Peach Jam Should Be Bucket List Item for Any Hoops Junkie

Mac Yocum with his son, Sam, at Peach Jam.

By MAC YOCUM, Contributing Writer

Kentucky basketball fans have long been known to go to great lengths to watch their teams play. They have also been known to go to great lengths to catch a glimpse of any players that the coaches may be looking at on the recruiting trail.

Recruiting gurus like Clark Francis and Rick Bolus used to fuel the fans’ desires for recruiting news via the nightly radio sports shows. The internet has made it easier for fans to get their info, but nothing beats watching the best of the best in person.

Since 1996, college coaches and hoops junkies have descended on North Augusta, S.C., for nine days of high school hoops heaven called the Peach Jam. The Riverview Park Activities Center is home to the show. Fifteen dollars gets you five courts of nonstop action all day long. For most games there are plenty of seats, but for a game of heavyweight AAU teams or when the high profile guys are playing you might not get in that particular court.

The ever-present security team will shut the doors to a particular court when they deem seating at capacity. During an Oakland Soldiers game, featuring number one recruit AJ Dybantsa and Louisville native Tyran Stokes, I made the mistake of stepping out to take a phone call. Not even two minutes later I had no option but to watch the live stream on the lobby TV. The game involving Lebron James’ son Bryce James, being played on the court with the most seating, was closed off by security 15 minutes before tipoff.

Be aware that if you leave the Activities Center you will have to pay again to get back in. There really is no need to leave. In addition to the typical concession stands, there is a Chick-fil-A in the Activities Center. As a side note, a racquetball court is converted to a barbershop during the event so the players can be properly coiffed for their games.

The vast majority of the games are highly competitive. Occasionally, a lesser team will run into a powerhouse and the game is over quickly. In those rare cases, just go to one of the other courts and you will find a better game. There are games involving 15U, 16U, the Peach Invitational Tournament or PIT teams (those that didn’t qualify for the EYBL national tournament) and the EYBL tournament qualifiers. You will find a great game somewhere in the building.

All of the EYBL qualifiers are loaded with players with D1 offers. Here’s a tip, pay attention to those sitting around you. You can learn about who’s recruiting which kid and which schools some kids like. Coaches and NBA personnel sit across the court and most parents are sitting in the same section with the average fans and they are sometimes quite vocal about their son. There were several players that Kentucky coach Mark Pope has an interest in. I won’t go into details about all of them. Their names will be thrown around enough over the next few months.

However, I would be remiss if I didn’t throw at couple of under-the-radar names. Remember the names Hudson Greer and Maper Makur. Remember, you can learn a lot by just listening to those sitting around you at the Peach Jam.

Besides great basketball, the people watching at the Peach Jam is second to none. You never know who you might see. In the two days my son and I were there we saw Paul Biancardi, Chris Paul, Carlos Boozer, Maurice Taylor, Mrs. Lebron James, and more. The person who gathered the most attention while we were there was national championship coach Dawn Staley of South Carolina. It is truly a unique experience to have that much basketball talent, and the associated celebrities that go with it, in one spot for nine straight days.

From Kentucky, it is an easy trip to North Augusta. Make a stop in the wonderful Asheville area. Explore the beautiful Upstate area of South Carolina on the way down. Go through the picturesque campuses at Furman University and Clemson University. Stop at the world famous Groucho’s Deli in downtown Anderson, South Carolina for a bite to eat. Check out the beauty of Lake Hartwell and Lake
Thurmond.

And when you get to North Augusta, you will meander through a tree-lined neighborhood. You will go around the last curve and the Riverview Park Activities Center will appear and if you are truly a hoops junkie, you will know that you have entered the basketball paradise.