Monteverde and Bradenton IMG Academy are basketball powerhouses in the high school world. The Florida teams have big-time players with bright NBA futures. They are two of the reasons thousands will be in attendance when the Culligan City of Palms Classic begins Dec. 18 at Suncoast Credit Union Arena on the campus of Florida Southwestern State College.

They also are making history. IMG is ranked No. 1 in the nation and Monteverde is No. 2, according to USA TODAY’s first preseason poll, marking the first time the projected top two teams have been entered in the prestigious event. IMG skyrocketed to the top based on returning talent and a 2018-19 resume, which includes the 2019 GEICO Nationals championship.

Monteverde will be seeking a fourth City of Palms title, having won three of the past seven championships, the last coming in 2016. IMG will be looking for its first title but making its second consecutive appearance in the tournament, reaching the quarterfinals last year.

This tournament is always the perceived crystal ball to greatness when it comes to what fans will be seeing at college and NBA levels, but all eyes will assuredly be on IMG’s Jalen Johnson and Monteverde’s Cade Cunningham.

The 6-foot-9 Johnson is a small forward with eye-popping skills, who averaged 19.7 points, 11.7 rebounds and 5.9 assists in becoming Wisconsin’s player of the year last season while playing for Nicolet (Glendale, Wis.). The Duke recruit is ranked No. 4 in ESPN’s Top 100. He transferred to IMG at the start of this school year, adding more star power to already talent-laden team, which includes ESPN
top 100 players Jaden Springer, Mark Williams, Matthew Murrell and Nick Blake.

Cunningham, No. 2 in ESPN’s Top 100, is on a trajectory that could make him the top pick in the 2020 NBA draft, but first things first. There is college to think about as he looks at his top suitors – Oklahoma State, Florida Kentucky, North Carolina and Washington. He is coming off impressive performances where he led USA
Basketball to the FIBA U19 World Cup gold medal, and he collected league MVP honors in Nike’s EYBL circuit. Cunningham joins Monteverde teammate Moses Moody (another Top 100 player) to form one of the nation’s top backcourts. Its scoring depth continues with Top 100 talent Day’Ron Sharpe (North Carolina commit) and Zeb Jackson (Michigan).