As Day Six rounded out for the 2024 EYBL Peach Jam, it is extremely apparent that the best players in the crop are rising to the top and all of the rust has been knocked off. Four teams remain undefeated in the EYBL bracket (Team Takeover, Nightrydas Elite, Drive Nation, and Oakland Soldiers) as tensions rise with players trying to ensure their squad reaches the final day of play.
Nine players stood head and shoulders above the crop during the first six days of pla:
AJ Dybantsa (ESPN #1 2025, 6’9 205 LB SF) & Tyran Stokes (ESPN #1 2026, 6’7 230 LB PF)
You can’t talk Peach Jam 2024 without mentioning the two-headed titan the Oakland Soldiers possess currently. Both undisputed No. 1 ranked players for their respective classes, these two high school teammates joined forces on the Oakland squad to create an offensive juggernaut. For reference, as of Day 6 of play, the Oakland Soldiers are 3-0, ranking 4th in PPG (73.7), 2nd in RPG (33.7), and 6th in APG (12.7). The pairing has made the Soldiers the prohibited favorite to win the whole tournament, but you can’t fathom the offensive firepower this team wields until you examine Anicet Dybantsa and Tyrann Stokes as individuals.
Dynbantsa has an incomprehensible level of coordination and athleticism for his 6 '9, 206-pound frame. He plays the Small Forward spot by denomination only, he regularly takes ball-handling duties from his teammates and can defend other teams' centers if called to. He’s averaging 22.3 points (3rd), 4 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game. These numbers need no qualifying statements to understand Dybantsa’s impact on winning, but they grow evermore impressive when considering the offensive load his fellow No. 1 ranked prospect carries on a game-to-game basis.
Stokes steps into the PF position despite being a couple of inches shorter than Dybantsa but fills the same positionless, alien talent archetype as his teammate. The Oakland Soldier ranks ninth in PPG and 2nd in RPG with 19.0 and 10.3, respectively. The 4.7 assists he dishes per game is just icing on the cake after that. The Dybantsa/Stokes duo is truly a one-of-a-kind spectacle in recent Peach Jam memory, and before these two handpick whatever college they’d like to join, they can be found dominating their peers on the hardwood in South Carolina.
Cameron Boozer (6’9 246 lb PF, ESPN #2 2025)
Let’s get another obvious one out of the way: Cameron Boozer, the three-level scoring big man who looks like he could curl a cement truck. He is averaging an impressive 22.7 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists–placing second in PPG and third in RPG. Boozer’s dominance stretches to the defensive end as well, where he anchors the Nightrydas rim protection and averages 1.7 steals per game. He dominated during his showing versus Boo Williams, dropping 22 points (8-12, 66.7%), 13 rebounds, and 3 assists, picking up the win and moving the Nightdryas to 3-0 during their Peach Jam run.
The Nightrydas are many experts’ selections for the prohibited favorite to take a bite out of a peach when the final game is all said and done. Boozer’s ability to play off his twin brother at the point guard position, Cayden Boozer, is a treat to see and likely even more for their family. Five-star recruit Caleb Wilson only makes the Nightrydas a scarier sight considering his 17th-ranked PPG at 16.5. Cayden is averaging 5.5 assists a game, pacing third in the category for EYBL. Even with that, I’d expect Boozer to take another leap before play is wrapped at Riverview Academy in South Carolina–the top-ranked prospect is capable of dropping 30 points against any team on any given night.
Tounde Yessoufou (ESPN #19 2025, 6’5 215 LB Small Forward)
Tounde Yessoufou was the most shocking revelation of my Day 4 watch at Peach Jam. He has the most active motor that I’ve seen so far in this year’s crop of players. As he opened the game up versus Alabama Fusion–a great program in its own right–he dominated them on the defensive end with two blocks in the first quarter. It was only downhill from there for the Fusion.
Tounde went on to get four and-1 opportunities throughout the game and finished shooting 10-13 from the line–an impressive clip given his game. He also was able to stretch the floor and knock down a three to keep the defense guessing. When he wasn’t doing that, he was dominating the driving lanes and offensive glass for second-chance opportunities. His final line was 29 points, eight rebounds, two blocks, and a whopping six steals.
