Circuit season is officially underway, each of the top brands (Under Armor, Nike and Adidas) all have their own leagues that include top players on teams from around the country. Each of them have four different sessions and they all kicked off this weekend. I was able to attend the EYBL (Nike) at the Boo Williams Complex in Hampton, VA and it was flooded with talent. The 5-stars were doing their thing, but many of the players that caught my eye aren’t your blue chip prospects, or at least not yet. Here are the names to remember for the next couple of years:
Marvin Bagley III
(Nike Phamily ‘18)
Every time I watch Bagley he impresses me even more. He’s 6’11” but has the ability to go coast to coast with ease. During his game against PSA Cardinals (NY) on Friday night, he was double teamed nearly every time he touched the ball, but was still able to finish with 27 points on efficient shooting. He’s extremely athletic with a good shot, and his tall frame allows him to easily elevate over smaller defenders. He’s had offers from Duke, Kentucky and Arizona, to name a few, since his freshman year. He will be a name to know for the long haul.
Mike Devoe
(Nike South Beach ‘18)
Devoe is currently ranked outside of 247’s top 100, but that will definitely change. Devoe is an extremely intriguing prospect because his frame at 6’4″ allows him to be a matchup nightmare at the point guard position. He told me he tries to model his game after “D’Angelo Russell and James Harden” but he also has elite vision, he threw countless perfect passes, including some lobs to his teammates over the course of the weekend. Devoe also has a good stroke, going 18/20 from the line for the weekend. He currently has offers from Florida, Georgia Tech and Virginia.
Keldon Johnson
(Boo Williams ’18)
There’s only one way to describe Keldon Johnson’s game, relentless. The Huntington Prep forward was an absolute beast all weekend. In his first game of the session, he had 34 points with zero threes. He has a very similar body build to Michigan State star Miles Bridges. He told me that, “Miles is a little more explosive” and even if that is true, Johnson has no problem producing and will definitely be a high level player when it’s all said and done. Johnson averaged 25 points and 9.5 rebounds for then entire weekend. He currently has offers from Louisville, Indiana and Virginia, to name a few.
Kyrie Walker
(Oakland Soldiers ’20)
Recently named MaxPreps freshman of the year, which he told me was a “Really cool honor, but it also means I have to keep proving myself.” Walker averaged about 25 points playing varsity this past year, and has continued the success playing up on the circuit. He’s as competitive and as confident as anyone on the court, he attacked the rim with no fear all weekend long and stepped up to guard the second highest rated player in the entire EYBL, and held him to 4/19 shooting from the field. Walker was a solid contributor to the 17U soldiers as he averaged 9 points per game throughout the weekend. His biggest offer is from Arizona, but this is just the beginning.
Jalen Lecque
(Southern Stampede ’19)
The same organization that Collin Sexton blew up on the circuit with, could have another star on their hands. Lecque was extremely productive all weekend, averaging 20 points on 65% shooting from the field, which is extremely efficient. He also uses his 6’3″ frame to elevate over defenders and create looks for himself as a scoring point guard. It isn’t fair to dub him as the “Next Collin Sexton” yet, but the future is definitely bright for 2019 point guard Jalen Lecque.
Tre Jones
(Howard Pulley ’20)
Howard Pulley’s star proved he’s more than just Tyus Jones’ little brother this weekend. The Minnesota native exploded for 30 points, 10 assists and 0 turnovers against the highly touted California Supreme. He told me that 1v1 games with Tyus helped him get to where he is right now, but he also started recently giving the Timberwolves point guard a run for his money “Around last summer.” Jones was the leader of the Pulley team that went 3-1 this weekend, with their only loss coming to Albany City Rocks who finished 4-0. He also told me that the performance against City Rocks, “Isn’t nearly what this team is capable of.” He has a elite vision and patience that will take him a long way as a point guard.
The first session produced a lot of high level basketball, the stage was bright, sidelines lined with college coaches, and these young players more than delivered. The next session is in Indianapolis.