KSR’s top takeaways from Thursday at Peach Jam

After getting our bearings on Wednesday, the KSR crew was fully settled in on Thursday for our first full taste of this year’s Nike EYBL Peach Jam event. Thursday marked the start of the live period. College coaches from all over the country flooded the Riverview Park Activities Center in North Augusta, SC, from the moment the first early-morning games tipped off. Kentucky coaches, as expected, were in attendance throughout the day, keeping a close eye on their favorite high school targets. We were doing the same thing, too. What did we see during our second day at Peach Jam? Dive into our top takeaways below to find out… Mo Williams joins Cody Fueger in North Augusta The day started as a one-man show among Kentucky staff members with Cody Fueger holding down the fort to open the live period. Elsewhere, Mo Williams was at the adidas Boys 3SSB Palmetto Road Championships in Rock Hill, South Carolina while Mark Pope and Mikhail McLean were at the Puma PRO16 National Finals in Bryan, Texas. Fueger’s targets included No. 2 Adan Diggs, No. 3 Beckham Black, No. 4 DeMarcus Henry, No. 6 Lewis Uvwo, No. 10 Paul Osaruyi and, of course, UK pledge Ryan Hampton. Elsewhere, 3SSB targets for Williams include No. 6 Nasir Anderson, No. 11 Jordan Page and No. 12 Darius Wabbington, among others, while No. 7 Reese Alston is the top prize with Puma PRO16 for Pope and McLean. There will be plenty of shaking and moving the rest of the live period, including a late-afternoon pivot for Williams from Rock Hill to North Augusta. He watched 2028 standouts Erick Dampier Jr. and DJ Okoth vs. Dylan Betts in one matchup, along with Kentucky offer Benji Berrouet in another. Expect to see Pope on the move on Friday. — Jack Pilgrim Ryan Hampton helps Nightrydas pull off big-time upset Team Herro has been a favorite to win Peach Jam, but Kentucky’s prized commitment in 2027 had other plans in his lone outing on Thursday. Hampton helped lead his Nightrydas team to a 58-51 victory, leading the way with a game-high 15 points on 6-16 shooting and 2-5 from three while adding six rebounds in 28 minutes. It continued his stretch of strong play in North Augusta, averaging 17.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.0 steals, 0.7 assists and 0.7 blocks through three games with shooting splits of 46/42/92. He had 17 points in his first game on Tuesday, followed by an impressive 21-point outing on Wednesday, with the momentum carrying into Thursday. Shot selection and decision-making continue to be works in progress, but those star flashes aren’t going away, including another takeover stretch of dominant play with coaches in attendance. The tools are obvious, but with some chipping and fine-tuning, there is a big-time college talent in there with Hampton. — Jack Pilgrim Is Cayden Daughtry actually the best player in the country? It’s becoming tougher and tougher to say he’s not at this point. Cayden Daughtry just continues to put up massive stat lines against high-level competition. If he were 6-foot-3 instead of an even 6-foot, it wouldn’t even be a discussion. He was already leading the EYBL in scoring for the Florida Rebels coming into Peach Jam, but this week has seen him (somehow) take his game to another level. After Daughtry went for 32 and 34 points on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, he exploded for 43 points on Thursday in one of the more exciting AAU games you’ll ever see. The efficiency is what doesn’t feel real, though. He was 14-24 (4-7 3PT) in a triple-overtime loss to the NY Rens, hitting massively clutch shots to end regulation and the first overtime. Through 17 EYBL games this spring/summer, Daughtry is shooting 56.2 percent from the field and 35.9 percent from deep. Insanity. Daughtry is already ranked No. 9 in the 2027 class, but that almost feels disrespectful at this point. What he’s done recently with the Florida Rebels only comes around every few years. And yes, he’s hearing plenty from Kentucky and Mo Williams. Get to know this kid’s name now. — Zack Geoghegan Kentucky targets the best shot-blocker in high school basketball Lewis Uvwo has a very unique ability to impact the game without needing the basketball in his hands. He was able to completely