Live updates: Top UK basketball recruits play at 2023 Peach Jam to end Nike EYBL season
Hello and welcome to the Herald-Leader’s live updates page for the 2023 edition of Peach Jam, the prestigious travel basketball event that marks the end of the Nike EYBL season.
Top prep basketball recruits from around the country and continent have descended upon the Riverview Park Activities Center in North Augusta, South Carolina, for a week of high-level competition.
For Kentucky, John Calipari and company will have the chance to watch up to 11 uncommitted players at Peach Jam who hold UK scholarship offers, and this week’s live viewing opportunities will probably lead to more scholarship offers to players in the 2024 and 2025 recruiting classes.
The Herald-Leader is on the ground in South Carolina and will be providing updates throughout the week on the performances of UK recruits, the players Kentucky is watching play and anything else of note from the Riverview Park Activities Center.
Boozer twins best Cooper Flagg for Peach Jam championship
With a championship on the line — and most of the prep basketball world watching closely — it was the Boozer twins who prevailed in Sunday afternoon’s title game in the Nike EYBL E16 division.
Cameron and Cayden Boozer’s Nightrydas Elite squad defeated Cooper Flagg’s Maine United team, 58-50, in front of a packed crowd at the Riverview Park Activities Center and a television audience watching from around the world.
It was Cayden — a five-star point guard who, like his twin brother, holds a UK scholarship offer — that performed the best of this trio of top 2025 recruits when the lights were brightest.
Cayden had 23 points to lead all scorers in the game along with three steals, which was also the most for one player in the contest.
His five assists came alongside just two turnovers, and Cayden’s overall strong showing helped account for a relatively quiet game from Cameron (five points and seven rebounds).
Flagg did his best to try and lift his Maine United team to victory, finishing with 18 points, 12 rebounds and 7 assists, but ultimately falling just short of what would have been a storybook Peach Jam championship.
Flagg vs. Boozer rematch set for Sunday afternoon
We’ve got our wish. A rematch between the Flagg twins (Maine United) and the Boozer twins (Nightrydas Elite) is set for 2 p.m. Sunday to decide the champion of the Nike E16 division of Peach Jam.
This will be the second time in five days that this matchup occurs at Peach Jam, and now there’s a title on the line.
Each team won a pair of knockout round games on Saturday to advance to Sunday’s title game. Unsurprisingly, it was Cooper Flagg and Cameron Boozer leading the way for their respective teams.
Flagg, a 6-foot-8 power forward, had 34 points and 17 rebounds and 37 points and 12 rebounds in Maine United’s two Saturday wins.
Boozer, a 6-foot-9 power forward, had 12 points and 12 rebounds and 21 points and 11 rebounds in Nightrydas Elite’s two Saturday wins.
As was the case Wednesday morning, all the attention will be on this matchup featuring the runaway top two players in a deep 2025 recruiting class.
A reminder that Kentucky was in to watch both of these players earlier this week at Peach Jam. Boozer, along with his twin brother Cayden, both currently hold UK offers.
Jayden Quaintance to move up to 2024 recruiting class
While Jayden Quaintance hasn’t played a role at Peach Jam this week, he was a big part of getting his former travel basketball squad to this stage.
Quaintance previously played on the Nike EYBL circuit for Team Thad. He played up an age level with the Memphis-based organization, with per game averages of 9.9 points and 6.2 rebounds.
But just a few days before Peach Jam started, it was announced Quaintance would be switching not only travel ball teams, but travel ball circuits. He will now play for Team Loaded on the Adidas 3SSB circuit.
More news was released this weekend about Quaintance, and it’s significant with relation to his college recruitment.
The five-star prospect has moved from the 2025 class to the 2024 class.
Quaintance plays prep basketball for Word of God Christian Academy — which is the same school that produced ex-Cat John Wall — and is part of the Overtime Elite league that produced current Wildcats Jordan Burks and Robert Dillingham, as well as class of 2024 UK commit Somto Cyril.
It was reported that Quaintance took an unofficial visit to UK last month, which then prompted a Kentucky scholarship offer to arrive.
The 6-foot-10, 210-pound Quaintance, was ranked as the No. 10 overall player in the 2025 class by the 247Sports Composite
UK recruits fall short of Peach Jam championship
A Kentucky men’s basketball recruit — at least a player that currently holds a UK scholarship offer — won’t be winning the Nike EYBL division of Peach Jam this year.
