Jr. All City Classic: Game One backcourt standouts

All City Classic week kicked off on Tuesday night with the annual Jr. All City Classic showcasing the Philly area's top incoming freshmen over the course of two all-star games. After taking in both games of action, we'll start by highlighting standouts among a fun crop of guards in the evening's opening contest.    Sears came out aggressive and kept it up throughout on his way to MVP honors for the Black team. He impressed with his ability to consistently be in the right place at the right time for easy points while keeping his energy up whenever he was on the floor. The lanky wing guard would go on to flash a smooth set of scoring moves off the bounce. Still undecided on his high school destination, Sears looked to have the type of translatable skillset to make an impact relatively early on depending on his school choice.     He came off the bench for the White team but it didn't take long for Costello to assert himself en route to MVP honors. The off-ball guard came out firing and looked to be pretty clearly the most advanced shooter in the event. Costello shoots a pretty ball and showcased deep range off the catch including on a number of attempts on the move. We'll look to see more from his auxiliary game in future evaluations but his shooting and positional size at this stage make for an appealing prospect early on.     A late addition to the roster, Dial wasted no time making his presence felt with his aggressive two-way play. Taking home Defensive Player of the Game honors, he was a consistent pest at the point of attack while speeding up opposing ballhandlers and forcing a handful of turnovers. Dial showed a slick handle getting downhill and instincts as a finisher in traffic. A two-sport athlete who also excels in football, Dial could certainly see himself making an impact at the varsity level on the hardwood before too long.     One of a handful of prospects making the trip up from the First State, Price got the starting nod and impressed out of the gates with his smooth play off the dribble. A textbook lead guard, he handled the ball with pace while navigating maturely to his spots in either direction. Price would show off a soft touch on his floater with flashes of stretching the defense out to the 3-point arc. He looks to be on his way to making a varsity impact down in Delaware sooner rather than later.     One of two incoming freshmen in the event from suburban power P-W, Smith impressed with his energy and complementary instincts for the White team. He was consistently in the right place at the right time whether it be defensively or crashing the glass for second-chance points. His length and flashes of perimeter shooting point to intriguing long-term potential as he develops in the Colonials' program.

All City Classic week kicked off on Tuesday night with the annual Jr. All City Classic showcasing the Philly area's top incoming freshmen over the course of two all-star games. After taking in both games of action, we'll start by highlighting standouts among a fun crop of guards in the evening's opening contest.