Standouts: City of Palms Classic (Day 6)
The 45th annual City of Palms Classic wrapped up on Saturday with five games.
Here are the top standouts from the action at Florida Southwestern College in Fort Myers, Fla.
Isaiah Todd (Virginia John Marshall)
The 6’11” sophomore shined in the first game of the morning, an 81-72 loss to Lakewood Ranch. He recorded 22 points and five rebounds as he shot 4-of-11 from beyond the arc and 8-of-10 from the free throw line. A big man who can shoot and glide to the basket, Todd has a high ceiling.
Bryan Antoine (New Jersey Ranney)
Junior guard Bryan Antoine made the play of the week with a halfcourt heave to win it over Mountain Brook 64-62 (). The 6’5″ athlete dropped 36 points and eight steals. He shot 8-of-14 shooting from the field which included 17-of-19 from the free throw line.
Trendon Watford (Alabama Mountain Brook)
Watford is a really fun player to watch play basketball. He shot 8-of-16 from the field, adding 24 points including a bucket with 1.2 seconds to put Mountain Brook ahead over Ranney. That came after the Spartans erased a 19-point fourth quarter deficit. He also added 20 rebounds, four assists and four steals. At 6’9″, Watford is determined to score inside at all costs.
Scottie Barnes (University)
Only a sophomore, Barnes was named the tournament MVP with a 15-point, 8-rebound performance in the upset final win, 77-72 over Memphis East. University’s offense was paced by Barnes in the first half by some big dunks. He picked up his fourth foul early in the third quarter but came back in the fourth to push away late.
Alex Lomax (Memphis East)
Lomax recorded a triple double with 20 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in an upset loss to University in the final. The 6’0″ guard is headed to Wichita State next fall and he fits the bill with his brute strength and attacking ability.
Emmitt Williams (Oak Ridge)
What a nice afternoon from Oak Ridge senior Emmitt Williams with 21 points and 12 rebounds. He shot 8-of-12 from the field, had his usual monstrous dunks and hyped up the crowd. Once Williams gets his jumper right, he’s going to be a force.
Jaylen Hoard (North Carolina Wesleyan Christian)
Hoard finished the day with a double double in a 56-52 loss to Oak Ridge. The 6’8″ senior Wake Forest generated 15 points and 10 rebounds as he shot 5-of-9 from the field. Hoard is a finesse player who can make key jumpers and rattle up things inside often.
Trey Doomes (University)
Doomes sealed the finals win with a dunk in transition, ending the night with 17 points and seven rebounds. The 6’3″ senior is headed to West Virginia next fall, but he had some business to take care of in the biggest victory in University School history. Doomes is a hard-nosed guard who is a really sound player on the break and around the rim.
Vernon Carey Jr. (University)
Carey Jr. struggled from the free throw line making just 6-of-12 but he scored 20 points against a tough Memphis East team, making 7-of-10 from the field. At 6’10”, the junior big man continues to be a dominant presence even in games with tough matchups.
Keon Buckley (Lakewood Ranch)
Buckley played his best game all week, controlling the tempo for his group and adding a team-best 21 points on 8-of-16 shooting. Only a sophomore, the 6’0″ guard is a really good kid who is fun to watch. He works hard on his craft and if he can add length and muscle, he’ll only get better.
Joshua Young (Lakewood Ranch)
Young is a gamechanger for the Mustangs. The junior transfer from Tennessee-Collierville averaged 11 rebounds per game this week at the City of Palms. On Saturday, he closed out the tourney with a 17-point, 12-rebound day. The 6’6″ forward seemed to be everywhere on the boards. Young is a difference maker for this state contending Lakewood Ranch unit.
Berrick Jeanlouis (Canterbury)
The senior South Alabama commit is the glue for Canterbury. He had some highlight reel dunks to compete with fellow former Lehigh player Emmitt Williams this week. At 6’5″, Jeanlouis is a gifted ballhandler and passer and he seems to rarely make a mistake. He scored 20 points and nine rebounds in a 60-51 loss to Webster Groves.
Carte’Are Gordon (Missouri Webster Groves)
Headed to St. Louis next season, Gordon proved why he’s a difference maker with 23 points and 6 rebounds in the win over Canterbury. At 6’8″, Gordon has a nice feel around the paint and can certainly be lethal if he continues to progress his jumper.
Talen Horton-Tucker (Chicago Simeon)
It is hard to criticize Talen Horton-Tucker. I know the senior Iowa State commit shot only 8-of-23 from the field, but he was gritty in the 56-54 loss to McEachern in the third place final. He scored 21 points and had four rebounds, two assists and two steals. He will be able to play positions 1 through 4 on the floor in college due to his physicality.
Sharife Cooper (McEachern)
It certainly wasn’t the flashiest performance for Sharife Cooper this week, but the sophomore sensation had 19 points, five assists, four rebounds and two steals. The 6’0″ shot a perfect 5-of-5 from the field and 6-of-8 from the free throw line. Cooper is one of the best sophomore guards in the country with his mix of smarts, shooting and feel for the game.
Isaac Okoro (McEachern)
Okoro is a player that turned heads this week at his 6’6″ frame. The junior produced a 22-point, six-rebound day in the win against Simeon. He shot 5-of-9 from the field and 10-of-11 from the free throw line. When Okoro is aggressive, he’s hard to slow down. Cooper and him have a solid chemistry together.