On Episode 180 of the Ballislife hosts Ronnie Flores, Ani Umana and Chelsea Hopkins go hard on the one-year plan that was hatched for the late, great Kobe Bryant to turn pro out of high school with special guest Gary Charles, who was part of the small circle that knew of the plans for the 17-year wunderkind from Lower Merion High School (Ardmore, Pa.).

Charles spends 40 minutes detailing the plan to get Kobe from Lower Merion to the NBA, even though he was a wing guard and academically eligible for any college in the country. That was unheard of at the time. Charles goes "In The Paint" on meeting Kobe through his father Joe "Jellybean" Bryant, what Kobe was like as a rising junior at ABCD Camp, the keys to hatching the plan for him to turn pro, and the occurrences that could have foiled Team Bryant's plan to keep him from Nike and keep other NBA teams drafting higher than Charlotte from realizing he should be their pick.

What would have happened in Lower Merion would have traveled to Los Angeles in January '96 for a MLK Showcase game vs. Schea Cotton and St John Bosco? Was taking R & B singer Brandy to the prom potentially worrisome? What if Tim Thomas would have went straight pro out of high school instead of going to Villanova? What if the New Jersey Nets would have went for Kobe at No. 8 instead of Kerry Kittles?

Charles, a longtime grassroots basketball coach and event director, also gives some insight on a Plan B if the Charlotte move didn't happen and what transpired leading up to draft day.

The ITP crew then close this special episode with their reactions to the interview and some media references helpful to learn more background information on Kobe's unique path. Kobe's prep-to-pro journey hasn't been told in this manner, so make sure to tune in to Episode 180 from start to finish! (The episode is time-stamped below for easy listening)


(0:00) - Intro

(1:24) - Mahomes Chasing Brady: NFL's Future

(2:01) - Super Bowl Halftime Show Reaction!

(3:54) - Intro To Kobe Bryant's Plan To Go Pro

(5:32) - Sheryl Swoopes on Caitlin Clark: Chelsea's Dish!

(10:28) - Ani & Ron's Dish on Swoopes' Caitlin Comments

(18:56) - Announcers Cheering On Greats?

(23:28) - Kobe Bryant's Statue: Instant Reaction

(25:48) - Gary Charles (Grassroots Czar) Interview

(30:51) - Charles: Kobe As Rising Junior

(32:36) - Charles: Realizing Kobe's The One

(37:59) - Charles: Keys To Hatching HS-To-Pro Plan

(43:57) - Charles: Close Calls That Could Foil The Plan!

(49:41) - Charles: Plan B If Charlotte Deal Changes!

(53:07) - L.A. Kobe Game That Never Happens

(59:06) - Charles: Shielding Kobe From Nike

(1:00:47) - Charles: Leading Up Draft Day!

(1:08:24) - Chelsea & Ani's Reaction To Kobe Plan

(1:13:52) - Ron's Experience With Kobe's Timeline

(1:17:54) - Ani & Chelsea's Dish on Finding The One

(1:22:54) - More Media References To Kobe's Journey

The post In the Paint | Kobe Bryant's Pre-Draft Journey! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

Join podcast co-hosts Ronnie Flores, Ani Umana and Chelsea Hopkins for the 4th Annual Ballislife NBA Draft Show LIVE, taking place on Thursday, June 22 at 5:30 pm ET/2:30 pm. This year's show figures to be our best one yet, with special NBA Draft guests, including a 2023 NBA draftee, expert analysis and much more.

What: 4th Annual BIL NBA Draft Party
When: June 22, 5:30 pm ET/2:30 pm PT
WATCH: https://rb.gy/nf1ys

The post WATCH: Ballislife NBA Draft Show, LIVE! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

On Episode 159 of the Ballislife In The Paint Show, Ronnie Flores hosts its annual WNBA Preview with ITP co-host and analyst Chelsea Hopkins, who takes an in-depth look at the '23 WNBA Season and recent WNBA Draft and NCAA and WNCAA Tournaments!

As an alum, Chelsea gives her insight on SDSU's incredible run to the NCAA Championship Game and background on the program built by former coach Steve Fisher and current HC Brian Duthcher. What does the portal and NIL do to future Cinderella runs? How does men's CBB deal with high roster turnover?

As far as the WNCAA, the stars of the most-watched WNCAA Tournament will be back in 23-24. Nearly 10 million people watched LSU-Iowa final and there is great anticipation for next season and the '24 WNBA Draft. Who is the NCAA favorite next year. Is NIL darling Angel Reese of LSU a sure-fire W star? Is Iowa's Caitlin Clark a generational prospect? Chelsea answers those burning questions!

What is the WNBA's next step to capitalize off the enormous popularity of women's NCAA basketball? Does the W need to expand? What areas is the 75 million dollar capital investment making inroads in? How can the W increase brand awareness?

The ITP crew also welcomes on a special guest for the WNBA preview in which Chelsea gives a in-depth rundown of each of the 12 teams, and offers her odds-on favorites (W title, reach the championship round, MVP and ROY).

Chelsea feels the W needs to do a better job of story-telling and marketing players other than the top stars and the ITP crew welcomes on a special guest Rebekah Gardner (Chicago Sky) to talk about her incredible W journey. She was named to the '22 W all-rookie team at 32, the oldest player ever to do so. Gardner talks about her journey from UCLA to pro ball and finally getting a shot in a WNBA training camp!

After breaking down the W, Chelsea dishes on '23 NBA Draft and whom she feels was the best pick and which team has best draft. Chelsea also dishes on what impact she expects Aliyah Boston (South Carolina) to have with the Indiana Fever and gives her overall perspective on this current draft class? Is it a strong or average class and are there any generational players? Chelsea breaks it all down!

The ITP Crew closes out the show taking a look into the future and the 2024 WNBA Draft. Clark and Reese have been getting unprecedented press, but what are their WNBA games like? Is Clark a generational prospect for next year? What kind of long-term prospect is Reese? Will W teams tank to have the top pick next season?

The ITP crew and special guest Rebekah Gardner offer some terrific insight on the girls game, both college and pro, on this special two-hour episode, so make sure to tune in to Episode 159 from start to finish!

(0:00) - Intro
(2:19) - NBA Playoffs & Play-In: Quick Reaction!
(5:32) - Ballislife A-A Game (5/6) & Upcoming Pods
(6:14) - Chelsea’s Reaction to SDSU's Title Game Run
(10:52) - SDSU Alum’s Reaction to Final Four Run
(14:16) - Reaction to NCAA Portal Reality & W NCAA Boom!
(24:00) - Can the W Capitalize on NCAA Popularity?
(26:08) - Who is the Early Line WNCAA Favorite?
(33:26) - How Will the W Capitalize on NCAA Boom & NIL Brand Buildup?
(46:23) - WNBA Preview: Team-By-Team Rundown (Phoenix Mercury)
(50:55) - Washington Mystics Preview
(52:09) - Seattle Storm Preview
(54:53) - Atlanta Dream Preview
(58:28) - Indiana Fever Preview
(1:01:22) - Minnesota Lynx Preview
(1:03:53) - Dallas Wings Preview
(1:10:17) - Connecticut Sun Preview
(1:14:56) - L.A. Sparks Preview
(1:19:03) - Chicago Sky Preview
(1:19:03) - N.Y. Liberty Preview
(1:25:07) - Las Vegas Aces Preview
(1:28:14) - Rebekah Gardner (Sky) Interview
(1:45:57) - Reaction To 'Bekah Interview
(1:50:20) - Advice For Sticking in W From a Pro
(1:53:50) - Chelsea’s WNBA Predictions
(1:57:08) - '23 W Draft Grades & ’24 W Draft Preview
(2:09:45) - Caitlin Clark & Angel Reese: Translatable Games?
(2:19:07) - www.ebooksnet.com Shout-Out & ITP Schedule

The post In the Paint: WNBA Preview & Draft Review, WNCAA Boom, Can W Capitalize? appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

On Episode 158 of the Ballislife In The Paint Show, hosts Ronnie Flores, Ani Umana and Chelsea Hopkins go in on March Madness, from the incredible Cinderella stories on the men's side to the heavyweight battles on the women's side, and get some 2023 McDonald's All-American Game insight from a special guest.

The ITP crew briefly touch on how mass shootings barely register in light of the latest casualties and how guns are now children's No. 1 threat. The crew also touch upcoming pods, including the WNBA Preview, slated for April 11.

Grant Rice, the coach of Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) and the West Coach in the McDonald's All-American Game, is the special guest with some insight on his club. Rice talks about the competitive nature of Ron Holland of Duncanville (Texas), the impact of Jared McCain of Centennial (Corona, Calif.) and how the sons of NBA players, Andrej Stojakovic of Jesuit (Carmichael, Calif.) and Bronny James of Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) are faring. Rice talks about James' play and fitting in with his McDonald's teammates. Should Bronny be talking to the media?

Ron and Ani break down their insights from scouts and contacts in Houston and how the East is the favorite in Tuesday night's game. Will the game action play out that way?

Speaking of Houston, the ITP crew break down the miraculous run of San Diego State to the Final Four. Chelsea, a former point guard for the Aztecs, gives his insight on the men's program and his personal take on SDSU head coach Brian Dutcher. Ron and Chelsea also talk about one of the breakout players in this year's NCAA Tournament: SDSU point guard Darrion Trammel, who was twice passed over for scholarships before heading to a JUCO before landing at Seattle University.

Ron also breaks down his other top breakout performer, Miami's Jordan Miller, a transfer from George Mason who was not well known nationally. Chelsea and Ani talk about the play of KSU's Marquis Nowell, arguably the top individual of the tourney who led K-State to the Elite 8, while Ani dishes on two more top performers: guard Jordan Hawkins of UCONN and Sir'Jabari Rice, a Texas native who spent five seasons at New Mexico St. before helping the Longhorns reach the Elite 8.

Has the NCAA men's basketball landscape changed forever with the portal and older players, or will the cycle reverse itself once again in a few years? Ani gives his insight.

The ITP crew also gives their Final Four predictions!

Chelsea breaks down the W Final Four, which is a heavyweight affair with unbeaten South Carolina going for it all. Can No. 2 seed Iowa upset the Gamecocks? In the other semi, it's No. 1 seed Virginia Tech vs. No. 3 seed LSU.

Is the Iowa-SC game the most anticipated W semifinal ever? Chelsea breaks it down plus gives insight on two more players you should know: LSU's double-double machine Angel Reese and V-Tech's Georgia Amoore.

The ITP crew offers some terrific insight on the MCDAAG and both Final Fours, so make sure to tune in to Episode 158 from start to finish!

(0:00) - Intro
(1:33) - Mass Shooting in America: Going To Happen Again!
(5:09) - Ballislife A-A Game (5/6) & Upcoming Pods
(5:35) - Chelsea’s Hot Take on SDSU Final Four Run
(8:47) - Grant Rice (West McDonald’s A-A Coach) Interview
(16:39) - More McDAAG Insight From ITP Crew
(23:42) - Bronny James at McDAAG: Fitting In & Expectations vs. Reality
(31:50) - No Mickey D's in Final Four: New Era or Cycle?
(37:40) - Are Recruiting Labels (HM, MM, LM) Relevant Anymore?
(41:33) - Chelsea’s In-Depth Insight on SDSU & Coach Dutcher
(48:42) - Final Four Predictions
(55:54) - Ron’s and Ani’s Dish on Amari Bailey & UCLA’s Injuries
(1:02:12) - ITP Crew’s Tourney Breakout Players
(1:10:18) - Chelsea’s Dish on W March Madness
(1:19:40) - BIL Podcast Network Shoout-Outs & ITP Schedule

The post In the Paint: NCAA Cinderellas & Heavyweights, SDSU, Bronny at McDAAG, & More appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

On Episode 157 of the Ballislife In The Paint Show, hosts Ronnie Flores and Chelsea Hopkins go in on the latest high school and NBA news and give their hot takes on the upcoming NCAA Tournament.

Ron and Chelsea talk about the latest gun incident (surprise) involving Shawn Kemp and Ja Morant's rehab stint away from the Memphis Grizzlies. Is this the first step to a total re-make for Ja?

The ITP crew also talk about the issue of NBA load management and how guidelines could be put in place for player awards through the CBA.

Ron also breaks down the CIF state championships and the atmosphere of the California state tournament. Is there going to be change in order to make it more appeasing to the average fan? Ron also talks about how the CIF and UIL (Texas) state tournament affect the latest FAB 50 rankings.

Chelsea also gives her hot takes on the women's NCAA Tournament. Can anyone challenge South Carolina? Who are the favorites to reach the Final Four? Chelsea also breaks down players to watch.

Both Ron and Chelsea give their team and players to watch in the wide-open men's NCAA Tournament? It truly will be March Madness this season!

The ITP crew offers some terrific insight on all levels of the game and both genders, so make sure to tune in to Episode 157 from start to finish!

(0:00) - Intro
(1:16) - Gun Incident with Shawn Kemp... WTH!
(3:52) - Ja Morant in Rehab: Will He Turn the Corner?
(10:49) - New NBA CBA Will Address Load Management
(13:28) - NBA MVP Debate: A Racial Thing or Flawed Process?
(17:11) - Life of Pro: Preparing for Adjustment or Staying in Moment
(19:45) - Ballislife Podcast Network Shout-Outs
(20:04) - Ron’s CIF Championships Hot Takes
(27:21) - Ron’s FAB 50 Update
(28:24) - Ron’s UIL Final Four Break Down
(35:15) - Chelsea’s Women’s NCAA Tourney Breakdown!
(49:09) - Hot Take on Men’s NCAA Tournament!

