The Cassidy Awards: City of Palms Classic

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The 49th annual City of Palms Classic has come and gone, and the event was loaded as always. The weeklong event was stocked full of D-I prospects that represent the future of college basketball.

Rivals national analyst Rob Cassidy was also on hand on Florida’s Gulf Coast and doled out some awards based on the performances he witnessed at the storied tournament.

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More: Q&A with Cameron and Cayden Boozer

2023 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position

2024 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team

2025 Rankings: Top 40

Transfer Portal: Latest news

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What he did: Castle is ranked as the No. 24 prospect in the 2023 class but looked every bit a top-10 prospect this week. On Tuesday, he turned in a 13-point, nine-rebound, seven-assist effort that essentially willed his Covington (Ga.) Newton High squad to victory over Tampa Catholic. He followed that up by going for 34, 10 and five on Wednesday.

The 6-foot-6 guard’s long and lean frame lends itself to versatility, but so too does his wide-ranging skill set. Sure, the depth of backcourt competition wasn’t exactly elite at times this week, but it was still clear that Castle is a prospect without a glaring weakness. There’s no aspect of the game he fails to impact when he’s at his best. He should see a big bump when rankings update.

Recruitment: Castle is signed with UConn.

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What he did: Cadeau does a lot of things really well. His five-star status reflects that, but it was his passing ability that jumped off the page in Florida. The Link Academy point guard reads every inch of the floor and sometimes throws passes that leave onlookers wondering how he even saw the recipient. He’s mastered the art of creativity without carelessness when it comes to running a break and is just as reliable in the half-court as he is in transition. On Sunday, he racked up nine assists while committing just one turnover and served as the catalyst for his squad’s narrow victory.

Recruitment: Texas Tech and North Carolina seem to be the major players in Cadeau’s recruitment. He’s visited both campuses and hopes to make a commitment before the start of the grassroots season this spring.

What he did: Boozer already sits atop the 2025 rankings and is a near-lock to stay there in the next update. Monday felt like a day that saw Boozer settle for less-than-ideal shots, but the five-star forward still managed to rack up 19 points and 14 rebounds in a win that saw him turn in one of his most motivated and dominant performances on the glass. He followed that up with a 17-point, 11-rebound effort in a semifinal win on Tuesday evening. Boozer’s current combination of size, skill and production is simply unmatched in the 2025 class.

Recruitment: Duke feels pretty likely to land the Blue Devil legacy prospect in the end, but there’s a long way to go in his recruitment. Boozer has taken unofficial visits to Florida and Florida State and says his recruitment remains open to any interested program.

What he did: Yeanay is built like a defensive end and is an absolute load under the basket on both ends of the floor. He doesn’t mind throwing his body on the floor and is well versed in how to use his broad shoulders to gain position and create space under the backboard. What sets the 6-foot-7 230-pound forward apart, however, are his soft hands and the fact that he’s more than just a paint-anchored bruiser. Yeanay looks to be getting more comfortable letting it fly from the outside and his stroke continues to improve. He knocked down four 3-pointers in the two games Rivals watched in Ft. Myers, and his shooting ability is developed just enough to make defenses respect him a bit on the perimeter. Yeanay, who also routinely shines as a rebounder, is a double-double threat in every game he starts but needs to bring more consistent effort on the defensive end..

Recruitment: Yeanay says he’s in close contact with Florida, Wake Forest, Virginia, Texas Tech and Houston. He’s yet to take a single official visit, but says he definitely intends to take one to Houston. The Cougars seem to be at the forefront of his recruitment for the time being.

What he did: Just a freshman, Smith comes off the bench for a loaded Chantilly (Va.) St. Paul VI Catholic High, but even in limited minutes it’s clear that the 2026 prospect has a bright future. Smith has a basketball IQ beyond his years and is a tenacious defender. On Saturday, he drew the assignment of defending No. 1-ranked junior Tre Johnson for stretches and did Yeoman ’s work on the five-star, using his body, motor and quick feet to frustrate the elite scorer. Offensively, Smith remains a bit raw but he handles the ball relatively well and gets to his spots because of it. Smith seems like a lock to see his name when Rivals starts to rank 2026 prospects this summer.

Recruitment: Smith holds early offers from programs such as Kansas State, George Mason, Virginia Tech and Georgetown. His offer list is likely to get much longer down the road.

