Final Thoughts From 3SSB Championships + Peach Jam

There are plenty of pros and cons to Facebook. One of the great things about the app is seeing the memories that pop up from years in the past. This week, I had a picture pop up from 12 years ago of me covering the Adidas Super 64 in Las Vegas. The grassroots basketball landscape has change drastically during that time frame, but I am lucky to still be involved in the game that I love to this day.

In terms of my work with Kentucky Sports Radio, I am not at these events in any official capacity. Zack Geoghegan, Jack Pilgrim, and Jacob Polacheck are the ones pumping out content that people clamor to read. Interviews with players, breaking news, and scoop are where those guys flourish. Admittedly, my content is more in-the-weeds and niche. I know that not everyone cares about how Mikel Brown Jr. consistently plays off two feet at the end of his drives or the impressive defensive footwork work of Brandon McCoy Jr. on the perimeter.

When I go to events like the Adidas 3SSB Palmetto Road Championships and Nike EYBL Peach Jam there are many different hats that I am wearing. First and foremost, I am covering the state of Indiana as the Senior Scouting Director at Prep Hoops Indiana. I also have my private scouting service and work as a scouting/recruiting consultant for several programs across the country. However, the hat I enjoy wearing the most is that of Kentucky fan. That is why I can’t help but follow around some of the Wildcats’ top targets and share my thoughts with Big Blue Nation here on KSR and KSBoard.

In total, I spent two weeks on the road and 12 days in the gym between Rock Hill and North Augusta, South Carolina. Each of those days consisted of at least 8-12 hours in the gym with a total of about 80 games watched. You can find my evaluations on Kentucky targets and some other thoughts via the links below. However, now it is time for one final look back at time spent in South Carolina watching many of the best high school prospects in the country. Let’s empty out the notebook with some final, big picture thoughts and takeaways.

Adidas 3SSB Championships – Evaluations of Kentucky Targets (2025)

Adidas 3SSB Championships – Evaluations of Kentucky Targets (2026)

Mid-Week Takeaways from Nike EYBL Peach Jam

Nike EYBL Peach Jam: Evaluations of Kentucky Targets (2025)

Nike EYBL Peach Jam: Evaluations of Kentucky Targets (2026)

The 2025 Class is Special

Much has been made about how historically bad the 2024 class was. That was true both in terms of the current incoming freshman class to the college ranks and the incoming rookie NBA Draft class. However, for everything that the class of 2024 was not, the 2025 class appears to be special. The same could be said so far about the top end of the 2026 class as well.

During my two weeks in South Carolina, I had the opportunity to watch 37 of the Top 50 prospects in the Class of 2025. Additionally, I watched 22 of the Top 25 prospects in the Class of 2026. In nearly 15 years of being involved in scouting, the five-star prospects in 2025 are among the best that I have seen. AJ Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer are special talents that don’t come around every year. Prospects like Darryn Peterson, Caleb Wilson, and Nate Ament all project as potential NBA All-Stars as well. Each of those five names are qualified to be the top prospect in most classes.

Don’t be surprised if we look back at this class in five years and start to fully appreciate who special it really was.

Coach Mark Pope and His Staff Know How to Grind

Most coaches around Division I college basketball work extremely hard. Obviously, they are well compensated for the long hours and arduous travel. However, the overwhelming vast majority of them also truly love what they do every day. You can’t spend two seconds around this Kentucky staff without feeling that. I haven’t had the opportunity to meet Coach Alvin Brooks yet, but Coach Pope, Coach Fueger, and Coach Hart all exude an energy and passion that is contagious. Even with crazy amounts of travel and long hours in the gym packed into tight windows, this staff is truly a breath of fresh air.

There is no better example of the lengths this staff is going to in order to make their mark with the Class of 2025 than how Coach Pope began his second July live evaluation period. There were online reports that he was in Atlanta for the Adidas All-American at 6:00 p.m. when things began on Friday evening. Then, I received a picture of Coach Pope at the Puma Pro16 Circuit in Lebanon, Indiana just after 9:30 p.m. later that night. At the time, while sitting with Jack Pilgrim and Jacob Polacheck, we all assumed that the initial reports of Coach Pope being in Atlanta had to be false. However, we would soon learn not to doubt what he, and Kentucky’s private plane, is capable of accomplishing.

I arrived at the Riverview Athletics Center at Peach Jam about 8:45 a.m. on Saturday morning. Walking into the main gym to watch Nightrydas Elite featuring the Boozer twins and Caleb Wilson, I ended up holding the door for none other than Coach Pope. After a quick exchange of pleasantries, it hit me that I had photo evidence of him being in Indiana no more than 10 hours prior. After asking him about the logistics of getting to North Augusta that morning and inquiring on the amount (lack) of sleep he got, Coach Pope mentioned having started the evening in Atlanta. So, there it was, confirmation that he went from Atlanta, to Indiana, to the Peach Jam all within the first 15 hours of the live evaluation period.

