City of Palms Classic Live Blog

Fort Myers, Fla. — I’ve made my way down to The Sunshine State for the annual City of Palms Classic. This is one of the best events of the year and it’s safe to say there is no shortage of talent this go around.

UNC assistant coach Jeff Lebo in to see five-star target

North Carolina’s Jeff Lebo is in the building to watch some high-level talent, including Tar Heels’ target Elliot Cadeau, a five-star junior guard playing with Link Academy (MO).

Maryland head coach Kevin Willard is also courtside. Terps signee Jahnathan Lamothe is about to play.

Missouri assistant CY Young is also here.

Day 2 Standouts

Alex Constanza ’26
Alex Lloyd ‘25
John Gamble ’23
Justin Edwards ’23 (Kentucky)
Rahmir Barno ’23 (FGCU)
Garrett Sundra ’24
Jared McCain ’23 (Duke)
Sadiq White ’25
Bishop Boswell ’24
Sir Mohammed ’24
Reed Sheppard ’23 (Kentucky)
Ryan Davidson ‘23

Duke signee Jared McCain wheels his team to a victory

Jared McCain and Corona Centennial (CA) had to grind this one out. Winter Haven (FL) put up one heck of a fight and did not want to go away. McCain, a Duke signee, played a good game, scoring roughly half of his team’s points. The future Blue Devil finished with 29 points in front of his future coach, Jon Scheyer.

Duke head coach Jon Scheyer makes an appearance at City of Palms

Duke’s Jon Scheyer and Amile Jefferson are in the building to watch Darren Harris, a four-star junior for Paul VI (VA) already committed to the Blue Devils. PVI will cruise to an easy win over Canterbury (FL).

The two coaches will watch Jared McCain, a Duke signee next for Corona Centennial (CA).

5-star Kentucky signee Justin Edwards catches fire

Justin Edwards of Imhotep (PA) came out ready to play against Isidore Newman (LA) and did not disappoint. The 6-foot-7 wing let it fly from three and made some pro moves. Edwards was cash money from deep in this one. The future Kentucky Wildcat finished with 25 points (8-11 FG, 5-6 3P).

Rahmir Barno also played a really good game for Imhotep and was vital to this team’s overall success. The FGCU commit finished with 15 points and five assists.

Day 1 Standouts

Boogie Fland ’24
Danny Carbuccia ’25
Tre Johnson ’24
Stephon Castle ’23 (UConn)
Jaylen Washington ’24
Reed Sheppard ’23 (Kentucky)
Karter Knox ‘24
Isaiah Collier ‘23 (USC)
Arrinten Page ‘23 (USC)

Another five-star face-off: Isaiah Collier vs. Karter Knox

The final game of the night gave us the No. 1 ranked senior Isaiah Collier of Wheeler (GA) versus five-star junior Karter Knox of Tampa Catholic (FL).

Knox might be the younger brother of former Kentucky standout Kevin Knox, but Karter is making a name of his own. The 6-foot-5 wing really showed off his versatility in this one. He was effective as a driver, tough on the boards, stepped out to three, and even threw down a monster dunk. Karter was an absolute bully getting to the rim, scoring at will. He finished with a game-high 22 points and 10 rebounds.

Kentucky and Louisville have hosted him on official visits. ‘Cards assistant Nolan Smith was in to watch him tonight.

Collier got downhill with his speed and strength extremely well. The 6-foot-3 floor general took over the game when he needed to and delivered some beautiful passes. While most of his game is refined, his outside shot still appears to be developing. The USC signee is also an excellent leader and is very vocal and communicative with his teammates. He finished with 16 points and eight assists.

Four-star big man Arrinten Page — a fellow USC signee — also had a solid game, also had 16 points and eight rebounds.

Wheeler gets the comeback win over Tampa Catholic.

Kentucky signee Reed Sheppard impresses

Reed Sheppard did it all for this North Laurel (KY) team. He’s a terrific passer, can get to the rim and draw fouls, knock down the three-pointer, and even blocked a couple of shots. The 6-foot-3 senior guard just flat-out knows how to play. He makes his team better. Sheppard plays a very methodical, precise game that leads to winning. The future Wildcat finished with 28 points, seven rebounds, and nine assists.

North Laurel cruises by with a win over Charlotte (FL).

Ryan Davidson (22 points) and Brody Brock (20 points) also impressed for North Laurel.

Five-star guards Stephon Castle and Tre Johnson face off in head-to-head matchup

In the second game of the evening, On3’s No. 11 overall senior prospect Stephon Castle of Newton (GA) took on 2024’s No. 1 ranked player, Tre Johnson of Lake Highlands (TX).

Tre Johnson got off to hot a start, knocking down a tough step-back three off the bounce. He also had a couple of put-back and breakaway dunks in transition. Despite being one of the leading scorers, Johnson was also very unselfish and really got his teammates involved. The Texas native finished with 27 points, nine rebounds, and three assists. The 6-foot-5 junior surely looked the part as the top-ranked 2024 prospect.

Stephon Castle didn’t look to score much until late but was awesome as a facilitator. He found his teammates extremely well as the lead guard. I just wish he was more aggressive as a scorer in the first three quarters. He ended up forcing overtime but missed the game-winning free throws. Despite the loss, Castle finished with a triple-double (15 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists).

Jaylen Washington was vital to this Lake Highlands team. The 5-foot-9 shifty junior guard is tough as nails and scored the ball extremely well. He finished with 19 points.

Lake Highlands get the overtime win over Newton, 76-68.

Five-star junior guard Boogie Fland shows out; sophomore Danny Carbuccia impresses

In the first game of the event, Boogie Fland showed us why he’s one of the best guards in the country. The 6-foot-3 point guard out of Archbishop Stepinac (NY) has a tight, crafty handle and scored the ball at will. What impressed me the most was his three-point shooting game, as he knocked in multiple from deep. One thing I love about him is he actually defends. He had multiple deflections/steals.

Fland finished with 24 points (7-14 FG, 5-11 3P) and the win over Vashon (MO).

UConn, North Carolina, Kentucky, Kansas, Auburn, Oregon, and others have extended offers.

Sophomore guard Danny Carbuccia also impressed for Archbishop Stepinac. He didn’t look to score much in the first half (largely in part to Boogie Fland’s hot hand) but was more assertive in the second half. Carbuccia plays with so much poise and control to only be in the 10th grade. A name to definitely pay attention to. He finished with 14 points, six rebounds, three assists, and three steals.