 |
|
 |
Please welcome our newest major sponsor. State Farm, the presenting sponsor of the Bank of America City of Palms Classic. |
---------------------------------------------------------------- |
|
|
Discover the history of the Bank of America City of Palms Classic. [more] |
---------------------------------------------------------------- |
|
|
The Bank of America City of Palms Golf Classic presented by LENNAR will be held at Old Corkscrew Golf Course in Estero on Friday, October 24. [more] |
---------------------------------------------------------------- |
|
 |
|
|
Courtesy of The News Press Fans have come to expect a stellar field of 16 high school basketball teams in the Bank of America City of Palms Classic. But when tournament begins Dec. 18 at Bishop Verot High School in Fort Myers, it will feature the event's most notable field in its 36 years of existence. "It might be the best field in the history of high school basketball," said Clark Francis, who has been attending the tournament for more than 15 years as an analyst for HoopScoop. The Classic, scheduled for Dec. 18-23, will feature Elizabeth (N.J.) St. Patrick, Brooklyn (N.Y.) Lincoln, Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei and Los Angeles Westchester as its headliners. All four teams have competed in the tournament over the years, with St. Patrick to make its record eighth visit and with Westchester undefeated (14-0) as a three-time Classic champion. Fort Myers and Dunbar will represent Southwest Florida in the tournament. "One of the reasons we've been so successful is we've always had some combination of Mater Dei or Westchester or Brooklyn Lincoln or St. Patrick," said Donnie Wilkie, vice president of Classic Basketball, Inc., and selector of the tournament's field. "This year, it just so happens that all four of those teams are in the tournament in the same year, and that's never happened before." But that's not all that will happen. Duncanville (Texas) High, which went 36-2 last season, joined the field along with Marietta (Ga.) Wheeler, which went 30-3. "You have five teams for sure that have the chance to win the national championship every year with where their programs are at right now," Wilkie said. "Because of the organization that we have, we're in a position where, every year, we're going to have a very good tournament. "And then every few years, we're going to have a spectacular tournament. This is one of those years." Francis, who attended the NCAA Final Four in San Antonio over the weekend, said he could not wait for nine months to pass. "He's been telling everybody for a long time that this year was going to be ridiculous," Francis said of Wilkie. "And he was right." |
---------------------------------------------------------------- |
|
|
For Ticket Information please call: 239-671-9347 |
---------------------------------------------------------------- |
|
|
For hotel information, hit the Hotels link above. |
---------------------------------------------------------------- |
|
|
Visit the Bishop Verot Concession's Tent for the best food this side of the Mississippi! |
---------------------------------------------------------------- |
|
Classic Basketball, Inc. 13300-56 South Cleveland Ave #303, Fort Myers, FL 33907 Phone: 239-671-9347
|
December 18-23, 2008 2008 Tournament Teams American Heritage HS (Plantation, Florida), 19-9: Kenny Boynton, HoopScoop’s No. 2-rated junior, had a 61-point game at last year’s COP, and is joined by pint-sized Ray Taylor. Arlington Country Day (Jacksonville, Florida), 22-6: Apaches have won four consecutive state championships and boast 6-9 Wally Judge, Rivals.com’s 26th-rated junior. Briarcrest HS (Memphis, Tennessee), 22-12: Leslie McDonald, HoopScoop’s 15th-rated junior, teamed with fellow juniors Johnny Williams and Gregg Wooten to win state title. Dunbar HS (Fort Myers, Florida), 21-8: Tigers reached 3A state tourney behind sophomore David Paulk & juniors Melvin German, Dontel Singleton and Jeffrey Evans. Duncanville HS (Duncanville, Texas), 36-2: Shawn Williams and Roger Franklin, both national top-75 juniors, are 75-2 with only one in-state loss during the past two seasons. Fayette County HS (Fayetteville, Georgia), 23-10: Tigers rode 6-6 consensus top-30 junior Noel Johnson (25 ppg, 9 rpg, 3.6 apg) all the way to the Class AAAA state-title game. Fort Myers HS (Fort Myers, Florida), 26-4: Green Wave reached Class 5A regional semis and will build around junior big men Josh Nicholas (6-11) and Steve Spline (6-7). Lincoln HS (Brooklyn, New York), 28-4: Lance Stephenson, HoopScoop’s No. 1-rated junior, has led the Railsplitters to three consecutive city championships. Mater Dei HS (Santa Ana, California), 35-1: Monarchs could be nation’s preseason No. 1 team, led by 6-9 brothers David & Travis Wear, who have committed to North Carolina. Olympia HS (Orlando, Florida), 24-3: Titans won Tampa Hoops Classic and are state’s top young team, led by juniors Dexter Fields, William Green, Jamel Marshall and Martell Blue. Roman Catholic HS (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), 19-6: Cahillites, upset in the Catholic playoffs after a 14-0 regular-season, boast HoopScoop’s No. 11 junior, Malik Wayns. St. Patrick HS (Elizabeth, New Jersey), 25-5: Kevin Boyle’s Celtics will make record eighth City of Palms appearance, powered by consensus top-10 junior Dexter Strickland. Westchester HS (Los Angeles, California), 28-5: Comets will put their 14-0 City of Palms record on the line, led by national top-5 sophomore Dwayne Polee. Wheeler HS (Marietta, Georgia), 30-3: Highly touted juniors Ari Stewart and Richard Howell will be trying to give Coach Doug Lipscomb his fifth state title in 16 seasons. Winter Park HS (Winter Park, Florida), 28-2: Wildcats won first 21 games and return national top-25 freshman Austin Rivers, son of Boston Celtics coach Glenn “Doc” Rivers. 2008 Sunshine Teams Bishop Verot HS (Fort Myers, Florida), 16-11: Host school loses a lot of size, but return juniors Brennen Melvin and Ettiene Effenberg, plus sophomore Jacquard Hagan. Dwyer HS (Palm Beach Gardens, Florida), 24-4: Panthers return 14 of 15 players, including 6-1 junior Ramon Galloway and 6-3 freshman Jacoby Brissett. Montverde Academy (Montverde, Florida), 24-5: Nationally regarded Eagles program will build around 6-11 Ruslan Pateev and 6-foot Dmitry Zimin, both juniors. North Port HS (North Port, Florida), 20-7: Shaun Noriega is widely regarded as Southwest Florida’s top junior, and will lead the Bobcats to their first-ever City of Palms. For Tournament and Ticket
Information Call: For Tournament Team
Information: (Coaches) Call:
|
