RALEIGH, N.C. -- One of the most competitive and well supported holiday events in the country, the John Wall Holiday Invitational kicked off on Thursday with five-stars like Josh Hall and Isaiah Todd putting on a show for the crowd. Eric Bossi was on hand and gives his rundown from the opening day of action.

Opening day action at the John Wall Holiday Invitational included two of N.C. State's commitments from the class of 2020 and one from 2021 in Josh Hall, Shakeel Moore and Terquavion Smith. It didn't take a trained eye to see that Kevin Keatts and the Pack have some serious athleticism and upside headed their way.

Not surprisingly, the five-star Hall looks like he could be monster pull and an instant impact guy in Raleigh. Long and angular, he's a slender wing who is comfortable shooting from deep, finishes above the rim and over defenders on the break and what may be most appealing is his ability to cause mismatches at multiple positions because he can put the ball on the floor or have offense run for and through him out of the high post. He had 21 points and 12 rebounds and made it look easy.

For a five-star prospect, Hall's exposure to the national crowd has been fairly limited, but make no mistake about it his rating looks to be very well earned and he has all of the tools to not only play in the ACC but eventually at the highest level.

A teammate of Hall's at Moravian Prep, Moore may be one of the most explosive athletes in the country regardless of position and class. Currently ranked just outside of the 2020 Rivals150, Moore is making a serious push for the final rankings thanks to a strong senior year and improved all around floor game. We've known he can finish with crowd pleasing dunks in transition, but Moore is a better playmaker for others than previously realized and he has a jump shot that will need to be respected in college.

As for Smith, he's in the class of 2021 and we didn't get a full viewing of him on Thursday. But, he plays for a high school team that does a lot of winning and he's a long and explosively athletic guard who could one day be a big time defender. It's easy to see why State locked him up as a sophomore and he's got a lot of upside.

Anybody who follows high school recruiting, especially Michigan fans, knows that rumors have swirled that future Wolverine Isaiah Todd could ultimately explore professional opportunities. The long an athletic 6-foot-10 forward has been asked about it plenty and has said that his focus remains on playing for Juwan Howard and that any rumors are rumors for now.

Assuming he makes it to Ann Arbor, Todd has a chance to be a huge boost and an impact guy in the Big Ten. There were a few stretches on Thursday where Todd posted hard but his Raleigh (N.C.) Word of God teammates couldn't get him the ball. He seemed frustrated and roamed some to the perimeter for a little but it didn't take long for him to quit waiting for the game to come to him and he used his athleticism to impose his will on the game.

Todd finished with several highlight dunks and had the crowd going wild. Sure, big guys dunk but not many are as graceful in the open floor, laterally quick and explosive to the rim in any setting.

When he does shoot from mid range and deep, Todd has a very good looking stroke and he's dangerous when he catches and fires in rhythm. Todd's future coach Howard has been where Todd wants to go and was a skilled big man himself, a year or two learning from a guy that could be invaluable to Todd's long term future. In a 19 point and nine rebound effort, Todd proved why he's long been considered one of the most talented prospects in the class of 2020.

.... It was never really made clear why four-star junior Carter Whitt was disqualified during the second half, and it's too bad because he was just starting to get dialed in. A rangy, long haired floor general who has already visited Boston College, Whitt nailed some clean looking jumpers and showed a high degree of skill as a passer and off the dribble creator. He mentioned Nebraska and Ohio State as two that he is looking to set up official visits with and threw out Clemson, Indiana, Wake Forest and more as others who are involved. Whitt also said that going to college as a 2020 prospect is a possibility and that all of the schools recruiting him would welcome him whether he stays in 2021 or enrolls early.

.... Probably the top individual performance of the day was turned in by top 80 junior forward Dontrez Styles of Kinston (N.C.) High. A true high riser who has a non stop motor, Styles was a pogo stick around the rim for much of the game as he pounded the glass and got to the free throw line. Late, he showed a jumper that looks improved as he swished a needed three and tough two during a comeback that fell just short. He had 30 and 11 on the night and has Clemson, Maryland, N.C. State, Wake Forest and others chasing.

.... With one big time athlete and highly ranked player after another taking the floor, top 40 junior Daeshun Ruffin may have had the crowd on the edge of their seats as much as anybody in attendance. The former Auburn commit showed incredible burst off the dribble and a fearless nature attacking the rim despite only being 5-foot-9 or so. He's pretty fearless and has also been on campus at Alabama and Mississippi.

.... Finally, North Carolina has become known for producing just as much under the radar/late blooming talent as it has for having several ranked players. 2021 power forward Will Felton could end up as one of those guys that sneaks up on schools and evaluators. His offensive repertoire is still developing but he's got long arms, a great frame, good instincts on the glass and plays with some motor. As he fills out and matures, he could get looks at all levels. As it is, in state programs like Appalachian State, Elon and High Point have seen enough to offer and plenty more will join them.