Nike EYBL Session 4 - Evaluations of Kentucky Targets

After stops in Atlanta, Phoenix, and Dallas, the Nike EYBL “regular season” culminated with Session 4 in Memphis over Memorial Day Weekend. The next stop will be North Augusta, South Carolina from July 3rd through 9th for the annual Peach Jam Tournament.

Kentucky is still very much trying to finalize its 2023 roster. Some of that will fall into place on May 31st when players must make their stay or go NBA Draft decisions. The Wildcats staff will still be hitting the transfer portal hard as well in the coming weeks. However, recruiting never stops and the class of 2024 is starting to take shape in terms of who will be priorities for schools around the country. This wasn’t a live period where college coaches could be out evaluating, but that didn’t stop the rest of us from getting into the gym.

Throughout the weekend at the beautiful Memphis Sports and Events Center I had the opportunity to get eyes on several prospects that hold Kentucky offers in the classes of 2024 and 2025. There were a handful of other players as well that stood out that could potentially creep onto the Wildats’ radar. Over on KSR+, Jacob Polacheck has updates from several of the Kentucky targets. Be sure to check those out and sign up for KSR+ for just $10 until football season!

Darius Acuff Jr. (’25 PG, The Family) 6-1, 175 | Cass Technical (Detroit, MI) 
Unranked –> KSR+ interview
Jasper Johnson (’25 CG, Team Thad) 6-2, 165 | Wooford County (Lexington, KY) 
4-star: No. 26 overall, No. 5 CG –> KSR+ interview
Tre Johnson (’24 SG, Houston Hoops) 6-5, 180 | Lake Highlands (Dallas, TX) 
5-star: No. 1 overall, No. 1 SG –> KSR+ interview
Ahmad Nowell (’24 SG, Team Final) 6-2, 185 | Imhotep Institute (Philadelphia, PA) 
4-star: No. 45 overall, No. 11 SG –> KSR+ interview
Billy Richmond (’24 SG, NJ Scholars) 6-6, 180 | Camden (Memphis, TN) 
4-star: No. 78 overall, No. 17 SG –> KSR+ interview

Below I’ll dive into evaluations of the above five prospects, along with three others that I’d like to see Kentucky get more involved with.

Darius Acuff

In terms of class of 2025 prospects, Darius Acuff was the one that made me say “I hope this guy goes to Kentucky.” The 6’1″ point guard from Cass Technical (MI) received an offer from the Wildcats back on April 24th. Now, he is in the process of setting up a visit to Lexington for some time in the coming months.

Acuff is extremely talented with the ball in his hands on the perimeter. He isn’t the biggest physically but has great length and some sneaky upper-body strength. When he can play in space his scoring ability really pops. Playing with The Family on the EYBL circuit, Acuff creates separation consistently, can really shoot from deep, and gets downhill to the rim well. He must get better at playing through contact, but that is part of only being a rising junior.

Despite playing up a year at the U17 level, Acuff is the fourth leading scorer on the EYBL Circuit at 20.1 points per game. The Kentucky target was excellent down in Memphis scoring 19.2 points per game and making 15 three-pointers in five games. He is 46-128 (35.9%) from deep through 17 games this spring. With his playmaking chops and scoring ability Acuff could be an old-school lead guard for head coach John Calipari

Jasper Johnson

Johnson received his Kentucky offer on May 5th and looked the part of a future Wildcat at times during EYBL Session 4. The Woodford County (KY) High School star has been a big part of Team Thad’s success this spring leading them to a 14-3 record. He has averaged 12.3 points per game and improved to 39.7% from three-point range after a strong shooting weekend.

An up-and-coming four-star guard ranked #26 in the class of 2025 by the On3 Industry Ranking, Johnson went off for 21 points on 5-6 shooting from deep in a win on Saturday night over Vegas Elite. His shot can be a little streaky due to a rushed release and lack of a consistent follow-through. However, the percentages speak for themselves. At 6’2″ with very long arms and excellent athleticism, he has the physical tools for the next level. But Johnson will certainly need to get stronger in order to score off of the dribble at Kentucky. There is time for that development though. Right now, the athleticism is projectable and the shooting numbers make him an intriguing two-way prospect in the 2025 class.

This weekend in Memphis, the Bluegrass native scored 12.8 points per game while going 12-25 (48%) from beyond the arc. As he develops into an all-around playmaker his game will take another leap. Part of that will be adding strength, but decision-making plays a role too. Overall though, it is clear why Johnson has emerged as a high-major prospect.

Tre Johnson

The current consensus No. 1 prospect in the Class of 2024, Johnson was excellent through the first three games of the weekend before struggling a bit in the final two. At 6’5″ he has the clear physical tools that translate to the next level. He is long, very athletic, and has a real knack for scoring the basketball. When he has it going offensively it is easy to see how he became the top-ranked prospect in the class. Johnson has the ability to get to any spot on the floor and then simply use his size and athleticism to elevate over his defender. He is a better playmaker than I expected too with a two to one assist to turnover ratio this spring.

Overall, Johnson averaged 19.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game for Houston Hoops at EYBL Session 4. However, after starting the weekend with three strong performances his efficiency really took a hit in games four and five. He was just 5-21 (FG), 0-5 (3PT), and 6-7 (FT) in a comeback win against Indy Heat and then 5-15, 0-3, and 1-2 in a loss to Team Durant. Games like that are the concern about Johnson’s game as he is shooting just 41.9% from the field on the EYBL Circuit.

