Regardless of class, Palmer was one of my biggest stock risers from the weekend in Richmond. The 6-foot-2 combo guard has one of the smoothest shooting strokes in the DMV and when he was hitting shots from deep like he was this weekend, it sets up the rest of his game. The ball movement within this Assault 16s group is exactly what you would hope for and when they’re in a flow state, Palmer’s floor spacing ability alongside others who can shoot it make for plenty of driving lanes to take advantage of as they battle aggressive closeouts on the catch. I was impressed with his playmaking once he had two feet in the paint and his ability to read the backline of the defense. In transition, whether Palmer initiated the break himself after grabbing a rebound or acted as the outlet, his eyes immediately scanned the floor where he zipped passes with either hand to teammates in stride for quick buckets. Palmer was the catalyst to Assault’s 3-1 weekend that concluded with a 2-point loss in the championship game to Tre Mann Elite. Palmer averaged 11.5 points on the weekend.

16p 2a 2r vs TME

-Palmer plays for a very deep DC Assault 16u group that took their first loss of the season matched up with a Tre Mann Elite group that should be amongst the top Pro16 teams in the country. Palmer’s shot creation ability was evident throughout the game as a guard that moves well off the ball to create high-percentage looks off the catch. But he can also create his own shot from all three levels pretty consistently, with the best example of that being an isolation play from the right wing where he snatched back a double crossover to hit a sidestep 3 over a 7-footer that finished the game with 5 blocks. Palmer knocked down two other dagger threes, was successful in drawing contact around the rim and beyond the arc (7/8 on FTs), and used that scoring gravity to attack closeouts to create open looks for teammates. If he can add some weight to his frame, he should become an even better on-ball defender that uses his IQ to contest shots or fight over screens.

Palmer is a supremely skilled shot making guard that helped propel a monster 4th quarter run for Highland in their win over Wilson in the 3rd place game of the Day’Ron Sharpe Bracket. Palmer finished with 11 Points, 2 Rebounds, 2 Assists, and 2 Steals off the bench while connecting on 3/7 of his shots from beyond the arc. People talk about 3 level scorers, Palmer is a 4 level scorer. His range legitimately extends beyond the volleyball line. He’s shown the ability to play the PG position, initiating Highland’s office and getting them into their stuff without disruption. Expect Palmer to get better and better as he gets this high level experience at Highland. As he turns the corner in his development in the next 1-2 years, expect his recruitment to really pick up.