online slots for real money|slots near me http://www.ebooksnet.com/ www.ebooksnet.com is your 1 stop shop for everything basketball! Fri, 26 Jan 2024 18:56:57 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.1 NBA betting: rivals week prop bets http://www.ebooksnet.com/nba-betting-rivals-week-prop-bets/ http://www.ebooksnet.com/nba-betting-rivals-week-prop-bets/#respond Thu, 25 Jan 2024 23:36:33 +0000 http://www.ebooksnet.com/?p=274520 NBA Betting: Rivals Week Prop Bets, Information, Analysis, Trends, and Best Predictions for Thursday, Jan. 25

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Sara Jane Gamelli

Rivals week continues in the NBA, and there are seven games on the NBA slate. There are two featured matchups on TNT, which includes the Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat, and Sacramento Kings vs. the Golden State Warriors. In other matchups, the Philadelphia 76ers will face the Indiana Pacers on the road. Starting at 10:30 p.m. ET, there will be a classic rival showdown between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Chicago Bulls.

I have several recommended player props for today. For my picks, I took them all as straight bets, no more than 1 u on each.?Here you will find the NBA betting odds, stats, trends, player prop bets, and predictions for Thursday, Jan. 25.

RELATED: Ballislife is now partnered with Props.Cash

Odds are current as of Jan. 25, at 4 p.m. ET
SJ's NBA?Player Prop record this season: 16-13

NBA Bet #1: Steph Curry O 27.5 Points (-130) DK

Season Stats?PPG:?26.8 |?FG:?44.6 %?| 3 PT:?40.1 %?| FT:?92.6 %?| REB:?4.2?| AST: 5 | STL: 0.8?| BLK: 0.5

The Golden State Warriors (19-22) will host the Sacramento Kings (24-18) tonight at home. If you're betting on the NBA, I have Warriors guard Steph Curry to score over 27.5 points tonight. At -130 odds on DraftKings, he has a prime matchup tonight against the Kings.

I wanted to initially bet the under tonight, until I saw his numbers against the Kings. A prop thats only hit 46 percent this season, Curry has six straight games under 27.5 points. He's due, and this time Golden State gets home court advantage for rivals week.

Tonight, Curry gets the Kings, who allow the 20th most points per game (117.7), and 21 most assists (27.2). Similar to last season, they have trouble defending the perimeter, allowing teams to put up 13.4 three-pointers a game at 39 percent. Teams are shooting at a high clip against Sacramento (48.5 percent), and tonight they face one of the best shooters in the history of the NBA.

Statistics courtesy of Props.Cash

Historically, Curry's balled out against Sacramento. What is there not to love about a rivals game that will be broadcasted on TNT this evening? In the last 14 meetings against the Kings, Curry has over 27.5 points in 11 of them, including 29 their last matchup. Over those 14 games, the guard averages 32.7 points against the Kings.

Hitting over points in 90 percent of his last ten matchups against them, Curry has a career average of 24.6 points in 45 career games against Sacramento. In three games against them this year, he's putting up an incredible 30.3 points, on 46.9 percent three-point shooting. While the line is at 27.5, his average vs. the Kings is over three points above that tonight.

Sacramento ranks 21st defensively against point guards, allowing T.J. McConnell, Damian Lillard, Cameron Payne, Dejounte Murray, and Bogdan Bogdanovic to all hit over their points props this week. Although the line is cutting it close, Curry is putting up 27.1 points in 21 home games this season.

Although Curry is only averaging 24.5 points in the last ten games, his shot volume and minutes remain fairly steady. He's coming off a 25 point performance against the Hawks, in which the guard shot 62.5 percent from the field. With Gary Payton II, Moses Moody, and Chris Paul all out with injuries, Curry doesn't have much depth behind him at point guard. Expect Curry to go off tonight.

NBA Bet #2: John Collins O 19.5 Points and Rebounds (-115) DK

Season Stats?PPG:?13.8 |?FG:?49.9 %?| 3 PT:?35.6 %?| FT:?88.9 %?| REB:?7.6?| AST: 1?| STL:?0.6?| BLK:?0.8

One of my favorite props to bet on this season is John Collins over points and rebounds. With a 76 percent hit rate on the season, the Jazz are on the rebound, despite losing three games in a row. Tonight the Jazz get the Washington Wizards, who are one of the least efficient teams on the defensive end.

The Wizards are in the basement as far as defensive ranks. They allow nearly the most points, rebounds, assists, and field goal percentage in the league. Coming off a 14 point, 9 rebound game against the Pelicans, he faces the Wizards, in which he put up a combined 26 points and rebounds last meeting.

Statistics courtesy of Props.Cash

Collins continues to hit over this prop, even with Clarkson and Sexton back in the lineup. While I've gotten the line as low as 16.5, I am confident at the current line of 19.5, especially given the matchup tonight. Averaging 27.5 minutes on the season, this prop has a hit rate of 76 percent when Collins plays those minutes or more.

Overall, Washington is poor defensively against centers, even with a matchup against Gafford and Kuzma. If you're betting on the NBA over points and rebounds hit in 9 of 12 games so far in January. Behind Collins is Kelly Olynyk and Walker Kessler, who haven't nearly been effective as Collins defensively as of late. While defense isn't Collins strong suit, he's been efficient on the boards and offensive end. In the last 10 games, he's putting up a combined 21 points and rebounds.

This line should honestly be higher for Collins, who remains a solid starter and scorer for Utah Jazz. As the leading rebounder on this Jazz team, he's been able to hit this prop, even in several games where he entered foul trouble. I'm going to keep betting on this prop until the wheels fall off. He should eat tonight, especially since the Wizards allow the second most paint points in the NBA.

NBA Bet #3: Kristaps Porzingis O 26.5 Points, Assists, and Rebounds (-110) DK

Season Stats?PPG:?19.5 |?FG:?52.5 %?| 3 PT:?35 %?| FT:?83.7 %?| REB:?6.8?| AST: 2?| STL:?0.7 | BLK:?1.9

The Boston Celtics get another matchup with Eastern Conference rival Miami Heat on the road tonight. While it's hard to bet on Boston props, I like the matchup for Kristaps Porzingis tonight.

A 56 percent hit rate this season, Porzingis over 26.5 points, rebounds, and assists has hit in three of the last five matchups, including two straight games against the Rockets and Nuggets. Tonight, he has a touch matchup against Bam Adebayo, in which the Heat allow only 110.5 points per game. Hitting four of the last six games, we can't forget his history against Miami.

When I look at head-to-head matchups, I do take into account if the players were on different rosters. Although Porzingis was on the Wizards last year, he's hit this prop in 75 percent of the last four matchups against Miami. In fact, he's coming off 27 points and assists back in October against the Heat.

Statistics courtesy of Props.Cash

Red hot as of late, Porzingis has showed the Celtics he can step up when everyone else is struggling. Coming off several days rest, Porzingis poured in 32 points, 6 rebounds, and one assist against the Houston Rockets on Sunday. Well rested, I like this prop even better with him having the time to recover.

Coming off three-days rest, the Unicorn has a hit rate of 100 percent against the Raptors, Cavaliers and Denver Nuggets. The Celtics thrive on three point shooting, and should be able to drag Bam Adebayo outside the paint. Defensively, he should excel on the boards given Adebayo is strictly an inside big, and isn't a threat from the perimeter.

Over the last month, Chet Holmgren, Alperen Sengün, and Wendell Carter Jr. all hit over points, rebounds, and assists. Even with the addition of Terry Rozier, the Heat are struggling, dropping four straight games straight. Porzingis is fresh off rest, and is in the midst of an incredible shooting month (43.6 percent from deep).

With Abebayo in the paint, the Heat force teams to shoot from outside. While they struggle to defend the perimeter at times, Porzingis excels very well in the two man game. Expect Porzingis to get a ton of outside looks when Tatum or someone else is double teamed. I'm going to ride the hot hand tonight, especially against a Miami team who allowed the Grizzlies to shoot nearly 50 percent from three.

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Sara Jane Gamelli is a full-time Sportswriter at Ballislife, and Sports Content Creator on Twitch and TikTok. She has a focus on the NBA, WNBA, NCAA Basketball, and the NFL. Sara Jane currently resides in Connecticut/NYC area with her Cat and Dog. SJ has her undergraduate degree from the?University?of Connecticut in Economics, with a minor in business administration.

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]]> http://www.ebooksnet.com/nba-betting-rivals-week-prop-bets/feed/ 0 GEuJWk9WQAAHxpC GEuQyQpX0AAGIh2 GEt-qNgWAAA-wpK NBA Betting: Daily Odds & Predictions for Dec. 15 http://www.ebooksnet.com/nba-betting-daily-odds-predictions-for-dec-15/ http://www.ebooksnet.com/nba-betting-daily-odds-predictions-for-dec-15/#respond Fri, 15 Dec 2023 21:57:56 +0000 http://www.ebooksnet.com/?p=274008 NBA Betting: Daily Odds, Statistics, Information, Prop Bets, Analysis, Trends, and Predictions for Friday, Dec 15

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Sara Jane Gamelli

SAN ANTONIO, TX - DECEMBER 13: Anthony Davis #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers and Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs look on during the game on December 13, 2023 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2023 NBAE (Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images)

There are eight games on the NBA schedule tonight, beginning at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. ET. For the betting slate, The Spurs will get a rematch with the Lakers at home, while Dillon Brooks and the Houston Rockets will face his former team, the Memphis Grizzlies. ?I am picking my four favorite NBA plays of the day. You can bet them single, or group into a parlay, your choice.?Here you will find the NBA betting odds, stats, trends, player prop bets, and predictions for Friday, Dec. 15.

NBA Daily Game Odds for 12/15

*Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook

  • Pacers (-8.5 )(-340) @ Wizards (+270): O/U 259
  • Pistons (+800) @ 76ers (-16) (-1350): O/U 235
  • Pelicans (-7) (-285)@ Hornets (+230): O/U 231.5
  • Magic (+190) @ Celtics (-6) (-230): O/U 224.5
  • Lakers (-7.5) (-325) @ Spurs (+260): O/U 234
  • Hawks (+110) @ Raptors (-2) (-130): O/U 241.5
  • Rockets (-3.5) (-162) @ Grizzlies (+136): O/U 212
  • Knicks (+164) @ Suns (-5)(-198): O/U 232

NBA Favorite Bet #1: Pacers vs. Wizards O 249.5

Tonight, the Indiana Pacers (13-9, 6-5 away) will matchup against the Washington Wizards (3-20, 1-8 home) on the road. With the original line at 256.5, I moved it down slightly to 249.5. How did I come up with this number? I took each teams game averages over the past ten matchups and divided that number by 2. While the Pacers average 251.6 game totals over the last 10, the Wizards average 247. While it comes out to 249, that's where the 249.5 came from.

With the Pacers having a 71 percent chance to win this matchup per ESPN Analytics, Indiana is 2-2 in their last 5 matchups, which excludes the NBA In-Season Tournament Championship against the Lakers. Coming off a tough 140-126 loss against the Milwaukee Bucks, Myles Turner and Tyrese Haliburton led the way with 22 points each. While they put up 126 points against Milwaukee, they allowed Giannis Antetokounmpo to score a career high 64 points. 13-9-0 against the spread this season, Indiana is 3-2 ATS in their last 5 matchups, covering versus the Pistons, Bucks, and Celtics. Overall, they are 18-4-0 against under/over totals, and the last two matchups hit the points over total.

Why I like this straight bet tonight

Having a 5-5 win/loss record in the last 10, the Pacers are 5-5 against the spread, and 6-4 against totals. Having hit the over against the Bucks and Pistons, Rick Carlisle's squad is averaging 127 points per game in the last 10. Additionally, the Pacers have a lethal offense, leading the NBA in points scored per game(128.4). One of my favorite teams to bet on, the under has only hit 4 times against the Celtics, Bucks, Trail Blazers, and Bulls. While three under total points hit since Nov. 27, I still have full confidence in tonight's matchup.

A fun, dynamic team, the Pacers play at a fast pace, and lead in several offensive statistical categories, including field goals made (48.1), field goal attempts (94.8), and field goal percentage (50.7). An electric offense led by Haliburton, the Pacers have a great amount of depth, and players that can strike from long distance.

The Washington Wizards lack stardom

For the Washington Wizards, they lack true super stardom, and to put it lightly, they just aren't a great team. With an unimpressive -11 point differential, they rank top 10 in points scored per game (115.9). While their overall offensive game lacks spark, they remain the worst defensive team in the league, allowing a league how 127 points per game. Although the Wizards have Jordan Poole and Kyle Kuzma, the team lacks any sort of star power beyond that.

15-8-0 against over/under totals, the Wizards are 1-9 in their last ten matchups, and hit the over six times. With six straight losses against the Pelicans, 76ers (twice), Nets, and Magic (twice), the Wizards somehow managed to hit the over points total in two straight matchups.

Overall, I could give you every statistic why this should hit tonight. If you're betting on the NBA, tonight is a story of a top offense against the worst defense in the league. In fact, the Pacers and Wizards allow the most points per game in the league. 5-5 in head-to-head matchups, the Pacers last defeated the Wizards 143-120 on Oct. 25.

One of the best matchups of the week, both teams rank No. 1 and No.2 in pace. I am very confident in this pick tonight, and love it for several reasons, especially since minimal defense is played by both teams on a nightly basis. If you're betting the NBA, the best pick is over 249.5 points.

Injuries

Pacers:
Jalen Smith, F: OUT

Wizards:
Delon Wright, G: OUT
Ryan Rollins, G: OUT
Johnny Davis, G: OUT
Eugene Omoruyi, F: QUESTIONABLE
Jordan Poole, G: QUESTIONABLE

Season Statistics & Betting Trends

*ATS-Against the Spread

Indiana Pacers

  • Indiana Pacers: 3-2 in their last 5 games.
  • 5-5 in their last 10 games.
  • ATS Record:?13-9-0
  • O/U Record: 18-4-0
  • 3-2 ATS in their last 5 games.
  • 6-4 ATS?in their last?10 games.
  • O/U?is?2-3 in the last?5 games.
  • O/U:?6-4 in the last?10 games.
  • 1st?in Offensive Rating (123)
  • 28th?in Defensive Rating (120)
  • 1st?in Points Per Game (128.4)
  • 1st in Pace: 104.48
  • Opponent Points Per Game:?125.5(29th)
  • Three-Point Percentage:?37.9 % (6)
  • Rebounds Per Game: 40.4 (29th)
  • Indiana ATS won last 10 games:?Detroit Pistons (-9.5), Miami Heat (+4.5), Boston Celtics (+4.5), Milwaukee Bucks (+5.5), Detroit Pistons (-7.5)

Washington Wizards

  • Washington Wizards:?0-5 in?their last?5 games.
  • 5-5 in their last 10 games.
  • ATS Record:?10-13-0
  • O/U Record: 15-8-0
  • 2-3?ATS?in their last?5 games.
  • 5-5 ATS?in their last?10 games.
  • O/U?is 4-1 in the last?5 games.
  • O/U:?6-4 in the last?10 games.
  • 24th?in Offensive Rating (111.3)
  • 30th?in Defensive Rating (121.9)
  • 10th?in Points Per Game (115.9
  • 2nd in Pace: 104.11
  • Opponent Points Per Game:?127 (30th)
  • Three-Point Percentage:?35.1 % (22)
  • Rebounds Per Game: 38.8 (30th)
  • Washington ATS won last 10 games: Charlotte Hornets(+3.5), Milwaukee Bucks (+13.5), Detroit Pistons (+2.5), Orlando Magic (+10.5), Philadelphia 76ers (+10.5).

NBA Favorite Bet #2: Orlando Magic +8.5

This evening, the Orlando Magic (16-7, 5-5 away) will face the Boston Celtics (18-5, 12-0 home) on the road tonight. Right along with the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Magic are an impressive young squad, known for their defensive prowess. Although the Celtics favored at 73 percent to win by ESPN Analytics, they have several players listed on their injury report.

For Boston, Center Luke Kornet will miss his second straight game with left adductor tightness. While Al Horford will rest tonight, Kristaps Porzingis is listed as doubtful with calf tightness. Listed questionable is guard Jaylen Brown with a right knee hyperextension. If Porzingis is truly out, the Celtics will be extremely thin at the 5 position tonight. Goga Bitadze, who's filled in for Wendell Carter Jr., would have a prime matchup against Boston.

The Magic hold the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, behind the Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics. Led by second year stud Paolo Banchero, Orlando has spent years building and developing this young core. Behind Banchero is Franz Wager, who's elevated his game in each of his three seasons with the Magic. From there, Cole Anthony, Mo Wagner, and Jalen Suggs have been key factors. If Wendell Carter Jr. and Markelle Fultz were healthy right now, I could only imagine how nasty this Magic team could really be. After drafting defensive juggernaut Anthony Black, the Magic have the third best defensive rating in the NBA (108.7). While their offense lacks at times, it's their defense that keeps them in games more often than not.

The Magic have dominated the Celtics since 2022

A top six team in steals (8.6), Orlando hold opponents to just 108.9 points per game, a stat line that's tied with the Celtics. Excellent around the perimeter, the Magic hold teams to 35 percent from long range. While the Celtics are an elite team, the Magic will have advantage with some key injuries to Boston.

17-6-0 against the spread this season, the Magic face a Boston team, who is 10-11-1. With a win/loss record of 8-2 in their last 10 matchups, the Magic are 7-3 against the spread. Coming off two consecutive victories over Cleveland and Detroit, the Magic were able to cover the -2.5, and -10.5 point spread margins. With wins over Toronto, Denver, Boston, Charlotte, and Washington, it's impressive the Magic covered the spread in every single one of those victories.

Why I like the Magic to cover tonight

Some way, some how, the Magic have won their past four matchups against the Celtics, dating back to Dec. 2022. With those wins, Orlando was able to cover large point spreads, including (+13, +11, +7.5, and +5.5). More impressive, the Magic defeated the Celtics on Nov 24, at home, which was considered a group play game. Snatching the 113-96 victory, they are the only team to keep Boston under 100 points scored this season.

I originally moved the line from +5.5 to +8.5 To be fair, this was booked before the full injury list was acquired, and given the fact Boston is undefeated at home. 13-1 against opponents with a healthy starting five, they will get a true test tonight with several players out. If you're betting on the NBA, I would even be okay with picking Orlando +5.5 to cover tonight. Plus, the C's are coming off back-to-back games.

Injuries

Magic:
Markelle Fultz, G: QUESTIONABLE
Kevon Harris, G: OUT
Wendell Carter Jr., C: OUT

Celtics:
Al Horford, C: OUT
Luke Kornet, C: OUT
Kristaps Porzingis, F: DOUBTFUL
Jaylen Brown, G: QUESTIONABLE

Season Statistics & Betting Trends

*ATS-Against the Spread

Orlando Magic

  • Orlando Magic:?3-2 in?their last?5 games.
  • 8-2 in their last?10 games.
  • ATS Record:?16-7-0
  • O/U Record: 12-11-0
  • 2-3 ATS?in their last?5 games.
  • 7-3 ATS?in their last?10 games.
  • O/U is 3-2 in the last 5 games.
  • O/U:?7-3 in the last?10 games.
  • 17th?in Offensive Rating (113.8)
  • 3rd?in Defensive Rating (108.7)
  • 16th ?in Points Per Game (114)
  • 14th in Pace: 100.20
  • Opponent Points Per Game:?108.9 (T-3)
  • Three-Point Percentage:?34.3 % (26th)
  • Rebounds Per Game: 43.5 (20th)
  • Orlando ATS won last 10 games:?Toronto Raptors (-1.5), Denver Nuggets (+3), Boston (+5.5), Charlotte Hornets (-6.5), Washington Wizards (-10.5), Detroit Pistons (-10.5), Cleveland Cavaliers (-2.5).

Boston Celtics

  • Boston Celtics:?4-1 in?their last?5 games.
  • 7-3?in their last?10 games.
  • ATS Record:?10-11-2
  • O/U Record: 10-12-1
  • 2-3?ATS?in their last?5 games.
  • 4-6 ATS?in their last?10 games.
  • O/U is 3-2 in the last 5 games.
  • O/U:?5-5 in the last?10 games.
  • 6th?in Offensive Rating (117.9)
  • 4th?in Defensive Rating (109.4)
  • 7th?in Points Per Game (117.3)
  • 22nd in Pace: 98.65
  • Opponent Points Per Game:?108.9 (T-3)
  • Three-Point Percentage: 38.8 % (3rd)
  • Rebounds Per Game: 46.7 (4th)
  • Boston ATS won last 10 games:?Atlanta Hawks (-7.5), Chicago Bulls (-12.5), New York Knicks (-7.5), Cleveland Cavaliers (-8.5)

NBA Favorite Bet #3: Buddy Hield O .5 steals

Season Stats?PPG:?13.1 |?FG:?45.4 %?| 3 PT: 38.8 %?| FT:?90.9 %?| REB:?3.2?| AST: 2.6?| STL:?0.8?| BLK:?0.5

Statistics courtesy of Props.Cash

While I broke down the Pacers versus Wizards game earlier, tonight I like Buddy Hield to have 1+ steals. Hield, who's played 22 games this season, is averaging over 1.1 steals in the last 10 matchups. In one meeting against Washington, the guard had 14 points, one steal, one block, five assists, and two rebounds, in 25 minutes. Starting just 10 games this season, Hield is still averaging 25.7 minutes per game, grabbing two steals total against the Bucks and Pistons.

If you're betting on the NBA tonight, Hield has at least one steal in six of seven games. With a season hit rate of 64 percent, the guard has one steal in seven of ten games, and four of the last five. In fact, he has a total of six steals in the last three matchups against Washington, including one on Oct. 25.

Unfortunately, there aren't many positive aspects about this Washington team. Ranking 23rd in turnovers, Indiana is a top 10 team in terms of steals per game (7.9). While the Wizards allow 8.2 steals per game, this is a prime matchup for Hield tonight.

Why I like Hield to hit 1+ steals tonight

Likely the No.2 guard to start next to Tyrese Haliburton, Hield averages 0.9 steals on the road. Although the Pacers aren't the best defensively, this prop has hit 80 percent in the last five road games, and 70 percent in the last 10. For Washington, they've allowed 11 straight shooting guards to hit over their steal props. These players include De'Anthony Melton, Cam Thomas, Jalen Suggs, Gary Harris, Jaden Ivey, Ausar Thompson, Dejounte Murray, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Pat Cannaughton.

While the stats are great, Hield is likely to face Jordan Poole and Tyus Jones at the guard position. While it should hit based off all the statistics, if it's a blowout, Carlisle may choose to rest some of his starters. Even so, if you're betting on the NBA, I like this prop for tonight.

NBA Favorite Bet #4: Victor Wembanyama 2+ blocks

Season Stats?PPG:?19.3 |?FG: 43.7 %?| 3 PT:?27.4 %?| FT:?79.2 %?| REB:?10.7?| AST: 2.5?| STL: 1.3?| BLK:?3

Statistics courtesy of Props.Cash

The San Antonio Spurs will face the Los Angeles Lakers in back-to-back games on prime time national Television (ESPN). Averaging 3 blocks a game, I feel this prop could be free in a way, and I hope I didn't just jinx myself. Rookie Victor Wembanyama is coming off a 6 block game against the Lakers, and has grown into his own.

In the past two matchups, Wembanyama has 11 blocks total against the Rockets and Lakers. With the line originally at 2.5, I moved it to 2. Whether that makes a difference or not, I expect the rookie to be a factor defensively tonight.

Coming off three straight games with 2+ blocks, the Spurs big man has a hit rate of 65 percent this season, and seven of the last eight games. While San Antonio gets the Lakers at home, Wemby has been even more impressive, averaging more than 3 blocks a game in front of their home fans. All over the court, Spurs Head Coach Greg Popovich stated he doesn't classify No. 1 has a center. With no set position, Wembanyama is capable of blocking anyone on the court, especially with his wingspan.

Why I like Wembanyama for 2+ blocks tonight

If you're betting on the NBA, this is one of my favorite props tonight. As of right now, LeBron James and Anthony Davis are both listed as questionable for tonights matchup. While the Lakers allow 4.4 blocks per game, the Spurs are top 8 with 6 blocks per game.

I love the matchup Wembanyama has against the Lakers tonight. With the 5th best defense against blocks, Los Angeles allowed Wembanyama, Dereck Lively II, Alperen Sengün, and Jarrett Allen all to hit over their block props in the last two weeks. I loved seeing the Spurs big man matchup with Anthony Davis, in which he locked him up several times. Averaging 3.9 blocks over the last 10 games, betting tonight, I'll take the over tonight.

We now are partnered with Prize Picks and Props.Cash! Use code ‘BIL’ on the Props.Cash mobile app or website for a 25% discount on your first month’s subscription! Research Props Tool to help you find everything you need FAST for your bet. When you sign up for Prize Picks, use the code LIFE.?

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Sara Jane Gamelli is a full-time Sportswriter at Ballislife, and Sports Content Creator on Twitch and TikTok. She has a focus on the NBA, WNBA, NCAA Basketball, and the NFL. Sara Jane currently resides in Connecticut/NYC area with her Cat and Dog. SJ has her undergraduate degree from the?University?of Connecticut in Economics, with a minor in business administration.

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]]> http://www.ebooksnet.com/nba-betting-daily-odds-predictions-for-dec-15/feed/ 0 Los Angeles Lakers v San Antonio Spurs SAN ANTONIO, TX - DECEMBER 13: Anthony Davis #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers and Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs look on during the game on December 13, 2023 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2023 NBAE (Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) image_6487327-25 image_6487327-26 NBA Betting: Daily Odds & Free Plays for 12/1 http://www.ebooksnet.com/nba-betting-daily-odds-free-plays-for-12-1/ http://www.ebooksnet.com/nba-betting-daily-odds-free-plays-for-12-1/#respond Fri, 01 Dec 2023 22:30:36 +0000 http://www.ebooksnet.com/?p=273835 NBA Betting: Daily Odds, Statistics, Trends, Information, Analysis, Predictions, and Free Plays for Friday, December 1.

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Written and edited by

Sara Jane Gamelli

Tonight, there are six games on the NBA slate. With the In-Season tournament quarter finals set for next week, there will be a regular set of games tonight. In addition, there will be two prime time games hosted on ESPN. The Boston Celtics (14-4, 8-0 home) will host the Eastern Conference Rivals Philadelphia 76ers (12-6, 5-3 away) at home. For the Western Conference, the Denver Nuggets (13-6, 4-6 away) will matchup against the Phoenix Suns (11-7, 4-4 home) on the road. Will the Boston Celtics stay undefeated at home? Which players will compete cash out for you tonight? Below, you can find the betting odds, statistics, and player props for Friday, December 1.

Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

NBA Daily Game Odds for 12/1

*Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook

  • Wizards (+410) @ Magic (550) (-11): O/U 237.5
  • 76ers (+210) @ Celtics (-258) (-6.5): O/U 224.5
  • Grizzlies (+215) @ Mavericks (-265) (-9.5): O/U 230
  • Knicks (+114) @ Raptors (-135) (-2): O/U 217
  • Spurs (+550) @ Pelicans (-800) (-12.5): O/U 237.5
  • Nuggets (-155) (-3) @ Suns (+130): O/U 225.5

NBA Bet #1: Jaylen Brown O 1.5 Assists (-370)

Season Stats?PPG:?21.9 |?FG:?45.2 %?| 3 PT:?34.4 %?| FT:?70.6 %?| REB:?5?| AST: 3.6?| STL:?1.1?| BLK:?0.5

Statistics courtesy of Props.Cash

Tonight, the Boston Celtics will face the Philadelphia 76ers on their home court. Originally with the line set at 2.5 assists, I took the 1.5 alternate assists on Draft Kings. With Kristaps Porzingis out of the lineup tonight, Jaylen Brown will get a starting spot most likely around Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, Jayson Tatum, and Al Horford. For the 76rs, Joel Embiid will be a game-time decision with an illness, along with Nic Batum and Jaden Springer.

Since I am cooking up a five-leg parlay tonight, I decided to go with over 1.5 assists for -370. For this specific prop, it has a hit rate of 88 percent this season, and in six straight games at the TD Garden. For Brown, he faces Philadelphia, who allow the 22nd most assists per game (27) and allowed six shooting guards to hit over their props since Nov. 21. Most recently allowing Jordan Hawkins to dish out 2 assists, the Sixers saw Josh Giddey, Anthony Edwards, Max Strus, Isaiah Joe, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker all have 2 assists and up per game. For Edwards, he dished out six dimes last week, and for Giddey, he had 8 total assists against the 76ers on Nov. 25.

Why I like Brown over 1.5 assists

19 games into the season, Boston has proven they are an elite team and can capture victories, even with injuries. With several scoring options next to Brown, he's hit over assists in 5 straight games, against the Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks, Orlando Magic, Milwaukee Bucks, and Charlotte Hornets.

If you're betting on the NBA, props can be difficult to bet on with the Boston Celtics. Previously stated by players and coaches, every player will eat and get their points, it's just not predictable. This is why I went with Brown over assists. In a newly constructed offense, Brown can often create his own opportunities, but doesn't shy away from finding the perfect play. Averaging 3.6 assists on the season, the Celtics star has over 1.5 dimes in 11 straight games against Philadelphia, and 100 percent in the last regular season matchups.

