AAU season is officially up on us. While there have been a number of outstanding independent AAU events throughout the country to get things going this spring, the circuit truly starts when the shoe companies begin having their events. While Adidas, Under Armour, New Balance all have significant amounts of talent on their respective circuits, there is one league that is usually on a completely different level: Nike EYBL.
Held just outside of Phoenix at the Arizona Athletic Grounds in Mesa, EYBL Session I offered rising seniors the chance to solidify their reputations in one final AAU go-around. Unlike most other AAU events, players played one game a day, making it difficult to decide which games to watch at times with such a vast amount of talent in the building. Thankfully, the Ballislife team was rolling deep with Ani Umana, Ronnie Flores, and myself all manning different courts to check out the action.
That being said, here is a more in depth look at a number of the top 2026 players who caught my eye at the 17U level:
Tajh Ariza, 6’8, SF, Team Why Not/St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.)
In my eyes, there wasn’t a player who solidified their reputation more at EYBL Session 1 than Tajh Ariza. The son of longtime NBA vet Trevor Ariza has similarities to his father in that he is a 6-foot-8+ two way wing, but the younger Ariza has an even more advanced offensive game at the same point. The lithe swingman was a beast of a finisher in transition, was virtually unstoppable on straight line drives to the rack, and showed outstanding touch with his finishes in the paint. A well known commodity for quite some time on the West Coast, Ariza is certainly cementing himself as a consensus top 5 player with his play at the EYBL.
J. J. Andrews, 6’6, SG/SF, Brad Beal Elite/Little Rock Christian Academy (Ark.)
A staple of consistency, J.J. Andrews is one of those wings who is constantly in attack mode that you just absolutely hate to have the task of guarding. The powerful lefty knows how to score effectively with limited dribbles, physically punished smaller defenders in the paint with his 220 pound frame, and stopped on the dime for pull ups with his mid-range game. Once you toss in his 19.7 point per game scoring average and ability to guard multiple positions, it’s easy to see why Andrews is approaching five star status.
Christian Collins, 6’8, SF, Team Why Not/St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.)
There aren’t many players who have exploded more in the past 18 months than Christian Collins, and that ascension doesn’t appear to be stopping any time soon. The forward is so remarkably talented that he makes the game look incredibly easy on the floor, whether it be scoring off screens or creating buckets for himself. He possesses great touch shooting from the perimeter, is remarkably coordinated for a developing player his size, and utilizes his size to finish over the top of defenders in the paint. Forming the best duo in the EYBL with Tajh Ariza, both should likely find themselves as top-5 players by virtually every scouting service sooner rather than later.
Jalen Montonati, 6’7, SF, MoKan Elite/Owasso (Okla.)
It wasn’t necessarily the best weekend for Jalen Montonati numbers wise, but the impact that he offered as a plug and play swingman was evident in Phoenix. The big wing showed off effortless range well beyond the 3-point arc, had a release high enough to get his shot off over virtually any defender, and keeps you honest enough as a scoring threat with putting the ball on the floor a few times and scoring over the top via a soft touch. Oklahoma’s best player definitely plays the game at his own pace as well, making him a matchup nightmare for opposing defenders on the perimeter.
Katrelle Harmon, 6’4, PG/SG, Vegas Elite/Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah)
Having played varsity since he was an 8th grader in Seattle with BFL Prep, Katrelle Harmon has been producing at a high rate for quite some time now, and while he has always been known as a scorer, his development as a playmaker for others has been fun to watch. Maintaining his scoring presence to the tune of 24.7 points per game with Vegas Elite, Harmon also displayed his ability as a catalyst for Wasatch Academy, leading the EYBL Scholastic League with 6.2 assists per game. Harmon plays the game with a great change of pace, is elite getting at drawing fouls (shot 39 free throws in 3 games at EYBL), and is looking like he’s going to be the next in line from the vastly underrated Pacific Northwest.
Marcus Johnson, 6’2, PG, Spiece Indy Heat/Garfield Heights (Ohio)
Arguably the best individual shot creator in the class of 2026, Marcus Johnson showed his ability to create separation against anyone in the opening session of the EYBL. The lefty from Cleveland is outstanding using his footwork and effortless range to get to his step-back jump shot. He has also improved as a finisher to the point he keeps you honest with his potential to attack the rack. The reigning Ohio Mr. Basketball (his father, Sonny, also won Ohio Mr. Basketball) is the focal point of coach Jake Diebler’s new look Ohio State Buckeye recruiting class.
