Live Blog: EYBL Session 4 Live Evaluation Period
Kansas City, MO — The Nike EYBL Circuit began its fourth session in Kansas City on Thursday for the first July NCAA Live Evaluation period. College coaches line each and every court as they get eyes on the future players of their program.
On3 was on the front lines to take in all the action.
Day one and two standouts
In my two days in Kansas City for EYBL Session 4, I saw plenty of talent. Here are my day one and two standouts.
Note: With eight courts in action simultaneously, I’m only listing players I saw play firsthand.
4-star PG Jackson Shelstad & Pasha Goodarzi
Coming into game one of this fourth EYBL session, all eyes were on 5-star Mookie Cook, who just reopened his recruitment from Oregon. Cook also hadn’t played organized basketball since April, due to the fact he’s been acting for a movie called Shooting Stars, playing the role of a young LeBron James. However, it was Jackson Shelstad and Pasha Goodarzi that stole the show. Shelstad, an Oregon commit and longtime friend of Cook, played terrific all game. He was efficient from the floor, shooting 8-15 from the field, not to mention 3-6 from three, finishing with 19 points. He also had four rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Goodarzi tied Shelstad in points with 19, but only missed two shots the entirety of the game. That’s right, Goodarzi was 7-8 from the field and 5-6 from three. He made 85% of his total shots. Absolutely bonkers.
4-star PG Trey Green
Each time I watch Trey Green play, I walk away impressed. He’s one of my favorite players to watch in the 2023 class because he is a fierce competitor and the ultimate leader. This guy flat out wants to win at all costs and by any means necessary. He can score from all three levels, and he’s not afraid to let it fly. He’s an excellent initiator on offense, with superb court vision. At 5-foot-10, Green is a prime example of ‘Heart over Height’. In this one, he finished with 12 points, five rebounds, eight (!) assists, and three steals. Green is down to seven schools: Cincinnati, Nebraska, Xavier, Clemson, VCU, LSU, and Virginia Tech.
5-star Tre Johnson
After ranking No. 1 overall in the updated 2024 On3 ranking, Tre Johnson proved himself and backed his ranking. After getting off to a slow start, Johnson found himself in the second quarter and went on a tear. The game comes easy to Johnson and seemed as if he needed more of a challenge. Scoring the basketball is what he does well, and boy, does he know how. In this one, he finished with a game-high 24 points, five rebounds, and two assists. He shot 9-16 from the field and 4-6 from three-point land.
4-star Isaiah Abraham & 4-star Darren Harris
On3 updated its 2024 player rankings on Monday, ranking Isaiah Abraham 15th overall in the class, and he sure did look the part. He’s a strong forward with a college-ready body. Not to mention, a high running motor and does well guarding perimeter players. He’s also a threat in the open court as a lob-catcher. Abraham impacts the game in a variety of ways. He’s an unselfish player, with a high IQ that can make the right reads. He finished with 16 points, missing only a single shot (8-9 from the field). Lots of upside here, and definitely one to keep an eye on. Abraham currently holds offers from Kansas State, Maryland, Virginia Tech, and others. Each of those respective coaching staffs watched him today. Expect the offers to keep rolling in.
Darren Harris is absolute cash money from three. The rising junior guard can shoot the lights out. He finished with a team-high 20 points, on 7-13 from the field and 5-11 from three. Duke’s head coach Jon Scheyer looked on, as well as Ohio State’s Chris Holtmann. Both schools have offered. Viriginia Tech associate head coach Mike Jones was also sidelined.
Unranked PF Jordan McCullum
Class of 2024 power forward Jordan McCullum is a name to monitor. At 6-foot-8, McCullum has great positional size for a wing and can stretch the floor. He’s a long and fluid athlete that slides his feet well and does a good job of guarding the perimeter. He will need to add strength, but he has a good feel for the game with a lot of upside. Missouri, Georgia, Ole Miss, and others have offered. McCullum finished with 12 points in this one, knocking down two of his four three-point attempts.
4-star CG Dylan Harper
Dylan Harper is quickly becoming one of the best overall guards in the class of 2024. At 6-foot-5, Harper can do it all; pass, shoot, and score from all three levels. He’s also an excellent on-ball defender. Harper plays with poise and is comfortable with the ball in his hands. In this one, Harper churned out 18 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists in front of UCLA’s Mick Cronin, Duke’s Jon Scheyer, Rutgers’ Steve Pikiell; plus assistants from LSU, Michigan, Kentucky, and Auburn.