If you're betting on Jaylen Brown over assists, I wouldn't hesitate to pick over 2.5, or even 3.5. He's averaging four at home, 2 against their rival this season. Over 1.5 is the safest pick here.

NBA Bet # 2: Daniel Gafford O 1.5 Blocks (-175)

Season Stats?PPG:?9.3 |?FG:?7-/3 %?| 3 PT: 0 %?| FT:?65.6 %?| REB:?7.4?| AST: 1.5?| STL:?0.7?| BLK:?2

Statistics courtesy of Props.Cash

This evening, the Washington Wizards (3-15, 2-9 away) will face the Orlando Magic (13-5, 8-2 home) on the road tonight. Having lost 4 of their last 5 games, the Magic remain a pleasant surprise in the Eastern Conference, and one of the prime defensive teams.

If there has been on constant on the Wizards, it's been Daniel Gafford defensively. Averaging 2 blocks on the season, the Wizards center is playing even more efficient on the road, averaging 2.2 blocks. If you're betting on the NBA Gafford over blocks has a 75 percent hit rate this season, including the last three consecutive matchups against Orlando. For a team that averages 4.8 blocks per game, they play a Magic team who ranks 18th in opponent blocks per game (5.2). With Wendell Carter Jr out for Orlando, and Isaac listed as questionable, perhaps Gafford will have a juicier matchup against a smaller lineup.

Why Gafford can hit over 1.5 blocks tonight

The Wizards are not a great basketball team, that's already been established. However, the Wizards big man has hit over 1.5 blocks in four straight games and tallied 10 total blocks in those matchups. Overall, the over hit at least 60 percent in the last 10 games, and over assists has an 80 percent over rate on the road.

In their previous matchup on Nov. 29, Orlando allowed Gafford to have 2 blocks, in addition to Miles Bridges, P.J Washington, Nikola Jokic, and Chris Boucher all hitting over blocks this week.

If you're betting on the NBA, the Magic rank 6th in the NBA in paint points (48.7 percent), and 65 percent of their total shots are two-pointers. Gafford should have plenty of defensive opportunities in the paint tonight.

NBA Bet #3: Desmond Bane 1+ Steals (-205)

Season Stats?PPG:?23.2 |?FG:?44 %?| 3 PT:?35.3 %?| FT:?87.1 %?| REB:?4.5?| AST: 5.2?| STL:?1.4?| BLK:?0.6

Statistics courtesy of Props.Cash

The Dallas Mavericks (11-6, 5-2 home) will host the injury riddled Memphis Grizzlies (4-13, 3-5 away) at home tonight. If you're betting on the NBA tonight, Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane averages 1.4 steals a game, over 1 a game on the road.

An 82 percent hit rate this season, Bane is one of the best defensive guards in the league. Coming off a three-steal game against the Utah Jazz, Bane will share the backcourt with Derrick Rose tonight, who is filling in for the injured Marcus Smart. Having at least one steal in 5 of the last 5 games, the Grizzlies guard will face the Mavericks who rank 12th in total turnovers per game (13.9).

Why I like Desmond Bane defensively

Allowing 6.9 steals a game, Dallas will be without star Luka Doncic. With Doncic out of the lineup, that changes the landscape quite a bit for Bane. Without Doncic, this prop hit just one of three games last season against Memphis. If you're betting on the NBA tonight, it's hard to fade a prop that's hit nearly every game as of recent.

With three steals against the Mavericks on October 30, Bane gets Dallas again tonight. Over 2 steals on the road, I'm not fading a prop that has a 70 percent hit rate in the last 10 games. Although it could be a risky play with Doncic out, this prop hits 79 percent against teams in the Western Conference.

NBA Bet #4: 2 Picks Same Game Parlay

Zion Williamson 25+ Points and Assists

Season Stats?PPG:?24 |?FG:?56.6 %?| 3 PT:?50 %?| FT: 64.9 %?| REB:?5.9?| AST: 4.9?| STL:?1.1?| BLK:?0.3

Statistics courtesy of Props.Cash

Friday night, the New Orleans Pelicans (10-9, 7-4 home) will host the San Antonio Spurs (3-15, 2-6 away) at home tonight. If you're betting on the NBA, Victor Wembanyama and Doug McDermott are both are for the Spurs tonight.

Averaging 23.2 points per game, Zion Williamson is fully healthy, and has a prime matchup tonight against San Antonio, especially with the absence of Wembanyama. This is one of my favorite props for this evening, as Zion has scored 25 plus points and assists in six straight matchups against the Denver Nuggets, Sacramento Kings, Los Angeles Clippers, and the Utah Jazz. Stronger and healthier than ever, Williamson faces a Spurs defense that is not stellar by any stretch of the means. Ranking 28th, the Spurs allow 124.1 points per game, and give up over 50 points in the paint.

If you're betting on the NBA, I could see how this could be a risk, especially with just a 40 percent hit rate this season. However, the Spurs allow the 29th most assists per game (28.9), which is great news with Pelicans guard C.J. McCollum back in the lineup. With a 100 percent hit rate in the last five matchups, Zion has gone over points and assists in his last two matchups against San Antonio.

Why I like Zion Williamson over points and assists

With Trey Murphy III set to make his debut tonight, it's unclear how that will affect Williamsons points and assists. However, the Spurs are 16th defensively against forwards, and Zion should feast tonight.

You could look at all the statistics in the world and be hesitant about this pick. Bottom line It's hard to fade a pick against the Spurs who will be without their tallest defender. While the Spurs only have three wins on the season, the Pelicans could certainly propel their offense with a healthy Williamson. Averaging 5.5 assists and 25.6 points in the last ten games, the Pelicans forward minutes and shot volume have fared pretty consistent.

In the last three matchups, Williamson is averaging 30.3 points, 6 assists, and 33.6 minutes on 17.6 field goal attempts per game. Even with the return of Murphy III and McCollum, I love this prop against the matchup.

Herbert Jones O 0.5 Three-Pointers Made

Season Stats?PPG:?11.2 |?FG:?50.8 %?| 3 PT:?33.3 %?| FT:?86 %?| REB:?4?| AST: 2.9?| STL:?1.8?| BLK:?1.3

Statistics courtesy of Props.Cash

One of my favorite props to bet on this season, I'm picking Herbert Jones to make over .5 three-pointers tonight against the San Antonio Spurs. Averaging 11.2 points on the season, Jones is shooting 38.7 percent from beyond the arc in the last 10 games. Tonight, he faces the Spurs who allowed the 29th worst three-point percentage per game (39.9 %), and 14.6 attempts from long range.

I do believe the return of Murphy III and McCollum may hinder the minutes of Jones. However, I love this prop based on matchup, and over Jones three pointers made has a 63 percent hit rate on the season. Hitting at least one shot from downtown in 3 of 4 games, Jones hit this prop in 2 of 3 games against San Antonio last season.

If Jones can keep up playing over 30 minutes a game, the return of McCollum should facilitate the offense much more smoothly. Since Nov. 26, the Spurs allowed De'Andre Hunter, Justin Holiday, Michael Porter Jr., Julian Strawther, Andrew Wiggins, Kawhi Leonard, and Paul George to all at least hit one three-pointer per game. If you're betting on the NBA, I like the over tonight.

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Sara Jane Gamelli is a full-time Sportswriter at Ballislife, and Sports Content Creator on Twitch and TikTok. She has a focus on the NBA, WNBA, NCAA Basketball, and the NFL. Sara Jane currently resides in Connecticut/NYC area with her Cat and Dog. SJ has her undergraduate degree from the?University?of Connecticut in Economics, with a minor in business administration.

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]]> http://www.ebooksnet.com/nba-betting-daily-odds-free-plays-for-12-1/feed/ 0 Philadelphia 76ers v New Orleans Pelicans NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - NOVEMBER 29: Zion Williamson #1 of the New Orleans Pelicans stands on the court during the second quarter of an NBA game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Smoothie King Center on November 29, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) Screenshot-2023-12-01-171651 Screenshot-2023-12-01-171606 Screenshot-2023-12-01-171518 Screenshot-2023-12-01-171414 Screenshot-2023-12-01-171303 NBA Betting: Daily Odds & Free Plays for November 26 http://www.ebooksnet.com/nba-betting-daily-odds-free-plays/ http://www.ebooksnet.com/nba-betting-daily-odds-free-plays/#respond Sun, 26 Nov 2023 22:50:12 +0000 http://www.ebooksnet.com/?p=273771 NBA Daily: Betting Odds, Statistics, Information, Trends, Analysis, Prop Bets and Predictions for Sunday, November 26.

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There are 8 games on the NBA slate today, beginning at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. EDT. A month into the season, we are starting to witness certain betting trends and statistics. Although there aren't any In-Season tournament games today, there are several matchups between Eastern and Western Conference teams. Will the Boston Celtics stay undefeated at home? Will the Grizzlies finally get a win on their home court? Here you will find the NBA betting odds, stats, trends, player prop bets, and predictions for Sunday November 26.

NBA Daily Game Odds for 11/26

*Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook

Trail Blazers @ Bucks (-13)
Hawks @ Celtics (-7.5)
Timberwolves (-7) @ Grizzlies
Suns @ Knicks (-3)
Hornets @ Magic (-6.5)
Bulls @ Nets (-4.5)
Raptors @ Cavaliers (-2.5)
Spurs @ Nuggets (-11.5)

Daily NBA Props and Picks

*Full disclosure, tail at your own discretion. You can use any of these as a straight bet, or group them into a parlay*

NBA Bet # 1: LaMelo Ball O 33.5 Points and Assists (-110)

Season Stats?PPG:?25.9 | FG:?47.6 %?| 3 PT: 42.6 %?| FT:?87.8 %?| REB:?6.2?| AST: 8.9?| STL: 1.5?| BLK:?0.3

(Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)

Tonight, the Charlotte Hornets (5-9, 2-3 away) will face the Orlando Magic (11-5, 6-2 Home) on the road tonight. Off to a disappointing season, LaMelo Ball has been a consistent force for Charlotte. Averaging over 25.9 points per game, Ball has had to carry the workload due to injuries to Terry Rozier, among other players.

Tonight, Ball gets the Magic, who are a top defensive team, and first in rebounding. Although they don't allow many opponent points and assists, it's hard to fade a player who's been so consistent. If you're betting on the NBA, Ball hit over points and assists in 6 straight games, against the Knicks, Heat, Bucks, Celtics, and Wizards. A prop that's hit well over 50 percent this season, the Charlotte guard hit this prop in 8 of the last 10 games, and over 50 percent last season.

Statistics courtesy of Props.Cash

In Feb. 2023, Ball posted up 39 points and assists against the Magic, although they were a different team. Back from injuries, Orlando has the return of Jalen Suggs, and the evolution of several players. Sure, the Magic are proving they belong in the East. However, the surge of Ball cannot go unnoticed, and is averaging 34.8 minutes played per game. In 5 games on the road, Ball is putting up 23.4 points and 8.2 assists per game.

LaMelo Ball has been on a tear

If you're betting on the NBA, LaMelo Ball is a special player who is a crafty ball hander and known for making incredible passes. Able to shoot from everywhere on the court, the Hornets star has the athleticism to drive to the basket. For Ball, he's coming off four 30 plus point games, including 34 points and 13 assists against the Washington Wizards. With Markelle Fultz and Wendell Carter Jr. unavailable for the Magic tonight, perhaps that will make things easier for ball. I will say, he will have a tough matchup with Anthony Black, a rookie who was drafted for his defense.

Charlotte guard Terry Rozier comes back from injury tonight, who hasn't played since Nov. 4. Depending on minutes played, Rozier, who's averaging 22 points per game, could put a dent in Balls production.

In the last ten games, Ball is averaging 30.1 points per game from 42.6 percent from beyond the arc. Since Nov 6, the Magic have allowed guards Spencer Dinwiddie, Cameron Payne, and Trae Young to all hit over points and assists. Although Balls hit rate is 0-5 with Rozier in the lineup this season for this prop, again, it's hard to fade how incredible he's playing as of late.

NBA Bet #2: Jaylen Brown O 0.5 Steals (-215)

Season Stats PPG: 21.4 | FG: 43.9 % | 3 PT: 33.3 % | FT: 71.4 % | REB: 3.7 | AST: 3.9 | STL: 1.1 | BLK: 0.7

Tonight, the Boston Celtics (12-4, 6-0 home) will host the Atlanta Hawks (8-7, 5-2 away) at the TD Garden tonight. Coming off a 113-96 loss against the Orlando Magic, the Celtics will be without defensive specialist Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis. For the Hawks, they are coming off a 136-108 victory over the Washington Wizards and will be without Jalen Johnson with a wrist injury.

If you're betting on the NBA, Jaylen Brown expressed his desire preseason to become a better defender, and averages 1.1 steals per game. Although the line is slightly higher, Brown hit this prop 73 percent this season, and 4 of the last 8 games. A prop that hit 8 of 10 games, the Celtics guard faces a Hawks team that ranks 25th in total turnovers per game (16.1).

Statistics courtesy of Props.Cash

If you aren't sold on this prop, Brown had over 0.5 steals four times last year against Atlanta and is coming off a three-steal game against the Orlando Magic. Emerging as one of the top defensive teams in the league, the Celtics pride themselves on grit and defense.

Why Jaylen Brown could hit this prop

The reason why I love this prop tonight is because of Jaylen Browns recent play, and the amount of turnovers Atlanta creates on a nightly basis. Since Nov. 17, Atlanta has allowed 10 straight player prop steals, including Nic Claxton, Bruce Brown, Tyrese Haliburton, and Tobias Harris. More importantly, the Hawks have allowed 7 straight shooting guards to hit over steals, including Quentin Grimes, Ausar Thompson, Duncan Robinson, and Jalen Suggs. Without Holiday in the lineup, Brown hit this prop 100 percent. With four steals in two games, Brown will have to take on guarding several players tonight with Porzingis and Holiday out. Averaging 34.3 minutes in the month of November, Brown is coming off a 39-minute game, and I expect him to have hefty playing time tonight against the eastern rival Hawks.

DeMar DeRozan O 0.5 3PTM (-150)

Season Stats PPG: 21.1 | FG: 44.7 % | 3 PT: 39.1% | FT: 80.3 % | REB: 3.2 | AST: 4.6 | STL: 1.1 | BLK: 1.1

The Chicago Bulls (5-12, 1-6 away) will matchup against the Brooklyn Nets (7-8, 4-4 home) on the road tonight. Though Chicago has been quite the disappointment through 17 games, DeMar DeRozan still remains a main core of this team, along with Zach LaVine. A career 29.1 percent three-point shooter, DeRozan is hitting over 35 percent of his shots from downtown this season.

Listed at -145 odds, DeRozan hit at least one made three pointer in 3 of the last 5 games, against the Heat, and Magic. Tonight, he faces a Brooklyn team that has been riddled with injuries to Ben Simmons and Cam Thomas. With Alex Caruso and Zach LaVine listed as questionable, DeRozan hit this prop over 55 percent this season. Not the best defensive unit, Brooklyn allows the 20th most points per game (114.9) and allows opponents to attempt nearly 14 three pointers per game.

Statistics courtesy of Props.Cash

Why I'm confident in this prop

In one matchup against Brooklyn this year, the Bulls guard is shooting 50 percent from downtown, and putting up 24 points per game. It's important to note, he hasn't made a three-pointer in all seven games on the road. I truly believe he's due tonight, especially if Caruso and LaVine are unable to suit up.

Averaging 35.8 minutes in the month of November, DeRozan certainly has the shot volume and minutes to stay confident in this prop. Over the month of November, Brooklyn has allowed at least one three-pointer made by Haywood Highsmith, Jaime Jaquez Jr., De'Andre Hunter, Jimmy Butler, and Franz Wagner. According to Props. Cash, DeRozan has a probability of hitting this prop 56 % percent if he plays at least 35.6 minutes per game.

If you're betting on the NBA, I am confident in this prop, against a banged-up Brooklyn team.

Bonus: Minnesota Timberwolves -6 (-115)

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Sara Jane Gamelli is a full-time Sportswriter at Ballislife, and Sports Content Creator on Twitch and TikTok. She has a focus on the NBA, WNBA, NCAA Basketball, and the NFL. Sara Jane currently resides in Connecticut/NYC area with her Cat and Dog. SJ has her undergraduate degree from the University of Connecticut in Economics, with a minor in business administration.

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]]> http://www.ebooksnet.com/nba-betting-daily-odds-free-plays/feed/ 0 NBA-DAILY-3-2 Screenshot-2023-11-26-173810 Screenshot-2023-11-26-173611 Screenshot-2023-11-26-173704 Lakers vs. Magic: Betting Odds, Stats, & Predictions http://www.ebooksnet.com/lakers-vs-magic-betting-odds-stats/ http://www.ebooksnet.com/lakers-vs-magic-betting-odds-stats/#respond Mon, 30 Oct 2023 21:52:16 +0000 http://www.ebooksnet.com/?p=273255 The Orlando Magic (2-0,1-0 Away) will matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers( 1-2, 1-0 Home) on the road…

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The Orlando Magic (2-0,1-0 Away) will matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers( 1-2, 1-0 Home) on the road tonight. With a 60 percent chance to win, the Lakers will look to bounce back from a 132-127 overtime loss against the Kings. For the Magic, they remain undefeated on the road, capturing victories over Portland and Houston. Here you will find the NBA betting odds, stats, trends, player prop bets, and predictions for Monday, October 30.

Orlando Magic vs. Los Angeles Lakers Odds

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook

Magic vs. Lakers under 218 points

Although it may be early in the NBA season, the Magic are top team defensively, and the Los Angeles Lakers rank in the top half on the defensive end. Filled with youthful talent, Orlando starts the season undefeated, while the Lakers are 1-2. For the Magic, they've had easier matchups so far, both against the Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers, both sub .500 teams. For the Lakers, they've matched up with the Kings, Suns, and Nuggets, whom are all projected to be top teams in the West this season.

While the Magic are 0-2-0 versus totals, the Lakers are 1-2-0. For Los Angeles, they had several off season acquisitions after being swept by the Nuggets in the playoffs. With several new pieces (Taurean Prince, Gabe Vincent, Jaxon Hayes, Cam Reddish, and Christian Wood) Darvin Ham now has the challenge of putting it all together. While it takes time to develop chemistry, Ham also has the challenge of managing LeBron James minutes.

The Lakers have the depth and talent to average nearly 130 points on any given night, especially if Anthony Davis can play to his max potential. Though three games, the Lakers rank 19th in offensive rating (106.4), averaging 111.3 points per game. Only averaging 29.1 percent from three-point range, Los Angeles also ranks near the bottom in field goal percentage (40). So far, James and Davis average a combined 48.7 points per game, with D'Angelo Russell sitting in third with 14 points a game.

The Lakers for sure rely on their bench outside their starting five, which includes Rui Hachimura, along with the players I stated above. Averaging 26.3 points as a bench unit, any of these players have the capability to take over games and score. Tonight, they play a Magic defense thats ranks third in defensive rating, and allows the least amount of most scored in the league.

Why the under can hit this game

Jamahl Mosley, Head Coach of the Orlando Magic, prides himself on leading a top defensive team. Led by Franz Wagner and Cole Anthony, Orlando has several dogs on defense, including Jalen Suggs. Although their lead over Portland wasn't significant, they held the Trail Blazers to 39.8 percent field goal, and 28.1 percent three-point shooting. In their season debut, the Magic held the Rockets to 86 points on 40.5 percent field goal shooting.

Defensively, the Magic impressed Portlands head coach Chauncey Billups, in which they made the Blazers miss six of their last seven shots in the final quarter. They also held the opposition to just 38 point scored in the paint, which should be a challenging task tonight.

As elite as they've been on defense, the Magic are tied 8th with the Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics in offensive rating (113.5). Not just one star scoring a majority of the points, Orlando has a well balanced attack. With mainly a clean slate of health tonight, Orlando will post likely start Jalen Suggs, Markelle Fultz, Wendell Carter Jr., Franz Wagner, and Paolo Banchero. Additionally, the Magic are second in the league in bench points per game (48.5)

Overall, the totals split 1-1 last season, and the over/under is 5-5 in their last ten games. Last season, the Magic finished one of the worst teams in the league, and 40-42-0 against the over/under. If you're betting on the NBA, the under is your safest bet, especially with LeBron James listed as probable. With both teams ranking in the bottom half in pace, I except this to be a relatively low scoring game tonight.

Season Statistics & Betting Trends

*Includes 22-23 season*

Orlando Magic

  • Orlando Magic: 2-3 in their last 5 games.
  • 5-5 in their last 10 games.
  • ATS Record: 2-0-0
  • O/U Record: 0-2-0
  • 2-3 ATS in their last 5 games.
  • 6-3-1 ATS in their last 10 games.
  • O/U is 1-4 in the last 5 games.
  • O/U: 3-7 in the last 10 games.
  • 9th in Offensive Rating (113.5)
  • 3rd in Defensive Rating (95.8)
  • T 19th in Points Per Game (109)
  • 25th in Pace: 95.75 (30)
  • Opponent Points Per Game: 91.5 (1)
  • Three-Point Percentage: 29 % (27)
  • Rebounds Per Game: 51 (3)
  • Orlando ATS won last 10 games: Brooklyn (-1.5), Memphis (+6.5), Washington (-4.5), Detroit (-11), Houston (-4.5), Portland (-4)

Los Angeles Lakers

  • Los Angeles Lakers: 1-4 in their last 5 games.
  • 3-7 in their last 10 games.
  • ATS Record: 0-3-0
  • O/U Record: 1-2-0
  • 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games.
  • 4-6 ATS in their last 10 games.
  • O/U is 2-3 in the last 5 games.
  • O/U: 5-5 in the last 10 games.
  • 19th in Offensive Rating (106.4)
  • 15th in Defensive Rating (110.5)
  • 13th in Points Per Game (111.3)
  • 15th in Pace: 100.99
  • Opponent Points Per Game: 115.6 (T 18)
  • Three-Point Percentage: 33.9 (16)
  • Rebounds Per Game: 46.3 (12)
  • Lakers ATS won last 10 games:  Golden State (-2.5, -3.5), Denver (+5.5)

Head-to-head stats: Magic vs. Lakers

Season Matchups: 2022-2023
Lakers won the season series 2-0

Game 1: Lakers 129, Magic 110 (Lakers +2.5, O 237.5)
Game 2: Lakers 111, Magic 105 (Orlando +6.5, Under 229.5)

Injuries

Magic

  • Kevon Harris, G: Day-to-Day

Lakers

  • Jarred Vanderbilt, PF : OUT (Heel)
  • Jalen Hood-Schifino, G: OUT
  • Lebron James, F: Probable
  • Cam Reddish: Probable
  • Rui Hachimura: Probable

Franz Wagner O 18.5 Points (-110)

Season Stats PPG: 21 | FG: 39.3 % | 3 PT: 37.5 % | FT: 93.3 % | REB: 4.5 | AST: 2.5 | STL: 1 | BLK: 0.5

Career Stats vs Los Angeles: PPG: 17.8 | FG: 48.3 % | 3 PT: 27.8 % | FT: 76.5 % | REB: 5 | AST: 4 | STL: 0.8 | BLK:0.5

Franz Wagner is certainly having a fantastic start to the season. In two games, Wagner is averaging over 20 points a game and has been a difference maker for the Magic. The Lakers are a middle of a road defensive team, allowing teams to shoot 35 percent from downtown. For Wagner, over 18.5 points has hit in two straight games this season, including 23 against Portland, and 19 against Houston. Although this prop hit only 50 percent in the last ten games, Wagner has taken a huge leap forward for the Magic.

Coming off back-to-back solid games, Wagner faces a Laker team that allows 116.6 points which is 20th in the league. The lowest he's scored was 15 points agains the Lakers, and last scored 21 points against them in March of 2023. Through the first two games, the forward has six made threes, a part of his game he worked on in the off season. If LeBron James is out for tonight's matchup, I will be even more confident on this pick.

Why this prop will hit

It's clear there are several scoring options for the Magic. However, both Wagner and Banchero have emerged as leaders of this team on a nightly basis. Averaging 18.6 points per game in his sophmore year, Franz is extremely versatile, competitive, and has a deadly step back shot. Although Banchero has emerged as their "best player," Wager is extremely efficient in spacing the floor.

If you're betting on the NBA, Franz Wagner over 18.5 points hit 56 percent in 2022-2023, and 53 percent in his last fifteen games. Despite only shooting under 40 percent from both the field and the three point line, I'm more confident he can put up more points.

Cole Anthony 15+ Points, Rebounds, Assists

Season Stats PPG: 19 | FG: 51.9 % | 3 PT: 44.4 % | FT: 66.7 % | REB: 6 | AST: 2 | STL: 0 | BLK: 0.5

Career Stats vs Los Angeles: PPG: 13 | FG: 34.8 % | 3 PT: 33.3 % | FT: 64.3 % | REB: 4.2 | AST: 4.2 | STL: 0.8 | BLK:0.5

Sometimes I like to pick the safest bet, and that is Cole Anthony over 15 + Points, Rebounds, and assists. If you're betting on the NBA and choosing not to set up a parlay, I would be confident in taking Anthony over 18.5. This prop has hit in his first two games against Houston and Portland, and 50 percent in two games against the Lakers. A rising star in the NBA, Anthony hit this prop 90 percent in the last ten games, and 14 of the last 15 games. Hitting in the last five games, it's extremely hard to fade this prop.

This year, the Lakers rank 25th in rebounds allowed, and 16th in total assists (25.7). Even off the bench, Anthony has been averaging strong numbers. Imagine if he was a starter for Orlando? Although he's been a primary bench player, the guard is averaging 26 minutes a game, and is shooting extremely efficient from the field (51.9 percent). The fact that Cole Anthony has a combined 27 shot attempts in two games, makes me even more comfortable about this pick.

Stay tuned for more NBA betting related articles. Click here

Sara Jane Gamelli is a full-time Sportswriter at Ballislife, and Sports Content Creator on Twitch and TikTok. She has a focus on the NBA, WNBA, NCAA Basketball, and the NFL. Sara Jane currently resides in Connecticut/NYC area with her Cat and Dog. SJ has her undergraduate degree from the University of Connecticut in Economics, with a minor in business administration.

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]]> http://www.ebooksnet.com/lakers-vs-magic-betting-odds-stats/feed/ 0 image_6487327-9 Final, Expanded 2019-20 FAB 50 Rankings! http://www.ebooksnet.com/final-expanded-2019-20-fab-50-rankings/ http://www.ebooksnet.com/final-expanded-2019-20-fab-50-rankings/#respond Sat, 16 May 2020 21:59:44 +0000 https://bilcomprd.wpengine.com/?p=198849 All 50 ranked teams written up with explanations for why they were placed in these positions with comparisons to preseason ranking.

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]]> All 50 ranked teams written up with explanations for why they were placed in these positions with comparisons to preseason ranking. The FAB 50 National Team Rankings powered by www.ebooksnet.com is the official rankings of the National Sports News Service, which date back to the 1952 season. Montverde Academy of Florida is the 2019-20 mythical national champion, the fifth title for the program since 2013 and perhaps its best ever team. 

Compiled by Ronnie Flores

(Preseason ranking in parentheses; *Indicates forfeit wins, forfeit losses not included; **Indicates forfeits and defaults not included; ***Indicates season cut short due to COVID-19 Pandemic.)

RELATED: Subscribe on iTunes to "In the Paint Show” podcast  | Final East Top 20 | Final Southeast Top 20  | Final Midwest Top 20 | Final Southwest Top 20 | Final West Top 20 | Salute To All-Time FAB 50 Champions | Final 2018-19 FAB 50 | Final 2017-18 FAB 50 | Final 2016-17 FAB 50 | Final 2015-16 FAB 50 | Final 2014-15 FAB 50 | Final 2013-14 FAB 50 | Final 2012-13 FAB 50

1. (2) Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 25-0***
It was a close call between the Eagles and No. 5 IMG Academy for the No. 1 spot in the 2019-20 preseason FAB 50. It came down to IMG Academy defeating Montverde Academy at GEICO Nationals on the way to its first mythical national title in 2018-19. Had Montverde Academy won a game it was leading by 16 points, it would have went wire-to-wire as the No. 1 team in 2019-20. Instead, it moved up to No. 1 after IMG lost to preseason No. 4 Paul IV at the DC Hoopfest (67-56) and never looked back, rattling off 25 consecutive dominant wins while capturing the program’s fifth FAB 50 title in eight seasons. The Eagles stamped their place as one of the greatest teams in high school basketball history by defeating 12 FAB 50 ranked team en route to one of the largest winning margins (39.0 ppg) among elite high school teams we’ve ever uncovered. Only one team played coach Kevin Boyle’s team in single digits and that was IMG Academy in the title game of the City of Palms Classic (63-55). The Eagles defeated the Ascenders twice more and no other team game within 20 points of this juggernaut. Cade Cunningham (13.9 ppg) was the 2019-20 Mr. Basketball USA choice and do-it-all Scottie Barnes (11.6 ppg) joined him as the first pair of first five All-Americans on the same high school team since 1975. Montverde had a third McDonald’s All-American in its lineup in Day’Ron Sharpe (12.1 ppg) and its bench in all likelihood was FAB 50 level as its own separate unit. Without the luxury of participating at GEICO Nationals, the Eagles were robbed of some well-deserved national acclaim as one of the best units ever, but three more potential games against ranked foes didn’t change just how dominant this team was in its 25 games. Just how great this team is considered versus other historically great teams as the years go by will be determined by how successful the roster is on the next levels of the game, but that won’t change the Eagles’ standing as the best team since the turn of the century. Expect the Eagles to challenge for No. 1 once again in 2020-21 with sophomores Caleb Houstan (10.0 ppg), an underclass All-American, and Dariq Whitehead (8.3 ppg) leading the charge.              

