Traveler Tradition

A little information on Alcoa: They are tied with Maryville (a school in the same county) with the most state championships in state history. Alcoa is a small school, around 600 students or so. They are the defending state champion in their classification in Tennessee. Alcoa is a separate city, but it's where the Knoxville airport is located. The Alcoa-Maryville game is something to see. It was on ESPN a few years ago. Those two schools are about 5 miles apart, and in several years, they both won state titles in the same year in their respective classifications. Most times, that would be the only loss either team suffered all year. Alcoa is very fast and athletic. Extremely well-coached. They aren't complicated, but they are physical and execute well. Physical, run-based team. They don't throw it much, but they hit big plays when they do.

Camron was well-prepared for Division I basketball. Hard worker, tough kid, and competed very well in the EYBL. Transfers are much more common these days. Sometimes it's not about level, but about fit. Tyler Lewis, for example, signed with NC State, then transferred to Butler and has been really good. Essentially the same level. Camron has not been healthy since the groin injury last year, and that's been a factor. He was also playing for a coach that didn't recruit him. And I'm not sure how many of those guys that are at Vandy now fit the new system. If healthy, Cam can be a really good player at a high level as long as he finds the right fit.

Here's a little insight on Catholic from Knoxville: Catholic was riddled with injuries last year until late in the season. When they got healthy, they got on a run and won the state title in 4A. They actually finished third in their region and had to win on the road throughout the playoffs, including a couple of wins over teams they had lost to earlier in the year. Most of that team is back. They were dominant in the game they had to forfeit. They played an ineligible freshman late in the 4th quarter in a game that was never close. Their best receiver, Amari Rogers, is committed to Clemson. He is Tee Martin's son. Tee was Tennessee's quarterback during the 1998 national championship season. They have a junior offensive lineman, Cade Mays, committed to Tennessee. They played quite a bit last season without their quarterback and Chase Kurchesen, who also has several FBS offers. He is probably their best overall player, but he was also hurt for the first half of the season last year. Catholic is really good. Much better than they were last year. For NFL fans, Catholic is the alma mater of Harrison Smith, the Pro Bowl safety for the Vikings.

Agree on Kelan Martin. Very good player. Inadvertently left him off the list. If I remember correctly, he played in Indiana? The rest would not have helped, although Cunningham might have provided some quality depth behind Beverly. On the wing, Green would not have played ahead of Jeff Thomas, Camron Justice, James Bolden, or Zach McCormick. In the post, Grundy would not have played ahead of Jackson Davis, Rob Marberry, Justin Johnson, or Ray Spalding.

1. Andre is an excellent coach. 2. The Travelers had very good talent the first years after the move to Kentucky. While there were no McDonald's All-Americans on the roster, the talent was very good, as was the depth. That was a key factor. 3. Also, those teams were full of great shooters, which overcomes some of the deficiencies in size, athleticism, etc. 4. The out-of-state players on the first roster (Zach McCormick, Jeff Thomas, Rob Marberry) were very good. Wouldn't have made Peach Jam without them. Snider was probably the only KY player from that class that would have been an asset to the Travelers in 2013 (counting DeAngelo Russell as a FL player since he played at Montverde). 5. In similar states (Arkansas, Oklahoma, Minnesota, for example), the vast majority of the talent plays for one program (Wings, Athletes First, Pulley) in most years. Which is why those teams qualify for Peach Jam more often than not. Pulley has been to Peach Jam every year since its inception. With very exceptions, the best players in Minnesota always play for that program. 6. It is unfortunate that some of Kentucky's better players have chosen to compete outside of the EYBL. There is no comparing it to any other league in youth basketball. Miles and miles ahead of any other league. It's not for everybody, but it's a wasted opportunity for some players. 7. There may be some down years in KY, but overall, the talent level is good enough to compete successfully in the EYBL most years. 8. Talent goes in cycle in most cases, even in bigger cities. I can remember a year or two where none of the New York teams qualified for Peach Jam, and teams from Seattle and Oklahoma were title contenders.

Never said he could or couldn't...simply said that we don't know.

