Cassidy Awards: Session I of the Nike EYBL season

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Session I of the 2024 Nike EYBL season unfolded in the Volunteer State over the weekend and brought plenty of star power and head-turning efforts along with it.

Rivals national analyst Rob Cassidy was on hand for the action on Friday and Saturday, and now doles out some awards based on the most noteworthy performances he witnessed.

More from Memphis: Saturday recruiting rumors | Friday buzz

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2024 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position

2025 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team

2026 Rankings: Top 100

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Yessoufou still needs to become a more reliable shooter from distance, but being the one of most physically imposing and athletic prospects in the county helps him impact games significantly, even when his shot isn’t falling. Yessoufou, who handles the ball incredibly well for his size, spent the weekend taking defenders off the bounce and finishing at the rack.

He’s also a reliable and motivated rebounder that creates extra possessions on the glass and flashes an A-plus motor on the defensive end. His upside is tantalizing, especially if he becomes even an average 3-point shooter.

Recruitment: Washington, Cal, UCLA and Kansas are among the programs involved with Yessoufou.

The No. 2 prospect in the 2025 Rivals150 was asked to do a lot for his Nightrydas Elite team over the weekend, and the 6-foot-9 forward answered the call. Playing in the event’s first game on Friday night, Boozer went for an eye-popping 31 points and 16 rebounds in a win.

The contest managed to showcase the forward’s developing passing skills as well as his physical prowess. Boozer shot 50 percent from the floor in the contest and knocked down a pair of 3-pointers. That brand of performance is becoming typical for Boozer, who remains in the conversation for the No. 1 spot in the Rivals150.

Recruitment: Boozer is considered a Duke lean but also seems serious about Miami. He says he plans to take one more visit this spring but declines to say where the destination may be. That said, Arkansas’ John Calipari, who recruited Boozer heavily at Kentucky, recently reached out, so Fayetteville seems like a logical guess.

Everyone loves a long, hyper-athletic point guard and Thomas is just that. He possesses the length, athleticism and passing ability to impact games even when he isn’t posting gaudy point totals, so when he’s scoring at will as he was on Saturday afternoon, he becomes one of the most dynamic prospects in the class.

Thomas racked up 20 points and nine rebounds, and a number of crafty assists in his New Heights Lightning team’s win over the NY Rens on Saturday. He displayed a type of vocal leadership that’s rare in such young prospects, constantly motivating and coaching his teammates. Watching Thomas operate is an absolute joy on most occasions, as he’s as spirited and confident as he is effective.

Recruitment: Thomas is seriously considering programs such as Auburn, Pitt, Arkansas, Penn State, UConn and Indiana.

Mingo is coming off of a breakout junior season at Long Island Lutheran High School and has carried that momentum right into the grassroots season, where he plays for the PSA Cardinals organization. On Saturday, Mingo did his share of scoring, posting 23 points in a Friday game against NJ Scholars.

It was his defensive effort and motor, however, that set the 6-foot-1 point guard apart. Mingo won’t blow anyone away with one aspect of his game but he has developed into a well-rounded prospect with few real holes in his skillset.

A winning player that is a bit of a champion on the floor, Mingo, who plays both guard spots, is capable of filling multiple roles depending on his team’s needs.

Recruitment: Mingo continues to rack up offers. For now, however, Penn State, Wake Forest and Notre Dame seem most involved.

Kendrick is truly ambidextrous and not only handles the ball smoothly with either hand but can comfortably shoot it with his left and right. The 2026 standout isn’t some sideshow act, however, he has real game and a real motor that allowed him to pop off the page playing against elite competition with All-Ohio’s 16U group.

The 6-foot Kendrick would ideally add a little length and significant muscle down the road, but his ability to shine in transition, shoot it from deep and take defenders off the dribble is unmistakable. He’s a bit limited on defense for the time being because of his size, but his motor never stops running which helps him terrorize passing lanes.

Kendrick finished a Saturday game against Team Melo with 18 points on 8-for-13 shooting and a trio of assists.

Recruitment: Kendrick holds early offers from programs such as Dayton, Cincinnati, Arizona State, Ohio, Texas A&M and a handful of others.

Efficiency isn’t usually the first word that comes to mind while watching the volume-scouring Acuff, but a Saturday afternoon game saw the five-star shoot roughly 80 percent from the floor en route to an 18-point performance for The Family against Team CP3. Everyone has long known that Acuff is a true three-level scorer capable of posting gaudy point totals and taking over games, but his battle has been with shot selection.

On Friday, he showed some poise and discretion while still making a massive impact in the scoring column through pull-up jumpers and crafty finishes at the rack, which was encouraging for a prospect that can be reckless when it comes to chucking shots at times. Acuff is one of the most explosive scorers in the 2025 class and could improve his stock even more if he continues to play within the offense and take smart shots as he did Saturday.

Recruitment: Michigan, Kansas and Arkansas feel like the three main players to land Acuff. He recently visited the Jayhawks, has been in close contact with the new Wolverines staff and plans to take an official visit to Arkansas on May 10.

Reece has added significant muscle over the last year. His increased size serves him well on both ends of the floor, as Reece is a more stout defender and more efficient when it comes to finishing through contact on the offensive end.

He led his Florida Rebels with 21 points in a Saturday morning game against All-Ohio Red, but it was his court vision that really popped off the page during the contest. Reece has become comfortable whipping the ball around the floor and putting his teammates in good positions without being careless with the basketball.

Reece is a well-rounded lead guard that can hurt you in a number of different ways and showcased that ability by leading his team to a 3-0 weekend in Memphis.

Recruitment: Cincinnati and UCF feel particularly involved with Reece, but Alabama, Illinois, Missouri and Kansas State are all also worth monitoring.

One of the most pleasant surprises of the weekend, Robinson is currently unranked but won’t stay that way for long. The 6-foot-4 wing boasts a versatile offensive game and is capable of scoring from all three levels when he’s going well, which he was while playing for Team Melo’s 16U group on Saturday morning.

Robinson finished a win over All-Ohio Red with 21 points on just 13 shots and knocked down a pair of deep 3-pointers in the process. While still young and slight, Robinson has the frame to beef up in the coming years and could add another dimension to his game as he does. He is already a gifted finisher around the basket.

The Maryland-based prospect is certainly one to watch going forward, as he’ll break into the Rivals150 in the next update.

Recruitment: Robinson holds early offers from programs such as East Carolina, Towson and Old Dominion.