The post In the Paint | March Madness Hot Takes, State Champs, Guns (Again), & More appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

The ITP Crew start off with the saga surrounding Alabama basketball and star player Brandon Miller. Should he be playing right now? What about coach Nate Oats, should he be coaching? Chelsea and the fellas give their hot take on the situation!

Ron, who has been involved with Cal-Hi Sports state rankings for over 20 years, give his take on the CIF basketball players and why and how the California Interscholastic Federation needs a re-vamp of its regional playoff format. Ron gives his fix on how to make the section titles more meaningful and a process where everyone can understand what they are playing for.

At the NBA level, the ITP Crew talks about the disappointment of the NBA All-Star weekend (ratings wise and entertainment wise) and the load management issue the league has right now that is starting to affect public perception of the league's direction. Ani and Chelsea dish on what can be done to rectify the issue. The crew also talks about Dame Lillard's 71-point game and his path to NBA stardom and what "loyalty" represents and means to them.

Ron and Ani dish on the National All-Star Game circuit in the light of the closest Mr. Basketball USA (national player of the year) race in many years and the fact the 2023 class still has something to prove on a national level. Can front-runner Cam Boozer earn national POY honors as a sophomore? Where does Bronny James fit into this equation in light of the fact he's not a serious national player of the year candidate but is being pegged by ESPN as a Top 10 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft?

The ITP crew offers some terrific insight on Lillard, load management, and Bronny James' stance in the scouting world so make sure to tune in to Episode 155 from start to finish!

(0:00) - Intro

(2:22) - FAB 50 Update

(5:23) - Deion Sanders’ Comments on Recruiting

(9:49) - Dish on Brandon Miller-Alabama Saga

(18:24) - Ron’s Dish on Revamping CIF Basketball Playoffs

(24:17) - Dish On NBA’s Load Management Issue

(36:20) - Chelsea & Ani’s Dish on Improving A-S Weekend!

(45:35) - Quick Update on NBA Season & Dame Lillard!

(59:03) - Bronny James’ Comparisons & Draft Status: WTF!

(1:06:04) - Scouts' Lack of Focus on Production

(1:10:24) - Bronny’s and Amari Bailey’s Unique HS Situation!

(1:12:07) - Mr. Basketball USA Tracker Results/Reactions

The post In The Paint: Bronny Comparisons, Load Management Breaking Point, CIF Revamp & More! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

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The NBA trade deadline is the second big topic of this week's special podcast and the crew go over the best long-term and short-term trades that went down. Besides the Suns acquiring Kevin Durant, which team was the big winner? Did the Lakers upgrade their roster enough to make a big playoff push? Who in the East got better? What is Portland and Chicago doing by not pulling the trigger on anything of significance?

Chelsea and Ani also talk about the Super Bowl and Rihanna's halftime performance and the greatness of two-time Super Bowl winning QB Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs. How high can he climb on the GOAT list?

Ronnie and Ani also give their take on the unfortunate circumstances of New Mexico St. shutting down their basketball program? What's next for the program and are some college teams on the verge of losing control of their roster or is this just a completely isolated circumstance?

Chelsea also talks South Carolina-LSU and the Gamecocks' current WNCAA dominance!

The ITP crew and its special guest offers some terrific insight on the GOATs on the NBA and there are a couple of surprises, so make sure to tune in to Episode 154 from start to finish!

(0:00) - Intro

(2:09) - Quick Thoughts on Lakers-OKC Historic Game

(5:53) - Quick Thoughts on New Mexico St. Program Shutdown

(13:28) - Super Bowl: Rihanna, Mahomes’ GOAT Trajectory

(20:18) - Chelsea’s NCAAW Update: South Carolina Dominant!

(25:59) - ITP Podcast Info & Shout-Outs

(26:57) - Ani’s Quick NCAA Updates: Tobacco Road Blues

(32:42) - NBA Trade Deadline: Reaction To Best Transactions

(39:05) - Ani’s & Chelsea’s Best Short Term Move

(46:03) - What Are The Bulls, Blazers & Heat Doing?!

(53:35) - Chelsea & Ani’s Rihanna’s Super Bowl Grade!

(56:04) - Bron Celebration: Missing Boat on KAJ’s Legacy

(1:02:23) - Ceremony's Most Memorable Moment

(1:05:51) - ITP Crew No. 5 All-Time Player!

(1:12:08) - ITP Crew No. 4 All-Time Player!

(1:18:28) - ITP Crew No. 3 All-Time Player!

(1:26:47) - ITP Crew No. 2 All-Time Player!

(1:28:23) - ITP Crew No. 1 All-Time Player!

(1:34:47) - Reaction To Top 5s!

(1:40:06) - Bron-MJ Debate!

(1:53:20) - Bron-MJ Accolades Difference

(2:01:31) - What Young Player Can Crack Top 10?

(2:04:03) - Just Missed & Overlooked Players

The post In The Paint: NBA GOAT Debate: Bron, MJ, Kareem, Kobe? appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

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Powell has been tenured with the Clippers for nearly 25 years and offers ITP's audience some terrific insight on the differences and advances in medical technology and game preparation over the last quarter century. Powell also dishes on the evolution of what NBA franchises invests in when it comes to player health and wellness and how and why it's such a bigger part of the game day preparation in the current NBA than the days when Michael Jordan broke into the league in the mid 1980s.

Powell also discusses how the average fan may not be aware when a player is laboring or not injured quite enough to sit out and how it's part of his job description to make sure players perform at a optimal or peak level, which may include some load management.

This topic is obviously relevant and important as the Laker's LeBron James surpasses Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the all-time leading scorer in NBA history. The ITP crew discuss the legacy of the NBA's two ironman superstars and what James' record-breaking achievement and career means to them. Ron also gives some background on Abdul Jabbar's career and how and why he's still somewhat overlooked by casual or young NBA fans.

The ITP crew also break down the Kyrie Irving trade to the Dallas Mavericks and what it means. Did the Mavs make a mistake in not trying harder to keep Jalen Brunson? Was this move strictly made to keep Luka Doncic?happy? What does it mean for the Lakers that they missed on the Irving sweepstakes?

The crew also dish on NBA All-Star snubs, which player each believes needs a change of scenery, WNBA dynasties and more!

The ITP crew and its special guest offers some terrific insight on a inner-workings of the NBA and the topics related to KAJ's and Bron's longevity, so make sure to tune in to Episode 153 from start to finish!

(0:00) - Intro
(2:50) - Chelsea’s Quick-Hitting NCAAW Updates!
(5:03) - Chelsea’s Pro Updates: Free Agency & W Super Teams!
(9:47) - Big Money in Pro Ball: Spending & Ego!
(14:23) - Gambling on Kyrie: Would You Do It?
(21:30) - Trade Deadline: Any Other Big Upcoming Moves?
(26:36) - All-Star Game Omissions: Owner-Agent Battle?
(31:24) - Top NBA All-Star Game Snubs
(38:00) - NBA Players That Need A Change
(44:03) - Quick Reaction To LeBron Catching Kareem!
(51:38) - Guest Jasen Powell (LA Clippers Director of Medical Services)
(57:51) - Powell on Load Management & Old Heads’ Gripes
(1:00:43) - Powell on Evolution of Pre-Game Preparation
(1:06:46) - Powell on Recognizing Peak Performance
(1:08:51) - Powell’s Advice on Game Prep For Young Players
(1:10:04) - Chelsea’s Reaction To Powell’s Insight
(1:18:21) - Ron’s Background on Kareem Adbul-Jabbar
(1:23:50) - Ani & Chelsea on LeBron’s Legacy

The post In The Paint: Evolution of NBA Peak Performance, Recovery & Longevity! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

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Ron and Ani also chop it up about the latest FAB 50 rankings and upcoming playoff scenarios, the NBA All-Star Game and a scary situation involving 2024 elite junior Tarik Watson of FAB 50 No. 21 Roselle Catholic (NJ), who collapsed on the court on January 29.

The ITP crew and its special guest offers some terrific insight on a variety of topics related to basketball development, so make sure to tune in to Episode 152 from start to finish!

(0:00) - Intro
(1:36) - Long Streaks Ending in HSBB
(5:35) - FAB 50: Beaumont United/Lake Highlands Collision Course?
(9:42) - Scary: Roselle Catholic’s Tarik Watson Collapses
(18:55) - Reaction to NBA All-Star Game
(23:08) - Advice for Prospects on Spring/Summer Plans
(29:46) - John Lucas III Interview
(33:07) - Lucas on Dedication, Proper Steps to Excel
(35:40) - Lucas on HSBB Playing Days
(46:26) - Lucas on Keys to Sticking in Pro Game
(51:34) - Lucas on Keys to Maximizing Workouts
(55:18) - Lucas on "Camp Get Right, the JL3 Way"
(1:05:41) - JL3 Camp Sign-Up Info
(1:08:23) - Ron & Ani’s Closing Thoughts on JL3 Perspective

The post In The Paint: John Lucas III on LASTING as a PRO! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

RELATED: ?Preseason 2022-23 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker | | ??| BIL McDonald's All-American Game Archives | ?McDAAG Case: Ja'Kobe?Walter?| Texans in McDAAG: Then vs. Now!

McDonald's All-American Game Notes & Tidbits

*The 2023 game is will be played at the Toyota Center in Houston, March 28 (9 pm ET, ESPN).?The 2020 game was to be played at the same location, but was canceled because of COVID-19, as was the 2021 game.

*The first recognized team in 1977 had 15 players and actually played against the DMV team in the Capital Classic, which began in 1974. The actual East vs. West format began in 1978 at the Spectrum in Philadelphia.

*Every NCAA championship team since 1978 has had a McDonald’s All-American on its roster except three: 2002 Maryland, 2014 UConn, 2021 Baylor.

*Despite scoring 30 points and hitting the game-winning free throws in the 1981 McDonald’s All-American Game to give his East team a 96-95 victory, Michael Jordan was not named Game MVP for the Est. That honor went to DeMatha Catholic’s Adrian Branch, who went on to play at Maryland. It was the second major slight of Jordan's high school career. The first one was not being named one of the top 500 seniors in the nation in the preseason Street & Smith’s Magazine Basketball Annual. Jordan's mother Deloris was the one most upset with that.

*A majority of the teams that have finished No. 1 in the FAB 50 National Team Rankings or by the National Sports News Service before 1987-88 has had a McDonald’s All-American on the roster. The five mythical national championship teams that did not have a future McDonald’s All-American on its roster are: 2009-10 Yates (Houston, Texas), 1998-99 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), 1994-95 St. Augustine (New Orleans, La.), 1985-86 Camden (N.J.) and 1985 Spingarn (Washington, D.C.). Five other teams didn’t have a senior McDonald’s All-American, but had a future one as an underclassmen: 2010-11 St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.) with junior Kyle Anderson, 2004-05 Niagara Falls (N.Y.) with sophomore Johnny Flynn, 1999-00 Dominguez (Compton, Calif.) with junior Tyson Chandler, 1995-96 St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.) with junior Anthony Perry and 1990-91 Simon Gratz (Philadelphia, Pa.) with sophomore Rasheed Wallace.

Programs with the Most McDonald’s All-Americans

35: Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of WIlson, Va.) 1980
14: Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.), 2013
12: DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) 1979
10: Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) 2009
10: IMG Academy (Brandenton, Fla.) 2017
9: Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) 2016
8: St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.) 1984
7: Dunbar (Baltimore, Md.) 1983
7: Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) 1984
6: Camden (N.J.) 1981
6: Roman Catholic (Philadelphia, Pa.) 1978
6: Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.) 1995

Note: Program listed by first year team member selected. Findlay Prep and St. Anthony are now closed. The only Oak Hill Academy McDonald’s All-American selection who wasn’t coached by recently retired coach Steve Smith was Glen Mayers in 1980.

*Bronny James is the fifth McDonald’s All-American from Sierra Canyon in the last four seasons.

*IMG Academy has produced all of its All-Americans selections since 2016-17 and is the first program to have three players selected in the same year, when the 2019 FAB 50 No. 1 team produced Armando Bacot Jr., Josh Green and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl. IMG Academy then produced three players for a single game once again in 2022 with Jaden Bradley, Jarace Walker and Keyonte George. The 2020 FAB 50 title team at Montverde Academy also had three selections: Mr. Basketball USA Cade Cunningham, first five Elite All-American Scottie Barnes and forward Day'Ron Sharpe.?

*The first pair of teammates selected to the McDonald’s All-American Game were Aaron Bain and George Lynch in 1989 at Flint Hill Prep (Roanoke, Va.).

*Since 2017, the teams that make up the National Interscholastic Basketball Conference (NIBC), plus Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) and now defunct Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) account for over 27 percent (46 of a possible 168) of all the MCDonald’s All-American selections. The high mark was 11 of the 24 in 2022.

*Milt Wagner (1981), Dujuan Wagner (2001) and D.J. Wagner (2023) is the first father-son-grandson combo to ever play in the game.