Richard Isaacs Jr.
Richard Isaacs Jr.

6'2"   -   PG   -   2022

2. (23) Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah) 27-2***
If there was one team who really had something to prove at GEICO Nationals it was the Tigers, as they were eager to show the country they did more than just win games at the right time. Coach David Evans’ team does finish ranked behind Montverde Academy, but the outbreak of COVID-19 meant there was no results from the end-of-season tournament to show if there was truly a second great team this season other than the FAB 50 champs. Wasatch Academy lost a competitive game (without Michigan St.-bound Maddy Sissoko) to No. 10 Oak Hill Academy (76-68) in the title game of the Iolani Classic with the other loss coming against a St. Benedict’s of New Jersey team ineligible for the FAB 50. Wasatch Academy got key wins versus No. 11 Paul VI (57-53) at the Cancer Research Classic and versus No. 6 Hamilton Heights Christian Academy (94-82) at the Kevin Durant MLK Classic. The reason the Tigers are able to finish in this spot is No. 3 Sunrise Christian Academy lost to HHCA. With a balanced attack of five-double digit scorers, it would have been interesting to see if this team had Sissoko (12.2 ppg) available for GEICO Nationals, as he played in 13 games total. Seniors Richie Saunders (14.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg) and cat-quick Mike Saunders (14.4 ppg) had plenty of big scoring nights, Caleb Lohner (14.3 ppg, 5.8 rpg) held down the front court in Sissoko’s absence and sophomore Ricky “Pop Pop” Isaacs (14.2 ppg, 5.7 apg) could distribute or knock down big shots equally well. ? ? ?

3. (12) Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.) 22-3*** ?
More than one national scout felt the Buffaloes were the second most talented team in the country, but they must remain behind Wasatch Academy because they have one more loss than that club, including a 61-59 loss to No. 6 Hamilton Heights Christian Academy (Wasatch beat that club). Coach Luke Barnwell’s club also lost to Huntington Prep of West Virginia (ineligible for the FAB 50 this year) and a Memphis East club that had some quality wins. The Buffaloes defeated No. 4 DeMatha Catholic at the D.C. Hoopfest (75-67) and also recorded wins over No. 7 La Lumiere (52-39) and No. 8 St. Frances Academy (73-55) with the loss to HHCA sandwiched in between. Led by underclass All-American Kendall Brown (13.3 ppg) and Northwestern-bound Ty Berry (11.6 ppg), the Buffaloes earned their second consecutive GEICO Nationals berth, where they were slated to open the tournament versus No. 9 Oak Hill Academy in what was a No. 3 vs. No. 6 game. The other announced matchups for the event were FAB 50 No. 2 Wasatch Academy vs. No. 5 IMG Academy (2 vs. 7 game), No. 1 Montverde Academy vs. Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) in what was the 1 vs. 8 game, and FAB 50 No. 7 La Lumiere vs. No. 10 Dorman (4 vs. 5 game). Which of those seven clubs had the ability to give MVA a run for its money?

Hunter Dickinson
Hunter Dickinson

7'1"   -   C   -   2020

4. (3) DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) 30-3***
Similar to the preseason No. 1 vs. No. 2 debate with IMG Academy and Montverde Academy, it was a close call between DeMatha and Paul VI for the No. 3 spot as the top team from the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC). We went with the Stags and it was one debate we came out on the right side of, as coach Mike Jones’ club defeated No. 11 Paul VI two out of three times, including a 70-56 victory over the Panthers in the WCAC Tournament championship game. DeMatha also lost to No. 3 Sunrise Christian Academy and were a bit overwhelmed by No. 1 Montverde Academy (76-56). Led by WCAC Player of the Year (17.7 ppg, 10 rpg, 2.1 bpg) Hunter Dickinson and Miami-bound Earl Timberlake (16.5 ppg), the legendary program won the conference crown by three games and also defeated No. 28 St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes, No. 41 Mater Dei and highly-regarded Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.). After capturing the WCAC regular season and conference tournament, DeMatha was all set to finish its season at the Alhambra Catholic Invitational, but the event was canceled over COVID-19 concerns. The field also included No. 8 St. Frances Academy, St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes, Paul VI, and No. 27 Gonzaga.? ? ? ? ?

5. (1) IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) 19-6***
The preseason No. 1 team in the FAB 50 didn’t quite have the season it wanted, but it was still a force on a national level. In fact, coach Sean McAloon’s club is the only team that displayed the ability to be competitive with No. 1 Montverde Academy. Three of the Ascenders’ losses were to the Eagles and they were the only club to play them within 20 points (76-64) and within 10 (63-55), so we’re a bit perplexed by IMG Academy’s positioning in other credible national rankings. IMG Academy only lost to one team that didn’t finish in the FAB 50 (Briarcrest Christian of Tennessee) and also recorded wins over No. 38 Archbishop Stepinac (80-67), No. 8 St. Frances Academy (85-67) before losing to No. 14 Poly in what turned out to be its second-to-last game of the season. IMG Academy did receive an invite to GEICO Nationals and with Tennessee-bound Jaden Springer (17.4 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 5.1 apg) leading the way, a healthy IMG club could have fared well at the event as a No. 7 seed. We’ll always wonder how this team would have fared had it had true point guard play to assist Springer’s game and if Jalen Johnson (an All-American in 2018-19) had not left the team before it got its season rolling.       

6. (19) Hamilton Heights Christian Academy (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 28-3    
The Hawks had a successful season after the school nearly shut down the program and closed its doors in the off-season. HHCA won the National Association of Christian Athletes title after a successful independent campaign that saw the Hawks record plenty of key wins. Coach Zach Farrell’s club fell to No. 2 Wasatch Academy, but was able to defeat No. 3 Sunrise Christian Academy after rallying from a 15-point halftime deficit. The Hawks also defeated No. 39 West Oaks Academy (64-61) in the Lighthouse Classic title game and defeated talented Hillcrest Prep of Arizona (67-52), a program that defeated No. 7 La Lumiere. Led by Samson Ruzhentsev (19.2 ppg, 6.3 rpg), an explosive wing who garnered some All-American acclaim, the Hawks are the highest-ranked eligible team not selected for GEICO Nationals. It’s late-season loss to Sunshine Independent Athletic Association club The Rock of Florida hurt its candidacy, but HHCA actually had a split with that club this season.

Samson Ruzhentsev
Samson Ruzhentsev

6'7"   -   SF   -   2020

7. (9) La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.) 23-3***
It was another successful season for coach Patrick Holmes’ club, as the Lakers earned their seventh invite to compete at GEICO Nationals. The Lakers split games with Prolific Prep of California (a team ineligible for the FAB 50 but invited to GEICO Nationals for the first time), beat the St. Benedict’s team (in overtime) that No. 2 Wasatch Academy lost to, and also defeated No. 27 Gonzaga (47-42). La Lumiere won GEICO Nationals in 2017, was No. 1 in the FAB 50 for a majority of the season in 2019 and will be good once again in 2021, as this season’s roster only had three seniors on it. Eastern Kentucky-bound point guard Wendell Green Jr. will be missed at point guard, but Holmes has a terrific building block returning in underclass All-American choice Kamari Lands, a 6-foot-7 sophomore wing.   

8. (7) St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.) 38-4***
The Panthers finished right in the range we expected them to, and would have had an opportunity to make even more noise at the Alhambra Catholic Invitational had the prestigious tournament not been canceled because of COVID-19. Coach Nick Miles’ club defeated No. 14 Poly (57-53) in a much-anticipated Charm City showdown at Morgan State University. The only teams the Panthers did not beat on its schedule finished ranked higher: No. 3 Sunrise Christian Academy and No. 5 IMG Academy. St. Frances Academy split four games with regionally ranked Mt. St. Joseph of Baltimore, losing to that club 76-63 in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association title game and defeating them in the last of four meetings, 81-65, in the Baltimore Catholic League title game. Led by South Alabama-bound Jamal West (16.0 ppg, 8.7 rpg) and Virginia Commonwealth commit Adrian “Ace” Baldwin (11.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 7.3 apg), the Panthers defeated No. 9 Oak Hill Academy (80-61) at the East Coast Bump at UMBC and also beat No. 39 West Oaks Academy (67-65), a team Oak Hill lost to at home. Baldwin capped his four-year career with 23 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in the BCL title game and was named the tourney’s MVP for the third consecutive year and helped the program to a combined five MIAA and BCL titles.     

9. (8) Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 37-3***
The Warriors began this season with their lowest preseason ranking since 1988-89, when coach Steve Smith’s club was unranked but had a stellar year (22-2, FAB 50 No. 12). This season, Smith knew his team would start off ranked a bit lower than usual, but he had high expectations because he sensed this club had excellent chemistry. For the most part, he was right on and his team played to the level we expected. The veteran coach upped his record to 1,178-80 with a unit he felt could have made some noise at GEICO Nationals. Led by All-American Cam Thomas (LSU), Oak Hill Academy defeated No. 11 Paul VI to win the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions, defeated No. 25 Bishop Gorman at the Hoophall Classic and handed No. 10 Dorman its only loss of the season. Coach Smith makes no bones about the losses to No. 8 St. Frances Academy and to No. 39 West Oaks Academy (its first home loss since the 1996-97 season), as he felt his team just did not play well. In addition to Thomas (Oak Hill’s all-time leading scorer who averaged 31.4 ppg), guard K.K. Robinson (Arkansas) and forward Jamari Sibley (Georgetown) also had excellent seasons for a program that will be strong once again in 2020-21.

Cameron Thomas
Cameron Thomas

6'3"   -   SG   -   2020

10. (39) Dorman (Roebuck, S.C.) 30-1***
The Cavaliers got plenty of ink in the preseason, but they ended up being better than expected on their way to a fourth consecutive SCHSL Class 5A state crown. Dorman was creeping its way into contention for that coveted No. 2 FAB 50 spot after winning the Beach Ball Classic with a win over No. 33 St. John’s of Washington, D.C., but when the Cadets began dropping WCAC games after the New Year’s and dropping in the rankings, it made sense Dorman be behind the Oak Hill Academy team it lost to, 63-52, earlier in the season. Dorman was selected to participate in GEICO Nationals, and even was going to host it after the COVID-19 Pandemic broke out in New York City, but eventually the event had to be cancelled altogether. Led by Butler-bound point guard Myles Tate and Clemson-bound forward P.J. Hall, Dorman not only became the first South Carolina team to capture the Beach Ball Classic since 1986, it tied the SCHSL modern era record of four straight state titles first set by Calhoun County in 2006-09. Over that time frame, Dorman is 84-4 against in-state competition, another feather in the cap for a small state team.      

11. (4) Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) 27-8***    
The Panthers are the first team in the rankings with a high number of losses, but they only lost to one unranked club (twice): WCAC foe Bishop McNamara. Coach Glen Farello’s club was still able to finish second place in WCAC play behind No. 4 DeMatha Catholic, a team it beat once in three games. The battle-tested Panthers fell to No. 2 Wasatch Academy (57-53), to No. 9 Oak Hill Academy (72-57) and No. 36 Archbishop Stepinac (70-64), but they made up for those losses with regular season wins over No. 5 IMG Academy (67-56) and No. 17 Sierra Canyon (70-62). They also swept the St. John’s of Washington, D.C. club that was ranked in the Top 10 for some time and finished No. 33 in the FAB 50. Led by two-time All-Met choices Jeremy Roach (Duke) and Trevor Keels, Paul VI advanced to the WCAC title game where it fell to DeMatha, 70-56. Paul VI was able to bounce back and defeat No. 28 St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes (67-59) in the Virginia Independent School Schools Athletic Association D1 title game. Keels is one of the nation’s best juniors and Farello will once again have a terrific backcourt with sophomore Knasir “Dug” McDaniel taking on a bigger role. The Panthers will welcome back 11 of 15 lettermen in 2020-21.

Jeremy Roach
Jeremy Roach

6'2"   -   PG   -   2020

12. (NR) Eden Prairie (Eden Prairie, Minn.) 28-0***    
The Eagles were in the midst of a storybook season when the Minnesota State High School Public League canceled its state tournament on March 12. The Eagles were the top seed in the state tournament and an unbeaten Class 4A state crown would have pushed this club into the top 10. We’ll never know how the state tournament would have played out, but coach David Flom’s team does deserve this ranking based on results. Eden Prairie got the big win during the regular season it needed, a 78-64 victory over No. 15 Minnehaha Academy, as the Eagles were red hot from the outside in the big 3A vs. 4A showdown. John Henry (University of Sioux Falls) hit seven 3-pointers and led four double-digit scorers with 29 points. Eden Prairie also defeated in-state clubs Cretin-Derham Hall and Hopkins that Minnehaha Academy lost to before at full strength. Incredibly, Henry, Drake Dobbs (Liberty), Austin Andrews (Minnesota-Duluth), and Connor Christian (Dartmouth) all scored over 1,000 career points and all averaged between 18.8 and 12.7 ppg this season. Needless to say it was a special senior class for Flom and a unit we should have given more preseason credence to in our Midwest Regional Top 20. We’ll never know if Eden Prairie would have finished out unbeaten, but it now goes down as the highest rated team ever from Minnesota, besting the Hopkins of Minnetonka team that finished No. 15 in 2011.   

13. (20) Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, N.Y.) 22-3***    
During the week of March 9 is when things began to rapidly change around county because of COVID-19. With the New York Federation Tournament of Champions scheduled for March 27-29 at Fordham University, coach John Buck’s club obviously never got a chance to defend their Federation Class AA title, as New York was the country’s hardest hit state by Novel Coronavirus. LuHi closed out its season by hosting the LuHi Postseason Invitational and defeating Albany Academy in overtime (102-101). That team was the defending Class A champs and also heading back to the Feds tournament. Led by Class AA co-Player of the Year Andre Curbelo (17.2 ppg) and first team all-state choice Zed Key (17.8 ppg), LuHi defeated talented Patrick School of New Jersey (68-63) and downed No. 17 Sierra Canyon (86-74) right before hosting its own invitational. Another key win came over No. 35 Garfield (66-63). Similar to No 14 Poly, LuHi lost to No. 33 St. John’s and also fell to No. 2 Wasatch Academy (68-58) and to top-ranked Montverde Academy (83-47)

Andre Curbelo
Andre Curbelo

6'0"   -   PG   -   2020

14. (NR) Poly (Baltimore, Md.) 24-2***
Unlike No. 12 Eden Prairie, we knew plenty about the Engineers in the preseason and they should have been in the FAB 50 or right outside it in the preseason East Region Top 20. Coach Sam Brand club’s was coming off its third consecutive MPSSAA Class 3A state crown and was two victories from a fourth straight title before the outbreak of COVID-19 cancelled the remainder of the tournament. Poly was disappointed in its 57-53 loss to No. 8 St. Frances Academy, as the Panthers hit their free throws down the stretch in the battle for city supremacy. Poly lost to No. 33 St. John’s of Washington, D.C., at the Beach Ball Classic in South Carolina, where it beat two regionally-ranked opponents in addition to defeating Coronado of Henderson, Nev., which was a preseason FAB 50 ranked team. Led by Baltimore Sun co-Player of the Year Justin Lewis (Marquette), City Player of the Year Brandon Murray (21.7 ppg) and four-year starting point guard Rahim Ali (Howard), the big win of the season was a 62-60 victory over No. 5 IMG Academy, as Ali scored on a reverse lay-up with eight seconds remaining. Lewis averaged 19.3 ppg, 13.4 rpg, 4.0 apg, 4.4 bpg, had 18 double-double performances and graduates as the program’s third all-time leading scorer (1,374 points). Freshman Kwame Evans Jr. has the ability to one day put up those type of numbers for Brand.     

15. (14) Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis, Minn.) 25-3***  
Some were calling this club potentially the best ever to lace them up in Minnesota, and it looked the part in defeating No. 17 Sierra Canyon, 78-58, before 17,378 fans at the Target Center. Led by two All-Americans, Gonzaga-bound guard Jalen Suggs, and talented junior center Chet Holmgrem, the Red Hawks actually lost two early in-state games when not 100 percent healthy, but regardless the victory margin over Sierra Canyon was a bit surprising as Suggs had 23 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and six steals. An effective zone (which the Red Hawks never practice) in the second half made Holmgren even more of a presence, as he finished with 10 points and 12 blocks. The greatest team of all-time talk was out the window after the 78-64 setback to No. 11 Eden Prairie, but since Sierra Canyon ended up as California’s top-rated team for the third consecutive season, coach Lance Johnson’s club goes down tied with the 2011 Hopkins club as the second highest ranked team ever from the state three spots behind Eden Prairie. COVID-19 likely cost Suggs a chance to hit the 3,000 career points mark, but it was still a memorable season and career for the two-time All-American. He finished with 2,945 career points while averaging 23.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 5.0 apg and 3.9 spg. Not only was he named the state’s Mr. Basketball, the nation’s top Grid-Hoop athlete also earned state Mr. Football honors, the first Minnesota athlete to achieve that double. With Holmgren and sophomore guard Prince Aligbe back next season, Minnehaha Academy could be a FAB 50 contender once again.       

16. (NR) Bloomington South (Bloomington, Ind.) 26-0***
The Panthers are one of 37 FAB 50 teams whose seasons were affected by COVID-19, as they won three playoff games before their season came to an abrupt halt. The Panthers were Indiana’s top-rated club and an unbeaten Class 4A champ in Indiana will receive plenty of rankings credit. Indiana-bound Anthony Leal (18.2 ppg) was impressive enough as a standout scorer and all-around player to win the state’s coveted Mr. Basketball award. Leal and his teammates were shocked the season came to a quick end and the lack of out-of-state competition meant this team can be ranked no higher. Unlike No. 12 Eden Prairie, a loss would have sent this team tumbling in the rankings but we’ll never know how the season would have played out for those affected Indiana teams.  

17. (6) Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) 30-4***
A few event operators asked us in the preseason if the Trailblazers were the No. 2 or No. 3 team in the country (presumably behind Montverde Academy and IMG Academy). Everyone loves to promote their event with the top team in the country in attendance, but we were frank about our “No”. The Trailblazers deserved high accolades in the preseason, but fall to this spot because they dropped three out-of-state showcase games. Sierra Canyon lost to No. 15 Minnehaha Academy (78-58) at the Target Center, fell to No. 11 Paul VI at the Hoophall Classic (70-62), and to No. 13 Long Island Lutheran (86-74) at the Metro Classic in New Jersey. Although California teams were a bit down from a national perspective (which is reflected here), Sierra Canyon took care of business back home, as it avenged its only in-state loss to regionally-ranked Rancho Christian of Temecula with a resounding 78-62 victory to re-gain the state’s No. 1 ranking the game after losing to Minnehaha Academy. Stanford-bound Ziaire Williams (15.0 ppg, 7.9 reg) was terrific in the loss to Rancho Christian, which was his first game of the season, while Kentucky-bound B.J. Boston (20.8 ppg, 7.0 rpg) was the team’s most consistent performer and named Cal-Hi Sports Mr. Basketball. Williams hit the shot at the buzzer to lift Sierra Canyon to a 63-61 victory over No. 24 Etiwanda to win the SoCal Open title in dramatic fashion. Sierra Canyon was unable to capture a third consecutive CIF open title because of COVID-19, but will have a chance to be the California’s top-ranked team for the fourth consecutive season next year with talents such as Amari Bailey, the state sophomore of the year, big man Harold Yu, and freshman LeBron James Jr. all returning.

Ziaire Williams
Ziaire Williams

6'9"   -   SF   -   2020

18. (BB) Camden (Camden, N.J.) 29-1***  
We began “The High” No. 19 in the East Region Top 20, but this relatively young club got into gear quicker than expected, and was rolling along as The Garden State’s No. 1 ranked team before COVID-19 ended its run at the Tournament of Champions crown. Coach Rick Brunson’s club defeated Haddonfield, 70-42, to capture the South Jersey Group 2 final after losing to that same club last season for the title. After losing to Roman Catholic of Philadelphia (which began No. 42 in the preseason FAB 50) on December 30, the Panthers rattled off 25 consecutive wins to close the season, including a 63-51 victory over No. 40 Roselle Catholic and a 61-59 win over Rancho Christian of California (which split with No. 17 Sierra Canyon). Kentucky-bound Lance Ware had 18 points, 14 rebounds and four steals in the win over Rancho Christian at Hoophall Classic and averaged 11.8 ppg, 7.9 rpg and 1.3 bpg and was Brunson’s most versatile player. The team’s leading scorer was freshman D.J. Wagner, a 6-2 guard who hit for 18.5 ppg with a high of 32. His grandfather Milt led Camden to a national ranking in 1981 and D.J. hopes to one day match the feat of his father, Dajuan, in leading the Panthers to a New Jersey TOC crown. In 1999-2000, Camden finished No. 16 in the FAB 50 with a 28-5 mark during Dajuan Wagner’s junior season.     

19. (25) Moeller (Cincinnati, Ohio) 25-1***
The Fighting Crusaders saw a 50-game winning streak snapped in a 64-59 loss to St. Vincent-St. Mary of Akron (a team No. 17 Sierra Canyon defeated) in their second game. Moeller defeated Saint V’s in the OHSAA Division I state title game in 2018-19, but after that game, coach Karl Kremer’s club didn’t lose again and was in prime position to capture a third consecutive D1 state crown before the state tournament was cancelled due to the nation’s ongoing pandemic. Moeller got to the regional final with No. 21 St. Edward sitting on the opposite side of the bracket. Even though the Fighting Crusaders weren’t able to defend their title on the court, it was another fantastic season for a club that has been FAB 50 ranked the past four seasons and compiled a 109-5 record in that time. St. Francis (PA) bound Max Land (14.1 ppg) was a first team all-Ohio selection and Kremer has two excellent building blocks for next season in all-stater Logan Duncomb (13.8 ppg), a 6-foot-9 junior, and Alex Williams, a 6-foot-4 junior forward. If it wasn’t for COVID-19 this past season or a disputed foul in 2016-17, Moeller could conceivably be gunning for a fifth consecutive state crown in 2020-21.

Micah Peavy
Micah Peavy

6'7"   -   SF   -   2020

20. (28) Duncanville (Duncanville, Texas) 31-3**
The defending University Interscholastic League (UIL) Class 6A state champions got back to the state Final Four before the remainder of the state tourney was called off. In 2018-19, Duncanville started out on the FAB 50 bubble and began the season 7-7 before closing on a 25-game winning streak. This season, coach David Peavy’s club was more consistent from the beginning and rebounded nicely from back-to-back losses to No. 1 Montverde Academy (84-51) and No. 17 Sierra Canyon (66-63) at the Thanksgiving Hoopfest. Duncanville defeated No. 22 Lancaster, The Rock of Florida (a club that beat No. 6 Hamilton Heights Christian Academy) and lost its only in-state game to Richardson, a squad it split with by a total of six points. Micah Peavy, the coach’s son who was MVP of the 2019 state final, had a stellar senior season and is headed to Texas Tech. He was selected to play in the Jordan Brand Classic after averaging 17.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 3.1 apg and 2.5 spg with a season-high 37 points vs. Richardson. Senior point guard Ja’Bryant Hill (9.9 ppg) was a steadying force and Peavy has two solid building blocks for next season with junior guards Juan Reyna (10.9 ppg) and Damon Nicholas (10.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg) returning.    

21. (BB) St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio) 25-1***
Coach Eric Flannery’s club began the season ranked No. 11 in the Midwest Region Top 20 and worked its way up into the FAB 50 as a major OHSAA Division I state title contender. The Eagles lost only to Hilliard Bradley (60-50) in December and that club lost only one other game and was still alive on the same side of the D1 bracket with No. 19 Moeller when the season was called. It’s not easy to predict which club would have walked away with the state title, but an Ohio D1 state champ with 1 or 2 losses would have been ranked among the Top 25. St. Ed’s excellent season was built around all-state picks Grant Huffman (17.0 ppg) and Devontae Blanton (17.1 ppg).

22. (BB) Lancaster (Lancaster, Texas) 35-2**      
The Tigers had a terrific season and were in line to capture the UIL Class 5A state crown when the season was called because of COVID-19. Coach Ferrin Douglas’ club started out just outside the FAB 50 at No. 10 in the Southwest Region and technically did not lose a game in-state. The Tigers fell to No. 20 Duncanville, 89-83, but the game was later ruled a forfeit win for Lancaster. We go by on-court results (and have since the advent of the FAB 50 in 1987-88) so since both clubs won their last game, both advanced to the state finals (in different classifications) and both were unable to complete their respective season, Duncanville finishes two sports higher in the final analysis. The only other on-court loss for the Tigers was a 69-47 setback at the Thanksgiving Hoopfest to Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.), a program that qualified for GEICO Nationals for the first time. Junior Wade Taylor IV had a terrific season, averaging 15.7 ppg, 4.3 apg and 3.3 spg while TCU-bound point guard Mike Miles was named the TABC Class 5A Player of the Year.   

23. (NR) Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.) 24-7  
The Wildcats have made many appearances in the FAB 50 over the years, but this year’s appearance in the Top 25 is a bit surprising after seven regular season losses. It’s necessary, however, after coach Larry Thompson’s club shocked No. 26 Grayson in the GHSA Class AAAAAAA state final, 60-59, after losing to the same club, 73-68, during the regular season. Grayson was sitting at No. 4 in the FAB 50 at the time and the loss not only cost it a state title berth but also a bid to GEICO Nationals (which was never played). Wheeler’s Sam Hines Jr. had a monster final, going 11-of-12 from the field, scoring 28 points, grabbing nine rebounds and hitting the game-winning free throw. Hines (17.8 ppg, 8.8 rpg) earned some All-American acclaim while Prince Davies (10.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg) was another senior standout. One silver lining that stands out about this club is it was never blown out in any of the losses and learning how to play in those close games paid off in the end. Thompson has two nice building blocks for next season in junior forward Ja’Hiem Hudson (11.9 ppg, 7.2 rpg) and freshman guard Isaiah Collier (11.2 ppg, 3.9 apg).  

24. (29) Etiwanda (Etiwanda, Calif.) 30-4
The Eagles finished right in the range we expected for them in the preseason, and unfortunately that means just a shade below California No. 1 Sierra Canyon. You have to feel a bit for Etiwanda, as it fell to Sierra Canyon in the 2018 SoCal Open regional final in overtime, lost to Onyeka Okongwu and Chino Hills in the 2019 SoCal D1 regional final after that club closed on a 13-0 run and lost this year once again to Sierra Canyon in the SoCal open final under hard-to-believe circumstances unless you saw the game. In its third game against the Trailblazers this season, it looked like Etiwanda finally had Sierra Canyon’s number but a 11-point lead with three minutes to play evaporated and Etiwanda lost at the buzzer on a jumper by Ziaire Williams. Etiwanda fell to 0-5 all-time in regional finals and ironically if it had pulled out the game, it would have never enjoyed its first trip to a CIF final because of COVID-19. Etiwanda, led by all-state forward Jaylen Clark (UCLA) and all-stater Camren Pierce (Ca Poly SLO) at point guard, defeated Rancho Christian (67-61) and No. 41 Mater Dei (65-61) in the SoCal open playoffs. Three of its losses were to Sierra Canyon and the contributions of seniors D.J. Jackson, Brantley Stevenson and Tyree Campbell can’t be overlooked in another successful season under veteran coach Dave Kleckner.

Zaon Collins
Zaon Collins

6'0"   -   PG   -   2021

25. (5) Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) 29-3
Nevada’s top overall program earned its second-highest preseason ranking ever (it opened up No. 4 in 2014-15) and captured the program’s ninth consecutive Nevada Interscholastic Athletic Association (NIAA) state title and its 11th in the past 12 seasons. It may seem as the Gaels didn’t live up to preseason expectations, but they lost veteran center Isiah Cottrell (West Virginia) and his backup (sophomore Max Allen) to transfer after the preseason rankings were released. Stanford-bound senior Noah Taitz also didn’t suit up and had we known those three players wouldn’t be part of the equation in the preseason, Gorman would have started right in this range. Junior guard Zaon “Sauce” Collins (14 ppg, 8 apg, 3 spg) has been the catalyst the past two years and he led the Gaels to wins over No. 34 Sheldon (75-66), No. 40 Roselle Catholic (55-47) and over regionally-ranked Harvard Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.). LSU-bound wing Mwani Wilkinson (19 ppg, 10 rpg, 4 bpg) also stepped up big time in Cottrell’s absence for a team that will be strong once again in 2020-21 with UCLA-bound Will McClendon (16 ppg) returning in the backcourt for coach Grant Rice (503–102).      

