The weekend in college hoops 🏀

During this part of the summer, public attention always shifts from current teams and players to the future of college hoops — namely, Peach Jam in North Augusta, SC. For a full week, future stars absorb the spotlight (and this year, they were backed by NBA TV and some Field of 68 friends).

But oddly enough, the biggest name won’t enroll at a college for another two years. You probably saw him dominate the headlines, but we’ll start today with Rob Dauster providing some insight from watching Cooper Flagg in person.

Let's get to the news.

1. Men among boys

NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. – The mystique of Peach Jam reached its pinnacle on Friday afternoon.

The Cooper Flagg hype machine had been working overtime all week, and coming off of a video game performance on Thursday afternoon — 38 points, 16 boards, 11 blocks, six assists and a jumper that forced overtime — the superstars in town had to get a look. LeBron was sitting courtside with Rajon Rondo. Carmelo Anthony popped in and sat on one baseline. Chris Paul was on the sideline. The game was streamed on NBA TV because the world wanted to see a player putting on one the most impressive performances in the history of the event.

That wasn’t Flagg’s only 30-point triple-double last week. He carried a team that has maybe two other players that are Peach Jam-starting-caliber on its roster to the finals, where it lost to Cameron Boozer’s Nightrydas.

In a year where the 2024 recruiting class leaves something to be desired, Flagg and Boozer, both rising juniors and the top two players in the Class of 2025, gave the event the kind of pop you never see from the 16s division.

The conversation that dominated the event on every sideline was simple: Who was better? Is Flagg or Boozer the best player in high school basketball regardless of grade?

(It might be neither, but we’ll get to that in a second).

And while the answers differed depending on who you talked to, the general consensus is this:

It is incredibly difficult to argue against Flagg as the better player right now. An electrifying athlete at 6-8, Flagg is one of the best defenders that I have ever seen at the high school level. He’s a terrific shot blocker, coming from the weak side to put shots through the backboard a few times per game, who can move his feet well on the perimeter. Andrei Kirilenko was mentioned more than once.

But he also operated as a do-everything point forward. He brought the ball up. He ran pick and rolls. He was able to get to the rim almost at will, mixing in a variety of euro-steps and crafty drives with simply overpowering smaller defenders. Should I mention that he is also a good 3-point shooter?

It’s hard to think of a player who has Flagg’s specific skill set. He’s unique, he’s dominant and he was as entertaining as anyone I’ve watched in a long time.

Boozer, on the other hand, is more of a “typical” prospect. At 6-9, he’s a powerful 4-man with has all the traits you look for in someone playing that role. He’s a dominant rebounder. He’s explosive. He catches everything. And he dunks almost everything. He has the kind of touch on his shot and his passes that you’d expect out of a point guard. There’s a lot of Paolo Banchero there.

This is where I land, which is something I heard from a number of coaches during the week: Right now, Flagg is better. Long term, Boozer is a safer bet while Flagg has a higher ceiling.

Flagg is eight months older than Boozer. He was born Dec. 21, 2006, which means that, if he were to reclassify, he would be eligible for the 2025 NBA Draft by 10 whole days. Boozer is actually young for his grade — he doesn’t turn 16 until next week.

It’s also much easier to project Boozer’s skill set translating to the next level. We know how what he does will work in college and how it will work in the NBA because we’ve seen it.

Flagg is a different story.

For starters, at 6-8, I wonder if he can be this kind of impact rim protector in the NBA. Now, there’s still a chance that he can add another inch or two and change this conversation, but it’s worth noting: Jaren Jackson is 6-11 with a 7-5 wingspan. Then there is the way that Flagg plays offensively. He needs to continue to develop his ball handling and his ability off the bounce. Right now, the way to defend him is to put a burly, 6-5ish kind of guard on him, someone who can climb under him and won’t get overpowered in the paint. One coach told me he believes Flagg’s offensive game will have to be entirely different in college and the pros.

However, it’s also worth noting, people had some of these same questions about Zion Williamson coming out of high school.

Sometimes, if you haven’t seen something before, it’s because unicorns exist.

Now, having said all that, I think it is important to note: Flagg and Boozer are both 2025 and they played with the other 2025s in the 16s Division.

AJ Dybantsa is a Class of 2026 prospect who just finished his freshman season, and he led the Peach Jam in scoring … while playing 17s.

