AUGUSTA NORTE, SC – The 2024 Peach Jam continued on Tuesday as some of the best high school players on the planet continued to test themselves against each other at Augusta’s Riverview Park Activity Center. National rival analyst Rob Cassidy was also present at the Peach State and shared some of his findings from the previous day.
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ILLINOIS WILL SEEK TO BLOCK BRANDON LEE ON NEXT VISIT
Illinois appears to be in command when it comes to four-star guard Brandon Lee. The New Jersey star is scheduled to visit Champaign in August and already appears to be on top of both the program and the coaching staff running it.
“They’ve been the winningest team in the Big Ten the last few years,” Lee said of Illinois on Sunday. “I love the coach [Brad] Underwood. He’s a nice guy. I feel like he will really be able to help me with all the things I need to improve in my game. He is a tenacious coach who will push me every day.”
Seton Hall It is Pitt are also heavily involved with Lee, who hopes to visit each other’s campuses in the future. Still, it appears the Illini could complete Lee’s recruitment in August if things go well during the visit, as mutual interest appears to be growing quickly.
It is important to note, however, that the current Seton Hall coachShaheen Holloway trained Lee’s brother, Matthew Leewhen Holloway was the coach of the St. For that reason, the Pirates should be treated as a serious threat to snatch the New York-based guard from the Illini.
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USC ALREADY LOOKING WITH DYLAN MINGO
Five star guard Dylan Mingo says it received an overwhelming number of phone calls when the contact window opened for 2026 prospects on June 15. The list of programs that have remained in frequent contact in the month since, however, is much shorter.
“State of Florida, USC, New village, Penn State It is Virginia Technology they’re the ones I’ve probably talked to the most,” Mingo said after his game on Tuesday afternoon.
Mingo’s recruitment is still in its infancy, as the young point guard won’t arrive on a college campus for another two years, but the soon-to-be junior already has something of a checklist when it comes to evaluating potential landing spots. The most important criteria? Head coach involvement.
“I want to choose a school that is really interested in me,” Mingo said. “I pay attention to whether it’s the head coach who talks to me most or just the assistant coaches. I also want a coach who encourages me.”
According to Mingo, the coach who is most involved with him at this early stage of his recruitment is USC. Eric Musselman, with whom he is quickly forming a bond.
“He’s one of my favorite coaches,” Mingo said of Musselman. “I love what he does with his guards – Nick Smith It is Antonio Negrothese guys.”
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MARQUETTE LANDS HIS NEXT GUARD
The most important non-basketball event of the day belonged to four-star point guard Nigel Jameswho announced his commitment to Marqueta while surrounded by family and teammates at a table out of the way in the event center’s main gym.
James, who was emotional when announcing his intention to sign with the Golden Eagles, chose Smart Shakathe program is over Georgia Tech, Creighton, Rutgers, IowaUSC, Saint John and others.
What the 6-foot-2 point guard lacks in height, he makes up for with a 6-foot-6 wingspan and a tight handle that keeps him from rattling or accelerating. James is among the most patient point guards in the class and rarely makes bad decisions with the ball in his hands. He is a capable but inconsistent long-range shooter and is hot or cold game to game. He will take the next step as his scoring becomes more consistent because his shot creation and facilitation ability are unmistakable.
Following his commitment to Marquette, James took the floor and delivered a 15-point, four-assist effort on 7-of-11 shooting for his Expressions Elite team in a win over the Florida Rebels.
