Cayden Daughtry didn’t ease into the 2026-27 Overtime Elite season. He kicked the door down.
The Calvary Christian Academy guard poured in a league opening-night record 46 points Thursday and powered Fear of God past Rod Wave Elite, 94-87, in Atlanta. The game also put him in the middle of a showcase featuring three of the nation’s top Class of 2027 prospects.
Daughtry finished with six rebounds and six assists, and his 46 points were more than the combined total of Southeastern Prep standouts Beckham Black and CJ Rosser, who finished with 42 between them.
2027 Cayden Daughtry just dropped a CAREER HIGH 46 PTS 🔥Has great feel for the game and can get to his spots at will. Pro. @CayDBaller @OvertimeElite pic.twitter.com/LOTpy6JVSn
The performance was the kind of early-season statement that keeps Daughtry in the national conversation. He entered the year after averaging 29.1 points and 5.2 assists in 17 OTE regular-season games in 2025-26, and he picked up right where he left off.
He shot 14-for-27 from the floor, knocked down four 3-pointers and logged 35 minutes. He also led Fear of God with six assists and accounted for nearly half of the team’s scoring on a night when the offense leaned heavily on his shot-making.
The spotlight on the other side was no small thing. Black and Rosser hold the top two spots in 247Sports’ Class of 2027 individual rankings cited in the original report, while Daughtry sits third. Against that kind of talent, he didn’t just hold steady - he took over.
Rod Wave Elite had its own heavy hitters.
Rosser, a 6-foot-10 forward, posted 24 points, eight rebounds, five steals, three assists and two blocks. He shot 8-for-18, hit three 3-pointers and turned it over zero times in 35 minutes.
Black added 18 points, nine assists and seven rebounds, though he struggled from the field at 6-for-20. His nine assists made up half of Rod Wave Elite’s team total.
Aiden Groce also gave Rod Wave Elite a lift, scoring 23 points while going 4-for-5 from deep. Altogether, Rosser, Black and Groce scored 65 of the team’s 87 points, but that wasn’t enough to keep pace with Daughtry’s surge.
Fear of God had to work for it. Rod Wave Elite opened with a 21-14 first quarter, but Fear of God answered with a 21-12 second to grab a 35-33 halftime lead. The margin stayed tight through three quarters, with the teams separated by just one point heading into the fourth.
Then came the finish. Fear of God blasted off for 37 points in the final period and rode that burst to the seven-point win.
Daughtry also got strong support from two Calvary Christian Academy teammates. K'Nard Callendar delivered 22 points, 16 rebounds and two blocks, while James Nowells added 12 points and eight rebounds. The trio combined for 80 of Fear of God’s 94 points.
Fear of God also controlled the glass, holding a 51-45 rebounding edge. That helped offset a 16-turnover night that was still a little sloppier than Rod Wave Elite’s 12.
The timing of Daughtry’s breakout matters, too, with Florida high school basketball teams getting ready to begin the 2026-27 season. FHSAA practices and tryouts are set to start Monday, Oct. 26, and the regular season opens Nov. 16.
The Overtime Elite season continues through Feb. 6, 2027, with the league championship scheduled for March. If Thursday was any indication, Daughtry may be headed for another monster scoring season.
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