Nike EYBL Circuit: Session 2 Top Performers
Cartersville, Georgia – Nike’s EYBL Circuit made its second stop of the travel ball season, this time at the 12-court Lakepointe Facility in Cartersville, Georgia. Nike’s EYBL and EYCL Circuits house 198 total teams, from across the country, throughout the u15, u16, and u17 divisions. On3’s No. 1 player in the 2025 class, AJ Dybantsa, and the 2026 class, Tyran Stokes, are among the hundred-plus ranked players who play on the circuit.
Teams on the circuit are sponsored by the likes of Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Tyler Herro, Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin, Bradley Beal, and others. Durant and Anthony were joined in the crowd by former NBA players Trevor Ariza, Hakeem Olajuwon, John Lucas, and Kenny Smith.
On3 has not ranked the 2027 class yet, which will come later this calendar year. It is worth noting that each team played three games in the 17u bracket. With the volume of games, I was only able to watch each team, for the most part, once while not catching every team live (that will come later with film study). Here is a listing of the top standouts from Nike EYBL Session 2.
On3 MVP: Five-Star Plus SF AJ Dybantsa
Many in attendance today are coming around to the thought process that AJ Dybantsa is the best NBA prospect in high school basketball right now. The 6-foot-8 wing has a smooth floor game where he is always on balance and uses excellent footwork to elevate and get clean looks. Dybantsa has a prototypical wing size with length and athleticism. He stands out with the efficiency in how he plays. He uses a great pace and understanding of his kill spots on the floor with length and a high release. Dybatnsa has a solid handle within two to three bounces, and he has a smooth release on his jump shot with range that extends beyond the three-point arc. Dybantsa finished with 25 points while going 7-of-11 from the field.
2. Five-Star Plus+ Meleek Thomas
Night one, Meleek Thomas provided the fireworks. The 6-foot-3 guard made play after play leading his New Heights Lightning team to a double-overtime win over defending Peach Jam champion Nightrydas. Thomas was pure electricity, using a jet-quick first step to live in the paint where he was able to distribute or finish with touch. He guarded the ball well, using quick hands and a tenacious mentality. Thomas finished with a game-high 25 points. But it was the pressure he put on the opposing team’s defense, and at the point of attack that opened things up for his teammates.
3. Five-Star Plus+ SF Tyran Stokes
The aggressiveness was good to see here. Tyran Stokes shot the ball well, he went 3-for-3 from three, but he attacked the rim with a purpose. One of the top attributes of Stokes’ game is his frame and his explosion. He has gone through spells of playing passively in the past, however, that was not today. The 6-foot-7 sophomore shot 20 free throws in today’s game. He was attacking the rim and absorbing the contact. Stokes has good floor vision, he moves the ball well and he has natural instincts on the defensive end, playing effectively in the passing lanes. Stokes has a lot of natural talent, and when he plays aggressively like today, he is a productive force. In the game I watched on day two, he finished with a game-high 28 points in the win.
4. 4-star F Tounde Yessoufou
When it comes to winning, not many make the plays that Tounde Yessoufou does. The 6-foot-5 forward consistently made the play that his team needed. Whether it was the rebound, the extra pass, the defensive switch, or the made shot, Yessoufou showed the willingness to step up and make the play. He has a strong frame with good length and compact explosion. It helps him on the boards or guarding up and down a lineup. In Sunday’s game, Yessoufou finished with 26 points leading his Team WhyNot to a win.
5. 5-star SG Jasper Johnson
Jasper Johnson has a pretty left-handed jump shot, and that is the genesis of his production. The release is quick, his balance is consistent, and he is confident in his range. Johnson struggled to finish at the rim here and most of his offense came from going left, the jump shot makes him a threat throughout the course of a game. He finished with 30 points, going 8-16 from the field. He closed the game out with confidence in the fourth quarter.
6. Five-Star Plus+ PF Cameron Boozer
You know what you are going to get from Cameron Boozer, and for three years, he has consistently delivered highly productive performances. Boozer is an excellent positional rebounder. He uses his long arms, huge hands, and listed 6-foot-9 frame to carve out space and hang on to the ball. He is a quick processer his team runs offense through and he can knock down shots from three. There is a toughness factor that he brings each time out and the game typically ends in a win. During night one, Boozer finished with 23 points, going 9-of-15 from the field, with 13 rebounds and six assists.
7. 4-star SF Will Riley
Will Riley has a unique style to his game. He is a volume scorer, but at 6-foot-9 the totality of his outputs ends in efficiency. While the release point on the jump shot can be inconsistent, he is traditionally a 40 percent-type shooter. He has excellent footwork and balance which makes him tough to guard as he plays off two and uses counters in the paint. In the close Sunday win, Riley made plays. He finished at the rim and he moved the ball for open shots. He ended with an efficient 21 points, going 6-of-13 from the field and 9-10 from the free-throw line. The On3 five-star also added 10 assists in the two-point win.
