City of Palms - Semi-Finals

City of Palms Finals:

After two intense semi-finals, the championship match-up is set. Montverde Academy beat Trinity (KY) 52-42 to advance to their third straight final and Wheeler outlasted Wesleyan Christian (NC) in the last game of the day. The top two seniors in the country square off in Ben Simmons and Jaylen Brown. Simmons scored 16 points in his semi-final and Brown finished with 28 points including a perfect 13-13 from the free throw line. While Wheeler has talent behind Brown it certainly doesn’t have the depth and skill of a Montverde. The past two years Montverde has used its size and depth to wear out teams in the championship game and this year will be no different.

Monday MVP:

Kobi Simmons, 6’5”, PG, 2016, St. Francis (GA)

In a game that featured high level talent and elite athleticism, Kobi Simmons stole the show. In an 85-75 victory over Oak Ridge (FL), Simmons was at the top of his game scoring 37 points in addition to seven rebounds, three assists, and only one turnover while shooting 13-19 from the field. Simmons did it all and it started with a hot first quarter. He took shorter guards off the dribble, connected on deep jump shots, and was unstoppable on the break. Players such as Malik Beasley (FSU), Alex Owens (Providence), and Antonio Blakeney (five-star) were all on the court, but it was the 6’5” junior point guard that was head and shoulders above everyone on the court.  After the game, Simmons noted that “pretty much everybody” was recruiting him.

Top Performers:

Jaylen Brown, 6’7”, SF, 2015, Wheeler (GA)

The unsigned senior finished with 28 points and 11 rebounds to lead his team to the championship game. In a back and forth contest, Brown scored consistently in each quarter and then hit all of his free throws in the final minutes to ice the victory. In the first half, Brown was unstoppable driving to the basket utilizing a right-handed in and out move before crossing over to freeze the defender and subsequently exploding for a lay-up or powerful dunk. In the second half, Brown added a three from the left wing in addition to his powerful moves to the basket.

Joseph Toye, 6’6”, G/F, 2015, Whitney Young (IL)

Whitney Young lost a close game to Wayne (OH), but senior wing Joseph Toye continued his strong senior season. If he keeps trending in the right direction, it looks like Vanderbilt will be getting an extremely underrated recruit. Toye was very efficient in both halves starting the first half with 11 points on 5-7 shooting. He exploded for 13 points in the third quarter and finished with 26 points and eight rebounds on 10-15 shooting. Known for his high flying ways, Toye had his share of athletic finishes at the basket, but he also had his shot working. He hit two three’s with a game tying three go half way down before spinning out. He also hit a contested, high arcing pull-up from the left baseline in addition to a one dribble pull-up from the right wing later on. Wayne’s 1-3-1 made it hard for Toye to touch the ball in the last few minutes and this was also when Whitney Young gave up their lead. If Toye can stay consistent with his outside shot he will definitely have a chance to make an impact in the SEC next year.

Harry Giles, 6’10”, PF, 2016, Wesleyan Christian (NC)

Giles put together a remarkable first quarter showing why he is considered a probable top draft pick in 2017, but then went quiet the rest of the game. A Chris Webber clone, Giles put on a show early on. In a one minute span in the first, Giles grabbed a defensive rebound, brought the ball up the court, and hit a deep jumper from the top of the key (with a foot on the line). The next possession, the 6’10” Giles caught the ball several feet behind the three point line on the left wing, took two dribbles against his defender before pulling up for a swish. Giles also added a step-back three in the first half and finished with 10 points, four rebounds, three assists, and two blocks. The second half was a bit different as Giles struggled to get touches down low and missed some easy shots at the rim. He finished the game with 14 points and 11 rebounds, but could not continue his monstrous first half performance in a close loss.

Ahmad Wagner, 6’7”, F, 2015, Wayne (OH)

Senior forward Ahmad Wagner recorded a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds to go along with four blocks. Last year, Whitney Young had a big guy that some people might have heard of in Jahlil Okafor, but this year they are a guard oriented team that can is susceptible to strong play down low. Wagner did the dirty work and keyed the last few minutes for Wayne with his clutch play as a small deficit turned into a three point lead. On the night, Wagner was 8-10 and was crucial to his team’s success.

