5’10 point guard Ben Hammond spent this summer showing the entire country his will to win as a key contributor to Team Takeover winning this year's Nike EYBL Peach Jam. Being asked to lead at the highest levels can be a tall task, but Hammond is the epitome of rising to the occasion. The junior guard also played major minutes and was a large contributor to the very talented Paul IV Catholic High School basketball program on their way to a WCAC championship last season, arguably the best conference in all of HS basketball. Hammond kept that positive momentum rolling right into the AAU season to put together quite an impressive year. In this exclusive interview I talked with Hammond about his experience winning Peach Jam, his recruitment and more.

You just won a championship with TTO at Peach Jam, talk about that experience and what that meant to you?

Ben Hammond: “It was a great experience, it definitely feels good to be on top of the circuit for my age group. A great feeling, all the guys I won with I either been playing with or against my whole life, so it felt good for all of us. Everyone was able to get theirs and win together so it was definitely a great feeling.”

What was the road to Peach Jam like and what were some of the trials and tribulations you went through?

Ben Hammond: “We definitely had some points throughout the season where things were questionable and we had to figure some things out. I feel like we could have won it last year to be honest, but we had a couple injuries last year that held us back a little bit. But we regrouped this year and got the job done. I feel like we were solid throughout the whole circuit honestly. We had a few games that we were just off, but we knew what we could do and that it was possible so we got it done.”

Most of you guys that play with TTO also attend Paul VI, how does it feel to win Peach Jam with the same group of guys you go to battle with during your HS season?

Ben Hammond: “It definitely brings excitement for this upcoming high school season. I feel like we can definitely take it far with this team we have now. We have a great group, it's the same group and we’re all brothers and we all have the same end goal which is to win games. We won the WCAC last year so our expectations are to win every game and go get another championship.

What schools do you currently hold offers from?

Ben Hammond: “I currently hold offers from Fairfield, George Mason and Mount St. Marys.”

What schools are starting to show interest after the summer you just put together?

Ben Hammond: “After Peach Jam, I have been hearing from James Madison, Bucknell, Canisius, Towson, Albany, Harvard, NJIT, Liberty, Robert Morris, Longwood, Siena, George Washington, Delaware and Penn. Coaches have been trying to get me to take some visits, I'm looking to schedule some soon.”