December High School Recap: City of Palms and Prolific Prep vs. Utah Prep
Recapping the top players at City of Palms with some key 2026 NBA Draft prospects, including Cam Boozer, as well as AJ Dybantsa vs. Darryn Peterson.
I attended City of Palms this last week, which is an event held in Fort Myers every year since 1973. City of Palms showcases nearly half of the Top 50 high school players across all classes, making it one of the top high school events I try to attend each year. This year, the top players on my board who played in Fort Myers were: Darius Acuff, Tounde Yessoufou, Jalen Haralson, Sadiq White, Dante Allen, Cam and Cayden Boozer, Caleb Holt, and many others who I will touch on. Below are my scouting notes from the games I attended:
Cameron Boozer (2025, Duke commit)
Fundamental in almost every way, Cam Boozer continues to impress as the most consistent player in high school basketball with outstanding efficiency. Some scouts worry about his three-point ball with low volume attempts and his percentage constantly around 33%, but his ability to live at the line and hit free throws at an 80% or higher mark everywhere he plays both makes up for the three ball; it gives optimism about him growing as a shooter. Once he gets within 15 feet, defenses at the high school level have no answer for him, and he has counters to the defenses counters—which makes him even harder to stop considering his soft touch on his multiple moves.
Defensively, he is smart, and while he didn’t have any standout defensive performances, he also is never a liability and can execute the defensive scheme at a high level. Boozer is a complete player with tons of polish, and he is in a tight race with AJ Dybantsa for the early number one pick in 2026.
Cayden Boozer (2025, Duke commit)
Cayden Boozer is the top floor general in high school basketball, save maybe Kingston Flemings. His excellent floor vision, careful reading of the defense, and ability to be an on-court coach contribute to his high assist-to-turnover ratio. On top of being a true pass-first point guard, his scoring has evolved over the last year. His jumper is looking better, his already great floater continues to fall at a high rate, and he has soft touch on his layups. With incredible rim pressure as a below-the-rim finisher combined with high-level playmaking, his offensive upside is more appealing to playoff teams in his draft year, which could limit his draft stock. Given how much he takes pride in defense, Boozer could easily have a Mike Conley type of trajectory to his career.
Luca Foster (2026, uncommitted)
I saw Luca Foster play in Washington DC at another high school event over the weekend, and he picked up where he left off with efficient scoring, a high motor, and an ability to use his length to win on both ends of the floor. Foster picked up where he left off in EYBL in these two tournaments against high-quality high schools, finishing well at the rim (he shot 70.5% at the rim in EYBL this summer) and shooting the ball (he shot 44% on open catch & shoot threes in EYBL).
As Foster continues to improve shooting over lengthy contests, his NBA upside will become more clear to scouts down the road. Foster is currently ranked the consensus 86th-best player in the class of 2026, but he should ascend into the Top 45 within the next six months.
Sadiq White (2025, Syracuse commit)
Sadiq White was the most eye-popping player I saw all week in Fort Myers. With a ridiculous wingspan (measured with a seven foot wingspan last year to go along with 6’6” in height), he makes up for being skinny with length and strong instincts on how to use his length to win defensively.
White’s length makes him hard to shoot over, and his motor runs hot every second he is on the court. He also is tough; he fought back from a hard fall and multiple injuries throughout the week, yet his play never dropped off. One example of this was when he fell hard on his ribs on a foul. He was clearly in lots of pain, but he took his free throw so he could stay in the game before going to the locker room. He missed his free throw, but sprinted down the court as Faith Family Academy got into transition offense, and he got a big chase-down block to save the easy layup. Immediately after, he tells coach “YO! I can’t breathe; my rib is poking at me.” He went to the locker room for a few minutes, then played almost the entire second half of the game en route to a double-digit comeback.
Another area that stands out for White is his ability to get to the line. As a powerful downhill slasher despite not being very muscular, that bodes well for his upside as his body develops, making him a candidate to live at the line. His jumper is the biggest question mark, which was also a concern in EYBL this summer. In EYBL, he shot 15% from three on 13 attempts and 52.7% from the free throw line on 74 attempts. While the free throw volume is good (five free throw attempts per game), the three-point volume is worrisome, and his mechanics will need to be ironed out. Regardless, even without a reliable jumper, White should be able to impact games at the college level pretty early, on the condition that he adds notable muscle in the next ten months.
Alex Lloyd (2025, Florida commit)
Alex Lloyd was one of my top eye-catchers this trip, showcasing an outstanding intelligence of how to use his long arms (6’6”, which is plus five to his height) defensively, along with an excellent ability to finish near the rim and get downhill with power. Right now, he has two critical areas to improve upon by the time he gets to Florida: cleaning up his jump shot mechanics and individual defense. For his shot, he just may be struggling to adapt to his long arms, leading him to wind his shot too far back over his head, or it could be a lack of necessary strength to speed up his shot.