Malik Monk, 6’4”, SG, 2016, Bentonville (AR)

After a quiet first two games in the City of Palms, Monk got a chance to show off his skills in an early morning game against Reserve Riverside Academy (LA). Monk finished 5-6 from the floor and 2-3 from the three point line while finishing with 23 points and nine rebounds. For a long stretch in the second half, Monk faced a box and one defense. He didn’t try to force the issue and never settled for three’s. He drove to the basket, putting pressure on the defense and ended up 11-13 from the line. In years past Monk might have been content to fire from behind the arc, but in the second half he only took (and made) jump shots that were wide open.

Devearl Ramsey, 5’10”, PG, 2016 / Remy Martin, 5’11”, PG, 2017, Sierra Canyon

Sierra Canyon’s quickness at the guard spots was too much for Webster Groves (GA) to handle. Devearl Ramsey scored 13 points and dished out six assists to go along with four steals, while Remy Martin finished with eight points, four assists, and three steals. Both guards created havoc on the defensive end and got deep into the lane anytime. The younger Martin also showed off some deceptive leaping ability on several of his drives to the basket.  

Corey Manigault, 6’8”, PF, 2016, Paul VI

Paul VI is led by VJ King and Franklin Howard, but Corey Manigault was the key in a 57-56 overtime victory over Mater Dei. Manigault finished with 21 points and 14 rebounds on 6-12 from the field and 9-10 from the line. Manigault was a large target for the Paul VI guards and possessed solid footwork and good hands when converting in the paint against M.J. Cage.

Ben Simmons, 6’8”, SF, 2015, Montverde (FL)

It wasn’t a typical performance for the top recruit in the country, but when the game ended he was Montverde’s leading scorer and another championship game awaited his team. In the first half, Simmons played fairly nonchalantly scoring five points. He started the game with a fast break dunk and fade-away three from the wing but didn’t score at all in the second quarter. He turned up the defensive pressure in the third resulting in steals and in turn a variety of fast break dunks and lay-ups. All five of his second half shots came from the paint with all four of his makes being either dunks or lay-ups. Simmons ended the game with 16 points, seven rebounds, four assists, four steals, and two blocks.

Christian Thieneman, 6’5”, SG, 2015, Trinity (KY)

Christian Thieneman left everything he had on the court. He was Trinity’s top player in the first half when he hit 3 out of 5 three’s and put up 14 of his team’s 25 points. The shots stopped falling in the second half, but Thieneman continued to give a great defensive effort. He primarily guarded Simmons throughout the game and frustrated the five-star prospect in the half-court setting with a bit of physical play. He bodied Simmons up in the post, despite giving up three inches and moved his feet to stay in front of Simmons on his drives. He only scored one point in the second half, but was the main reason his team stayed in the game as long as they did.

Other Notes:

Senior guard Franklin Howard and junior wing V.J. King combined to go 6-31 from the field, but Paul VI still hung on for the victory. King forced Mater Dei star Rex Pflueger into a 5-15 shooting performance while also grabbing nine rebounds. Howard corralled 13 boards and dished out six assists (although he also had seven turnovers).

Rex Pflueger struggled from the field, but looked quicker and more explosive. He finished at the rim several times and on the defensive side he came over for a weak side block on the taller King.

Where’s Raymond? Louisville commit, Raymond Spalding started to turn his vast potential into production over the summer. Tonight he laid low and finished with just eight points. In the third quarter he scored back to back baskets (one off a steal and the second after slipping a pick) and it looked like he was about to take over for Trinity, but instead he struggled from there on out and did not have one of his finer performances.

In the last game of the night, several underclassmen stood out including 6’2” sophomore guard Darius Perry who hit a crucial three to give Wheeler a lead they would never relinquish. For Wesleyan, junior wing Jalen Johnson showed off elite athleticism and junior guard Michael Buckland led the team in scoring with his hot outside shooting.

City of Palms: Signature Series

Day four of the City of Palms offered a break for the high school teams in attendance while showcasing six teams in the tournaments Signature Series. With only three games on tap, the schedule was light, but the play was anything but. 

Game 1: Montverde (Post Grad) 96 Northfield Mount Hermon (MA) 87

Northfield Mount Hermon is often referred to as the Wisconsin of high school basketball. Crisp ball movement, floor spacing, and three’s from all over the court. The New England power was expected to cruise to an easy victory in their first game at the City of Palms; however point guard CJ Jackson and Montverde Prep had a different idea. Coached by former Tar Heel Dante Calabria, Montverde was well prepared on the defensive end anticipating cutters and challenging deep three’s. Towards the end it looked like Montverde was going to give up the lead but timely baskets from Jackson and forward Kouat Noi (17 points, 6 rebounds) held off the final charge from NMH. Senior guard Bryce Thurston was the top shooter for Montverde hitting four deep three’s throughout the game.

