Sharife Cooper's 42-point performance highlights early going at City of Palms Classic

Video: City of Palms Classic slam dunk contest
Watch highlights from annual slam-fest in Florida.

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Arguably the biggest event on the high school basketball calendar, the annual City of Palms Classic is underway. All the action leads to Saturday's championship game at 7:30 p.m. EST.

Until then, we will keep you up to speed on the news, notes and highlights from Fort Myers.

Best Team Performance

No. 9 McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) made a statement in the quarterfinals Wednesday. The Indians trailed No. 4 Hudson Catholic (Jersey City, N.J.) by seven points with 4:04 remaining — and a trip to the semifinals on the line. The battle-tested Indians never panicked, executing a full court press to cause three straight turnovers and kickstart a crucial 10-0 run.



Four-star point guard prospect Sharife Cooper was the difference. The 5-foot-10 sophomore helped push the contest to overtime with a big three-point play. Then he saved the day by nailing a game-winning buzzer-beater to secure an 83-81 win.

Cooper finished with a game-high 42 points and became the 24th player in tournament history to notch 40 or more points in a game. McEachern is one of the best young teams in the nation with four underclassmen starters.

Prime Time Players

* Scottie Barnes of No. 18 University (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) proved he's one of the top young talents in America. The Top 10 sophomore prospect posted a game-high 29 points in an 81-72 upset win against No. 15 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.). He dominated the interior on both ends and electrified the crowd with game-changing dunks. The combination of Barnes and No. 1 junior Vernon Carey Jr. is tough to contend with.

* Jordan McCabe of Kaukauna (Wis.) put on the best show so far at this event. The West Virginia commit dazzled spectators with fancy moves, sharp passes and long-range shots. McCabe tallied 31 points, eight rebounds and four assists in a 79-67 loss to Upson-Lee (Thomaston, Ga.). This showman is worth the price of admission.

Matchup to Watch

The McEachern vs. University semifinal matchup on Friday night might be the top game of this event so far. Both have young, star-studded rosters and have history crossing paths on the EYBL circuit. University transfers Drue Drinnon and Trey Doomes both came over from Georgia this season. The winner could face No. 1 Memphis East (Tenn.) in the championship Saturday night.

Memphis East faces Oak Ridge (Orlando, Fla.) on Thursday in a quarterfinal bout. No. 7 Simeon (Chicago) will tussle with Wesleyan Christian Academy (High Point, N.C.) in the other quarterfinal matchup.