*In the 1981 game in Wichita, Kan., Milt went 4-of-12 from the field, 1-of-2 from the line for 9 points as his East team won 96-95. In the 2001 game at Cameron Indoor Stadium at Duke, Dajuan went 7-of-15 from the field, 7-of-8 from the line for 25 points, but the West team won, 131-125.

*The Wagner trio all attended Camden (N.J.) High School and all three played for nationally ranked teams. Only one of the other father-son McDonald’s All-American duos attended the same high school (James Blackmon Sr. and Jr.). There have been eight other father-son duos and this year is the second time two sons of former McDonald’s All-Americans both play in the same game, joining James Blackmon Jr. and Justise Winslow in 2014.

*Bronny James (Sierra Canyon, Chatsworth, Calif.) joins his father, LeBron James, who played in the 2003 game in Cleveland, approximately 40 miles from his high school St. Vincent-St. Mary (Akron, Ohio). James had 27 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in the East’s 122-107 victory in front of 18,728 at Gund Arena. James played in two other all-star games, helping to draw 19,678 to the Roundball Classic?at the United Center in Chicago. He also played in the 2003 Capital Classic, where 18,424 saw the annual game at the MCI Center.

Other Father-Son McDAAG Duos (In Order Prior to 2023):

Doc Rivers, Proviso East (Maywood, Ill.) 1980 & Austin Rivers, Winter Park (Fla.) 2011
James Blackmon Sr., Marion (Ind.) 1983 & James Blackmon Jr., Marion (Ind.) 2014
Ricky Winslow, Yates (Houston) 1983 & Justise Winslow, St. John’s (Houston) 2014
Rick Brunson, Salem (Mass.) 1991 & Jalen Brunson, Stevenson (Lincolnshire, Ill.) 2015
Charles Bannon Sr., Artesia (Lakewood, Calif.) 1993 & Charles O’Bannon Jr., Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) 2017
Lester Earl, Glen Oaks (Baton Rouge, La.) 1996 & Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) 2019
Gary Springer, Ben Franklin (New York) 1980 & Jaden Springer, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) 2020

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at?[email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter:?@RonMFlores

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RELATED: ??| Ballislife Podcast Network (YouTube)?| ITP Episode 133 (Spotify) | ?ITP Episode 133 (YouTube)?| Pangos: Yves Missi, Oh Yes!?| 2022 Pangos Camp Top 60 Player Rankings |?Ballislife Player Profiles?

The 2022 Pangos Camp wrapped up on June 7 with the camp's top players selected to either the Cream of the Crop Top 60 or Top 30 game. There weren't many surprise selections and at the end of the camp, fast-rising Xavier Booker, a 6-foot-11 2023 forward from Cathedral (Indianapolis, Ind.) joined the likes of James Harden, John Wall, and Harrison Barnes as Pangos Camp Most Outstanding Player. It wasn't a difficult call, as Booker showed why he's the fastest-rising prospect in the national Class of 2023 with his size, skill level and fluidity.

Leading a strong contingent from the class of 2024 was 6-foot-6 wing guard Ian Jackson of Cardinal Hayes (Bronx, N.Y.), the 2021-22 National Sophomore of the Year. Jackson was efficient all weekend long and displayed a package of skill, confidence, outside shooting, athleticism and IQ rarely seen in a high school player, much less an underclass prospect. Jackson was one of 25 underclassmen selected to either the Top 30 or 60 Cream of the Crop All-Star Games.

Jackson and 6-foot-1 2024?D.J. Thomas of Liberty (Henderson, Nev.) were two of the 12 selected to the Top 30 game reserved for the camp's top performers. Unfortunately, that game won't go down as one of the better played all-star games in the 20-year history of the camp, but fortunately ITP co-hosts Ronnie Flores and Ani Umana were able to interview Thomas and two other Top 30 selections: Arizona-bound 6-foot-4 2023?K.J. Lewis of Chapin (El Paso, Texas) and 6-foot-4 2023?Marvel Allen of Montverde Academy (Fla.).

On ITP Episode 133, the ITP crew got the camp trio's hot takes on their camp individual and team camp performances, their experience at the event, areas of improvement and goals for the 2022-23 season and beyond (SEE FULL ITP EPISODE 133 BELOW).

Ron and Ani also break down top performances, their breakout campers and recap the top individual players on the pod. The fellas also break down their top five camp performers (CLICK HERE to see Ron's Top 60 Player Rankings) and the performance of the often talked-about and followed 6-foot-3 2023?Mikey Williams of San Ysidro (Calif.).

The MVPs of the Top 30 game were 6-foot-4 2023 guard Tru Washington of Mountain Pointe (Phoenix, Ariz.) and camp veteran Baye Fall, a 6-foot-11 center from Accelerated Schools (Denver, Col.). A standout at last year's camp, Fall was rated by both Flores and Umana as a top 5 player at this year's camp.

The Cream of the Crop Top 60 game was a much better contest and emerging as the top performer was 6-foot-4 2023 big guard Wesley Yates III of Beaumont United (Beaumont, Texas).?Yates was the consensus top choice as the player most deserving of a Top 30 game selection and his play made a statement louder than any words could ever about the situation. He led his Red Team to a 123-110 victory by hitting six 3-pointers, including four in a row where it looked like he took the shot from further each time, en route to a game-high 26 points. Yates threw some terrific passes during the came, finished strongly in the paint and his presence made a lasting impact at this camp. A terrific student to boot, Yates has major interest from Gonzaga, Stanford and Houston, while some insiders feel the Cougars will be hard to beat out.

Others who made a positive impression in the Top 60 game include Isaiah Abraham, a 6-foot-6 2024 from Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.), Kaden Cooper, a 6-foot-5 2023 from The Skill Factory (Atlanta, Ga.), Brandon Williams, a 6-foot-8 2023 from Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.), K.J. Windham, a 6-foot-1 2023 from Ben Davis (Indianapolis, Ind.) and Assane Diop, a 6-foot-10 2023 from Putnam Science Academy (Putnam, Conn.). Diop joined Yates as game MVP.

Pangos Camp All-Time MOPs
2022: Xavier Booker, Cathedral (Indianapolis, Ind.) 6-11 PF
2021: Jalen Duren, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-10 C
2020: Jabari Smith, Sandy Creek (Tyrone, Ga.) 6-10 PF (Festival)
2019 (co): Cade Cunningham, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-7 G
2019 (co): Evan Mobley, Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.) 7-0 C
2018: Charles Bassey, Aspire Academy (Louisville, Ky.) 6-10 C
2017 (co): Cole Anthony, Archbishop Malloy (Queens, N.Y.) 6-2 PG
2017 (co): Charles Bassey, St. Anthony (San Antonio, Texas) 6-10 C
2016 (co): Trevon Duval, API (Dallas) 6-2 PG
2016 (co): Michael Porter Jr., Father Tolten (Columbia, Mo.) 6-9 SF
2015 (co): Rawle Alkins, Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.) 6-5 SG
2015 (co): Mustapha Heron, Sacred Heart (Waterbury, Conn.) 6-5 SG
2014 (tri): Isaiah Briscoe, Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.) 6-3 PG
2014 (tri): Tyler Dorsey, St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) 6-5 SG
2014 (tri): Stephen Zimmerman, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) 7-0 PF
2013: Stanley Johnson, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) 6-7 SF
2012: Cliff Alexander, Currie (Chicago) 6-9 PF
2011: Shabazz Muhammad, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) 6-6 WF
2010: Myck Kabongo, Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) 6-2 PG
2009: Harrison Barnes, Ames (Ames, Iowa) 6-7 WF
2008: John Wall, Word of God Academy (Raleigh, N.C.) 6-3 PG
2007: Brandon Jennings, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 6-1 PG
2006: James Harden, Artesia (Lakewood, Calif.) 6-5 SG
2005: Davon Jefferson, Lynwood (Calif.) 6-8 WF
2004: CJ Miles, Skyline (Dallas) 6-6 WF
2003: Robert Swift, Bakersfield (Calif.) 7-0 C

RELATED: ?| Ballislife Podcast Network (YouTube)?| ITP Episode 133 (Spotify) | ?ITP Episode 133 (YouTube)?| Pangos: Yves Missi, Oh Yes!?| 2022 Pangos Camp Top 60 Player Rankings |?Ballislife Player Profiles?

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RELATED: ??| Ballislife Podcast Network (YouTube)?| ITP Episode 131 (Spotify) | ?ITP Episode 131 (YouTube)?| Ballislife Player Profiles?

The first national scouting service was created in 1957 by the late Dave Bones and called the Cage Scope. The late Bill Cronauer (who passed in August of 2021) started his B/C Scouting Service in 1968 (on the recommendation and encouragement of college coach and tireless recruiting savant George Raveling)?and was the first scout credited with traveling the country to evaluate prospects. The modern 5-star recruiting system was introduced by New York-based Howie Garfinkel, who began in 1963-64 and created his 5-Star Camp in August of 1966. Because of his work in scouting and his contributions to the game through his 5-Star Camps, "Garf" was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2021, five years after his death in May 2016 at 86.

Cronauer released player rankings throughout the 1970s and in 1979, Bob Gibbons of Lenoir, N.C., put a number next to each prospect. Clark Francis of the Hoop Scoop first put player rankings out in 1983 and he and Gibbons' All-Star Sports rankings were well publicized and widely distributed throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Gibbons was the chairman for the selection committee for the NIKE Camp for 10 years (1985-1995) and for the NBPA Top 100 Camp when it started in 1994. If a player came out of Nike Camp as the top player, many considered him the No. 1 player in the country, which leads us to 2022 and Nick Smith of North Little Rock (Ark.).

The motivation for this week's episode of the on player rankings was spawned by Richard Davenport of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Davenport inquired about which credible rankings service regarded future NBA power forward Corliss Williamson of Russellville (Ark.) as the No. 1 prospect for the 1991-92 season. It became a hot topic in and around The Natural State after Smith finished 2021-22 as the nation's No. 1 ranked prospect by 247Sports.com.

We recall Williamson in the conversation for No. 1, so we dug deeper on the Smith-Williamson topic.

Scout Van Coleman of Future Stars and Gibbons both rated Williamson as the top player at the 1991 Nike Camp. That's where "The Big Nasty" is remembered 30 years later as the nation's top player. At the time, Coleman told the Chicago Tribune?he rated Williamson No. 1 based on his July showings but that by the end of the season point guard Jason Kidd of St. Joseph (Alameda, Calif.) could be the national player of the year and acknowledged No. 1 prospect.

Gibbons rated Williamson No. 2 in his final All-Star Sports rankings behind big man Othella Harrington of Murrah (Jackson, Miss.), while Francis had the future Arkansas Razorback No. 2 behind Kidd in his final Hoop Scoop rankings. Kidd was named Mr. Basketball USA and also earned Naismith Player of the Year honors. Williamson was named Gatorade National Player of the Year.

The ITP crew welcomed Francis on Episode 131 to talk player rankings in those early years and during its heyday in the 1990s when the competition on the camp circuit was at its peak. Francis also gives his take on the 1992 final rankings, offers his perspective on what the rankings mean and why they are important.

Biancardi, ESPN's National Director of Basketball Recruiting, jumped on this week's show to discuss the final 2022 class rankings and his rationale for ESPN's final pecking order with Duke recruit Dereck Lively leading the way. Biancardi also talks about the rankings from the perspective of a former college coach and how his experience in that aspect of the game helps him create ESPN's widely distributed rankings.

So in retrospect, is Williamson a player who can be looked at as the No. 1 prospect 30 years after he finished at Russellville? Or is it revisionist history?

"Yes, that player can be considered No. 1, but it's the final analysis that counts," Francis said. "You can be the best player at a Nike, Adidas, or Reebok camp, or in December at a big tournament, but what everyone remembers is based upon where you were ranked at the end."

"The Razorback fans have been excited about Nick for the past few seasons, but to see him elevated to top 10 status nationally this year, the excitement grew," Davenport said. "Then the final rankings came out and seeing him at number two (Rivals.com) and number three (ESPN.com) in the country took it to another level and it went beyond that when he was announced number one (247Sports)."

And it's not just Smith that University of Arkansas fans are going giddy over. It's coach Eric Musselman bringing in what many consider the second best recruiting class in the nation behind Duke. It has the state clamoring for a return to the glory years under coach Nolan Richardson when the Hogs went to three final fours in six years and won the 1994 NCAA title in Williamson's sophomore season.

"Seeing the Hogs have three 5-star signees and the No. 1 player nationally, the expectations for Arkansas basketball is back to the level of the Nolan Richardson glory days," Davenport said. "I think at the end of the day, most fans see the final rankings being the most important. That considers the full body of work of the prospects in each class. Being great at anything requires consistency and Nick showed that."

Speaking of consistency, Jackson, the 2022 Ballislife National Sophomore of the Year from Cardinal Hayes (Bronx, N.Y.), comes on the ITP Show to talk about his consistently spectacular 2021-22 high school season after COVID-19 took away his freshman campaign. Jackson also talks development, who he patterns his game after and his experiences with USA Basketball. Jackson is currently ranked No. 3 by both ESPN and Rivals and No. 2 by 247Sports.

Editor's Note: The final All-Star Sports and Hoop Scoop ranking for players through the years can be viewed on individual Ballislife profiles. CLICK HERE or click on the PROFILES tab on the www.ebooksnet.com main navigation menu.