26. (17) Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) 30-2
The FAB 50 was way ahead of the curve nationally when it came to the Rams’ prowess, as they let the country be known they were a force to be reckoned with when they avenged their overtime loss (84-80) to Newton with a resounding 86-39 win. They also defeated defending GHSA Class AAAAAAA state champ McEachern (83-57) and No. 43 Mountain Brook (71-60). Grayson rose to No. 4 in the FAB 50 and was in line for a GEICO Nationals berth before falling to No. 23 Wheeler 60-59 in the Class AAAAAAA state title game. What made it even more gut-wrenching was it had defeated the Wildcats earlier in the season, 73-68. Grayson was highly-regarded because of three D1-bound seniors, led by All-American point guard Deivon Smith (17.3 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 8.4 apg, 3.2 spg). South Florida-bound Caleb Murphy and Winthrop-bound Toneari Lane were the other key cogs for a team that beat every team on its schedule. 

27. (11) Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) 25-10***
The Purple Eagles came in third in the WCAC as we predicted in the preseason, one game behind No. 11 Paul VI and one game in front of No. 33 St. John’s. Gonzaga, however, just had a few too many losses to fall in the range of its preseason billing. Coach Steve Turner’s club did have a high number of losses, but only one of those clubs (WCAC club Our Lady of Good Counsel in Olney, Maryland) was never in the FAB 50. Led by two-time All-Met choice and Gonzaga recruit Terrance Williams (over 2,000 career points), the Purple Eagles defeated Paul VI once in three games, split with St. John’s, defeated No. 28 St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes and won the program’s second D.C. State Athletic Association title. A strong senior class will move on with Malcolm Dread leading a group of seven returning lettermen.     

28. (NR) St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes (Alexandria, Va.) 26-4***    
The Saints had a terrific season and naturally fall in the rankings right behind the Gonzaga of Washington, D.C. team if fell to, 69-63. The other losses for coach Mike Jones’ club are to No. 4 DeMatha, No. 11 Paul VI and the St. Benedict’s Prep of New Jersey. The Saints defeated Episcopal of Alexandria four times, including a 74-65 win to capture their second consecutive Interstate Athletic Conference title. St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes fell to Paul VI, 67-59, in the VISSA D1 final. Leading the charge for the Saints was Radford-bound Xavier Lipscomb (11 ppg, 6 rpg, 6 apg) with seniors Andre Screen (12.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg) and Jared Cross (14.3 ppg) also making huge contributions for the back-to-back IAC champions. Lipscomb and Screen were both first team all-VISAA selections.     

29. (22) Scotlandville (Baton Rouge, La.) 34-3
The Hornets were as good as advertised in the preseason and were able to complete what they set our forth by capturing a fourth consecutive LHSAA D1 state crown. Scotlandville was fortunate that the Louisiana High School Athletic Association was one of the four states to complete its state tourney the weekend of March 13-14 after most of the country shut down play before the weekend. The other states to complete state tournaments that weekend were Missouri, Nebraska and New Mexico. Coach Carlos Sample’s club steamrolled then No. 50 St. Augustine of New Orleans, 66-39, as All-American Reece Beekman was named the game’s MOP (16 points, 14 rebounds, 10 assists) with a limited number of fans in attendance. With Beekman, who averaged a triple double the past two seasons, and all-stater Tai’Reon Joseph (19.8 ppg) in the lineup, Scotlandville went 126-11 over the past four seasons. Scotlandville lost big to No. 1 Montverde Academy, but defeated regionally-ranked Vashon of St. Louis and No. 38 Archbishop Stepinac. It’s a loss to McEachern of Georgia that prevents a higher ranking since No. 26 Grayson easily defeated that club.

Reece Beekman
Reece Beekman

6'2"   -   PG   -   2020

30. (NR) Jackson South Side (Jackson, Tenn.) 32-0***
As we followed this club’s rise from the bubble ranks, we were eager to see if the Hawks could roll to a TSSAA Class AA title. An unbeaten run to a Tennessee Class AA D1 state crown would have meant a Top 25 ranking, but the season came to a close after the Hawks defeated Covington, 77-57, on March 9 after defeating South Gibson for the Region 7-AA title on March 5. Coach DaMonn Fuller’s club defeated Poplar Bluff of Missouri and regionally-ranked Southmoore of Oklahoma to win the Popular Bluff Showdown, but a lack of FAB 50 wins means the Hawks can climb no further without the additional results the state tournament would have provided. Senior J.J. Johnson and junior Brandon Maclin were named to the Class AA all-state team.         

31. (NR) Curie (Chicago, Ill.) 29-2***    
It was a season full of twists and turns but at the end of the day, coach Michael Oliver’s club goes down at Illinois’ best for 2019-20. The Condors had a terrific overall resume, defeating highly-regarded Bloom of Chicago Heights at the Pontiac Holiday Tournament and defeating regionally-ranked Vashon of St. Louis (as did No. 29 Scotlandville). Oliver was suspended by the Chicago Public League and without him on the bench for many weeks, it was bad timing for Curie to  come up with its worst outing of the season in a 79-69 setback to Simeon in the CPL semifinals. The Condors had defeated the eventual CPL champs earlier in the season and also split with a talented Callaway of Mississippi club that was on the FAB 50 bubble for a majority of the season. Ramean Hinton, a 6-foot-4 senior wing, was one of the most under appreciated talents in Illinois and his backcourt make, 5-foot-11 senior Elijah Pickens, epitomized the Curie roster: tough, experienced and capable of playing with anyone. Oliver’s club advanced to the IHSA’s Class 4A Sectionals where it was scheduled to meet city power Whitney Young before the season was called because of COVID-19.   

32. (NR) Lee (Montgomery, Ala.) 33-1 
The Lee Generals marched their way to a storybook season that concluded with a 40-38 victory over No. 43 Mountain Brook to capture the AHSAA Class 7A state crown. It is the first state title for Lee, which lost to Mountain Brook in the state semifinals in 2019. Coach Bryant Johnson’s club didn’t clinch the coveted crown until Deyunkrea Lewis rebounded a Mountain Brook missed field goal at the buzzer. With 18 seconds remaining, senior forward Jamari Smith nailed a three throw to put Lee in position to win the game. Senior guard De’Marquiese “Duke” Miles was named Class 7A tourney MVP with 12 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals while Smith hit a free throw to put Lee ahead for good with 4:14 to go in a tight contest. Late in the regular season, Lee dropped a 83-82 contest to Pinson Valley which was its only blemish all season long. Beating Mountain Brook (which defeated No. 48 North Mecklenburg and other regionally ranked foes) helped Lee’s final ranking, but since that club lost to McEachern of Georgia (which beat No. 29 Scotlandville), the Generals can’t rise any further despite the sole one-point loss.   

33. (NR) St. John’s (Washington, D.C.) 24-9    
For the a good portion of the 2010s, three WCAC clubs were consistently ranked in the weekly FAB 50, but the results this season warranted a fourth team from the powerful conference in the final rankings. After the turn of the New Year, St. John’s was 13-1 with its only loss to Dorman of South Carolina, which finished No. 10 in the FAB 50. The Cadets did start dropping games in WCAC play, but three of those were to No. 4 DeMatha and two of them to No. 11 Paul VI. Coach Patrick Behan’s club did split with No. 27 Gonzaga, and also defeated No. 14 Poly and No. 38 Archbishop Stepinac at the Beach Ball Classic. Rhode-Island commit Ishmael Leggett had a terrific senior campaign and 6-foot-7 freshman forward Amani Hansberry looks like a WCAC star of the future.  

34. (BB) Sheldon (Sacramento, Calif.) 28-5***  
The Huskies are a bit tricky to rank because of the way the season concluded and because top player Marcus Bagley missed some key games. When he was in the lineup, Sheldon was a forced to be reckoned with and in contention to capture its third consecutive NorCal Open crown. It advanced to the NorCal open title game for the fourth straight year (and fifth time in eight years) with a 59-58 victory over Dublin on the road (as the No. 1 seed) after it was re-instated into the NorCal regional by the CIF following the Elk Grove Unified School District’s decision to shut down school-related activities for the week of March 9. That decision meant No. 17 Sierra Canyon had already advanced to the CIF final, while the Huskies were set to play regionally-ranked Bishop O’Dowd of Oakland on March 12 before the COVID-19 outbreak in the NBA changed sports plans around the country. Without Bagley in the lineup, Sheldon still advanced to the Torrey Pines Holiday Classic final (where it lost to JSerra of Capistrano Valley), lost to regionally-ranked Vashon of St. Louis and with him they were able to defeat No. 41 Mater Dei at the Tarkanian Classic, where it fell to host Bishop Gorman in the semifinals. The ASU-bound Bagley was named the Cal-Hi Sports NorCal POY, while senior guards Xavion Brown (Appalachian St.) and Josh Williams earned all-state laurels.

Marcus Bagley
Marcus Bagley

6'7"   -   SF   -   2020

35. (NR) Garfield (Seattle, Wash.) 26-4
Coach Brandon Roy (a former NBA All-Star) led Nathan Hale of Seattle to the 2017 FAB 50 national title and now has his alma mater raising a state crown after moving over to his old stomping grounds that off-season. The Bulldogs got their season off to relatively ho-hum start, losing to regionally ranked Archbishop Wood of Pennsylvania and to No. 13 Long Island Lutheran at the Iolani Classic. They peaked at the right time, however, and closed out their state title run with a resounding 69-44 victory over an O’Dea of Seattle club that was FAB 50 ranked for a majority of the season. Senior forward Tari Eason led the way with 21 points and 14 rebounds vs. O’Dea, which beat Garfield by four points (64-60) in the Sea-King District 2 tournament and by 20 points on January 7. Garfield steamrolled an Eastside Catholic club (which beat No. 25 Gorman earlier in the season) in the semifinals, 74-46, after beating the Crusaders in two relatively close games earlier in the season. Eason, bound for Cincinnati, averaged 22.3 ppg and 15.7 rpg while 6-foot-2 sophomore guard Koren Johnson is in line to be the program’s next impact star.      

36. (NR) St. Mary Prep (Orchard Lake, Mich.) 21-1***
It’s often difficult to judge Michigan teams because Michigan High School Athletic Association members are restricted in travel and because they traditionally play the bulk of their schedule much later than other states. This year’s analysis proved to be even more difficult because of COVID-19, but we peg the Eaglets as Michigan’s top-ranked team. It dropped one game to regionally-ranked Flint Beecher (which finished 20-2) and handed regionally-ranked Detroit Cass Tech its only loss. St. Mary Prep’s final victory was a 78-55 win over Bloomfield Hills in a District 1 semifinal, as sophomore Jason Drake II had a big game with 31 points. The Eaglets were set to take on Waterford Mott in a Division 1 district championship, but the playoffs were cancelled before it could take place. Wisconsin-bound Lorne Bowman II (25.2 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 6.2 apg) and Julian Roper II were St. Mary Prep’s catalyst all season long, as the Eaglets put a stop to University of Detroit Jesuit’s seven-year reign as Catholic League champs with a 61-54 victory. With Roper (18.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 2.6 spg) and Drake back next season, St. Mary Prep has high hopes to win a state tile on the court.         

37. (BB) Starkville (Starkville, Miss.) 30-2
We gave serious credence to placing the Yellowjackets in the 45-50 range of the preseason FAB 50 after winning the MHSAA Class 6A state title and finishing No. 37 in last year’s final rankings. We thought Starkville lost too much backcourt firepower, so we started it out No. 17 in the Southeast Region, but that clearly wasn’t the case. After defeating Murrah of Jackson, 58-51, coach Greg Carter’s club claimed back-to-back Class 6A state titles. Starkville lost to Meridian (55-51), the team it beat in last year’s final, in its second game and and didn’t lose again after December 20 (a 58-47 setback to Pontotoc). A key victory was the 65-63 state quarterfinal win over Olive Branch, a club that beat No. 43 Mountain Brook. Senior Forte Prater stepped up big in the backcourt all season long and came up big in the state final after last year’s state tourney MVP, senior forward Zeke Cook, missed significant portions of the season with injury.       

RJ Davis
RJ Davis

6'0"   -   PG   -   2020

38. (36) Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.) 18-9***
Similar to No. 34 Sheldon, the Crusaders are difficult to rate because their overall record does not reflect their ability at full strength. Last season, Stepinac was 14-16 mainly because junior A.J. Griffin played in only 16 games and this season he appeared in only 12 due to injury. At full strength Stepinac defeated Briarcrest Christian of Tennessee (which defeated the No. 5 IMG Academy club Stepinac lost to 80-67), O’Dea of Seattle (which like Briarcrest Christian was FAB 50 ranked for many weeks) and No. 11 Paul VI. Without Griffin (17.3 ppg, 8.8 rpg) the Crusaders were competitive, but with him well on their way to a second Catholic High School Athletic Association crown in three seasons before COVID-19 put at end to New York’s post-season. The constant in Stepinac’s arsenal was the play of North Carolina-bound R.J. Davis, who became Westchester County’s all-time leading scorer while averaging 26.5 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 5.3 apg, and 2.1 spg.

39. (27) West Oaks Academy (Orlando, Fla.) 28-7**
Coach Kenny Gillion’s club was on the verge of making some heavy FAB 50 noise or falling out of the rankings because of untimely losses. At the end of the day, we rewarded The Flame for playing in the tough Sunshine Independent Athletic Association and for its big road win over No. 9 Oak Hill Academy. West Oaks Academy lost to No. 8 St. Frances Academy by two points (67-65) and lost some games on the Grind Session against independent, academy-type programs. With a plethora of D1 talent on the roster, Gillion’s standout player was Kansas St.-bound Selton Miguel, who scored 27 points vs. Oak Hill Academy and was named SIAA MVP after averaging 21 ppg and 5.3 apg. The Flame did lose to regionally-ranked Central Pointe Christian Academy of Kissimmee in the SIAA title game, but beat that team twice during the regular season.     

40. (13) Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.) 21-7***
We thought Garden State teams would be a bit stronger than they ended up, and that is reflected in Roselle Catholic’s final ranking. The Patrick School never jelled and didn’t fare well in national contests, but were able to defeat coach Dave Boff’s club three times. The Lions were able to defeat The Patrick School when it counted the most, with a 56-47 victory in the North Jersey, Non-Public B semifinals to align with our preseason choice to have the Lions ranked higher by two spots. After defeating highly-regarded Gill St. Bernard in the Non-Public B final, the Lions were gunning for their second New Jersey TOC crown in three years before the season was shut down by Novel Coronavirus that hit the Garden State hard. Boff’s club did lose to No. 25 Bishop Gorman, to No. 18 (and state No. 1) Camden and to St. Benedict’s of Newark in three consecutive games, so without the TOC results can’t be any higher in the rankings. St. Benedict’s transfer and Xavier commit C.J. Wilcher (18.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg) had a fantastic season and big man Cliff Omoruyi (14.2 ppg, 11.5 rpg, 5.4 bpg) had a triple-double in the avenging win over The Patrick School with 15 points, 10 rebounds and 10 blocks.

Cliff Omoruyi
Cliff Omoruyi

6'10"   -   C   -   2020

41. (18) Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) 25-8  
The California state power struggled at times during the regular season, but was still able to clinch at least a share of its league crown for the 32nd consecutive season, a state record according to Cal-Hi Sports. Led by Kentucky-bound Devin Askew, the Monarchs put it together in the post-season for the second consecutive season, as the advanced to the CIF Southern Section Open Division title game where they fell to No. 17 Sierra Canyon for the second straight year. Mater Dei struggled at time with national competition during the regular season, but defeated regionally-ranked Corona Centennial (who won the Tarkanian Classic over No. 25 Bishop Gorman) and Rancho Christian (split with Sierra Canyon) in the post-season. Askew (16.7 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 6.3 apg) was named Orange County Player of the Year.      

42. (NR) Lawrence North (Indianapolis, Ind.) 25-2***
The Wildcats had a terrific season, handing regionally-ranked Lawrence Central (which started out No. 4 in the Midwest Region) its only three losses, with its own losses coming against North Central (split) and Hamilton Southeastern in the final game of the regular season. The third victory over Lawrence Central came in a IHSAA Class 4A playoff opener and the Wildcats got to the regional semifinals before the season was halted because of the current pandemic. Lawrence North could have potentially met undefeated and No. 16 Bloomington South in the state semifinals and that result would have had huge FAB 50 implications had both teams advanced that far. Six-foot-4 Tony Perkins eared first team all-state acclaim.  

43. (NR) Mountain Brook (Birmingham, Ala.) 32-3  
It looked like without 2019 All-American Trendon Watford (LSU) the Spartans would be down a notch after it finished No. 5 in the 2018-19 final FAB 50. That didn’t turn out to be the case, as coach Bucky McMillian’s club was formidable and recorded some terrific wins. The Spartans defeated NCISAA Class 3A champ Concord First Assembly of North Carolina (80-57) and No. 48 North Mecklenburg (77-66) to capture the Arby’s Classic in Tennessee. Had No. 26 Grayson (71-60 loss) hung on to win a state title, both Mountain Brook and No. 32 Lee would be a tad higher in the final rankings. Mountain Brook lost a heart-breaker to Lee to prevent the Spartans from a fourth consecutive AHSAA Class 7A state crown with the third loss coming by one point to Olive Branch of Mississippi, which recorded quality wins throughout the season. Wing Colby Jones was a first team all-state selection and Holt Bashinsky, a senior guard, was named to the third team for McMillian, who was named head coach at Samford in the off-season.       

44. (NR) St. Raymond (Bronx, N.Y.) 22-5***    
The Ravens fell to No. 38 Archbishop Stepinac (73-68) in the CHSAA Archdiocesan title game, but were able to defeat the Crusaders once in three tries, with the first meeting of the season an overtime loss. The Ravens also routed highly-regarded Gill St. Bernard of New Jersey with fellow Garden State club Bergen Catholic (69-67) and No. 13 Long Island Lutheran the only two clubs St. Raymond didn’t defeat on its schedule. The CHSAA Archdiocese of New York cancelled the remainder of the state tournament on March 12. Every team ranked at this spot and below in the FAB 50 had its season affected by COVID-19, which definitely impacted the overall rankings because of the plethora of games involving state ranked teams that were never played.  

45. (BB) Male (Louisville, Ky.) 30-4***  
The Bulldogs get a spot in the FAB 50 as Kentucky’s highest-rated team at the time the state’s Sweet 16 was cancelled. Male started out as its state’s highest ranked team in the preseason (No. 15 in the Midwest Region Rankings) in front of Madisonville-North Hopkins and Marshall County and both Male and Madison-North Hopkins were still alive in the single-class event when it was cancelled. Coach Tim Haworth’s club defeated Ballard of Louisville in what turned out to be an avenging win, as it split with the other Kentucky club it lost to (North Oldham). Ballard’s other two losses were to highly-regarded Briarcrest Christian of Tennessee (in overtime) and to No. 29 Scotlandville (59-39). Lincoln Memorial-bound guard Tyren Moore (17.9 ppg) was a first team all-state pick and Haworth has 12 lettermen returning next season.    

46. (16) Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia, Pa.) 24-4***
The Saints were our preseason choice to capture the Philadelphia Catholic League title and they took care of business, although they dropped a few more regular season contests than they would have liked. The Saints got to the quarterfinals before the PIAA Class 3A state tourney was halted. In December, coach Carl Arrigale’s club drew an extremely tough draw in the opening round of the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas and fell in a close game to eventual tourney champ Centennial of California. Goretti defeated highly-regarded Archbishop Wood in PCL play (66-55) before downing Roman Catholic in the league title game, 66-58, behind 22 points from Bowling Green-bound wing Cam Young. For Arrigale it was his record-breaking 11th Philly Catholic League title.   

47. (BB) Rangeview (Aurora, Col.) 26-0***   
The Raiders were the team to beat in the CHSAA Class 5A state tournament and were a solid FAB 50 bubble club in the preseason. They opened up No. 19 in the West Region Top 20 and were set to face Grandview of Aurora, the team the Raiders defeated by one point (38-37) to open the season, in their next playoff game before the CHSAA cancelled the remainder of its state tournament on March 12 after the University of Denver informed the governing body it could no longer host the event. Led by senior guard Obi Agbim (13.3 ppg, 4.6 rpg) and junior guard Cade Palmer (10.4 ppg) Rangeview was also at the Tarkanian Classic in December and it easily out-classed its division. We would have loved to see them in the Platinum bracket with the likes of No. 46 Neumann-Goretti, No. 41 Mater Dei and No. 34 Sheldon, but the Raiders had a scheduling issue with school finals.  

48. (BB) North Mecklenburg (Huntersville, N.C.) 30-1***
Along with No. 37 Starkville, Oak Ridge of Orlando, Tampa Catholic, among others, the Vikings were seriously considered as the final team from its region in the preseason FAB 50. North Meck came in at     No. 15 in the Southeast Region Top 20, one spot below preseason FAB 50 No. 49 Briarcrest Christian of Tennessee. The Vikings lived up to their advanced billing, finishing as the runner-up at the Arby’s Classic to No. 43 Mountain Brook. Coach Duane Lewis’ club, led by Georgia Tech-bound Tristan Maxwell, defeated Olympic of Charlotte (86-78) in the state Class 4A tournament and were the solid favorites vs. 26-5 Lumberton in the final before it was called off because of COVID-19.      

49. (NR) Del City (Del City, Okla.) 24-1***
Not only did Coronavirus affect 37 FAB 50 teams, it also affected 69 of the 100 teams in our final regional rankings, so it’s safe to say the FAB 50’s bottom 25 could have looked completely different had the season been played out all the way through GEICO Nationals. There is no doubt, however, that the Eagles got the big win they needed over highly-regarded Washington of Tulsa (67-54) to finish as the top-ranked team from Oklahoma and the No. 4 team from the Southwest Region. The Eagles were the Class 5A state favorites before the state tourney was cancelled. Senior guards Nate Goodlow and Demontreal Crutchfield were all-state selections by the Oklahoma Basketball Coaches Association.

50. (NR) Blue Valley Northwest (Overland Park, Kan.) 21-2***
The final team in this year’s rankings comes in as the No. 5 team from the Southwest Region with a glossy record and no in-state losses, which is key in a season cut short by COVID-19. Coach Brian Morton’s Huskies fell to the No. 2 team from the region, Duncanville of Texas, by only seven points (51-44). That was the second game of the season and in its opener Blue Valley Northwest fell to Blue Springs of Missouri. The Huskies then closed the season out with 21 consecutive wins, advancing to the KSHSAA Class 6A semifinals with a 55-48 quarterfinal win over Lawrence Free State. Jack Chapman, a 6-foot-7 versatile D1 talent, led the charge all season long and was named first five all-state after averaging 21 ppg and 6 rpg.  

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 20 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

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]]> http://www.ebooksnet.com/final-expanded-2019-20-fab-50-rankings/feed/ 0 Richard Isaacs Jr. Hunter Dickinson Samson Ruzhentsev Cameron Thomas Jeremy Roach Andre Curbelo Ziaire Williams Micah Peavy Zaon Collins Reece Beekman Marcus Bagley RJ Davis Cliff Omoruyi 35 Greatest Recruiting Classes Of All Time http://www.ebooksnet.com/35-greatest-recruiting-classes-of-all-time/ http://www.ebooksnet.com/35-greatest-recruiting-classes-of-all-time/#comments Wed, 22 May 2019 19:44:54 +0000 https://bilcomprd.wpengine.com/?p=167544 Penny Hardaway’s recruiting job at Memphis got myself and my colleague Ronnie Flores on the discussion of the greatest recruiting classes of all time. So we started to dig, and dig some more. Two days later, here's a detailed listing of the greatest 35 recruiting classes dating back to 1965 UCLA and Alcindor.

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]]> When Top 15 recruit and five star forward Precious Achiuwa of Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) announced last week that he would attend Memphis in the fall, it immediately boosted the Tigers’ seven player haul to the top-ranked recruiting class in the country.

Achiuwa joins the No. 1 player in the country, James Wiseman (Memphis East), and four-star recruits Boogie Ellis (San Diego Mission Bay), D.J. Jeffries (Olive Branch, MS), Lester Quinones (IMG Academy, FL), Malcolm Dandridge (Memphis East) and Damion Baugh (Tennessee Prep).

Penny Hardaway’s squad will perform on the court, so we can't yet say if it's an all-time recruiting job, but his efforts got myself and my colleague Ronnie Flores on the discussion of the greatest recruiting classes of all time. So we started to dig, and dig, and dig some more.

Some 36 hours later, we had a list of 35 of the all-time great recruiting classes dating back to 1965 for your enjoyment, beginning with UCLA’s class of 1965.

*The list takes into consideration not only the player rankings in those respective classes (listed by number) by the most credible?recruiting lists we?could find, but also what immediate impact the class had during its time in college hoops.?College freshman were first eligible for varsity competition in the 1972-73 season. Classes are listed in chronological order.

1965 UCLA Bruins

Class: Lew Alcindor (aka Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), Lucius Allen, Lynn Shackelford, Kenny Heitz

Impact:?The freshman team, led by these four first-year guys, blew out the varsity team, 75-60, in the inaugural game inside of Pauley Pavilion. Alcindor, Allen, Shackelford and Heitz spent their first season competing against other freshman teams and junior college programs, winning those games by an average of 57 points in front of massive crowds. All four moved into the starting lineup as sophomores and ran off three straight national championships led by Alcindor, arguably the greatest college player ever.

1970 UCLA Bruins

Class: Bill Walton, Jamaal Wilkes, Greg Lee, Tommy Curtis, Vince Carson

Impact: The eventual best player in college basketball, Walton, and the rest of this class had to play freshman ball in 1971 and showed just how good they were as sophomores by going 30-0 and winning the ’72 title over Florida State. UCLA won it again in ’73 over Memphis, but fell to NC State in the ’74 Final Four in the last season of this storied class.

1972 Indiana Hoosiers

Class: Quinn Buckner, Scott May, Tom Abernethy, Jim Crews

Impact: This wasn’t an immediate satisfaction class, but it produced long-term success. May was academically ineligible in the 1972-73 season, but his ability was on full display during his sophomore year.?Bucker actually was an immediate impact freshman (10.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg) on a team that advanced?the the NCAA Final Four.?The Hoosiers went 31-1 in 1974-75 and lost to Kentucky in the regional finals, before going 32-0 in 1975-76, winning the national title over Michigan, 86-68. The ’75-76 Indiana squad is the last team in college basketball to finish a season undefeated.

1978 Louisville Cardinals

Class: Jerry Eaves, Scooter McCray, Wiley Brown, Derek Smith, Poncho Wright

Impact: After recruiting National Player of the Year Darrell Griffith and?Bobby Turner out of Louisville's Male High School in 1976, coach Denny?Crum missed out on big targets like Albert King and Magic Johnson in 1977?and didn’t bring in much of note that fall.?He needed to hit big going into?the 1979 season to surround Griffith with enough talent to make a run at?the program’s third Final Four in the Crum era. Although he didn’t land a?superstar, he brought in excellent depth and a gem in McRay, who was?joined a year later by his younger brother Rodney out of Mt. Vernon, N.Y.?Scooter and Smith were impact players and Eaves and Brown were good role?players as freshman. Even without Turner and an injured Scooter, who was?never the same after his freshman year, Smith and Brown stepped up around?Griffith to develop the program its first NCAA title in 1980. This deep?class made up the core of the team that made another NCAA Final Four?appearance in 1982.

1979 Kentucky Wildcats

Class: Sam Bowie (3), Derrick Hord (5), Dirk Minniefield (20), Charles Hurt (36)

Impact: Bowie and Hord came in as top five recruits and the 7-foot-1 Bowie averaged 12.9 points and eight rebounds per game as a freshman, but battled injuries throughout his career. Hord, Minniefield and Hurt were all solid pieces during their four year careers, but weren’t apart of the 1984 team which lost in the National Semifinals to Georgetown in Bowie’s fifth year.

1979 UCLA Bruins

Class: Darren Daye (9), Rod Foster (28), Michael Holton (43), Cliff Pruitt (95)

Impact: These four UCLA freshmen teamed with senior Kiki Vandeweghe to advance all the way to the NCAA title game, where it lost to Louisville led by Darrell Griffith. Larry Brown left for the NBA and left the program on probation in his wake and this group never achieved the projections set for it.

1982 Duke Blue Devils

Class: Johnny Dawkins (11), Mark Alarie (43), Weldon Williams (62), Jay Bilas?(74), David Henderson, Bill Jackman

Impact: After a rough second year in Durham 10-17, many fans were calling?for coach Mike Krzyzewski’s head, but this is the class that turned things?around. Sure, Duke went 11-17 in 1982-83, but it also saw Dawkins (18.1?ppg) develop into arguably the most important recruit in school history?and the player that started a Duke dynasty that won five NCAA?championships in the Coach K era. Alarie (10 ppg, 6.5 rpg), Henderson (9.1?ppg) and Bilas (8.8 rpg) were also impact freshmen and this group made up?the core of the team that advanced to the first Final Four in the?Krzyzewski era, losing to Louisville in the 1986 NCAA title game.

