The 50th City of Palms Classic is in the books. Montverde took down Long Island Lutheran in the championship game. Here is the All-Tournament Team as selected by the esteemed recruiting analyst Clark Francis.
Cooper Flagg, Montverde Academy (MVP): The 6’9 senior was the Eagles’ leading scorer in all but one game of the tournament. After a subpar semi-final in which he only scored ten points, Flagg emerged with a 21 point/14 rebound/4 block performance in the title game. It is often hard to determine at which end of the floor he makes the greatest impact.
Derek Queen, Montverde Academy: The 6’10 senior is simply a marvel to watch down on the block. He has great hands, excellent footwork, and a variety of scoring tools down low. At lease once a game, if not more, he will somehow grab a rebound with one-hand while standing flat footed surrounded by a group of leapers. Queen’s IQ is off the charts. Entering the title game, he was an astounding 26-33 from the floor.
Liam McNeeley, Montverde Academy: The 6’8 senior is efficient, effortless, and consistent. He had games of 10 points, 16 points, 16 points, and 15 points in the final. Overall, he shot 20-36 from the field and 12-21 from behind the line. His shot doesn’t rip through the net; it is so soft the net cradles and caresses the ball before letting it fall to the floor.
V.J. Edgecomb, Long Island Lutheran: The 6’5 senior was LuHi’s leading scorer over the team’s run to the title game. A slasher with great body control and finishing touch in traffic at the rim, Edgecomb had more than a few eye-popping moments. Up until the title game, he was fairly efficient from the field. He will need to continue working to upgrade the consistency of his shot behind the arc for the next level. His six steals against Link Academy in the semis was impressive.
Ben Hammond, Paul VI: The 5’9 senior may not be the highest ranked player on his team but he certainly was the most important in leading the Panthers to a third-place finish. He came through with the game winning shot with four seconds left against IMG to get Paul VI into the semi-finals. Hammond led the team with 14 points and 5 assists in the semi-final loss to Montverde, a game in which Paul VI trailed by just one heading into the final period. Hammond is a tough guard that just knows how to win.
Tre Johnson, Link Academy: The 6’6 senior was Link’s leading scorer for much of the tournament. He showcased three-level scoring ability and proved his range extends to the NBA three-point line. While not a primary ball-handler, Johnson had a positive assist-to-turnover ratio. His efficiency from the field could have been better, but Link found itself in three very competitive games and needed Johnson to take over at times which sometimes produced tough shots.
Dylan Harper, Don Bosco: The 6’4 senior was dynamic all week in Fort Myers. He created and knocked down perimeter shots on both sides of the arc, was crafty in his ability to drive to the hoop and made some shots in traffic that defy explanation. He outdueled future Rutgers teammate Ace Bailey 28-24 in the first round, dropped 38 on Columbus and finished the week be giving 33 to IMG in the fifth-place game. A 3-1 record coming out of Fort Myers is a very good trip for the Ironmen.
Darius Acuff, IMG Academy: The 6’3 junior is the straw that stirs the drink for the Ascenders. On a team with very talented players, it is clear that Acuff is the “alpha dog” of this group. He led the squad in both scoring and assists over the course of four games. Acuff is also a good rebounder from the guard spot, averaging over five a contest for the week. His three-point shot needs to improve in its consistency but no doubt that should come in time.
Boogie Fland, Archbishop Stepanic: The 6’3 senior did all he could for Stepanic in their two games in Fort Myers. Given a bye into the quarter-finals, they had the unfortunate task of facing a dynamic Montverde team in their first game. Fland did all he could, scoring 23 points while no other teammate could muster more than six points in a large loss. Fland put up 25 points the next night against IMG and got a little more help, but Stepanic still couldn’t avoid a double-digit loss. Fland is a scoring point guard that will get buckets for himself and his teammates. He should fit in well at Kentucky next season.
Cameron Boozer, Miami Columbus: The 6’9 junior may need to be re-introduced to his teammates as he led the team in scoring in only one of three games played. That was a 30 point/11 rebound effort in a close loss to Don Bosco. The Explorers lost a pair of close games after winning by a large margin in the first round. Despite a 1-2 record that arguable could have been 3-1, Boozer looks to be not just collegiate but NBA ready when it comes to skills, game production, and basketball IQ. He is a tremendous outlet passer, shoots well from long-range and is tough around the basket.
Cayden Boozer, Miami Columbus: The 6’4 junior had his moments in Fort Myers. He had eighteen assists over the course of three games and averaged 16 points a contest. He was a big factor in leading Columbus back from a deficit against Link Academy in the second round with 22 points, only to fall short of the victory. Cayden has the size and skill set to make an immediate impact at the collegiate level regardless of where he goes.
Airous “Ace” Bailey, Atlanta McEachern: The 6’8 senior was every superlative you can think of in his four games at the City of Palms Classic. Based on his performance, he is well within striking distance of Cooper Flagg and the top spot in the Class of 2024. Bailey has all the physical tools and skills that NBA scouts look for and his time at Rutgers should be short. He finished as the leading scorer and rebounder for the tournament, averaging 31.5 ppg and 15.8 rpg. Bailey dropped 43 points and grabbed 19 rebounds in an 8AM game that too few people saw. Back in 2007, Kenny Boynton set the tournament single game scoring record of 63 points in an 8AM game. That is why we don’t miss early games at the CoP.
Isaiah Evans, North Mecklinburg: The 6’7 senior and Duke signee looks and plays just like former Blue Devil and current NO Pelican Brandon Ingram. All arms, legs, and fast twitch fibers, Evans has a lethal long range shot and is a dynamic finisher on the break. He had games of 20, 25, 30, and 24 in leading North Meck to the consolation final. Evans may not have been the most efficient player named to the All-Tourney Team, but he was explosive and capable of going on personal 10-0 runs (or greater) at any time.
Alex Lloyd, Fort Lauderdale Westminster Academy: The 6’4 junior was marvelous despite the team’s 2-2 record. He averaged 22.5 points a game, shooting 35-60 overall from the floor and 9-23 from beyond the arc. Hopefully, the national scouts in attendance finally became aware of what we’ve known for quite some time: Floyd is closer to a top twenty-five than a top fifty player nationally in the 2025 Class. He is also playing out of position at the point guard spot. Lloyd is serviceable there but much more comfortable and better suited playing off the ball. He continues to take on defensive challenges in every game and more often than not wins his matchup.
Travis Perry, Lyon County: The 6’2 senior heading to Kentucky put on a show in the Small Town Signature Series: He dropped thirty in an opening beatdown of Lexington out of South Carolina. In the title game against Buckhorn out of Alabama, he pumped in forty in a 29-point victory. Perry isn’t just a catch-and-shoot wonder. He handles the ball well, sees the floor, makes good decisions, gets to and scores creatively at the rim. Perry has a good team around him and the group as a whole is fun to watch. Our guess is they could have held their own against some of the teams in the main bracket.
Owen Verna, Mater Dei: The 6’4 junior was intriguing with an 11 point/11 rebound performance in the first round of the Sunshine Series against Windermere Prep. He was outright dynamic in the title game against Riviera Prep, dropping in 34 points. Mater Dei may have been the second best “team” in Fort Myers this week and Verna was one of the reasons why.