The final two players in the tournament with UK offers — class of 2024 combo guard Boogie Fland of PSA Cardinals and class of 2024 combo guard Ahmad Nowell of Team Final — both lost in Saturday afternoon’s quarterfinals.
In additional news, Nowell has announced he will be making his college commitment July 23.
Nowell has a final four list of Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Tennessee and defending national champion UConn. He’s taken official visits to all of those schools, except Kentucky.
Other Kentucky recruits are still playing in other divisions of the Peach Jam tournament, though.
Five-star class of 2025 power forward Caleb Wilson will play in his final games with Georgia Stars in the Peach Invitational Tournament on Saturday.
In the Nike E16 division, the name-brand class of 2025 recruits are still playing. After a showcase Wednesday morning matchup between Cooper Flagg (Maine United) and Cameron and Cayden Boozer (Nightrydas Elite), both of those teams are into the semifinals, which will be played Saturday evening.
Should both teams win, we’d get another Maine vs. Nightrydas game — this time with a championship on the line — on Sunday afternoon.
Catching up on UK men’s basketball with John Clay
There’s a lot to take in related to UK men’s basketball at the moment.
Not only are top UK recruits wrapping up their weeks at the prestigious Peach Jam tournament, but others are playing in the final event on the Adidas circuit as well.
And this is to say nothing of the current 2023-24 UK squad, which is set to leave for Canada for four preseason games against older, international competition.
Lexington Herald-Leader Kentucky men’s basketball reporter Cameron Drummond (who focuses on UK basketball recruiting) caught up with H-L sports columnist John Clay on Friday afternoon to discuss the latest news from Peach Jam, the recruits that Kentucky fans should be paying the most attention to and what Kentucky will likely look like when the “GLOBL JAM” begins next week.
Their engaging and insightful conversation can be found here.
Kentucky targets make push toward Peach Jam championship
Friday is the final day of group stage play at Peach Jam, which means top Kentucky basketball targets in the 2024, 2025 and 2026 classes are trying to will their teams through to the knockout portion of the prestigious event.
Peach Jam wraps up with championship games Sunday.
Among the standout performances that happened over the last few days — and in front of college basketball coaches and recruiters — were standout games from Karter Knox.
On Thursday, Knox had 23 points to lead his Florida Rebels squad to a win over Team Thad. The game’s highest scorer at 24 points came from the Team Thad program though, and 2025 UK recruit combo guard Jasper Johnson.
A Central Kentucky native who will change prep basketball locations this offseason from Woodford County to Link Academy (Missouri), Johnson went 10-for-16 from the field and also added six rebounds. This outing was even more impressive given the fact Johnson is playing up an age level on the EYBL circuit with Team Thad.
A 22-point outburst from class of 2024 UK recruit shooting guard Billy Richmond on Friday afternoon for his NJ Scholars team also turned heads.
The knockout stage of Peach Jam will be filled following the rest of Friday’s games.
On other UK basketball-related news, fans now have clarity about how to watch UK’s upcoming games in the “GLOBL JAM” tournament in Canada, which the Herald-Leader will be on location for next week.
John Calipari, UK staff make the rounds at Peach Jam
The Kentucky Wildcats are currently rolling three deep at Peach Jam.
The coaching trio of John Calipari, Orlando Antigua and Chin Coleman are all on site in North Augusta to watch players of interest for the Wildcats in the 2024, 2025 and 2026 recruiting classes.
Here’s a quick look at the players they’ve stopped by to see so far Thursday, the first day college coaches and recruiters could be at Peach Jam.
▪ Caleb Wilson (class of 2025 power forward)
▪ Cooper Flagg (class of 2025 power forward)
▪ Cameron Boozer (class of 2025 power forward)
▪ Cayden Boozer (class of 2025 point guard)
▪ Karter Knox (class of 2024 small forward)
▪ Jasper Johnson (class of 2025 combo guard)
▪ Boogie Fland (class of 2024 combo guard)
▪ Billy Richmond (class of 2024 shooting guard)
Kentucky men’s basketball hires new recruiting coordinator
The final open spot on John Calipari’s Kentucky coaching staff has now been filled, and it’s a major move with relation to UK’s recruiting endeavors.