1985 Louisville Cardinals

Class: Tony Kimbro (4), Pervis Ellison (17), Kenny Payne (22), Keith Williams, Avery Marshall

Impact: After winning the 1980 NCAA title and advancing to the 1982 and?1983 NCAA Final Four, it looked like Denny Crum’s proud program wasn’t on?that level anymore after going 19-18 in 1985. A big reason for that was?senior guard Wilt Wagner had to take a red-shirt for an injury. Similar to?Scooter McCray in ’78 and Lancaster Gordon and Charles Jones in '80, Crum?found another Southern gem in Ellison. "Never Nervous” Pervis teamed up?with Wagner to lead the Cardinals to their second NCAA title in seven?seasons in 1986 and the Savannah, Ga. product was the first freshman ever?named MOP of the NCAA Tournament. Kimbro was a three-year starer and Payne?scored nearly 15 ppg as a senior.

1986 Syracuse Orange

Class: Derrick Coleman (6), Earl Duncan (15), Stephen Thompson (36), Keith Hughes, Matt Roe

Impact: Pearl Washington, a New York City playground legend, and cable?television, made Syracuse a household name in the mid 1980s and coach Jim?Boeheim used that to bring in some excellent recruiting classes around?that time. Although Washington left a season early for the NBA in 1986,?Syracuse’s recruiting class that season help the program get over the hump?and advance to its first NCAA Final Four, where it lost to Indiana in the?title game. Coleman (11.9 ppg, 8.8 rpg) starred immediately, Thompson was?a terrific four-year standout and Duncan (after sitting out as a Prop 48)?and Roe became valuable contributors on NCAA tournament teams after their?freshman seasons.

1988 Georgetown Hoyas

Class: Alonzo Mourning (1), Milton Bell (28), Ronny Thompson, Dikembe?Mutombo, John Turner (JUCO)

Impact: We were tempted to place the 1981 Georgetown class with No.?1 player Patrick Ewing, but we decided to place another John Thompson haul?with a No. 1 national player, Mourning (13.1 ppg, 7.3 rpg). What makes?this class unique is the emergence of Mutombo, a Congo native who attended?Georgetown on a USAID scholarship and spoke basically no English when he?arrived. Although Bell eventually transferred and Turner dropped out,?Mourning made the Hoyas a forced to be reckoned with right away as they?advanced to the Elite Eight and they were quite competitive with the Twin?Towers underneath for the next two seasons after that.

1989 Indiana Hoosiers

Class: Lawrence Funderburke (7), Pat Graham (15), Calbert Cheaney (31), Greg Graham (36), Chris Lawson (76)

Impact: This class was met with a lot of fanfare, especially with thoughts of pairing Funderburke with Bobby Knight, but the fun didn’t last long. Funderburke only lasted six games before transferring to Ohio State after he butted heads with coach Knight. Pat and Greg Graham were solid pieces, but Calbert Cheaney ended up being the gem of that Hoosiers’ class. Cheaney led Indiana to the 1992 Final Four and was the 1993 NCAA Player of the Year as a senior.

1990 North Carolina Tar Heels

Class: Eric Montross (2), Clifford Rozier (5), Derrick Phelps (12), Brian Reese (13)

Impact: All four played roles in their first seasons in Chapel Hill as UNC went to the Final Four in 1991, falling to Kansas, 79-73. Montross ended up leading the Tar Heels in scoring during their run to the 1993 NCAA national title where they defeated the next recruiting class on our list. Rozier ended up transferring to Louisville where he became an All-American, while Reese (11.3 points per game) and Phelps (8.1 ppg) started and played major roles in the title run.

1991 Michigan Wolverines

Class: Chris Webber (1), Juwan Howard (3), Jalen Rose (6), Jimmy King (9), Ray Jackson (76)

Impact: There is no class more highly publicized and analyzed than the famed Fab Five. Webber, Howard, Rose and King were McDonald’s All-Americans, and in fact, played on the same Mickey D’s team. The Wolverines reached back-to-back National Championship games in 1992 and 1993, but fell to Duke and North Carolina, respectively. One of the more interesting facts about this team is it never won a Big Ten championship.

1993 North Carolina Tar Heels

Class: Jerry Stackhouse (2), Rasheed Wallace (3), Jeff McInnis (26)

Impact: Stackhouse and Wallace were considered two of the top three players in the country along with Randy Livingston (LSU), while McInnis rounded out the trio of McDonald's All-Americans. Stackhouse and Wallace took some time away from returning starters Phelps and Reese and UNC faltered in the 1994 NCAA Tournament, falling in the second round to ninth-seeded Boston College.

1994 Michigan Wolverines

Class: Jerod Ward (3), Willie Mitchell (16), Maceo Baston (17), Maurice Taylor?(18), Travis Conlan

Impact: After Michigan’s Fab Five took college basketball by storm in?1992-93, Coach Steve Fisher had the hottest program in the country in the?mid 1990s. He parlayed that info fine recruiting classes in ’94 and ’95.?The ’94 group was labeled Fab Five II, but because leading recruit Ward?never developed as advertised, the program never returned to the NCAA?Final Four before facing NCAA sanctions at the end of the Fisher era.?Still, the 1994 group was productive in Ann Arbor, especially Taylor (12.4?ppg) and Baston, bookend forwards who were more tough than flashy in comparison to?their predecessors on the frontline.

1997 Duke Blue Devils

Class: Chris Burgess (1), Elton Brand (6), Shane Battier (7), William Avery (51)

Impact: Brand, Battier and Burgess were all McDonald’s All-American’s in 1997. Brand came in as an immediate double-double threat, averaging 13.4 points and 7.3 rebounds as a freshman. Avery (8.5 points), Battier (7.6) and Burgess (4.3) were strong supporting actors as freshmen. Duke lost to Kentucky in the Elite Eight in 1998, then fell to Connecticut in the 1999 National Championship game. Brand, a sophomore, led the team in scoring and rebounding that season and was the No. 1 pick in the 1999 NBA Draft by Chicago, while Avery went No. 14 to Minnesota.

1998 UCLA Bruins

Class: Dan Gadzuric (5), JaRon Rush (10), Ray Young (16), Matt Barnes (39), Jerome Moiso

Impact: Rush (11.4 points), Moiso (10.8 points) and Gadzuric (8.6 points) all showed early promise as long-term prospects, but things just didn’t click. The team didn’t meet expectations under Steve Lavin and Ray Young’s career didn’t pan out as most expected. The Bruins made a couple of decent NCAA Tournament runs, but the payer rankings of this group didn’t meet the on-court production.

1999 Kansas Jayhawks

Class: Nick Collison (22), Drew Gooden (26), Kirk Hinrich (46)

Impact: This class wasn’t as highly-touted as many on this list, but it was extremely productive. All three were immediate impact players as freshmen, Collison and Gooden both averaging double-figure scoring in their first season. All three of these recruits were on the 2001-02 team which lost to Maryland in the national semifinals, while Collison and Hinrich were on the squad which lost to Syracuse in the 2003 National Championship game.

2002 Illinois Fightin’ Illini

Class: Dee Brown (19), Deron Williams (38), James Augustine (87)

Impact: Bill Self brought in this class before he left for the Kansas job and the rankings of Brown, Williams and Augustine wouldn’t lend one to believe that this class belongs on the list, but the long-term impact of this trio earned it a spot. All three started from nearly every game their inaugural year and the rapport they built helped them reach the 2005 National Championship game under Bruce Pearl. Illinois lost to North Carolina, 75-70. One honorable mention recruiting class was Lou Henson’s haul in 1986 of Nick Anderson, Steve Bardo, Kendall Gill, Ervin Small and Larry Smith, but because of Prop 48 restrictions, Anderson and Small didn’t play their freshman season.

2002 North Carolina Tar Heels

Class: Raymond Felton (3), Sean May (6), Rashad McCants (8), David Noel

Impact: This trio had a rough start as all were thrust into starting roles under coach Matt Doherty. The 2002-03 Tar Heels went 19-16 overall, 6-10 in the ACC, and missed the NCAA Tournament. Doherty was out after that season and Roy Williams took over and turned the ship around. UNC won the 2005 NCAA Title over Illinois behind the production of McCants, May and Felton.

2002 Syracuse Orange

Class: Carmelo Anthony (1), Gerry McNamara (21)

Impact: This class is important for obvious reasons. Anthony opted to go to college instead of the NBA and the rest is history. Melo immediately became the premier scorer in the country and led the Orange to the 2003 NCAA National Championship. McNamara may have been the overlooked piece to this puzzle, but his 13.3 points per game and consistent long-range shooting was instrumental in Syracuse’s success. Some include Billy Edelin in this class, but he was a 2001 high school graduate who missed his freshman season due to suspension.

2004 Florida Gators

Class: Corey Brewer (29), Al Horford (48), Joakim Noah (67), Taurean Green (70)

Impact: This group didn’t look as good on paper as many on this list, but winning followed wherever it went. They all bought in to each other and coach Billy Donovan’s system which led to it being the last group to win back-to-back NCAA titles. The Gators took down UCLA in 2006 and a great Ohio State team in 2007. Noah, Horford, Brewer and Green all shared the wealth, averaging between 12 and 13.3 points per game in their junior seasons.?

2005 Kansas Jayhawks

Class: Julian Wright (7), Brandon Rush (13), Mario Chalmers (14), Micah Downs (33)

Impact: Rush started every game his freshman year, while Chalmers and Wright eventually played their way into starting roles. The Jayhawks fell to UCLA in the 2007 Elite Eight in this group’s sophomore year, but after Wright left for the NBA and Downs transferred to Gonzaga, Chalmers and Rush helped Kansas win a National Championship in 2008 over Memphis. Chalmers famously hit the game-winning shot.

2006 Ohio State Buckeyes

Class: Greg Oden (1), Daequan Cook (21), Mike Conley (28), David Lighty (41), Othello Hunter (JUCO)

Impact: This class was truly considered one of the best ever led by generational center, Greg Oden, who developed into the No. 1 pick in the 2007 NBA Draft. Oden averaged 15.7 points and 9.6 rebounds in his freshman campaign, while Conley (11.3, 6.1 assists) and Cook (9.8) took on big time roles as well. Ohio State made a run to the 2007 National Championship game where it fell to Florida.

2006 North Carolina Tar Heels

Class: Ty Lawson (3), Wayne Ellington (4), Brandan Wright (5), Alex Stepheson (62), Deon Thompson (80)

Impact: This class was top heavy for Roy Williams with Lawson, Ellington and Wright floating around the top 10 among the various rankings. Those three stepped in and contributed immediately, while Thompson and Stepheson played more complimentary roles. Wright went one-and-done, but the other four remained to help the Tar Heels made a Final Four run in 2008. Stepheson then transferred to USC and Ellington, Lawson and Thompson won a National Championship in 2009 over Michigan State.

2006 Texas Longhorns

Class: Kevin Durant (2), D.J. Augustin (17), Damion James (23), Dexter Pittman?(68)

Impact: Coach Rick Barnes used his connections with Montrose Christian?(Rockville, Md.) coach Stu Vetter to secure the services of Durant, the?nation’s No. 2 recruit behind Greg Oden who turned in one of the greatest?freshman seasons in NCAA history (25.8 ppg, 11.1 rpg) before being the No.?2 pick of the 2007 NBA Draft behind the same player. Barnes' haul also?included D.J. Augustin (14.4 ppg, 6.7 apg), the underrated James (7.6 ppg,?7. 2 rpg) and a fourth eventual NBA player and four-year contributor in?Pittman.

2009 Kentucky Wildcats

Class: John Wall (1), DeMarcus Cousins (3), Daniel Orton (15), Eric Bledsoe (23), Jon Hood (40), Darnell Dodson (JUCO)

Impact: John Calipari wasted no time bringing in big-time talent at Kentucky. Cal snagged five players in the top 40 and a four-star junior college transfer in Dodson. The Wildcats lost to West Virginia in the Elite Eight, then lost Wall, Cousins, Orton and Bledsoe to the NBA. It was considered a big disappointment.?

2010 Kentucky Wildcats

Class: Enes Kanter (3), Brandon Knight (6), Terrence Jones (13), Doron Lamb (21)

Impact: Kanter didn’t end up playing in his short stay at Kentucky and the Wildcats still managed to make a Final Four run. Knight (17.3 points), Jones (15.7) and Lamb (12.3) were the catalysts on that 2010-11 team which fell to UCONN, 56-55, in the national semifinals.

2011 Kentucky Wildcats

Class: Anthony Davis (1), Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (2), Marquis Teague (4), Kyle Wiltjer (22)

Impact: A recruiting class can’t get much better when three of the four guys you bring in start basically every game en route to a National Championship. Davis scooped up every award you can imagine, including Wooden Award and AP Player of the Year, as he averaged 14.2 points, 10.4 rebounds and 4.7 blocks per game, while Kidd-Gilchrist put up 11.9 points and 7.4 boards a contest. Davis and MKG were the top two picks in the 2012 NBA Draft and Teague went 29th to Chicago. Wiltjer played two solid seasons, but transferred to Gonzaga after his sophomore year in Lexington.

2013 Kentucky Wildcats

Class: Julius Randle (3), Andrew Harrison (5), James Young (6), Aaron Harrison (7), Dakari Johnson (9), Marcus Lee (19), Derek Willis (115)

Impact: Randle, Young and the Harrison twins started from the get-go, as the Wildcats had to make up for the departures of Davis, MKG, Teague, Terrence Jones and Doron Lamb whom all ended up being first round picks in the 2012 NBA Draft. Those four, along with sophomore Willie Cauley-Stein, led Kentucky to another National Championship appearance where it fell to Connecticut, 60-54. Randle and Young opted for the one-and-done route with Julius going to the Lakers at No. 7 and James to the Celtics at No. 17. The Harrison twins and Johnson stayed another year before making the jump to the pros. Lee had three average seasons before transferring back home to Cal.

2014 Duke Blue Devils

Class: Jahlil Okafor (1), Tyus Jones (4), Justise Winslow (12), Grayson Allen (17)

Impact: Okafor was an absolute beast at the college level, putting up 17.3 points and 8.5 rebounds a night in leading Duke to the 2015 NCAA National Title. Winslow (12.6 points, 6.5 rebounds) and Jones (11.8 points, 5.6 assists) flourished in their starting roles. Okafor (No. 3) and Winslow (No. 10) went in the Lottery of the 2015 NBA Draft and Jones was taken 24th overall.

2014 Kentucky Wildcats

Class: Karl-Anthony Towns (5), Trey Lyles (13), Tyler Ulis (21), Devin Booker (27)

Impact: If you look at the stat sheet for the 2014-15 Wildcats none of the numbers will blow you away. No player averaged more than 11 points per game, but the balance was clear as six Kentucky players scored between 6.4 and 11 points per night. Towns started every game, while Lyles made his way into 21 first five appearances. Booker and Ulis played key bench roles as Kentucky won its first 38 games of that season. The Wildcats run to a perfect season was halted by Wisconsin in the 2015 NCAA national semifinals. Towns was the No. 1 pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, Lyles went No. 12 and Booker No. 13.

2017 Duke Blue Devils

Class: Marvin Bagley III (2), Trevon Duval (4), Wendell Carter (7), Gary Trent Jr. (18), Alex O’Connell (58)

Impact: This was a much-heralded coup for Coach K. He grabbed three of the top seven players in the country, including Bagley who reclassified up a class to head to Durham. The lanky lefty was as good as advertised, dropping 20 points and 11 rebounds a night for the Blue Devils, while Trent, Carter and Duval all joined him in the starting five and averaged double-figure scoring. Duke won 29 games in 2017-18, but fell to Kansas, 85-81, in the Elite Eight. Bagley (No. 2) and Carter (No. 7) were selected early in the 2018 NBA Draft, but Trent fell to the second round and Duval went undrafted.

2017 Kentucky Wildcats

Class: Hamidou Diallo (10), Kevin Knox (11), Jarred Vanderbilt (12), P.J. Washington (15), Nick Richards (17), Quade Green (22), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (34)

Impact: Kentucky didn’t land any of the top five players in 2017 as it’s accustomed to doing basically every year, but this seven player haul was absolutely ridiculous for Calipari. All seven contributed in a big way before Vanderbilt lost his season early to injury. The Wildcats ended up struggling in SEC play, finishing fourth in the conference with a 10-8 record before falling to Kansas State in the 2018 Sweet 16.

2018 Duke Blue Devils

Class: R.J. Barrett (1), Cam Reddish (3), Zion Williamson (5), Tre Jones (14), Joey Baker (48)

Impact: Duke needed to reload in 2018 after losing its top five scorers to the NBA Draft and Coach K did so by bringing in three of the top five players in the country. Williamson’s impact was not only felt on the floor from the jump, but also on the airwaves and on social media as the viral dunking sensation was plastered all over every sports morning show you can think of. Barrett lived up to his lofty expectations, Reddish showed flashes of why many considered him one of the more versatile scorers in the country and Jones made sure the team was running like a well-oiled machine. The Blue Devils won 32 games before losing to Michigan State, 69-68, in the 2019 Elite Eight.

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]]> http://www.ebooksnet.com/35-greatest-recruiting-classes-of-all-time/feed/ 3 Preseason 2017-18 FAB 50: Teams No. 31-50! http://www.ebooksnet.com/preseason-2017-18-fab-50-teams-no-31-50/ Sun, 05 Nov 2017 23:10:05 +0000 https://bilcomprd.wpengine.com/?p=150732 Today www.ebooksnet.com kick offs its 2017-18 high school basketball coverage with our first installment of the preseason 2017-18…

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]]> Today www.ebooksnet.com kick offs its 2017-18 high school basketball coverage with our first installment of the preseason 2017-18 FAB 50 national team rankings. We begin with teams No. 31-50 and our second installment will be teams No. 16-30 on Monday, November 6. The complete FAB 50 rankings powered by www.ebooksnet.com will be released by November 7.

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 18 years ago.

Preseason 2017-18 FAB 50 National
Team Rankings Powered by www.ebooksnet.com

By Ronnie Flores

(Final 2016-17 ranking in parentheses; *Indicates forfeit wins, forfeit losses not included; **Indicates forfeits and defaults not included; Look for preseason Region-By-Region Top 20 Rankings on Friday, November 10 and for the preseason Mr. Basketball USA Tracker on Tuesday, November 21.)

RELATED: Preseason 2017-18 FAB 50 (1-15) | Preseason 2017-18 FAB 50 (16-30) | BIL HS Basketball Weekly Showcase | Preseason Regional Top 20 Rankings

31. (NR) Westlake (Austin, Texas) 29-7 
Key Players: SF Matthew Mayer 6-7 2018 (No. 57 ESPN.com, Baylor commit), SF Brock Cunningham 6-6 2018, C Will Baker 6-10 2019 (No. 13 ESPN.com).
Why This Ranking: Last season the Chaparrals got the nod as the UIL Class 6A favorites and the Texas Basketball Association of Coaches (TABC) has them penciled in as the preseason top-ranked team in state over No. 44 Guyer. Westlake is more talented than last season, but in our rankings system if a defending champion has nearly all its team returning, as Cypress Falls does, there’s no reason to start another team ahead of it. Still, with four returning starters and Baker ready to step into a bigger role, the Chaps will be hard to beat come playoff time. It starts with Cunningham (14.7 ppg, 11.3 rpg), a throwback who rebounds and gets on the floor like a Jayvee fighting for time off the bench and was the All-Central Texas Player of the Year. Mayer is a talented wing prospect who can fill it up in a hurry, while Xavier commit Keonte Kennedy (6-4, 2018) can slash and get opponents in foul trouble.
The Skinny: Coach Robert Lucero’s club is not only talented; it’s extremely motivated after blowing a nine-point lead in a regional final loss to San Antonio Wagner. It was the second consecutive Final Eight loss for a program that opened last season No. 27 in the FAB 50 and has never reached the UIL Final Four. The loss to Humble Atascocita in 2016 was to a highly-ranked FAB 50 team, while Westlake feels it was clearly the better team against Wagner. Cunningham has to remain healthy and out of foul trouble (he fouled out against Wagner) and the guard play, led by Luke Pluymen (6-0, 2018), has to be on top of its game if Westlake is going to win six games in a row to capture make its first trip to state and capture the coveted state crown. We’ll find out more about the Texas pecking order right away when the Chaps take on No. 44 Guyer at the Thanksgiving Hoopfest in Dallas November 25.

32. (NR) New Albany (New Albany, Ind.) 25-4
Key Players: SG Romeo Langford 6-4 2018 (No. 5 247Sports.com, Ballislife Second Team All-American), PG Sean East 6-0 2018.
Why This Ranking: The Bulldogs begin the season a spot lower than last season when they were coming off a 2015-16 season that saw the program win its first state title since 1973. New Albany is once again the favorites to win the Class 4A state crown, but it will need consistency and role players to step up in order to maintain its FAB 50 ranking. East (12.0 ppg, 4.2 apg) had a solid summer and could take on a bigger offensive role if necessary. He’s a good leader and could earn some D1 looks with a big start to the season.
The Skinny: Langford, of course, is why New Albany is so highly-regarded and the favorite to win the state title over the likes of Zionsville, North Side of Ft. Wayne and cross-town Lawrence North. After earning Ballislife National Sophomore of the Year Honors, last season he averaged 28.7 ppg and 8.9 rpg, but there wasn’t a huge uptick in his overall game. With a big season, Langford has a chance to break the Indiana career scoring mark of 1990 Mr. Basketball USA Damon Bailey of Bedford North Lawrence (3,134). The scoring race, however, won’t be the key to the season as much of the development of talents such as 6-foot-4 sophomore Julien Hunter (5.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg) and 6-foot-5 senior Blake Murphy (4.3 ppg) will be. The Bulldogs ranking will be tested right away when it meets North Side, a 4A state finalist last season, on December 10 at the Forum Tip-Off at Southport Fieldhouse.

33. (6) Bishop Montgomery (Torrance, Calif.) 31-2
Key Players: SG David Singleton 6-4 2018 (No. 39 247Sports.com, UCLA commit), PG Gianni Hunt 6-3 2019 (No. 86 Rivals.com), SF Fletcher Tynen 6-6 2018 (Boston University commit).
Why This Ranking: Last season some long-time writers and followers of the SoCal basketball scene thought we were flat out nuts to place Bishop Montgomery in front of a Sierra Canyon team that had five d1 recruits, two Pac-12 players and future NBA lottery pick Marvin Bagley. In the end, our hunch was spot on, as coach Doug Mitchell’s team went on to win CIF-Southern Section and CIF State Open crowns to finish ranked one spot ahead of where it began in the preseason (No. 7). Without the graduated Cal-Hi Sports Mr. Basketball Ethan Thompson (Oregon St.) and Jordan Schakel (San Diego St.), the team may take a small step back, but don’t be surprised if the Knights are in the section and regional final once again.
The Skinny: The reason the Knights have an opportunity to win back-to-back CIF State Open crowns is their defense is always top notch. Singleton is a Cal-Hi Sports Mr. Basketball candidate, Hunt is one of the best underclass point guards in the state and Tynen impacts both ends of the floor. In fall leagues, Montgomery has been in mid-season form defensively and when you combine that with the three returning starters, 10 lettermen and newcomers Lazar Nekic (6-11, 2019) and Oscar Lopez (6-4, 2019) it’s easy to see why Montgomery has a good chance to move up in the rankings. Similar to the 2015-16 team that began No. 36 in the FAB 50, we’ll slow play the Knights because they don’t play in a big-time out-of-state tournament or showcase.

34. (NR) Pickerington North (Pickerington, Ohio) 22-7
Key Players: SF Jerome Hunter 6-7 2018 (No. 50 Rivals.com, Indiana commit), PF Elijah McNamera 6-8 2018 (Miami-Ohio commit), SG Dondre Palmer 6-5 2018.
Why This Ranking: This team has a nice blend of returning talent, newcomers and experience to make a serious run at the Ohio Division I state title. The team, and in particular Hunter, caught fire at the end of the regular season and advanced to the Columbus Regional Final, where it fell to highly-regarded Pickerington Central. Hunter (19.8 ppg, 10.5 rpg) is a legit Ohio Mr. Basketball candidate while McNamera (9.6 ppg, 4.0 rpg), who is a versatile inside player, had a breakout season after playing little as a sophomore. Palmer (10.0 ppg) is also a capable scorer and a good defensive player.
The Skinny: It’s going to be a battle of attrition for the D1 state crown between early favorite Moeller of Cincinnati, the Panthers, Pick Central, Garfield Heights and Princeton of Cincinnati, all of which were considered for the FAB 50. Coach Jason Bates’ club had good size, a go-to player and quality depth. The Panthers also took a step closer to Moeller from a rankings perspective with the additions of Ross Ryan (6-9, 2018) and Corey Baker (6-0, 2018).

35. (NR) Clark (Las Vegas, Nev.) 27-5
Key Players: SG Trey Woodbury 6-4 2018 (No. 129 Rivals.com, UNLV commit), PG Greg Foster Jr. 6-5 2018 (No. 188 247Sports.com), SF Jalen Hill 6-7 2019, PF James Brides 6-5 2018.
Why This Ranking: Sin City is buzzing about this Chargers team and the possibility of a NIAA public school being the best team in Nevada and highly-ranked. The last time a Vegas public school won the largest classification (4A) state title was in 2011 (Canyon Springs) and this team could be the first Vegas public school since Cheyenne in 2002-03 (No. 17) to finish FAB 50 ranked. The ingredients are there as the Chargers return five starters and add at least two newcomers who will play a valuable role. Woodbury (14.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.4 apg) is a returning first team all-state selection while Hill, who is improving rapidly, the physical Bridges and versatile Ian Alexander (6-6, 2018) all gained all-state recognition.
The Skinny: The Chargers did beat No. 48 Bishop Gorman last season to ends the Gaels’ 79-game winning streak versus NIAA foes, but they also changed coaches and lost a eight-point lead in the closing minute and a half in a state title game loss to Gorman. Coach Chad Beeten is back after a one-year coaching stint in California and Clark has been more impressive in fall leagues than the Gaels. Throwing Foster Jr. in the mix not only makes Clark the clear NIAA Class 4A favorites, it makes the team a national player as the Chargers travel to the Beach Ball Classic and stay home in attempt to capture the Tarkanian Classic title. In spite of all the experience and firepower, Clark still has to prove it can live up to expectations when it matters.

36. (BB) Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, N.Y.) 23-4
Key Players: PF Donatas Kupsas 6-8 2018, PG Tyson Etienne 6-2 2019, SF Frankie Policelli 6-8 2018 (No. 140 247Sports.com).
Why This Ranking: After losing to Lincoln of Brooklyn in the New York Federation Class AA title game, the Crusaders are once again talented enough to compete for the federation crown and national acclaim. With a roster with up to seven D1 players, coach John Buck’s team is a big favorite to win New York’s Independent Schools title (NYSAIS) and play the schedule to make a push towards the Top 25. Even with the loss of three starters and forward Harrison Warnock, there is an abundance of returning talent including Kupsas, a talented stretch-four from Lithuania who gained confidence playing in the FIBA 19U World Championships in Egypt last summer. LuHi’s depth, length and versatility will make it a tough out.
The Skinny: New York teams seem to be on the upswing after a short down period where they didn’t make a huge dent in the FAB 50. Archbishop Malloy of Queens could be a FAB 50 title contender and No. 46 Christ the King in the CHSAA and Lincoln and South Shore in the PSAL could be in the FAB 50 mix with the Crusaders. Veterans such as power forward Esam Mostafa (6-8, 2019) will need to step up in big games at events such as the Beach Ball Classic in South Carolina, the Hoophall Classic, the SNY Invitational and the Big Apple Invitational where the Crusaders play Providence Day of North Carolina. It’s chemistry with the newcomers, however, that will be key to surviving the schedule. Etienne is a future D1 point guard and Policelli is motivated to use LuHi’s platform to prove he’s a legitimate Top 100 player in the national senior class.

37. (21) Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) 27-3
Key Players: SG Duane Washington 6-4 2018 (Ohio St. commit), PG Scottie Pippen Jr. 6-0 2019, PF K.J. Martin 6-7 2019, SG Cassius Stanley 6-5 2019 (No. 10 Rivals.com, Ballislife Underclass All-American).
Why This Ranking: This team graduated as much raw talent as any in the country and has a new coach, but there is just too much new blood for the Trailblazers not to be in the rankings. It begins with Washington, who proved in fall leagues he’s vastly underrated nationally. The combo guard from Grand Rapids (Mich.) Christian is an excellent shooter and should average upwards of 18 ppg on this team. Pippen Jr. is a crafty lead guard who averaged 11.8 ppg at Pine Crest (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) and now has more weapons around him. Martin, who like Pippen is the son of a former NBA standout, is coming over from nearby Chaminade and is an active rebounder and strong finisher.
The Skinny: Andre Chevalier, a former assistant, is actually not a new head coach, as he had previous stints at Oaks Christian and Cleveland of Reseda and was the acting head coach in the playoffs last year when Ty Nichols stepped aside. Not surprisingly to us, that strategy didn’t work as Sierra Canyon lost to state preseason No. 1 Bishop Montgomery in the CIFSS Open Division semifinals and lost in the regional opener for the second year in a row. This team isn’t as talented, but is a major threat to Mater Dei of Santa Ana, No. 33 Bishop Montgomery and Oak Park to win the CIFSS Open crown because of the blue collar approach. Chevalier wants this team to peak at playoff time, so the development of Terren Frank (6-8, 2020) and the incorporation of Stanley after the 30-day sit out period will be critical.

