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Peach Jam: Who were college coaches watching?

Rick Pitino
Rick Pitino

NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. – To finish out the live period, I was at Nike’s Peach Jam from Thursday night until Sunday afternoon. I was able to see several head coaches and track their movements. This is by no means a complete list of who each coach watched – and I certainly wasn’t able to track or see every head coach at all times – but here’s a look at who some of the coaches in attendance were checking in on.

MORE: Peach Jam observations

ACC

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North Carolina commit Coby White
North Carolina commit Coby White (Jon Lopez/Nike @NikeEYB)

Clemson- An athletic big man is a priority so strong three-star Trey Jemison and shot-blocking Rivals150 big man Dimon Carrigan were among those who got good looks. Brad Brownell also looked to be keeping tabs on jump-shooting wing Hunter Tyson.

Georgia Tech- Tech is another program that looks to be jumping onboard the Dimon Carrigan train. Point guard Xavier Johnson was offered recently and got a look as did four-star forward Ignas Brazdeikis and four-star combo guard Will Richardson.

Louisville- Didn’t see Rick Pitino as much at the Peach Jam as I did at the Under Armour Finals, but he was sure to be front and center for 2019’s top-ranked point guard Cole Anthony.

Miami- The Hurricanes were all over the gym and Each 1 Teach 1’s five-star power forward Emmitt Williams was a major target. The Hurricanes have also offered Will Richardson. Also among those getting looks were Dimon Carrigan, Jalen Carey and Isaiah Stewart.

North Carolina- Roy Williams was sure to check in on his commitments Coby White and Rechon Black, who play together on Team CP3. On CP3’s 16U team, top 35 wing Wendell Moore is a major target. Top five junior-to-be James Wiseman got some looks and it appeared Williams was also evaluating 2019 big men Aidan Igiehon and Francis Okoro plus point guard Cole Anthony. The Heels could be looking to make a move with top 10 big man Simisola Shittu and don't be surprised if they kick the tires with one of the Peach Jam’s breakout players, wing Jericole Hellems.

NC State- Ran across State head coach Kevin Keatts a couple of times and he was checking in on Xavier Johnson, a point guard on Team Takeover. Top 30 combo forward Jaylen Hoard got some attention as did 2019 prospects Wendell Moore and Casey Morsell plus 2020 point guard Jeremy Roach.

Syracuse- The Orange could be seen checking in on top 10 big man Simisola Shittu, high-scoring combo guard Jalen Carey, shot blocker Dimon Carrigan, and Jim Boeheim also spent lots of time watching his son, Buddy Boeheim, and 2019 big man Isaiah Stewart. Of course, five-star commitment Darius Bazley also got a look.

Virginia- Tony Bennett and his staff would really like a point guard in 2018 so Team Melo’s Noah Locke is getting a long look. Bennett also checked in on the stable of talent for Team Takeover’s 17U and 16U teams that includes guys such as 2020 stars Jeremy Roach and Hunter Dickinson.

Virignia Tech- Head coach Buzz Williams was able to watch his trio of 2019 commitments on Team CP3’s 16 U team, twin guards Kobe Langley, Keyshaun Langley, B.J. Mack. Williams also watched Wendell Moore, five-star wing Keldon Johnson, shooting guard Casey Morsell, wing Elias King and class of 2020 guard Earl Timberlake.

Wake Forest- Danny Manning was pretty visible as he made the rounds in North Augusta. Wing players seemed to be a priority as guys such as Rivasl150 wing Keyontae Johnson, four-star guard Will Richardson, breakout player Jericole Hellems, 2019 priority target Wendell Moore and 2019 four-star Elias King were among those that drew looks. Manning also checked in on some bigs such as 2020 Hunter Dickinson.

BIG 12

Keldon Johnson is Shaka Smart at Texas' priority target.
Keldon Johnson is Shaka Smart at Texas' priority target. (Matthew Hatfield (VirginiaPreps.com))

Kansas State- The Wildcats were among those who offered Jericole Hellems after their head coach saw him. Team Melo wing Brendan Adams got looks as did 2019 four-star E.J. Liddell of Bradley Beal Elite and many others.

Oklahoma- Lon Krueger was sure to check in on Sooners commit and Rivals150 member Jamal Bienemy. The Sooners appear to be one of many checking on four-star shooting guard Antwann Jones as well.

