A national high school tournament like no other, the City of Palms Classic attracts the best of the best from coast to coast. Some of the more notable standouts are mentioned below.
Marcus Johnson, OH Garfield Heights: The 6’3 senior scored the ball in a myriad of ways in Fort Myers. The lefty was dialed in from deep and completed some tough finishes through contact at the basket.
Jordan Smith, VA Paul VI: The 6’3 senior is chiseled, powerful, and downright scary to opposing defenders. Smith gets to the rim with ease, is a dominating defender, and shot the ball well from deep this week, something he is not known for.
Latrell Almond, VA Petersburg: The 6’9 senior is a force around the basket as a scorer, rebounder and defender. Almond can also step away from the lane and score when facing the basket with a jumper or put the ball on the floor and power his way to buckets inside.
Jalen Montanati, OK Owasso: The 6’7 senior is a potent scorer from the perimeter. Montanati makes shots off the catch and the dribble on either side of the arc. He has a nose for the ball coming off the offensive glass and will surprise with his quickness as a defender.
Jasiah Jervis, NY Archbishop Stepinac: The 6’5 senior does a little bit of everything on the basketball court. He can play either guard spot, score from different levels, defend a variety of positions and simply makes winning plays at both ends of the court.
Darius Ratliff, NY Archbishop Stepanic: A 7’0 senior, his combination of size, length, and run/jump athleticism is rare. Though a bit on the thin side, Ratliff can dish out physical punishment as well as take it. He has a soft touch around the rim and decent perimeter skills for a player his size.
Quentin Coleman, MO Principia: The 6’4 senior was instant offense at the CoP. Whether Coleman was knocking down shots behind the arc or getting into the paint, he consistently put the ball through the basket. Despite being a bit slight of frame, he wasn’t shy about rebounding against bigger players inside.
Dylan Jones, TN Bartlett: The 6’7 junior has the look of a high-major swingman at the high D-I level. Not only does he have superior run/jump athleticism, Jones is a skilled scorer that forces defenses to pick their poison: give him room to knock down the three-ball or take away the shot and have him blow by for, more often than not, a highlight reel dunk.
Kayden Allen, NY Long Island Lutheran: We were familiar with the 6’6 senior from his time at Montverde Academy last year as a junior but his growth as an offensive catalyst was a pleasant surprise. He scored very well from all three-levels at the CoP and also made good pass vs. shot decisions with the ball on the move, both in transition as well as in half-court sets.
Willie Burnett, VA Gillion Academy: The 6’4 senior is a tough cover with his ability to manufacture and make shots off the dribble. His variety of dribble-combination moves and footwork puts defenders on skates. Burnett plays with infectious energy.
Colben Landrew, GA Wheeler: The 6’6 senior was one of the more dynamic scorers in Fort Myers. Blessed with a strong frame and a soft touch, Landrew was devastating as a deep ball threat to go along with his penchant for getting to the rim and scoring through a crowd. His ability to rip down rebounds and immediately run the break made an impact as well.
Amare James, GA Wheeler: The 6’5 senior is a positionless playmaker that makes things happen regardless of where he lines up. Superior athleticism to go along with high-caliber skills makes James a tough cover. James has the ability to defend a variety of positions.
Qayden Samuels, MD Bishop McNamara: The 6’6 senior is an instinctive scorer with a high basketball IQ. Put up 40 in one game we saw and was efficient and near effortless. He sees the floor well, makes good decisions with the ball, makes shots from all sorts of angles and distances, and puts in work in the rebounding department.
Prince-Alexander Moody, MD Bishop McNamara: The 6’4 senior and Indiana commit sure seems a bit under the radar based on his performances at the CoP. With a reliable perimeter shot to go along with a solid drive and score package, Moody was able to take whatever the defense gave him and use it to his advantage.
Christian Collins, CA St. John Bosco: The 6’8 senior was one of the highest rated recruits at the event. He has an abundance of inside and outside skills to go along with size, length, and athleticism. Collins can be an offensive hub as the well as a primary scorer and ball-handler. His jumper is a little flat but it goes in at a high rate of success. Collins offers a ton of versatility on the defensive end.
Brian Mitchell, VA Paul VI: The 6’4 junior has had a coming out party in the early part of the season in helping Paul VI to some high-profile victories. Mitchell has shot the ball well from the perimeter, been active on the glass at both ends of the court, and been disruptive in the passing lanes. The last few years has seen a succession of high-major wings at Paul VI and Mitchell is most likely the next one in line.
Abdou Toure, CT Notre Dame: The 6’6 senior pretty much dominated his two Sunshine Series opponents. His combination of superior physical gifts, skill level and basketball acumen make him not only productive but very exciting to watch. Toure is a great natural talent but still has a high ceiling in terms of potential and productivity.
(photo of Christian Collins courtesy of The Genius That Is Al Arnold)