38. (NR) DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) 25-10
Key Players: SG Justin Moore 6-3 2019 (No. 60 Rivals.com), C Hunter Dickinson 7-1 2020 (No. 7 ESPN.com), SG Carsten Kogelnik 6-5 2019.
Why This Ranking: The Stags have enough talent, tradition and play enough FAB 50 ranked foes to offset their relative youth. Last season, DeMatha came in fourth place in the ultra-competitive Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) and this year there are three teams from the conference in the FAB 50 so coach Mike Jones (404-107) knows there is work to be done. DeMatha lost three D1 seniors to graduation, but 10 lettermen gained valuable playing time, especially after Moore (14 ppg) went down to injury during conference play. In addition to his return, Dickinson (4.8 ppg) has made huge strides and expect his numbers to more than double this season. Ditto for Kogelnik (4.2 ppg). “This group gained a ton of experience last season and added some nice pieces; we will have very competitive practices which should translate well to our games,” Jones said.
The Skinny: The Stags have been a staple in the FAB 50 since its beginning and have arguably been the program to appear most consistently in national rankings since they began in a weekly format in 1975-76. They have the talent to move up, but if the underclass returnees don’t step up the production, the schedule could be more overwhelming than a confidence-builder. With that in mind, it will be important for newcomers such as Earl Timberlake Jr. (6-4, 2020), Josh Wallace (6-1, 2019) and Jamir Young (5-8, 2019) to be ready when called upon. In addition to weekly WCAC wars, the Stags play in the Beach Ball Classic with the likes of No. 48 Bishop Gorman, No. 36 Clark, No. 35 Long Island Lutheran and FAB 50 title contender Montverde Academy, at the Cancer Research Classic versus highly-regarded McEachern of Georgia and versus Archbishop Malloy of New York at the Hoophall Classic.

39. (NR) Ranney School (Tinton Falls, N.J.) 22-6
Key Players: SF Scottie Lewis 6-6 2019 (No. 5 247Sports.com), SG Bryan Antoine 6-3 2019 (No. 3 247Sports.com, Ballislife Underclass All-American).
Why This Ranking: The Panthers are a talent-laden team and have a big window in terms of opportunity to move up in the rankings, but they also have many local landmines that could prevent a higher ranking. Coach Taj Holden started five sophomores last season that advanced to the South Jersey, Non-Public B semifinals, where Ranney School lost to FAB 50 power Patrick School. Lewis (16.3 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 3.4 apg) is one of the most talented and exciting players in the nation regardless of class, but it is Antoine who is consistently the most productive player. He averaged 20.5 ppg, 4 rpg, 2.5 apg and 3.4 spg and was third five all-state by NJ.com. This team is young, but gained valuable experience playing together against tough competition, while Antoine and Lewis are long-time teammates on the Team Rio travel club.
The Skinny: Although this team has loads of potential and plays a national schedule, it’s still fourth in the New Jersey rankings pecking order behind the Celtics, Hudson Catholic and Roselle Catholic. The Panthers’ ranking going into 2018 will be dependent on how they fare at the City of Palms Classic in Ft. Myers, Fla., where they open versus highly-regarded McEachern of Georgia. They also play Roselle Catholic on January 31 and must get by the Celtics when it counts in the post-season. With that in mind, the consistency of point guard Ahmadu Sarnor (6-2, 2019) and the production of power forward Chris Autino (6-6-, 2019) cannot be underestimated.

40. (NR) Rainier Beach (Seattle, Wash.) 22-10
Key Players: SF Kevin Porter Jr. 6-6 2018 (No. 36 Rivals.com), SG Fred Roberson 6-2 2018, PG Trevante Anderson 6-1 2018.
Why This Ranking: The basketball-crazed city of Seattle produced its first FAB 50 national champion last season when Nathan Hale rose all the way from No. 38 to No. 1, and veteran coach Mike Bethea hopes that Emerald City magic can rub off on his program. Last season, there were three Metro League teams in the FAB 50 mix, but with Michael Porter Jr. now in college and Hale coach Brandon Roy now at Garfield, it’s again a two-horse race for the league crown and Bethea likes his team’s chances. He feels his Porter Jr. will do what Roy’s did last season. “Kevin is going to be the dominant player in this league,” Bethea said. “He’s a matchup nightmare because he can do so many things.” Roberson is a returning all-city talent who is even better as a running back, and there is a nice blend of newcomers and returning role players.
The Skinny: The Vikings were quite talented last season when they opened up No. 23 in the FAB 50. It may have been a tad high, but the team never came together like Bethea (530-130) expects this one to do. In fact, he likens this unit to his 2001-02 club led by Nate Robinson and the Stewart twins that finished No. 8 in the FAB 50 (28-1). The chemistry is good, the players have similar goals and Anderson, a transfer from Tacoma Lincoln, is a first rate lead guard as the graduated Kahlil Shabazz (Central Washington). Mike Monroe (6-2, 2019), utility man Darrious Ballou (6-6, 2018), sharpshooter Kenny Curtis (5-8, 2019) and Nate Murray (6-4, 2019) provide depth. Beach is schedule to play Garfield during the regular season right before MLK weekend and will find out what improvements need to be made when they travel to the Iolani Classic before Christmas.

41. (26) Norcross (Norcross, Ga.) 26-6
Key Players: PG Kyle Sturdivant 6-2 2019 (No. 113 Rivals.com), SF JoJo Toppin 6-6 2018 (No. 102 247Sports.com), SG B.J. Boston 6-4 2020 (No. 11 247Sports.com).
Why This Ranking: The Blue Devils begin in the same rankings position it did last season when they advanced all the way to the GHSA Class AAAAAAA state title game before falling to upstart Tift County, 55-52. Despite losing their big guns up front in Rayshaun Hammonds (Georgia) and Lance Thomas (Louisville), veteran coach Jesse McMillan has a quick and talented team. He loves his guard play led by four-year starter and floor general Dalvin White (5-11, 2018), an excellent 3-point shooter, and combo guard Sturdivant. Boston is a big-time talent and McMillan plans to have multiple lead guards on the floor at the same time. That means Toppin and newcomer Issa Muhammad (6-9, 2019) need to score and play big on the boards against the better teams.
The Skinny: Even though Norcross has to replace a lot, there are potentially fewer land minds in the Class AAAAAAA ranks this year than last when there was four FAB 50 ranked teams. Wheeler and Buford are also in the FAB 50 mix, but the only team surely in front of Norcross will be McEachern. McMillan is a bit worried about the lack of depth and experience, but the Blue Devils will grow up quick playing Miller Grove of Lithonia to open the season, Gainesville at the On The Radar Showcase then No. 50 Mountain Brook Academy and highly-regarded Wesleyan Christian Academy of North Carolina at the Holiday Hoopsgiving.

42. (BB) Morgan Park (Chicago, Ill.) 26-6
Key Players: PG Ayo Dosunmu 6-4 2018 (No. 20 Rivals.com, Ballislife Underclass All-American, Illinois commit), Tamell Pearson 6-9 2018 (Alabama-Birmingham commit), SG Adam Miller 6-3 2020 (No. 23 ESPN.com).
Why This Ranking: It was a close call, but we go with the defending IHSA Class 3A state champions over defending Class 4A state champ Whitney Young in the FAB 50 because the Mustangs have more returning firepower. It starts with Dosunmu, the state’s best player and leading Mr. Basketball candidate. Don’t be surprised if he turns in some triple-double performances after averaging 22 ppg, 7 rpg, and 9 apg as a junior. He can score at a high-clip or run the team as a traditional one. Coach Nick Irvin also has a go-to player inside in Pearson and a budding star in Miller, a physically strong wing guard who can score in a variety of ways. With its talent and never-say-die defensive approach, there is plenty of potential for this team to move up.
The Skinny: The Mustangs were in the mix for a FAB 50 spot with Whitney Young and we took a look at Curie and Fenwick, too. In order for Irvin’s boys to remain in, they can’t afford a slow start to the season, as the Mustangs take on Champaign Central at the Chicago Elite Classic and Simeon, Curie and Kenwood all before December 15. Morgan Park lost some scoring punch with the transfer of Nimari Burnett and L.J. Johnson, so will look to combo guard and Tennessee-State bound Kenyon Duling (6-2, 2018) and high motor forward Cameron Burrell (6-7, 2018) to take on bigger roles.

43. (BB) Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah) 24-5
Key Players: SF Matt Bradley 6-4 2018 (No. 56 Rivals.com, CAL commit), C Bryan Penn-Johnson 7-0 2018 (No. 38 247Sports.com).
Why This Ranking: The Tigers have been ranked in the middle of the FAB 50 pack for the past three seasons and again have a solid team that can make some noise by closing strong and earning a third Dick’s Nationals berth. There is a lot to like about this team, as coach Curtis Condie welcomes back point guard Damion Squire (6-0, 2018) to be his coach on the floor and mesh the newcomers. The most productive of those players is Bradley, last year’s Cal-Hi Sports Division IV State Player of the Year at San Bernardino is capable of playing multiple positions and is as physical as any scoring wing in the country.
The Skinny: This team has some talent and some big players in their lineup, but is looking to take the next step up to be a true national power. Two years ago the Tigers were overwhelmed by Oak Hill Academy (81-64) and last year were more respectable against eventual champ La Lumiere. They are looking to take that next step this season and record their first Dick’s National’s win. Condie is hoping Bernardo Da Silva (6-7, 2019) ups his production and Penn-Johnson has a breakout year. The latter has turned into a tremendous prospect, but hasn’t accomplished anything in a meaningful, big-time high school environment yet. “Our length, athleticism and physical strength is exceptional and this is the most unselfish team I have ever coached,” Condie said. “Our new players will have to pick up our defense concepts.”

44. (NR) Guyer (Denton, Texas) 25-6
Key Players: PG De’Vion Harmon 6-0 2019 (No. 42 Rivals.com, Oklahoma commit), SF Jalen Wilson 6-6 2019 (No. 47 Rivals.com).
Why This Ranking: The Wildcats are right there with No. 31 Westlake, Mansfield Timberview, South Garland and DeSoto as the best bet of contenders to knock off defending champ Cy Falls and take the UIL Class 6A state crown. Similar to Westlake, whom it squares off against November 25 at the Thanksgiving Hoopfest, Guyer has a plethora of returning talent. We rank Westlake higher to begin the season, however, since it had a much better showing in the UIL playoffs. Guyer was stung in their Bi-District playoff opener in overtime by Euless Trinity, 92-91, after giving up 52 points to Jhivvan Jackson (Texas-San Antonio). That motivation and the returning talent make Guyer a major state title threat.
The Skinny: Guyer returns seven lettermen and four double-digit scorers from last season, including Harmon (18.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 4.8 apg) and Wilson (16.3 ppg, 6.4 rpg). There’s also small forward Le’tre Darthhard (6-4, 2018) back and pivot Grayson Carter (6-9, 2018). Darthhard averaged 10.8 ppg and 5.6 rpg, while Carter averaged 11.8 ppg and 7.8 rpg. Coach Grant Long has a balanced and motivated team, but also one that is long on guard play. Stellar backcourt play has been key in the Class 6A playoffs in recent seasons, so Wildcats’ fans have got to like their team’s chance to crack the Final Four.

45. (NR) Trinity (Louisville, Ky.) 29-4
Key Players: SG David Johnson 6-5 2019 (No. 80 Rivals.com), SG Jay Scrubb 6-5 2018, PG Justin Powell 6-5 2020.
Why This Ranking: At first glance, it seems The Shamrocks are too decimated by graduation to be ranked this high, but they are the consensus preseason No. 1 in Kentucky and have the talent, tradition and coaching to warrant this spot. Covington Catholic and Scott County were also considered from Kentucky, while Whitney Young of Chicago, Belleville, Mich., and Pickerington Central (Ohio) were other Midwest Region programs also considered. Veteran coach Mike Szabo (496-195) has good size across the board and the KHSAA’s best prospect and overall player in Johnson.
The Skinny: Trinity still only has two seniors on its roster, so it may be a year away from being a threat to other highly ranked FAB 50 teams. Coach Szabo needs the young players to step up in order to remain in and they are more than capable. Scrubb is an undersized combo forward who is athletic and quite productive at this level. Powell is an outstanding passer and oozing with potential. Even with its youth and bench players needing to develop, Trinity must avoid in-state hiccups to have a chance to move up in the rankings.

46. (NR) Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.) 18-9
Key Players: C Kofi Cockburn 6-11 2019 (No. 27 247Sports.com), PG Tyson Walker 5-10 2018, SG Ryan Meyers 6-1 2020.
Why This Ranking: Similar to No. 45 Trinity, the Royals are a relatively young team (one senior contributor), but they are even bigger and have a senior leader at the point in Walker, whose fielding offers from St. Louis and Rutgers. CTK has even more potential to move up in the rankings than Trinity because of their strength of New York’s Catholic League and its overall schedule, but it starts behind that club because the Royals are not nearly a consensus No. 1 in their state and have more land mines to cross. Coach Joe Arbitello is confident his team can hold off teams such as Archbishop Malloy and Cardinal Hayes for the CHSAA Class AA title because of the presence of the improved Cockburn in the middle and his good shooters around him.
The Skinny: The Royals are talented and go at least 10 deep in their rotation, but they are still relatively young and if they don’t start off well in the big games, tournaments and showcases, they could lose confidence going into the meat of the CHSAA schedule. CTK plays Cardinal Hayes on December 1 and from a national perspective, we’ll see what this team is made of when it travels to the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions in Missouri to battle the likes of Oak Hill Academy, Webster Groves (Mo.), defending Dick’s Nationals champ La Lumiere, No. 43 Wasatch Academy and Brentwood Academy (Tenn.). Its CHSAA Brooklyn-Queens D1 showdowns with Malloy take place a week apart in February, then it’s a Jersey road date with FAB 50 No. 1 contender Montverde Academy on February 11.

47. (NR) Cretin-Derham Hall (St. Paul, Minn.) 24-10
Key Players: C Daniel Oturu 6-10 2018 (No. 44 ESPN.com, Minnesota commit), PF Sy Chatman 6-7 2018, PG Ryan Larson 6-1 2018.
Why This Ranking: This is one of the most balanced teams in the bottom half of the FAB 50 with dominant size, good perimeter play and a experienced point guard. Oturu is one of the best interior players in the Midwest Region and is motivated after his club was knocked off by eventual Class 4A state champ Apple Valley in the state quarterfinals after leading by 12 points early in the second half. Oturu was named to the all-tournament team and Larson played excellent, but it was little solace for a team that felt it should have won the state crown.
The Skinny: Coach Jerry Kline Jr. has a club that is solid top-to-bottom, but it doesn’t have that one player who can absolutely take over a game on the perimeter the way Apple Valley’s Tre Jones can. The Raiders start behind Apple Valley in the FAB 50, but they have an excellent shot to get past that club and Minnesota’s other top teams this time around. If Chatman has a big year underneath and Jake Prince (6-4, 2018) is consistent from the outside, this team will move up in the rankings.

48. (BB) Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) 22-9 
Key Players: SF Jamal Bey 6-6 2018 (No. 154 247Sports.com, Washington commit), SG Noah Taitz (6-3, 2020), PG Zaon Collins (5-11, 2021).
Why This Ranking: The Gaels have a deep club with interchangeable parts and have dominated NIAA competition as of late. Under coach Grant Rice (417-90), Gorman has won six consecutive NIAA titles and eight of nine heading into this season. Bey is an athletic wing with tons of experience who feasts on opponents in the open court. Taitz is an excellent spot up shooter and fearless driving the ball and taking the big shot. D.J. Howe (5-9, 2018) starts at the point, but Collins could develop into one of the best guards in school history and gives the team a shot in the arm when inserted into the lineup.
The Skinny: The Gaels won last year’s state crown over No. 36 Clark in dramatic fashion; rallying from eight down with under two minutes remaining. The Chargers have more upperclass talent and has been more impressive this fall. Another reason why Gorman starts behind Clark is the Gaels started No. 26 last year, but haven’t finished the season in the final FAB 50 the last two years. Gorman will need to build up and is more than capable with a great defensive club. The key will be the development and utilization of a sparkplug bench that includes Collins, shot blocker Isaiah Cottrell (6-9, 2020) and wing Will McClendon (6-4, 2021).

49. (NR) Cox Mill (Concord, N.C.) 27-6
Key Players: SF Rechon “Leaky” Black 6-8 2018 (No. 48 ESPN.com, North Carolina commit), SF Wendell Moore Jr. 6-6 2019 (No. 21 247Sports.com, Ballislife Underclass All-American).
Why This Ranking: The NCISA Class 3A will have its top two preseason ranked teams in the FAB 50, but this year top teams in North Carolina’s public school ranks deserved a serious look. We decided to go with the 3A favorites over the 4A favorites (Butler of Matthews) for this FAB 50 spot. We like coach Jody Barbee’s team because of the addition of Black, who played last season at FAB 50 power Montverde Academy and is one of the most talented wings in the country. We also like the aggressive schedule the Chargers play, as they participate in both the Chick-Fil-A Classic (which includes Oak Hill Academy, Findlay Prep, IMG Academy, Prolific Prep, and Huntington Prep, among others) and the Beach Ball Classic (which includes No. 48 Bishop Gorman, No. 36 Clark and Montverde Academy, among others).
The Skinny: Cox Mill is the defending NCHSAA Class 3A state champ and will have the opportunity to prove it’s a much better team this season. Black raises the national profile, but in reality it’s Moore whose been the most productive player, as he went for 29 points and 12 rebounds in the 70-66 win over Eastern Guilford in the state title game. Moore upped his outstanding freshman production when Cox Mill won a sectional crown, to average 25.0 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 3.9 apg and 2.3 spg as a sophomore. We almost went with Providence Day of Charlotte in this spot, but that rankings dilemma will take care of itself when those two meet at the Charlotte Hoops Challenge on November 25.

50. (NR) Mountain Brook (Mountain Brook, Ala.) 31-5
Key Players: SF Trendon Watford 6-8 2019 (No. 10 ESPN.com, Ballislife Underclass All-American), SG Sean Elmore (6-2, 2018).
Why This Ranking: We were in line to go with Chaminade of Missouri in this spot, but highly-regarded wing Karrington Davis took his 18.7 ppg to FAB 50 power Montverde Academy in attempt to crack the Eagles’ high-powered lineup. We wanted to get our next team from the Southeast Region (which has been the best in recent years) and the defending AHSAA Class 7A state champs is the choice. Coach Bucky McMillan’s club has a nice blend of star power and plays a strong schedule by Alabama standards.
The Skinny: Watford is the star of this club, and when he’s on his game (23.0 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 3.0 apg) the Spartans can play and potentially defeat FAB 50 ranked clubs. They are not a one-man show, however, as Elmore (12.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg) is an excellent outside shooter and has plenty of experience. Mountain Brook gets to show it rankings worth by participating in the City of Palms Classic in Florida, where it could face FAB 50 national title contender Mater Dei of California if its wins the play-in game. Other clubs considered for this spot were Archbishop Wood of Pennsylvania, Wheeler of Georgia, and two teams who will meet right away at the NorCal Tip Off-Classic in California: Fairfax of Los Angeles and Bishop O’Dowd of Oakland. Whoever wins that season-opener November 25 has a nice springboard to be included in the first set of regular season rankings December 4.

RELATED: Preseason 2017-18 FAB 50 (1-15) | Preseason 2017-18 FAB 50 (16-30) | BIL HS Basketball Weekly Showcase | Preseason Regional Top 20 Rankings

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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]]> 2016-17 High School All-American Team http://www.ebooksnet.com/2016-17-high-school-all-american-team/ Thu, 01 Jun 2017 04:35:53 +0000 https://bilcomprd.wpengine.com/?p=143786 Mr. Basketball USA Michael Porter Jr., three-time selection DeAndre Ayton, and Duke recruit Trevon Duval highlight 23rd annual…

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]]> Mr. Basketball USA Michael Porter Jr., three-time selection DeAndre Ayton, and Duke recruit Trevon Duval highlight 23rd annual All-American team produced by www.ebooksnet.com Grassroots Editor Ronnie Flores. Elite honor squad includes 20-man first team and 30-man second team.

Related: 2016-17 Underclass All-American Team | 2016-17 Mr. Basketball USA: Michael Porter Jr.

The 2016-17 All-American Elite Team, now published for the 23rd consecutive season and on the www.ebooksnet.com platform for the second time, includes 42 of the nation’s best seniors, led by Mr. Basketball USA Michael Porter Jr. of FAB 50 No. 1 Nathan Hale (Seattle, Wash.).

Eighteen seniors and two juniors, including National Junior of the Year Marvin Bagley Jr. of Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.), headline the 20-player overall first team.

A 30-player second team includes five additional juniors and National Sophomore Player of the Year R.J. Barrett of national power Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.). In the 23 seasons of publishing annual All-American teams (we have retroactive teams dating back to the 1954-55 season), no freshman has ever made the first team.

The class player of the year among ninth-graders on this year’s Underclass All-American team is 6-foot-3 guard Jalen Suggs of Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis, Minn.). The talented first-year player is the first-ever underclass player of the year (dating back to the 1969-70 season) from the state of Minnesota.

Our national coach of the year is Freddy Johnson of Greensboro Day (Greensboro, N.C.). He led his club to the NCISA Class 3A and to big win over IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) at Dick’s Nationals. Greensboro Day participated at Dick’s Nationals for the second time in three seasons and finished No. 13 in the final FAB 50 National Team Rankings. Under Johnson, who enters 2017-18 with a 992-283 career mark, Greensboro Day has won 30 or more games 14 times and he is our first-ever National Coach of the Year from North Carolina dating back to the 1969-70 season.

This performance-based All-American team is selected by National Grassroots Editor Ronnie Flores with input from Mr. Basketball USA panelists. It is chosen after the conclusion of the season, which makes this All-American team more reflective of players who made state championship runs. This honors squad has been chosen in its current format since the 1994-95 season and is powered by www.ebooksnet.com for the second consecutive season. This team is chosen regardless of class and is not exclusive or preferential for seniors named to the Ballislife All-American Game. To check out who has played in the Ballislife All-American Game the past seven years, please visit ballislifeallamerican.com. To view archived all-american teams published under this format, please visit GrassrootsHoops.net.

2016-17 All-American First Team

First Five

G — Trevon Duval, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) 6-3 Sr.
Arguably the nation’s most explosive guard, Duval is also rated the nation’s top point guard recruit by ESPN, Rivals and the Hoop Scoop. On the court, the Duke-bound Duval averaged 16.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 7.0 apg for a 26-2 team that finished No. 8 in the FAB 50. Duval also has the rare distinction of winning a major grassroots summer championship for two different shoe company circuits. In the summer of 2016, he led WE-R1 to the Under Armour Association title and helped the New Jersey Playaz win the 2014 Nike EYBL title.

G — Collin Sexton, Pebblebrook (Mableton, Ga.) 6-3 Sr.
The fastest-riser on this year's team, Sexton didn’t make the Underclass All-American team as a junior, but rose all the way to first five with an impressive season that piggybacked a sensational summer. He led the Nike EYBL in scoring (31.7 ppg) and participated for Team USA in the 2016 FIBA 17U World Championships were he was named MVP after averaging 17 ppg. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Class AAAAAAA Player of the Year after averaging 32.6 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 2.5 apg and 2.7 spg for a 21-8 team, Sexton’s talent and competitive nature was on full display at the Ballislife All-American Game. He finished with 27 points and four assists to earn game MVP honors.

G — Trae Young, Norman North (Norman, Okla.) 6-2 Sr.
Will go down as one of the best players ever from Oklahoma along with the likes of 1982 Mr. Basketball USA Waymon Tisdale, Richard Dumas (1987), Wilfred Boynes (1975) and Alvin Adams (1973) and made the state rejoice when he decided to stay home and play for the Sooners. A two-time Gatorade State Player of the Year, Young moves up from the second team after averaging 42.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists for a 19-6 club. His individual high of 65 points broke his own state Class 6A record and during that same game put him over 2,500 career points. Prior to his spectacular senior season, Young led Mokan Elite to the 2016 Nike EYBL title while avenging 27.0 ppg and 7.3 apg.

F — Michael Porter Jr., Nathan Hale (Seattle, Wash.) 6-9 Sr.
This year’s Mr. Basketball USA choice moves up from the second team after leading Falter Tolton (Columbia, Mo.) to a MSHAA Class 3 state title as a junior. He topped that by winning a Class 3A title in Washington while averaging 37.6 points, 14.5 rebounds and 5.2 assists for a 29-0 team that finished No. 1 in the FAB 50. Not only was Hale the first team ever from Washington to win a mythical national title, Porter is the first ever player from a Washington program to earn national player of the year honors. He’ll return to his roots and play college basketball at Missouri.

C — DeAndre Ayton, Hillcrest Academy (Phoenix, Ariz.) 7-0 Sr.
A rare repeat first five selection, Ayton is the first three-time first team selection since 2011 Mr. Basketball USA Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (2009-11). Although Porter Jr. surpassed him for national honors, Ayton joined him and Duval as the only three players to appear on each voting ballot in the final Mr. Basketball USA Tracker. Originally from Nassau, Bahamas, Ayton led Hillcrest Academy to a 33-6 mark and to the Under Armour Grind Session championship while averaging 26 points, 15 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game. Ayton is headed to Arizona.

Second Five

G — Ethan Thompson, Bishop Montgomery (Torrance, Calif.) 6-4 Sr.
California’s Mr. Basketball had a fantastic senior campaign and ended his stellar four-year career with two CIF state titles. Veteran coach Doug Mitchell called him the best player in program history after leading Bishop Montgomery to a CIF Open Division state title and final No. 6 FAB 50 ranking as a senior. He averaged 22.8 ppg, 7.7 rpg and 5.4 apg while improving his overall game and growing in physical stature. On his way to Oregon St. to join his brother Stephen Jr. (a 2015 second team selection) and his father Stephen Sr. (a third five selection in 1986).

F — Kevin Knox Jr., Tampa Catholic (Tampa, Fla.) 6-8 Sr.
Moves up from the second team after averaging 28.9 points and 11.3 rebounds while leading the Crusaders to the Class 5A state title game. He got his team there with a 40-point, 2-0-rebound semifinal performance. For his efforts, Knox was named Florida’s Mr. Basketball, the first from the Tampa region since 1999 second team selection Casey Sanders of Tampa Prep. He ended his career as Hillsborough County’s all-time leading scorer and was selected for both the McDonald’s (15 points) and Jordan Brand (12 points) All-American Games.

F — Zion Williamson, Spartanburg Day School (Spartanburg, S.C.) 6-7 Jr.
Earned underclass All-American honors a year ago, but developed into one of the nation’s best players regardless of class this past season with his continued improvement to his overall skill and breathtaking leading ability. A powerful forward, Williamson’s dunking ability has made him a national celebrity and arguably the best Mixtape player of this generation. After leading tiny Spartanburg Day to a state title as a sophomore, Williamson had a standout summer and averaged 36.8 points and 13 rebounds per game in leading his team to a second straight SCISA Class 2A title. He netted 51 points in the state title game victory.

F — Marvin Bagley III, Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) 6-10 Jr.
Ultra-talented left-handed forward edged out second team choice Jordan Brown for Cal-Hi Sports Junior of the Year honors and Williamson for national honors among Class of 2018 players. Although Sierra Canyon stumbled in the playoffs, it had nothing to do with Bagley’s individual production, as he averaged 24.6 points, 10.1 rebounds and shot 66 percent from the field against a national schedule. Bagley sat out his sophomore season after leading Corona del Sol (Tempe, Ariz.) to a state crown as a freshman, when he became the first freshman ever to earn All-American acclaim in our current format and the second one ever dating back to 1954-55.

C — Mitchell Robinson, Chalmette (La.) 6-11 Sr.
Once in a while a player uses the post-season all-star circuit to catapult his All-American standing and that’s exactly what Robinson did. He was one of the most explosive and impressive frontcourt players at both the McDonald’s and Jordan Brand Classic games. He scored 14 and 15 points, respectively, in those games and made 14-of-16 shots from the field. Prior to those impressive outings, Robinson helped the Owls reach the Class 5A state semifinals by averaging 25.7 points and 12.6 rebounds per game. The Western Kentucky recruit earned first team Class 5A all-state honors by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.

Third Five

G — Chris Lykes, Gonzaga College (Washington, D.C.) 5-8 Sr.
A repeat first team selection, Lykes moves up from the fourth team after another standout season that saw him repeat as Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) Player of the Year and earn all-met Player of the Year honors by the Washington Post. As a junior he earned WCAC POY honors over probable 2017 NBA No. 1 draft pick Markelle Fultz (DeMatha Catholic). Aside from the local honors, Lykes averaged 18.6 ppg for a WCAC championship team that finished No. 15 in the FAB 50. Chosen to play in the Ballislife All-American Game, Lykes finished his career as Gonzaga's all-time leading scorer (2,266 points).

G — Jaylen Hands, Foothills Christian (El Cajon, Calif.) 6-3 Sr.
Hands was off the radar a bit as a junior at Balboa School in his native San Diego, but he made up for lost time over the summer and during his senior campaign. With a rare combination of explosiveness to the rim and a wicked pull-up jumper, Hands used his unique skill set to average 29.2 ppg, 8.0 rpg, and 5.7 apg for a team that spent a majority of the season in the state Top 20. He broke the scoring record of 1995 first five selection Stephon Marbury (Lincoln, Brooklyn, N.Y.) at the Torrey Pines Holiday Classic and earlier in 2016 was named MVP at Adidas Nations. Hands is headed to UCLA.

