The second of July’s three live periods ended at 5:00 p.m. Sunday. We had writers traversing the southeast, going to and from the Under Armour Association Finals and Nike’s Peach Jam. Here are seven takeaways from Peach Jam:
MORE: Quotables Part I | Part II | Part III | All content from the 2014 July Live Period
NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. — The second week of the July live evaluation period is in the books and CBT‘s Rob Dauster and myself spent a couple of days at the Nike Peach Jam, one of the most prestigious events of the summer. You can read Rob’s seven takeaways from the event here, but here are some additional thoughts on the EYBL Finals.
1. Ben Simmons needs to develop a consistent jumper to maximize his potential: Ben Simmons is one of the most complete players in the country. After all, he is the No. 1 player in the 2015 class. But while the Australian can handle the ball, pass, rebound and defend, one thing is missing from his game if he wants to maximize his potential: a consistent jump shot. Simmons can score driving left or right, but he still has to knock down some jumpers in order to keep defenders completely honest. Team Penny packed the paint with five guys and forced Simmons to find other options, or go through traffic in order to score, and it was a big reason why E1T1 was eliminated from the Peach Jam. Simmons only shot 29 percent from the three-point line in 13 EYBL games this spring and summer and shot 62 percent from the free-throw line. While Simmons also shot 63 percent from the field in the EYBL, it’s more a testament to his very good shot selection than owning a good jumper. If Simmons gets more consistent knocking down his jump shot, good luck trying to defend him.
2. Malik Monk is a summer in the weight room away from being a major problem: Class of 2016 6-foot-3 guard Malik Monk has made headlines for some tremendous scoring performances. There was the 59-point outburst in Sacramento in April and also dropped a 40 spot in North Augusta. But the games before and after the 40-point outing at Peach Jam weren’t particularly good. Monk is a great prospect and scorer, but you can tell he still gets fatigued and it changes his game as a scorer. Once Monk can add some more muscle to his slight frame, that should give him more energy and strength to score at will game-in and game-out. But there is no question that Monk is in the conversation as a top-5 player in the class.
3. Best point guard in the 2015 class is up for grabs between Isaiah Briscoe and Jalen Brunson: This will be a fun debate until after the senior All-Star games next spring. While Brunson was spectacular during the high school season, Briscoe has had a tremendous summer, which includes co-MVP at the Pangos All-American Camp and leading the New Jersey Playaz to the title at Peach Jam. While other guards like Juwan Evans are in this debate, as well, the 6-foot-3 Briscoe and 6-foot-2 Brunson get the slight edge, for now, because of their size at the position. Both Briscoe and Brunson are big-game players who love to win and it will be interesting to track their development — and recruitments — the next few months. CBT‘s Rob Dauster believes Briscoe is more of a combo, but I disagree. He’s a heck of a passer that can set other guys up for easy baskets, but Briscoe can also score the ball.
4. Tyler Davis is on the brink of being mentioned among the 2015 classes’ elite big men: The 2015 class has a number of elite big men, but Texas native Tyler Davis is rarely in the conversation. The 6-foot-10 big man should be at least mentioned after some strong outings at Peach Jam. When Davis gets deep post position — which he does with frequency — he’s a problem because of his size, hands and footwork. If Davis can continue to lose more weight and add some more post moves, he could be an All-American by season’s end.
5. Florida got a good one in KeVaughn Allen: Florida commit KeVaughn Allen had a solid effort at Peach Jam and he was a big reason why Team Penny was competing for a championship. The 6-foot-2 guard gets good elevation on his jumper and can knock them down from many spots on the floor and he also displayed some ability as a passer this week. Billy Donovan has had some really good guards over the years and if Allen can play as well as he did at Peach Jam while continuing his development, he could be next in that long line. Allen’s even-keeled demeanor will help in big games.
6. Chris Clarke could play for my team any day: Chris Clarke is one bad dude. The do-it-all wing is as rugged and competitive as they come and he defends and hustles for the entire game. Although his offensive arsenal isn’t advanced, Clarke gets it done by utilizing the baseline well and taking shots that are within his comfort zone. The 6-foot-6 wing isn’t as polished as some of his classmates, but he does anything that it takes to win and his skill level will only improve.
7. Parents can have a big impact on the recruitment of their kids: One of the themes of the first two weeks of July has been some parents overdoing it when it comes to handling their child’s youth basketball careers. I’ve talked to a handful of college coaches this month who mentioned not recruiting certain players specifically because their parents were too much of a handful to deal with away from the court. Some parents were sitting on team benches, constantly screaming at officials and making a fuss with coaches over playing time. While this kind of thing happens at events besides the Peach Jam, parents yelling at officials seemed to be all too common in North Augusta. I understand a parent wanting the best for their child, but many coaches don’t want to deal with the headache that some parents present. Consider yourself warned, basketball parents. College coaches are also looking at you while recruiting your kid.
