The City of Palms Classic is a six-day tournament, and showcase, featuring some of the top high school teams and prospects in the country. Now in its 51st year, the event is always a highlight of a busy week of holiday events just before Christmas.
All of the talk going into this year’s event was about whether or not Darryn Peterson had leapfrogged Cameron Boozer to become one of the two best prospects in the national senior class of 2025. Boozer responded, as he seemingly always does, with a championship, as he and his Columbus High School squad took Monday night’s championship with a win over Montverde.
Cameron Boozer won another championship last night at the City of Palms.
But Darryn Peterson is making a charge at the top 2.@ebosshoops, @TravisBranham_ and I discussed on the show.
? https://t.co/fqB0J0GsFE pic.twitter.com/SNSg5aHQaB
— Adam Finkelstein (@AdamFinkelstein) December 24, 2024
Boozer went for 14 points and 7 rebounds in the final after putting up 22 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 blocks in a 77-71 win over IMG in the semifinals, in a game in which Darius Acuff had 27 points and 8 assists. When it was all said and done, Boozer and Acuff shared the tournament MVP honors.
In there lies one of the biggest takeaways of the week – while we debate the order of Dybantsa, Boozer, and Peterson, it is becoming abundantly clear that any conversation about the best high school basketball player in the country, is incomplete unless Darius Acuff is included. Through four games in Fort Myers, Acuff averaged 32 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, and just 1 turnover per game on 52% shooting from the floor, 44% shooting from three, and 76% from the free-throw line.
Beyond the sheer number, it was his second half heroics that led IMG to comeback wins over Faith Family Academy and La Lumiere in the opening two rounds of the event. He put the team on his back, made huge shots in various moments, and did it from different spots on the floor. Beyond that, he looks great physically, powerful and exceptionally fit. He’s more engaged defensively than we’ve seen him previously. Offensively, while he’s scoring the ball with efficiency and volume alike, he’s also trusting his teammates more, passing out of double-teams, and simultaneously taking exceptional care of the basketball.
38 points and a win in double OT for Darius Acuff and IMG Academy https://t.co/0mSLROzFpP
— Adam Finkelstein (@AdamFinkelstein) December 20, 2024
This wasn’t just a good week either. Two weeks earlier, at the National High School Hoops Festival, it was almost an identical story. Acuff went for 27 points, 10 assists, and 9 rebounds against Paul VI. IMG actually lost that game, but that was largely because Acuff fouled out with two minutes left and the Ascenders. That event featured three of the top five ranked point guards in the country, and it was clear coming out of it that Acuff was in a class all by himself.
With four evaluations now in the books this week, Acuff has taken it a step further and shown he’s been as consistently dominant as any high school player in the country this year.
So let’s be clear, Peterson has had a terrific start to his senior season at Prolific Prep, going on the road and delivering huge performances against both Dybantsa and Boozer. He may very well play his way into the top two, but this isn’t a conversation with just three players in it. Acuff has been as good as anyone to start the year and made it clear that he belongs in any conversation about who the top high school basketball player in the country is. More than that, the Arkansas pledge looks fully prepared to be the next great guard to play for John Calipari.
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