NORTH AUGUSTA, SOUTH CAROLINA — The stage was set for a monster matchup for the final under-17 game at Nike’s Peach Jam as the two best teams in the EYBL and the three top players in high school basketball squared off. On one side of the ball was the No. 1 player in the incoming senior class, A.J. Dybantsa, and the No. 1 player in the incoming junior class, Tyran Stokes with Oakland Soldiers (California). On the other side was arguably one of the best grassroots teams ever with Nightrydas Elite (Florida), led by three of the top incoming seniors, Cameron Boozer, Cayden Boozer and Caleb Wilson.
Nightrydas Elite made history on Sunday when they became the first grassroots team ever to win consecutive Peach Jam championships at the 15U, 16U and 17U levels after defeating the Soldiers, 71-62. The Boozer twins have also won three straight Florida state championships and are two-time gold medal winners for Team USA, most recently taking home gold in Istanbul for the U17 FIBA World Cup. It was the Cameron Boozer show in the championship game as he did a bit of everything, finishing with 19 points (7-for-8 from the field), 10 rebounds and five assists.
“This group has been together a long time and our goal, always, is to win,” Cameron Boozer said after the game. “I’m so proud of my teammates. Everyone chipped in and we played our asses off. If you want to win, you have to get the entire team involved, it’s not just about you. I know they were trying to play me tight and I knew guys coming off screens were going to be open because of the spacing.”
Both the Nightrydas Elite and Oakland Soldiers were 14-1 coming into Peach Jam. Fans, college coaches and NBA scouts packed the gym all week as both teams went a perfect 5-0 in pool play and beat tough teams to advance to the finals. Head coaches from Duke, Miami, Kansas, Texas, Arkansas, Kentucky, Auburn, Florida, UConn and Alabama lined the sidelines for the semifinals and finals at the Riverview Park Activities Center. San Antonio Spurs point guard Chris Paul and former NBA All-Stars Carmelo Anthony and Carlos Boozer (dad to Cameron and Cayden) were also watching the future NBA talent hit the court.
Cameron Boozer and guard Wilson led the way for the Nightrydas in the first two quarters, giving them a comfortable 42-29 lead at the half. It was Dybantsa who ignited a fire for the Soldiers in the third quarter, attacking various matchups and showing elite shot creation. Stokes — who had a triple-double on Friday where he finished with 25 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds and has shown further development as a true point-forward prospect — finished with 22 points and nine rebounds in the championship game.
Dybansta showed why he’s the best prospect in high school and the early favorite for the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft after posting 25 points and six rebounds in the loss.
“I want to be challenged and compete against the best talent,” Dybantsa told Yahoo Sports earlier in the week. “That’s why we’re all here, to compete on the biggest stage of the summer. I don’t really pay attention to who’s here and watching. We all know college coaches and NBA scouts are here, but I’m just here to lock in and help my team win.”
NBA scouts and executives were allowed to watch games all week at the 15U, 16U and 17U levels, with some teams sending as many as three people to evaluate the talent on the court.
“There’s a reason why this event is a priority for us during the summer,” one NBA scout told Yahoo Sports. “Dybantsa, Boozer and Stokes are projected top players in the respective draft classes for a reason and watching their development at this level and what their upside is, is pretty exciting and has teams collecting draft picks for their class.”
With a 2024 NBA Draft class that was pretty underwhelming from a franchise-changing perspective, the final game at Peach Jam should have teams hopeful for what’s hitting the NBA very soon. Cameron Boozer, Dybantsa and Stokes have continued to add to their games and get better whether that’s as Team USA teammates or competitors during one of the greatest Peach Jam finals matchups in recent memory.
Yahoo Sports
