2024 Jordan Holiday Classic Friday Night Recap

December 27, 2024 by Trent Watson

Day one of the Jordan Holiday Classic started the weekend off on a great note. Baruch College was full of high energy and exhilarating game sets. Before we look ahead to day two, MADE Hoops recaps all the action from opening day. 

A Young Woodmere Team Prevails 

In game four of the Jordan Holiday Classic we saw a young Lawrence Woodmere team come out on top against a tough Friendship Tech hailing out of D.C. Woodmere’s convincing 64-52 win was headlined by 17 points and 5 rebounds from their lead sophomore guard, Anderson Diaz. 

Woodmere’s collective effort from the rest of their team also helped give them an edge. 2026’s Kaleb Popotte, and Julian Desir both poured in 14 points and 7 rebounds a piece. 2027 post prospect Caleb Ourigou provided some interior toughness and verticality as a rim protector defensively. Ourigou finished the game with 13 points and 9 rebounds on 6-8 from the field. 

2026 guard Malik Shackleford had the high for Friendship Tech, leading them with 17 points and 5 rebounds. 

Patrick School Wins in Dramatic Fashion 

Penn Charter vs The Patrick School went back and forth the whole game, ultimately being decided by a walk-off three at the buzzer by senior guard Jaysean Williams to go along with his 13 points for the game. It was Illinois commit Brandon Lee who stole the show for The Patrick School, pouring in 24 points and 6 boards on his way to MVP honors. Kuai Deng might be the unsung hero in The Patrick School’s impressive win. Deng went for a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds, while also doing the things that don't always show in the score sheet. 

Jake West’s 19 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists kept Penn Charter close throughout the duration of the game. LSU commit Matt Gilhool struggled with foul trouble early on, but a late second half surge led to him finishing with 22 points. 

Columbus Makes A Statement 

Columbus came up to Baruch and dominated their matchup in convincing fashion, defeating Bulls School 70-44. The explorers had four players in double-digits with Cam Boozer leading the way with 18 points. His brother Cayden was the next leading scorer for Columbus with 15 points, while his high-flying backcourt partner Jaxon Richarsdson poured in an efficient 13 points on 6-9 shooting from the field. Caleb Gaskins did a little bit of everything on the floor, but his 12 points and 8 rebounds were impactful. 

PVI Pulls Away Late 

The final game of the day featured DMV powerhouse Paul VI vs Christ The King, with PVI pulling away late to go home with a 72-55 win. 2026 guard Jordan Smith Jr. took home MVP honors scoring 18 points and adding 5 rebounds. 2026 point guard Lawrence Brown played a well-rounded overall game, putting together 14 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Towson commit Jaquan Womack also chipped in with 11 points and 7 rebounds of his own.