Seven of America’s top high school boys’ basketball teams, according to USA Today’s recently revealed Super 25 rankings, will be among the field at the 44th annual Culligan City of Palms Classic. This Southwest Florida holiday tradition takes place Friday, Dec. 16 – Wednesday, Dec. 21 at the new Suncoast Credit Union Arena on the campus of Florida SouthWestern State College (FSW).
With basketball season getting underway across the country, USA Today recently revealed its rankings of the top boys’ basketball teams. Seven will be making the trip to Fort Myers: #4 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), #6 Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.), #10 Patrick School (Hillside, N.J.), #11 Westtown School (West Chester, Pa.), #13 Memphis East (Memphis, Tenn.), #19 Hudson Catholic High School (Jersey City, N.J.), and #25 Neumann-Goretti High School (Philadelphia, Pa.).
Tournament Executive Director John Naylor said, “Every year we strive to bring the best boys’ basketball teams to Southwest Florida, and this year as we move into our new home at FSW, we couldn’t be happier with the field of 28 we have put in place. We’re looking forward to an exciting week of basketball.”
Tickets for the tournament are now on sale and are going fast. Several ticket options are available, including:
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 117 have been drafted by the NBA since 1989, including 71 first-round picks. Fifty-five are current NBA stars and 120 are current NCAA Power 7 conference stars.
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 www.cityofpalmsclassic.com.
About Florida SouthWestern Athletics
The Florida SouthWestern State College athletic program is a member of the Florida College System Athletic Association (FCSAA) and the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). The Buccaneers are one of 25 schools in the NJCAA Region 8 and are one of six schools in the Suncoast Conference (Southern Conference for Women’s Basketball). Florida SouthWestern State College currently supports four intercollegiate athletic programs (Baseball, Softball, Men’s Basketball, Women’s Basketball). Baseball and Softball began their regular season competition in 2016 at the City of Palms Park in Fort Myers. Located on the Thomas Edison (Lee) Campus in Fort Myers will be the brand new Suncoast Credit Union Arena, where FSW’s men’s and women’s basketball teams will compete.
For the latest news on FSW Athletics, log on to FSWBucs.com or stay connected to the Bucs on social media. Follow the Buccaneers on Twitter @FSWBucs, on Instagram @FSWBucs, on Facebook at Facebook.com/FSWBucs and on Snapchat at BucsSnaps.