RELATED: ??| Ballislife Podcast Network (YouTube)?| ITP Episode 131 (Spotify) | ?ITP Episode 131 (YouTube)?| Ballislife Player Profiles?

The post Player Rankings: Past, Present, Future! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

By Ronnie Flores

RELATED:????| Ballislife Podcast Network?|?How To Create A High School March Madness |??State Champions Invitational Announced ? | History of High School Team Rankings |?All-Time No. 1's

The pressure has never been greater or the stakes higher in high school basketball than now. Some see enrolling at academy-type programs that play national schedules as their release valve; the best way to ensure scholarship opportunities. There is no doubt the competition level at these programs is higher than ever before, but basketball in our nation's public schools can still compete and a national level. In fact, many of them thrive.

It was only six years ago when Chino Hills (Calif.) captured the FAB 50 national title with a group of home-grown talent that captured the nation's imagination in compiling a 35-0 mark and eventually producing three Top 6 NBA lottery picks. This year there is another public school in the running for the No. 1 spot and over the weekend at the Alamodome in San Antonio that club, Duncanville (Texas), wrapped up the University Interscholastic League (UIL) Class 6A state crown with a 69-49 victory over then No. 25 McKinney (McKinney, Texas) in the championship game.

Senior guard Anthony Black scored 18 points, had four rebounds, three assists and three steals, while Texas State-bound senior forward Davion Sykes had 13 points and five rebounds for a team that led 46-21 at halftime and was able to withstand a 11-0 surge to begin the third quarter by the Lions, who knocked off previous No. 30 Westlake (Austin, Texas) in the state semifinals, 68-66, in double overtime.

In Duncanville's semifinal contest with bubble club Atascocita (Humble, Texas), David Peavy's Panthers found themselves in a major hole. In fact, Duncanville trailed 16-7 after one quarter and by 20 points (30-10) with 4:40 remaining in the second period. The Panthers went on to outscore Atascocita 40-6 the rest of the game to record a 50-36 semifinal victory. Duncanville allowed two points the rest of the second quarter and two in each of the last two quarters in what will go down as one of the best defensive clinics in the history of high school basketball.

For Duncanville, it has won three consecutive Class 6A state crowns and been Texas' top ranked team for the past four seasons. In 2019-20, Duncanville finished No. 20 in the FAB 50 after the season was cancelled because of the outbreak of COVID-19 with the Panthers in the UIL state final four.

There is no doubt one-loss Duncanville is ultra-talented, but there is no denying its special team chemistry; something easier built by building a winning culture in a program over time rather than by stockpiling talent. The same can be said for the public school program at Centennial (Corona, Calif.), which also wrapped up a one-loss championship season a couple of hours after Duncanville on Saturday night by capturing the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Open Division state title with a 59-50 victory over bubble club Modesto Christian (Modesto, Calif.) before approximately 5,500 fans.

Centennial used a 11-2 spurt at the end of the game to clinch the program's first CIF state title after the Crusaders had the game tied at 48 with just over three minutes remaining. New Mexico-bound senior Donovan Dent keyed the late run and finished with a game-high 21 points on 9-of-19 shooting, while adding eight points and five assists. Backcourt mate Jared McCain, a junior, made 3-of-5 on 3-pointers and finished with 16 points.

Duncanville handed No. 5 Centennial its only loss, a 75-70 setback at the Thanksgiving Hoopfest in Dallas. The second-ranked Panthers lost in overtime to Richardson (Texas) at the Whataburger Tournament over the holidays. Richardson fell in the UIL playoffs to the McKinney club Duncanville defeated in the state title game. Duncanville still has a chance to finish as the 2021-22 FAB 50 national champions, but it will need help from the results of the games at GEICO Nationals (March 31-April 2) in Florida. Regardless, Duncanville will finish as the highest ranked public school for 2021-22 with Centennial not far behind.

Another public school that will finish with a high FAB 50 mark is Weddington (Matthews, N.C.), which is No. 13 this week after capturing the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) Class 4A crown with a 75-58 victory over bubble club Panther Creek (Cary, N.C.). With the win, Weddington will enter 2022-23 on a 49-game winning streak, currently second longest in the nation. Last season, Weddington won the Class 3A crown with a 18-0 mark.

Seniors Kyle Frazier (21 points), Chase Lowe (20) and A.J. Cook (17) led the way offensively for the Warriors in their state title game win over Panther Creek.

In Ohio, No. 11 Centerville (Centerville, Ohio) is two victories from a magical 30-0 season. The Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) Division I Final Four set for March 19-20 at the University of Dayton Arena is highly-anticipated. Three No. 1 seeds have made it, with Centerville taking on No. 3 seed St. Ignatius (Cleveland, Ohio) and top seeds Pickerington Central (Pickerington, Ohio) and St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio) battling in the opposite bracket. Pickerington Central cracks this week's FAB 50 at No. 43.

This week's highest ranked newcomer is public school and UIL Class 5A state champ Beaumont United (Beaumont, Texas) at No. 28. The Timberwolves captured their second consecutive 5A state crown with a 62-57 victory over bubble club Mansfield Timberview (Arlington, Texas). Houston-bound Terrance Arceneaux scored 10 of his 14 points in the final two minutes to help the Timberwolves seal another state title. Arceneaux, who nailed the game-tying and game-winning shot in the 2021 Class 5A title game, also had 10 rebounds and four steals.

In the semifinals, Beaumont United downed bubble club and battle-tested Kimball (Dallas, Texas), 66-64, by closing the game on a 14-4 run over the final three minutes. Beaumont United-Kimball was a rematch of last year's Class 5A state title game.

Class 6A finalist McKinney (McKinney, Texas) fell two spots in the FAB 50 right in front of Beaumont United. McKinney did lose to the Mansfield Timberview club Beaumont United defeated, but McKinney gets rankings credit for its semifinal win over then No. 30 Westlake and for downing Richardson in the regional quarterfinals when that club was No. 7 in the FAB 50. Beaumont United is alble to hop over UIL Class 4A state champ Oak Cliff Faith Family (Dallas, Texas) because it defeated the Kimball club that defeated the Eagles, 81-77. Beaumont United lost to No. 17 North Little Rock (North Little Rock, Ark.), 82-72, while Oak Cliff Faith Family fell to the same club, 79-63.

Hayfield (Alexandria, Va.) should also be mentioned as a public school who turned in an unblemished season, capturing the Virginia High School League (VHSL) Class 6 title with a 67-47 victory over Battlefield (Haymarket, Va.).

RELATED:????| Ballislife Podcast Network?|?How To Create A High School March Madness | ?State Champions Invitational Announced ? | History of High School Team Rankings |?All-Time No. 1's

Updated FAB 50 National Team Rankings
Powered by www.ebooksnet.com

(14th poll of 2021-22 regular season; Through games played on Sunday, March 13; *Indicates forfeit wins, forfeit losses not included; **Indicates forfeits and defaults not included; ***Indicates season complete)

No.	Prev.	High School (City)	Record
1	1	Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.)	25-1
2	2	Duncanville (Duncanville (Texas)	35-1***
3	3	Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.)	19-4
4	4	Link Academy (Branson, Mo.)	32-1
5	5	Centennial (Corona, Calif.)	33-1***
6	6	IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)	20-4
7	7	La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.)	20-4
8	8	Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.)	33-7
9	9	Calvary Christian Academy (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.)	24-2
10	10	Camden (Camden, N.J.)	30-2
11	11	Centerville (Centerville, Ohio)	28-0
12	12	Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.)	27-2
13	13	Weddington (Matthews, N.C.)	31-0***
14	17	Glenbard West (Glen Ellyn, Ill.)	37-1***
15	15	Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.)	31-5***
16	18	Sidwell Friends (Washington, D.C.)	29-1
17	19	North Little Rock (North Little Rock, Ark.)	27-3***
18	21	Imhotep Charter (Philadelphia, Pa.)	24-4**
19	23	Liberty (Henderson, Nev.)	22-4
20	24	Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.)	30-1***
21	20	Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.)	22-6***
22	31	Chesterton (Chesterton, Ind.)	28-0
23	29	Cardinal Hayes (Bronx, N.Y.)	26-3***
24	28	Jonesboro (Jonesboro, Ark.)	28-3***
25	26	Orlando Christian Prep (Orlando, Fla.)	26-4***
26	22	Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.)	26-4***
27	25	McKinney (McKinney, Texas)	35-6***
28	NR	Beaumont United (Beaumont, Texas)	36-3***
29	36	Hayfield (Alexandria, Va.)	32-0***
30	33	Oak Cliff Faith Family (Dallas, Texas)	34-4**
31	16	Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.)	26-5***
32	35	Christian Brothers (Memphis, Tenn.)	28-0***
33	39	Auburn (Auburn, Wash.)	27-2
34	34	Mt. St. Joseph (Baltimore, Md.)	32-7***
35	43	Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia, Pa.)	20-4
36	48	Park Center (Brooklyn Park, Minn.)	27-1
37	38	St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.)	35-7***
38	50	Neenah (Neenah, Wis.)	27-1
39	NR	Varina (Richmond, Va.)	25-1***
40	27	Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.)	25-4***
41	42	Carmel Christian (Matthews, N.C.)	26-3
42	NR	Memorial (Tulsa, Okla.)	27-1***
43	NR	Pickerington Central (Pickerington, Ohio)	23-2
44	44	Columbus (Miami, Fla.)	29-2***
45	47	George Rogers Clark (Winchester, Ky.)	33-1
46	30	Westlake (Austin, Texas)	38-2***
47	46	Greensboro Day (Greensboro, N.C.)	33-4***
48	49	Catholic Central (Grand Rapids, Mich.)	21-1
49	NR	Norcross (Norcross, Ga.)	26-6
50	NR	Volcano Vista (Albuquerque, N.M.)	29-0***

Dropped Out: Previous No. 14 Westerville South (Westerville, Ohio), No. 32 Richardson (Richardson, Texas), No. 37 Campolindo (Moraga, Calif.), No. 40 Glenbrook South (Glenview, Ill.), No. 41 King’s Fork (Suffolk, Va.), No. 45 Berkmar (Lilburn, Ga.).

Bubble Teams:? American Fork (American Fork, Utah) 16-12***; Atascocita (Humble, Texas) 34-7***; Beaumont United (Beaumont, Texas) 36-3***; Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.) 20-8; Berkmar (Lilburn, Ga.) 26-5***; Brentwood Academy (Brentwood, Tenn.) 29-1***; Bristol Central (Bristol, Conn.) 22-0; Brophy Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.) 25-3***; Campolindo (Moraga, Calif.) 28-2***; Carver Collegiate Academy (New Orleans, La.) 33-5***; Chambers (Charlotte. N.C.) 22-7***; Christian Brother’s (St. Louis, Mo.) 24-6; Columbia Heights (Columbia Heights, Minn.) 24-0; Combine Academy (Lincolnton, N.C.) 25-5***; Curtis (University Place, Wash.) 27-3***; Damien (La Verne, Calif.) 32-4***; Del City (Cel City, Okla.) 24-4***; DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) 21-7***; Dr. Phillips (Orlando, Fla.) 26-6***; Durango (Las Vegas, Nev.) 20-6***; Eagle Academy (Brooklyn, N.Y.) 18-5; Edmond North (Edmond, Okla.) 24-5***; Fox Chapel (Pittsburgh, Pa.) 26-1; Garfield (Seattle, Wash.) 25-1***; Gill St. Bernard’s (Gladstone, N.J.) 20-7***; Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) 18-12***; Gray Collegiate Academy (West Columbia, S.C.) 23-4***; John Marshall (Richmond, Va.) 22-4***; Kimball (Kimball, Texas) 30-9***; Kingfisher (Kingsfisher, Okla.) 28-1***; King’s Fork (Suffolk, Va.) 24-1***; Knoxville Catholic (Knoxville, Tenn.) 28-4***; Las Cruces (Las Cruces, N.M.) 31-1***; Laurel Highlands (Uniontown, Pa.) 27-0; Liberty (Liberty, Mo.) 24-3***; Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, N.Y.) 19-7; Madison Prep (Baton Rouge, La.) 31-6***; Magnolia (Magnolia, Ark.) 29-0***; Mansfield Timberview (Arlington, Texas) 36-5***; Milton (Milton, Ga.) 22-8***; Modesto Christian (Modesto, Calif.) 28-6**; Mount Si (Snoqualmie, Wash.) 25-1***; Mt. Vernon (Mt. Vernon, N.Y.) 20-0; Newton (Covington, Ga.) 24-6***; North Mecklenburg (Huntersville, N.C.) 27-5***; Northview (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 22-1; North Hills (Pittsburgh, Pa.) 26-1; Panther Creek (Cary, N.C.) 23-8***; Pebblebrook (Mableton, Ga.) 28-3***; Perry (Gilbert, Ariz.) 25-5; Pewaukee (Pewaukee, Wis.) 26-3; Quaker Valley (Leetsdale, Pa.) 25-0; Raymond (Raymond, Miss.) 29-5***; Richardson (Richardson, Texas) 32-2***; Roman Catholic (Philadelphia, Pa.) 21-4; South Shore (Brooklyn, N.Y.) 21-3**; South St. Paul (South St. Paul, Minn.) 27-0; Staley (Kansas City, Mo.) 26-4; St. Francis Prep (Fresh Meadows, N.Y.) 22-4***; St. Mary Prep (Orchard Lake, Mich.) 18-4; St. Vincent-St. Mary (Akron, Ohio) 23-4; The Burlington School (Burlington, N.C.) 30-7; The Rock (Gainesville, Fla.) 25-8***; Tualatin (Tualatin, Ore.) 26-2***; Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah) 14-10; West Oaks Academy (Orlando, Fla.) 21-4; Whitney Young (Chicago, Ill.) 26-10**; Williamston (Williamston, Mich.) 22-0; Wisconsin Lutheran (Milwaukee, Wis.) 25-3; York Prep (Rock Hill, S.C.) 27-1***; Zachary (Zachary, La.) 36-3***.

