Cassidy's Takeaways: Stars shine on first day of City of Palms Classic
FORT MYERS, Fla. – The 50th City of Palms Classic got started on Florida’s Gulf Coast on Monday, and the first day of the historic event was defined by star power. Rivals national recruiting director Rob Cassidy was on hand for each of the day’s four games and shares his takeaways below.
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Related: Underrated prospects primed for breakout at City of Palms Classic
2024 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2025 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team
2026 Rankings: Top 65
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JASPER JOHNSON SCORES 13 IN WIN, TALKS RECRUITMENT
Johnson turned in one of the most versatile offensive efforts on Monday. He showed a knack for scoring in transition while also shooting 3-for-7 from three-point range in Link Academy’s win over North Mecklenburg (N.C.) High. The game saw the 6-foot-4 combo guard get buckets in nearly every imaginable way, including a nifty Euro step through the lane, he finished with 13 points, but it was the variation with which he scored them that was most impressive.
Johnson had been the subject to mild reclassification rumors earlier this year but said on Monday that he intends to stay in the 2025 class as things stand. The five-star point guard also discussed his most recent official visit, a trip to Missouri that took place in early November.
“I loved it there,” Johnson said of Columbia. “Coach [Dennis] Gates always keeps it real. We’ve been talking for about a year or so now, and we stay in contact.
Johnson has relatives that played football at both Kentucky and Ohio State, as his father Dennis Johnson and uncle Derrick Johnson were Wildcats while his other uncle, Julius Yeast, played for the Buckeyes. Jasper Johnson has already taken an unofficial visit to Lexington and remains on the Wildcats’ radar.
Johnson intends to release a top 10 early next year.
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DUKE SIGNEE MAKES NOISE IN TOURNAMENT OPENER
The weeklong event’s opening contest pitted Virginia’s Paul VI High School against Arizona’s Millennium High in a game that featured double-digit Div. I prospects, but no star shined brighter than Duke-bound wing Darren Harris.
Monday saw Harris perform like the best version of himself, getting to spots with ease, scoring in both lane and in the perimeter while also making an impact on the defensive end. Harris forced a handful of turnovers and flashed high-level versatility, guarding the effectively opposing point guard for short stretches. The future Blue Devil wing finished the contest with 17 points on 8-for-13 shooting and chipped in six rebounds as well. It was the type of well-rounded, low-mistake effort that could help the senior rise a bit from from his current spot at No. 77 in the Rivals150.
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HOLMES ON WAY TO BECOMING A NATIONAL NAME
The No. 21 player in the 2026 class, Cameron Holmes is all of 6-foot-5 and already holds offers from programs such as Arizona, Kansas, Oregon among others.
The sophomore wing showcased a nice touch from the mid-range and the ability to drain contested looks from deep, where he knocked down a remarkable step-back 3-pointer in his team’s loss to nationally-ranked Paul VI High. His court vision also popped off the page. He'll need to work on his composure and ball-handling ability in the coming years, but he plays with the confidence of an upperclassman and has the physical tools capable of landing him squarely on the radars of NBA scouts down the road.
Following the game, Holmes, who finished with a team-high 22 points and six rebounds, said he’s already taken visits to Dayton and Arizona, both of which have already offered. The younger brother of Dayton standout DaRon Holmes, Cameron Holmes already has a relationship with the Flyers staff but also has ties to Kansas, as his mother is a KU alumnus.
"She just tells me about Kansas and how great it is,” Holmes said of his mom “Also, the brotherhood there – she says it’s a strong brotherhood.. That’s really all I know so far because I haven’t been able to talk to the coaches a lot yet, but I obviously know it’s Kansas – it’s a great program.”
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MIAMI COMMIT HOLDS OWN DESPITE MISMATCH OF A GAME
Miami commit Austin Swartz and his Concord (N.C.) School took one on the chin on Monday, as they ran into the top team in the country and suffered a 110-57 blowout loss to Montverde Academy. The final score and the performance from No. 1 Montverde were hardly surprising, but overlooked in the pounding was the fact that Swartz managed to shine in flashes, at least in the offensive end, with top-ranked 2024 prospect Cooper Flagg guarding him.
The future Hurricane didn’t get much inside the paint but was able to create some open looks from deep and in the mid-range as well as knock down a couple 3-pointers with the impossibly long and athletic Flagg in his face. Swartz finished the first half with 12 points on 5-for-8 shooting and showed a quick release that allowed him to hold his own as a scorer while being guarded by the best player in high school hoops before things got ugly and the benches emptied under a running clock late in the contest.
Swartz has always been known as an explosive scorer, but Miami fans should be excited to know his scoring prowess translates against truly elite competition like Flagg, who is projected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Obviously Montverde’s roster stuffed with All-Americans and the domination it showed will rightfully be the headline on most stories about Monday’s game, but Swartz’s night wasn’t without its notable moments on the offensive end.