Oklahoma State- Head coach Mike Boynton was often accompanied by assistants as he he made the rounds. Floridians Emmitt Williams and Antwann Jones look to be on the radar as does combo guard Will Richardson. 2019 five-star Tyrese Maxey is shaping up to be a major target. Class of 2018 four-star Greg Williams and 2019 four-stars Tyreek Smith and De’Vion Harmon were just a few more on the list.

TCU- Feels as if Jamie Dixon was as visible as almost any other head coach in the country. There were looks at Bol Bol and Emmitt Williams but he really seemed locked in on teams featuring Texas talent such as Tyreek Smith, De’Vion Harmon, Tyrese Maxey and many others.

Texas- It is pretty clear that five-star wing Keldon Johnson is a major priority for Shaka Smart as he shadowed him all over the Peach Jam. Top 10 big man Simisola Shittu appeared to get a look and Rivals150 center Dimon Carrigan mentioned that the Longhorns recently offered after seeing him.

BIG TEN

Darius Garland got a look from Indiana.
Darius Garland got a look from Indiana. (Sean Williams/VandySports.com)

Illinois- In his first July on the job, Brad Underwood was out checking in on guys with local roots. Four-star Tim Finke got a look in 2018 and four-star power forward E.J. Liddell got a look in 2019. Others that appear to be on the radar include three-star big man Amadou Sow and 2019 four-stars Malik Hall and Kofi Cockburn.

Indiana- There’s surely more guys he was checking on, but the hit list for Archie Miller looked to be a pretty simple one. Five-star point guard Darius Garland and four-star combo guard Jalen Carey from 2018 got looks while 2019 five-star James Wiseman – who is expected on campus after the summer – drew a long look.

Maryland- Mark Turgeon and his staff were sure to be seen by five-star 2018 commitment Jalen Smith and four-star Noah Locke looks to be emerging as a guy that they could invest more time in. Five-star Keldon Johnson and top 30 Jaylen Hoard attracted attention as well.

Michigan- John Beilein already has four-star forward Brandon Johns and four-star point guard David Dejulius in the fold but wants more. Five-star Simisola Shittu and his CIA Bounce Ignas Brazdeikis are high on his list. Three-star wing Hunter Tyson, was shadowed as were four-stars Noah Locke and Damezi Anderson.

Minnesota- Richard Pitino is doing everything he can to keep 2018’s best point guard Tre Jones home. A bonus of watching Jones is more face time with Rivals150 forward Jarvis Thomas, who is expected to announce on Tuesday. The Gophers' chances with Thomas appear strong to say the least.

Purdue- Didn’t look to be on the same schedule as Matt Painter, but he was definitely checking in on 2018 four-star wing and in-state priority Damezi Anderson.

PAC 12

Marvin Bagley III, the No. 1 player in the country.
Marvin Bagley III, the No. 1 player in the country. (Jon Lopez/Nike @NikeEYB)

Arizona- Make no mistake, Sean Miller is big-game hunting. Elite prospects Marvin Bagley, Bol Bol, Simisola Shittu and committed power forward Shareef O’Neal drew his attention. Count Arizona among those all in on 2019 five-star big man James Wiseman.

California- Wyking Jones was visible with the California-based squads but had to have been particularly happy he put in an early offer to Oakland Soldiers point guard James Akinjo. Akinjo was one of the Peach Jam’s breakout players.

Oregon- Fresh off his trip to the Final Four, Dana Altman was hustling around the Peach Jam. Five-star forward Simisola Shittu is a target along with his skilled teammate Ignas Brazdeikis. Another the Ducks look to be gearing up for a run at is five-star power forward Emmitt Williams from Florida-based Each 1 Teach 1. From 2019, Oregon offered four-star Malik Hall of MoKan Elite.

Oregon State- We caught the Beavers checking in on three-star forward K.J. Hymes of the Nike Phamily. Tough big man Amadou Sow is very high on the radar and got some love as well.

UCLA- Steve Alford is another who is involved with big-timers Marvin Bagley and Bol Bol so he made sure they saw him. He's also trying to pull top point guard Tre Jones out of Minnesota and dropped by to see Jones while in town.