Note:?The FAB 50 powered by www.ebooksnet.com is a continuation of the National Sports News Service ratings that began in 1952. These were the first national high school rankings and the late Art Johlfs of Minnesota compiled them. They were compiled for many years by the late Barry Sollenberger of Phoenix, who merged them into the FAB 50 22 years ago.

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at?[email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter:?@RonMFlores

The post UPDATED FAB 50: Public School Statement! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

By Ronnie Flores

Some of the nation's top teams play in districts or conferences where they will easily win a vast majority of those games. It's amazing when you think of all the high school games played around the country each week and how the vast majority of the teams in the FAB 50 National Team Rankings powered by www.ebooksnet.com and on the bubble win their games.

It's really difficult to crack the rankings and even the bubble clubs are extremely good.

Easy conference victories are the reason why top teams wants to travel nationally and play in tournaments and showcases. Last weekend was no different, as four FAB 50 ranked teams traveled to Montverde, Fla. to participate in the 2022 Montverde Academy Invitational Tournament.

After defeating then No. 21 Dr. Phillips (Orlando, Fla.) in the semifinals, 54-51, then No. 11 Calvary Christian Academy (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) took on host and No. 4 Montverde Academy in the MAIT title game. The Eagles had a chance to shake up the rankings, playing the six-time and defending FAB 50 champions tough on their home court, before Kentucky-bound Skyy Clark knocked down a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give MVA a dramatic 79-76 victory. Calvary Christian led 33-23 at halftime before Montverde Academy made a frantic comeback.

Clark, who missed most of his junior season with injury and is just now rounding into form after sitting out the first semester, was named MAIT MVP after scoring 19 points. Clark's teammates, Dillon Mitchell (Texas) and Dariq Whitehead (Duke), were also named all-tournament, as was the Calvary Christian duo of Taylor Hendricks (Central Florida) and Marvel Allen (LSU).

Montverde Academy remained No. 4 in the FAB 50, while Calvary Christian Academy actually rose a spot in the rankings to No. 10. CCA has beaten No. 13 Camden (N.J.), No. 14 North Little Rock (Ark.), and No 18 Dr. Phillips twice.

Camden rose up two spots this week after taking down previous No. 10 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) on Saturday, 66-62, at the sold-out PPL Center in Allentown, Pa. and before a live television audience. Sierra Canyon couldn't get anything going early, falling behind 15-2 after one period of play. Sierra Canyon outscored The High in each of the final three quarters, but it wasn't enough to overcome the slow start. Mr. Basketball USA candidate D.J. Wagner led Camden with 21 points, while McDonald's All-American Amari Bailey (UCLA) led Sierra Canyon with 23 points.

This week's highest rated newcomer is No. 40 DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) from the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC). The legendary program got back on the winning track by handing previous No. 17 Bishop McNamara (Forrestville, Md.) both its first WCAC and overall loss with a 77-50 victory.

DeMatha replaced previous No. 33 Bishop O’Connell (Arlington, Va.) in the FAB 50 after the Knights fell to unranked St. John's (Washington, D.C.), 63-59. Bishop McNamara still remains in first place in the WCAC with only one loss (7-1) and comes in at No. 28 in the FAB 50 this week. DeMatha currently is 7-2 in conference, No. 30 Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) and No. 35 Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) are both 5-2, with O'Connell at 4-2.

This week Gonzaga will face St. John's and O'Connell, DeMatha will face Paul VI, while Paul VI will also face St. John's. There will also be a WCAC tournament at the conclusion of the regular season.

GEICO Nationals Announced

Last week it was announced GEICO Nationals will return to Suncoast Credit Arena in Fort Myers, Fla., for the second consecutive season. The end-of-season event designed to crown a national champion will take place March 31-April 2.

GEICO Nationals (previously known as Dick's Nationals and the National High School Invitational) will field an eight-team bracket. The event was created at the conclusion of the 2008-09 season. The field will consist primarily of teams from the National Interscholastic Basketball Conference (NIBC), as five it its eight teams are ranked in the Top 9 of the current FAB 50. It it closes strong, No. 6 Link Academy (Branson, Mo.) will be in line for an invite in its first year of existence.

In order for any in-season transfers to be eligible to participate in the event, they must have been registered for classes and enrolled at that particular school by January 10. The field will be announced on March 16.

Currently, FAB 50 No. 1 Sunrise Christian Academy is 7-1 in NIBC play, No. 3 IMG Academy is 7-2, No. 4 Montverde Academy is 6-3, No. 9 La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.) is 5-3 and No. 8 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) is 5-5.

RELATED:??Preseason 2021-22 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker | ?|?

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at?[email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter:?@RonMFlores

The post NEW FAB 50: Teams Gear Up For Playoffs! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

By Ronnie Flores

Last season coach Luke Barnwell of Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.) knew he had a team capable of finishing No. 1 in the country. When his club handed 2020-21 preseason No. 1 Montverde Academy (Fla.) its only loss, however, it did not take over the top spot in the nation's longest-running weekly rankings.

At that time, the Eagles remained No. 1 the following week because it was their first loss, defeated the Buffaloes earlier in the 2020-21 season and had the common opponent factor in their favor. Barnwell's club had a loss to the AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.) club that Montverde Academy had beat. Montverde went on to beat Sunrise Christian two more teams in a wire-to-wire No. 1 finish.

This time around the circumstances are different.

Yes, Sunrise Christian does have a 53-44 loss to Montverde Academy, but unlike last season doesn't have another loss. Montverde, meanwhile, already lost to Duncanville (Texas) and IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) earlier in the 2021-22 season. By virtue of handing the Eagles their third loss with an avenging 71-61 victory at the La Porte Invitational in La Porte, Ind., the Buffaloes take over the top spot in the FAB 50 National Team Rankings powered by www.ebooksnet.com for the first time in program history.

Sunrise Christian used a big second quarter to take control of the game, outscoring Montverde Academy, 22-11, to take a 42-28 halftime lead and never looked back. Montverde Academy scored the first bucket of the game, but it was all Buffaloes after that as the Eagles could get no closer than eight points (61-53) down the stretch after trialing by as much as 18 in the fourth quarter.

Kansas-bound Gradey Dick led three Buffaloes' players in double-digits with 20 points. Talented junior Scotty Middleton had a breakout game off the bench, scoring 19 points on 7-of-7 shooting from the field.

Montverde Academy got a monster game from Texas-bound Dillon Mitchell with 29 points on 13-of-14 shooting, but didn't fare well offensively as a unit. The Eagles only made 4-of-24 3-pointers and 9-of-25 free throws.

I’m happy with our response to getting our tails kicked earlier in the year at Montverde," Barnwell said. "We competed hard and we're confident going into it. I’m proud of our kids this weekend. We really focused in preparation for the week's games in practice and executed at a high level."

In its three-game set at the La Porte Invitational, the Buffaloes followed up its avenging victory with a 64-50 win over Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah) and a 86-65 win over Legacy Early College (Greenville, S.C.). Duke-bound Mark Mitchell had 21 points and Dick 16 in the victory over Wasatch Academy, while Dick had a big game with 29 points in the triumph over Legacy Early College.

With its three wins, Sunrise Christian takes over the top spot after going into last week at No. 2. Duncanville, which beat Montverde Academy at the buzzer earlier in the season, also moves up a spot to No. 2. IMG Academy's earlier head-to-head 65-64 win over Montverde Academy now becomes a bigger factor as it moves up a spot to No. 3 ahead of the Eagles. IMG has a loss to Sunrise Christian and a split with No. 11 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.)

After seven games in National Interscholastic Basketball Conference (NIBC) play, new FAB 50 No. 1 Sunrise Christian and No. 3 IMG Academy sit atop the conference standings with a 6-1 record. New No. 10 La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.) and Oak Hill Academy are tied for second place with a 5-2 NIBC mark.

La Lumiere recorded a big 70-56 victory over Oak Hill Academy last weekend to swap places in the FAB 50, but lost its next game to Montverde Academy, 63-55. Its other loss was to No. 1 Sunrise Christian Academy, 60-45, on Dec. 11.

"The NIBC games are extremely tough every night so you have to be your best or you will get beat," Barnwell said. "It really brings out the best in your team and we were ready this week. The challenge will be to stay locked in for the remainder of the conference schedule."

There are three more NIBC games for each club and there will be a regular season champion crowned. There reportedly will not be a conference tournament or similar event this season.

COVID-19 Still Looms

There was plenty of games postponed or canceled across the country because of COVID-19 protocols. The omicron variant is surging across the country and will affect games this upcoming week as well. Already the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), the second largest public school district in the country, has canceled all games for Jan. 10-14.

Only one team dropped out this week and most of the movement outside the top clubs was caused by Kenwood Academy's (Chicago, Ill.) 73-69 loss to bubble club Christian Brother's (St. Louis, Mo.) at the Highland Shootout in Highland, Ill. Kenwood, which lost 56-34 to No. 1 Sunrise Christian and 65-59 to No. 9 Richardson (Texas), could only drop five spots. That's because it owns a 69-64 win over No. 40 Whitney Young (Chicago). The Chicago-area teams ranked below Kenwood all had to move down a bit because of the results at the Highland Shootout, as Glenbrook South (Glenview, Ill.) fell six spots to No. 38.

Coach Mike Irvin's club at Kenwood will look to bounce back quickly when it takes on one-loss and bubble club Simeon (Chicago) on Jan. 11.

Previous No. 35 Beaumont United (Beaumont, Texas) was the only club to drop out of the rankings after it fell to new No. 31 Newton (Covington, Ga.), 67-54, in the title game of the Allstate Sugar Bowl Classic in New Orleans, La. Beaumont United squeezed by Lee (Huntsville, Ala.) 48-47 in the quarterfinals and downed Ridge View (Columbia, S.C.) 52-47 in the semis.

Beaumont United earlier loss to unranked Cypress Ranch (Houston) comes into play and it must be below No. 49 Jonesboro (Ark.) in the FAB 50 pecking order. That club owns a win over No. 15 North Little Rock (Ark.), the same team that handed Beaumont United a loss.

Next week's FAB 50 rankings will be published on Tuesday, Jan. 18, and will include all of the results from MLK Monday.

RELATED:  Preseason 2021-22 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker |  | 

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at [email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter: @RonMFlores

The post UPDATED FAB 50: New Week, New No. 1! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

By Ronnie Flores

When the National Interscholastic Basketball Conference (NIBC) announced its full slate of games for the 2021-22 season, it was pretty evident it was not going to be easy for any team to run through the gauntlet of games unbeaten. This past weekend the NIBC hosted its first weekend of conference games and already the top ranked teams from the eight-team conference, who came in as the top three units in the FAB 50 National Team Rankings powered by www.ebooksnet.com, already have one loss each and stand at 2-1 in conference play.

It started on Thursday when No. 3 Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.) downed No. 2 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), 68-62, as Mark Mitchell had 22 points and five rebounds and Gradey Dick added 20 points in the statement win. IMG Academy bounced back in a major way the next evening by knocking off No. 1 Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.), 65-64, on a put back of his own missed shot with three seconds remaining by IMG guard Keyonte George. Jarace Walker had 20 points, seven rebounds and five blocks for the victorious Ascenders, while Dariq Whitehead had 31 points in a losing effort. On Saturday, Montverde Academy was able to bounce back as well with a 53-44 victory over Sunrise Christian, as Whitehead led the way with 16 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists.

With all three teams with one loss and a 2-1 mark in conference play, it raises the question who is now No. 1?

There is no simple answer, unless you give unequal weight to particular wins and losses. It's always been our strategy over the years in compiling national rankings to give equal weight to key wins and losses and to let the results on the court dictate the pecking order as much as possible. A simple answer would naturally be to elevate No. 4 Camden (N.J.) or No. 5 Duncanville (Texas) to No. 1. After all, neither team has lost and all three teams above them lost a game last week. There are two issues with that logic. As we've stated many times in recent years, often it's not if you lose but when you lose. No. 4 Camden has yet to play a game (the Panthers open on Dec. 17) and it will be a rare occasion when we elevate a team to No. 1 in the FAB 50 that hasn't played a game or recorded a win the previous week. Duncanville (also the Panthers) is making a strong case for No. 1, but with Camden having yet to play a game, we don't have great justification yet for one Panthers club hopping the other in the rankings. It's just the nature of the high school game with no uniform start dates and amount of games teams can play across the country.

At the end of the day, if we did the proper research and took the time to place these teams in the preseason, then we should believe in what we eventually publish. It we didn't believe in it, then we would jump teams around and place them on a whim. It's the reason why Camden isn't hopped by Duncanville or anyone else, doesn't jump to No. 1, and why Montverde Academy remains at No. 1 this week.