4-star PG Curtis Givens
On3 is much higher than the industry on 2024 point guard Curtis Givens, ranking him 20th overall in the class. Givens is an extremely polished guard that has the ball on the string, with a keen ability to get to his spots. He has a high IQ and well-rounded game, with a solid body for absorbing contact at the rim. Givens holds early offers from Florida, Memphis, Maryland, St. John’s, Georgetown, Illinois, Ole Miss, Tennessee, LSU, and others. In conclusion, Givens backed his On3 ranking.
4-star SG Jamari Phillips
Jamari Phillips is known for being a shooter. While that is true, he’s more than that. He’s a quick, shifty guard that finds his teammates with fast, accurate passes. He’s a two-way player, with solid defensive instincts. One thing for certain is… Phillips isn’t afraid to let it fly, but he can also get to the free-throw line. In the game I watched, Phillips took a total of 35 combined two-point and three-point shots, scoring a total of 31 points. He shot 38% from the field and 35% from three. He also completed 10 of his 13 shots from the stripe.
North Carolina three deep to see Isaiah Evans
North Carolina is currently three deep, including head coach Hubert Davis to watch On3 Consensus four-star Isaiah Evans out of Huntersville (N.C.) North Mecklenburg.
Alabama, Memphis, LSU, Providence and others are also looking on.
Curtis Givens, On3’s No. 20 overall prospect in 2024, is on the other side of the floor. Memphis’ Penny Hardaway looking on.
2024 Top-15 prospect Jason Asemota playing in front of Kentucky, North Carolina, others
Kentucky assistant KT Turner is currently courtside watching Jason Asemota of Utah Syndicate 16U. Fellow Kentucky assistant Chin Coleman also looked on for a period of time, as did North Carolina’s Sean May. Rutgers head coach Steve Pikiell is also looking on.
Top-20 rising junior Dylan Harper dazzles in front of college coaches
Dylan Harper is On3’s No. 19 overall prospect in the 2024 class. He’s also the son of Ron Harper, a five-time NBA champion. Dylan is also the younger brother of former Rutgers star, Ron Harper Jr., who’s now with the Toronto Raptors.
Dylan Harper has picked up early offers from Auburn, Missouri, Texas Tech, Indiana, Rutgers, Georgetown, and others. Don’t be surprised if Harper’s next offer is from Duke.
UCLA’s Mick Cronin, Duke’s Jon Scheyer, and Rutgers’ Steve Pikiell were courtside to watch him play. LSU, Michigan, Kentucky, and Auburn also looked on.
Harper scored the ball from all three levels and kept it on a string, finding his teammates. He’s also a tenacious on-ball defender. Lots to like here.
4-star Wesley Yates has multiple programs represented
Texas head coach Chris Beard, Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway, Gonzaga head coach Mark Few, Alabama head coach Nate Oats, Stanford head coach Jerod Haase, two Auburn assistants, and two Arkansas assistants are watching 2023 four-star Wesley Yates.
Team Takeover (DC) vs. BABC (MA) brings out a host of college coaches
On day two of EYBL Session 4, Team Takeover (DC) took on BABC (MA) in the early morning game. Takeover is highlighted by On3 Consensus four-stars Darren Harris, DeShawn Harris-Smith, and Isaiah Abraham.
Darren Harris is absolute cash money from three. The rising junior guard can shoot the lights out. He finished with a team-high 20 points, on 7-13 from the field and 5-11 from three. Duke’s head coach Jon Scheyer looked on, as well as Ohio State’s Chris Holtmann. Both schools have offered. Viriginia Tech associate head coach Mike Jones was also sidelined.
DeShawn Harris-Smith also had a strong game, impacting the game in more ways than one. He led his team in rebounds with seven, while also adding 10 points and five assists. Smith is a reliable, hard-nosed guard with power. Harris has taken official visits to Penn State and Xavier. Penn State’s head coach Micah Shrewsberry looked on, as did an assistant from Xavier.
Isaiah Abraham was tremendous in this matchup. On3 updated its 2024 player rankings on Monday, ranking Abraham 15th overall in the class, and he sure did look the part. He’s a strong forward with a college-ready body. Not to mention, a high running motor and does well guarding perimeter players. He’s also a threat in the open court as a lob-catcher. Abraham impacts the game in a variety of ways. He’s an unselfish player, with a high IQ that can make the right reads. He finished with 16 points, missing only a single shot (8-9 from the field). Lots of upside here, and definitely one to keep an eye on. Abraham currently holds offers from Kansas State, Maryland, Virginia Tech, and others. Each of those respective coaching staffs watched him today. Expect the offers to keep rolling in.
