The weekend in college hoops

Good morning! Did you spend your weekend watching golf? Basketball? Baseball? Maybe the Tour de France?

Whatever the case, we’re got all the college basketball news you need to know right here.

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1. Takeaways from Nike EYBL Peach Jam

One of summer’s premier recruiting events wrapped on Sunday. Peach Jam champions were crowned at the 15u, 16u and 17u level, and college coaches, NBA scouts and journalists from across the country gathered to watch the next generation of stars.

The five-day event was packed with plenty of action and storylines. Here’s what you need to know from the event.

Individual stars ≠ a great team

Last summer’s 17u championship game featured five 5-star players. This season, there wasn’t a single one playing in the title game. Arkansas commit and No. 13 overall prospect JJ Andrews (the highest-rated 4-star via 247Sports) was the top prospect in the title game, and Christian Collins (No. 4 via 247Sports) was the only 5-star player to make the eight-team final bracket.

Oakland Soldiers’ Tyran Stokes and Jason Crowe Jr., Team Takeover’s Jordan Smith Jr., and Arizona Unity’s Brandon McCoy Jr. didn’t make it out of pool play. The underlying theme of the teams who made it? Connectivity and chemistry.

The teams who had success played unselfish and together. They didn’t need 5-star prospects to come out and drop 30 points and dazzle coaches and scouts. Just look to Expressions Elite, who made the Final Four with its highest-rated player, Desmond Bellot Jr., ranked in the 200s. Bradley Beal Elite, the 17u champion, have been playing together for since 15u. Top-tier talent did not equal success last week.

The 2026 class is important for college hoops

The chatter from NBA scouts and college coaches at Peach Jam confirmed what many journalists, including Jeff Goodman, think about the 2026 class: it’s weak. Besides No. 1 overall prospect Tyran Stokes, there aren’t really any clear-cut top-five NBA Draft picks.

But because this class is so weak, a lot of these kids will be playing college basketball for a long time. That’s why one Power Five head coach said evaluating the 2026 class may be as important as any other class in recent memory.

Finding those diamond’s in the rough and potential late bloomers can make-or-break rosters for the 2026-27 season. So while there is no high-end NBA talent, finding players who will produce and develop at the college level will be important.

Three standouts, two player with rising stock

• Jordan Smith Jr. — While he didn’t make the bracket after leading Team Takeover to a 14-1 regular season, Smith proved why he’s considered the best defender in the 2026 class. Just look at this clip.

• Brandon McCoy Jr. — The 5-star guard hadn’t played AAU basketball all summer. He returned to the court in North Augusta and didn’t disappoint, averaging 22.0 points and 6.4 rebounds while shooting 58% from the field. He also had a 38-point game.

• Jasiah Jervis — The Archbishop Stepinac star led NY Rens all the way to the championship game. He’s emerged as one of the premier scorers and shooters in the 2026 class. Jervis logged 17.0 points and 2.5 assists per game.

• Quentin Coleman — Relatively unknown before Peach Jam, Coleman is due to rise way up in prospect rankings. He was marvelous in the championship game for Bradley Beal Elite, posting 14 points, seven rebounds and five assists. He’s a do-it-all combo guard and does all of the little things, including rebounding offensively. Coleman helped him self more than any prospect at Peach, and he had one of the coolest finishes of the tournament.

• Kaiden Bailey — Team WhyNot made it to the Final Four on the back of Bailey’s scoring. He averaged 12.4 points for the tournament and posted a clutch 20 points vs. Team CP3 to advance to the Final Four. He’ll be a name to look out for and is being pursued by a plethora of west coast programs.

2. Missouri lands its second-ever 5-star prospect

A whole lot of buckets are heading to Columbia.

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