Defensively, while he plays the passing lanes and gaps well, he needs to be more disciplined in isolation and learn how to navigate through complex offensive sets that involve multiple screens with quick and accurate adjustments on the fly. The upside is high for the Florida commit, despite being listed at just six foot one.
Jaden Toombs (2025, SMU commit)
Jaden Toombs is one of the most unique forwards in the country. At 6’8” with a 7’3” wingspan, his game is a bit unconventional, but it works well. He can bully other forwards in the post and finish around the rim with soft touch, but he isn’t quite a center. Toombs can step out to the perimeter and hit shots with a bit of streakiness, but his touch could give NBA scouts hope that with a good shooting coach, his shot can be reliable from three. Toombs finished EYBL this year with a 65% mark from the free throw line and his three EYBL years as a 68% free throw shooter, which could be right at the low end of an acceptable free throw percentage to believe in the shot. His mechanics are a bit wonky, but again, with the right shooting coaches and effort from Toombs, he could turn the corner and be an inside-out big.
Toombs’ feel for the game is strong as well, which gives scouts confidence that his game can fully come together. His passing vision is crisp, both out of the post and on the move, and he is the top communicator on the floor every time he plays. If he can move away from living in the post more, he will rise as a unique forward who could have an inside-out game with strong defensive intangibles.
Darius Acuff Jr. (2025, Arkansas commit)
Darius Acuff was my top prospect at the event, showcasing consistent high-level scoring all week. Acuff is not only a great scorer, but his playmaking makes everyone around him better, and he knows how to pass out of drives and how to set his teammates up for the highest percentage shots consistently. Acuff has a quick first step that gets him downhill quickly and effectively, and he can pull up off the dribble from both mid-range and behind the three-point line to make it hard for defenders to predict what he will do next. Acuff is one of the few point guards in high school that can both distribute at a high level and know when to turn on his own scoring needs to win a game.
Acuff has an alpha mentality, and he wins over length with ease. The primary criticism I have of Acuff’s game is that too often, his body language is poor, and he sometimes cannot move past a missed or bad call from the referee, which can get to his own head. Hopefully, this comes with age, but it also may not be a deterrent to his upside (see: Luka Doncic).
Davion Adkins (2026, uncommitted)
In the best game of the week, a double OT thriller vs number one IMG, Davion Adkins shone bright for Faith Family Academy. With beautifully soft touch on all his shots in the paint, he was nearly unstoppable even for the high-flying IMG four and five stars. He plays with tons of energy, and played through contact well, showing off good toughness at the hardest parts of the game. At 6’8”, he is also versatile defensively and can defend wings and forwards. As he gets stronger and gets more reps on his shot, his upside will only get higher and more attainable.
Treyvon Maddox (2025, Stephen F. Austin commit)
If scouts are looking for a potential low-major freshman to transfer up after one season, Treyvon Maddox might be that player. A Stephen F. Austin bound senior, Maddox is a good athlete, and he finishes well near the rim both in transition and in the halfcourt. Maddox also was knocking down jumpers all week, shooting 7-of-16 from 3 before the championship. Defensively, his length impacts plays and allows for him to create chaos in the gaps. As mentioned before with his teammate Jamier Jones, the defensive style may inflate that skill, but it also could be a testament to his ability to master a defensive scheme.
Jamier Jones (2025, Providence commit)
Jamier Jones is an interesting prospect, because he is on the older side for his grade and his jumper is a potential fatal flaw. Oak Ridge plays a trap-heavy style defense that leads to lots of transition opportunities, which is Jones’s biggest strength. However, against Montverde when the game slowed down, he was able to adapt well: 22 points, six rebounds, two assists, two steals, and eight fouls drawn on 7-of-13 shooting.
Right now, he plays as a 6’5” power forward, often flashing at the free throw line as his main source of halfcourt offense. Because of this, his defense will need to translate up almost perfectly, and he will have to quickly develop on-ball skills to shine brightly at Providence. The selling points for scouts right now are that his motor is nonstop, he is strong and has a great body for his frame, he draws fouls and absorbs contact well, and his athleticism is off the charts.
Cam Holmes (2026, uncommitted)
Cam Holmes is an extremely cerebral player, like his older brother Da’Ron. He was a de facto on-court coach both in the huddles and during play on the floor, being vocal and captaining the defense. His shot has improved since EYBL over the summer, which helps his trend toward being a five star.
As a good athlete who finishes above and around the rim well, Holmes’s offensive ceiling is sky high, along with his defensive IQ. Beyond intelligence, his motor runs hot every minute he is on the floor, and he can defend up and down the lineup. As a versatile player who can handle on-ball duties and off-ball duties offensively, with a tremendous defensive upside and strong intangibles, Holmes could be one of the biggest risers this year in high school.