F — John Petty, Mae Jemison (Huntsville, Ala.) 6-6 Sr.
One of the most highly-honored players in Alabama history, Petty moves up from the second team because of his individual production and team’s success. Was named state tournament MVP after scoring 22 points, 11 rebounds and four steals in a Class 5A state title game victory. For the season, the Alabama commit averaged 23.7 ppg, 7.7 rpg and 3.0 spg for a 33-4 that finished No. 29 in the FAB 50. He repeated as state Mr. Basketball and Gatorade State Player of the Year after earning those honors at now-defunct J.O. Johnson as a junior. Petty, who played in the Jordan Brand Classic, was a four-time all-state selection and finished his four-year career with 2,749 career points.

F — Brian Bowen, La Lumiere (LaPorte, Ind.) 6-8 Sr.
After an excellent junior season in which he led the Lakers to the Dick’s Nationals title game, Bowen helped his team take it one step further as a senior to earn All-American acclaim. He averaged 18.3 ppg and 7.7 rpg in three Dick’s Nationals games, all victories for a 28-1 club. Bowen ended the season with averages of 20.4 ppg and 7.0 rpg for the No. 2 team in the FAB 50. Undecided for college, the Saginaw, Mich. native netted a game-high 26 points in the Jordan Brand Classic.

C — Wendell Carter Jr., Pace Academy (Atlanta) 6-10 Sr.
After an honor-filled season for a state-title winning team, Carter will be taking his talents for Duke. Carter was named Class AAA State Player of the Year by averaging 22.7 ppg, 15.5 rpg and a whopping 5.8 bpg for a 26-8 club. A true back-to-the-basket talent who helped Team USA capture the 2016 FIBA 17U World Championship, Carter was not only named Class AAA State Player of the Year, but Georgia’s overall player of the year by the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Carter was also named the Morgan Wooten National Player of the Year by McDonald’s, and scored 10 points, grabbed five rebounds and dished off three assists in its national all-star game.

Fourth Five

G — R.J. Barrett, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-7 Soph.
A left-hander in the mold of NBA standout Manu Ginobili, Barrett was the leading scorer for Montverde Academy as a freshman and grew bigger and stronger this season. He stepped up his game to the tune of 22 points and seven rebounds for a team full of D1 recruits that finished 26-5 and ranked No. 5 in the FAB 50. Barrett is the only sophomore to make the first team and was the youngest player to participate in the Nike Hoop Summit, scoring nine points against a United State team featuring the top players in the 2017 class. His father, former St. John’s player Rowan Barrett, is the Executive Vice President for Canada Basketball.

G — Lindell Wigginton, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 6-2 Sr.
Similar to R.J. Barrett, Wigginton is the latest in a recent string of Canadian standouts to earn All-American acclaim. The Nova Scotia native led a talented group of Oak Hill guards and was the Warriors’ most consistent player in its biggest games. A relentless competitor who worked hard on defense and was one of the country’s most potent guards getting in the paint, Wigginton might have been at his best when he netted 35 points in ending the 60-game winning streak of Chino Hills (Calif.). For the season, the Iowa St. commit averaged 20.2 ppg, 3.6 apg, and 2.4 spg.

F — Chuma Okeke, Westlake (Atlanta) 6-8 Sr.
In a great year for individual talent and teams in Georgia, Okeke forced his way to the first team because of his production and individual accolades. The Auburn recruit averaged 24.4 points, 15 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game for a 18-11 club that competed in the state’s highest classification. Okeke joined first five selection Collin Sexton on the Class AAAAAAA all-state first team by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and was named Sandy’s Spiel Mr. Basketball.

F — P.J. Washington, Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) 6-8 Sr.
With a strong frame and an improved skill set, Washington was a three-level threat and one of the toughest checks in the country. After a couple of down seasons, the Pilots returned to the thick of the mythical national title race with Washington leading the way while playing for his father Paul Sr., who played at Middle Tennessee St. The Pilots finished the season 33-4 and No. 10 in the FAB 50 with their best player posting averages of 19.6 ppg, 9.4 rpg and 6.1 apg. Washington was selected for the Ballislife and McDonald’s All-American Games, and had a 11-point, 4-assist, 6-block performance in the Jordan Brand Classic.

C — Nick Richards, Patrick School (Elizabeth, N.J.) 6-11 Sr.
Another struggling with injuries during his junior campaign, Richards came back strong and delivered for a New Jersey TOC title-winning club. Anchored the front line on one of the deepest teams in the country and his numbers (12.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg) really don’t reflect his impact and dominance. He led St. Patrick to a No. 9 Fab 50 ranking while earning NJ.com State Player of the Year honors. Similar to Washington, Richards is headed for Kentucky.

2016-17 All-American Second Team

F — Li’Angelo Ball, Chino Hills (Calif.) 6-5 Sr.
C — Mohamed Bamba, Westtown School (West Chester, Pa.) 6-10
G — Alex Barcello, Corona del Sol (Tempe, Ariz.) 6-2 Sr.
C — Jordan Brown, Woodcreek (Roseville, Calif.) 6-10 Jr.
G — Troy Brown, Centennial (Las Vegas) 6-6 Sr.
G — Jalek Felton, Gray Collegiate Academy (West Columbia, S.C.) 6-3 Sr.
G — Darius Garland, Brentwood Academy (Brentwood, Tenn.) 6-0 Jr.
G — Marcus Garrett, Skyline (Dallas) 6-6 Sr.
C — Luka Garza, Maret School (Washington, D.C.) 6-11 Sr.
G — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Hamilton Heights Christian Academy (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 6-5 Sr.
G — Collin Gillespie, Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.) 6-2 Sr.
G — Quade Green, Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia) 6-0 Sr.
F — Jaren Jackson, La Lumiere (LaPorte, Ind.) 6-10 Sr.
F — Zach Jacobs, Trinity Episcopal (Richmond, Va.) 6-7 Sr.
G — Tre Jones, Apple Valley (Minn.) 6-2 Jr.
G — Romeo Langford, New Albany (New Albany, Ind.) 6-4 Jr.
G — Foster Loyer, Clarkston (Mich.) 6-0 Jr.
C — Ikey Obiagu, Greenforest Christian Academy (Decatur, Ga.) 7-0 Sr.
F — Kezie Okpala, Esperanza (Anaheim, Calif.) 6-7 Sr.
F — Brandon Randolph, Westtown School (West Chester, Pa.) 6-6 Sr.
G — Daron Russell, Imhotep Charter (Philadelphia, Pa.) 5-10 Sr.
G — Gary Trent Jr., Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) 6-5 Sr.
G — Tremont Waters, Notre Dame (West Haven, Conn.) 5-11 Sr.
F — James “M.J.” Walker Jr., Jonesboro (Ga.) 6-6 Sr.
G — Lonnie Walker IV, Reading (Pa.) 6-5 Sr.
G — Isaiah Washington, St. Raymond’s (Bronx, N. Y.) 6-1 Sr.
G — Nick Weatherspoon, Velma Jackson (Camden, Miss.) 6-2 Sr.
F — Kris Wilkes, North Central (Indianapolis, Ind.) 6-7 Sr.
F — Keith Williams, Bishop Loughlin (Brooklyn, N. Y.) 6-5 Sr.
F — Kyle Young, Jackson (Massillon, Ohio) 6-7 Sr.

National Coach of the Year: Freddy Johnson, Greensboro Day (Greensboro, N.C.)

Related: 2016-17 Underclass All-American Team | 2016-17 Mr. Basketball USA: Michael Porter Jr.

Note: Grassroots Hoops selections 2013-2015; ESPN selections 2010-2012; EA SPORTS selections 2003-2009; Student Sports selections prior to 2003; Selections are based on high school accomplishment, not future college/pro potential, and are reflective of those that lead their teams to state championships. The editors of www.ebooksnet.com do not knowingly select fifth-year players, and those ineligible due to age or academics, Mr. Basketball USA or to its various All-American teams.

Ronnie Flores is the Publisher and Editor of GrassrootsHoops.net. He can be reached at [email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter: @RonMFlores

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]]> FINAL POY Tracker: Michal Porter Leaves No DOUBT! http://www.ebooksnet.com/final-poy-tracker-michal-porter-leaves-no-doubt/ Thu, 20 Apr 2017 04:27:15 +0000 https://bilcomprd.wpengine.com/?p=142169 The finals, expanded ballots are in and after they are tallied, for the second time in three years there…

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]]> The finals, expanded ballots are in and after they are tallied, for the second time in three years there is a consensus top candidate. Missouri bound forward Michael Porter Jr. of FAB 50 champion Nathan Hale (Seattle, Wash.) nets a perfect score of 100 overall points. The players that received at least one second-place vote are Arizona-bound center DeAndre Ayton, Alabama-bound Collin Sexton, senior forward Brian Bowen and standout juniors Zion Williamson and Marvin Bagley III. 

RELATED: Inside Look At Top Mr. Basketball USA Candidates | 2016-17 Preseason Mr. Basketball USA Tracker | Updated Tracker No. 1  | Updated Tracker No. 2 |  All-Time Mr. Basketball USA Winners

When it came to team rankings this season, there was a spirited debate at the top between undefeated No. 1 Nathan Hale (Seattle, Wash.) and one-loss and No. 2 La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.). As the results of the final Mr. Basketball USA Tracker powered by www.ebooksnet.com indicate, there is no debate at the top of the list when it comes to individual player honors for the 2016-17 season.  

Even after production at major holiday tournaments, showcases and various state playoff tournaments around the country changed positioning among candidates, the front-runner for national player of the year never did as the season wore on. Michael Porter Jr., a highly-skilled 6-foot-9 forward who led Nathan Hale to the FAB 50 national title, was the No. 1 vote-getter on every single ballot in the final voting, just as he consistently was on each ballot throughout the season.

Porter joins 2014-15 Mr. Basketball USA Ben Simmons of Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) as the only two players in the 10-year history of the Mr. Basketball USA Tracker to earn a perfect score of 100 points on any single ballot. Similar to Simmons, Porter went wire-to-wire as the top vote-getter with 100 points in each round of voting results. He finished the season averaging 37.6 ppg, 14.5 rpg and 5.2 apg for a 29-0 club and answered the bell every time the Raiders needed big plays in their big games.

Even though Porter didn't play in the Jordan Brand Classic while nursing a back injury, it didn't matter as the strength of his candidacy was already sealed. He tied Kentucky-bound Jarred Vanderbilt with a team high 19 points for the USA Junior National Select team in its 98-87 victory at the Nike Hoop Summit. He was also named team MVP of the McDonald's All-American Game with 17 points and eight rebounds.

"Let's make no mistake about it, Michael Porter earned the top spot the old fashioned way...he just flat out outplayed the competition head to head," said panel member Van Coleman of TheBasketballChannel.net. "At Nike, Pangos, and national high school events with Nathan Hale this past season he dominated individually and led his Mokan Elite squad to the EYBL title and Nathan Hale to mythical high school national title."

The other candidates to appear on all ten ballots were undecided point guard Trevon Duval of IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) and Arizona-bound center DeAndre Ayton of Hillcrest Academy (Phoenix, Ariz.). Duval was a bit more of a consistent candidate than Ayton during the season, but Ayton closed strong and the 10-man panel rewarded the nation's most highly-acclaimed big man. He gained a point after appearing on nine ballots on the previous tracker and tallied the most second-place votes with five (an increase of two). He also had two third-place votes, while Duval tallied one third-place vote and one fourth-place vote. If not for two panel members who were lukewarm on Ayton's candidacy (he was in seventh place and the final player selected on those two ballots), the gap between Porter and the rest of the candidates wouldn't seem so large.

Although Ayton frustrated the panel at times because of his penchant for floating on the perimeter or because of a perceived lack of aggression, he deserves credit for being one of the very best players in high school basketball for three seasons. Not too many players over the years can legitimately make that claim. Last season, he finished in fourth place with 58 points and other than the two front-runners for the honor (eventually winner Lonzo Ball and runner-up Josh Jackson) Ayton was the only candidate to tally moe than one second-place vote. In the final 2014-15 tracker as a sophomore, Ayton had two second-place votes behind Simmons and appeared on six ballots.

For the 2016-17 season, Alton averaged 26.0 ppg, 15.0 rpg and 3.5 bpg and had eight points and 11 rebounds in the McDonald's All-American Game. He was one of the top performers at the Jordan Brand Classic, with 19 points and eight rebounds in 18 minutes.

The other four candidates to receive second-place votes behind Porter were senior forward Brian Bowen, who averaged 18.8 ppg and 7.7 rpg in three Dick's Nationals games and was named MVP, senior guard Collin Sexton, who averaging 34.6 ppg, 6.0 rpg and 4.1 apg for a 21-8 team, and the two most highly-regarded juniors in the nation, Internet sensation Zion Williamson and talented left-handed big man Marvin Bagley III.

In all, twenty-seven candidates earned recognition as a national player of the year candidate in the final, expanded tracker.

Editor's Note: Click on the "+" sign next to each player's number to view how many first, second, third or fourth place votes he got and his overall point total.

RankPrev.NameHigh School1st2nd3rd4thTotal
11Michael Porter (10)Hale (WA)10000100
22DeAndre Ayton (10)Hillcrest Academy (AZ)052072
34Marvin Bagley (9)Sierra Canyon (CA)022263
43Trevon Duval (10)IMG Academy (FL)001151
55Zion Williamson (8)Spartanburg Day (SC)012146
6NRMohamed Bamba (6)Westtown School (PA)002139
77TCollin Sexton (4)Pebblebrook (GA)010135
86Wendell Carter (6)Pace Academy (GA)001033
97TTrae Young (6)Norman North (OK)000123
1014Brian Bowen (4)La Lumiere (IN)010122
119Ethan Thompson (3)Bishop Montgomery (CA)000012
1211TP.J. Washington Jr. (2)Findlay Prep (NV)00008
13TNRKevin Knox (2)Tampa Catholic (FL)00007
13T10Jontay Porter (1)Hale (WA)00017
15TNRTroy Brown (2)Centennial (NV)00004
15T11TQuade Green (1)Neumann-Goretti (PA)00004
15TNRRomeo Langford (2)New Albany (IN)00004
15TNRBilly Preston (1)Oak Hill (VA)00004
19T15TR.J. Barrett (3)Montverde Academy (FL)00003
19TNRCharles Bassey (1)St. Anthony (TX)00003
19TNRJaylen Hands (1)Foothills Christian (CA)3
2215TDavid Singleton (1)Bishop Montgomery (CA)00002
23TNRBryce Hamilton (1)Pasadena (CA)00001
23T11TJaren Jackson (1)La Lumiere (IN)00001
23TNRCameron Reddish (1)Westtown School (PA)00001
23TNRMitchell Robinson (1)Chalmette (LA)00001

2016-17 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker Panel

Paul Biancardi, ESPN National Director of Basketball Recruiting
Frank Burlison, BurlisonOnBasketball.com Publisher
Van Coleman, TheBasketballChannel.net VP of Content
Ronnie Flores, www.ebooksnet.com National Grassroots Editor
Clark Francis, Hoop Scoop Editor & Publisher
Bob Gibbons, All-Star Sports
Jerry Meyer, 247Sports.com Director of Scouting
Scott Phillips, NBC Sports National College Basketball Writer
Patrick Stanwood, Patrick Stanwood Basketball
Dinos Trigonis, Fullcourt Press Editor & Publisher

About Basketball USA Tracker Panel
www.ebooksnet.com's panel of 10 experts, which includes six McDonald’s All-American selection committee members, casts its vote for the top national player of the year candidates. Each panelist lists his top seven candidates regardless of class. The votes are then tabulated on a 10-point scoring system with a first-place vote equaling 10 points, a second-place vote earning nine points and down to four points for a seventh-place vote. The number in parenthesis refers to the numbers of ballots on which a player appeared and previous rankings refers to position in the previous tracker.

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]]> Mr. Basketball USA Tracker: Trevon Duval, Zion Williamson MAKE MOVES http://www.ebooksnet.com/mr-basketball-usa-tracker-trevon-duval-zion-williamson-make-moves/ Sat, 04 Mar 2017 22:54:46 +0000 https://bilcomprd.wpengine.com/?p=140493 Michael Porter of FAB 50 No. 1 Nathan Hale (Seattle, Wash.) is still the consensus No. 1 candidate…

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]]> Michael Porter of FAB 50 No. 1 Nathan Hale (Seattle, Wash.) is still the consensus No. 1 candidate in the latest Mr. Basketball USA Tracker powered by www.ebooksnet.com, but two other special players are tracking upward.  Point guard Trevon Duval joins Porter as a unanimous selection among panel members.

RELATED: Inside Look At Top Mr. Basketball USA Candidates | 2016-17 Preseason Mr. Basketball USA Tracker | Updated Tracker No. 1 |  All-Time Mr. Basketball USA Winners

There is not much suspense at the top of the updated 2016-17 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker powered by www.ebooksnet.com. There is, however, some interesting developments as candidates position themselves for our annual All-American team.

Michael Porter Jr. of FAB 50 No. 1 Nathan Hale (Seattle, Wash.) continues to appear on every ballot of the  10-man Mr. Basketball USA Tracker Panel and was the first-place vote-getter on each ballot. With regards to Porter's candidacy, it seems the only question remaining is will he collect every single first-place vote on each ballot throughout the entire season? The first player to do that in the 10-year history of the Mr. Basketball USA Tracker was Ben Simmons of Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) during the 2014-15 season.

"He's about as consensus a top pick there can be, based on what he did last summer on the EYBL circuit and what he's done for Nathan Hale," said panel member Frank Burlison of BurlisononBasketball.com. "Not only what he's done in terms of his individual performances, but from the standpoint of winning. He's helped a program that was nondescript last year to within a couple of week's of a potential national championship."

The only change among the top five candidates is the flip-flopping between point guard Trevon Duval of FAB 50 No. 6 IMG Academy (Brandenton, Fla.) and power forward Marvin Bagley III of FAB 50 No. 12 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.). In the last go-around, Bagley was the No. 3 candidate with 63 overall points while Duval was in fourth place with 53 points. In the latest  tracker, Bagley appeared on one additional ballot (9 up from 8) and gained an additional point (64), but Duval gained an additional 13 points to move ahead of the standout junior from Sierra Canyon by two points and into third place behind DeAndre Ayton of Hillcrest Academy (Phoenix, Ariz.).

Ayton's candidacy has lost some steam as Duval's has picked up. The Arizona-bound big man collected six second-place votes and two third-place in the previous tracker, but three less second-place votes and two additional third-place votes this time around. He also disappeared from one ballot, as Duval is now the only other candidate besides Porter to appear on all 10 ballots. The IMG standout averaged 16.2 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 7.7 apg, 2.9 spg and shot 54 percent from the field during the regular season for a team looking to win Dick's Nationals for a shot at the mythical FAB 50 national title. Duval, who remains uncommitted for college, has seemingly ended the debate as to whom the nation's top overall point guard is with one third-place vote, five fourth-place votes, three fifth-place votes and one for sixth-place.

"Duval is the consensus top point guard in the country," Burlison said. "I personally thing (Trae) Young is, but Duval is explosive and has been on the radar for so long."

Young, who is averaging well over 41 pointer per game for Norman North (Norman, Okla.), averaged 23.2 ppg, 7.1 apg, and 2.3 spg for EYBL champion Mokan Elite and is headed to Oklahoma, collected one second-place vote and collected 23 points while appearing on four ballots.

Stay logged in to www.ebooksnet.com to track the progress of the nation's top individual players and the nation’s Top teams.

Editor's Note: Click on the "+" sign next to each player's number to view how many first, second, third or fourth place votes he got and his overall point total.

RankPrev.NameHigh School1st2nd3rd4thTotal
11Michael Porter (10)Hale (WA)10000100
22DeAndre Ayton (9)Hillcrest Academy (AZ)034171
34Trevon Duval (10)IMG (FL)001566
43Marvin Bagley (9)Sierra Canyon (CA)032064
55Zion Williamson (7)Spartanburg Day (SC)021149
66Wendell Carter (6)Pace Academy (GA)001234
7T7Collin Sexton (4)Pebblebrook (GA)001023
7T8Trae Young (4)Norman North (OK)010023
9NREthan Thompson (3)Bishop Montgomery (CA)000116
10NRJontay Porter (1)Hale (WA)01019
11T11TQuade Green (1)Neumann-Goretti (PA)00006
11T13TJaren Jackson (1)La Lumiere (IN)00006
11T11TP.J. Washington Jr. (1)Findlay Prep (NV)00006
149Brian Bowen (1)La Lumiere (IN)00005
15T15TR.J. Barrett (1)Montverde Academy (FL)00004
15TNRDavid Collins (1)First Love Academy (PA)00004
15T15TDavy Singleton (1)Bishop Montgomery (CA)00004

About Mr. Basketball USA Tracker Panel
www.ebooksnet.com's panel of 10 experts, which includes six McDonald’s All-American selection committee members, casts its vote for the top national player of the year candidates. Each panelist lists his top seven candidates regardless of class. The votes are then tabulated on a 10-point scoring system with a first-place vote equaling 10 points, a second-place vote earning nine points and down to four points for a seventh-place vote. The number in parenthesis refers to the numbers of ballots on which a player appeared and previous rankings refers to position in the previous tracker.

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]]> Zion Williamson MOVES UP in Mr. Basketball USA Tracker! http://www.ebooksnet.com/zion-williamson-moves-up-in-mr-basketball-usa-tracker/ Sat, 28 Jan 2017 19:30:25 +0000 https://bilcomprd.wpengine.com/?p=138755 Michael Porter becomes the second player in the 10-year history of the Mr. Basketball USA Tracker powered by…

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]]> Michael Porter becomes the second player in the 10-year history of the Mr. Basketball USA Tracker powered by www.ebooksnet.com to earn a perfect score. Porter's Nathan Hale (Seattle, Wash.) team is also No. 1 in the FAB 50. The other big news in the updated tracker is the rise of junior phenom Zion Williamson of South Carolina.

RELATED: Inside Look At Top Mr. Basketball USA Candidates | 2016-17 Preseason Mr. Basketball USA Tracker |  All-Time Mr. Basketball USA Winners

Individual talent and winning doesn't always go hand-in-hand, but when the two mesh, the results are often spectacular. That is clearly the case in the updated 2016-17 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker powered by www.ebooksnet.com.

Michael Porter Jr. of FAB 50 No. 1 Nathan Hale (Seattle, Wash.) was considered on par with DeAndre Ayton of Hillcrest Academy (Phoenix, Ariz.), last year's National Junior Player of the Year, as the nation's top prospect and national player of the year candidate in the preseason. The Washington-bound Porter edged the 7-footer originally from the Bahamas by a single point in the preseason Tracker, but Hale's 17-0 record and Porter's role in the Raiders' ascension to the top of the team rankings has created some separation.

Both continue to appear on every ballot of the 10-man Mr. Basketball USA Tracker Panel and Porter was the first-place vote-getter on each ballot. In the preseason, Porter and Ayton received five first-place votes each. Porter becomes the second player in the 10-year history of the Mr. Basketball USA Tracker to earn a perfect score of 100 points. The first player to turn the trick was point forward Ben Simmons of Montverde Academy during the 2014-15 season. Simmons was so dominant in helping Montverde Academy win the third of three consecutive mythical FAB 50 national titles, he collected every single first-place vote on each ballot throughout the entire season. Simmons was the No. 1 pick of the 2016 NBA Draft after one season at LSU.

Porter has No. 1 pick type potential, but is currently focused on leading Hale to an undefeated season. He's had some monster games on big stages, including a 27-point, 15-rebound, 4-steal performance against No. 2 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.). He also had 34 points and 11 rebounds in a Metro League win over No. 24 Garfield (Seattle). Currently averaging over 35 points and 15 rebounds per games, panel member Frank Burlison of BurlisonOnBasketball.com feels Porter is the best player in high school basketball by a fairly healthy margin.

Joining Porter and Ayton (who collected six second-place votes) on all ten ballots is point guard Trevon Duval of FAB 50 No. 6 IMG Academy (Brandenton, Fla.). The explosive point guard is averaging 16.1 ppg, 7.7 apg, and 2.9 spg for a talented team that has recorded 11 wins over teams that are currently or previously FAB 50 ranked so far this season.

The other big news in the national player of the year race besides Porter's dominance in the rising candidacy of junior forward Zion Williamson of Spartanburg Day School (Spartanburg, S. C.). Williamson was our top-rated player at the 2016 NBPA Top 100 Camp, but no one could foreshadow his newfound popularity and fame. His unique blend of power and athleticism has made him high school basketball's most viral player and its social media king. Nicknamed the "Cheatcode" because of his spectacular blocks and dunks, Williamson is currently averaging 36.1 ppg, 13.4 rpg, 2,4 spg, and 2.7 bpg for a 17-6 club.

"Williamson was great in December... If Collin Sexton wasn't putting up similar individuals numbers, then he would be No. 4 on my ballot with a bullet!" said panel member Van Coleman of The Basketball Channel.

In addition to Coleman's endorsement of Williamson as a top five overall player in the nation, the junior sensation received another fifth-place vote in addition to a second-place vote. He appeared on seven ballots and tallied 43 overall points after appearing on three ballots (18 points) in the preseason.

Stay logged in to www.ebooksnet.com to track the progress of the nation's top individual players and the nation’s Top teams.

Editor's Note: Click on the "+" sign next to each player's number to view how many first, second, third or fourth place votes he got and his overall point total.

RankPrev.NameHigh School1st2nd3rd4thTotal
11Michael Porter (10)Hale (WA)10000100
22DeAndre Ayton (10)Hillcrest Academy (AZ)062081
33Marvin Bagley (8)Sierra Canyon (CA)021163
44Trevon Duval (10)IMG (FL)000453
58Zion Williamson (7)Spartanburg Day (SC)010243
65Wendell Carter (5)Pace Academy (GA)011133
77Collin Sexton (5)Pebblebrook (GA)001130
89Trae Young (3)Norman North (OK)001017
917TBrian Bowen (2)La Lumiere (IN)001012
10NRCameron Reddish (1)Westtown School (PA)00017
11T12Quade Green (1)Neumann-Goretti (PA)00006
11T14TP.J. Washington Jr. (1)Findlay Prep (NV)00006
13TNRJaren Jackson (1)La Lumiere (IN)00005
13T13Billy Preston (1)Oak Hill (VA)00005
15TNRR.J. Barrett (1)Montverde Academy (FL)00004
15TNRJordan Brown (1)Woodcreek (CA)00004
15T10Romeo Langford (1)New Albany (IN)00004
15T17TDavy Singleton (1)Bishop Montgomery (CA)00004
15TNRIsaiah Washington (1)St. Raymond's (NY)00004

About Mr. Basketball USA Tracker Panel
www.ebooksnet.com's panel of 10 experts, which includes six McDonald’s All-American selection committee members, casts its vote for the top national player of the year candidates. Each panelist lists his top seven candidates regardless of class. The votes are then tabulated on a 10-point scoring system with a first-place vote equaling 10 points, a second-place vote earning nine points and down to four points for a seventh-place vote. The number in parenthesis refers to the numbers of ballots on which a player appeared and previous rankings refers to position in last season's final tracker.

The post Zion Williamson MOVES UP in Mr. Basketball USA Tracker! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

]]> Michael Porter EDGES DeAndre Ayton In 2016-17 Preseason POY Tracker! http://www.ebooksnet.com/porter-ayton-top-2016-17-preseason-poy-tracker/ Wed, 23 Nov 2016 23:06:42 +0000 https://bilcomprd.wpengine.com/?p=133525 Michael Porter, arguably the nation's top prospect and a player who must put up big numbers for his…

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]]> Michael Porter, arguably the nation's top prospect and a player who must put up big numbers for his team to remain nationally-ranked, leads voting in 2016-17 preseason Mr. Basketball USA Tracker powered by www.ebooksnet.com, now in its tenth year. The Nathan Hale (Seattle, Wash.) senior forward edges center DeAndre Ayton of Hillcrest Academy (Phoenix, Ariz.), last year's National Junior Player of the Year, by a single point.   

RELATED: Inside Look At Top Mr. Basketball USA Candidates | All-Time Mr. Basketball USA Winners

Plenty of factors go into an individual award such as high school basketball national player of the year: Playing for a winning team, where the team is located and whom it will have the opportunity to play, and how a candidate performed in the previous summer and high school season are important and go a long way in determining the preseason pecking order among elite players.

Sometimes, however, it's not so complicated. The top candidates are simply the most talented players and the ones national scouts, in this case the Mr. Basketball USA Tracker panel, believe have the brightest future in the game with natural progression.

That simplicity is clearly reflected in the voting results of the preseason 2016-17 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker powered by www.ebooksnet.com.

Michael Porter, a 6-foot-9 forward who attended Father Tolton (Columbia, Mo.) as a junior but will play his senior year at Nathan Hale (Seattle, Wash.) before matriculating to Washington next fall, and DeAndre Ayton, a 7-foot center from Hillcrest Academy (Phoenix, Ariz.) who is still undecided, are the two best prospects in the country, according to national scouting services and other veteran scouts on our tracker panel. Some like Ayton because of his vast potential and talent level, while others like Porter because of his ability and winning resume.