Baylor, Oregon, and Tennessee have all been circling Yessoufou for months now. If I could give them just a small piece of advice: back up the Brinks truck now before it is too late.
Brayden Burries (ESPN #11 2025, 6’4 185 LB Combo Guard)
There isn’t much to be said about this dominant guard that hasn’t been said previously. Coming off an IE Varsity Men’s Basketball Player of the Year award hailing from his 2024 High School basketball run, Buries' success has been a smooth transition over to EYBL circuit play and specifically, this year’s Peach Jam. The combo guard records an impressive 20.6 points per outing paired with 10.4 rebounds a game, which ranks sixth and first respectively.
He began quietly against Team Herro during Day 4 of Peach Jam play, where teammate Elzie Harrington flexed his scoring muscles putting up 18 points by halftime. However, he finished with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists–a very on-brand stat line for Burries. The guard uses his deceptive strength to create mismatches with guard defenders and when they put a bigger matchup on him, he uses his speed to slide by them in the lane—an anomaly athlete in every sense of the term.
Brandon McCoy Jr. (ESPN #2 2026, 6’4 180 LB PG) and Kaden House (ESPN #14 2026, 6’3 175 LB SG)
These two brought the house down versus a rolling 2-0 City Rocks team behind their dual 19+ point performances. Much attention has swirled around McCoy’s name for months now, as he is the top-ranked PG in the 2026 class. However, his tenacity needs to be seen to be understood. Much like I spoke about Tounde Yessoufou, McCoy’s motor is cut from the same cloth. The guard was averaging 17.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists after putting up 19 points, seven rebounds, and five assists in their win against the Unity.
An interesting observation surrounding McCoy’s 2024 Peach Jam showcase is him not scored 20 or more in any of his matchups thus far. However, the Unity still remains a strong squad with an even record (2-2). Why you may ask? I’d point you across the court to Kaden House. The shooting guard is averaging 14.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists after finishing with 28 points versus City Rocks. This SG plays the fastbreak lanes better than every player seen during Day 4, finishing in transition with ease in and out of traffic.
These two are vying for a Peach Jam title this year, but I fear what lies ahead for the competition when they both return for 2025’s EYBL circuit play.
Kiyan Anthony (ESPN #41 2025, 6’5 177 LB SG)
We could not round out our standout list without including arguably the best individual performance of Peach Jam so far in 2024: Kiyan Anthony’s 40-ball with his father, NBA legend Carmelo Anthony, courtside. The crafty guard got his 40-piece behind shooting 15-19 from the field (79%) and 5-6 from three (83.3%). His squad, Team Melo, went on to finish the Mac Irvin Fire 81-51 behind Kiyan’s scoring explosion.
The Class of 2025 guard is averaging 21.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in his 27.4 minutes of game time per matchup. Team Melo is heading into day five of Peach Jam 3-1 in their PIT bracket and looking to build upon their success. Kiyan’s scoring prowess makes defenders look fruitless out there, leaving onlookers with “open gym” and “pickup game” criticisms you don’t find with the other Peach Jam matchups. Be assured, this is not due to Kiyan and Team Melo’s competition being specifically worse to boost his numbers, he just makes his competition appear as so. Lasting sentiment from Anthony’s game? Fun to watch.
Jerry Easter (ESPN #27 2025, 6’3 195 LB PG)
Jerry Easter’s stock is rising rapidly as he’s leading his Team Final squad to a 5-0 start after falling to the PIT bracket after their loss to Alabama Fusion last Friday. Easter has been taking the loss personally with three games scoring 27 or more on impressive efficiency and volume. The point guard is averaging a Peach Jam-best 22.1 points per game paired with 6.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists.
The crafty guard could find space in a phone booth and has one of the most consistent set shot jumpers out of this year’s pool of athletes. He clearly has the reins of his squad’s offense and the closest thing to being stopped for him is getting fouled, where he’s shot 36-43 (83.7%)--in other words: good luck. Team Final could easily find themselves at the top of the PIT rankings when play comes to a close if they keep feeding Easter.