dominate Thursday’s impressive win for the Nightrydas over Team Herro while taking only five shots. He made four of those on his way to 10 points, but also collected nine rebounds and blocked 10 shots. On top of the 10 blocked shots, he probably forced misses on at least 10 more. Additionally, Uvwo brings such a positive vibe to the floor. He has a great personality and is an energy-giver on the floor. If you are looking for a 5-man who is a lob threat and rim protector, he is as good as it gets in the Class of 2027. — Brandon Ramsey 2028 PF Benji Berrouet has our attention To close out the day, I slide on over to check out a 16U matchup between AB Elite and Vegas Elite. Kentucky assistants Mo Williams and Cody Fueger were both sitting courtside to check out the up-and-comers. Who were they scouting? Most likely four-star 2028 power forward Benji Berrouet, who picked up an offer from the Wildcats a little over a week ago. The versatile 6-foot-8 big man put on a show for AB Elite, too. Berrouet, ranked No. 14 in his class, showed out against 6-foot-7 power forward Shalen Sheppard, ranked No. 15, of Vegas Elite. Berrouet went for 24 points, 16 rebounds, and four blocks in a dominant 87-51 win while helping hold Sheppard to just seven points and six boards on 2-12 shooting. Berrouet is much quicker and far more agile than he looks. He can run the floor, handle the ball, and wants to attack the glass. A willing passer, you can easily see his fit in a Mark Pope offense. His game is just fun to watch. After not having watched him in person until today, Berrouet was one of the more impressive prospects I’ve seen so far. Kentucky is in regular contact with him. — Zack Geoghegan Other random player notes from Brandon Ramsey Part of the true “basketball sicko” persona that I wear proudly leads me to not just the lesser-viewed courts at the Riverview Park Activities Center, but even off-site to watch games at the Augusta Convention Center as well as teams competing in the — technically separate — Augusta Invitational. Some of these prospects are more “random” than others, but here are some additional names that stood out on Thursday. Dylan Betts catches your attention as soon as you walk into the gym. The 7’2” lefty center in the Class of 2028 is one of the tallest players in the country. However, unlike many big men his age, he has pretty impressive agility. He can catch it and finish on the rim run or score via the roll. The big man was very impressive for Legynds 16U on Thursday, finishing with 17 points, nine rebounds, and eight blocks. Definitely a name to remember in the rising junior class. There is nothing “under-the-radar” about Brady Pettigrew, but he continues to establish himself as one of the top Class of 2028 prospects in the country. He continues to have excellent performances for Brad Beal Elite 16U. Pettigrew is a guard with good size who projects as a true combo at the college level. He scored 26 points in Thursday’s contest. Troy Fason Jr. scored 41 points on insane 11-20, 4-7, 15-18 shooting splits. On a personal level, he technically didn’t outduel Cayden Daughtry, who scored 43 points, but Fason Jr. led the NY Rens to an 84-83 triple-overtime victory. It was a true coming-out party for the explosive scoring guard who is unranked nationally and reportedly does not hold a single Division I offer. Offsite at the Augusta Convention Center was a 15U matchup between Jet Academy and NY Rens that featured several of the most highly regarded 2029 prospects in the country. Zaire Colbert was the most impressive of the group. He scored 23 points, including the game-winner, to lead Jet Academy. He is a dynamic guard with explosive playmaking and shot-making ability. Definitely a name to remember as he continues to mature physically and grow. Austin Leonard was a physical 6’5” wing who provided matchup problems all game long in the win for Jet Academy. His interior physicality pair with talent off of the bounce led to 17 points. Flory Kuminga is one of the most well-known names nationally in the Class of 2029. He didn’t have his best performance on Thursday for NY Rens 15U, but the physical tools and athleticism jump out at you immediately. He is a gifted freak in the very best meaning of the term. — Brandon Ramsey