8. 4-star SF Jacob Wilkins (Georgia)
Jacob Wilkins is one who continues to get better each time that you watch him play. For starters, the son of NBA Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins has an excellent physical makeup. He is every bit of 6-foot-8 and he has long arms and carries wildly explosive athleticism. There are defensive instincts in play here that get him deflections and blocked shots. He was also a threat knocking down five threes. The upside is big here as he played comfortably as the featured player. Wilkins finished with 25 points on day two, going 5-of-8 from three.
9. 4-star PG Slim Rogers (2026)
Even on the biggest of stages, playing Nike EYBL E16 Circuit, Slim Rogers is fearless. However, he does not et that fearlessness get in the way of making reads and playing with pace. The 6-foot-2 guard carries a projectable frame and he has good length. Hwoever it is his ability to get to his spots that makes things interesting. He has a smooth pull-up jump shot, creating space off the bounce. He also moves the ball well, distributing on target and on time to teammates off a live dribble. Each time his Oakland Soldiers team needed a play, Rogers was up to the task. He finished the win with a team-high 20 points.
10. 4-star CG Jeremiah Fears (Illinois)
Jeremiah Fears has a fearlessness about his game. He is one who wants the ball in the pressure situations and will – more times than not – be able to create something. Fears carries a competitive fire as well that is tough to ignore. He is a quick-twitch guard and is able to create an advantage off the bounce that gets him clean looks to the rim. He did struggle at times to finish at the rim, but the jump shot was falling and that opened opportunities to attack the rim. Fears, the early Illinois commitment, finished with 29 points almost bring his Indy Heat team to a come-from-behind win.
Other Nike EYBL Session 2 Standouts
5-star PG Darius Acuff (2025) The skill set you notice of immediately. Darius Acuff is a confident lead guard. The 5-star PG is capable of getting to his spots off the bounce and he creates space with a quick first step and great balance. He finished the game I watched with 19 points on 20 shots, the efficiency will need to continue coming around, but there is no denying the talent.
4-star SG Trey McKenney (2025) Trey McKenney is a tough player and plays a physical style on both ends. He has developed on the ball, defending as well as initiating. The jump shot is becoming more consistent, and he knocked down multiple pull-ups. The 6-foot-4 guard moved the ball well, defended at the point-of-attack, and rebounded his position finishing with 19 points and six rebounds on the second night.
3-star SF Colt Langdon (2025) Colt Langdon fills in the gaps well for this Team United team. The 6-foot-6 wing is a premium shooter with deep range and a quick, confident release. He attacked closeouts well in the game I watched and closed out the close Team United win scoring the final eight points of the game. He finished with 18 points
4-star SF Sadiq White (2025) – In a gym filled with athletes, you notice 6-foot-7 forward Sadiq White’s explosion. Where he has done a good job finding his niche is on the defensive end. While his skill set continues to round out, he has natural instincts in the passing lanes and as a weak-side shot blocker. He had 15 points and six rebounds in the come-from-behind win on day two.
4-star SG Brayden Burries (2025) – Brayden Burries always plays at his pace and rarely gets sped up throughout the course of a game. No matter the situation, he is comfortable with the ball. While not possessing a jet-quick first step, he changes speeds well. Burries got into the paint and finished through contact as well as moved the ball around, finding teammates on target and on time. In this one he absorbed contact and got to the free-throw line, finishing with a game-high 24 points, going 10-of-12 from the free-throw line.
4-star C Nick Randall (2025) – Nick Randall comes onto the floor with an impressive frame. He has long arms and a strong base. On the court, he knows who he is, and that awareness leads to production. He finished with a 15-point and 11-rebound double-double. He has nice defensive instincts utilizing angles and walling up around the basket. Randall is an effective big man who showed some modern-day tools.
3-star PF Xzavion Mitchell (Iowa State) – There is a consistent production factor that Xzavion Mitchell brings that is intriguing. He finds a way to find a way. Standing in the 6-foot-7 range, he carries good instincts in tracking the ball. While playing below the rim, he carves out good space as an area rebounder. he also finished well from multiple levels of the court. In his day three win, Mitchell finished with 28 points, going 10-of-20 from the field, and adding nine rebounds.
4-star SF Chuck Love (2025) – There are no frills with Chuck Love’s game, but his three-and-D skill set gives him a direct archetype to know what he is. Love continues to improve each time out, still knocking down catch-and-shoot threes but also showing some straight-line drives to the basket. While the handle is not very dynamic, his length allows him to guard up a lineup and the shooting opens up spacing on the floor. The 6-foot-6 wing finished his day three game with 23 points, going 5-of-7 from three.