On Thursday, while Calipari and UK assistant coach Chin Coleman watched games at Peach Jam, Kentucky made official the hiring of Chuck Martin to the Wildcats’ coaching staff.
Not only will Martin fill the open assistant coach spot that was created when K.T. Turner left UK after one season to become the head coach at UT Arlington, but Martin will also hold the title of “recruiting coordinator” at Kentucky.
What does this mean exactly?
Per the UK announcement, Martin “will be tasked with providing strategies to help advance the program while offering additional counsel on all aspects of the program including recruiting, scouting, player development and special projects as assigned by the head coach. As recruiting coordinator, he will independently manage official and unofficial visits and be responsible for all recruiting strategy for the program.”
Martin is expected to join Coleman and Orlando Antigua as the three UK assistant coaches who will also be responsible for off-campus recruiting duties.
The 54-year-old Martin has more than 20 years of college basketball coaching experience, and will link back up with Coach Cal after spending two seasons on Calipari’s staff at Memphis, including during the 2007-08 season that saw Memphis reach the NCAA championship game.
After a spell as the head coach at Marist, Martin’s most recent college stops have been Indiana, South Carolina and Oregon.
You can expect that Martin will, obviously, have significant involvement and oversight when it comes to Kentucky’s recruiting strategy, which includes plenty of class of 2024 and 2025 players at Peach Jam that already hold a UK offer.
Calipari and Coleman spent Thursday morning watching one of those players, five-star 2025 power forward Caleb Wilson, who had 15 points and nine rebounds in front of a smattering of high-major college coaches.
2024 UK backcourt prospect shines as stars descend on Peach Jam
The later into the week it gets at Peach Jam, the more the basketball event morphs into a people-watching opportunity.
On Wednesday alone, the likes of Carmelo Anthony, Carlos Boozer, LeBron James, Chris Paul and ex-Cat Rajon Rondo were among the coaches and onlookers inside the Riverview Park Activities Center.
This kind of basketball starpower will only increase for the rest of Peach Jam from Thursday through Sunday, as the NCAA recruiting calendar shifted from a quiet period to an evaluation period.
This means college basketball coaches and recruiters will now be able to arrive in North Augusta and keep tabs on their top targets.
And for UK, this means keeping a close eye on Ahmad Nowell.
A four-star combo guard in the class of 2024, Nowell has Kentucky in his final list of four schools, along with Georgia Tech, Tennessee and national champion UConn.
Nowell has made visits to all of his final schools except Kentucky. If he puts on more performances like he did Wednesday, the Wildcats should be extra eager to make sure he makes a stop in Lexington.
In an 80-68 win for Nowell’s Team Final squad over Team CP3 (with program patriarch Chris Paul watching), Nowell had nine points, nine assists and five rebounds in a wide-ranging winning performance.
His nine assists led all players in the game, and helped Team Final maintain its perfect 3-0 record at Peach Jam.
Of the 24 teams at Peach Jam in the Nike EYBL classification, only five squads (including Team Final) are still undefeated.
The Flagg twins, Maine United get better of Boozer twins, Nightrydas
The Wednesday morning matchup between Maine United (featuring Cooper Flagg) and Nightrydas Elite (featuring both Cameron and Cayden Boozer) lived up to the hype in front of a packed gym at Peach Jam.
Maine United overcame an early double-digit deficit to emerge 73-65 winners behind not only a big performance from Cooper Flagg, but also his twin brother Ace.
The 6-foot-8 Cooper— who is ranked as the top player in the 2025 class by On3 and Rivals — finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and two blocks, in addition to making six of seven free-throw attempts and serving as a conduit for almost all of the offensive actions for his team.
The 6-7 Ace led all scorers in the game with 22 points and added 11 rebounds.
For their part, the Boozer twins also showcased their skills in front of about 700 onlookers, which included celebrities, NBA and international basketball scouts and plenty of media members.
The 6-foot-9 Cameron — who is ranked as the top player in the 2025 class by 247Sports and ESPN — made eight of his 24 shot attempts and finishing the game with 22 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks.
Cayden, a 6-3 guard, provided 11 points, five assists and two steals.
