Brune's top performers at 2024 Nike EYBL in Memphis

Over the past two days, the Nike EYBL circuit has begun with 38 teams coming to Memphis to compete and show their skillset. In the two days I’ve been here, I’ve seen 18 teams, at least 47 of the top 130 players in the 2025 class, and at least five of the top 30 players in the 2026 class.

I won’t be in Memphis for the final day of this event, but after two days here are the rankings of the best teams, the best players, and the best three-stars I saw this weekend.

*For LSU fans looking to see which players to focus on, check out my story from Friday.

The five best teams I saw

1. Oakland Soldiers (2-0)

A team with the No. 1 player in the country in AJ Dybansta, the No. 2 player in the 2026 class in Tyran Stokes, and three more players ranked between 100 and 130 along with a handful of three stars and you have perhaps the best team on the circuit. They dispatched Team Durant by 18, then won a road game against Team Thad who brought incredible intensity. They might be the favorites to win the Peach Jam in a few months.

2. Florida Rebels (2-0)

This might be a surprise to some, but I watched both of their games and the Florida Rebels have probably the most well-rounded roster I saw. With a star wing in Jamier Jones, a dynamic point guard in Jalen Reece, Tennessee commit Dewayne Brown at center, and ample complementary pieces around them, this team just clicks. They won their two games by a combined 54 points and now play JL3 tomorrow morning.

3. Nightrydas Elite (2-0)

Cameron Boozer is the No. 2 player in the class and just dominant with his strength, rebounding, and defense. As a team, Nightrydas is the best defense I’ve seen, holding their two opponents to 61 and 55. They are also the only team I saw with less than eight players on their team, in fact, they only had six in both games. Still with the Boozer twins and two more four stars, it’s plenty of talent to compete for a Peach Jam title.

4. JL3 (2-0)

A really fun team with a ton of size at the 2-4, JL3 is the only team on this list with four players in the top 50 in the 2025 class. Hudson Greer, Nigel Walls, Sebastian Williams-Adams, and Shelton Henderson are all going to be awesome college players at major programs and they can overwhelm teams with their talent. The point guard play is a bit shaky for me, and the lack of shooting can be a limitation (outside of Greer).

5. Expressions Elite (2-0)

Saw both of their games and left really impressed with their balanced attack and togetherness. Dwayne Aristode is their go-to guy on the wing, but they have three more four stars in the lineup as well who all pitch in. Great energy from this squad and certainly one who will continue to win games.

Honorable mentions: Strive For Greatness, MoKan Elite, Team Thad, Team Final

25 Most impressive 2025 prospects

(2025 class ranking per On3 Industry ranking)

1. AJ Dybansta, Oakland Soldiers (No. 1 ranked)

2. Cameron Boozer, Nightrydas (No. 2)

3. Jamier Jones, Florida Rebels (No. 18)

4. Dwayne Aristode, Expressions Elite (No. 21)

5. Brayden Burries, Strive For Greatness (No. 14

6. Jasper Johnson, Team Thad (No. 11)

7. Aaron Rowe, MoKan (No. 22)

8. Sebastian Williams-Adams, JL3 (No. 43)

These eight players were pretty comfortably the best eight players I saw at the Nike EYBL first event. The order matters less to me than this being clearly the top tier of players. Each one of these guys looked on a different level from the competition they were facing, which speaks to their preparedness for the next level going into their senior years. 

Dybansta is incredibly smooth and skilled. Boozer is a force on the inside. Jones is the best athlete I saw this weekend. Aristode is an all-around wing prospect who hit some clutch threes in the win today.

The top four are all wings or forwards, while Burries, Johnson, and Rowe are guards who controlled the games by dictating the pace and filing it up with their scoring, showing why all three of them are top 25 players. Williams-Adams is a unique player at 6-foot-8 who can handle the ball extremely well and has a superb feel for the game. He was excellent on both ends and already has the strength to play in college. 

9. Chris Nwuli, Oakland Soldiers (No. 52)

10. Jalen Reece, Florida Rebels (No. 84)

11. Sadiq White, Team United (No. 24)

12. Jerry Easter, Team Final (No. 28)

13. Elzie Harrington, Strive For Greatness (No. 49)

14. Isaiah Sealy, Pro Skills (No. 55)

15. Chuck Love, Mokan (No. 66)

16. Shelton Henderson, JL3 (No. 50)

17. Hudson Greer, JL3 (No. 27)

18. Jaden Toombs, Drive Nation (No. 63)

19. Zymikah Wilkins, Team United (No. 105)

20. Alier Maluk, NY Rens (No. 59)

21. Dallas Washington, Arizona Unity (No. 107)

22. Dewayne Brown, Florida Rebels (No. 136)

23. Nigel James, Expressions Elite (No. 102)

24. Matt Gilhool, Team Final (No. 75)

25. Jaylen Harrell, Expressions Elite (No. 80)

All of these players had really impressive moments and games in the first two days in Memphis. Reece, Love, and James are three guards who outperformed their rankings and played major roles in their teams getting wins. Sometimes undersized big men get knocked in the rankings but kill it in AAU and that’s the case for Toombs, Wilkins, and Brown who were excellent in the post and on the glass.

Then you have just the uber-talented players like White, Easter, Greer, and Henderson who certainly could be ranked higher on this list and will have chances to show out tomorrow and throughout the EYBL season.

Five best three-stars at Nike EYBL

Dwayne Wimbley, Nightrydas (NR – Football)

Phoenix Gill, MoKan Elite (No. 213)

Jamarion Davis-Fleming, Team Thad (No. 174)

Courtland Muldrew, Team Griffin (Ranked 87 by On3)

CJ Ingram, Florida Rebels (NR – Football)

Wanted to give these five a shoutout because they all could be players we talk about in a few years as contributors wherever they end up going to college to play. The two football guys would certainly be top 100 players in basketball if they were ranked there. I loved their energy and aggression going to the rim consistently.

Gill had a few threes today and provided a spark for MoKan. Muldrew has a great frame and feelf or the game. Then, Davis-Fleming had a strong outing against the Oakland Soldiers and didn’t look out of place with his height and length impacting the game.