A Recap of the 2009 City of Palms Classic

The City of Palms Classic this year in Fort Myers Florida was a tournament filled with intrigue from the very beginning. There was already a weird back story to the tournament as due to CIF sanctions, Westchester (CA) was not allowed to play the consensus best team in Findlay Prep (NV). Rather than risk a Westchester-Findlay Prep meeting in a winners bracket, tournament director Donnie Wilkie worked with the Findlay Prep coaching staff to figure out a way to keep the Pilots in the tournament. They decided to put them against Winter Park (FL) in a first night showcase game where win or lose, Winter Park (#41 ESPN) got to advance and Findlay Prep (#1 ESPN) was dispatched to the consolation bracket. The game was a fan's dream, pitting the tournaments best player and Florida native Austin Rivers, against the tournaments best team in Findlay Prep. Rivers and his offensive brilliance carried Winter Park all the way to the finals, exploding for 45 points in the semi-final round and visibly frustrating Newark St. Benedicts (#4) in the 15 point victory. With the absolutely stacked Findlay Prep unable to win the tournament, the door was now open for other teams to make their cases for the nationally televised final. After the four days of intense basketball, I left with this:


Best Team- Findlay Prep

The team that won every game yet couldn't take home the hardware, Findlay Prep's average margin of victory was by a staggering 31.25 per game. While they were automatically summoned to the consolation bracket, this was a team featuring five top-25 players in their respective classes and their top-to-bottom talent was just too overwhelming. The machine known as Findlay Prep was driven by senior guard Corey Joseph, who along with fellow guards Nick Johnson and Jabari Brown, form one of the baddest back-courts in the nation. Texas commit Tristan Thompson imposed his will all tournament, using all 6'10 235 lbs to patrol the paint on defense and finish near the rim on offense. Senior forward Godwin Okonji also made an impact on the boards and down in the trenches. Playing properly motivated after their first loss of the season, which was seen live on television the night before, there just weren't too many weaknesses with this team. Their athletic, talented, and seem relentless in their efforts to get better.


Most Valuable Player- Austin Rivers, Winter Park HS (FL)

There isn't much else you can say about this kid except they might as well rename the award after him. Worth the price of admission, Rivers is virtually unguardable one-on-one. Shoot he's barely guardable one-on-five. With a lightning quick first step and a deadly shooting stroke, there isn't a shot he doesn't have. He has the uncanny ability to penetrate the lane, and avoid difficult finishes by mastering a ten foot floater. When he does get to the rim, he has a series of up-and-unders and scoop shots that if not defended correctly might as well be lay ups. The 6'3 junior and his offensive binges brought crowds to their feet as opposing defenses were left in frustration. Last years tournament MVP, Rivers duplicated the same results, becoming the tourneys first back-to-back MVP winner in its illustrious history. Rivers seemed to save his best for last, averaging 36 points in the semi-final and final rounds, including the 45 point outburst in the semi-final against the team I thought was the tourneys second best team in Newark St. Benedicts (NJ). Not one to pass out of double-teams, Austin Rivers is an assassin with the ball and can score from anywhere on the floor, almost single handedly carrying his team to championship glory.


Best player not named Austin Rivers- Myck Kabongo, Newark St. Benedicts (NJ)

I could have gone with any one of the players from Findlay Prep, but instead I chose ultra quick point guard Myck Kabongo. Kabongo has the quickness to get wherever he wants to on the court and can also shoot lights out from the land of beyond. The St. Benedicts (NJ) point guard led his team to the semi-final round, with averages of 20 points 3 assists and 2.8 steals per game. His quickness can get him to whatever spot he desires, but it's his length and athleticism that help him finish at the rim. The Texas commit also exhibited a pure shooting stroke, especially from deep. He showed his range in St. Benedict's first game versus Weston Sagemont (FL), connecting on four three's on his way to 27 points. Kabongo is also an excellent defender, using his length to harass opposing guards and force steals and turnovers.

The Best Game- Findlay Prep (NV) vs. Winter Park (FL)

The second nights showcase game was exactly that, a showcase. Six players ranked in their classes top- 25 were featured in a game with the tournaments best team against the tournaments best player. As marquee as you can get, this was a game everyone had circled. The first quarter ended with Winter Park up by one, as Austin Rivers had the home crowd buzzin' after a first quarter barrage. Findlay Prep was unfazed though, thoroughly dominating the rest of the game in a work-like manor, and winning the game by only 11, by far their lowest margin of victory. It was fun watching Rivers navigate his way around and through the defense, figuring out new ways to score on the tightening defense of the nations best team. What made the game even more fun to watch was the fact that the games outcome was already decided, due to the previously mentioned circumstances. If Rivers had the green light before, this game was like his autobahn. Of his 21 shots, 12 of them hoisted were three's, as he made three of them and finished with 22 points. Corey Joseph led the balanced Findlay Prep attack with 27 points and Tristan Thompson finished with 23 points and 10 rebounds. In the battle of individual versus team, team won.

I Can't Believe That Just Happened Moment- Let's not get technical

It was the last game of the night, and we had been in the gym for almost 10 hours straight by then. The other semi-final game between Montverde Academy (FL) and eventual tournament champions Paterson Catholic (NJ) was a close runner-up for my Best Game honors. Before hand, I said something to the likes of,"If this game goes overtime, I'm going to hurt a small animal". The basketball Gods were not kind to me that night. This was a game between two talented and hardworking teams who flat out duked it out to decide who would advance to the final. Down one point on the final possession of regulation, Montverde ran a play that ended up with senior forward Haukur Palsson shooting a contested three for the last shot. He was fouled on the shot, and was sent to the line for three free-throws with less than half a second remaining. After missing the first, he hit the second, then calmly hit the third free throw, sending his team into a frenzy as they thought they had come out victorious. Then the unthinkable happened. Montverde's bench celebrated a little too excessively and prematurely, with some players leaving the bench. This of course is illegal, and because of that Montverde was whistled for a technical foul. The Florida crowd did not appreciate the call, raining down with boisterous boo's as Paterson Catholic, no stranger to close games, was rewarded two free throws. Junior point guard Myles Mack went to the line in an unhappy gym down by one, missed the first free throw but made the second to send the game into overtime. Paterson had all the momentum going into the extra frame, and won going away 63-51. Dang, really? Montverde threw away their shot at Austin Rivers on national television because of this, a last second technical? You really have to credit the referees for having some big you-know-whats and making the correct call, no matter how crucial or late in the game. In one of the more bizarre endings I have ever experienced, I was only left to say, "I can't believe that just happened".