Nightrydas Elite Makes History at Nike’s Peach Jam
The Nike Peach Jam, one of the most prestigious youth basketball tournaments, concluded with a historic win by Nightrydas Elite (Florida). They became the first grassroots team to win consecutive championships at the 15U, 16U, and 17U levels.
Key highlights:
- Nightrydas Elite defeated Oakland Soldiers 71-62 in the final
- Cameron Boozer led with 19 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists
- Top prospects A.J. Dybantsa and Tyran Stokes played for Oakland Soldiers
- High-profile attendees included college coaches, NBA scouts, and former NBA stars
- Dybantsa showcased his talent with 25 points, reinforcing his status as a top 2026 NBA Draft prospect
- The event highlighted the depth of talent in upcoming high school classes
“This group has been together a long time and our goal, always, is to win,” Cameron Boozer said after the game. “I’m so proud of my teammates. Everyone chipped in and we played our asses off. If you want to win, you have to get the entire team involved, it’s not just about you. I know they were trying to play me tight and I knew guys coming off screens were going to be open because of the spacing.”
Both the Nightrydas Elite and Oakland Soldiers were 14-1 coming into Peach Jam. Fans, college coaches and NBA scouts packed the gym all week as both teams went 5-0 in pool play and beat tough teams to advance to the finals.
Head coaches from Duke, Miami, Kansas, Texas, Arkansas, Kentucky, Auburn, Florida, UConn and Alabama lined the sideline for the semifinals and finals at the Riverview Park Activities Center. San Antonio Spurs point guard Chris Paul and former NBA All-Stars Carmelo Anthony and Carlos Boozer (dad to Cameron and Cayden) also watched the future NBA talent hit the court.
AJ Dybansta showed why he’s the best prospect in high school and the early favorite for the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft after posting 25 points and six rebounds in the loss.
“I want to be challenged and compete against the best talent,” Dybantsa told Yahoo Sports earlier in the week. “That’s why we’re all here, to compete on the biggest stage of the summer. I don’t really pay attention to who’s here and watching. We all know college coaches and NBA scouts are here, but I’m just here to lock in and help my team win.”
You can catch the full highglights of the game on NBA’s YouTube
This tournament underscores the increasing attention on youth basketball, with top college programs and NBA teams scouting talent years in advance.
via: Yahoo Sports
photo: Nike Eyb Instagram