Boozer twins, Cooper Flagg ready for headline matchup
Wednesday morning has brought a palpable buzz to the Riverview Park Activities Center.
A highlight matchup of this year’s Peach Jam — a meeting between top class of 2025 recruits Cameron Boozer (Nightrydas Elite) and Cooper Flagg (Maine United) — is about to take center stage in front of a packed gym full of NBA scouts and VIP guests.
The Herald-Leader was one of the first people in the gym this morning in anticipation of the matchup.
Both Cameron Boozer and his twin brother, Cayden, play on the Nightrydas Elite team in the Nike E16 division, and both players also hold scholarship offers from Kentucky.
Tre Johnson, Karter Knox with big performances Tuesday
Karter Knox has a knack for making key plays during clutch moments, and that all-important basketball trait was on display Tuesday evening at Peach Jam.
Locked in a tight battle with his Florida Rebels squad against Team Durant, Knox hit a timely three-pointer in overtime to effectively seal the win and move his team to a 2-0 start in North Augusta.
The key three-pointer from the right wing was part of a 24-point outing from Knox, which led all scorers in the game. He added 11 rebounds in the overtime win as part of a double-double performance that showcased everything about Knox that has made him a top 2024 recruit, and one that’s been prioritized by both UK and Louisville.
Tuesday also marked the Peach Jam debut for Tre Johnson, who was formerly ranked as the top player in the 2024 class and recently returned from playing for the United States in the FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup in Hungary.
While the United States finished a disappointing fourth at that event, Johnson didn’t show any signs of fatigue or failure in his first game in North Augusta with his Houston Hoops team.
As part of a 16-point win over AZ Unity, Johnson had an easy 31 points on 11-for-24 shooting. He also added six rebounds and five assists.
Elsewhere, class of 2025 Central Kentucky native and former Woodford County High School star Jasper Johnson recovered nicely from an uncharacteristically bad outing on Monday night.
While Johnson’s Team Thad dropped another tight game to fall to 0-2, Johnson had a strong second half of the game and finished the contest with 11 points, four rebounds and two assists, with most of his eye-catching moments coming through strong passing with his left hand.
Ahmad Nowell, Billy Richmond get off to winning starts at Peach Jam
In other action from the opening day of Peach Jam, a pair of top Kentucky targets in the 2024 class both got off to winning starts.
Combo guard Ahmad Nowell had 11 points and three assists and rebounds each as Team Final dispatched UPLAY, the Canadian representatives at Peach Jam.
Elsewhere, shooting guard Billy Richmond was as good as we’ve seen him in recent months.
A former high school teammates of both Aaron Bradshaw and DJ Wagner, Richmond stuffed the stat sheet with 20 points, five rebounds and four assists as his NJ Scholars team pulled out a four-point win over Team Durant.
Entering Peach Jam, Richmond had per-game averages of 18 points and 6.1 rebounds.
Tre Johnson — formerly the top-ranked player in the class of 2024 who plays for Houston Hoops and recently finished playing for the United States at the FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup in Hungary — didn’t play Monday at Peach Jam.
Jasper Johnson’s breakout year hits a speed bump
Few players nationally — in either the 2024 or 2025 recruiting classes — have boosted their recruiting reputation as much as Jasper Johnson this year.
The former Woodford County High School star is still just a rising junior, yet he’s vaulted from in-state standout to top addition this offseason for Link Academy, which won the 2023 GEICO Nationals championship in April.
In addition to helping Woodford County to the semifinals of the Boys’ Sweet 16 state basketball tournament, Johnson has also been a standout contributor for one of the best Nike EYBL teams in the country this season, Memphis-based Team Thad.
Johnson’s contributions of 12.3 points per game and 39.7% three-point shooting have been key to Team Thad’s success, but both of those things took a slight detour Monday night.
Team Thad dropped a tight 66-65 decision to Drive Nation in one of the most competitive games of the day, and Johnson turned in a forgettable performance of 1-for-10 shooting from the field. He finished with just three points and four rebounds.
But despite the slow start, Team Thad director and coach Norton Hurd IV expressed confidence to The Herald-Leader postgame that both his team and Johnson would bounce back from the poor outing.
Johnson and Team Thad are next in action Tuesday afternoon against Boogie Fland and PSA Cardinals.