What he did: Even on poor shooting days, Harris-Smith pops off the page because of his motor and ability to use his stocky frame to create extra possessions with his defense and rebounding. On Monday he grabbed nine rebounds and played through taking a headbutt to the jaw to do so. The 6-foot-4 185-pound wing is the aggressor on both ends of the floor and has a solid handle to go along with his strong upper body and underrated passing ability. Harris-Smith’s peripherals give him the ability to impact the game even when his shot isn’t falling. Nobody at the event played harder than Harris-Smith, who crashed into a table on Monday and had to momentarily leave the court because he was bleeding on two separate occasions. He finished Tuesday’s game against the touted Boozer Twins’ Columbus high school with 15 points, four rebounds and four assists and led his team to a win in the third-place game the next night with a 19-point effort.

Recruitment: Harris-Smith is signed with Maryland.

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What he did: Barno may be headed to a mid-major program, but the Florida Gulf Coast signee has high-major game. He was consistently great throughout the event but showed up in an especially big way when it counted most with a 21-point, four-assist, four-steal effort in Wednesday’s championship game. The 6-foot Barno has an incredibly tight handle and makes up for his lack of elite length with quickness, creativity and a confident jumper from all areas of the floor. The week that saw him shine as a facilitator as well as a scorer and lead his Imhotep Charter team to a City of Palms Championship.

Recruitment: Barno is signed with Florida Gulf Coast.

What he did: Glover was outstanding for The Patrick School in both Sunday and Tuesday’s games, posting a combined 44 points that included nine 3-pointers. Glover shot close to 50 percent from beyond the arc in the two games and proved to be a two-way player capable of causing chaos on the defensive end as well. Glover’s performance was complete and a far cry from some of the uneven efforts he turned in on the grassroots circuit this summer. If he continues to show touch around the rim in addition to his added confidence and consistency from deep, he’ll add a fourth star and burst back into the Rivals150 in the next update.

Recruitment: UNLV and Texas Tech are the most recent offers from Glover, who is also in contact with Butler and seems intrigued by the Bulldogs, which are yet to offer. He says he is considering Temple, Rhode Island and UAB down the road. There’s a good chance additional recruitment-changing offers arrive in the coming months, however.

What he did: Jackson is currently ranked as the No. 37 prospect in the 2025 class, but even that lofty ranking now feels too low for the Baltimore (Md.) St. Frances High School sophomore. A pure scorer capable of getting buckets in every imaginable way, Jackson still needs to add size and become a better distributor, but the young point guard is already a reliable shooter and possesses the ball-handling ability and quickness to create for himself off the bounce. On Sunday he turned in a 26-point effort that included three 3-pointers, a couple of mid-range pull-up buckets and a floater or two in the lane.

Recruitment: Maryland, Seton Hall, Rutgers, Rhode Island and Georgia Tech are among the programs that have offered, but the Illini and Terrapins seem to have him most interested as things stand.

What he did: Lloyd is currently unranked, but the class of 2025 point guard won’t stay that way for long. That much is certain. A natural scorer that is a threat to absolutely take over a game from behind the arc, the 6-foot-3 Lloyd also has the bounce to play above the rim and grab rebounds that a lot of guards of his stature can’t. There’s work to do when it comes to acting as a facilitator, but Lloyd’s scoring prowess is remarkable when he’s going well. Monday saw the sophomore finish with 26 points on 11-for-16 shooting in a win over The Villages (Fla.) High School.

Recruitment: Miami, Florida State and Florida have all offered the sophomore. Kentucky has also shown preliminary interest but is yet to make anything official. Lloyd, who grew up a Miami fan, also hopes to land offers from Kentucky, Michigan State and North Carolina.

What he did: The 6-foot-9 Walters continues to evolve into a well-rounded prospect, as his impact on games goes well beyond his trademark length and shooting stroke. He still needs to add muscle, sure, but he functioned as Swiss Army Knife of sorts at City of Palms, scoring in every imaginable way and defending all shapes and sizes of opponents. Waters’ ability to take defenders off the bounce keeps them honest on the perimeter and his length and quickness makes him a nightmare on the glass and in passing lanes On Monday, he turned in a 22-point, seven-rebound performance that saw him showcase his full array of skills.

Recruitment: Walters is signed with Alabama.

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