City of Palms prep basketball: No. 1 player Andrew Wiggins wows, Huntington Prep rolls

Corey Perrine/Staff Huntington Prep's Andrew Wiggins drives the lane against Arlington Country Day during a City of Palms Classic Signature Series game Saturday night at Bishop Verot High School in Fort Myers. Huntington downed Arlington 74-57.

Photo by COREY PERRINE, Naples Daily News // Buy this photo

Corey Perrine/Staff Huntington Prep's Andrew Wiggins drives the lane against Arlington Country Day during a City of Palms Classic Signature Series game Saturday night at Bishop Verot High School in Fort Myers. Huntington downed Arlington 74-57.

The City of Palms Classic fans were not disappointed with a lopsided victory by Huntington (W.Va.) Prep in the Signature Series final.

The Express dismantled Jacksonville-Arlington Country Day, 74-57.

The fans, along with a few dozen scouts and recruiting reporters, came to be wowed by the consensus No. 1 player in country: Andrew Wiggins.

The 6-foot-8 forward scored 19 in the win and signed twice as many autographs.

The fans also tried their hand at wooing Wiggins, the most sought-out recruit in the nation.

A woman with a Kentucky key chain came up and wished him a Merry Christmas and good luck. A Florida State fan started chanting, "Go Noles, Go Noles." Wiggins' father, a former NBA player with Chicago, Houston and Philadelphia, and mother, a Olympic sprinter, both went to Florida State.

Wiggins is expected to choose between FSU and Kentucky.

Arlington Country Day coach Rex Morgan knows all about Wiggins' lineage. He coached Mitchell Wiggins, Andrew's father at Florida State.

Morgan, an assistant at FSU in the early '80s, said he sees the similarities between father and son.

"Andrew is bigger than Mitchell (who was just 6-foot-4)," Morgan said. "His father shot a little better. But he has extreme athleticism, just like his dad."

As for who is better, Morgan gives the nod to father right now. Mitchell Wiggins was the first-round draft choice by the Indiana Pacers in 1983 and traded to Chicago on draft day. Mitchell Wiggins averaged 10 points a game in six NBA seasons.

"Mitchell is (better) because he was in the league," Morgan said. "When Andrew plays in the league, he may be."

Many scouts considered Huntington (W. Va.) Prep the No. 1 in the country with Wiggins and four other Division-I recruited starters.

"Anytime you play in a tournament it helps develop your kids' character and it gives them something to play for," Huntington head coach Rob Fulford said.

Fulford hopes the City of Palms appearance gets Wiggins and his team ready for the ultimate test against Montverde Academy in late February or early March.

Chicago-Whitney Young 67, Chester (Pa.) 56

Chester (Pa.), which entered the week ranked No. 5 by ESPN and sporting a 60-game win streak, suffered its second loss of the tourney. The Clippers lost a morning contest to Chicago-Whitney Young in the fifth-place game. Highland (Utah) Lone Peak beat Chester (Pa.), 73-50, on Thursday. Whitney Young, ranked No. 9 by ESPN, had four players in double figures. Point guard Miles Reynolds, who has a scholarship offer from Iowa, led the Dolphins with 18 points.

Long Beach (Calif.) Poly 64, Southwind 57

Long Beach (Calif.) Poly knocked off Memphis (Tenn.) Southwind in the third-place game. Long Beach Poly coach Sharrief Metoyer said his team's final position in one of the toughest high school tournaments in the country justified his team's No. 6 ranking, according to ESPN. Senior forward Jordan Bell, an Oregon recruit, led the Jackrabbits in scoring with 20.

Orlando Maynard Evans 50, East Lee County 28

Orlando-Maynard Evans made easy work of East Lee in a Sunshine Series game. Maynard Evans held East Lee to fewer than 10 points in every quarter. Maynard Evans' Malik Smith paced all scorers with 19 points. Winfred Ward scored 11 points for East Lee.

Saltsburg (Pa.) Kiski School 62, Houston-HYCA 54

Saltsburg (Pa.) Kiski School defeated Houston-HYCA in a Signature Series game. The Cougars had three players in double figures — Rashad Richardson(24), Daniel Camps (15) and Major Canady (13). HCYA's Justin Jackson led all scorers with 28.

Fairfax (Va.) Paul VI 50, Jackson (Miss.) Callaway 34

Fairfax (Va.) Paul VI, ranked No. 14 by ESPN, captured the consolation championship as Quadree Smith led the way with 16 points.

Jacksonville Educational 67, Community School 49

North Florida Educational Institute handily defeated Community School of Naples. Malik Carter powered the Eagles to victory, scoring 24 points while grabbing eight boards and six steals.

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