On the other side of the ball, we have Team BABC (MA), highlighted by three-star shooting guard Reid Ducharme and four-star forward TJ Power.
Ducharme has taken official visits to Syracuse and Penn State, and unofficial to Providence. An assistant from the Friars watched him today, along with Penn State’s head coach Micah Shrewsberry. Ducharme has a smooth shooting stroke with good positional size. He has the ability to knock down the catch and shoot three or create his own shot off the dribble. Ducharme finished with 15 points on 4-14 from the field, and 2-9 from three.
Power has taken official visits to Virginia, Notre Dame, Indiana, and Iowa. Head coaches Mike Brey (Notre Dame) and Fran McCaffrey (Iowa) watched him today, along with an assistant from Indiana. Power struggled to get things going in this one, finishing with four points.
Team Takeover defeated BABC, 87 to 55.
A (near) full list of coaches in attendance for the matchup: Texas’ Chris Beard, Duke’s Jon Scheyer, Iowa’s Fran McCaffrey, USC’s Andy Enfield, Kansas State’s Jerome Tang, Notre Dame’s Mike Brey, Penn State’s Micah Shrewsberry, Ohio State’s Chris Holtmann, George Washington’s Chris Caputo, Boston College’s Earl Grant. Assistants from Oklahoma, Xavier, DePaul, Maryland, Virginia Tech, Indiana, Providence, Villanova, and others were all sidelined.
5-star’s Aaron Bradshaw and Justin Edwards have coaches lined up and down the court
Louisville head coach Kenny Payne and Kentucky assistant KT Turner are both watching 2023 five-star Aaron Bradshaw of NJ Scholars.
Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes and assistant Rod Clark are watching 2023 five-star Justin Edwards of Team Final, along with Kentucky assistant KT Turner, and Auburn assistant Ira Bowman.
Duke’s Jon Scheyer and assistant Amile Jefferson are watching Duke commit Mackenzie Mgbako of NJ Scholars.
Team Final was able to cruise by with a 20 point win thanks to Ahmad Nowell and Justin Edwards. Nowell was tremendous, finishing with 15 points on 50% from the floor, while also grabbing seven rebounds. Edwards was also terrific, scoring 14 points of his own. He also shot 50% from the floor and connected on three of his five attempts from beyond the arc.
With DJ Wagner in Spain competing for the USA U17 team, Mgbako had to take on the role of the primary scorer for the NJ Scholars. The Duke commit fought to create his own shot and was very assertive on both ends of the ball. He finished with 11 points but struggled to find consistency in his shot.
2024’s No. 1 overall player Tre Johnson goes OFF!
On Monday, On3 updated its class of 2024 player rankings, and Tre Johnson topped the list at No. 1. The 6-foot-5 shooting guard and Texas native, backed his ranking as he went off for 24 points on 56% from the floor, and connected on four of his six three-point attempts. Johnson’s ability to score the basketball in a variety of ways is impressive. Simply put, he makes it look easy.
On the sidelines for Johnson was Texas head coach Chris Beard, and assistants from Duke, Kentucky, and Arizona.
Mookie Cook makes his EYBL debut in front of Duke, Louisville, others
The headliner coming into game one was five-star rising senior Mookie Cook. The 6-7 small forward recently decommitted from Oregon, opening the recruiting flood gates once more. Duke head coach Jon Scheyer, along with Louisville head coach Kenny Payne were sitting courtside. Not to mention, Arizona, Kansas, and Oregon. This was Cook’s first game this EYBL season. He’s been filming a movie this summer, starring as a young LeBron James. Yes, you read that right. Cook got things going late in this one, showing off his versatility and defensive prowess. He had a bit of dust to shake off, but keep in mind, he hasn’t played in a competitive game since Geico Nationals in early April. He’s a high-energy player and a quality teammate. Cook finished with nine points, three rebounds, four assists, and three blocks.
Jackson Shelstad caught fire in the first half and stole the show. The 6-1 point guard scored the ball effectively and efficiently. The Oregon commit finished with 18 points on 50% from both the floor and three.