Karter Knox’s big second half powers Florida Rebels to win
Small forward Karter Knox sat for most of the first half of Monday’s game between his Florida Rebels squad and a PSA Cardinals team featuring combo guard Boogie Fland.
The matchup between a pair of top Kentucky men’s basketball recruits in the class of 2024 bubbled to life in the second half, when Knox returned to the floor and powered his team to victory.
The 61-56 Florida Rebels win saw Knox lead all players with 19 points, which helped his team erase a double-digit deficit. Knox got to the charity stripe on nine occasions and showcased his elite athleticism in transition offense opportunities.
Knox is akin to a bowling ball rolling downhill when dribbling in transition: At 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds, Knox is a sizable presence to try and slow down.
He’s also a willing off-ball player who has to great creative at times in halfcourt settings, something that was also on display. His ability to make three-pointers helps in this endeavor.
Knox was crucial in winning time as well, diving on the floor for loose balls on defense and soaring for breakaway dunks on offense to keep his team in front.
On the other side, Fland — one of Kentucky’s top backcourt recruits in the 2024 class — wasn’t super efficient on his way to scoring 12 points.
There was also an injury scare for Fland, who landed awkwardly during the fourth quarter and was significantly favoring his left leg as he limped to the bench. After several minutes of having that left leg stretched out and massaging his left knee with a Theragun, Fland returned to the game, although his left leg still appeared to be bothering him.
Peach Jam schedule
While only one team will emerge with the title of Peach Jam champion in the Nike EYBL division, the path toward determining that team will offer plenty of chances for players to be scouted by college basketball coaches and media personnel.
The 24 teams at Peach Jam are divided into four divisions of six teams each. This means each team is guaranteed at least five games during pool play, which runs from Monday through Friday at the Riverview Park Activities Center.
Here’s a quick look at the games the Herald-Leader is planning to watch during the first few days of the event.
Monday
▪ 4:30 p.m.: PSA Cardinals (Boogie Fland) vs. Florida Rebels (Karter Knox)
▪ 6 p.m.: Team Thad (Jasper Johnson) vs. Drive Nation
▪ 7:30 p.m.: Houston Hoops (Tre Johnson) vs. New York Renaissance
Tuesday
▪ 4:30 p.m.: Team Final (Ahmad Nowell) vs. New Heights Lightning (Meleek Thomas)
▪ 6 p.m.: The Family (Darius Acuff, Jr.) vs. Boo Williams
▪ 7:30 p.m.: NJ Scholars (Billy Richmond) vs. Drive Nation
Wednesday
▪ 9 a.m.: Nightrydas Elite (Cameron and Cayden Boozer) vs. Maine United
Maine United features 6-foot-8 power forward Cooper Flagg, a dominant big man with across-the-board recruiting interest and a player considered in lockstep with Cameron Boozer as the top-ranked recruit in the 2025 class.
▪ Noon: New Heights Lightning (Meleek Thomas) vs. JL3
▪ 1:30 p.m.: Team Final (Ahmad Nowell) vs. Team CP3
Plenty of Kentucky recruits to play in Peach Jam
Eleven uncommitted players with a Kentucky scholarship offer (who are still considering UK) could take the court this week as part of Peach Jam and its related events.
In the class of 2024, those players are: Combo guard Boogie Fland (PSA Cardinals), combo guard Ahmad Nowell (Team Final), shooting guard Tre Johnson (Houston Hoops), shooting guard Billy Richmond (NJ Scholars) and small forward Karter Knox (Florida Rebels).
In the class of 2025, those players are: Combo guard Jasper Johnson (Team Thad), combo guard Meleek Thomas (New Heights Lightning), point guard Darius Acuff Jr. (The Family), point guard Cayden Boozer (Nightrydas Elite) and power forward Cameron Boozer (Nightrydas Elite).
It should be noted that both Cameron and Cayden Boozer — who are the twin sons of former Duke star and NBA veteran Carlos Boozer — play in the Nike E16 division, while all other players play in the Nike EYBL.
Additionally, Kentucky’s future recruiting cupboard is no longer bare. Last week, class of 2024 center Somto Cyril committed to Kentucky out of the Overtime Elite league.
Cyril is the only player in the 2024 or 2025 recruiting classes committed to UK.
This story was originally published July 3, 2023 at 4:15 PM.
