Top high school basketball event City of Palms Classic announces 2016 field

Video: Chino Hills wins 2016 City of Palms Classic
Eventual national champions knocked off Patrick School in last year's final.

The nation's top high school basketball tournament will truly be bigger and better than ever in 2016.

The City of Palms Classic is moving into the brand new 3,300-seat Suncoast Credit Union on the campus of Florida SouthWestern College in Fort Myers.

This year's event will be held Dec. 16-21 and Wednesday organizers rolled out the lineup.



David Dorsey of the News-Press is a City of Palms guru and wrote extensively about yesterday's unveiling. Six of the Top 10 senior prospects in America (according to 247Sports) will participate in either the 16-team tournament or one of two sidebar showcases.

No. 1 overall prospect DeAndre Ayton – a recent Arizona commitment – will be in action with Hillcrest Academy (Phoenix, Ariz.) and No. 3 Mohamed Bamba with Westtown (Pa.).

Eventual national champion Chino Hills (Calif.) won last year's 16-team tourney at the Classic, knocking off Patrick School (Elizabeth, N.J.) 66-60 in overtime.

Perennial favorite Montverde Academy (Fla.) will be back to regain its throne after upset losses the past two years. The Eagles won consecutive titles in 2012 and 2013, also reaching the championship game in 2014.

Here's a complete look at the 2016 Classic participants:

16-team tournament field: Brentwood Academy (Brentwood, Tenn.), Hudson Catholic (Jersey City, N.J.), Jemison (Huntsville, Ala.), Jonesboro (Ga.), Lehigh (Lehigh Acres, Fla.), Maret (Washington, D.C.), Mariner (Cape Coral, Fla.), Memphis East (Memphis, Tenn.), Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.), Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia), Norcross (Ga.), Pace Academy (Atlanta, Ga.), Patrick School (Elizabeth, N.J.), Pebblebrook (Mableton, Ga.), Sagemont (Weston, Fla.), St. Anthony (San Antonio, Texas)



Signature Series: Hillcrest Academy (Phoenix, Ariz.), IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), Putnam Science Academy (Putnam, Conn.), Westtown (Pa.)

Sunshine Series: Dillard (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), East St. Louis (Ill.), Miami Christian (Miami, Fla.), Riverview (Sarasota, Fla.), South Miami (Miami, Fla.), St. Petersburg (Fla.), Tampa Catholic (Tampa, Fla.), Winter Park (Fla.)