Caleb Holt (2026, uncommitted)
Caleb Holt is someone I have a Top 5 ranking for in the class of 2026. His powerful downhill slashing with a growing halfcourt game makes him intriguing, especially given his defensive upside at around 6’5” with a muscular body. His ability to defend up and down the lineup is beneficial to his long-term upside, especially with how well he functionally uses his athleticism. Offensively, his spin move is unstoppable and might be the best in the country, given how powerful he is with even the slightest amount of momentum.
Beyond the spin move, Holt can get to the rim by bullying players, but also with craft, thanks to a good handle that still needs to be improved upon. He also is growing as a shooter, but still has room to go in that regard. The positive flashes are strong though: he can iso a defender and rise up over their contest to hit jumpers, spot up, or run the pick & roll and be a lead initiator. In order to hit his full upside, his jumper will need to take a jump in the next 18 months, which feels possible given how well he is wired and how he adapts well to tough coaching.
Other quick hitters:
I was impressed with Mikel Brown Jr. (2025) of DME Academy. His jump shot is beautiful and repeatable both spotting up and off the dribble. In the first game, he hit a tough off-handed floater in traffic and took multiple throughout the weekend. Brown has a good handle and can dribble well through traffic and contact with both hands. However, he needs to develop his frame to maximize defensive impact and to take another jump as a finisher. Brown has true three level scoring ability with playmaking, which is ideal for an NBA guard today.
Kareem Stagg (2025) is a good athlete and has some intriguing tools, such as good shot-blocking timing. However, his jump shot is a work in progress and wildly inconsistent, which throws a wrench into his archetype at six foot eight. Stagg is prone to making fouling mistakes by being recklessly aggressive and not calculated in his decisions on defense. As a likely small center, he can be too undisciplined and willing to bite on fakes in order to hit a home run ball, which means he will need time to adjust at Georgia, and is likely a multi-year prospect.
Jalen Haralson (2025) had a solid first half against IMG, but struggled to close the game well as the offense went dry in a game that IMG ultimately won. Haralson does a great job bullying players near the rim and overpowering them to draw fouls, but he needs to have more finesse on drives to be able to pick and choose when to bully defenders and when to snake around them. His defensive tools are intriguing, but he is still a bit far away on that end at the moment. Haralson will get a lot of chances to play through his growing pains at Notre Dame next year, so he is an interesting five star to monitor for the rest of the high school season.
The other game I watched last week was Utah Prep vs Prolific Prep, which was a reunion for AJ Dybantsa to play against his former team in Prolific Prep. This game was from two weeks ago, but I was able to watch the game on the plane to Fort Myers, and a few players stood out beyond AJ Dybantsa, including Anthony Felesi and Darryn Peterson. Here are my notes I have from the game:
AJ Dybantsa (2025, BYU commit)
Beyond the obvious elite scoring, Dybantsa’s passing pops for someone who is labeled the top prospect in high school. His ability to read the court through traps and pressure is impressive, especially since there is no part of the floor he cannot see.
He always gets in stance, sits down, and is hard to drive past with his frame and defensive IQ. Dybantsa does an unbelievable job of changing paces, making it hard to stay in front of him. Dybantsa’s ability to weave through/move in and out of traffic is arguably his strongest offensive skill. His step-through is elite, he can get out of double teams in the triple threat, and he has the handle to trick pressure defenses. The upside is oozing with Dybantsa, having the ability to be a three-level scorer and playmaker who can make accurate reads against pressure, and he can defend the opposing team’s best player.
Darryn Peterson (2025, Kansas commit)
The third name on this page of the three-headed monster at the top of the 2025 recruiting class (Dybantsa, Peterson, Cam Boozer), Peterson showed out in this game with a near 30-point triple-double, finishing with 32 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists. Peterson’s scoring ability pops every time he touches a court, but the playmaking was what stood out in this game. He was unpredictable on every drive, being able to split the defense and either exploit the hole in the defense from the double team or he could finish emphatically or with finesse past the lurking big in the paint. Peterson’s court vision is impressive and makes him a complete off-guard. Here’s one example of his quickness to split double teams, and get out of traffic with ease and finish at the rim:
Anthony Felesi (2026, uncommitted)
The last name to touch on in this game that popped for me was Anthony Felesi. I saw Felesi play in EYBL over the summer, and he was a major eye-catcher for me then; he has only improved since by playing next to AJ Dybantsa.
Felesi thrived as a cutter, especially from the corner and he is the biggest beneficiary of AJ’s gravity. This is an important trait since he will be playing off of stars in the NBA, and he already knows how to feed off of another star’s gravity. His shot mechanics need some work but it isn’t a great leap to get to where he needs to be. Defensively, Felesi is rangy, pesky, athletic, and long, which is a formula for creating a nightmare for defenses. In this game, he irritated Prolific’s ball-handlers and made them work way harder with the ball in their hands. With a high defensive upside, an ability to finish at the rim off of off-ball actions, and the potential to take a jump as a shooter in the next year, Felesi should earn five-star rankings by major recruiting sites in the coming months.