Cassidy's Takeaways: Second day of City of Palms Classic packs a punch

FT. MYERS, Fla. – The second day of the 50th City of Palms Classic unfolded on Florida’s Gulf Coast on Tuesday, and the event packed a punch when it came to future Div. I stars. Rivals national recruiting director Rob Cassidy was on hand for the day that was in the Sunshine State and shares his takeaways below.

*****

More: Stars shine on first day of City of Palms Classic

2024 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position

2025 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team

2026 Rankings: Top 65

TRANSFER PORTAL: Latest news | Transfer search | Transfer tracker/player ranking (football) | Transfer team ranking (football) | Transfer tracker/player ranking (basketball) | Transfer team ranking (basketball) | Rivals Portal Twitter

*****

The top uncommitted prospect in the class of 2024, Edgecombe is one of the last dominoes to fall in this recruiting cycle. Tuesday saw Edgecombe lead his Long Island Lutheran team to a victory with a 20-point, seven-rebound effort that displayed his shooting stroke, otherworldly athleticism, general versatility and the reason he’s ranked as the No. 5 player in the country.

Following the game, Edgecombe spoke with reporters about the final days of his recrutiment and said that while he doesn’t have a set timetable for a decision, he has no intention of announcing anything before the calendar turns to 2024. Asked whether or not he already had a school in mind, however, he failed to chase away a giant smirk.

“I’m leaning one way,” he said through a laugh.

Officially, Edgecombe has a top 10 but said he’s recently narrowed his focus to include just the five programs to which he has taken official visits. Baylor, Duke, Kentucky, Florida and St. John’s all remain in the hunt, and the five-star wing says he has spent a lot of time watching each of his finalists play this season.

“I want to see their play style and see how I can fit in.” Edgecombe said. “I’m looking to see what my role could be.

“I want a system that thrives on defense, plays fast and moves the ball.”

Edgecombe says he is also still considering the NBA’s G League in addition to his college options, though that route is beginning to seem less likely than it once did.

Tuesday’s main event featured a clash between No. 2-ranked Airious Bailey and McEachern High School and No. 3 overall prospect Dylan Harper's Don Bosco Prep squad. The Rutgers-bound stars didn't disappoint, combing for 52 points. And while Harper’s game-high 28 helped his team to a comfortable, 76-50 win, Bailey turned in an impressive individual performance of his own.

The No. 2 ranked Bailey finished the contest with 24 points and seven rebounds and showed off his handle, athleticism,. pull-up jumper and ability to take defenders of all sizes off the bounce and to the rack. If versatility is, indeed, the name of the game in modern basketball, Bailey should be on the marquee in fluorescent light.

“He’s a competition,” McEachern head coach Tremayne Anchrum said of Bailey following the game. “If you wanna play dominoes, he’s gonna compete. If you want to play jacks, he’s gonna compete. If you wanna play marbles, he’s gonna compete. I don’t care what you’re doing or what you’ve got, he’s going to compete. Rutgers is getting the ultimate competitor.”

The excitement around the Rutgers class is warranted to say the least, as both Harper and Bailey continue to make strides toward being one-and-done talents in New Brunswick.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH RUTGERS FANS AT THEKNIGHTREPORT.COM

One of the top players in the Sunshine State this cycle, Dante Allen is the son of former Villanova star and current Miami Heat assistant Malik Allen. Allen is the No. 54 prospect in the Rivals150 for 2025 and looked every bit a top-100 prospect on Tuesday in a game that saw the lightning quick Miami (Fla.) Riviera Prep point guard show off his trademark end-to-end speed as well as his long-range jumper and a reliable floater in the lane. Allen’s 17-point game came on 6-for-11 shooting and included a pair of 3-pointers in addition to six assists.

Michigan and UCF join Villanova on the list of programs that have grabbed Allen’s attention early in the process, and the four-star guard says he has also recently begun hearing from Notre Dame, Alabama and Arkansas.

“[Assistant coach] Kyle Getter and the head coach, [Micah] Shrewsberry hit me up from Notre Dame last summer, but it has picked back up recently,” Allen said. “It’s definitely picking up a little bit. They are showing me how they want to have a younger team and keep their base while they recruit young guys like me to blend in.”

Villanova should be monitored in Allen’s recruitment, but the legacy program does not feel like a lock, as Allen says he hopes to visit Michigan, Notre Dame, UCF and others in addition to his father’s alma mater next year.

“It’s been a couple different [coaches] talking to me from Arkansas,” Arkansas. “With them, they tell me little stuff, like who has the most steals or the most assists on the team. They want me to watch their games and really lock in on guys and details they think apply to me.”

California's Mater Dei High School made the cross-country trip to take on Florida’s Windermere Prep on Tuesday, and sophomore Mater Dei’s Brannon Martinsen had a few impressive moments despite a somewhat modest stat line in a blowout victory.

Martinsen, who already holds offers from Iowa, Cal and Illinois, is all of 6-foot-8 and boasts an athletic build that allows him to impact games in a variety of ways. Tuesday saw him defend multiple positions, show off a smooth jumper and make mostly wise decisions from a passing standpoint as part of a 13-point effort that saw him shoot 5-for–8. The class-of-2026 prospect could become an incredibly versatile weapon on the wing as he becomes a better long-range shooter and improves his ball-handling, as his length, fluidity and ability to score in the paint and the mid-range are obvious

Martinsen holds offers from programs such as Cal, Creighton, USC, Illinois and Iowa as things stand now but grew up rooting for both in-state UCLA as well as Kentucky, his mother’s alma mater.

“I value how much the fans like basketball at whatever school I end up choosing,” Martinsen said. “My mom went to Kentucky, and she talks about how crazy southern basketball fans are. I want to experience that at least once.”