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City of Palms Classic: Day 2 Recap

Ft. Myers, Fla.-Unsigned senior Rashanti Harris scored 32 points and grabbed 25 rebounds to lead his New Hope squad to an overtime win over American Heritage to set up a showdown with top-rated big man Greg Monroe in the next round. This and more from Wednesday’s action at the City of Palms Classic.

Game Six

Fort Myers Dunbar, Fl.- 60
John Carroll, Md.- 55

Top Performers-
David Paulk 6’5 So. W Ft. Myers Dunbar: 22 points (9-14fg), 6 rebounds
Isaiah Philmore 6’7 Jr. F John Carroll: 20 points (6-9fg), 7 rebounds

Game Seven

Holy Cross, NY- 81
Miami Monsignor Pace, Fl.- 62

This game featured a highly anticipated matchup between Holy Cross’s 6’6 senior wing Sylven Landesberg (Virginia-recruit) and Pace’s 6’4 senior wing Ray Shipman (Florida-recruit).

While Shipman stayed on the bench for much of the second half with foul trouble, Landesberg took over and helped turn a five point halftime lead into an impressive 19-point win for Holy Cross. Landesberg scored 17 points after the break on his way to 26 for the game in addition to 11 boards. Shipman finished with 25 points on 8-18 shooting despite being limited to just 23 minutes of playing time.

Landesberg is a do-it-all type wing that makes good decisions, handles, passes, scores and rebounds. He’s got good size for his position and what he lacks in athleticism he makes up for with skill and craftiness. He’ll be an asset to Virginia the moment he arrives on campus.

Shipman, on the other hand, is a slasher that relies mostly on his athleticism and strength. While he is tough to stop at this level going to the hoop, Shipman still needs to tighten up his overall skill game as his shot needs work and he still doesn‘t finish at a high percentage.

While there is no doubt that Landesberg and Shipman are their team’s leaders, both Holy Cross and Pace sport rosters full of talented players.

6’4 senior Kayvon Roberts nailed big-shot after big-shot on his way to 18 points for Holy Cross to go with four rebounds and four assists while his 6’1 senior teammate Blaise Ffrench scored 14 points (5-7fg) and dished out five assists.

As for Pace, there were two underclassmen that really stood out: 6’8 junior Rakeem Buckles is a long athlete that has enough talent and upside to become a top-100 caliber player (or better) when he finally puts it all together. We were really impressed with his combination of size and perimeter skill. Louisville has already extended a scholarship offer and Coach Pitino was courtside for this game. Buckles’ 6’2 freshman teammate, Darius Perkins, scored eight points but had such a significant impact on the game that Sylven Landesberg was sticking him for much of the second half. Perkins has a solid handle and nailed both of his 3-point attempts. He appears to be one of the top freshman in Florida.

Game Eight

Woodland Hills Taft, Ca.- 77
Charlotte, Fl.- 40

Taft used a 26-4 run midway through the first half to take a 30 point lead into the break. They continued their outstanding play in the second half and by the start of the fourth quarter the game was out of reach and their starters went to the bench for the final time. The final score was Taft 77, Charlotte 40.

The winners were led by 6’3 junior Justin Hawkins’ 20 points (8-9fg) and five rebounds. UNC-bound point guard Larry Drew, a 6’0 senior, scored 12 points (5-8fg) and impressed with his dribble penetration and passing.

Dago Pena, a 6’6 senior that will play college ball at Florida Atlantic, led Charlotte with 20 points while 6’3 senior Chris Stephenson (a UNC-Ashville recruit) chipped in with 13.

Game Nine

New Hope, Ms.- 82
American Heritage, Fl.- 78 (OT)

6’9 senior Rashanti Harris scored 32 points and pulled down 25 boards to help New Hope upset American Heritage, 82-78, in overtime.

Harris was a beast down low where he dominated the glass and used his strong frame to out-position American Heritage’s 6’11 Eloy Vargas. He also impressed with his free-throw shooting by connecting on 10 of his 12 attempts-- many of them coming at crucial points late in the game.

The biggest concern with Harris is whether or not he is going to qualify. When he does get his academics in order, however, expect a number of elite programs to be among his pursuers.

Although Harris was the most impressive big man on the floor, Vargas managed to hold his own and finished with 21 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks. The Florida-bound forward has plenty of skill and finesse but will need to add weight to his thin frame when he gets to the next level (where he will face players with Harris’ combination of size and strength on a regular basis).

Vargas’ 6’2 teammate Kenny Boynton, one of the top guard prospects in the class of 2009, was in foul trouble the entire game and finished with 13 points (5-17fg) in just over 19 minutes of action.

5’5 junior Ray Taylor led American Heritage with 24 points (9-25fg) and five assists. The small point guard plays with a ton of flair (almost to a fault), but he’s one of the quickest players we’ve seen and his ball handling ability is off-the-charts.

Game Ten

Scott County, Ky.- 92
Hales Franciscan, Il.- 74

6’5 senior Tyler Portwood scored 25 points, including seven three-pointers, to lead Scott County to an 18 point win over Hales Franciscan. Portwood’s 6’6 junior teammate Richie Phares chipped in with 21 points and 10 rebounds.

Hales Franciscan got a combined 31 points from their backcourt duo of Oregon-bound Matt Humphrey (6’5 Sr.) and uncommitted junior DJ Cooper (5’9 Jr.). Both Humphrey and Cooper shot 6-18 from the field. Marcus Campbell, a 6’3 junior, scored a team-high 17 points.

Stay tuned for more from the City of Palms Classic!