The nearly two-month transition from high school to travel basketball has been quite informative, especially after concluding the first live period of the season. While there have been countless subplots and takeaways, few have been more attention-worthy than Team CP3 being the only group among the (six) North Carolina-based shoe circuit (EYBL, UAA, 3SSB) squads to be undefeated after the first session. Given their consistent level of talent throughout the years, some might roll their eyes at this topic. However, they have been nothing short of impressive to start the season. Let's take a closer look at exactly how they've gotten off to a hot start…
Of the four undefeated EYBL programs, Team CP3 is the only one currently ranked within the top ten in average points, rebounds, assists, and points allowed. They've already thwarted multiple opponents, which earned them the second-highest point differential across the entire league. Diving into the team numbers a bit further, one can immediately see their efficiency across the board. As a team, they've posted 54/39/73 shooting splits with no individual shooting lower than 46% from the floor. It's uncommon to see many teams with their type of balanced approach, but it's clearly working thus far.
In terms of who led the charge, the trio of Bishop Boswell, Drake Powell, and Juke Harris have each already amassed over 100 minutes played while being top-three in scoring, assisting, and rebounding. Outside of those three, Jaye Nash (91 minutes) has provided a useful presence from the point guard position while their complementary grouping of big men, Maurio Hanson, Clash Peters, and Makoi Mabor have each played vital parts to their team success. Though the seven players mentioned above have been together all spring, the addition of Isaiah Washington clearly proved to be a major x-factor for Team CP3. He's already carved out a meaningful role within this group (as evidenced by his huge performance against Team Melo (their closest contest of the session)), so folks should expect his stock to continue rising during the summer season. Furthermore, Isaiah Evans announced that he'll be joining the squad'adding yet another talented, nationally recognized piece to the mix.
While it's probably unlikely that this group (or any EYBL team) will go undefeated, it's easy to appreciate how they've come out of the gate. Assuming they can maintain this level of balance and cohesion, this could be their highest-achieving squad in recent memory. With only two committed players on the roster (Powell, UNC; Harris, Wake Forest), college coaches should have ample targets worth pursuing.
