Peach Jam: The Cassidy Awards

NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. – The 2022 Peach Jam is in the books and the week that was in Augusta featured a long list of players that impressed fans, coaches and scouts with their performances. Rivals.com recruiting director Rob Cassidy was in the gym for three days and now hands out awards for the performances he witnessed.

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MORE PEACH JAM: Friday's takeaways | Thursday's takeaways | Wednesday's takeaways | Takeaways from the beginning of the event

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WHAT HE DID: McBride is really hitting his stride in recent months and looked as quick and effective as we’ve ever seen him at Peach Jam. The 6-foot-8 forward has dropped a lot of bad weight and has added new versatility to his game as he’s now capable of playing either forward spot. In addition to the new leaner look, McBride has added a quick pull-up jumper to his repertoire and looks miles more comfortable on the perimeter. On Thursday, he went for 33 points on 13-for-19 shooting while knocking down five 3-pointers. His current No. 125 ranking should improve drastically in the next update.

RECRUITMENT: There could be more scholarship offers in store for the improved McBride, but Arkansas, Arizona State, Texas Tech, Colorado State and TCU are most involved as things stand. He plans to take a flurry of visits this fall.

WHAT HE DID: Power, who currently sits at No. 63 in the Rivals150, wasn’t the highest-ranked prospect in attendance. He was, however, possibly the most popular. Power arrived at the event as one of the hottest players in the country. Schools such as Duke, UCLA, North Carolina and Kansas have offered him this summer and he took his opportunity on the big stage to remind everyone why that is. Power turned in one of the top performances of the tournament on Friday afternoon, using a 28-point, 11-rebound performance to lead his BABC squad to a win over Team Thad. Power is showing the ability to score from all over the floor and create serious matchup issues.

RECRUITMENT: Power has already visited Iowa, Notre Dame and Virginia. He’ll tour Duke and North Carolina this week. The Irish are seen as a serious threat to land Power, but the new blueblood interest could change things in a hurry. Notre Dame, Duke, UNC and UVA feel like the schools to watch going forward. Kansas could get involved should it get Power to Lawrence on a visit.

WHAT HE DID: In a Friday night game jam-packed with top 25-type prospects, the 41st-ranked Holloway turned in a well-rounded, game-changing effort that proved he deserves to be mentioned among the 2023 elite. On a court that featured players such as DJ Wagner, GG Jackson, Mackenzie Mgbako and Aaron Bradshaw, Holloway led Team CP3 to a victory with 19 points and 10 assists while taking over the game for stretches and showing his wide-ranging offensive arsenal.

RECRUITMENT: Holloway will soon choose between Auburn and Tennessee. He’s thought to be a heavy lean toward Bruce Pearl’s Tigers.

WHAT HE DID: Jackson was involved in Friday’s marquee matchup, as he and his CP3 team were pitted against No. 3 overall prospect DJ Wagner and his loaded NJ Scholars squad in an absolutely packed gym juiced with energy. The moment was big, and Jackson was equally as large in the moment. Jackson will soon lose his No. 1 ranking as he’s set to reclassify, but he looked every bit the No. 1 prospect in 2023 during the 18-point, five-rebound effort. Potential is beginning to turn into production for Jackson, whose NBA upside has long been obvious.

RECRUITMENT: Jackson is committed to South Carolina and will reclassify to 2022 in an effort to suit up for the Gamecocks this season.

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WHAT HE DID: Johnson is 6-foot and 160 pounds on a good day. But while he lacks elite size for the pro game, it's absolutely impossible to argue with the way he impacts high-level games. A tough, supremely confident point guard, Johnson is lighting quick end to end and is a creative passer that creates for himself and others. On Thursday, he posted 22 points on 9-for-18 shooting, racked up eight assists and knocked down a game-winning floater in the lane. Johnson impacts winning in countless ways offensively and has the motor to become a solid positional defender at the college level.

RECRUITMENT: Johnson says Seton Hall and Pittsburgh are the schools in most frequent contact. He has a relationship with Pitt assistant Tim O’Toole that dates back to Johnson’s freshman year. The four-star guard plans to set official visits in the coming weeks.

WHAT HE DID: Bradshaw has been a bit inconsistent at times during his high school career, but things seem to be clicking at the right time for the 7-footer, who has become more assertive in the paint and is collecting more second-chance points and two-handed dunks. He’s long been a prolific shot blocker, but his offensive impact now seems to be catching up with his defense, as he’s more willing to take and knock down open looks from the perimeter.

RECRUITMENT: Bradshaw’s recruitment is murkier than it once looked. The New Jersey-bred big man looked like a Kentucky lock a month ago, but things on that front seem to have changed. Louisville is now in the mix, as are UCLA and Texas, both of which may receive official visits in the near future.

lWHAT HE DID: On Friday, Williams was given the chance to play in a gym stocked to the rafters with fans and college coaches that essentially crawled over each other to get a look at Bronny James, against whom Williams’ Vegas Elite team played. The 6-foot-8 wing made the most of his opportunity. WIlliams creates for himself off the dribble, and he keeps defenders honest with the threat of a jumper. But his bread and butter is his quickness and ability to score off the bounce. His length provides defensive versatility, and he’ll get even better on that end as he continues to add muscle. Williams seems a bit undervalued at No. 51 in the Rivals150.

RECRUITMENT: UCLA, Arizona, Arizona State and LSU are all involved with Williams.

WHAT HE DID: The Maine-based Flagg arrived at Peach Jam with a budding reputation as the top prospect in the 2025, and he looked the part for stretches in Augusta. He turned in an effortless double-double in a Thursday morning game against a talented 15U Team Takeover squad, blocking shots in the lane as well as on the perimeter while knocking down shots from deep and dunking anything close to the rack. Flagg’s length, instincts and shooting touch are incredibly advanced for such a young prospect. The 6-foot-8 15-year-old is able to create offense for himself in a number of manners, including taking defenders off the dribble and finishing at the rim with advanced body control.

RECRUITMENT: Flagg already holds a number of major offers, including one from Duke, which he has publicly called his “dream school.” The budding star is a long way from a commitment, obviously, but the Blue Devils should be seen as the early leader.

WHAT HE DID: One of the marquee names in the 2025 class, Boozer reminded everyone he is very much in the conversation for the top spot in the class during a Friday matchup with fellow 2025 star Cooper Flagg. The son of the Duke legend with the same last name, Boozer frustrated Flagg at times, using his size and aggression to take him out of his game with physicality while going for 20 points of his own. It should be noted that Boozer plays on a much deeper grassroots team than Flagg and is more developed from a physical standpoint. That said, the rankings battle between the two is just getting started and will likely rage on for years.

RECRUITMENT: Boozer and his twin brother, Cayden, hold early offers from Duke, which is seen as the early favorite for obvious reasons. The twins have already taken an unofficial visit to Florida State as well.

WHAT HE DID: Wilcher averaged 19 points, 5 assists and 5 rebounds during pool play and did so while shooting better than 50% from the floor. One game saw the point guard score 30 points on an almost unfathomable 83% shooting. Wilcher had a bit of an unstable start to the spring, but he has found his stride down the stretch and inserted himself back in the discussion for top point guard in the class during his run in Augusta. Wilcher is a true thee-level scorer that brings a rare brand of intensity to every possession.

RECRUITMENT: Wilcher is committed to North Carolina.

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