The inaugural Nike Jr. EYBL Academy is being held in Houston. Over 100 2029 players are in attendance, and a strong crop of young talent manned the courts. Here are 10 players from that 2029 class (rising ninth-graders) that stood out to me from my first day of evaluations at the event. The future of grassroots basketball is bright indeed.
Grant Duggins, 6’7 F – Greensboro (NC)
Has a good frame and skill set. First play of scrimmages, he wrapped the ball around his waist and almost completed the dunk. Pushed the ball up after securing rebounds and exhibited adequate feel for the game in regards to passing. Grant is a versatile offensive threat.
Jaxson Smith, 6’3 Guard – Ft. Lauderdale (FL)
Lefty, explosive guard that’s a downhill threat. Showed creativity with his passes also. One of the best guards I saw at the camp due to a mix of positional size, tight handle, length, vertical pop, and burst.
Hermann Kone, 6’7 F – Braintree (MA)
Promising front-line prospect that has a good foundation. Keeps the ball high when he collects a rebound or receives a lob in traffic, has a soft touch around the rim. He runs the floor, and plays hard on each possession.
Chudier Diew Yak, 6’9 C – Florida
Arguably the best big I saw on the first day. Just a live body that utilizes length on both ends. Tipping misses to teammates to gain another possession, altering shots at the rim, and playing above the basket on finishes. His base isn’t strong, but there’s plenty of time for Diew to improve. I did see promise in his footwork and touch from 10-15 feet out.
Rhys Diley, 6’4 G – New Orleans (LA)
Southpaw guard/wing that made spot-up perimeter shots. Has aggression with drive game, too, and utilizes elbows to create openings to get a layup off over taller defenders. Motor, toughness, and shot-making were present.
Kenneth Boyd III, 6’1 G – Manassas (VA)
Long-armed, athletic guard that made eye-popping dunks and chase-down blocks when I evaluated him. Boyd was flying up and down the court and was a downhill finisher.
London Jackson, 6’3 G – San Antonio (TX)
Another lefty guard being highlighted in this recap. Jackson is a two-way guard/wing who made spot-up threes and was engaged as a team defender. Liked his ability to extend the floor and compete on the defensive end.
Flory Kuminga, 6’6 W/F – Queens (NY)
A man amongst boys out here. Flory is a power wing prospect who is a physical driver. Can make open threes, wouldn’t say shooting is a strength right now (which is fine), but he makes enough to keep the defense honest, which creates driving lanes for him to attack. Big-time performances on the first day.
Mikhail Francis, 6’4 W – Calgary (AB)
Even when I wasn’t paying full attention to the court Francis was playing on, I would turn around and he’s either dunking the ball off a drive or blocking a shot at its peak. An active, high motor wing who’s a plus athlete with adequate drive game.
Marquice Pless, 6’3 G – Phoenix (AZ)
Skilled guard with positional size and shooting touch. Elevates well on pull-ups, scores it well coming off a ball-screen, and is one of the best overall scorers in the camp. Pless displayed three level scoring capabilities.
