Updates From Peach Jam 2024

Who are the top performers at this year's Peach Jam?

July 18, 2024; North Augusta, S.C., USA; Athletes battle for the ball during the Team Melo and Georgia Stars game at the Nike Peach Jam at Riverview Park Activities Center. The Georgia Stars won 64-63. Mandatory Credit: Katie Goodale-USA TODAY Network / Katie Goodale / USA TODAY NETWORK

Peach Jam is one of the top High School Basketball Events of the year and there are a lot of top prospects competing this year. We've got the latest updates from the competition yesterday.

TeamWhyNot (CA) 54 Team United (NC) 51 15U

Team WhyNot survives Team United after Clarence Rosser Jr missed a pair of clutch free throws.

Dylan Northcutt hit the go-ahead bucket with less than a minute remaining to give Team Whynot the lead. It would be his only points of the game.

It was a game controlled by Team United throughout the first half as they held a 28-18 lead going into the break.

Team Whynot turned it around in the second half cutting the deficit to just four points heading into the fourth quarter. They used their defense and got out in transition to make for a thrilling fourth-quarter

Team WhyNot had four scorers in double-figures: Pierce Thompson, DeMarcus Henry, Christopher Sanders, and Cole Holden.

Holden hit timely threes for Team United and led the way with 13 points. He went 3-6 from three-point range.

Solomon Bratton was a major factor for Team United as he cleaned the glass and couldn’t be stopped in the paint. He finished with 13 points in just 17 minutes off the bench.

Team Whynot moves to 3-1 in pool play while Team United drops to 2-2.

Mokan Elite (MO) 79 Expressions Elite (MA) 47 15U

It was a dominant defensive effort for Mokan Elite as they rolled past Expressions. Mokan held Expressions to just 31 points through three quarters.

Expressions didn’t score their first bucket until 2:06 left in the 1st quarter.

Expressions only shot 42% from the field and was 6-19 from three-point range. Mokan proved why they have one of the best defenses in the Peach Jam, which is currently ranked 2nd in points allowed.

On the other hand, Mokan Elite shot a blazing 66% from the field. Malachi Jordan was the best player on the floor and had it going on both ends. He was dominant early on getting to the rim and showcasing his outside shot.

He finished with a game-high 21 points on efficient 8-11 shooting; he was also a marksman knocking down three of his four three-pointers.

Cameron Barnes had a solid game on the glass and finished with eight rebounds and added 11 points for Mokan

For Expressions, Reece Ayala added 11 points on 4-6 shooting and led the team.

Mokan Elite moves to 2-2 and Expressions drops to 1-3

PG Elite (CA) 65 Team Durant (MD) 49 15U

The stars were in the building for this one as we saw a packed gym that included Paul George, Matt Barnes (coach), and Trevor Ariza to see this one.

Dominant guard play lifted PG Elite past Team Durant.

It was a back-and-forth affair in the first half as Team Durant took early control of the game. They leaned on the scoring efforts of Brandon Woodard (11 points) and Beau Daniels (10 points) as they established an early lead.

The second half would be a different story as PG Elite would take full control of the game. They held a 48-38 lead going into the fourth quarter.

The story of the game was three-point shooting as PG Elite shot 50% from three-point range. As they broke the game open Cisco Munoz began to take over hitting deadly three-pointers to extend the lead. He finished with a team-high 12 points.

The Barnes twins: Carter and Isaiah were also key as they combined for 17 points and three threes. The avalanches started in the early 4th quarter as the duo cooked early to extend the lead to 56-40 with less than five minutes to go.

PG Elite closed out the game and held Team Durant to under 50 points.

PG Elite leads their pool with a 3-1 record after the win and Team Durant drops to 2-2.

Team Durant (MD) 70 Team Melo (MD) 51 16U

Ashton Meeks leads team Durant past team Melo after a dominant scoring effort.

Team Durant had the game in full control from the start jumping out to a 26-13 lead after the first quarter. Team Durant shot 51% from the field and hit 11 threes in the game. Defensively, they forced seven turnovers and collected four blocks and five steals.

Meeks scored a game-high 28 points and had it going early in the game. The four-star prospect knocked down seven three-pointers and an efficient 13 shots. He also had two steals on the defensive end. The Maryland product was unguardable.

His backcourt mate Jasiah Cannady added 13 points on 3-6 shooting from behind the arc. What was most impressive was how he orchestrated the offense and picked and chose his spots. Cannady has a good feel for the game and knows how to push the pace and also slow down and make the right read each time.

Team Melo was able to cut the deficit down to 10 points before the half until a Meeks buzzer-beater extended the lead to 13 before the break. It was a tough shooting night for Team Melo as they only made 15 shots on the night and shot 37% from the field. Their best player was Kam Lawson who finished with 14 points and was 3-4 from three.

Team Durant moves to 3-1 and Team Melo drops to 1-3.

Georgia Stars (GA) 79 Team Final (PA) 75 OT 17U

Georgia Stars use 4th quarter comeback to move past Team Final.

Team Final controlled the game throughout leading the Georgia Stars through the first three quarters and then something changed.

Georgia Stars started to crash the glass and create second-chance opportunities and were defending at a high level. They cut the double-digit deficit to 61-59 with 3:58 to go. The Stars rode the heroics of Eddie Cooke who hit some clutch jumpers in regulation to force overtime. Cooke also was big in overtime getting a clutch steal and knocking down mid-range jumpers to propel the Stars past Team Final. Cooke finished with 15 points, seven rebounds, and four assists.

Kuol Deng was also big on the boards in his limited minutes creating second-chance opportunities for the Georgia Stars.

For Team Finals, Jerry Easter was the catalyst and why they controlled the game heading into the fourth. Easter has been the leading scorer throughout the Peach Jam tournament averaging 24.5 points per game. Easter added 18 points and seven rebounds in the loss. The combo guard was active throughout the night showcasing his great finishing ability around the rim and his long-range jumper.

He is ranked No. 30 nationally and the No. 5 CG in the country, according to the 247Sports Composite. He is set to visit the Yellow Jackets on September 8th per 247Sports.

Georgia Tech target Matt Gilhool looked good through the game and had it going early scoring six first-quarter points. He finished with 11 points in the game. Gilhool showed throughout the game what makes him a four-star prospect. He can finish around the rim through contact, shooting the long ball at an efficient clip, and defending at a high level.

You can make an argument that this is a game that Team Final should have won especially when five scorers hit double figures and they finished with 19 assists as a team. Team Final couldn’t stop the bleeding when the Georgia Stars got back into the game and got outdueled in overtime.

It was one of the better games to finish off the night. Team Final drops to 5-2 and Georgia Stars move to 4-3.