Cooper Flagg Headlines Group of Emerging Young Stars at Peach Jam

An underwhelming 2024 class was outshined by a handful of upcoming prospects whose long-term potential turned heads.

A star-studded week at Nike’s EYBL Peach Jam is in the books after a lineup of the highest-level youth basketball found anywhere in the country. The event was loaded with star power: NBA legends LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Carlos Boozer were among those with sons participating in the event, while Chris Paul and Rajon Rondo were also in town. Plus, an exciting new generation of stars were born, headlined by a player who seems destined to become the first in 40 years to be drafted from the state of Maine, with fans lining up to see him all weekend.

Flagg Mania

Cooper Flagg has been making waves for more than a year in basketball circles, but his week in North Augusta, S.C., cemented himself on the national radar. Playing for his local Maine United team with his twin brother, Ace, rather than moving up to a bigger program, Flagg put up one eye-popping stat line after another throughout the week. Hundreds of fans flocked to the tiny gyms to watch Flagg play, his legend growing throughout the week as he led his team to the 16U title game. His 38-point, 16-rebound, 12-block and 6-assist outburst on Thursday was among the most epic Peach Jam performances in a long time, and he followed that up Saturday with 37 points, 12 rebounds and 10 blocks in a double OT elimination game win.

Flagg is 6'8” and 195 pounds :: Stu Boyd II/The Commercial Appeal/USA TODAY Network

Flagg came into the week as the No. 2 player in the 2025 class, behind Cameron Boozer. That could well change soon, even with Boozer leading Nightrydas Elite past Flagg’s team in the 16U title game. One NBA scout in attendance at the event told Sports Illustrated he “clearly” favored Flagg long-term, and an informal poll of college coaches who saw both play leaned towards Flagg after the week. Flagg’s impact on a possession-by-possession basis is unmatched in youth basketball: He brings the ball up the floor like a point guard, sets up nearly every open shot for his teammates, scores regularly through double- and triple-teams, and neutralizes opposing offenses with his rim protection. He’s truly a unique prospect who still has plenty of upside to tap into long-term.

Soaring Potential in Younger Classes

Flagg is far from the only younger prospect that has coaches and scouts salivating over the future of the sport. It’s still early, but the 2025 and ’26 classes are absolutely loaded with talent. The potential for the aforementioned Cameron Boozer to drop to No. 2 in ’25 has little to do with him: While there are minor holes to poke in his game, Boozer is incredibly polished and physically mature for his age, and his consistent production in this setting has been highly impressive. Meanwhile, his brother Cayden, also an elite ’25 recruit, had a monster performance in the 16U title game and is a strong prospect of his own.

The next two biggest names come from the 2026 class: AJ Dybantsa of Massachusetts-based Expressions Elite and Tyran Stokes of Vegas Elite. Both played up two classes in the 17U division (unlike Boozer and Flagg, who played with their age group in 16U), and both starred. Dybantsa led the 17U division in scoring and scored over 20 points in each of his five Peach Jam games, while Stokes was an impact player on a loaded team that lost in the 17U title. There’s also impressive depth of talent in these two classes, namely in ’25, where the likes of Caleb Wilson, Darius Acuff Jr. and Jalen Haralson were among those who shined at Peach Jam (other prospects like Bryson Tiller, Koa Peat and Darryn Peterson are also highly regarded on other circuits). If Dybantsa, who is very old for a ’26 recruit, were to move up into ’25, this could be an all-time great high school class talked about for a generation.

2024 Class Lacking Star Power

In some ways, the 17U games at this year’s Peach Jam felt more like an undercard for the Boozer and Flagg show than the headliner. Arguably the most-hyped 17U game of the weekend was a showdown between Expressions Elite (Dybantsa) and Vegas Elite (Stokes), rather than between elite 2024 prospects. The common narrative about the ’23 high school class is that it is one of the weakest in recent history, and the ’24 group seems to be trending in a similar direction.

The two biggest headliners in North Augusta in 2024 were New Jersey wing Dylan Harper and Texas guard Tre Johnson—and while both showed promise, neither clearly asserted themselves as can’t-miss prospects. Harper found his footing late in the week after struggling following his return from the U19 World Cup in Hungary, while Johnson had a 31-point game Tuesday before college coaches arrived but was quieter the rest of the week. Outside of Peach Jam, there’s plenty of excitement about hard-playing Indiana native Flory Bidunga, who plays on the Adidas circuit with Indiana Elite and has drawn comparisons to Oscar Tshiebwe for his relentlessness on the glass. Rutgers commit Ace Bailey is also an incredibly promising prospect.

Bidunga is the No. 4 prospect in his class :: Grace Hollars/IndyStar/USA TODAY Network

The x-factor that could change the narrative about the 2024 group is Flagg. While he is still in the ’25 class for now, the potential for him to reclassify into ’24 was a topic of conversation among college coaches throughout the weekend. Unlike Boozer, Flagg is old enough to be eligible for the NBA draft in ’25 if he graduates high school a year early in ’24. Flagg would be the clear-cut No. 1 player in the ’24 class, perhaps increasing his chances of becoming the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft and moving up the timeline for a second NBA contract. Flagg has plenty of time to make a decision on that front, but it’s a storyline worth tracking over the next 12 months. 

Five Non-Five-Star Recruits Who Shined:

A look at some slightly less blue-chip recruits whose presences were felt in North Augusta and project as potential college stars:

• Morez Johnson Jr. (Meanstreets): An Illinois commit, Johnson led Peach Jam in rebounding and averaged 17 points and 13 rebounds per game. His motor is exceptional, and his offensive game continues to improve. He should be an awesome college player for Brad Underwood.
  
• Robert Wright III (Team Final): A four-star recruit committed to Scott Drew at Baylor, Wright seems destined to be the next dynamic Bears guard who leads them to March success. He’s shifty with the ball in his hands, lives in the paint and makes winning plays.
  
• Darren Harris (Team Takeover): Ranked outside the top 50 of the 247Sports rankings despite being committed to Duke, Harris had a huge showing in the 17U title game, scoring 28 points on 10–15 shooting. He’s not a dynamic athlete, but he is so good at creating windows of space to get his shot off.
  
• Kayvaun Mulready (Albany City Rocks) and Thomas Sorber (Team Final): Two Georgetown commits who seem likely to outplay their recruiting ranking. Mulready is a game-ready wing who makes shots, defends and plays in attack mode at all times. Sorber is a highly productive frontcourt player who really pounds the glass.
• Kayde Dotson (JL3 Elite): Dotson was the recruit every mid-major coach in Texas was hoping wouldn’t have a great week to keep his recruitment quieter. Instead, he was one of the better guards I saw in North Augusta. He averaged more than 18 points per game on 40% from three. SMU offered over the weekend, and I expect more high-majors to continue to get involved moving forward.