The Culligan City of Palms Classic Dec. 18-23 is always a preview of the next great stars in college and the NBA. But this year, the tournament takes on even more meaning for the players hoping to draw the eye and a scholarship from a top college program. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many competitive summer leagues like the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League and the AAU summer programs were cancelled. Those games came during critical NCAA permitted evaluation periods for college coaches and was also a time for NBA teams to mine for talent, but not this summer. The City of Palms could be the first time that many coaches get to see potential players in a highly competitive environment. Expect top college coaches like Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, North Carolina’s Roy Williams and Kentucky’s John Calipari who have attended past Classics, to possibly spend a little time at Florida SouthWestern State College this year to catch up on what they might have missed over the summer.