John Wall Holiday Invitational: Day 3 Top Performers

Raleigh, North Carolina – The 51st Annual John Wall Holiday Invitational took place from December 27-30. Teams from around North Carolina and Virginia competed with numerous highly-ranked players on their rosters.

The featured game of the day was Pittsboro (NC) Northwood High featuring five-star swing Drake Powell and Rockingham (NC) Richmond County, featuring four-star wing Paul McNeil.

On3’s Jamie Shaw was courtside for the day, to talk about top performers from Day three of the John Wall Holiday Invitational.

Drake Powell and Paul McNeil

The matchup of the event happened on Friday night as UNC signee Drake Powell matched up with NC State signee Paul McNeil. The matchup was a perfect storm of storylines. The pair are similar sized, similar positions, and similarly ranked, both from the state of North Carolina and going to rival colleges. 

The matchup lived up to the billing. With NC State head coach Kevin Keatts sitting courtside with two of his assistants, the game was nip and tuck, with a lead not getting more than four or five throughout the contest. 

Powell is the No. 19 player in the 2024 On3 150 and McNeil is the No. 59 overall player in the 2024 On3 Industry Ranking. Drake Powell is No. 2 in North Carolina and Paul McNeil No. 6.

Powell is a competitive defensive player. He uses his great length and natural anticipation to beat defenders to spots and cut-off angles in the passing lanes. Offensively, he was confident in the mid-range, attacking the basket from 18 feet and drawing 14 fouls in the process. Ultimately, Powell is a winning-type player who has good things happen around him. 

McNeil is a scoring threat on each possession. Over the past few months, he has developed his game off the bounce and gotten more fluid in his frame. His jump shot is consistent off the bounce or the catch and he plays with the utmost confidence in his ability. While McNeil did not defend Powell, he was good in the passing lanes and he rebounded well. 

The game went down to the very end. Pittsboro (NC) Northwood High took the 53-50 win as Rockingham (NC) Richmond County High had a shot at the end to win it. 

Powell finished with a game-high 30 points. He was 8-of-18 from the field and 2-of-5 from three and 12-of-14 from the free throw line. The UNC signee added nine rebounds and two steals in the win. 

McNeil had 24 points, going 8-of-17 from the field, 3-of-5 from three, and 5-of-9 from the free throw line. The NC State signee added 11 rebounds and two assists.  

Other John Wall Holiday Invitational Top Performers

Five-Star Plus+ C Jayden Quaintance (Kentucky) is a physical specimen. The 6-foot-10 and 235-pound center is a ball of fluid and explosive athleticism. He finished several thunderous dunks in the half-court. He rebounded well and defended down the lineup. Quaintance, who recently turned 16, also had an eye-opening play where he drove hard right, went behind his back at the free-throw line as the defender cut off his path, and pulled up for a 16-foot jumper. There is a high ceiling here. Quaintance finished with a game-high 25 points on 9-of-12 from the field and 2-of-3 from three. He added nine rebounds and four steals against the OTE Cold Hearts team. 

4-star PG Chance Malloy (2025) has been one of the biggest standouts of this season’s tournament. The 5-foot-10 point guard had another standout performance in the championship game of the Coby White Division. Mallory is a skilled and compact lead guard who has range out to 30-plus feet and a tight handle that gets him to open spots on the floor. The MVP of his division finished with 27 points, five rebounds, four assists, and three steals in the win.

4-star SF Cole Cloer (2026) is the top-ranked 2026 prospect in North Carolina. The 6-foot-6 wing showed some shot-making ability and toughness. Today was Cloer’s second game of the season, he missed the first part of the year with injury, and there was some natural rust.  Cloer is a good vertical athlete and has outside touch and range. He finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds.

4-star CG Trey Parker (NC State) played in front of his future NC State head coach, Kevin Keatts, and put on a great performance. He finished with 17 points and seven steals. He showed quick hands in the open court and made good decisions with the ball. Parker has a touch of electricity in his game and stepped up with a sold-out crowd all in to see him. He is No. 86 in the 2024 On3 150.

PF Kendre Harrison (2026) is a five-star tight end on the football field, but he is also a very accomplished basketball player. Harrison is 32-1 in his high school basketball career, with his lone loss in the state championship game as a freshman. Harrison is also 29-3 on the football field in his two varsity seasons, with two state championship appearances and one title. The Reidsville (NC) High sophomore finished this game with 19 points, 17 rebounds, and a win in overtime. 

4-star SG Austin Swartz (Miami) is an offensively gifted player with court sense and the ability to create scoring opportunities. When the four-star guard has his motor running hot, he can be a load to stop. Today he did a good job of getting into the paint and either finishing at the basket, absorbing contact at the rim, or distributing the ball around to his teammates. His Concord (NC) Cannon School team was down 48-29 at the half. Swartz led a furious comeback, forcing the game into overtime. He had 23 points and five assists, going 3-of-9 from three and 4-of-4 from the free-throw line.