Where Syracuse basketball 4-star, 5-star recruits rank in Nike EYBL stats

The Nike EYBL league on the AAU circuit recently wrapped up its regular season, and now several Syracuse basketball recruiting targets will set their sights on winning this summer’s prestigious Peach Jam crown.

The annual Peach Jam, this year, will take place from July 3 to July 9 in North Augusta, S.C. This spring, the EYBL held four sessions around the country, including during two April live periods where college coaches could check out prospects in person.

As the Peach Jam inches closer, I took a look at the EYBL Web site to see where several Syracuse basketball 2024 and 2025 four-star and five-star targets have placed during the regular season in various statistical categories, including points, rebounds, steals and blocks per game within Nike’s 17U and 16U divisions.

Let’s review where Syracuse basketball recruits rank for several stats during the EYBL regular season.

17U Division

Points Per Game
Jalil Bethea, 18.6 (tie for No.10 overall)
Mikey Lewis, 18.1 (No. 14 overall)
Jerry Easter II, 17.4 (No. 17 overall, playing up a division)

Rebounds Per Game
Patrick Ngongba II, 7.8 (No. 9 overall)

Blocks Per Game
Patrick Ngongba II, 1.3 (tie for No. 16 overall)

16U Division

Points Per Game
Tyler Jackson, 30.0 (No. 1 overall, but has only played one session)
Cam Ward, 19.5 (No. 8 overall)

Rebounds Per Game
Cam Ward, 8.1 (No. 6 overall)

Steals Per Game
Tyler Jackson, 1.8 (tie for No. 5 overall)

***Note: In the 16U division, Syracuse basketball recruit Kiyan Anthony from New York City, a 2025 four-star shooting guard, just missed the top 20 in points per game, as he has averaged 15.9 points per contest during the EYBL regular season.***

The 6-foot-4 Bethea is a star for the Philadelphia-based Team Final, which won the EYBL 17U regular-season title by finishing at 16-1 overall. Bethea, a 2024 four-star guard, is a long-time priority recruit for Syracuse basketball out of Archbishop Wood Catholic High School in Warminster, Pa.

The 6-foot-3 Lewis, a fast-rising 2024 four-star point guard, was offered by the Orange in late April. He is a standout for the Oakland, Calif.-based Oakland Soldiers and Accelerated Prep in Lakewood, Colo.

The 6-foot-4 Easter, offered by the ‘Cuse last summer, is an elite point guard nearing five stars in the 2025 cycle. He is playing up a division for the Columbus, Ohio-based All Ohio Red, and he was an All-American as a freshman and a sophomore for the Emmanuel Christian School in Toledo, Ohio. Media reports have said Easter is likely to suit up for a new school in the 2023-24 campaign.

The 6-foot-10 Ngongba, a 2024 four-star center, was arguably the best all-around player in the 17U division during the EYBL’s recently held fourth and final regular-season session in Memphis, Tenn. Offered by the Orange in late April, he competes for the Washington, D.C.-based Team Takeover and St. Paul VI Catholic High School in Chantilly, Va.

The 6-foot-3 Jackson, a 2025 five-star point guard who received a Syracuse basketball offer in late April, led the Nike EYBL league’s 16U division in scoring in Memphis as he played alongside the 6-foot-5 Anthony for the Baltimore-based Team Melo.

Jackson, a star for the Saint Frances Academy in Baltimore, recently told a recruiting insider that he and Anthony may take a visit to the Orange at some point in September.

The 6-foot-7 Ward, a 2025 four-star guard/small forward, runs with the Oxon Hill, Md.-based Team Durant and is a prolific scorer for Largo High School in Upper Marlboro, Md. He was offered by Syracuse basketball coaches in late April.