There is no denying that this prospect from Lake Highlands (TX) High School in Dallas is one of the best players in the country. His size in the backcourt and playmaking ability are undeniable. However, there are some legitimate concerns about his efficiency. You are getting an aggressive offensive player who is going to make some spectacular plays, get hot, and win you some games. He will also likely be high-volume and require the ball to be in his hands a lot. Johnson is currently considering a top six list of schools including Alabama, Arkansas, Baylor, Kansas, Kentucky, and Texas.

Ahmad Nowell

Team Final is now 16-1 this spring on the EYBL Circuit after a perfect 5-0 weekend at Session 4. Nowell, a four-star guard from Imhotep (PA) Institute, has been a big part of their sustained success. He is a true floor general that can dominate a game with his court vision and passing ability while picking this spots as a scorer. Nowell has proven to be an impactful on-ball defender as well while going against some of the top players in the country. Scouting services list him as a shooting guard, but to me, he projects as a point guard in college.

Nowell capped off the weekend by coming up just short of a triple-double. He finished with 13 points, 12 rebounds, and nine assists in a win on Monday afternoon against Team CP3. Overall, the 6’2″ guard averaged 11.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game for Team Final. His frame is very strong with a developed upper body and some explosiveness both end-to-end and vertically when he drives. The physical tools absolutely translate to the next level.

There is a lot to like about his overall game. Ranked No. 44 in the On3 Industry Ranking, Nowell is capable of playing both on and off of the ball in college. He is a guy who doesn’t have to be scoring in order to impact the game. His skills as a facilitator and defender are always there whether he is scoring or not. However, he has impressive 51.5%/40.7%/83.9% shooting splits to prove that he can put the ball in the basket too. Nowell is a proven winner and should be a priority for Kentucky in the class of 2024.

Billy Richmond

Earlier I said Darius Acuff was the 2025 prospect that stood out as a guy who I really want to see in a Kentucky jersey. For the class of 2024, that award from the weekend would go to Billy Richmond. Despite being ranked “just” No. 77 in the On3 Industry Ranking, the 6’6″ guard outplayed many of those ranked ahead of him. Richmond was efficient from the field, rebounded at a high level, and showed off some game-changing defensive ability.

The NJ Scholars star averaged 20.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game on the weekend in Memphis. He is incredibly long and athletic, an excellent driver, and one of the elite transition threats in the country. In Session 4 he showed off the ability to act as a secondary playmaker in the half-court. Richmond played off of ballscreens and looked comfortable creating his own shot off of the dribble. On the defensive end, he was consistently involved whether it be contesting shots with his length, getting his hands on passes, or turning in highlight-worthy chase-down blocks. I thought he looked the part of a five-star guard while outplaying some of the best in the country over Memorial Day weekend.

On the downside, Richmond is essentially a non-shooter at this point. He was 2-9 from deep in Memphis and is 7-28 overall this spring on the EYBL Circuit. Improving his perimeter scoring ability will certainly be the next step in his development. However, he is so good off of the dribble and efficient inside the arc that it helps make up for the fact that he doesn’t stretch the floor. When you mix in his defensive abilities he becomes a really intriguing piece that has a lot of Kentucky connections. Look for him to climb the national rankings and be a top priority for Kentucky in the 2024 class. He deserves to be considered among the best guards in the class.

Three Additional Standouts

Few prospects did more on the offensive end over Memorial Day weekend than Liam McNeeley. He went cold from the field on Monday, but through three games on Saturday and Sunday, he had connected on 15 of 24 three-point attempts while averaging 27.7 points per game. The 5-star small forward is incredibly skilled on the offensive end. On Monday, despite not scoring until midway through the second quarter, McNeeley bounced back to score 20 points as the Florida Rebels took down Vegas Elite. Kentucky is technically involved, but they haven’t offered to this point. However, he is the exact type of player that many fans have been clamoring to have in Lexington. He is the perfect “stretch-4” type of prospect for today’s college basketball game.

Patrick Ngongba was arguably the most impressive frontcourt prospect at EYBL Session 4. Sunday was admittedly my first time seeing this 4-star center, but he wasted no time becoming one of my favorite prospects in the class of 2024. On the weekend he averaged 16.3 points and 11.3 rebounds per game while leading Team Takeover to a 4-0 record. The 6’10” big man looked like a guy who should be much higher in the national rankings. On Sunday he had a breakout performance of 33 points, 18 rebounds, and five assists, doing a little bit of everything on the offensive end. He scores it in the post with both hands, started the break after rebounding the ball, and was 4-5 from three-point range on the weekend. I would love to see Kentucky get involved with Ngongba.

One of the most versatile prospects in Memphis was Team Thad’s 6’7″ forward Derrion Reid. The 4-star prospect ranked No. 55 in the On3 Industry Ranking played like one of the best players at the event. Reid handles the ball like a guard, rebounds at a very high level, and can guard multiple positions as well. He averaged 18.8 points and 6.2 rebounds per game while leading Team Thad to a 4-1 weekend. In the spring, Reid is averaging 17.9 points and 6.4 rebounds. He has several high-major suitors but has the versatility to play anywhere in the country. He is the perfect versatile 3/4 man at the next level. The Georgia native has been a stock riser all spring long. If Kentucky were to get involved I would certainly endorse that decision.