At what was a star-studded and deep field of talent at this week’s City of Palms Basketball Classic, there may not have been a single more dominant performance than that of Airious ‘Ace’ Bailey. The forward, a Rutgers basketball commit, was simply unstoppable on Saturday night.
Bailey finished his third game of the tournament with 38 points and 17 rebounds as McEachern (Powder Springs) took a 78-71 win over North Mecklenburg (Huntersville, North Carolina) in their final game of the holiday tournament.
The five-star forward is a consensus top-three player in the nation. He had a very strong tournament, including 24 points in the opener against Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, New Jersey).
In that game, he played against friend and future Rutgers basketball teammate [autotag]Dylan Harper[/autotag].
Ace Bailey goes off for 32 & 17 in a win in his final game!🔥 He is officially the 7th all time leading scorer in a single tournament.🙌🌴 @AiriousBailey @McEACHERNBBALL #COP50 #MyFortMyers pic.twitter.com/RXnFzZFHfA
— City of Palms Classic (@CityOfPalmsBKB) December 23, 2023
The City of Palms Classic, celebrating its 50th year as a holiday basketball tournament, is held annually in Ft. Myers, Florida. It is one of the nation’s top high school basketball tournaments.
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Harper was outstanding as well in the tournament’s final game, putting up 33 points, eight rebounds and four assists as Don Bosco beat IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida) 96-92.
Dylan Harper does it again!😱 Don Bosco Prep wins an overtime thriller in their final game here behind a monster performance from Dylan Harper.👏⭐️ #COP50 #MyFortMyers pic.twitter.com/IHOlUDbuqo
— City of Palms Classic (@CityOfPalmsBKB) December 23, 2023
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Harper is a fellow five-star who committed to Rutgers two weeks ago.