USC- Andy Enfield didn’t have to worry about recruiting top 30 forward Taeshon Cherry of the Oakland Soldiers since he committed a few weeks ago. But he did check in on him. He was accompanied by assistants to watch Marvin Bagley and Bol Bol while top 30 forward Jaylen Hoard also got a look. Potential big-time 2019 big man Carl Lewis and star 2020 shooting guard Jalen Green also got looks.

Washington- New coach Mike Hopkins wants a point guard and because of that three-star Xavier Johnson and Rivals150 floor general Marcus Zegarowski got looks. The Huskies were another that Dimon Carrigan mentioned checking in on him.

SEC

Emmitt Williams is a priority for multiple SEC programs.
Emmitt Williams is a priority for multiple SEC programs. (Jon Lopez/Nike @NikeEYB)

Arkansas- With much of its 2018 class complete – and playing on the adidas Gauntlet circuit – there’s some guesswork involved with identifying exactly who Mike Anderson and his staff were targeting. Jericole Hellems did get an offer and big men such as powerfully built Amadou Sow, Rivals150 center Nathan Mensah and and Alabama big man Trey Jemison looked to be getting looks. Anderson and his staff were also visible for the Arkansas Wings 16 and 15U teams and surely 2020 guard Gerald Doakes will emerge as a major in state target.

Auburn- Bruce Pearl stopped in like many others in the SEC for four-star Will Richardson. However, he was also very visible at the 16U finals for Atlanta-based AOT featuring class of 2019 four-star wings Isaac Okoro and Elias King as well as 2020 point guard Sharife Cooper, who all have offers from the Tigers.

Florida- We saw a lot of Mike White at the Under Armour Finals earlier in the week, at Peach Jam the time we caught him he appeared to be focusing on Each 1 Teach 1 players Emmitt Williams and Will Richardson.

Georgia- Mark Fox was another who looked to be spending some time with the Each 1 Teach 1 group and its four-star guards Antwann Jones and Will Richardson, who both have offers. From Memphis-based Team Penny, guard Ryan Boyce and big man Trey Jemison are other offers who got looks.

Kentucky- John Calipari was locked in on a few big-time prospects such as 2018’s top player Marvin Bagley and top three Bol Bol. Five-star point guard Darius Garland now has a Kentucky offer and elite 2019 big man James Wiseman will likely see Calipari and the Wildcats turning the heat up.

LSU- Will Wade appeared to be taking a long look at Rivals150 point guard Alex Lomax of Team Penny. He’s yet another we saw watching Each 1 Teach 1 and have to figure he was watching Antwann Jones, Emmitt Williams and Will Richardson.

Missouri- Cuonzo Martin and his staff were rolling pretty deep at the Peach Jam and committed five-star big man Jontay Porter got plenty of love. Rivals150 point guard Alex Lomax was watched closely by Martin as was Jericole Hellems, 2019 power forward EJ Liddell and hometown guard Isiaih Mosely.

Ole Miss- Team Penny featuring Rivals150 guards Alex Lomax and Ryan Boyce, plus top 25 2019 wing D.J. Jeffries looked to be a priority for Andy Kennedy. The Rebels are also in the group that offered Jericole Hellems.

Tennessee- Saw Rick Barnes pop into a few gyms over the course of the Peach Jam. Three-star wing Hunter Tyson and four-star guard Will Richardson appeared to be on the list.

Vanderbilt- The main focus of Bryce Drew and his staff was making sure that five-star point guard – and Nashville native – Darius Garland saw as much of them as possible. Many believe the ‘Dores have emerged as the favorite for the hometown star.

OTHERS

Brandon Slater is headed to Villanova.
Brandon Slater is headed to Villanova. (Matthew Hatfield (VirginiaPreps.com))

Connecticut- There were a few Kevin Ollie sightings. Notably with five-star big man Simisola Shittu and point guard James Akinjo – who the Huskies offered back in May before his big Peach Jam run with the Oakland Soldiers.

Georgetown- The first time we caught Patrick Ewing was during Saturday night’s semifinals while he watched DC-based Team Takeover. Point guard Xavier Johnson is one from the program who looks to be emerging as a target.

Villanova- Jay Wright got some face time with committed four-star wing Brandon Slater and committed four-star forward Cole Swider. He also checked in on class of 2020 scoring machine Jalen Green.

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