Cam Thomas left little doubt about his scoring prowess when he visited the Culligan City of Palms Classic in December. But perhaps because of the competition, the overwhelming talent surrounding him with Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Virginia), or both, his 23.3 City of Palms scoring average may be merely a conservative indication of his ability to get buckets.
The 6-foot-3 Class of 2020 shooting guard led the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League in scoring this year with 29.5 points per game, and he really turned it on over Memorial Day weekend in the EYBL’s Dallas session. Thomas had outings of 42 and 41 points during his team’s five-game run, and his 32.6 points per game scoring average for the weekend led to him being named EYBL Dallas Offensive Player of the Session.
Thomas seems destined to rise from his current ranking of No. 20 in ESPN’s Class of 2020 rankings, as does the player rated one spot above him. Sharife Cooper continued to show why he was such an integral part of the historic McEachern (Powder Springs, Georgia) team that stormed to championships in the Culligan City of Palms Classic, the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions and the Georgia Class 7A state tournament. The 6-foot point guard finished the EYBL regular season fifth in scoring with 25.5 points per game and second in assists with 8.0 per game.
Cooper’s AOT Running Rebels squad qualified for the Peach Jam, which serves as the championship of the EYBL. The team looks a lot like McEachern, with Cooper, Alyn Breed, Jerod Bush and Quinton McElroy all on the roster. AOT is in the same pool as Team Takeover, the defending Peach Jam champions who lived up to their name last year with a dominant 23-1 season. This year’s Takeover squad features City of Palms alums Trevor Keels, of Paul VI (Fairfax, Virginia), and Dimingus Stevens, of Woodrow Wilson (Washington, D.C.).
Thomas is on the Boo Williams team, which shares a pool with Team Final. That Team Final squad boasts Elijah Taylor, who started for Imhotep Charter (Philadelphia) in the 2018 Culligan City of Palms Classic title game against McEachern.
Indeed, the ties run deep between the Peach Jam, set for July 10-14 in Augusta, Georgia, and the Culligan City of Palms Classic — the nation’s best summer showcase and best winter showcase, respectively.