Here's a little background on Carson-Newman basketball: 1. The first All-American there, Chris Jones, was drafted by the Cincinnati Royals. That was a huge deal back then to have a player from a small college go in the NBA draft, especially since there were only 8 teams in the league. Jones' biggest obstacle was the guy ahead of him...Oscar Robertson. 2. One of the best players in school history, Steve Adams, is better known in KY as the coach at Boyle County. 3. Carson-Newman is the defending conference champion (South Atlantic) and has been to the NCAA Division II Tournament the past two years. The SAC is comprised of teams from Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina. 4. One of the greatest small college rivalries in the country during the 1960s and 1970s was Carson-Newman v. Kentucky State. Those stories are the stuff of legend around here (TN) and people still talk about the "Machine Gun," Travis Grant. 4.

The EYBL is the best youth basketball league in the world, without question. Comparing other circuits/leagues to it is like comparing AA baseball to the major leagues. Braxton wanted the challenge, even as a freshman. He has performed with consistent excellence in the EYBL from his first game on. Simply put, he's the only 2016 in KY who has consistently measured himself against the best and proven he belongs. Carson Williams played well last year from what I understand, and I know he's injured right now. He seems to do very well, and has just been derailed a little bit by injuries. Could other KY players compete and hold their own in the EYBL? Quite possibly, but that's just speculation at this point.

Has anyone in the 2016 class performed better than Beverly against elite competition for 2-plus years? The answer is no. Are there better players in KY in the 2016 class? Maybe, maybe not. But Braxton has performed much better and much more consistently on the biggest stage for the longest period of time, and that isn't arguable. Based on production to this point, there is no debate.

Although this is my second year out of the game (working on doctorate), there is one thing I can still say with certainty...the level of competition in the EYBL is far superior to anything else out there. It's not close, and it's not really debatable. Certainly there are some good teams on the Adidas and Under Armour circuits, but the vast majority of the best talent plays in the EYBL. I can't speak to the talent on any of the teams in Kentucky, other than Braxton Beverly. Although there are one or two players in the 2016 class that are generally ranked higher than Braxton (mainly due to size, athleticism, etc.), there is no doubt that he has been consistently the most productive player in the 2016 class against the elite competition. As such, based on his production (not potential) in the EYBL over the past three years, he is clearly the best player in the state in the 2016 class. It is also worth mentioning that Nike's rules are more restrictive when it comes to re-classifications. For example, a senior cannot reclassify and play in the EYBL, so players such as Aric Holman in Kentucky (Hoop Dreams) and LaGerald Vick and Nick Marshall (Team Thad in Memphis) would not be eligible to play in the EYBL this year, whereas they are eligible to play for other programs. And there is no question these three young men are outstanding players. Re-classifications are only eligible to play in the EYBL if the process is complete and paperwork is submitted PRIOR to the student-athlete beginning his senior year of high school. As a side note, I think the re-classification policy is beneficial to different kids for different reasons. Some need the academic work, some have early birthdays and can benefit from an extra year of weights, etc., and some need the time to recover from an injury. Basically, there is nothing wrong with re-classifying, but Nike is more restrictive with its policies in that regard. Just some insights I can offer from experience. I can't offer an informed opinion on who the best teams are this year, so it would be unfair for me to do so. Based on what little I hear, I think it's fair to say there are a lot of good players in the state and the talent is spread out somewhat. I hope all the teams do well. The passion for high school basketball in Kentucky is something special, and it's been enjoyable to witness it and be a small part of it. It's interesting to see how much things are different across state lines (football is king in Tennessee) and how the communities view things differently in respect to basketball there and football here. Look forward to keeping up this year, when time allows.

The Lawson brothers have never played for Team Thad. They play/played for Team Penny. Team Thad has had good size in past years (Leron Black, Nick Marshall) but they are perimeter-oriented this year. Their perimeter (Jaylen Fisher, Jordan Bone, Demonte Person, Nathan Hoover, Micah Thomas, Clayton Hughes) is very good. Although it might play out differently down the road, it's safe to say they are the second-best team in Tennessee, behind Team Penny.

