What to watch for in July
The story lines to follow headed into the biggest weeks of the summer
On the travel circuit, July is by far the busiest month of the summer, and keeping up with all the tournaments, camps and skills academies can be tough. But, if you track nothing else this summer, here are a few story lines to keep an eye on this month:
Who is the best team on the Nike circuit?
Nothing shook up our Power Rankings this spring like the EYBL schedule. The Oakland Soldiers started at No. 1, then CIA Bounce took over and now it’s the Texas Titans. Peach Jam will be the one opportunity for all those teams and more to figure out who has best Nike club on the circuit. Julius Randle, Andrew Wiggins, Theo Pinson, Wayne Selden and Jabari Parker are just a few of the big names you’ll see at the event. Peach Jam runs from July 18-22 and will play out in South Carolina.
What kind of matchups will we see at adidas?
Perhaps we will get to see the Florida Rams and Garner Road, two teams that have stayed together in the rankings for weeks, battle it out. If we do, adidas Super 64 will likely be where that happens, proving once again that that tournament is one of the best of the summer. The Rams beat them earlier in the year, but both teams boast some of the best players in the country. Kasey Hill, Brannen Greene and Chris Walker lead the way for the Rams, while Garner Road is paced by Isaiah Hicks and Anton Gill.
Who will make a statement at the LeBron James Skills Academy?
The LeBron James Skills Academy is coming up later this week from July 6-9, and you should stay with Five-Star for the latest updates. While the official roster isn’t out yet, Chris McCullough, Noah Vonleh, Isaiah Briscoe and Walker will all attend with the opportunity to showcase their skills against star-studded lineups.
What will happen at the annual Under Armour Summer Jam?
This will probably be the best NY2LA event of the summer with Sports U., the Houston Defenders and D.C. Assault 17U teams in attendance. That means Hallice Cooke, the Harrison Twins and Nate Britt will all be competing in the same tournament. Last month at Under Armour Are You From Here, the Milwaukee Runnin’ Rebels stunned the field to win the whole thing, but the power houses won’t want to let that happen again.
Also, speaking of the Defenders, be sure keep watching our Houston Defenders Summer Series. If you missed part one, you can watch it here.