CJ Jackson, 6’3”, PG, Montverde, Post Grad

The post-grad point guard was the top player of the day. He finished with a game high of 39 points with 25 of those coming in the second half. He attacked the basket off the dribble, finished in traffic, knocked in floaters, and connected from deep. Jackson handled the NMH pressure with ease and caught fire from deep in the second half connecting on at least four shots from beyond the arc. 

Game 2: La Lumiere 61 Danube City (Austria) 46

The talented La Lumiere squad got off to a fast start and never looked back. Led by 11 first half points from sharp-shooter Jalen Coleman-Lands La Lumiere jumped to an early lead. As one of the top shooters in the country, Coleman-Lands’ high arcing shot found the middle of the net on each attempt. He wasn’t the only starter to play well. Australian big man Isaac Humphries finished with a near double-double. The 260 pound center was immovable down low and despite looking a bit slow-footed at times Humphries possessed a good set of hands and some textbook post moves with an up and under move and right handed jump hook. Point guard Munis Tutu (11 pts, 8 asts) from Canada used his quickness to penetrate the lane for lay-ups or easy looks for his teammates. 

Game 3: Potter (FL) 54 Balboa City (CA) 51

The headline of the final game of the day revolved around two talented young big men. 6’11” Deandre Ayton is the top sophomore in the country, while 6’11”, 260 pound Udoka Azubuike is a five-star junior. Ayton stole the show early with a near double-double in the first half with 14 points and nine rebounds on 7-10 shooting. He caught a tip dunk to start the game and finished the first quarter with two lay-ups and another dunk. In the second quarter he continued to score close around the basket but also added a deep jump shot from the top of the key. Potter clawed its way back and ended up winning by three points in overtime with Azubuike finishing with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Ayton ended the game with 23 points and 20 rebounds and was active in every phase of the game. An extremely quick leaper, Ayton dominated the boards, but was also active throwing three-quarter court passes, running the floor, blocking shots, and creating steals. 

Spotlight: Brandon Cyrus, 6’4”, G/F, 2016, La Lumiere

The Southern California native provided a sparkplug to La Lumiere in their opening game of the tournament finishing with 10 points. The athletic slasher attacked the basket and finished above the rim several times in the second half. “I just try to come in and bring energy and a fire to my team,” said Cyrus. “I come in and do everything. If we need a three I can hit a three. If we need a dunk I can dunk. The last couple of games we’ve played really well, the team has bonded so far.”

The four-star junior has received interest from a variety of schools and the first three he listed were all from the west coast. San Diego State, Arizona State, and Cal are the three schools in constant contact with Cyrus, but now other Midwest schools such as Kansas State and Butler are expressing interest in addition to Wake Forest.

Chicago Elite Classic - 2014 (Day 2)

The third edition of the Chicago Elite Classic took place over a two day span this past weekend at the University of Illinois-Chicago. While the event did not have the star wattage like it did in the past (Jabari Parker, Jahlil Okafor, Stanley Johnson, Cliff Alexander, Tyler Ulis, Stephen Zimmerman, Chase Jeter, etc) there were many high major division one players in attendance. 

Top Player:

Rawle Alkins, 6’5”, G/F, Christ the King (NY), 2016

The next New York superstar? Rawle Alkins certainly played like it on Saturday night. He dominated all parts of the game as he led Christ the King to an 87-56 blowout over the local St. Rita squad. Both Catholic schools battled hard in the first quarter, but Alkins helped turn the game into a blowout with a 28 point, seven assist, six rebound, and five steal performance. The powerful wing scored in a variety of ways. He buried deep three’s (finishing with four on the night), threw down powerful dunks, and finished with contact in the lane. Minus a brief stretch in the second quarter when Alkins got a bit out of control, he was a man amongst boys. He finished 11-16 from the floor and fed teammates on the break and in the half-court set for easy baskets. Built like Lance Stephenson, Alkins had no problem showing off his New York style when matched up with Kentucky bound guard Charles Matthews. Catching the ball on the left wing, Alkins gave Matthews a few moves before ducking his right shoulder and finishing in the lane. Alkins is currently ranked No. 31 in the junior class by Scout.com, but his stock is set to rise.