4-star C Tee Bartlett (2025) – You do not miss Tee Barlett when he steps on the floor. The 6-foot-10 center is one of the bigger, more physically imposing players on the circuit. He has soft, passer-friendly hands with a natural touch over both shoulders on the block. Bartlett finished above the rim and knocked down multiple pick-and-pop jumpers. He finished with 21 points and nine rebounds in the day two win.
G LJ Smith (2027) – This was my first live viewing of LJ Smith and it was an impressive one. The 6-foot-3 guard averaged over 30 points per game as a freshman this high school season. In this setting, with the Team CP3 15s, Smith was comfortable on the ball. He played with pace, touched the paint, and consistently made good reads.
4-star SF Cole Cloer (2026) – You notice Cole Cloer quickly as he is one of the taller players on the floor. Once the ball is tipped, he is a confidence scorer. Best when playing within one and two dribbles, he is a good straight-line athlete and can knock down a spot jump shot. He finished with 18 points in the win.
4-star SF Maximo Adams (2026) – Maximo Adams has a good feel for the game. His Team WhyNot 16s lined up him in multiple spots and allowed him to attack matchups. He has good size with skill/touch, and he does not force anything.
3-star PG Isaiah Denis (2025) – This was a good viewing from Isaiah Denis. The 6-foot-4 lead guard is very fast with the ball in his hands. He touched the paint and made plays. A blur in transition, it will be interesting to see how the game continues to slow down for him. Denis had 11 points for Team CP3.
4-star PG Acaden Lewis (2025) – Acaden Lewis played at his own pace never got rushed, and consistently put the ball in useful situations. The jump shot was falling, knocking down four threes in the game, but it was the leadership and his keeping his teammates involved that made things run smoothly. With the game tight, you had the trust that Lewis would make the right play. He finished with
5-star SF Jalen Haralson (2025) – Jalen Haralson played well as a connector in this one, moving the ball and keeping everything tight. In the 6-foot-6 range, his best attribute might be his passing and his processing. Indy Heat was at their best when Haralson was off-ball, and they ran actions through him from different levels. He finished with an efficient ten points, going 4-of-7 from the field.
4-star SF Alex Constanza (2026) – It is hard to ignore the skill set that Alex Constanza has. In the 6-foot-7 range, the wing is comfortable pushing the break under control, while making reads and distributing or finishing. The motor remains inconsistent, but he has a smooth jump shot that extends out to the three-point arc and he is comfortable stepping into shots or knocking them down off the bounce.
SG Ryan Crotty (2025) Ryan Crotty shot the ball well. He brought a sense of confidence to the court that he did not have last season. Standing in the 6-foot-4 range, he has long arms and a quick release. He is also playing physically on defense, off the ball. Crotty knocked down 5-of-7 threes for 17 points on the first night.
4-star C Parker Jefferson (2025) – Parker Jefferson is a skilled big man. He did a good job lining up from multiple areas on the floor and creating offensive opportunities. While he is a below-the-rim big man, he plays with touch and toughness. The 6-foot-9 big man finished with 20 points, going 8-of-16 from the field.
4-star SG Jason Crowe (2026) – Jason Crowe knows how to score. He has excellent touch with an array of counters and footwork to get him to dangerous areas on the floor. He has good length and a lot of confidence, playing up in the 17u age group. Crowe’s range is deep, and his production is consistent. His team went 3-0 on the weekend, and Crowe finished his day three game with 14 points going 4-of-5 from the field.
3-star SG Brandon Lee (2025) – Brandon Lee, a 6-foot-4 guard with the NY Rens, shot the ball very well on Day three. He moved well off ball finding open spots on the floor, and played balanced. The shot was consistent and confident. Lee finished with a game-high 28 points in the win going 5-of-6 from three.
3-star G Christian Jeffrey (2025) – There is a noted toughness that Christian Jeffrey brings to the court, especially at the point of attack. He is a rugged on-ball defender with good instincts off the ball. He also rebounded his area very well. Jeffrey finished with 17 points and 13 rebounds on the night one win.
4-star G JJ Andrews (2026) – JJ Andrews plays a physical game. He rebounds well, touches the paint and he makes plays. The jump shot needs to continue improving, but he does not shy away from contact and he gets into the passing lanes as a two-way type wing.
4-star PG Nyk Lewis (2025) – There is a tenacity Nyk Lewis brings each time he steps on the court. He is a quick-twitch lead guard who lives in the paint. He has a crafty handle and the jump shot looked improved. He put consistent pressure on the opposing team.