Cameron Boozer leads team to historic championship at Nike’s Peach Jam

NORTH AUGUSTA, SC – The stage was set for a monster showdown for the under-17 final game at Nike’s Peach Jam, as the two best EYBL teams and the three best players in high school basketball faced off.

On one side of the ball was the No. 1 player in the new senior class, AJ Dybantsaand the number 1 player in the new junior class, Tyrant Stokes with Oakland Soldiers (California). On the other side was arguably one of the best youth teams of all time with Nightrydas Elite (Florida), led by three of the top senior entrants, Cameron Boozer, Cayden Boozer It is Caleb Wilson.

Nightrydas Elite made history on Sunday when they became the first youth team to win back-to-back Peach Jam championships at the 15U, 16U and 17U levels after defeating the Soldiers 71-62. The Boozer twins have also won three consecutive Florida state championships and are two-time gold medal winners for Team USA, most recently taking home gold in Istanbul at the FIBA ​​U17 World Cup.

It was Cameron Boozer’s show in the championship game, as he did a little bit of everything, finishing with 19 points (7-of-8 from the field), 10 rebounds and five assists.

“This group has been together for a long time and our goal, always, is to win,” Cameron Boozer said after the game. “I’m really proud of my teammates. Everyone contributed and we played hard. If you want to win, you have to get the whole team involved, it’s not just about you. I know they were trying to play me tight and I I knew the guys coming off screens would be open because of the spacing.”

Both the Nightrydas Elite and the Oakland Soldiers were 14-1 at the Peach Jam. Fans, college coaches and NBA scouts packed the gym all week as both teams went 5-0 in pool play and defeated tough teams to advance to the finals. Head coaches from Duke, Miami, Kansas, Texas, Arkansas, Kentucky, Auburn, Florida, UConn and Alabama lined up on 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 (father of Cameron and Cayden) also watched the future NBA talent take the court.

Cameron Boozer and guard Wilson led the way for the Nightrydas in the first two quarters, giving them a comfortable 42-29 lead at halftime. It was Dybantsa who lit the fire for the Soldiers in the third quarter, attacking multiple faceoffs and showing elite shot creation. Stokes — who had a triple-double on Friday where he finished with 25 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds and showed further development as a true forward prospect — finished with 22 points and nine rebounds in the championship game.

Dybansta showed why he is the top high school prospect and the favorite for the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft after scoring 25 points and six rebounds in the loss.

“I want to be challenged and compete against the best talent,” Dybantsa told Yahoo Sports earlier this 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 hang in and help my team to win.”

NBA scouts and executives were allowed to attend games all week at the 15U, 16U and 17U levels, with some teams sending up to three people to evaluate talent.

“There’s a reason why this event is a priority for us over the summer,” an NBA scout told Yahoo Sports. “Dybantsa, Boozer and Stokes are the best players in their respective draft classes for a reason and watching their development at this level and what their upside is is very exciting and has teams collecting draft picks for their class.”

With a 2024 NBA Draft class that was pretty underwhelming from a franchise-changing perspective, the final game at Peach Jam should leave teams hopeful for what’s coming to the NBA soon. Cameron Boozer, Dybantsa and Stokes continued to up their games and improve, whether as U.S. teammates or competitors during one of the biggest Peach Jam finals matches in recent memory.