Top Team:

Simeon (IL)

Simeon, a Chicago public league power lost in sectional play last year after winning four straight Illinois state championships with Jabari Parker. The Wolverines were young last year, but now the team returns in full and looks to reclaim its title as the top team in the state. As one of the two hosts (Whitney Young was the other) of the tournament Simeon played in the Saturday nightcap against big man Elijah Thomas and Lancaster, one of the top teams from Texas. It was a competitive game for three quarters, but the overwhelming depth of Simeon wore Lancaster down and ran away in the fourth quarter with an 87-72 victory. Simeon starts three seniors headed to Big 10 schools in DJ Williams (Illinois), Ed Morrow (Nebraska), and Isaiah Moss (Iowa) in addition to two talented juniors in Zach Norvell and Ben Coupet. Off the bench, Simeon first brought a “platoon” of five younger players in with talented freshman Kezo Brown running the show in a smooth and steady fashion. Simeon will face some tough competition in the future in Morgan Park (IL) and Bishop Gorman (NV), but they passed their first test with ease in the Classic.

Standout Performers:

Ed Morrow, 6’7”, PF, Simeon (IL), 2015, Nebraska

A “no frills” big man, Simeon’s power forward Ed Morrow stole the show despite facing the more highly touted Elijah Thomas. The future Cornhusker finished with 22 points, five rebounds, and five blocks. He showed a solid pair of hands down low and threw down numerous two hand dunks throughout the game. More than just a dunker, Morrow also impressed with his mid-range game. Last year Morrow held future top draft pick Jahlil Okafor in check and this year he did the same with Thomas. Morrow is only rated as a three-star recruit, but he will have an impact at Nebraska as soon as he steps on campus. In a few years, observers will wonder where the respect was for Simeon’s big man.

Zach Norvell, 6’3”, SG, Simeon (IL), 2016

The smooth shooting lefty guard started the game off by hitting a three and stayed hot throughout finishing with 18 points. Norvell did damage last year as a sophomore and is Simeon’s main threat from the perimeter. He never went on his own personal scoring run as Norvell managed to score consistently throughout the game. In addition to his 18 points, he also added six rebounds and four assists. 

Frank Jackson, 6’3”, G, Lone Peak (UT), 2016

The 2014-15 version of Lone Peak looked just a tad different than the last Lone Peak squad that came out to Chicago for the Classic. In 2012, Lone Peak featured three stars in Nick Emery, TJ Haws, and Eric Mika. This year, junior guard Frank Jackson ran the show with some help from sophomore Christian Popoola. In a close overtime loss, Jackson finished with 28 points and seven rebounds. He was able to power his way to the basket with his size and strength and also hit several three’s after a slow start in the first quarter. Jackson de-committed from BYU in November and is a hot prospect due to his size and ball skills. 

Other Notes:

Massachusetts bound, Luwane Pipkins struggled with his outside shot all game against Lone Peak but still had the confidence to drain the game winning three point shot from the right corner. He scored 14 points on 4-17 shooting and never got in a rhythm, but he did hit the most important shot of the game. 

While Pipkins struggled for Bogan, senior 5’9” guard Tom Johnson picked up the slack scoring 15 points. 

Rawle Alkins was the star for Christ the King, but Tyrone Cohen was also impressive scoring 22 points. The 6’3” junior guard scored from inside and outside the arc and also ran the floor with ease on the fast break. 

Kentucky bound Charles Matthews scored 16 points for St. Rita in a loss, but struggled with his shot shooting below 40% for the game. In the second half he connected on two three’s from the right wing, but missed a handful of others and never really impacted the game as expected. When Matthews is able to step into his jump shot and elevate properly his shot looks good, but more often than not the ball either falls short or is all over the rim.

Elijah Thomas was the attraction for Lancaster, but he struggled to impact the game and was saddled with foul trouble throughout. Point guard Deon Barrett used his speed to get to the basket and kick out to teammates on the wing. 5’7” guard Dominique Fobbs came off the bench and hit 7 out 10 three’s on the game. Also, senior guard Antwon Portley showcased a nice skill-set hitting several three’s and using his length to finish down low.