Final Look at How Kentucky Targets Fared

***Statistics were not available for 16u play at the 3SSB Championships***

Ikenna Alozie (2026): 16.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists at 3SSB Championships

Nate Ament (2025): 15.7 points, 11.6 rebounds, 3.1 blocks, 42.3% from 3 at 3SSB Championships

Mikel Brown Jr. (2025): 24.9 points, 3.1 assists at 3SSB Championships

Brayden Burries (2025): 22.2 points, 10.0 rebounds at Peach Jam

Jason Crowe (2026): 13.8 points at Peach Jam

AJ Dybantsa (2025): 23.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists at Peach Jam

Caleb Holt (2026): 16.7 points, 5.7 rebounds at 3SSB Championships

Jasper Johnson (2025): 19.8 points, 3.2 assists at Peach Jam

Acaden Lewis (2025): 12.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists at Peach Jam

Brandon McCoy (2026): 17.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists at Peach Jam

Jalen Montonati (2026): 17.2 points, 46.8/40.6/88.2 shooting splits at Peach Jam

Malachi Moreno (2025): 11.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.4 blocks at 3SSB Championships

Braylen Mullins (2025): 18.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 37.9% from 3 at 3SSB Championships

Miikka Muurinen (2026): 17.8 points, 61.8/50.0/90.0 shooting splits at Peach Jam

Darryn Peterson (2025): 30.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists at 3SSB Championships

Tyran Stokes (2026): 20.6 points, 10.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists at Peach Jam

Caleb Wilson (2025): 17.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.9 steals, 2.8 blocks at Peach Jam

Tounde Yessoufou (2025): 21.8 points, 5.4 rebounds at Peach Jam

New Faces Emerge

Big Blue Nation follows recruiting unlike any other fanbase. We don’t want to just know all of the names, we want to know their games as well. There were even Kentucky fans that had boots on the ground in Rock Hill and North Augusta. However, even with us, sometimes new names emerge on the recruiting big board. One of the nice parts of the live evaluation periods is that those new names generally come to light. Caleb Wilson and Miikka Muurinen were two prospects, in the 2025 and 2026 class respectively, that emerged as primary targets for the ‘Cats last week.

Wilson is a name that we all know pretty well. He was a top target of Coach Calipari and now is considered by many to be an Arkansas lean. However, Coach Pope and his staff have really turned up the heat lately and should at least get a visit out of the five-star forward. Wilson’s two-way dominance was on display at the Peach Jam as he helped lead Nightrydas Elite to the title. Kentucky is playing from behind in his recruitment, but it will be interesting to see how much ground Coach Pope can make up.

Muurinen is truly a new name that most Kentucky fans probably weren’t familiar with. The 6’10” forward was one of the most impressive rising juniors at the Peach Jam. He made 14 three-point shots in seven games, averaged 17.8 points, and showcased high-level rim protection traits. Brad Beal Elite went on to win the 16u championship with Muurinen leading the way. Kentucky has extended a scholarship offer since watching him closely in North Augusta.

Then, this week at the NCAA College Basketball Academy, a pair of international prospects got added to the big board. Felipe Minzer from Argentina and Mouhamed Sylla from Senegal were watched closely by the Kentucky staff members in attendance. It is clear that the ‘Cats are turning over stones on the international front.

Behind-the-Scenes

Let’s go quick-hitter style and finish with a few behind-the-scenes takeaways from two weeks on the road.

• Coach Pope is a popular man. I’m not sure how much of that comes from simply being the head coach at Kentucky, but he consistently had “priority seating” at every court, talked to every big time coach and/or celebrity in attendance, and was constantly taking phone calls.
• NIL is the first, second, and third topic of any conversation. Whether I was speaking with a college coach, agent, or NBA scout it seemed like everyone wanted to talk about NIL. It truly is the driving force behind everything surrounding college basketball at this point.
• Speaking of NIL, there is some genuine “fear” of BYU looming. Their pockets are deep and it sounds like they are ready to be a player at the big boy’s table. The smoke surrounding AJ Dybantsa, and JJ Mandaquit, teaming up in Provo was real.
• There is a bit of a country club feeling to many interactions between college coaches. Everyone puts on a smile and shakes hands with their peers. However, in private moments, there is a lot of bad blood. A lot of that stems from “poaching” players prior to entering the transfer portal. There are some pretty notable programs that have caught the ire of many coaches for some shady business dealings.
• Kentucky is still Kentucky. Other coaches have tremendous respect for the brand. Players still yearn for an offer from the ‘Cats. The transition from Coach Calipari to Coach Pope is still very new, but the name on the jersey still carries a lot of weight.