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Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
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Thursday / May 9.
  • By ADAM ZAGORIA & TOM KONCHALSKI

    NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. — After four days on the scene, here are the All-Peach Jam teams composed by Tom Konchalski and Adam Zagoria.

    Armando Bacot of Peach Jam champion Team Takeover and IMG Academy (FL), who averaged 11.6 points and 12.1 rebounds, and Isaiah Stewart of of the Albany City Rocks and La Lumiere (IN), are the Co-MVPs of Peach Jam.

    Four of the five players on the First Team also won gold medals with USA Basketball this summer. Bacot and Cole Anthony of the PSA Cardinals won gold with the U18 team at the FIBA 18 Americas Championship in St. Catharines, Ontario, while Stewart and Vernon Carey of Nike Team Florida captured gold with the U17 team at the FIBA U17 World Championship in Argentina.

    First Team All-Peach Jam:

    Cole Anthony, 6-2 G, PSA Cardinals, 2019

    Although he fell short of his goal of leading the PSA Cardinals at least to the quarterfinals, Anthony demonstrated that he’s the best guard in the Class of 2019 — and probably in the nation regardless of class. Anthony will now turn his attention to choosing a high school for the 2018-19 school year, and then to picking a college list from a Who’s Who of suitors, including North Carolina, Oregon, Louisville, Villanova, Michigan, Kentucky and Duke.

    Armando Bacot, 6-10 F/C, Team Takeover, 2019**

    The big man who will spend his senior season at IMG Academy (FL) stepped up his game on the biggest of stages, putting up 14 points and 12 rebounds in the semifinal win over MoKan Elite and 14 and 11 in the championship game win over Team Why Not? Kentucky has now jumped into a recruitment that includes Duke, North Carolina, Oklahoma State, VCU and Virginia Tech.

    Vernon Carey, 6-10 F, Nike Team Florida, 2019

    Fresh off winning a gold medal with the U17 team in Argentina, Carey brought his A game to Peach Jam. He played a big part in handing Team Takeover its only loss of the EYBL season, going for 25 points on 10-of-14 shooting with eight rebounds in a 71-60 win. He also had 23 and 10 in a 70-69 loss to James Wiseman and Bluff City. Duke and Miami are the clubhouse leaders for Carey, who is also considering Kentucky, Michigan State and North Carolina.

    Isaiah Stewart, 6-8 F, Albany City Rocks, 2019**

    Along with Bacot, Stewart was the top big man at the Peach Jam, averaging 21.0 points, 12.1 rebounds and 1.7 blocks. He is being recruited by a slew of high-major programs, including Villanova, Syracuse and Duke, and plans to cut his list to five schools from 10 in the coming weeks.

    James Wiseman, 7-0 F, Bluff City Legends, 2019

    The 7-foot Wiseman was unable to lead his team into the quarterfinals of Peach Jam, but did solidify himself as one of the top big men in the class and a potential future lottery pick. He went for 23 points and 9 rebounds in the win over Carey and Nike Team Florida. As for recruiting, Wiseman attended the final and told ESPNU that “Memphis and Kentucky are most definitely my top two schools right now.”

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