In yet another sign that the Sunshine State has blossomed into one of the premier areas for boys basketball, the Orlando-based Florida Rebels won July’s prestigious Nike EYBL Peach Jam Classic to cap their summer as the best 17U team in the Nike circuit.
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The Rebels are only the third Florida squad to win Peach Jam, but the second in three years. The Miami-based Nightrydas, armed with renowned twins Cameron and Cayden Boozer, won the tournament in 2024.
Before that, the only previous Florida team to win the Nike event — which dates to 1996 — was the 2013 Each 1 Teach 1 team that featured current NBA guards D’Angelo Russell of Montverde Academy and Grayson Allen of Providence School in Jacksonville; along with Lake Highland Prep star Joel Berry II.
Steve Reece, the Oak Ridge High School head coach who directs the Florida Rebels travel team program, was an assistant coach for that championship E1T1 team.
“Winning the Peach Jam is the biggest honor in high school basketball,” Reece said. “These same guys lost in the final of the 16U (age group) last year. For them to come back and win it this year is what made it so special.”
Yet another electrifying backcourt blue-chipper, Cayden Daughtry, led the Rebels to a 71-60 victory against Drive Nation of Texas for the 2026 title. He stole the show with 33 points, nine rebounds and six assists in the final at North Augusta, South Carolina. That came after he averaged 34.8 points in five pool play games.
Daughtry, who led Calvary Christian of Fort Lauderdale to the FHSAA Class 3A state championship and a national No. 2 ranking in March, stands only 6-feet, 155 pounds, but he has been lauded as the most skillful player in the country by Adam Finkelstein, director of scouting for 247Sports.
Daughtry averaged 32.3 points, 6.1 assists, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.9 steals in eight Peach Jam games. He shot 58.6% from the field, 48.8% on 3-point shots and 91% on free throws.
“He can do everything,” Reece said. “He’s been in our program since fourth grade. Last year he played up with the 17s team.”
The Rebels’ Peach Jam victory was no fluke. They were tops in the Elite Youth Basketball League regular season, averaging nearly 90 points while going 13-2.
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Daughtry’s performance was record-setting, but also not a huge surprise. Despite his lack of size, he has rocketed up recruiting rankings. He is now at No. 3 on the 247Sports list of Class of 2027 prospects — trailing only two more Floridian players who came from out of state to play for Orlando’s Southeastern Prep Academy: Beckham Black, a 6-3 guard, and CJ Rosser, a 6-10 point guard. Daughtry’s lengthy offer list includes UConn, Florida, FSU, Iowa, Kentucky, Miami and Louisville.
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Black was elevated No. 1 after the previous top dog, Marcus Spears Jr., reclassified to become an early graduate and play this season for the Texas Longhorns.
The Rebels’ second-leading scorer at 16.8 points per game, Oneal Delancey, is a 6-3 rising senior for Montverde Academy who has committed to sign with Houston. Nijuan Harris, a 6-5 junior for Boca Ciega of St. Petersburg, averaged 14.8.
Two new Oak Ridge players, Maddox Harden and Bishop Wenze II, played for the Florida Elite title team, as did Olympia’s James Nowells, who was a first team All-Area guard as a junior.
Harden, 6-8, played for Orlando Christian Prep as a junior. Wenze, also 6-8, played for Olympia as a junior.
Winter Park repeats as 7A girls volleyball state champion
Volleyball tip-offs
Winter Park, which went 31-1 as repeat state champions last year, will again host a preseason classic that has become a tradition for four perennial powers in the sport. The Wildcats host 2025 Class 4A state champ Bishop Moore, 3A runner-up Lake Highland Prep and 2A state semifinalist Orangewood Christian next week.
The Wednesday matchups are Orangewood vs. LHP at 5 p.m.; followed by Winter Park vs. Bishop Moore at 7.
On Thursday, Wednesday’s losers play at 5 and the winners square off at 7.
Oviedo, the reigning 6A state champ, is home for preseason play. That lineup has Trinity Prep vs. The First Academy at 5 and Oviedo vs. Dr. Phillips at 7 on Tuesday; and DP vs. Trinity Prep at 5 and Oviedo vs. TFA at 7 on Thursday.
This is the second week of preseason practice for all the fall high school sports: bowling, cross country, golf, football, swimming and girls volleyball.
Classes begin for students next week and football kicks off with its preseason games. Those include Buchholz at defending state champ Lake Mary in a Thursday night game. The Friday slate includes Lake Brantley at Bishop Moore, Armwood at Edgewater and Jones making a road trip to play Miami Central.
Volleyball star Isabel Incinnelli leaves 7A champ Winter Park for Orangewood
Varsity content editor Buddy Collings can be contacted by email at [email protected].
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