Let that sink in. A rising sophomore was the most dominant scorer playing against a bunch of rising seniors.

To be clear, Dybantsa is six months older than Boozer. He’s six weeks younger than Flagg. He’s old enough to be a rising junior, but that doesn’t change the fact that he was still playing a year up and dominating. He’s a 6-9 scoring machine with the type of length and athleticism that has all the makings of the big wings that dominate the NBA today — Jayson Tatum, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, you know the profile.

If I was an NBA GM, and I had the first pick in a draft that had all three players eligible, I’m taking Dybantsa.

He’s different.

- Rob Dauster

2. Takeover, the break’s over

Flagg, Boozer and Dybantsa were far from the only players turning heads this past week. In the U17 Finals, Team Takeover triumphed over Vegas Elite, 76-61, just a year removed from falling to MoKan Elite in the 2022 championship game. The contest featured a surprising amount of shot-making — especially contrasted to last’s year’s slog, where neither team cracked 55 points.

Credit much of the excitement to Duke commit Darren Harris. A top-60 recruit in the class of ‘24, Harris has gained notoriety for his knockdown shooting. Yet, despite that reputation, the 6-6 wing had converted just 22% of his 3-point attempts through his first seven Peach Jam games.

That changed on Sunday. Harris caught fire, scoring 13 points in the first five minutes and accounting for 15 of TTO’s first 21. A couple of his trifectas were just absurd, no-conscience heat checks.

Duke fans will certainly love this development (personally, I think the Blue Devils have enjoyed enough good news this offseason, but maybe that’s just me). His trajectory could change, but Harris projects as a multi-year player who could develop into a 3-and-D veteran that fits into any lineup. He finished with 28 points on 5-for-7 from beyond the arc, winning MVP honors.

Not to be outdone, Vegas Elite’s John Mobley traded shots with Harris throughout the first half. The Ohio State commit kept the ball on a string and defenders on their heels, nailing a variety of buckets off the bounce.

Mobley, a top 50 prospect in 2024, could see a boost in the rankings after shooting 52.9% from distance in seven Peach Jam games. Whenever Bruce Thornton moves on, the Buckeyes have locked in a worthy successor.

Unfortunately for him, Vegas Elite couldn’t maintain its one-point halftime lead. It exchanged leads in the third quarter (thanks in no small part to the playmaking of sophomore wing Tyran Stokes), but Team Takeover seized control in the fourth.

Behind its stout defense, TTO extended a four-point lead to double digits within the first two minutes. The result? It notched its third Peach Jam title. If parity reigned supreme in the NCAA Tournament, prestige took center stage at the grassroots level.

3. Bob Huggins threatens to sue WVU

Just when West Virginia fans thought the Bob Huggins Saga was over, it awoke like the Undertaker at Royal Rumble.

Three weeks after resigning (and issuing an accompanying statement), Huggins informed the university via letter that he would sue if he wasn’t reinstated. Hoppy Kercheval of West Virginia’s MetroNews broke the news Saturday night and posted comments from Huggins’ attorney (no, it’s not Saul Goodman) on his Twitter feed.

The university has since refuted these claims, contending that the former head coach’s assertion is “completely and factually inaccurate” and noting that “on the evening of June 17, 2023, Mr. Huggins met with members of the men’s basketball staff and student-athletes to announce that he would no longer be coaching the team.”

It’s another disconcerting move from Huggins in a summer that has been full of them. Rather than accepting the consequences and moving on with his legacy largely intact, he has reinserted himself in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. Even if Huggins thinks his actions can net him a severance package, it isn’t worth it.

Causing this scene while a former assistant adjusts to the job (and works tirelessly to reconstruct a roster) can only hurt his relationships, not to mention the program.

In his Happy Valley

Mike Rhoades left a thriving VCU program for Penn State, which might sound crazy until one realizes his (and his wife’s) longtime roots to the area made the job too good to pass up. He talks with Rob Dauster about what’s next.

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Links as you don’t put too much stock into Wembenyama’s Summer League performances

• Want more on Dybantsa? Gary Parrish did an excellent profile on him here.

• Josh Eilert and West Virginia got a commitment from Florida State transfer Jeremiah Bembry.

• In the wake of Amile Jefferson’s departure for the Boston Celtics, Jon Scheyer hired Will Avery as his newest assistant.

• Florida State guard Chandler Jackson was suspended indefinitely.

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