If you haven't been paying attention to the Nike Peach Jam (or reading the Maryland Minute) you've missed on one heck of an event. This might've been the most action-packed AAU event this year - bigger than the LBJSA, It Takes 5ive, Tournament of Champions, and probably Boo Williams, too. Maybe it's hyperbole, but I don't think so. It was quite the event. For those who need a recap, here's what happened:
The Rise of Tobias Harris: Tobias Harris has arrived. I have a feeling Nike Peach Jam is for him what Boo Williams and TOC were for Will Barton. He was active offensively - actually, nearly unstoppable - okay defensively, good on the boards, focused, and most importantly, in shape. I'd be very surprised if he wasn't a top 15 or so player and a 5 star on all the major services. Maryland is probably still an outsider, but he'll be officially cutting his list within 2 weeks, so we can find out for sure then.
The Matchup: Tobias Harris vs. Terrence Jones: Two of Maryland's top targets faced off early in pool play, both playing that increasingly ubiquitous combo forward position. Harris ended up beating Jones, but not by much. It's these types of matchups that make you regret not driving 8 hours to Augusta...but only a little bit.
Team Takeover's Takeover: Team Takeover, DC Assault's biggest rival in the DC hoops scene, seems to be finally beginning their takeover. Armed with Victor Oladipo, Jerian Grant, and Michael Gbinije, the Takeoverers (is there are noun for this?) went undefeated in pool play, the only team to do so. It was a big surprise, to say the least. Unfortunately, they ended up losing to Team Final in the quarterfinals by a point, but there's no shame in losing to Rakeem Christmas, Michael Gilchrist, and Trevor Cooney. Perhaps Takeover will be a bit more Terp-friendly than DC Assault, the current DC basketball overlord.
The Pursuit of Terrence Jones: Terrence Jones appears to be Maryland's top target for 2010 - a risky proposition, to be sure, but one probably worth taking. NBE tells us Gary was watching Jones' I-5 Elite take on the Arkansas Wings early on Monday. Before that, he was watching Jones go head to head with Harris. Later in the day, he caught Jones and his crew play Boo Williams. He even watched I-5 get beaten badly by Team Final. In short, as Rivals pointed out, Maryland's watching Jones very closely.
New Prospect Alert: A few new names broke (most of them from @insidemdsports via Twitter): Hunter Mickelson, Julian Royal, Shannon Scott, and Matt Gorski. All four are 2011 prospects, and all four look pretty promising (expect Gorski - he looks promising and a little bit like Frankenstein).
There you have it. Let me know if I forgot anything.