The Culligan City of Palms Classic is once again the place to see the best high school boys basketball action in the country this holiday season. USA Today recently unveiled the American Family Insurance All-USA preseason boys basketball team, and nine of its 20 players will be in Fort Myers for this year’s tournament from Friday, Dec. 16 through Wednesday, Dec. 21. The 44th annual tournament will tip off at the new Suncoast Credit Union Arena on the campus of Florida SouthWestern State College (FSW).
Leading the All-USA team is the #1 player in the Class of 2017, DeAndre Ayton, who will be here with his squad from Hillcrest Prep in Arizona. Joining Ayton on the All-USA team and headed to Fort Myers will be: Mohamed Bamba (Westtown School, Penn.); R.J. Barrett (Montverde Academy, Fla.); Charles Bassey (St. Anthony Catholic High School, Tx); Wendell Carter (Pace Academy, Ga.); Treyvon Duval (IMG Academy, Fla.); Kevin Knox (Tampa Catholic, Fla.); Cameron Reddish (Westtown School, Penn.); and Collin Sexton (Pebblebrook High School, Ga.).
Tickets for the tournament are now on sale. Several ticket options are available, including:
1. The 6-day Preferred Ticket Package. A single-seat six-day ticket package for $250 plus a $20 processing fee (3rd party ticket vendor fee) with seating in the first two rows directly behind the team benches and scorer’s
table (west side of the arena) or the opposite second row (east side).
2. The 6-day Reserved Ticket Package. A single-seat six-day ticket package for $128 plus a $9 processing fee (3rd party ticket vendor fee) for the remaining courtside seating (east and west sides of the arena).
3. VIP Parking. A six-day Reserved Parking Pass for $40 plus a $3 processing fee (3rd party ticket vendor fee).
For more information and to purchase tickets, call the box office Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. or Saturday 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at (800) 440-7469 or (239) 481-4849.
Culligan returns for its fourth year as Title Sponsor, and Enterprise Rent-A-Car is Presenting Sponsor for the third year.
The lineup of the teams scheduled to play in this year’s tournament and other tournament information are available at 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.
One hundred thirty-five Culligan City of Palms Classic players have been named McDonald’s All-Americans and 116 have been drafted by the NBA, including 71 first-round picks. Fifty-one are current NBA stars and 120 are current NCAA Power 7 conference stars. Sixty-seven players participated in last year’s NCAA Tournament, including 23 that made it to the Sweet 16.
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.