The City of Palms Classic, the premier high school basketball tournament in the nation, announced its 2026 field Monday.
The 53rd annual event takes place Dec. 18-23 at Suncoast Credit Union Arena at Florida Southwestern State College in Fort Myers, Fla., and is projected to include several nationally-ranked teams.
Since 1987, the City of Palms has seen over 200 participants selected to the McDonald's All-American Game and 148 former players that have gone on to become first-round NBA Draft picks. Some of the talent to play at City of Palms includes LaMarcus Aldridge, Paolo Banchero, Jaylen Brown, Cade Cunningham, Cooper Flagg, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kyrie Irving, Joe Johnson, Kevin Love, Jayson Tatum and John Wall.
Here is a look at the participants in the 16-team tournament field, Signature Series and Sunshine Series.
16-team tournament field: Bartlett (Tenn.),
Calvary Christian Academy (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.),
Carter (Dallas, Texas),
Columbus (Miami, Fla.),
Fleming Island (Orange Park, Fla.),
Greensboro Day (Greensboro, N.C.),
IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.),
La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.),
Lehigh (Lehigh Acres, Fla.),
Millennium (Goodyear, Ariz.),
Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.),
Providence School (Jacksonville, Fla.),
Riviera Prep (Miami, Fla.),
Sarasota (Fla.),
St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.),
Thomas Jefferson Campus (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
Madison-Ridgeland Academy (Madison, Miss.)
The City of Palms Classic is expected to have major rankings implications. The winner of the event has finished ranked No. 5 or higher in every season dating back to 2012-13. Seven champions from the City of Palms Classic have finished the season ranked No. 1 nationally while four more have finished the season ranked No. 2.
Top-ranked senior prospect Beckham Black headlines the top 20 players featured across Class of 2027 and Class of 2028 who are schedule to compete in the 2026 City of Palms Classic. (FILE PHOTO: Wes Hale)
Beckham Black, Southeastern Prep Academy (No. 1 prospect in Class of 2027 according to Rivals)
C.J. Rosser, Southeastern Prep Academy (No. 2 prospect in Class of 2027)
A.J. Williams, Eagle's Landing Christian Academy (No. 4 in Class of 2027)
Lewis Uvwo, Prolific Prep (No. 7 in Class of 2027)
