Friday, December 21, 2012
Cleaning out the notebook from COP
By Dave Telep
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Some final news and notes from the City of Palms Classic before heading home on Friday. I'll have a final recap over the weekend with what I learned at this year's event and Paul Biancardi will continue to recap the best performances.
• Florida-bound Kasey Hill’s speed and ability to create is a difference-maker. No one has a guard like him. Montverde Academy (Fla.) is the best team I’ve seen so far, and if they cultivate the running game they’ll be dismantling people later in the year.
• Sophomore Malik Newman (Jackson, Miss./Callaway) was evaluated by North Carolina Thursday morning. Virginia was also in the building and LSU was there once again. The party got bigger when Alabama sent an assistant. Newman, who is not even thinking about recruiting at this stage, did say Alabama has been to a pair of his high school games already. An engaging young man, Newman has a lot of responsibility on his shoulders at Callaway.
• BYU signee Nick Emery received his mission call. He’ll graduate from Lone Peak (Highland, Utah) immediately following the conclusion of the high school season. He’s going to get the mission clock ticking early so he’ll be ready for a return trip to Provo sooner than later.
• Miles Reynolds (Chicago/Whitney Young) showed me something against Montverde on Thursday night. He made three free throws with the game on the line and then canned a runner in overtime. When he fouled out, the Dolphins were doomed. The junior point guard has length and the stage wasn’t too big for him.
• Here was the crowd for the Dakari Johnson vs. Jahlil Okaforheavyweight matchup Thursday night: Georgetown’s John Thompson and FSU’s Leonard Hamilton, with assistants from North Carolina, Alabama, Marquette, South Florida, LSU, Louisville and Kansas.
