
On3 Consensus: No. 22
NJ Scholars 17U
I’ve seen Aaron Bradshaw play a couple of times during the high school season at Camden, but Saturday was the best performance I think I’ve seen out of him. The difference? Confidence and motor. The seven-footer was seeing the ball go through the net and it ignited his energy, translating to the other side of the court. Bradshaw’s upside is massive and he’s just scratching the surface.
In the game I watched, Bradshaw finished with 22 points (9-13 FG), nine rebounds, three blocks, and two assists.
2023 4-star SG Wesley Yates
On3 Consensus: No. 44
LivOn-Fleur De Lis (LA) 17U
On one of the final games of the day, Wesley Yates and his LivOn squad were able to pull out a scraping win over the reigning Peach Jam champions, Team WhyNot. The 6-foot-4, 200+ pound Texan is a man amongst boys. He has a strong and physical body that allows him to overpower defenders to get to the rim. Imagine a running back trying to get to the hole and that’s Yates. He can score the ball in a variety of ways, not only driving to the rim but from three as well. He converted on three of his four three-point attempts. Yates finished with an efficient 17 points (6-8 FG), two assists, and two steals.