The 53rd Annual City of Palms Classic will be held December 18 through December 23 at the Suncoast Credit Union Arena on the campus of Florida Southwestern State College. The 16-team field was revealed on Monday:
FORT MYERS, Fla.- The nation’s most prestigious event is back and is loaded more than ever before. This year’s event will run from December 18 to December 23, where over 100 ranked players and top-25 ranked teams will take the stage.
By: Southeast Hoops Report
Paul VI (Virginia) won the 52nd Annual City of Palms Classic Championship in 2025, when they took down Archbishop Stepinac (New York), 57-53. Arkansas commit Jordan Smith took home the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.
On Monday, the 16-team national bracket teams were revealed, as well as the four-team Signature Series and the four-team Sunshine Series teams.
National Bracket Team List
Bartlett High School (Bartlett, TN)
Calvary Christian Academy (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
Carter (Dallas, TX)
Christopher Columbus (Miami, FL)
Fleming Island (FL)
Greensboro Day School (Greensboro, NC)
IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL)
La Lumiere (La Porte, IN)
Lehigh (FL)
Millennium (Goodyear, AZ)
Montverde Academy (FL)
Providence (Jacksonville, FL)
Riviera Prep (Miami, FL)
Sarasota (FL)
St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, MD)
Thomas Jefferson (Brooklyn, NY)
Signature Series Team List
Dynamic Prep (Irving, TX)
Prolific Prep (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
Southeastern Prep Academy (Orlando, FL)
SPIRE Academy (Geneva, OH)
Sunshine Series Team List
Boca Ciega (Gulfport, FL)
Coatesville (PA)
Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (McDonough, GA)
Madison-Ridgeland Academy (Madison, MS)
Hugh Thimlar Tribute Game
Aubrey Rogers (FL) vs. Bishop Verot (FL)
About the City of Palms Classic
In December 1973, the City of Palms Classic began, like so many events, as a simple, local Christmas basketball tournament — the brainchild of legendary Edison Community College head coach Hugh Thimlar and a small group of high school coaches and administrators. Over the years, the “City of Palms Classic” (named by Donnie Wilkie in 1987) has grown and expanded its scope to include many of the nation’s finest players and teams, setting the standard during the past four decades by which all other holiday basketball tournaments are compared.
For Southeast Region Basketball News and Information, please visit https://sehoopsreport.com/, follow us on our social media platforms (SEHoopsReport on Facebook), SEHoopsReport on Instagram, and @SEHoopsReport on X)
Ross Van De Griek has been a Southeast Region Scout for On The Radar Hoops since 2024 and has been the Owner/Founder of Southeast Hoops Report since June 2026. You can follow along with his work on X (@SEHoopsReport), Instagram (sehoopsreport), and Facebook (@sehoopsreport).
One Response