Looking at the results, there is some credence to placing IMG Academy at No. 1. After all, the Ascenders did beat the previous No. 1, but that places emphasis on only one result and less on the other quality NIBC games recently played. Sunrise Christian would have a legit gripe with IMG Academy at No. 1 after beating that club by six points and Montverde Academy could point to its nine-point win over the team that defeated IMG Academy as well. In a nutshell, last weekend's NIBC matchups didn't solve anything from a rankings standpoint, but Montverde Academy came the closest to going unbeaten, losing one game in the final seconds. There are still tons of big games coming up that will solve this rankings debate where it matters most: on the court.

We always look ahead to see how the rankings might shape up and it's hard to ignore Montverde Academy's game on December 9 with Duncanville as part of Hoophall West at Chaparral High School in Scottsdale, Ariz (9:30 ET, ESPN+). Duncanville is red-hot and already owns five wins over FAB 50 ranked foes, including a 95-52 win over previous No. 38 Carver (New Orleans, La.) at the Red River Hoopfest this past Saturday. Duncanville will certainly have a terrific chance to show its worthy of the No. 1 ranking. From a national perspective, it would be a huge win for the Panthers as Montverde Academy hasn't lost to a non-NIBC club since losing 50-49 to St. Benedict's Prep (Newark, N.J.) on February 4, 2017.   

Technically, it's new No. 11 La Lumiere that is in first place in the NIBC with a 3-0 conference mark after winning its three games over the weekend in impressive fashion. The Lakers are now 8-0 and have a huge conference test with No. 3 Sunrise Christian Academy on December 11. Coach Pat Holmes' club has moved up 17 spots in two weeks and could put itself right in FAB 50 No. 1 contention with a win over the Buffaloes. It's becoming clear the Lakers have put last year's 10-10 mark in the distant past and this club is resembling the LaLu teams we witnessed from 2017-2020, which all finished in the Top 10.

IMG Academy and Montverde Academy could tussle once again in two weeks at the prestigious Culligan City of Palms Classic in Ft. Myers, Fla. and will meet again at the Spalding Hoophall Classic on MLK Monday. Its first league game with La Lumiere will take place on January 7, one day after the Eagles face Sunrise Christian for the second time.

Last week's highest ranked newcomer, Richardson (Richardson, Texas), cracks the Top 10 and could meet Duncanville down the line in the long-running Whataburger Tournament, which begins on December 28 in Ft. Worth, Texas. This week's highest ranked newcomer also checks in at No. 14, as St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.), which just missed the FAB 50 in the preseason, downed previous No. 7 DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.), 59-55, at the National HS Hoopfest as senior Cortez Johnson had 16 points, 20 rebounds and two blocks in the big win. The Panthers (yes, the nickname is popular around the country) have big games coming up and will have the opportunity to show their rankings worth in the rugged Baltimore Catholic League, which also includes No. 12 Mt. St. Joseph (Baltimore, Md.).

The next FAB 50 update is scheduled for Monday, December 13.

RELATED:  Preseason 2021-22 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker |

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at [email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter: @RonMFlores

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By Ronnie Flores

They say everything in Texas is big, and University Interscholastic League (UIL) teams in the Lone Star State have definitely recorded the biggest wins in high school basketball so far in the 2021-22 season. With COVID-19 travel restrictions easing across the country for elite teams, there are enough results to publish the first regular season FAB 50 National Team Rankings?powered by?www.ebooksnet.com?even though a handful of states have not yet started their season.

No where was the results bigger than at the Thanksgiving Hoopfest in Dallas, which along with the Holiday Hoopsgiving in Snellville, Ga., has developed into a must-see Thanksgiving showcase over the past few years.

Making the biggest splash was Richardson (Richardson, Texas), which opened up at No. 7 in the preseason Southwest Regional Top 20. The Eagles showed they are much more than a regional power, making a national statement by downing AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.), 61-38, at the Thanksgiving Hoopfest, as Alabama commit Rylan Griffen netted 25 points while his backcourt mate, Kentucky-bound Cason Wallace, added 22 points. Some ratings compilers (who mainly focus on where prospects on top teams are headed to college and using the rankings to promote events) felt as is AZ Compass Prep was the top independent team in the country. Even though the Dragons wouldn't be that high in the FAB 50 if eligible, it was still a big win for Richardson considering the margin of victory and AZ Compass Prep's recent track record.

That win helps propel the Eagles up to No. 14 in the FAB 50 as this week's highest newcomer, one spot in front of North Little Rock (Ark.), another team that performed well at the Thanksgiving Hoopfest. The Charging Wildcats move up seven spots this week after downing regionally-ranked Oak Cliff Faith Family Academy of Dallas (79-63) and No. 30 Kimball (72-70). Arkansas-bound Nick Smith Jr. hit a driving, straight-away pull-up jumper from 14 feet out with three seconds remaining to clinch the win over Kimball. Smith finished with 15 points and five assists in the big win, while Oregon-bound center Kel'el Ware had 23 points, 16 rebounds and four blocks for the Charging Wildcats.

Richardson takes on North Little Rock on December 11 at the Battle in the Bluff in Memphis, Tenn.

Richardson takes on Coppell (Texas) before leaving for Memphis and speaking of Coppell, its top player from last season is now eligible at Duncanville (Texas). That player is 6-foot-7 wing Anthony Black, who was granted a court-issued injunction on November 19 to be able to suit up for the Panthers after initially being ruled ineligible by the UIL in October. Black teams up with junior forward Ron Holland to give Duncanville one of the best 1-2 punches in high school basketball. The Panthers move up two spots from the preseason and are putting itself in position to challenge for the FAB 50 mythical national title by remaining unbeaten against a rugged schedule. The Panthers' last four wins have come against FAB 50 ranked foes, including California's top two clubs at the Thanksgiving Hoopfest.

Coach David Peavy's club downed previous No. 14 Centennial (Corona, Calif.), 75-70, as Holland had 28 points and Black 17 to offset a 29-point performance from junior guard Jared McCain of Centennial. The next night Duncanville downed California's top ranked club, No. 9 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.), 80-73. The Panthers used balanced scoring to hold off a Trailblazers team that made a spirited fourth quarter comeback after trailing big after three quarters. Holland, Davion Sykes and Aric Demings each scored 16 points, with C.J. Ford adding 12 and Black 11.

Sierra Canyon continues to play without UCLA-bound guard Amari Bailey, who came in No. 2 in the preseason Mr. Basketball USA Tracker behind Westtown School (West Chester, Pa.) Duke-bound big man Dereck Lively II. Sierra Canyon still has a terrific team and remains at No. 9 in the FAB 50. There is no timetable for Bailey's return, and eventually if his absence is reflected in the results, Sierra Canyon will be ranked accordingly.

Before the Thanksgiving Hoopfest, Duncanville easily downed previous No. 43 Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.), 73-54, and previous No. 42 Kimball (84-82). Duncanville's FAB 50 title candidacy will have two more big tests in the next two weeks when it faces No. 38 Carver (New Orleans, La.) at the Red River Hoopfest on December 4 and top-ranked Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) on December 9 at Hoophall West in Phoenix, Ariz.

Despite losing three games, Kimball was able to move up 12 spots in the rankings because of its strength of schedule and the nature of those losses. Kimball not only lost to North Little Rock in the closing seconds, it lost to Duncanville by only two points on a game-winning lay-up by Holland at the RJ Hampton Showcase. In its second game at the Thanksgiving Hoopfest, the Knights were downed by No. 13 Centennial, 67-59. Centennial was able to actually move up a spot because of that bunch back win and the closeness of the game with Duncanville the previous evening.

The teams that have already played games currently get the benefit of the doubt in the latest FAB 50, so keep it in mind because two teams that haven't yet played dropped out to make room for teams that already have games under its belt. Teams that have yet to play will have ample opportunity to move up or into the nation's longest-running weekly rankings.

There isn't a state that has reported a push back to its official start dates because of COVID-19 positive case rates. Holiday tournaments and showcases are back en masse, but it doesn't mean we are out of the woodwork just yet with regards to the pandemic. Teams that lose players as a result of any COVID-19 protocol, but still play a sanctioned game, will have that game counted toward their overall record. Missed games as a result of COVID-19 will be looked at as any other player injury. The player personnel loss will be taken into consideration with regards to a team's ranking position. Any game not played as a result of COVID-19 protocol will be considered a default or "no-contest".

The next FAB 50 update is scheduled for Monday, December 6.

RELATED:??Preseason 2021-22 FAB 50 National Rankings?| Preseason 2021-22 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker |

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at?[email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter:?@RonMFlores

The post 1st UPDATED Regular Season FAB 50 Rankings! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

The guys also discuss the preseason Mr. Basketball USA voting. Dereck Lively II of Westtown School sits atop the first ballots for the Player of the Year award, but which players are on his heels? How is this race shaping up compared to past years? Is there a surefire wire-to-wire winner for the 2021-22 award?

Ron and Dev then break down the high school basketball games they watched to begin the season. FAB 50 No. 9 Sierra Canyon went undefeated at the Montgomery Tip-Off in San Diego and No. 14 Corona Centennial won two games against quality opponents in the Battlezone Showcase. Which teams have Ron and Dev seen that could make their way into the regional or national rankings? Which players had standout performances to begin the season? Hit the play button above to listen to In The Paint 109!

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Ron and Dev also bring on two preseason FAB 50 coaches who break down the strengths of their respective teams. No. 34 Arichbishop Stepinac head coach Patrick Massaroni and No. 13 Dr. Phillips head coach Ben Witherspoon hop on the podcast with the guys toward the end of this episode!

Other topics on this show include the NBA 75 list and which players Ron and Dev believe are the biggest snubs and which players should not have made the list at all. Is it too soon to include Damian Lillard among the top 75 players to ever play in the NBA? Should Dwight Howard have made the list? Tune in to hear who Ron and Dev think were the biggest oversights and which young players could make the list when it's expanded 25 years from now!

The guys also discuss the recent Southern California high school football game between Inglewood and Morningside which Inglewood won 106-0. Is it ever okay to run the score up on a team? What do they have to say about the starting quarterback throwing for 13 touchdowns? It's all in the latest episode of In The Paint!

The post In The Paint Show: Preseason FAB 50 Rankings! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

Next, the guys give their winners and losers of the 2021 NBA Draft. Who got better? Which team's draft approach made the least sense? Which teams used their selections to add viable assets or immediate contributors? Finally, Ron and Dev break down all the big moves in NBA Free Agency. Who made signings and trades to put themselves in championship contention? Find out on the latest episode of the In The Paint Show.

You can also watch a video episode of Ep. 103 of the In The Paint Show on the Ballislife Podcast Network!

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On Episode 95 of the "In The Paint" Show, co-hosts Ronnie Flores and Devin Ugland go in-depth with the Washington Wizards' Jerome Robinson on everything from his humble beginnings at Broughton (Raleigh, N.C.), to being recruited by only one Power 5 school (Boston College), to being B.C.'s first ever NBA Draft lottery pick and being ready in the NBA when your number is called.

Robinson is candid and thoughtful and it's one interview you don't want to miss! Click the PLAY button below to tune into the latest episode of the In The Paint Show!

Ron breaks down the latest with the 2020-21 high school basketball season and the top teams in the latest FAB 50 National Rankings, including five newcomers and alot of changes. The fellas also discuss the latest with regards to how COVID-19 is still affecting the high school basketball season, including more cancellations and the states that have yet to start.

Ron and Dev also break down the dynamics of their new Ballislife original show "On The Rise." The first three episodes break down the games and project what type of careers they expect NBA prospects Sharife Cooper (Auburn), Holmgren (Minnehaha Academy, Minn.) and JD Davison (Calhoun School, Ala.) to have. The latest episode breaking down Oklahoma State's Cade Cunningham just dropped!

Make sure you head over to the Ballislife Podcast Network YouTube page and check out all the episodes of On The Rise!

The post In The Paint: Talking Development, Opportunity with Wizards' Jerome Robinson appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

On Episode 94 of the "In The Paint" Show, co-hosts Ronnie Flores and Devin Ugland go in-depth on the top teams and players with an eye on the 2021 NBA Draft. The fellas also introduce their now Ballislife original show "On The Rise", where they will use their evaluation and scouting background to break down each year's top draft prospects and the NBA stars of tomorrow!

Click the PLAY button below to tune into the latest episode of the In The Paint Show!

Ron breaks down the top players on the top teams in the latest FAB 50 National Rankings, including fast-rising prospects such as Kennedy Chandler of No. 2 Sunrise Christian Academy and Jalen Duren of No. 1 Montverde Academy. Where do these two rate among the top high school national player of the year candidates for 2020-21?

The fellas break down the top Mr. Basketball USA candidates and how much the fortunes for many of the nation's elite players has changed since the preseason amid the backdrop of COVID-19. The fellas break down Paolo Banchero (has not yet played), Jaden Hardy (no official high school season) and Emoni Bates (mixed bag of limited games on an independent club).

Dev also goes in-depth on the Jalen Johnson situation at Duke. Did he "opt out" or "quit"? How will this affect his standing as a potential 2021 NBA lottery pick? Dev also gives a preview of the first three players that will be broken down on the new "On The Rise Show."

Please listen in to get the drop dates on Ron and Dev's new show!

