The EYBL Nike Peach Jam and the last NCAA July live period has now concluded and champions have been crowned. As the final weekend of the summer circuit approached, numerous questions were raised about the prestigious annual event, some of which remained unanswered even after its conclusion. We looked to answer them the best we coul and present five key takeaways based on the Peach Jam chatter.
1. Peach Jam Should Stay in North Augusta
A constant topic of discussion regarding Peach Jam is its facilities and location. North Augusta, S.C. has been the home of this tournament for years. Riverside Park features a fantastic layout with multiple gyms, each with its own entrance, which creates a more personal atmosphere during games. Fans and coaches can be heard and felt throughout the game, making the experience more meaningful compared to games played in a gym alongside ten other courts.
Additionally, the travel accommodations are top-notch, offering teams and parents a wide range of options for their stay. The ability to choose accommodations in two different states adds to the convenience of Riverside. The park and its surroundings are kid-friendly, allowing children of all ages to come and go as they please. Given its long-standing history, atmosphere and accommodations, Peach Jam should remain in North Augusta.
2. Seeding Doesn’t Always Matter
Nike-sponsored travel teams fight all summer for the chance to qualify for Peach Jam, as each plays multiple games across multiple stops. This year’s Peach Jam demonstrated that a team’s seeding is irrelevant once it qualifies. The top 17U team in the EYBL regular season, Team Takeover, fell in game one of pool play, as they, along with the No. 3 team in 17U (Oakland Soldiers), didn’t advance past pool play. Several top teams in the 16U and 15U divisions also failed to make it out of pool play, as many of their opponents played loose with nothing to lose. One-loss teams captured the title in 16U and 15U, but a significant number of top seeds were eliminated throughout pool play.
3. The Toughest Teams Usually Win
17U was top-heavy with elite players, as two of the top three teams had a pair of highly-touted 2026 players. Team Takeover, led by guard Jordan Smith and the top team in the league, fell to Team Durant on night one and ultimately missed bracket play. The Oakland Soldiers were led by Tyran Stokes and Jason Crowe this summer and lost twice in pool play, missing the weekend. In the lower classifications, it was much of the same. The tough teams ground out wins throughout the five games of pool play to qualify. Teams with only one loss across all three classifications missed the weekend after running into tougher, more physical teams during pool play. Peach Jam is a grind, and the mentally and physically tough teams win out.
4. 16U Was the Deepest Classification
The 16U division was the strongest throughout the EYBL stops, as several teams had a legit chance to win the championship. The EYBL season concluded with three teams finishing with only one loss, and all three advanced to the Peach Jam tournament bracket. The Florida Rebels made the weekend after a two-loss season, and three teams with three losses on the year also made it. A notable example of the division’s depth was Team Durant, which advanced after posting a 4-1 record in pool play, despite having a 6-5 regular season record. Overall, the 16U division was the most competitive this summer, culminating in the eventual champion Indy Heat winning the first game of the bracket with a last-second 3-pointer at the buzzer.
AJ Williams (@aj4williams) vs. Team Takeover:
28 PTS, 6 REB, 1 STL, 15/16 FTM, 55.91 TS%
AJ Williams proved to resilient force today, leveraging his crafty dribbling to consistently create separation. As a dynamic wing, his exceptional athleticism and advantage/self-creation… pic.twitter.com/LCJwEMI3yF
— Mike O (@coolguy551_) July 20, 2025
5. Champions Can Repeat
The 2025 Peach Jam champions in all three divisions successfully defended their lower division titles from the previous year. Bradley Beal Elite, entering pool play as the fifth seed, lost two out of five games but still managed to advance and ultimately win the 17U title. Despite playing without Mikka Murrinen and facing doubts throughout the year, Bradley Beal, led by J.J. Andrews and a strong supporting core, took the title with a 75-55 victory over the N.Y Rens as Andrews scored 20 points. In 16U, the Indy Heat made an impressive showing, finishing the regular season with an 11-1 record. They ran the table at Peach Jam, going 8-0, and capped it off with a 68-53 championship win over the Florida Rebels. The Indy Heat’s Jahari Miller connected on 7-of-9 3-pointers and finished with 21 points. In 15U, the Georgia Stars were the most predictable champions of the circuit. They exhibited dominance throughout the season, with their only loss occurring on the final day of the regular seasonn. The Stars regained their winning form at Peach Jam, finishing 8-0. In bracket play, they won by an average of 18 points per game, culminating in a 60-56 victory over Team Takeover in the title game. Last year’s national freshman of the year, A.J. Williams, shined for the Georgia Stars with 28 points and six rebounds.
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