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Jul. 14—Las Vegas became the center of the basketball universe last week, with NBA Summer League, of course, the big draw. But Nike taking its EYBL operations to Sin City brought even more of the basketball world together. That included several top Illinois targets (and a key 2027 commit). Here's a look at how a few of them fared:
Cayden Daughtry & NaVorro Bowman Jr.
Fresh off helping lead Team USA to gold at the FIBA U17 World Cup in Istanbul, this Class of 2027 guard duo kept proving how talented they are among their peers. Daughtry and Bowman are the top two scorers in the EYBL. The former averaged 32.7 points, six rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.3 steals during his run in Las Vegas. While Daughtry wasn't super efficient, knocking down just 18 percent of his three-pointers for the Florida Rebels, Bowman picked up the slack in that department. The Team Why Not guard averaged 21.8 points on 46 percent shooting overall and a 44 percent hit rate from three-point range to go with 4.8 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game.
Quinton Kitt
Illinois' first commit in the Class of 2027 is also in the top 10 in the EYBL in scoring and did so at a high rate and with high efficiency in Las Vegas. The former East Peoria standout, who will play his senior season at Monarch Academy (Kan.), put up 21 points per game on 53/47/81 shooting last weekend for Meanstreets while also hauling in four rebounds per game. That kind of effort and production on the offensive end of the court has helped Kitt rise in the 2027 rankings.
Brady Pettigrew
The full Nike contingent was in Las Vegas last week, including the 16U teams. That's where Pettigrew starred — again. The Class of 2028 Bolingbrook guard, who is the No. 3 scorer at the EYBL 16U level, did most of his damage around the rim this past weekend. The five-star recruit averaged 26.6 points as a 50/21/73 shooter for Brad Beal Elite while also putting up 5.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game.
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Nike, of course, didn't have the weekend to itself. The adidas 3SSB circuit was split between Bryan, Texas, and Rock Hill, S.C., where there were also reasons for the Illinois coaching staff to keep tabs on the action:
Mason Martin and Cole Kelly
The Neuqua Valley and Breakaway Basketball teammates were up to their usual high-level production ways this past weekend. Martin, a Class of 2027 Illinois commit and arguably the top shooter on the 3SSB circuit, averaged 18 points across five games. Kelly, a top 2028 Illini target, opened action in Bryan with a 23-point, seven-rebound and five-block performance, flirted with a triple-double later in the weekend and averaged 14.4 points and 8.2 rebounds for the weekend.
Amarion Smith-Holley
Smith-Holley spent the spring as a top 10 scorer at the EYBL 16U level, but his "offseason" has been full of changes. Not only did the N-G All-State First Team guard leave Peoria Richwoods to continue his high school career at Link Academy (Mo.), but he also left Mac Irvin Fire and the EYBL. The Class of 2028 guard caught on with a new team, Zero Fears, built by one-time Illinois commit and current New Orleans Pelicans guard Jeremiah Fears. Zero Fears played in Rock Hill last weekend, and Smith-Holley averaged 23.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, four assists and two steals.
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Cayden Daughtry & NaVorro Bowman Jr.
Fresh off helping lead Team USA to gold at the FIBA U17 World Cup in Istanbul, this Class of 2027 guard duo kept proving how talented they are among their peers. Daughtry and Bowman are the top two scorers in the EYBL. The former averaged 32.7 points, six rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.3 steals during his run in Las Vegas. While Daughtry wasn't super efficient, knocking down just 18 percent of his three-pointers for the Florida Rebels, Bowman picked up the slack in that department. The Team Why Not guard averaged 21.8 points on 46 percent shooting overall and a 44 percent hit rate from three-point range to go with 4.8 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game.
Quinton Kitt
Illinois' first commit in the Class of 2027 is also in the top 10 in the EYBL in scoring and did so at a high rate and with high efficiency in Las Vegas. The former East Peoria standout, who will play his senior season at Monarch Academy (Kan.), put up 21 points per game on 53/47/81 shooting last weekend for Meanstreets while also hauling in four rebounds per game. That kind of effort and production on the offensive end of the court has helped Kitt rise in the 2027 rankings.
Brady Pettigrew
The full Nike contingent was in Las Vegas last week, including the 16U teams. That's where Pettigrew starred — again. The Class of 2028 Bolingbrook guard, who is the No. 3 scorer at the EYBL 16U level, did most of his damage around the rim this past weekend. The five-star recruit averaged 26.6 points as a 50/21/73 shooter for Brad Beal Elite while also putting up 5.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game.
------
Nike, of course, didn't have the weekend to itself. The adidas 3SSB circuit was split between Bryan, Texas, and Rock Hill, S.C., where there were also reasons for the Illinois coaching staff to keep tabs on the action:
Mason Martin and Cole Kelly
The Neuqua Valley and Breakaway Basketball teammates were up to their usual high-level production ways this past weekend. Martin, a Class of 2027 Illinois commit and arguably the top shooter on the 3SSB circuit, averaged 18 points across five games. Kelly, a top 2028 Illini target, opened action in Bryan with a 23-point, seven-rebound and five-block performance, flirted with a triple-double later in the weekend and averaged 14.4 points and 8.2 rebounds for the weekend.
Amarion Smith-Holley
Smith-Holley spent the spring as a top 10 scorer at the EYBL 16U level, but his "offseason" has been full of changes. Not only did the N-G All-State First Team guard leave Peoria Richwoods to continue his high school career at Link Academy (Mo.), but he also left Mac Irvin Fire and the EYBL. The Class of 2028 guard caught on with a new team, Zero Fears, built by one-time Illinois commit and current New Orleans Pelicans guard Jeremiah Fears. Zero Fears played in Rock Hill last weekend, and Smith-Holley averaged 23.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, four assists and two steals.
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