From the Sidelines
Palmetto Winter Classic Day 2 Standouts

It was another outstanding day of hoops action at the Palmetto Winter Classic held on the campus of Ben Lippen School in Columbia, South Carolina. The action was fast-paced and the talent level was terrific. Dozens of college coaches were once again in attendance to check out the action. Now, let's take a closer look a the standout players of the day.

6'2 '19 Travion McCrae (Village Christian)

Sporting offers from Longwood, SC State, and Stetson, the physically gifted and athletic guard simply has speed to burn. In the open court, McCrae prefers going left and can get from one end of the court to the other as fast as any player in the southeast we have seen in quite a while. Against A.C. Flora, McCrae poured in a game-high 24 points and was able to get into the lane time after time. The next step in his development is to become more cautious with the ball and limit unforced turnovers. That being said, McCrae is simply fast with the ball in his hands.

 

 

6'7 '18 Jimmy Nichols (Conway)

The Providence signee bounced back from a subpar performance on opening day and played to his capabilities on the second day. Nichols finished with 19 points, collected 11 rebounds and had three block shots. The southpaw genuinely seemed more engaged on both ends of the court. His length was evidence in securing rebounds, blocking and altering shots. His play against a very good and talented Miller School was instrumental in the team's impressive win.

 

 

 

6'8 '19 Patrick Williams (West Charlotte)

The youngster already owns approximately 14 offers ranging from schools in the ACC, Big East, SEC, and the Big 10. Williams has a unique gift and in our opinion still has not even come close to reaching his long-term potential. He is a legit 6'8 with lengthy arms and has the ability to take over a game at any moment. In the game against Freedom Christian, Williams had a solid all-around game. He finished with 15 points five rebounds, three blocked shots, and two rebounds. Williams has the ability to take over a game but prefers to play within the team structure.

 

 

Independence HS (Charlotte)

Independence took no prisoners in their game against cross-city United Faith. They came out on top of the score boxscore by the score 76-50 over a very talented team. Five players scored in double figures has 6'3'19 AJ McKee led the way with 18 points while 5'11 '19 Raja Milton chipped in 17 while Mathew Smith tallied 12 points. Rounding out the scoring is AJ McKee, 5'11 '19 Raja Milton, 6'6 '19 Matthew Smith, 6'4 '18 Jamarius Burton and 5'10 '18 Jordan Mobley both chipped in 10 apiece.