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On Episode 93 of the In The Paint Show, co-hosts Ronnie Flores and Devin Ugland go in-depth on the booming sports trading card industry with owner of Denver-based Vices, Noe Magdaleno. From nostalgia to supply and demand to social media promo, Ron Dev and Noe discuss what sparked this trend to make its comeback.

Click the PLAY button below to tune into the latest episode of the In The Paint Show!

Ron and Dev also touch on the new-look Brooklyn Nets with James Harden in the fold. What will the dynamic be when Kyrie Irving takes the floor forming one of the more potent "Big Three" offensive trios in NBA History? Are the Nets now the odds on favorites to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals?

Jalen Duren

6'9"   -   C   -   2021

Next, the guys break down the standout high school players from the NIBC St. James Invitational, including Jalen Duren and Ryan Nembhard of Montverde Academy, Caleb Foster and MJ Rice of Oak Hill Academy, Kennedy Chandler of Sunrise Christian Academy and many more.

To close out the show, Ron and Dev hit on the latest FAB 50 National Ranking update and some news from the CIF Southern Section putting SoCal high school sports at further risk of postponement/cancellation.

The post In The Paint Show: The Sports Trading Card Revival, Harden in Brooklyn, FAB 50 Update! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

On Episode 92 of the "In The Paint" Show, co-hosts Ronnie Flores and Devin Ugland discuss the College Football National Championship game in which Alabama defeated Ohio State. Should there be an asterisk next to this year's National Title? Is Nick Saban the GOAT of college football coaches?

Hit the PLAY button below to tune into In The Paint 92!

The guys also touch on the NBA's latest issues with COVID-19 outbreaks. With multiple games postponed this week, and no bubble to fall back on, how should the NBA proceed? What further steps could the Association take to ensure each player, coach and staff member are minimizing their exposure to the illness?

Caleb Houstan

6'7"   -   SF   -   2021

Next, Ron and Dev discuss the latest FAB 50 National Rankings and the standouts from the first set of games at the NIBC St. James Invitational. ESPN's National Director of Recruiting, Paul Biancardi, is the show's first guest as he joins to break down what he's evaluated so far St. James and his approach to scouting and evaluating during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Biancardi gives us the inside scoop on which teams and players have impressed him most so far and which games he's looking forward to seeing in the next week.

The final guest of the show is La Lumiere head coach Pat Holmes who gives the listeners an inside look at how the National Interscholastic Basketball Conference (NIBC) was born and where it's headed, the precautions the St. James is taking to avoid a COVID outbreak and the early ups and downs facing his team this season.

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On Episode 91 of the Ballislife In The Paint Show, co-hosts Ronnie Flores and Devin Ugland discuss the rumors of the NBA expanding and adding two more teams. Are Seattle and Las Vegas the no-brainer locations to add an NBA franchise? Devin gives a west coast city he believes would embrace a new NBA team.

Hit the play button below to tune in to In The Paint episode 91!

Ron and Dev also breakdown their pre-season NBA content where they picked the impact rookies and players who were primed to have breakout seasons. Where did they hit and where did they miss? Ronnie had a bullseye on Christian Wood and Devin pinpointed Payton Pritchard as a late first-round rookie to watch.

To close the show, the guys give an update on the FAB 50 National Rankings and what to expect from high school basketball based on the current state of the pandemic. Which states are currently playing? Which states have canceled? Which states are planning on starting soon? Will California cancel its season if numbers in the region don't improve?

Tune in to the latest episode of our In The Paint Podcast to hear Ron and Dev break this all down and more!

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First, the guys discuss Giannis signing a five-year supermax contract extension with the Milwaukee Bucks. What other pieces do the Bucks need to add in order to create a championship contender? Can Giannis draw another superstar to Milwaukee to play alongside him?

Hit the PLAY button below to tune into ITP 90!

James Harden

6'5"   -   SG   -   2007

Next Ron and Dev dissect the latest story on ESPN regarding James Harden and his influence on the culture in Houston. Does Harden's partying lifestyle hurt the continuity of the team chemistry or does it make his insane stat lines even more impressive? Ron and Dev also debate whether a team can win a title with Harden as its centerpiece.

To follow that up, the guys take a closer look at LaMelo Ball's first two preseason games with the Hornets. Were they impressed or does Ball need to show more? Also, why Hornets fans and NBA fans in general should be patient for LaMelo's offensive game to get into full gear.

Ron and Dev then transition into their latest story on Ballislife on the six rookies that NBA fans can expect to make an immediate impact in the league and close out the show with some more updates on high school basketball guidelines, scheduling and COVID-19-related cancellations.

The post In The Paint Show: Giannis' Supermax, LaMelo's Debut, Looking Forward to Top Prospects in the 2021 Draft appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

On Episode 89 of our In The Paint Show, co-hosts Ronnie Flores and Devin Ugland discuss a variety of basketball topics from the NBA's quick offseason, free agency winners and losers, which rookies will make an immediate impact and which teams have the biggest advantage heading into the 2020-2021 season.

Hit the PLAY button below to tune in!

Ron and Dev also breakdown the Houston Rockets situation with James Harden. Should Houston try to move Harden before the season starts? Where does one of the best offensive players the game has ever seen fit best? What should the Rockets expect to get in return for their disgruntled superstar?

Andre Curbelo

6'0"   -   PG   -   2020

The guys also discuss the early themes and surprises of the college basketball season. Why are the "Blue Blood" programs like Duke, Kentucky and North Carolina struggling? Has the balance of power evened out this season among college hoops teams? Which college freshmen have stood out the most? Finally, Ron and Dev break down what the high school sports scene looks like across the country.

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On Episode 88 of the In The Paint Show, co-hosts Ronnie Flores and Devin Ugland take a deep dive into the 2020 NBA Draft with expert analyst Matt Babcock of Babcock Hoops. Matt and the guys discuss the trends of the Top 5 picks, if LaMelo Ball will slip beyond those selections, the top international prospects, which late first round or second round picks will have a long career and much more!

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In the second segment of the ITP Show, Ron and Dev discuss the standout performers from the Pangos All-American Festival 4, including Chet Holmgren, Paolo Banchero, Nolan Hickman and bring on one of the co-MVP's of the event, Sandy Creek F Jabari Smith Jr.. Smith goes in-depth on the highlights from his weekend of competing against other top players, how he's preparing for the upcoming high school season and the reasons why he chose to play his collegiate ball at Auburn.

Jabari Smith Jr.

6'9"   -   PF   -   2021

In the final segment, the guys welcome on University of Kentucky center Nick Richards for a pre-draft interview. Ron, Dev and Nick discuss the junior's breakout season, how his game translates to the NBA, and what it is about Kentucky that produces so many pros.

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Scott talks about how the new coaching staff has helped his approach to on-court and off-the-court activity and his goal of becoming a professional player. The former Chino Hills (Calif.) standout also talks about LaMelo Ball and Onyeka Okongwu joining the Pelican’s Lonzo Ball as former teammates at Chino Hills (Calif.) as NBA Draft lottery choices. Scott also talks about why the 2015-16 Chino Hills team (with its soon-to-be three NBA players) is the best high school team of all-time (for more on the GOAT topic scroll to the the bottom to stream Episode 62).

Eli Scott

6'4"   -   SF   -   2017

Kyman talks about the adjustments he made from high school that were necessary to contribute to UCLA’s team as a freshman. Kyman also talks about what he’s worked on during COVID-19 to improve and be prepared for the 2020-21 college basketball season.

Jake Kyman

6'7"   -   SF   -   2019

Ron and Dev continue their series of talking to NBA Draft hopefuls as the 2020 draft approaches its November 18 date. The fellas bring on special guest Elijah Fisher of Syracuse to break down on what makes the most appealing late first round prospect on the board. Fisher also talks about what drives him and made him improve each season from a talented, but overlooked, high school prospect into a legitimate NBA draft prospect.

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On Episode 85 of our In The Paint Podcast, co-hosts Ronnie Flores and Devin Ugland discuss a wide variety of hoops topics, beginning with the Lakers 17th NBA Championship earned with a Sunday win over the Miami Heat in Game 6.

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Ron and Dev go in-depth on the biggest differences for the Lakers and Heat from Game 5 to Game 6, the high level adjustment by Lakers' head coach Frank Vogel that led to the series-clinching victory and what this title means for LeBron's overall legacy.

The next topic on Episode 85 of ITP is an interview with Precious Achiuwa, a projected first-round pick in the 2020 NBA Draft out of Memphis. Ron, Dev and Precious discuss how his one year of college helped him prepare for the next level, what parts of his game translate well to the NBA, what he's looking to improve on the most and how the COVID-19 shortened season impacted his decision to go one-and-done.

The guys take the final part of the show to dive deeper into LeBron's legacy with his high school coach Dru Joyce and longtime basketball media member Van Coleman, who has seen high school players from the 1960's to now. Joyce breaks down LBJ's laser-focus throughout his youth and high school careers, while Coleman compares and contrasts LeBron's overall career accomplishments with other legendary figures.

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On Episode 84 of our In The Paint Podcast, co-hosts Ronnie Flores and Devin Ugland break down games three and four of the NBA Finals. Jimmy Butler's 40-point triple-double catapulted Miami to the game three victory, but the Lakers bounced back in game four with some help from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

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Can Butler recreate is epic performance in game three to keep the Heat's championship hopes alive? Or will LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the rest of the Los Angeles roster close out the series - and the franchises 17th title - on Friday?

Ron and Dev also discuss hoops at the high school level, first the guys fill listeners in on the updated live viewing period dates set by the NCAA for 2021. Ron & Dev explain why these dates are so important and why prospects and parents based in California need to pay special attention to them.

At the end of the show, the guys discuss the top players and under-the-radar players from the Pangos All-South Frosh/Soph Camp last weekend in Texas. Who earned the honors as best guards and best big men in the event which was loaded with talent?

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On Episode 83 of our In The Paint Podcast, co-hosts Ronnie Flores and Devin Ugland open the show with an in-depth look at the NBA Finals match-up between the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat.

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Which team has the advantages on offense and defense? What do the Heat need to expose to go punch-for-punch with the Lakers. Does LAL's fate rest on the shoulders of LeBron James and Anthony Davis? Can Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro continue their hot shooting? Who are Ron and Dev crowning as champions.

The guys' next topic is the Clippers parting ways with head coach Doc Rivers after failing to get out of the second round of the playoffs. Was this too much of a knee-jerk reaction from the Clippers' management? Which direction do they go with their next coaching hire? Ron and Dev throw out some names they should consider and names they should stay away from.

The final topic of Episode 83 is all about high school basketball and the Pangos All-West Frosh/Soph Camp. Who were the top players in the event? Which players upped their stock with their performance? Which players should be on the radar for Division I schools in the future? The guys break that down and more on ITP 83!

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On Episode 82 of our In The Paint Podcast, co-hosts Ronnie Flores and Devin Ugland take a closer look at the Western and Eastern Conference Finals in the NBA Playoffs, what this year's college basketball season will look like and Michael Jordan's latest movement within the NASCAR racing sphere.

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What did the Denver Nuggets do differently in game three to help it get back into the series against the Lakers? Los Angeles' lack of consistent perimeter shooting reared its ugly head yet again, is that a viable concern for the rest of the postseason? Should the Lakers be worried?

Heading over to the Eastern Conference, the Boston Celtics won game three to take a step closer to tying the series against the Miami Heat. Did the return of Gordon Hayward come at the perfect time for the Celtics whose bench was struggling to produce? How does Miami get back on track for game four?

The next topic tackled by Ron and Dev is what will this season look like in college basketball. We have a firm start date of November 25 and non-conference tournaments are changing dates and locations to adhere to COVID-19 restrictions in some parts of the country. Will we see an NCAA Tournament this season? Will it be a bubble type of atmosphere?

The guys close out the show by discussing the latest move by Michael Jordan and him teaming with longtime NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin to start their own team. The feature driver for MJ will be Bubba Wallace and Ron and Dev break down how MJ has been able to successfully transcend multiple sports.

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Kawhi Leonard

6'5"   -   SF   -   2009

Who deserves to take the majority of the blame: Kawhi Leonard, Paul George or Doc Rivers? Is this the last time we'll see Doc patrolling the sidelines for LAC? What roster moves, if any, do the Clippers need to make this offseason? Whose legacy took a bigger hit: Kawhi or PG?

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LeBron James

6'8"   -   SF   -   2003

The second topic of Episode 81 is how the upstart Denver Nuggets matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals beginning Friday. Is the key head-to-head battle between Anthony Davis and Nikola Joki?? Who on the Nuggets' roster can stop LeBron James? Will Jamal Murray continue his dynamic scoring in the next round?

Finally, Ronnie and Devin discuss what they know best: High school hoops. The guys break down the standouts at last weekend's Pangos All-West Camp, including the breakout star of the event, Farmington (UT) shooting guard Collin Chandler. Hit the play button above to hear all of Ron and Dev's takes of the top high school performers at the All-West Camp!

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The guys start with an update on the NBA Playoffs. How did the Heat outmatch the Bucks? Will Boston be the favorite if it were to make the ECF? Lakers and Clippers have both had missteps, are they still on a collision course for the WCF? is this the last we see of Giannis in Milwaukee?

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Ron and Dev then discuss the proposal presented by ACC coaches to create an "All-Inclusive" NCAA Tournament. What would March Madness look like with 353 teams participating? Why does it make sense? Why doesn't it make sense?

