Standouts: City of Palms Classic (Day 4)
Day 4 of the City of Palms Classic was full of bright moments. The event in Fort Myers is simply one of the best in the country for many reasons.
Here’s a look at the top standouts from the action on Thursday.
Cole Anthony (New York Archbishop Molloy)
A totally dominant performance from Cole Anthony in a 78-72 win over John Marshall. Just glancing at his numbers, the 6’2″ junior guard contributed 37 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the field which included 21-of-23 from the free throw line. Considering John Marshall shot just nine free throws, that shows you the determination and grit of Anthony. He also had eight rebounds. He is a workhorse who is vocal and not afraid to put his body on the line.
Talen Horton-Tucker (Chicago Simeon)
The Iowa State commit had himself a night with 27 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals. Too strong for his own good, Horton-Tucker is a physical specimen at 6’5.” At one point in the second half, he connected on back-to-back 3’s which included a beautiful stepback triple.
Aaron Wiggins (Wesleyan Christian)
Wiggins is a gifted shooter. He shot 9-of-14 from the field including 7-of-9 from 3-point land. He had five rebounds, four steals and two assists as well. Wiggins is a perfect fit for Maryland and quite frankly, he’ll be able to hold his own with his mix of strength, shooting and smarts.
Isaiah Todd (Virginia John Marshall)
At 6’11”, Isaiah Todd looks long and ready to pounce on the rim at any point. Against Archbishop Molloy, he played a truly productive game with 26 points on 9-of-18 shooting from the field. His contributions from beyond the arc were promising as he made 3-of-6 from 3-point land. Todd will have to get stronger to keep up at the next level, but he has shown poise all week long and is only a sophomore.
Trendon Watford (Alabama Mountain Brook)
Watford had a field day against a Webster Groves group that was without its top piece in Carte’Are Gordon for most the first half. He cruised to 30 points along with 12 rebounds and five assists. He’s the centerpiece of this team at 6’9″ and the junior is going to wind up at a Division I school and slide right in at the wing or four spot.
James Wiseman (Memphis East)
The 7-footer had the game-winning tip-in with 1.2 seconds to take down Oak Ridge 62-60. Wiseman is a junior who can stretch the floor with his shooting (7-of-13 from the field) and his rebounding skills are powerful (10 rebounds). He is able to body out most players with his length. He’s certainly a dangerous player.
Emmitt Williams (Oak Ridge)
It was a typical rowdy and fun performance for Emmitt Williams. The senior big man had 21 points along with six rebounds and three blocks. He got inside often, connecting on 9-of-13 from the field overall. Williams is a ferocious dunker and he brought so much energy to his side tonight.
Moses Brown (New York Archbishop Molloy)
The tallest guy on the floor this week has been 7’2″ senior Moses Brown. He generated 17 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the field. He also had eight rebounds and two blocks. You have to like the leaping ability from Brown. He isn’t the most polished all-around player but he serves a purpose as a big man.
Antwaan Jones (Oak Ridge)
Even with a hand injury, Antwaan Jones powered his way to a 15-point night on 6-of-11 shooting from the field. The senior Texas A&M commit had four straight points including a dunk and a layup to put the Pioneers ahead 60-56 with 1:59 left.
Carte’Are Gordon (Missouri Webster Groves)
Despite recording three fouls in the first four minutes of the game, St. Louis commit Carte’Are Gordon had a nice day with 19 points on 7-of-8 shooting from the field. The 6’8″ senior big man didn’t get rattled despite his early game issues and he found his groove with 14 second half points.
Jaduhkiss Soto (Osceola)
Soto had himself a game for the Kowboys with 21 points on 9-of-18 shooting in a 70-63 loss to Miami Christian. When Osceola needed a bucket, it was the 6’5″ junior who came calling. He’s fit in nicely next to his new teammates after transferring over from Gateway this summer.
Diego Rivera (Miami Christian)
Rivera was lethal whenever he shot the ball. He recorded a game-high 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field which included 3-of-4 from downtown. This all came in just 14 minutes on the floor. Rivera, a 6’1″ junior is being groomed to take over Alvarez’s role at point guard next fall.
Bonus: Play of the Day
Jones flips it to Williams for the powerful dunk.
Photo credit: Bret Munson