In forging the future of the Culligan City of Palms Classic, the national high school basketball tournament returned to its past.
Until this year’s opening tipoffat 2:30 p.m. Friday at Florida SouthWestern State College’s new, $28 million Suncoast Credit Union Arena, the 44th annual Classic’s most recent move took place almost an entire generation ago.
Between 1983 and 1994, the Classic had four home courts and experienced six moves over an 11-year period. Then Classic Basketball, Inc. took over. The non-profit, founded by president Bill Pollock and vice president Donnie Wilkie,has run the tournament since 1986. It found a 22-year home at Bishop Verot High School in 1994.
But when the Classic began, it did so at Edison Community College in Fort Myers, the original name of FSW prior to its rebranding. The Classic should be at its new, old home for quite a while as it has a tentative, 10-year agreement to remain at Suncoast Credit Union Arena.
The Classic’s history would have been much different if not forFSW men’s basketball coach Marty Richter’s predecessor.
In 1973, Hugh Thimlar, the college basketball coach who went on to win 605 games until forced into retirement in 1992, brainstormed and organized a six-team, regional tournament at Edison. He had help from local high school coaches.
James “Jimmy” Garvin led Immokalee to the first Classic championship. In 1973, Garvin made a buzzer beater against Cypress Lake in the first round, allowing the Immokalee Indians the opportunity to win the Classic’s first title game, 55-52 against Riverdale.
“I am surprised, because I never thought that we would revisit that year again,” said Garvin, 62 and living in suburban Washington, D.C.. “I just thought it was one-and-done. We did it, and it was over. So I’m really surprised that there’s still some hoopla about that.”
The hoopla has done nothing but rise.
The Classic grew to eight teams in 1974, to 16 Southwest Florida teams in 1975 and to a 16-team, national format in 1987.
In 1994, Eugene Edgerson led New Orleans (Louisiana) St. Augustine to a 76-55 victory against Elizabeth (New Jersey) St. Patrick for the first Classic title at Bishop Verot.
Last season, Lonzo Ball, a standout freshman at UCLA,led Chino Hills (California) to a 66-60 overtime victory against Elizabeth (New Jersey) Patrick School for the championship in Verot's final year.
Since its inception, 90 players from the Classic have gone on to play in the NBA, and 135 have been named McDonald’s All-Americans, with Edgerson among the first and Ball the most recent. Seven of the nation’s top 25 teams, and nine of the nation’s top 20 players are in this year’s field.
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As for the first year's field, it consisted of Immokalee, Bishop Verot, Cypress Lake, Fort Myers, North Fort Myers and Riverdale.
This year, Lehigh and Mariner are the only local teams.
“I think at no point were we the favorite,” said Immokalee's Garvin, author of “Legacy of a Common Man,” his life story. “I knew we had some good players, and we knew with a little coaching we could survive. But we didn’t think we could win.”
Garvin recalled the game-day atmosphere at the Edison gymnasium, which since has been converted into classrooms and storage space.
“It was real cozy, and it was packed,” Garvin said. “It was probably the largest crowd we ever played in front of in our high school careers. That game itself was really, really loud.”
The Classic last played at Edison in 1993. In the first game that year, Ocala Vanguard faced eventual champion Los Angeles Crenshaw. Vanguard trailed, 40-something to 20-something at halftime, recalled retired Vanguard coach Jim Haley.
“We started out with a full-court press,” said Haley, 72, who was honored this weekend in Ocala, where his former program named its court after him.
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At halftime, Crenshaw coach Willie West looked at Haley and proclaimed: “Nobody presses Crenshaw.”
Crenshaw went on to win 117-61, one of the biggest blowouts in Classic history.
Now that history shifts to a new setting. The Bishop Verot era will remain revered by Wilkie.
Wilkie, who selects the tournament field, saidthe worst and best thing about having it at Bishop Verot was having people overcrowded in the gym’s hallway.
Now, he is hoping the same people will be together again, but with more elbow room.
Bishop Verot remains involved. Donnie Overholser, president of the school’s athletic booster club, has organized 500-600 volunteers for his backcourt café tent, which has moved from behind the Bishop Verot gym to three miles south. It will be adjacent to the new arena and with the same menu. Profits from the tent food will continue going to the booster club.
“We’re very excited to be involved,” Overholser said. “It does so many things for the athletic department here at the school. It’s a big need. There’s going to be more people, so there’s going to be more concessions.”
John Naylor, in his third year as executive director of the Classic, has seen the tournament evolve. As manager of the Pink Shell hotel on Fort Myers Beach from 1991 to 2004, Naylor gave the Classic steep discounts to help house the players.
Now, Naylor oversees a budget that has grown from $299,000 last year to $350,000 this year. This includes the rent increase from $10,000 at Verot to $20,000 at FSW.
Seating capacity has grown from 2,000 to 3,500.
Ticket prices are rising, too. Single-day ticketsjump from $15 to $25. Bleacherseats still cost $15, as they did at Bishop Verot. Those seats are located behind each basket. Students can get in for $10. Service fees will be applied for tickets bought online, because for the first time, the Classic has a ticket vendor in FSW.
Five of the six arena luxury suites belong to FSWduring the tournament. The sixth suite will be used by title sponsor Culligan.
Naylor said despite the rising prices, he expected capacity or near-capacity crowds for the evening games.
“The last two nights, we were turning people away,” Naylor said of last year at Bishop Verot. “There was no more room in the gym. We’re going to come very, very close (to sellouts at FSW). I wouldn’t be surprised. There’s a lot of hype out there. The fact that there’s a new arena, people will want to see us.”
Connect with this reporter: David Dorsey (Facebook), @DavidADorsey (Twitter).
Ranked teams in 44th Annual Culligan City of Palms Classic 16-team field
No. 4 Montverde Academy
No. 6 Bradenton IMG Academy
No. 8 West Chester (Pennsylvania) Westtown School
No. 9 Hillside (New Jersey) Patrick School
No. 11 Memphis (Tennessee) East
No. 18 Jersey City (New Jersey) Hudson Catholic High
No. 25 Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) Neumann-Goretti High
The City of Palms Classic home through the years
1973-83: Edison Community College
1984: Cape Coral High
1985-89: Fort Myers High
1990: Edison Community College
1991-92: Harborside Convention Hall
1993: Edison Community College
1994-2015: Bishop Verot High School
2016: Suncoast Credit Union Arena at Florida SouthWestern State College (formerly Edison)
If you go
What: 44th Annual Culligan City of Palms Classic, national-caliber, 16-team high school basketball tournament, plus four-team Signature Series, Sunshine Series and 3-point shootout and slam dunk contest
When: Friday through Wednesday, Dec. 21
Where: Suncoast Credit Union Arena at Florida SouthWestern State College
Tickets prices and information
Level I preferred single-day tickets: $50, plus $3 service fee
Level II single-day tickets: $25, plus $3 service fee
Level III single-day tickets: $20, plus $3 service fee
Level IV general admission: $15, plus $3 service fee
Student single day: $10, plus $3 service fee
Note: Service fees can be avoided by paying cash at the box office.
Six-day preferred ticket package: $250, plus $20 processing fee. Seating in first two rows behind the team’s benches and scorer’s table.
Six-day reserved ticket package: $128, plus $9 processing fee. Seating for remaining courtside seating.
VIP parking: Six-day parking pass $40, plus $3 processing fee for parking lot closest to the arena.
Other game-day parking: Free
For more information on purchasing tickets, call the box office Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 800-440-7469, (239) 481-4849 or online at fswarena.com.
