EYBL Kansas City Standouts: Cayden Daughtry, Lewis Uvwo, Shalen Sheppard and More

I made the trip down to KC to watch Friday’s slate of EYBL games, and the wealth of talent on the Nike circuit never ceases to amaze me. Let’s start with Cayden Daughtry, who has been a huge riser for me this spring AAU season. He put on a show Friday, posting a ridiculous stat line of 29 points, 9 assists, 4 steals, and only 1 turnover, showing why he would be my current selection for PG1 in a deep guard class.

Daughtry’s speed with the ball in his hands is outright ridiculous. Off every miss, he is looking to receive the outlet pass and quickly dart up the floor for a 1-on-1 layup at the rim. In the halfcourt, his game is much more focused on picking his spots, utilizing good pick-and-roll playmaking, and collapsing the defense to generate threes. His ability to shoot off-the-dribble threes against drop coverage is going to be paramount for his NBA projection, and he knocked down a pair of those looks on Friday.

Not only is Daughtry incredibly dynamic on offense, but on defense, he makes up for standing just over 6’0” in shoes with incredible hands and a great understanding of risk-reward when deciding when to attempt steals. He had an impressive steal in transition Friday, stalking the opposing ball handler from behind and staying on his hip until he forced a turnover. Daughtry’s offensive creation, along with his event creation on defense, makes me incredibly excited for his game at the next level. He is currently on my short list of prospects who I think have a good chance of going one-and-done in the 2027 class. He is racking up offers from blue-blood programs such as UConn and Kentucky, but I am told that Iowa, Miami, Michigan, and Florida State could also be schools to watch.

Daughtry’s teammate, Oneal Delancy, has always been a fun watch, and he continued to show why he will be a great player at the college level. He is always one of the most intense and locked-in players on the floor, balancing difficult shotmaking with good passing. He is also capable of toggling off the ball and being the second prong of the offense, which he has done all year for the Florida Rebels. Delancy is another active defender, great at racking up steals, and at 6’2”, he offers some additional versatility and lineup flexibility on the defensive end. Delancy currently has visits scheduled to Houston, Florida, and South Florida.

Lewis Uvwo of Nightrydas has been a huge breakout star this spring, and he impressed me greatly during my first in-person viewing of his game. Uvwo measures in at 6’10” with a 7’6” wingspan, and after developing over the past year at Prolific Prep, he has taken the EYBL by storm. He is averaging an efficient 9.5 points, but more importantly, he is posting a 15% block rate and 11% offensive rebounding rate, per DXGold.

Uvwo controlled the paint for Nightrydas against Vegas Elite, often contesting more shots than he blocked. He was also excellent at securing defensive rebounds, finishing with 10 total defensive boards. He also grabbed 5 more rebounds on the offensive end. Uvwo is someone I am very excited about moving forward, and his offers have been rolling in after the EYBL Live Period in Memphis last week. He has picked up offers from various high-major programs, including Michigan, Arkansas, Kansas, USC, Kentucky, Alabama, and many more.

Gabe Nesmith also had a good game for Nightrydas. While his 3-point shot didn’t fall, as he finished just 1-for-9 from deep, Nesmith has always been a promising shooter but has gone cold this spring. On film, he looked more locked in as a defensive playmaker this year, and that came through Friday, as he racked up 2 steals and 5 rebounds. He passed the ball well and scored effectively inside the arc.

Davey Harris and Josiah Nance were also impressive for Vegas Elite, with the pair putting up 11 and 22 points, respectively. Harris’ defensive effort was valiant in Vegas Elite’s one-point loss, as the wing racked up 3 steals and 2 blocks. While his shot didn’t fall, he has a long track record of consistently making shots.

Nance is a dynamic on-ball creator who is continuing to develop his playmaking skills. He can score from anywhere on the floor and was aggressive getting to the rim Friday, despite the presence of Uvwo in the paint. I thought he did a good job adapting to the rim protector’s presence and putting together a strong game.

Vegas Elite’s 16U squad took the floor against Houston Hoops 16U, and I made sure to check this one out, as Vegas Elite’s Shalen Sheppard has long been a favorite of mine in the 2028 class. Sheppard is an incredibly high-feel 3-5 hybrid, capable of scoring from the outside, attacking off drives, posting up smaller players, spacing the floor, and operating as a hub.

Sheppard scored consistently Friday, repeatedly finding his way to the free-throw line against a Houston Hoops frontline with good length. Sheppard took only one three-pointer, which he made, but continuing to stretch the floor will be important for his development. He doesn’t yet have a clear position at the NCAA level, as he is a bit thin for a forward or big and still a bit hesitant as a shooter for a wing. Nonetheless, Sheppard’s inherent skill, feel, and versatility keep me very excited about his game.

Oakland Soldiers’ 15U squad has a pair of incredibly talented guards in the 2029 class in Quali Giran and Phillip Reed. Giran has been on my radar since he was an eighth grader, and after a quality freshman season at Long Beach Millikan in Los Angeles, he chose to play for the Oakland Soldiers’ EYBL program.

Giran has incredible scoring craft for a guard his age, getting deep in his driving stance, changing speeds well, and initiating contact frequently despite his slight frame. He is very flexible, and the intersection of that flexibility and craft is something that I think will take Giran to some very high places in the long run. It is still very early, but Giran is one of my favorites in the 2029 class so far.

This was my first time seeing Phillip Reed in person, but the Palisades High School standout impressed me with his burst getting into the lane. He was very aggressive, sometimes too much so, with a pair of turnovers from putting on the blinders and attacking with little regard for helpers. But like Giran, Reed can slow it down and score when he needs to.

Michai White of City Rocks 17U played exceptionally well in their loss to Oakland Soldiers. White is in the class of 2028 and playing up an age group, but he does not look out of place whatsoever against older players. He has a strong, built frame for someone born in December 2009.

White got cooking early with some very nice passes to cutting teammates, then turned on the scoring for City Rocks, getting to the rim at will. Late in the game, he took a couple of bad shots that stalled the offense, which in turn cost City Rocks the game. But as a younger player in 17U, you expect some mistakes like that from White. I have been impressed with him all season, and Friday was no different.