Judah Mintz leads Team Durant to win at Peach Jam

Jeff Capel and the Pitt coaching staff picked up a commitment from four-star shooting guard Judah Mintz on June 18, just three days after canceling a visit from former Pitt recruit Jalen Hood-Schifino. And on Wednesday, Mintz’s AAU squad Team Durant and Hood-Schifino’s Team Thad squared off at Peach Jam down in North Augusta, South Carolina, providing a glimpse at the talent Pitt landed and lost in the 2022 recruiting cycle.

Mintz and Hood-Schifino were the clear standouts on their respective teams, as each led their team in points and assists. Mintz finished with 19 points, five assists and six rebounds, and Hood-Schifino came up with a remarkably similar stat line, with 19 points, six assists and four rebounds.

What differentiated the two four-star shooting guards was the efficiency and explosiveness of Mintz’s play, as he went 5-for-8 from the field and scored 12 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter alone. That impressive finale saw him convert on three layups, get to the foul line twice and punctuate his evening with an emphatic dunk with around a minute left.

Conversely, Hood-Schifino went 7-for-16 from the field and saw his team nearly outpaced by Mintz alone in the fourth quarter of the matchup, as Team Thad put up just 16 points to Mintz’s 12 and was outscored by Team Durant as a whole 25-16. Meanwhile, Mintz’s big finish proved to be the difference in a close game, as the two teams entered the final frame separated by one point. At the time, Team Durant led 46-45, and by the final buzzer, they held a 71-61 advantage.

One game is far from enough to evaluate and compare Mintz and Hood-Schifino. But at the least, it appears that Capel traded one highly capable player for another over the course of the last month. And on Wednesday night, Mintz emerged as the victor over Hood-Schifino in a high-profile matchup of elite AAU teams.