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5-star PG Mikel Brown Jr. drops 28 points in impressive showing for DME Academy (Fla.)

hunterby:Hunter Shelton•12/23/24•

HunterShelton_

Syndication: Naples Daily News
DME Academy guard Mikel Brown Jr. (0) drives past Dynamic Prep defenders to the basket during the second quarter of a City of Palms Classic signature series game at Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Fort Myers, Fla., on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024.

DME Academy (Fla.) defeated Dream City Christian (Ariz.) 76-61 on Sunday in the City of Palms Signature Series third place game.

The Lakers led for nearly the entire game — thanks in-part to star senior point guard Mikel Brown Jr. The 6-foot-3, 165-pounder poured in 28 points in the win, shooting 9-17 from the floor.

In over 30 minutes on the floor, Brown made a trio of 3-pointers and also compiled four assists and three rebounds. He also went a perfect 7-7 from the free throw line.

The impressive effort follows a 25-point, seven-rebound and five-assist performance by Brown in DME’s first Signature Series game on Friday — a 78-67 loss to Dynamic Prep out of Texas. He took a whopping 29 shots in the loss, connecting on nine of those attempts.

Brown is one of four uncommitted top-10 prospects in the nation, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He ranks No. 9 overall and is also the top-ranked point guard in the 2025 cycle.

Louisville is currently trending to land Brown’s commitment, according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine. He visited the Cardinals earlier this month.

It’s been a busy start to the season for DME, as the Daytona program has already played 17 games, accumulating a 12-5 record. The Lakers are currently the No. 47 team in the Sunshine State, according to the On3 Composite Rankings.

The On3 Composite High School Basketball Team Ranking is a proprietary algorithm that compiles rankings listed in the public domain by respected High School media and data companies. It includes Massey, Max Preps, ESPN and SI, creating the industry’s most comprehensive and geographically balanced High School Team Ranking.

More about the City of Palms Classic

A brief history on the City of Palms Classic from the tournament website:

“In December 1973, the City of Palms Classic began, like so many events, as a simple, local Christmas basketball tournament — the brainchild of legendary Edison Community College head coach Hugh Thimlar and a small group of high school coaches and administrators. Over the years, the “City of Palms Classic” (named by Donnie Wilkie in 1987) has grown and expanded its scope to include many of the nation’s finest players and teams, setting the standard during the past four decades by which all other holiday basketball tournaments are compared.”