HAMPTON, Va. - The Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) is in session for the second straight weekend, this time at the Boo Williams Sportsplex. The first day of action at the third EYBL session saw Stephen Zimmerman, De'Aaron Fox and others play at a high level.
Strong day for Soldiers frontcourt
When a team's frontcourt features the second and fourth ranked players, it's no surprise when they dominate the competition. In an afternoon matchup with an undersized All-Ohio Red team, the Oakland Soliders frontcourt of Ivan Rabb (No. 2) and Stephen Zimmerman (No. 4), with the help of recent USC commit Chimezie Metu (No. 46) controlled the paint on both ends of the court.
Zimmerman displayed his all-around game on his way to posting a double-double of 11 points and 12 rebounds. Comfortable playing inside around the basket or on the perimeter off the pick-and-pop, the five-star prospect showed three-point range and a knack for making the right pass. At the moment, he's focused on eight schools: Arizona, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, North Carolina, UCLA and UNLV.
While not posting a stat line like Zimmerman, Rabb still made some plays that showed people why he's such a hot commodity amongst college coaches. The 6-foot-9 power forward is hard to guard on the block with his ability to play with his back to the basket and finish in traffic.
Playing behind two of the top five players in the country, there isn't a ton of playing time left for Metu. That didn't stop the USC commit from taking advantage of the playing time he did receive. The near seven-footer plays with a ton of energy and oozes potential. On one occasion, Metu caught the ball on the right wing, took a couple dribbles right before going with an impressive spin move to the basket. It's quite clear Metu's best days are ahead of him.
Fox finishes off Stars
In a closely contested game from start to finish between the Georgia Stars and Houston Hoops, it was the play of 2016 shooting guard De'Aaron Fox that propelled Houston Hoops to the victory. To put it simply, Fox was fantastic when it mattered most.
At about 6-foot-3, the five-star prospect in the 2016 class is wired to score. In the win over the Georgia Stars, it was mostly Fox's mid-range game that was on display. He uses a combination of ball moves and quickness that allows him to get in the paint whenever he wants to slice up a defense. Once in the paint, he's not only a threat to score, but he's a willing passer.
Just now finishing up his sophomore year of high school, Fox says scholarship offers have come in from Kansas State, Houston, Texas, Texas A&M, SMU and Baylor. Louisville has also been in contact with the No. 8 prospect in the 2016 Rivals150.