All City Classic Philly vs. NY HS Showcase: Underclass standouts

The braintrust at All City Classic kicked off its 2025-26 high school schedule with a three-game slate pitting Philly high school programs against some of the best New York City has to offer. The Big Apple won two out of three, with several standouts from the day including the underclass prospects highlighted below.    The most productive freshman in the CHSAA last season, Wilson posted the most dominant individual effort of the night with an emphatic 27-point double-double. An active faceup forward, he wreaked havoc inside using his length, quick jumps, and innate nose for the ball to haul in rebounds and efficiently deposit buckets near the rim en route to 11-for-14 shooting on the night. Wilson was unstoppable getting to his turnaround jumper in the midpost and also flashed an expanding perimeter skillset while splitting a pair of attempts from beyond the arc. Buoyed by a standout physical profile and nonstop motor, Wilson shows impressive ability to stick to his strengths while also making the necessary additions to his toolbox as he prepares to transition to the mid-to-high major level when the time comes.     A new addition to the Nazareth lineup, Kamara looked quite comfortable in his new surroundings while helping the Kingsmen to a comfortable double-figure win in their season opener. Transferring in from James Monroe of the PSAL, the sophomore wing guard poured in 19 points while showing an efficient complementary skillset. Kamara displayed a natural nose for the ball and knack for finishing around the rim far bigger than his size thanks to his length and quick leaping ability. He was a consistent factor as a cutter and getting out into transition, also flashing the ability to spot up beyond the arc and create his own shot when attacking into space off the bounce. His multifaceted scoring ability should be a welcome addition for an otherwise defensive-minded rotation and will give him a chance to be on scholarship-level radars in the coming years.     Carroll took a tough loss in the season-opener, but Turner showed positive signs of building on the experience he gained as a freshman starter throughout last season. Having sprouted a couple inches in the offseason, Turner was effective using a crafty handle and deceptive pace to knife his way into the lane with regularity. He showed polish to his pace and footwork in the lane, mostly to set up a series of soft-touch floaters that he converted efficiently over oncoming shot-blockers. Turner showed poise and slick vision on a handful of drive-and-kicks as well. As he continues growing into his frame and proving himself as a perimeter shooter to keep defenses honest, he should have a chance to emerge onto D1 radars before much longer.     A high-octane guard who gained noteworthy experience as a valued rotation piece as a freshman, Smith is taking another step up the rotation as a fulltime starter and was key to Imhotep's narrow win over PSAL champion Thomas Jefferson. The sophomore was near the team-lead with 13 points, showing consistent aggression attacking the paint both in the halfcourt and transition. He got things started with a 3 to stretch the defense out, switching into attack mode as the game went on and often creating something out of nothing in a game that struggled to generate much offensive flow. Smith did have some turnover woes that will surely be addressed moving forward, but the future nonetheless appears bright for the "next up" out of an Imhotep backcourt thats produced well over a dozen D1 stalwarts over the years.     It wasn't the loudest statistical output, but Miller's performance in Holy Cross' season-opening win would leave onlookers hard-pressed to identify that he was just a freshman playing in his first high school game. The highly-touted floor general came in off the bench and immediately impressed with his precocious poise and airtight skill level at the point of attack. He got into the scoring column in the fourth quarter to help seal the win and showed that a bright future awaits him while he bides his time behind a handful of older, established scorers.

The braintrust at All City Classic kicked off its 2025-26 high school schedule with a three-game slate pitting Philly high school programs against some of the best New York City has to offer. The Big Apple won two out of three, with several standouts from the day including the underclass prospects highlighted below.