A look at how Indiana recruiting targets have performed on the Nike EYBL circuit

  • 05/19/2017 9:16 am in

The new Indiana coaching staff spent a lot of time last month evaluating prospects on the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) circuit, which features Darius Garland, Jalen Carey, Cole Swider and several others.

Here’s our spring recap of how some of IU’s recruiting targets in the class of 2018 and 2019 have performed statistically on the EYBL circuit through three sessions. The EYBL circuit continues at the end of the month with a stop in Los Angeles and then concludes in July with the EYBL finals at the Peach Jam.

(Special thanks to Open Analytics for several advanced statistics referenced in this story.)

· Darius Garland, Bradley Beal Elite (9-3): There’s a reason Garland is regarded as one of the top players nationally in the class of 2018: he produces at an elite level.

Through 12 EYBL games this year, he’s averaging 17 points, 4.9 assists, three rebounds and 1.1 steals per game. His assist rate is strong (29.7%) as is his efficiency. Garland currently owns an effective field goal percentage of 53.5. He’s making 58.5 percent of his 2s in the EYBL, which is terrific for a guard. He’s also hitting 86.7 percent from the free throw line.

· Cole Swider, BABC (7-5): Swider has been one of the breakout players this spring on the EYBL circuit. The BABC forward is averaging 19.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.

He has a very solid steal rate (3.5 percent), a strong effective field goal percentage (55.9) and is making 33.7 percent of his 3s through three sessions.

· Jalen Carey, Playaz Club (7-5): Carey, a combo guard, is averaging 18.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game and as a result, has added several offers this spring, including Indiana and Kansas.

Carey’s effective field goal percentage is 57.1 and he’s shooting 47.3 percent on 3s and 50 percent on 2s, but just 63.5 percent from the free throw line.

· Louis King, Team Final (7-5): King is averaging 19.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists for Team Final this spring on the circuit.

His efficiency is strong (54 effective field goal percentage) as is his offensive rebounding (10.3 OR%). He’s shooting 52.1 percent on 2s and 38.9 percent on 3s.

· Trendon Watford, Team Nike Florida (5-7): Watford, the younger brother of Christian Watford, added an Indiana scholarship offer on Thursday night.

After playing last season with Alabama Challenge, he’s second on Nike Team Florida in scoring this spring at 13.1 points per game. He’s also averaging 4.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game.

Watford’s efficiency is strong as he owns an effective field goal percentage of 58.6. He’s making 61 percent of his 2s, 35.3 percent of his 3s and 61.4 percent of his free throws.

· Isaiah Stewart, City Rocks (7-5): Stewart is one of the top bigs in the class of 2019 and added an Indiana scholarship offer earlier in the spring. He’s averaging 11 points and 8.4 rebounds through 12 games this spring on the circuit.

Stewart has been excellent on the glass with an offensive rebounding percentage of 17.5 and a defensive rebounding percentage of 20.8. Both numbers lead his team.

· Keion Brooks Jr., Spiece Indy Heat (5-7): The top 2019 prospect in Indiana, Brooks added a scholarship offer from the Hoosiers shortly after Archie Miller took over in Bloomington. He’s leading Spiece Indy Heat in scoring this spring at 18.6 points per game. He’s also been strong on the glass with 7.1 rebounds per game.

Brooks is shooting just 48 percent on 2s and 23.3 percent on 3s, but has done a very solid job at getting to the foul line (free throw rate of 46.6 percent) and converting once he’s there (72.3 percent on free throws).

· James Wiseman, Bradley Beal Elite (9-3): Wiseman didn’t play in the third EYBL session and is reportedly switching to Team Penny for the rest of the season. In eight games for Bradley Beal Elite, he averaged 10.3 points, eight rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game.

In terms of his efficiency, he made close to 61 percent of his 2s. He was also strong on the offensive (10.9 OR%) and defensive glass (24.9 DR%).

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