In Tennessee, we frequently played up an age group because we believed it would help us by playing better competition. The Tennessee AAU structure is a bit different, however. There are three substates (East, Middle, West) and the qualifying teams from each of those three move on to the state tournament. Unlike Kentucky, the Tennessee state tournaments are split up. For example, the 6th and 10th grade tournaments are in Nashville, the 8th grade tournament is in Knoxville, and all other age groups are in Memphis. They are usually played on different weekends. So in Tennessee, it's possible to play in your own age division and then also play up an age division. We frequently would compete in both the 16u and 17u state tournaments, but they can't do that in Kentucky because they are held at the same time. We didn't have to choose in Tennessee and could play both most years. I'm out of the loop now because I'm doing my doctorate, so I can't speak for their decision-making. I would guess they felt playing 17s would better prepare them for the remainder of their schedule. However, it seems like the 16u division in KY is really strong this year which is good for everybody in the state. The 8th grade class in Tennessee, as a whole, is stronger than the 9th grade class right now. So sometimes the competition in your age group is better than the one above it. However, I don't think they're playing up to avoid anybody or run from competition. Although it might be just as good at 16 as it is at 17 this year in KY.

The EYBL is not about making money off any of its participating teams. That's a non-issue. Maybe I'm wrong, but isn't Kenneth Faried an Adidas player? If so, not sure why Nike would be interested. Maybe I'm wrong about him being with Adidas, but I seem to remember that he was.

Thanks man. Lots of work, but not nearly the stress as summer basketball. Haha.

He definitely could. I think he could do that at Vanderbilt also because their system is so good at freeing up shooters, and Cam is great at reading screens and getting open. He made a really good choice. I think he found the right fit for him, and no doubt that Vanderbilt is a great school.

He had a lot of success last year in the EYBL playing against big-time players. That should have erased any doubt as to whether or not he can play in the SEC.

I left the program. Working on my doctorate. No idea what their contract status is.

All the pools at Peach Jam are loaded. That's what separates Nike, and particulary the Peach Jam, from all other events and circuits. Nothing else compares. That being said, the teams with the two best records, Houston Hoops and Team Takeover, are not in our pool. If Each 1 Teach 1 is at full strength, like they were in Dallas, I think they're outstanding because of their backcourt (Grayson Allen, Joel Berry, DeAngelo Russell).

We are 4-5 against the teams that have qualified. We are 0-2 against teams in our pool, with a 2 point loss to CP3 and a 5-point loss to Howard Pulley. Top players in our pool are Tyus Jones, Jared Terrell, Abdul Malik Abu, Tyler Ulis, Paul White, Stanley Johnson, Ivan Rabb, Theo Pinson, Reid Travis.

Here are the other teams in our pool at Peach Jam, July 10-14 in North Augusta, SC. CP3 (NC) Howard Pulley Panthers (MN) Oakland Soldiers (CA) Expressions Elite (MA) Meanstreets (IL)

The 2013 Peach Jam is the 16th year Nike has held the event. This marks the 10th time the Travelers have qualified for Peach Jam.

We plan on being in Kentucky a long time. The love for high school basketball in Kentucky is something special, and we've been fortunate to have met so many good people and work with many talented young players. We feel very blessed to be in Kentucky and we look forward to many more good years in the EYBL.

The Travelers Basketball Club has qualified for Peach Jam. We earned one of the automatic bids based on our top 5 finish in division play. The Peach Jam will be held July 10-14 in North Augusta, SC. It is easily the top event in summer basketball. Pools will be posted soon. Each team will play at least 5 games, with the top 2 teams in each pool moving in the bracket play (quarterfinals). Pool listings and schedule will be available at Nike EYBL. Also, the Travelers will be featured soon as part of "The Circuit" video series, which focuses exclusively on the EYBL. The series is available on YouTube. The 24 teams who qualified for Peach Jam are listed below: Division A Indy Spiece Oakland Soldiers St. Louis Eagles Jackson Tigers California Supreme Division B CP3 All-Stars Team Penny New York Lightning Boo Williams Team Texas Elite Division C Team Takeover Houston Hoops Expressions Elite Meanstreets MoKan Elite Division D E1T1 Howard Pulley Panthers Mac Irvin Fire All-Ohio Red Travelers Basketball Wild Cards Team Final BABC Team Scan Texas Titans

We're in the EYBL, which is the best league in America by far. The competition is far and away a step above anything else out there. So we're not afraid to play anyone, given that we play the best teams in America on a game by game basis. The best play in the EYBL, which is exactly where we are.

Peach Jam has been around since Nike began its Grassroots program in the mid-90s. The Travelers are one of the original 16 Nike programs, of which there are only 4-5 remaining. Prior to the EYBL concept, the Nike teams competed in a series of tournaments, and Nike extended Peach Jam invitations based on performance in those events. Quinche had some injury issues at Carson-Newman that really hurt his career.