Finally, the guys break down the high school standouts at the Pangos Rocky Mountain Summit and discuss the trend of high school players in California making the switch to prep schools for the fall and winter. Paolo Banchero, Nolan Hickman and Kaden Perry showed out for Seattle Rotary, while a handful of Vegas and California-based prospects put their names on the map!

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Olson, who passed away on August 27th at the age of 85, was the longtime coach at the University of Arizona, where he served as the program's leader from 1983 to 2007, amassing a 589-187 record, including a 1997 National Championship. Prior to Arizona, Olson was the head coach at Iowa for nine seasons and Long Beach State for one season.

Thompson, who passed away on August 30th at the age of 78, led the Georgetown University basketball program for 27 years. Thompson compiled a 596-239 overall record, including a National Title victory in 1984. Aside from his basketball accomplishments, Thompson's program had an impressive 97 percent graduation rate.

Our guests for this episode are former college and professional players who played and/or were recruited by Olson or Thompson. First, longtime NBA player and current Pacific head coach Damon Stoudamire joins and shares stories of how Olson recruited him and helped develop him into an NBA point guard.

Second, Evric Gray, who played three seasons at UNLV, hops on as a guy who was heavily recruited to Georgetown by Thompson. Gray gives us an inside look at how important of a figure Thompson was and tells an interesting story of where Thompson extended his offer.

Lastly, former University of Arizona guard Reggie Geary comes on the show to go in-depth on why Olson was able to have such a successful career across multiple decades.

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In Episode 77 of the Ballislife "In The Paint" Show, we followed up on Baron's challenge by talking to the high school coaches of two of the NBA's very best players from California: The Blazers' Damian Lillard (Oakland) and James Harden (Artesia), who both cracked Ron and Dev's Top 20 L.A. players they've seen over the years (see below).

In Episode 78, we talk with one a SoCal media authority whose been watching high school basketball since the early 1970s Eric Sondheimer (Los Angles Times) about his Top 20 dating back to Crenshaw great Marques Johnson in 1973.

We also bring on another guest who is one of Crenshaw's greatest players who made Eric's and Ron's list, Stevie Thompson (Oregon St. assistant), who talks about why he went to Crenshaw, how he ended up at Syracuse and what it was like watching his sons Stevie Jr. and Ethan play at Bishop Montgomery (Torrance, Calif.). Our final guest is Pooh Jeter (Serra, Gardena '02), who has spreaheded this LAUNFD initiative alongside Davis. He talks about LAUNFD's origins and his path to a stint in the NBA.

Below is the three LAUNFD L.A. Metro Top 20 Top boys hoops players we've seen (listed with senior season) from Eric, Ron and Dev.

John Williams

6'8"   -   SF   -   1984

Eric Sondheimer's Top 20 L.A. Players He's Seen (As HS Talents)

Gilbert Arenas (Grant Van Nuys '99), Trevor Ariza (L.A. Westchester '03), Toby Bailey (L.A. Loyola '94), Tyson Chandler (Dominguez, Compton '01), Darren Daye (Kennedy, Granada Hills '79), Marques Johnson (L.A. Crenshaw '73), Jason and Jarron Collins (Harvard-Westlake, North Hollywood '97), Jordan Farmar (Taft, Woodland Hills '04), Paul George (Knight, Palmdale '08), Brandon Jennings (Oak Hill Academy '08), Don MacLean (Simi Valley '88), Chris Mills (L.A. Fairfax '88), Ed O’Bannon (Artesia, Lakewood '90), Tayshaun Prince (Dominguez, Compton '98), Stevie Thompson (L.A. Crenshaw '86), Russell Westbrook (Leuzinger, Lawndale '06), John Williams (L.A. Crenshaw '84), Nick Young (Cleveland, Reseda '04)

Trevor Ariza

6'8"   -   SF   -   2003

Devin Ugland's Top 20 (plus) SoCal Players
He’s Seen (As HS Talents)

Alphabetical Order: Hassan Adams (L.A. Westchester '02), Trevor Ariza (L.A. Westchester '03), Lonzo Ball (Chino Hills '16), Cedric Bozeman (Mater Dei, Santa Ana 01), Evan Burns (L.A. Fairfax '02), Tyson Chandler (Dominguez, Compton 01), Josh Childress (Mayfair, Lakewood '01), Darren Collison (Etiwanda '05), Marques Crane (Ocean View, Huntington Beach '01), Erick and Derrick Craven (Bishop Montgomery, Torrance '01), Austin Daye (Woodbridge, Irvine '07), DeMar DeRozan (Compton '08), Tony Dow (Ocean View, Huntington Beach '99, Landry Fields (Los Alamitos '06), Ryan Forehan-Kelly (Santa Margarita '98), James Harden (Artesia, Lakewood '07), Bryan Harvey (Dominguez, Compton '05), Jrue Holiday (Campbell Hall, North Hollywood '08), Brandon Jennings (Oak Hill Academy '08), Amir Johnson (L.A. Westchester '05), Stanley Johnson (Mater Dei, Santa Ana '14), Taylor King (Mater Dei, Santa Ana '07), Marcedes Lewis (Poly, Long Beach '02), Jordan McLaughlin (Etiwanda '05), Onyeka Okongwu (Chino Hills '19), Jeff Pendergraph (Etiwanda '05), Michael Roll (Aliso Aliso Viejo '05), Jamal Sampson (Mater Dei, Santa Ana '01), Josh Shipp (L.A. Fairfax '04), Renardo Sidney (L.A. Fairfax '09), Craig Smith (L.A. Fairfax '02), Wesley Stokes (Poly, Long Beach '00), Ethan Thompson (Bishop Montgomery, Torrance '17), Klay Thompson (Santa Margarita '08), Dijon Thompson (Redondo Union, Redondo Beach '01), Wesley Washington (Mater Dei, Santa Ana '03).

Paul Pierce

6'6"   -   SF   -   1995

Ronnie Flores' Top 20 SoCal Players
He’s Seen (As HS Talents)

1. John Williams (Crenshaw, Los Angeles) ’84
SoCal’s version of LeBron James.

2. Ed O’Bannon (Artesia, Lakewood) ‘90
Complete package of talent, skill and the burning desire to win was a two-time high school All-American.

3. Paul Pierce (Inglewood) ‘95
Always talented, he took off at Pac Shores Tourney his junior year and never looked back and finished his career with a memorable performance in a regional final loss to Dominguez.

4. Stanley Johnson (Mater Dei, Santa Ana) ‘14
Four state titles in highest classification, he willed Monarchs to final one with skill and IQ.

5. Lonzo Ball (Chino Hills) ‘16
Led his public school to a FAB 50 national title in memorable fashion and just might be the best SoCal point guard since Raymond Lewis 50 years ago (see below).

6. Tyson Chandler (Dominguez, Compton) ‘01
Like Zo, Chandler won a FAB 50 title and he might have been a tad higher but Dominguez blew alot of teams away and he didn't always play anywhere close to 32 minutes.

7. Tracy Murray (Glendora) ’89
Best shooter we've seen in SoCal was underrated in other areas and earned everything that came his way after early injury scare to earn Mr. Basketball honors while scoring 44 ppg as a senior.

8. Baron Davis (Crossroads, Santa Monica) ‘97
Known as the “Godfather” to his playing peers, his impact on the court was just as great as arguably SoCal’s most explosive PG. BD is the reason why this list was made in the first place.

9. Jacque Vaughn (Muir, Pasadena) ’93
The most exciting player we’ve seen the past 30 years was a fine student. Boy, we'd love to see him play again.

10. Harold Miner (Inglewood) ’89
With his zero-gravity dunks, “Baby Jordan” is one of the most influential SoCal players of all-time and he had plenty of memorable moments.

11. Chris Mills (Fairfax, Los Angeles) ’88
One of the state’s smoothest scorers ever, Mills had a NBA-ready game in high school and was L.A. City 4A Player of the Year as a junior over top five national senior teammate Sean Higgins, who barely missed the cut here.

12. Kenny Brunner (Dominguez, Compton) ’97
We won't forget when he helped the Dons beat Oak Hill Academy as a freshman to put them on the national map. Sported a 123-14 record and was never mentally beat by any guard.

13. Jrue Holiday (Campbell Hall, North Hollywood) ’08
His body control and command of the game were second to none en route to three CIF state titles.

14. Tayshaun Prince (Dominguez, Compton) ’98
Tayshaun was terrific on both ends and we remember some deep range bombs and his terrific block on Westchester's Tony Bland to seal a big win his senior year.

15. Steve Thompson (Crenshaw, Los Angeles) ‘86
His son, Ethan Thompson (Bishop Montgomery) deserves plenty of credit for winning two CIFSS Open Division crowns, but his father won two CIF D1 state crowns in his two years on the Shaw varsity.

16. James Harden (Artesia, Lakewood) ’07
Taylor King beat him out for Mr. Basketball (career achievement and close call), but Harden was as good an offensive playmaker as anyone to come down pike who stats weren't indicative of his dominance.

17. Brandon Jennings (Oak Hill Academy, Mouth of Wilson, Va.) '08
Decided to include Jennings on this list because he's from SoCal and has always resided here. His talent was undeniable, as he quickly made an impact on the Dominguez of Compton varsity and went on to earn National Player of the Year honors at the famous boarding school.

18. Don McLean (Simi Valley) '88
This sweet shooting forward was well-known in middle school and nearly as cocky as he was talented.

19. Ernest Killum (Lynwood) '90
The D1 State Player of the Year his senior year, EK's teammates not only followed him, they admired him and the Wood community was devastated when he passed in 1992 while at Oregon St.

20. John Staggers (Crenshaw, Los Angeles) '88
We decided to make a somewhat controversial final pick, as it was hard to leave off Schea Cotton (who missed too many games to make the cut) and Derrick Martin, yet another member of the famed '88 class who led the state in scoring. Long-time Crenshaw coach Willie West called Staggers the most talented offensive player he ever coached, including Marques Johnson, who we did not see in high school.

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As replies started pouring in the list of names expanded drastically with debates, snubs and sensitivity quickly following. Episode 77 of the Ballislife In The Paint Show expands on Baron's tweet as Ron and Dev discuss some of the best California high school basketball players they've seen.

Damian Lillard

6'1"   -   PG   -   2008

The guys go into depth on two specific California hoopers, Damian Lillard (Oakland High) and James Harden (Artesia High) with their high school coaches. Oakland High coach Orlando Watkins goes in-depth on when he first watched Dame play, his recruitment and how he developed into the player he is today.

James Harden

6'5"   -   SG   -   2007

Scott Pera, the current head coach at Rice University, joins to discuss coaching James Harden in high school. Pera breaks down what type of player Harden was as a freshman, how he had to urge him to be more aggressive offensively and when he started to develop some of the patented moves we see in the NBA today.

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On Episode 76 of the "In The Paint" Show, co-hosts Ronnie Flores and Devin Ugland go in on the recent news of the cancellations and postponements of two Power Five college football conferences: The Pac-12 and the Big Ten. In light of this news, the fellas also break down how this could affect recruiting across the country, early enrollees and the upcoming college basketball season.

It's part of our ongoing discussion surrounding high school and college sports during the pandemic. It's not a topic we want to keep hashing out, but it affects every aspect of sports and it's not going away.

Ron and Dev welcome on guests Matt Moreno (University of Arizona beat writer) and Adam Grosbard (USC beat writer) to give us an inside look at what went on behind the scenes to lead to the postponement.

Did the Pac-12 and Big 10 get out ahead of the curve with their announcements? Will they look smart because there is no way the SEC and other Power 5 conferences will be able to complete a fall season? What will be the dynamics if those other conferences are able to complete a season?

The fellas and their guests also discuss the fallout of non-revenue sports, why the cancellations may have been a big relief for some conferences in light of players wanting to unionize and discuss the possibilities of football actually being played in the spring. Can you imagine the Rose Bowl going on as the same time as the NCAA Tournament!

Ron and Dev also discuss the NBA Bubble and the Lakers' woes, who's hot and who's not, and offer some advice to parents and players looking to make moves for the upcoming 2020-21 high school basketball season.

Also, be sure to check out Ron & Dev's latest piece on our site, describing how the altered high school seasons impact current high school prospects and how those same prospects can be sure to stay on the radar of college coaches.

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On Episode 75 of the In The Paint Show, co-hosts Ronnie Flores and Devin Ugland continue the discussion surrounding high school and college sports during the pandemic.

The guys welcome on two senior point guards based out of California with different outlooks when it comes to recruiting. Stanford-commit and Jesuit high school star Isa Silva hops on the show to discuss how he's going about his development while not playing any travel ball games. Next, Jake Blazona out of Santa Margarita explains how the lack of travel basketball and exposure to college coaches has affected his recruitment.

Ron and Dev also bring on two college coaches - Ryan Badrtalei of UC Irvine and Jesse Pruitt of Stanford - who detail how their approach to recruiting and evaluating has changed and how prospects can take a proactive approach to their own recruitment.

This episode of the In The Paint Show is a perfect listen for any prep basketball player who wants to hear how their peers are adjusting their routines and what a college coach suggests when it comes to taking their recruitment into their own hands.

Also, be sure to check out Ron & Dev's latest piece on our site, describing how the altered high school seasons impact current high school prospects and how those same prospects can be sure to stay on the radar of college coaches.

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