Cayden Daughtry turns Peach Jam into his own record book
The 17-year-old Florida guard led the Florida Rebels to the Nike Peach Jam title after a record-scoring week in South Carolina.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
Cayden Daughtry left Nike’s Peach Jam with a trophy, an MVP-level stat line and a recruitment that looks ready to get louder.
The 17-year-old point guard from Florida led the Florida Rebels to the Peach Jam championship Sunday in North Augusta, South Carolina, after one of the biggest scoring runs the event has seen, according to CBS Sports’ Isaac Trotter.
CBS Sports reported that Daughtry averaged 34.8 points across five pool-play games, setting a Peach Jam record and passing the previous mark held by Cam Thomas. Across eight games in six days, he finished with 258 points, 49 assists, 34 rebounds, 23 steals and 16 turnovers.
The shooting numbers were just as loud: 63% on 2-point attempts, 49% from 3-point range and 91% at the free-throw line, according to CBS Sports.
A title run with numbers everywhere
Daughtry’s Florida Rebels run ended with a championship-game win over Drive Nation. CBS Sports reported he had 33 points, nine rebounds and six assists in the final.
His week also included 43 points against the NY Rens in a triple-overtime game, 35 points against UPlay Canada, 32 points in a Final Four win over Team Herro and a 19-point, 10-assist Elite Eight showing against Team CP3.
Florida Rebels coach Steve Reece compared Daughtry’s Peach Jam impact to Trae Young, who helped Mokan Elite win the event in 2016 alongside Michael Porter Jr. Reece told CBS Sports, “Trae Young here at this level was special.”
CBS Sports noted that Young averaged 27.0 points, 7.2 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 3.1 steals during that Peach Jam run. Daughtry’s full-event averages this year were 32.3 points, 6.1 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 2.9 steals.
The size question follows him
Daughtry is listed around 6 feet, and CBS Sports reported he measured just under 6 feet without shoes with a wingspan around 6-foot-3. The report noted that only six current NBA players are in that size range: Jose Alvarado, Fred VanVleet, Jamal Shead, Trae Young, TJ McConnell and Kyle Lowry.
Daughtry told CBS Sports he knows his size will remain part of how he is evaluated. “It’s true,” he said. “Just gotta come in and just keep playing.”
247Sports currently ranks Daughtry No. 9 overall and the No. 3 point guard in the 2027 class, according to CBS Sports. Daughtry told the outlet he believes the debate around his ranking is tied to size and said evaluators are trying to project the future.
His summer has already included a gold medal with Team USA, according to CBS Sports. Before that, he led Calvary Christian Academy in Fort Lauderdale to a second straight Florida state title.
Recruiting race heats up
CBS Sports reported that Providence, Michigan, Tennessee, Miami, Kentucky and Iowa are viewed as the current frontrunners in Daughtry’s recruitment.
The report said coaches packed the gym during his Peach Jam run, with Daughtry’s scoring, passing, defense and pace drawing attention throughout the week.
Reece told CBS Sports that Daughtry has long been defined by competitiveness. “Do whatever it takes to win,” Reece said. “The kid’s a winner.”
After a six-week stretch that took him from Virginia to Colorado to Türkiye to Nevada to South Carolina, CBS Sports reported that Daughtry was finally set to head home after his Peach Jam breakthrough.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS Sports.