Another star-studded event is on tap for the top high school basketball tournament in the nation
It’s time to get in the holiday spirit and here in Southwest Florida that means it’s time to order tickets for the 43rd Annual Culligan City of Palms Classic, which went on sale today. The organizers also announced another star-studded lineup of teams and players that will descend upon the Bishop Verot Catholic High School gymnasium in Fort Myers from December 18 through December 23 for the best high school tournament in the nation.
Elite teams from across the country will come together in the beautiful 2,300-seat gymnasium at Bishop Verot to take part in the six-day tournament, including: Montverde Academy (Fla.), the consensus national champion from 2015; Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.), the 2014 City of Palms and 2015 Class 6A Georgia state champion; and Norland (Miami), the 2015 Class 6A Florida state champion.
Top players expected to take part in this year’s classic include: ESPN #2 player in the Class of 2016, Jayson Tatum (Chaminade, St. Louis, Mo.), ESPN #22 player in the Class of 2016, Udoka Azubuike (Potter’s House Christian, Jacksonville, Fla.), and ESPN #3 player in the Class of 2017, Michael Porter (Father Tolton, Columbia, Mo.).
Culligan returns for its third year as Title Sponsor, and Enterprise Rent-A-Car is Presenting Sponsor for the second year.
For more information, including a complete lineup of the teams scheduled to play in this year’s tournament and to purchase tickets go to: www.cityofpalmsclassic.com.
No fees are collected from players and teams, and Classic Basketball Inc., a 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation that acts as a foundation for the tournament, covers all expenses for the players. For many of the players, the tournament represents their first opportunity to travel outside their own city.
More than 530 Culligan City of Palms players have advanced to NCAA Division I competition, with more than 60 advancing to play professionally in the NBA. Hundreds of coaches and scouts at every level use this venue for recruiting.
About the Culligan City of Palms Classic
Founded in 1973, the City of Palms tournament began, like so many tournaments today, as a simple, local, holiday basketball tournament. Over the years, the tournament grew and expanded its scope to include the nation’s finest athletes and teams, and over the past 22 years, has set the standard by which all tournaments are compared. Classic Basketball Inc. is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation created for the purpose of managing the Culligan City of Palms Classic. For more information and to sign up for the eNewsletter, visit cityofpalmsclassic.com.