2024 Nike EYBL season begins for top college basketball recruits. Here are the names to know.

Mark Pope is currently focused on putting his first Kentucky basketball team together for the 2024-25 season. But as UK’s new head coach begins to establish a framework for his program culture in Lexington, it won’t be long until that focus includes the Wildcats’ long-term future.

And several players who could be part of that future will be starting their travel basketball seasons this weekend.

The Nike EYBL circuit — which under former UK coach John Calipari was a showcase of the top prospects that UK recruited — begins its 2024 season this weekend with a three-day event in Memphis. This is the first of five Nike EYBL sessions that will take place this spring and summer, culminating in the prestigious Peach Jam event in mid-July in North Augusta, South Carolina.

Pope, who was announced as the Kentucky basketball coach April 12, has yet to issue a Kentucky scholarship offer to a current high school player. Pope’s roster-building efforts have focused on the NCAA transfer portal and trying to secure recruiting visits and commitments from current college players.

But soon enough, Pope’s high school basketball recruiting strategy at Kentucky will become apparent.

Here’s a look at the top players who are running on the Nike EYBL circuit this year, including several who held Kentucky scholarship offers from Calipari’s time as head coach.

College coaches will have the opportunity to be in person, in the gym for two Nike EYBL events this season: The regular season event in Indianapolis that runs from May 17 -19 and the season-ending Peach Jam event in mid-July.

Top 2025 players begin final grassroots season

A glance at the top of the college basketball recruiting rankings for 2025 includes several players who are about to embark on their final Nike EYBL seasons.

This elite group includes guard Darius Acuff Jr. (The Family), former Woodford County High School guard Jasper Johnson (Team Thad), top-ranked prospect small forward AJ Dybantsa (Oakland Soldiers), power forward Cameron Boozer (Nightrydas Elite) and power forward Caleb Wilson (Georgia Stars).

Under Calipari, Kentucky had scholarship offers out to and was actively recruiting all of these players as well as Cameron Boozer’s twin brother, Cayden, who is a top guard prospect.

Both of the Boozer twins play together on the Nightrydas Elite team.

Earlier this week, Dybantsa’s father, Ace, told ESPN that he expects Kentucky to re-offer a scholarship to his son.

“We’re expecting BYU and Kentucky to offer soon,” Ace Dybantsa said. “Arkansas, Auburn, Alabama, Baylor, Cincinnati, Providence, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Kansas, North Carolina, and others have offered. I expect more after the first live period on May 17-19. We will cut the list down to five schools in early June and take five visits in the fall.”

This week, Kentucky basketball’s new coaching staff — including Pope and newly hired assistant coach Jason Hart — reached out to Johnson, a former Central Kentucky high school star and a top backcourt prospect in the 2025 recruiting class.

Johnson’s father is Dennis Johnson, the former Harrodsburg, UK and NFL football player who serves as the head football coach and athletics director at Woodford County.

“Pope is a good dude. He’s energetic just like he was at his press conference (in Rupp Arena),” Dennis Johnson told Vaughts Views this week. “He wants guys to play for the name on the front of the jersey and not the name on the back.”

As is commonplace, almost all of the top class of 2025 prospects remain uncommitted and have yet to pledge to attend a school for their college career.

One of the few elite players that has already committed will be in action in Memphis, though: Four-star point guard Jeremiah Fears, a verbal commit to Illinois, will be playing with Indy Heat.

Louisville native Tyran Stokes competes for top spot in 2026 class

Kentucky fans became familiar with power forward Tyran Stokes last year, when he claimed an early spot at the top of the 2026 recruiting rankings.

Originally from Louisville, Stokes was the only class of 2026 player to be extended a scholarship offer by Calipari before the former UK head coach stepped down from that post in early April to become the new head coach at Arkansas.

Stokes, who is teammates with Dybantsa at California’s Prolific Prep, will also be teammates with Dybantsa this season on the Nike EYBL circuit. Both players moved from their former EYBL programs to play together on the Oakland Soldiers squad.

Dybantsa previously played with Expressions Elite and Stokes previously played with Vegas Elite, a team that reached the championship game of last year’s Peach Jam.

Relatives of NBA players again among top recruits

Plenty of players with family ties to former NBA stars will again be gracing the Nike EYBL circuit this spring and summer.

This group includes class of 2025 four-star small forward Jermaine O’Neal Jr. (Drive Nation), class of 2025 four-star guard Kiyan Anthony (Team Melo) and class of 2026 five-star small forward Tajh Ariza (WhyNot), in addition to the Boozer twins.

Class of 2026 prospects still can’t be directly contacted

While a lot of the focus during the grassroots season is on class of 2025 prospects as their recruitments kick into high gear, a key date is coming up for class of 2026 prospects.

College coaches are not allowed to directly contact recruits in the 2026 recruiting group until June 15.

Once that date arrives, college coaches from around the country will begin working the phones to try and establish relationships with players and their families in the hope of securing a commitment down the road.

2024 Nike EYBL schedule

▪ Session 1: Memphis (April 26-28)

▪ Session 2: Atlanta (May 3-5)

▪ Session 3: Indianapolis (May 17-19)

▪ Session 4: Kansas City (May 24-27)

▪ Peach Jam: North Augusta, South Carolina (July 13-21)