City of Palms Wednesday: ACC recruits shine, Chandler remains must-see

FORT MYERS, FL. – The City of Palms Classic kicked off on Wednesday with some of the best from the region and those nationally descending upon the Sunshine State. Looking back at the day’s top takeaways, it was another strong showing from North Carolina bound RJ Davis, while Duke and Virginia recruits displayed the capacity to immediately impact their future college stops, and Kennedy Chandler remaining a must-see prospect.

There was plenty of good to takeaway from Kennedy Chandler’s first contest in Florida. For one, I am not sure that there is anyone in America faster from endline to endline than the five-star junior. Better yet, it seems that he has gotten more athletic since the travel season which makes it that much more difficult to stay in front of him. Chandler repeatedly put his defenders into difficult positions off of the attack but also was no slouch on the defensive end where he looks the part of a premier on the ball defender.

It would have been nice to see him make more than just one jumper but a stat line of 25 points, six rebounds and four assists will do. Following his outing, Chandler sounded upbeat about his recent Duke and North Carolina offers. He has already scheduled an unofficial visit to UNC for their contest with Duke late this winter, and is currently working on an unofficial visit to Duke, just as well.

In the meantime, two official visits remain on the docket for once the New Year arrives which will take him to Florida State and Michigan, with the Wolverines dispatching head coach Juwan Howard for his game.

Scoring has never been a deficiency of RJ Davis’ which it is what he is valued for the greatest. The North Carolina bound guard was one of the Nike circuit’s top scorers this past summer so it wasn’t a surprise to see him finish with 22 points in his opening session. He scored from each level with precision but impressed the greatest in his passing abilities. It is not like Davis was unable to create for others in the past but showing that he can not only create for himself but also make others better raises the ceiling of what he can achieve in college and beyond.

Davis made a number of timely passes around the basket and looked more than capable of running his team at the point of attack. Don’t get me wrong, he will be first relied upon for his scoring next year at UNC. Alongside Caleb Love, Davis should have the chance to slide onto the ball in spurts and take some of the pressure off of the shoulders of Love which would let the high-flying athlete go and get a bucket whenever he might like, too.

I get that things are tough in Chapel Hill currently but from what we saw on Wednesday, the optimism gained from the early signing period last month was only strengthened further thanks to the progressions reflected by Davis on Wednesday.

Tre Carroll began his story on the national platform last year at the City of Palms Classic and while his return showed for a loss on Wednesday, it was a productive outing from the three-star junior. Having grown an inch since last December’s event, Carroll has filled out accordingly and looks to be one of the more intellectually sound forwards in the 2021 class.

Finishing with 24 points and nine rebounds, while drawing a game high eight fouls, the lefty is not super quick or explosive, but he is a skilled and cerebral prospect that just knows how to play the game. He holds five offers from such programs as FAU, Santa Clara, and USF. He took an official visit to Santa Clara back in October and it wouldn’t come as a surprise if his recruitment expanded greatly once the word spreads further about the Charlotte High product.

Breaking through with the monumental win in front of the home crowd, Javian McCollum stole the show. The unheard-of junior from Fort Myers, Florida, was absolutely awesome all game long. Yes, he has to get a whole lot stronger but his ball skills, feel and instincts really set him apart.

While McCollum has yet to etch out a division-1 offer, it is only a matter of time before they come in like a tidal wave. William & Mary dispatched an assistant coach for him on Wednesday, while Columbia, Drake, FGCU and USF have shown varying degrees of interest. There is no doubt that McCollum is a division-1 ballplayer but it is more about how good he can be that is the primary question at hand.

A quick twitch playmaker that seemingly does everything right, or so it seems at least, McCollum might be the best sleeper uncovered all year long. He might be deceiving by the looks test but the intrigue really is something.

-- Adrian Griffin is going to be a good one in Durham. He already possesses a college ready body and uses it quite well on the drive to the basket. You do wish he wouldn’t settle as often for the contested 15-foot and out jumper but he also does not lack for confidence whenever it comes to putting the ball through the basket. Griffin is on track to be a day one dude for Duke and finished with 21 points, four rebounds and four assists in his team’s win.

-- Sturdy and efficient is the name of the game with Reece Beekman which has become the norm for those that suit up at Virginia. Headed to the defending national champs next fall, Beekman is not going to wow you with athleticism but he is someone that knows how to run his team in the backcourt. He doesn’t turn it over very often, can make the open jumper and, most of all, takes great pride in creating for his teammates. Alongside Kihei Clark and Casey Morsell, the Wahoos should have quite the perimeter core to lean upon.

-- Johnny Dawkins has built his program on a strong foundation known first and foremost for its toughness and defensive prowess. Having a backline shot changer makes what UCF wants to achieve on the defensive end much easier which is why Jamille Reynolds is such a valuable pick-up for the Knights. The three-star center will have to get into better playing shape shed in college but he did seem a bit lighter on his feet compared to past viewings. He used it to his betterment repeatedly throwing away shots around the goal and also producing some as a pick-and-pop theat. He will be a quality piece to build further with once his college clock begins in less than a year.