Best PG in 2027? Peach Jam stars make the case for No. 1

Neither player was an obvious pick for No. 1 in 2027 among point guards going into the spring. By the end of the summer, however, Beckham Black and Cayden Daughtry were in the middle of every basketball debate, weighing the pros and cons of both with the former category far outweighing the latter. They’re different, but uniquely excellent at what they do. So, who is the best? Entering Peach Jam, Black was seen as the player best deserving of that nod. The five-star averaged 20.7 points, 5.5 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals on 46/38/82 shooting splits in the EYBL regular season, making tough shots and oozing confidence as a two-way threat who, above all else, impacts winning. And he’ll let you hear it, too. “I know I’m the No. 1 player, so each day I just try to come out here and try to prove why I’m in that place and just prove why I should be the No. 1 player.” That led to his best in North Augusta, averaging 24.2 PPG, 5.3 APG, 4.3 RPG and 1.8 SPG per game at Peach Jam with 51/29/82 splits. That run included a 37-point effort on 14-20 shooting on day two. “No doubt, 100 percent,” Black said of wanting to prove he belonged atop the rankings at Peach Jam. “I want to leave no doubt that nobody in high school basketball is better than me, so that’s what I’m going to try to do.” One thing, though: Cayden Daughtry. As good as Black was all EYBL season and throughout Peach Jam, he had a 6-0, 160-pound point guard nipping on his heels the entire time. Then he got surpassed in tournament play as Daughtry led the Florida Rebels on an all-time championship run. Black doesn’t have a wandering eye in that positional race, focusing only on his own production and development. “To be honest, I try not to compare,” he said. “I try to just focus on myself, focus on things I need to get better at as much as comparing myself to other players. I’d say just probably myself, to be honest. See what I need to work on, see how I need to get better.” Did he notice Daughtry’s scoring explosion in real time, though? It’s impossible not to follow along. His only hope was to see him in the championship game on opposite sides of the Peach Jam bracket for a winner-take-all crown — both with their teams and individually at the point guard spot. “For sure,” Black said. “Yeah, for sure. Hope to see him. It’d be a fun game. He was my USA (Basketball U17) teammate, so we have a close friendship there. He’s been doing great, so that for sure would be a fun game for my team.” Black’s AB Elite team held a 16-point lead vs. Nightrydas in the Peach Jam quarterfinals, only to let it all slip away and unexpectedly fall 55-54 to end that matchup dream. Daughtry’s Florida Rebels, however, won seven of eight in North Augusta, including five straight to end the event as champions. Daughtry averaged 32.3 PPG, 6.1 APG, 4.9 RPG and 2.9 SPG on 59/49/91 splits in that span, including a performance of 33 points (9-16 FG, 3-5 3PT, 12-13 FT), nine rebounds, six assists and one block with just a single turnover in the title victory. Advantage Daughtry? “I mean, obviously (I believe I’m the best),” the current No. 9 overall prospect and No. 4 point guard said. “But at the same time, obviously people are going to say what they want to say. I just got to keep going out there and proving what I can do.” Black is bigger, stronger and more athletic, probably easier to project his long-term NBA success. But, man, Daughtry… The production is the production and the efficiency is the efficiency. His stance is that size hasn’t been a problem up to this point, and it’s not gonna be moving forward. He’s done it in high school and AAU, now he’s gonna keep doing it in college, and then the NBA. “Just proving that small guards are back, that’s one thing,” Daughtry told KSR of what he hoped to prove at Peach Jam. “Another thing is just how much of a dog I am, how much I want to win. I want to prove to these colleges and the NBA that I’m here to stay. I’m not gonna flare off. I’m gonna keep getting better every single day.” Black’s pitch? “I feel like nobody else does what I do,” he said. “I lead my teams to wins.” Nasir Anderson, who is currently injured and unable to prove himself in the race, and Reese Alston have long been in the mix — the former on the adidas 3SSB circuit and the latter playing Puma PRO16. They’re currently ranked No. 2 and No. 3 at point guard, respectively, with NaVorro Bowman Jr. at No. 5 and No. 16 in the country overall. It’s a helluva class at that position with plenty of viable candidates. The conversation across all circuits to end the summer, though, was Black vs. Daughtry. And it was the undersized guard who finished as the last man standing — at least at Peach Jam. With high school season coming up in the winter, followed by all-star events in the spring, we know the debate won’t be dying anytime soon.