As the new year dawned, Veritas Academy coach George Zedan set a goal for his team that was as simple as it was complex: Elevation in every aspect.
“Everything from trusting each other more to making extra passes to being unified defensively and playing as a force of one,” Zedan said. “We’re trying to grow across the board.”
Zedan’s sentiments were no doubt shared by every coach in the Nike EYBL Scholastic as teams kicked off 2026 at the Shelby County Classic and Hoophall West.
So far so good for Zedan’s Titans, who reeled off two impressive wins over CATS Academy and The St. James. Zhang Boyuan was stellar for Veritas, averaging 25 points a game for the weekend.
“He’s really grown and taken to the style of play here in the U.S. versus in China,” Zedan said. “He’s averaging close to 23 points a game in the league, he’s in the top six in rebounding and he plays his tail off. He loves to compete and he loves his teammates, so his organic growth is really gonna help us. We’re thrilled to get two wins because not only does this league have phenomenal talent, but it’s also got the best coaching. Every win is hard to come by, so it’s a credit to our guys.”
Fresh off capturing the John Wall Holiday Invitational title with a win over No. 8 Southeastern Prep, SPIRE Academy posted two more SCNext Top 25 wins, first with a 72-50 romping of No. 5 AZ Compass Prep and then taking down No. 22 Faith Family Academy 59-45.
SPIRE forced 20 turnovers a game for the weekend and averaged 38 points in the paint.
AZ Compass Prep bounced back from the lopsided loss in a big way, handing No. 4 CIA Bella Vista Prep its first league loss 63-59.
The Dragons got it done with defense, swiping 10 steals and blocking nine shots in the win. Kaden House, a Maryland signee, led the Dragons with 15 points. DeMarcus Henry added 12 points and 10 rebounds in the win.
It was a tough pill to swallow for the Bears, who opened the weekend with an impressive 66-52 win over Faith Family Academy.
“This was a big bounce back win for our guys and one we needed to stay on track in league play,” AZ Compass Prep coach Pete Kaffey said. “After the SPIRE loss, I loved our response, sharing the ball, playing together, and being physical on defense. Beating a city rival like CIA Bella Vista gives our guys confidence that we can compete with anyone in the country.”
Here’s a rundown of how teams fared over the weekend:
Veritas Academy 2-0
SPIRE Academy 2-0
Tennessee Collegiate 1-1
CIA Bella Vista 1-1
AZ Compass 1-1
The St. James 0-2
CATS Academy 0-1
Faith Family Academy 0-2
Currently, 11 teams are ranked in the ESPN SCNext High School Top 25 for Week 5:
3. Link Academy
4. CIA Bella Vista
5. AZ Compass Prep
7. La Lumiere School
9. Brewster Academy
10. SPIRE Academy
13. Wasatch Academy
17. Sunrise Christian Academy
19. Long Island Lutheran
22. Faith Family Academy
23. Dream City Christian
For in-depth coverage of Nike EYBL Scholastic, including highlights and exclusive content, follow @NikeEYB and @league.ready on Instagram and @NikeEYB and @LeagueRDY on X.