When the preseason votes were tallied, those two players were deemed head-and-shoulders above the other 16 players who received some consideration for 2016-17 national player of the year. Porter is the top candidate right now and the leading vote-getter by the slimmest of margins. Porter, whose younger brother Jontay will join him on a Hale squad which opens the season No. 38 in the FAB 50, tallied 94 points to Ayton's 93. They were the only two among 18 candidates to appear on all 10 preseason ballots, with the difference being Porter receiving four second-place votes (which equal 9 points apiece) while Ayton received three and one more third-place vote.

"Basically we see what the body of work is," said long-time panel member Clark Francis of

"Sometimes the best player is just the best player and better than everyone else. Is Michael Porter better than DeAndre Ayton and Marvin Bagley? No. But consistency counts and so does production. Whose team won the Peach Jam last year? Great players find a way to beat you and keep getting better. That's why I have Michael Porter No. 1 right now."

Bagley, the nation's top junior prospect who did not play high school basketball as a sophomore, came in a distant third in the voting results. The Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) big man garnered two second-place votes, finishing with 57 points, and was the only player to appear on nine ballots.

Five players who appeared on last year's final Mr. Basketball USA Tracker collected votes. Ayton (who came in fourth place), point guard Trevon Duval of IMG Academy in Florida (the only player to appear on eight ballots), Duke commit Wendell Carter Jr. of Pace Academy in Atlanta, dynamic point guard Chris Lykes of FAB 50 No. 10 Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) and junior guard David Singleton of FAB 50 No. 7 Bishop Montgomery (Torrance, Calif.).

Stay logged in to www.ebooksnet.com to track the progress of the nation's top individual players and the nation’s Top teams.

Editor's Note: Click on the "+" sign next to each player's number to view how many first, second, third or fourth place votes he got and his overall point total.

RankPrev.NameHigh School1st2nd3rd4thTotal
1NRMichael Porter (10)Hale (WA)541094
24DeAndre Ayton (10)Hillcrest Academy (AZ)532093
3NRMarvin Bagley (9)Sierra Canyon (CA)021157
417TTrevon Duval (8)IMG (FL)002153
524TWendell Carter Jr. (6)Pace Academy (GA)012142
6NRMohamed Bamba (5)Westtown School (PA)001231
7NRCollin Sexton (4)Pebblebrook (GA)001125
8NRZion Williamson (3)Spartanburg Day (SC)000118
9NRTrae Young (3)Norman North (OK)000116
10NRRomeo Langford (2)New Albany (IN)000111
11NRGary Trent Jr. (2)Prolific Prep (CA)000010
12NRQuade Green (2)Neumann-Goretti (PA)00008
13NRBilly Preston (1)Oak Hill (VA)00017
14T24TChris Lykes (1)Gonzaga (DC)00006
14TNRP.J. Washington Jr. (1)Findlay Prep (NV)00006
16NRMitchell Robinson (1)Chalmette (LA)00005
17TNRBrian Bowen (1)La Lumiere (IN)00004
17T20Davy Singleton (1)Bishop Montgomery (CA)00004

About Mr. Basketball USA Tracker Panel
www.ebooksnet.com's panel of 10 experts, which includes six McDonald’s All-American selection committee members, casts its vote for the top national player of the year candidates. Each panelist lists his top seven candidates regardless of class. The votes are then tabulated on a 10-point scoring system with a first-place vote equaling 10 points, a second-place vote earning nine points and down to four points for a seventh-place vote. The number in parenthesis refers to the numbers of ballots on which a player appeared and previous rankings refers to position in last season's final tracker.

The post Michael Porter EDGES DeAndre Ayton In 2016-17 Preseason POY Tracker! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

]]> HLs & INSIDE Look at Top Mr. Basketball USA Candidates! http://www.ebooksnet.com/inside-look-at-mr-basketball-usa-candidates-2/ Thu, 17 Nov 2016 05:12:58 +0000 https://bilcomprd.wpengine.com/?p=133169 Mr. Basketball USA is the title bestowed upon the National High School Player of the Year honor presented…

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]]> Mr. Basketball USA is the title bestowed upon the National High School Player of the Year honor presented by www.ebooksnet.com. The Mr. Basketball USA Tracker tracks the progress of the top player of the year candidates throughout the season. We examine the resumes of three early favorites, five others with strong cases and list other potential candidates. Now in its tenth year, the Mr. Basketball USA Tracker begins with its preseason voting results Nov. 22. 

RELATED: Preseason 2016-17 FAB 50 (1-15) | Preseason 2016-17 FAB 50 (16-30) | Preseason 2016-17 FAB 50 (31-50) | Preseason East Region Top 20 | Preseason Southeast Region Top 20 | Preseason Midwest Region Top 20 | Preseason Southwest Region Top 20 | Preseason West Region Top 20

During the regular season, www.ebooksnet.com will publish the Mr. Basketball USA Tracker, an inside look at the nation's top on-court high school performers, according to a panel made up of 10 high school basketball and recruiting experts, including six McDonald's All-American selection committee members.

Every season, the race for national player of the year is affected by different factors. Often times injury plays a big role, as it did in 2012-13 when current Los Angeles Laker forward Julius Randle (Prestonwood Christian Academy, Plano, Texas) suffered a broken foot and was unable to challenge eventual Mr. Basketball USA honoree Andrew Wiggins of the Minnesota Timberwolves, who recently dropped a career-high 47-point game.

Just last season, both injury and ineligibility were big factors, as point guard Dennis Smith Jr. of Trinity Christian (Fayetteville, N.C.) tore his ACL at the second-to-last major Grassroots event of the summer of 2015 (adidas Nations) and left early for N.C. State. Just as our 2015-16 preseason FAB 50 National Team Rankings were published, No. 1 Oak Hill Academy lost its best player,  forward Harry Giles, to a torn ACL minutes into its first game. Oak Hill still went on to finish 45-1 and No. 2 in the final rankings. The Warriors again opened at No. 1 in 2016-17 and are currently 8-0 and, so far, no elite player has been lost to injury on any team.

Marvin Bagley III, the 2014-15 National Freshman of the Year at Corona del Sol (Tempe, Ariz.), did not play high school basketball at Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) last year and his absence was felt for a Trailblazers team that just couldn't keep up with Chino Hills (Calif.) in the CIFSS Open Division title game. The Huskies' Lonzo Ball (UCLA) went on to earn the title of 2015-16 Mr. Basketball USA. He was one of the top candidates going into the season, but very few, if anyone, predicted the kind of individual success Ball enjoyed and his team's run to a 35-0 season and FAB 50 national title.

It's not hard for scouts to pick out the nation's best players, but it's never easy to predict how the season will play out or forecast the one national player of the year award that is truly based on season performance.

For now, we present some of the eligible candidates who figure to factor in the 2016-17 Mr. Basketball USA race.

The Early Favorites*

DeAndre Ayton, Hillcrest Academy (Phoenix, Ariz.) 7-0 Sr. C

Resume: Averaged 29.2 points, 16.7 rebounds and 3.8 blocked shots per game for Hillcrest Academy and finished No. 4 in last season's final Mr. Basketball USA Player of the Year Tracker with 56 points on eight ballots. As a sophomore, he averaged 21.1 points, 16.0 rebounds, 3.8 blocks, 2.6 assists and 1.6 steals for Balboa City School (San Diego, Calif.), a private institution that played mainly prep school and academy program competition as does Hillcrest.
Why He Could Win: This talented center has been class player of the year the past two seasons and many respected prep evaluators feel the Bahamian native might have the best long-term potential of any player in high school basketball regardless of class. After a lukewarm summer in 2015, Ayton was the only  junior named first five all-american last season by Ballislife and he played well this past summer.
Why He Wouldn’t: Last season it seemed Ayton was a surefire national player of the year candidate with Ben Simmons moving onto college, but he exposure with Hillcrest is not the same as with elite players who compete for traditional high schools or programs eligible for the FAB 50. Many teams are reluctant to play prep schools or academy-types that can't help them, only hurt, for a potential Dick's Nationals berth. Even though his talent is undeniable, that scenario doesn't help Ayton individually.

Marvin Bagley III, Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) 6-10 Jr. C

Resume: Bagley did not play high school basketball last season after leaving Arizona for California and enrolling at Sierra Canyon. He was a cinch choice for national freshman of the year honors in 2014-15 after leading Corona del Sol (Tempe, Ariz.) to the Division I state title. The freshman was named AZCentral Big Schools State Player of the Year after averaging 19.6 points and 10.3 rebounds for the No. 14 team in the FAB 50.
Why He Could Win: Simply put, he's one of the most talented young players to come down the pike in recent memory and motivated to play well after sitting out last season. Sierra Canyon opens up No. 9 in the FAB 50 and plays a difficult schedule, so he'll get plenty of opportunity to display his talents. Sierra Canyon also plays at least two nationally-televised games and that is always a plus for an elite player's candidacy.
Why He Wouldn’t: Sierra Canyon is a talented team and has four returning senior starters who are all D1 bound players. They not only have to mesh to live up to expectations, Bagley has to get enough touches and put up some numbers because some of the other elite candidates clearly don't have as much firepower surrounding them. Prolific numbers always help and it could be that teammate Cody Riley (UCLA) or Remy Martin (Arizona St.) leads the way at times.



Michael Porter, Nathan Hale (Seattle, Wash.) 6-9 Sr. F

Resume: As a junior, he averaged 28.6 ppg on 66 percent shooting along with 11.8 rpg, 3.3 apg and 2.0 spg while leading Father Tolton of Columbia to a Missouri Class 3 state title. He added to his resume by averaging 26.4 ppg and 11.4 rpg per game at the EYBL Finals in leading Mokan Elite to the Peach Jam title and enters his senior season with 2,449 career points.
Why He Could Win: He's one of the nation's top two prospects along with Ayton and some argue he is the best. Porter will have ample opportunity to lead Hale to big wins in big games. If he can lead his team deep in the Les Schwab Tournament in late December, that could give his Mr. Basketball USA candidacy the boost it needs.  
Why He Wouldn’t: There's work for Hale to do in order to move up in the FAB 50 and win the Metro League title over perennial powers Garfield and Rainier Beach. If the teams falters, it could negatively affect Porter's candidacy. Hale will be plenty better than last year's 6-18 mark, but what happens if they won't win the Metro League title? Or someone else earns more local honors because of team success? That could play a factor.



Strong Cases*

Wendell Carter, Pace Academy (Atlanta, Ga.) 6-10 Sr. C

Resume: As a junior, Carter averaged 21.6 ppg, 13.6 rpg, and 5.5 bpg and led Pace to the GHSAA Class AA state title with 30 points and 20 rebounds in the state final game. Carter also was the leading rebounder on Team USA's 2015 FIBA Americas U16 championship team.
Why He Could Win: Carter is one of the nation's most talented and productive players. He's also a winner and that also helps. He appeared on one ballot in the final 2015-16 Mr. Basketball Player of the Year Tracker, but expect him to be a legitimate candidate as a senior.
Why He Wouldn’t: Two factors could keep Carter from earning national player of the year honors. One, he may be overshadowed by other post players such as Ayton and Bagley and only one true post player earning this honor in the last 25 years (Greg Oden in 2005-2006) doesn't help. In recent seasons, the game has been much more guard-oriented with some teams going to three and four-guard attacks. Two, Georgia has other talented players (i.e. Collin Sexton) and more highly-ranked teams than Pace and if someone else gathers more local honors, it could negatively affect Carter's candidacy.



Trevon Duval, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) 6-3 Sr. G

Resume: Duval was the top player on the UAA circuit, leading WE R1 to the UAA 17U title and one of the nation's top underclass players last season at API of Dallas, Texas. He averaged 15.9 points per game as a sophomore in leading St. Benedict's (Newark, N.J.) to the Prep A title.
Why He Could Win: Duval is the nation's most explosive point guard and he's highly-motivated to have a big senior campaign after not having the team or individual success he would have liked as a junior. He is capable of big-time individual performances and IMG, No. 16 in the FAB 50, does play in some showcases games where Duval will go heads up with another elite guard. Those head-to-head comparisons and matchups always help.
Why He Wouldn’t: For the second consecutive season, Duval joins a strong nucleus of players at a brand new program. Last season playing alongside Terrence Ferguson (now a pro ball player) and Billy Preston (who is now at Oak Hill Academy and a Mr. Basketball USA candidate himself), the team was flat to begin the regular season and it killed Duval's candidacy. IMG's talented roster is going to have to quickly mesh and pick up some key victories in order for Duval to outshine the other top guards around the country.

Romeo Langford, New Albany (Ind.) 6-4 Jr. G

Resume: Langford averaged 29.3 points,9.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists for a 27-1 team that finished No. 31 in the FAB 50. He also had an excellent summer, with some big scoring outbursts during the adidas Gauntlet.
Why He Could Win: The only sophomore to make the overall All-American team by Ballislife, he was also the leading vote-getter on the Indianapolis Star’s prestigious all-state team, so there is no doubting his ability or his stance among media scribes. He plays in a region that receives plenty of publicity for accomplishment, so if he has a big statistical season and leads New Albany to another state title, he'll be in the thick of things.
Why He Wouldn’t: New Albany opens No. 31 in the FAB 50 and it can't falter in-state or else that will hurt Langford. Indiana public school teams can't travel the country like some of the others from around the country and that could cost him if New Albany is not completely dominant against regional foes. New Albany has a big game vs. No. 2 La Lumiere on national television December 15 and he'll need to be spectacular in that game to remain a front-runner.



Chris Lykes, Gonzaga College (Washington, D.C.) 5-8 Sr. G

Resume: Lykes averaged 3.7 rpg, 4.3 apg, and 2.7 spg in arguably the nation’s toughest conference (WCAC) while averaging 22.0 ppg while shooting 47.3 percent from 3-point range. He's arguably the top overall player in one of the country's basketball hotbeds.
Why He Could Win: Lykes was named first team all-met by the Washington Post and was named Washington Catholic Athletic Conference Player of the Year overall-met POY Anthony Cowan Jr. (St. John’s) and McDonald’s All-American and potential 2017 NBA Lottery pick Markelle Fultz (DeMatha Catholic), which shows just how dominant he is as a high school player. Gonzaga opens up the season No. 10 in the FAB 50 and plays tough foes at every turn. That, plus the media attention his team will receive, can only help Lykes' candidacy.
Why He Wouldn’t: Lykes is not one of the nation's top prospects (according to various recruiting services) and he may have less wiggle room so to speak than a Top 10 national prospect. The unflappable point guard and emotional leader for the Eagles is a great high school player, but if any of the Mr. Basketball USA panelists look at their ballot through the lens of future potential, it may hurt Lykes. There is also other great players in the region, so if DeMatha or another team takes the WCAC crown that team's best player could bag more local honors.



Trae Young, Norman North (Norman, Okla.) 6-2 Sr. G

Resume: For his 24-4 high school team, Young averaged 33.4 ppg and set a Class 6A scoring record by dropping 60 points in a game. He also had two other games of 50 or more points. He also averaged 23.2 ppg, 7.1 apg and 2.3 spg in leading Mokan Elite to the NIKE EYBL Peach Jam Title.
Why He Could Win: Young is a highly-honored player in his region and a proven product on the national high school scene. Norman North also graduated some firepower, so Young will have the green light and will put up some outstanding numbers. That will help him get noticed and keep him in the lens of the Mr. Basketball USA Tracker panel.
Why He Wouldn’t: Norman North lost in heart-breaking fashion in the Class 6A state title game and that gives Young plenty of motivation going into his senior campaign. Should the team not perform up to par, however, that could cost him. His team success is especially important because Norman North is not traveling nationally and he won't get many opportunities vs. FAB 50-ranked teams.

OTHER SENIOR CANDIDATES
FROM STRONG PROGRAMS

G — Jose Alvarado, Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.) 5-11
C — Mohamed Bamba, Westtown School (West Chester, Pa.) 6-10
G — Alex Barcello, Corona del Sol (Tempe, Ariz.) 6-2
F — Brian Bowen, La Lumiere (LaPorte, Ind.) 6-6
G — Troy Brown, Centennial (Las Vegas, Nev.) 6-5
G — Jalek Felton, Gray Collegiate Academy (West Columbia, S.C.) 6-2
G — Jordan Goodwin, Althoff Catholic (Belleville, Ill.) 6-3
G — Quade Green, Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia) 5-11
G — Jaylen Hands, Foothills Christian (El Cajon, Calif.) 6-3
F — D.J. Harvey, DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) 6-6
F — Kevin Knox Jr., Tampa Catholic (Tampa, Fla.) 6-8
C — Brandon McCoy, Cathedral Catholic (San Diego, Calif.) 6-11
G — Jaylen Nowell, Garfield (Seattle) 6-5
C — Ikey Obiagu, Greenforest Christian Academy (Decatur, Ga.) 7-0
F — Chuma Okeke, Westlake (Atlanta) 6-8
F — John Petty, Mae Jemison (Huntsville, Ala.) 6-6
F — Billy Preston, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 6-10
C — Nick Richards, Patrick School (Elizabeth, N.J.) 6-11
F — Cody Riley, Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) 6-7
G — Daron Russell, Imhotep Charter (Philadelphia, Pa.) 5-10
G — Paul Scruggs, Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) 6-3
G — Colin Sexton, Pebblebrook (Mableton, Ga.) 6-2
G — Devontae Shuler, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 6-2
G — Ethan Thompson, Bishop Montgomery (Torrance, Calif.) 6-4
C — Jeremiah Tillman, East St. Louis (Ill.) 6-10
G — Gary Trent Jr., Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) 6-5
F — Jordan Tucker, Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.) 6-7
G — Jarred Vanderbilt, Victory Prep (Houston) 6-7
F — James “M.J.” Walker Jr., Jonesboro (Jonesboro, Ga.) 6-5
G — Lonnie Walker IV, Reading (Pa.) 6-5
F — P. J. Washington, Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) 6-8
G — Lindell Wiggington, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 6-2
G — Nick Weatherspoon, Velma Jackson (Camden, Miss.) 6-2
F — Kris Wilkes, North Central (Indianapolis, Ind.) 6-7

JUNIORS TO WATCH

C — Jordan Brown, Woodcreek (Roseville, Calif.) 6-10
F — Silvio De Souza, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) 6-9
G — Devon Dotson, Providence Day (Charlotte, N.C.) 6-2
F — Kamaka Hepa, Jefferson (Portland, Ore.) 6-9
F — Jaylen Hoard, Wesleyan Christian Academy (High Point, N.C.) 6-9
G — Prentiss Hubb, Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) 6-3
F — Brandon Johns, East Lansing (Mich.) 6-7
F — Gerald Liddell, Steele (Cibolo, Texas) 6-7
G — Foster Loyer, Clarkston (Mich.) 5-11
G — Jordan McCabe, Kaukauna (Wis.) 5-10
F — E.J. Montgomery, Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.) 6-9
G — Luther Muhammad, Hudson Catholic (Hudson, N.J.) 6-4
G — Immanuel Quickley, John Carroll (Bel Air, Md.) 6-3
G — Courtney Ramey, Webster Groves (Mo.) 6-3
F — Naz Reid, Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.) 6-10
G — David Singleton, Bishop Montgomery (Torrance, Calif.) 6-3
G — Javonte Smart, Scotlandville Magnet (Baton Rouge, La.) 6-3
F — Zion Williamson, Spartanburg Day School (Spartanburg, S.C.) 6-6
F — Robert Woodard, Columbus (Miss.) 6-5

IMPACT SOPHOMORES

F — Precious Achiuwa, St. Benedict's (Newark, N.J.) 6-7
G — Bryan Antoine, Ranney School (Eatontown, N.J.) 6-3
G — Cole Anthony, Archbishop Malloy (Queens, N.Y.) 6-2
G — LaMelo Ball, Chino Hills (Calif.) 6-1
G — R.J. Barrett, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-6
C — Charles Bassey, St. Anthony (San Antonio, Texas) 6-11
G — Tyger Campbell, La Lumiere (LaPorte, Ind.) 6-0
F — Chandler Lawson, Memphis East (Memphis, Tenn.) 6-9
F — Scottie Lewis, Ranney School (Eatontown, N.J.) 6-5
C — Onyeka Okongwu, Chino Hills (Calif.) 6-9
G — Cassius Stanley, Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.) 6-4
F — Trendon Watford, Mountain Brook (Birmingham, Ala.) 6-7

*Editor's note: Listed alphabetically; The Mr. Basketball USA honor is based on high school accomplishment, not future college/pro potential. www.ebooksnet.com does not knowingly select fifth-year players, and those ineligible due to age or academics, as Mr. Basketball USA or to the various All-American teams it publishes.

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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]]> Chris Paul's CP3 AAU Team Put On a SHOW All Summer! Official Mixtape! http://www.ebooksnet.com/team-cp3-summer-mix/ Mon, 29 Aug 2016 23:51:22 +0000 https://bilcomprd.wpengine.com/?p=129315 Team CP3 was one of the most exciting teams on the Nike Circuit this travel season. Led by…

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]]> Team CP3 was one of the most exciting teams on the Nike Circuit this travel season. Led by Top 3 big man Wendell Carter, the #HoopState was able to bring home the prestigous "The8" Championship from Las Vegas. Being mentored and coached by one of the NBA's top floor generals in Paul has helped these kids earn scholarships to continue their learning and provide a platform for them to showcase their athletic abilities. The team was made up of players from all over NC, SC, and Georgia this season. The seniors included Carter, Lavar Batts Jr., Michael Hueitt Jr., JP Moorman, Blake Harris, Devontae Shuler, Jalen Seegars, and Jalen Spicer. Look for all these players to sign Division 1 scholarships in the upcoming school year!

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]]> Chris Paul's CP3 AAU Team Put On a SHOW All Summer! Official Mixtape! - www.ebooksnet.com Team CP3 was one of the most exciting teams on the Nike Circuit this travel season. Led by Top 3 big man Wendell Carter, the #HoopState was able to bring home the prestigous "The8" Championship from Las Vegas. Being mentored and coached by one of the NBA's top floor generals in Paul has helped these ankle drop,blake harris,chris paul,cp3 all stars,dunks,georgia,hoopstate,jack hemphill,jalen seegars,jalen spicer,jp moorman,lavar batts jr,michael hueitt jr,nba all star,nike aau,north carolina,posters,South Carolina,Team CP3,the8,wendell carter The Most STACKED Team of The Year! Team Harden aka Highlight City!! http://www.ebooksnet.com/the-most-stacked-team-of-the-year-team-harden-aka-highlight-city/ Wed, 03 Aug 2016 15:22:28 +0000 https://bilcomprd.wpengine.com/?p=128043 Here are the 2016 adidas nations champions and the most stacked team we've seen in a long time,…

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]]> Here are the 2016 adidas nations champions and the most stacked team we've seen in a long time, Team Harden. One of the most fun we've had filming one team thanks to the great balance of great young players. Featuring Trevon Duval, Hamidou Diallo, DeAndre Ayton, PJ Washington, Wendell Carter, DJ Harvey, Gary Trent Jr, Troy Brown Jr, Jaylen Hands and Makai Ashton-Langford.

RELATED: Loaded Team Harden adidas Nations Favorites | adidas Nations photo recap | DeAndre Ayton, Jaylen Hands lead Team Harden to Title | Team Harden Highlights

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]]> The Most STACKED Team of The Year! Team Harden aka Highlight City!! - www.ebooksnet.com Here are the 2016 adidas nations champions and the most stacked team we've seen in a long time, Team Harden. One of the most fun we've had filming one team thanks to the great balance of great young players. Featuring Trevon Duval, Hamidou Diallo, DeAndre Ayton, PJ Washington, Wendell Carter, DJ Har DeAndre Ayton, Jaylen Hands lead Team Harden to adidas Nations Title! http://www.ebooksnet.com/deandre-ayton-jaylen-hands-lead-team-harden-to-adidas-nations-title/ Tue, 02 Aug 2016 09:07:50 +0000 https://bilcomprd.wpengine.com/?p=127925 Star-studded Team Harden, made up of many of the nation's top 2017 prospects, uses big third quarter to…

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]]> Star-studded Team Harden, made up of many of the nation's top 2017 prospects, uses big third quarter to defeat Team Canada to capture the 2016 adidas Nations championship with an unbeaten record. UCLA recruit Jaylen Hands is named game MVP for Team Harden while top prospect DeAndre Ayton and multi-dimensional guard Troy Brown shine.

RELATED: Loaded Team Harden adidas Nations Favorites | adidas Nations photo recap | Team Harden Highlights

With the sheer amount of talent on Team Harden 2017, it was going to take a monumental effort for Team Canada (or any other team for that matter) to knock off the star-studded team at adidas Nations. The two teams locked horns Monday evening at Cerritos College for the second time during the event to decide the championship.

Team Harden and Team Canada met on Sunday morning with Team Harden recording a 104-89 victory. In the championship rematch televised on ESPNU, it looked like the Canadians had a chance to pull off a major upset -- for one half at least. Behind the inspired play of 6-foot-4 guard Luguentz Dort and 6-foot-5 wing Nickel Dean-Walker, Team Canada held a 56-50 halftime lead, but Team Harden used a big third quarter to seize control of the game and walk away with a 123-96 victory and the expected tournament championship.

Team Harden, which went 5-0 and handed Team Canada its only two losses, used a 43-19 advantage in the third quarter to take control of the game. The team's starters -- point guard Trevon Duval, shooting guard Gary Trent Jr., small forward Hamidou Diallo, and post players Wendell Carter Jr. and DeAndre Ayton -- did most of the damage during the pivotal run. Ayton took control on the boards and clearly was the one player other teams simply had no answer for when he was locked in at this event. Last year's national junior of the year at Hillcrest Academy (Phoenix, Ariz.) finished the title game with 13 points and 14 rebounds after going for 26 and 11 in the team's first meeting on Sunday.

Team Canada hurt its chances for victory by missing free throws in the third period. The Canadians missed 7-of-14 shots from the line in the third quarter alone and made 17-of-31 in the title game. Team Harden made 27-of-37 and shot 56 percent from the field (45-of-81) while Team Canada shot 47 percent (35-of-75). Dean-Walker finished with a team-high 17 points, while Dort finished with 15.

Leading the way in the scoring department for victorious Team Harden was point guard Jaylen Hands, who has verbaled to UCLA and was named MVP despite coming off the bench. Hands was one of Team Harden's talented players who had to adjust to getting less-than-normal playing time on the loaded unit. Hands scored a game-high 18 points on a variety of lay-ups and pull-up jumpers and also contributed two rebounds and an assist. In the first meeting versus Team Canada, Hands scored eight points in 18 minutes, but made the most of his 16 minutes in the championship game.

Another top 25 type talent who thrived in his reserve role was multi-dimensional guard Troy Brown Jr. of Centennial (Las Vegas, Nev.), who recently narrowed down his college choices to Alabama, Arizona, CAL, Georgetown, Kansas, Ohio State, Oregon, and hometown UNLV. Brown, who is 6-foot-5 and normally plays on the ball for his high school and travel ball team (Las Vegas Prospects), spent plenty of time on the wing -- and thrived because of his ability to rebound and push in transition, set up cutting teammates or score around the basket. Brown finished the event top 10 in rebounding, top six in assists, and No. 2 in steals while remaining an on-ball scoring threat. He finished the title game with 14 points and six rebounds after recording 10 points, six rebounds and four assists in the Sunday victory over Team Canada.

"It was fun playing with this team because, besides USA Basketball, I've never had a team like this around me and I wanted to take full advantage of it," said Brown, who stated he would prefer to play on the ball in college. "Playing with great guards like Jaylen (Hands) and Trey (Travon Duval), I didn't mind playing off the ball and for me the experience helped expand my game."

Forward P.J. Washington of Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) also had a big outing with 16 points and eight rebounds while Diallo aded 12 points.

"Hamidou Diallo surprised me the most with his ability, by far." Brown said.

The ability of Team Harden's players didn't catch anyone by surprise -- and neither did its unbeaten run through adidas Nations.

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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]]> LOADED Team Harden adidas Nations Favorites! http://www.ebooksnet.com/loaded-team-harden-adidas-nations-favorites-raw-footage/ Mon, 01 Aug 2016 17:30:54 +0000 https://bilcomprd.wpengine.com/?p=127814 With the summer grassroots season winding down, many of the nation's elite players are looking to end it…

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]]> With the summer grassroots season winding down, many of the nation's elite players are looking to end it on a high note at adidas Nations. It will take a monster effort for one of the eight other teams to knock of Team Harden 2017. That team is about as loaded as any ever at this event and may be the most loaded grassroots or high school-oriented team we've seen since the 2007 McDonald's All-American West team. The group of seniors-to-be is 4-0 so far and are the favorites to win the event on Monday afternoon. Can anyone knock them off?

RELATED: DeAndre Ayton, Jaylen Hands lead Team Harden to adidas Nations Title | adidas Nations photo recap | Team Harden Highlights

There is a plethora of NBA scouts and national grassroots basketball media at the Next Level Sports Complex in Garden Grove, Calif. to watch elite high school and college players close out the summer on a high note at adidas Nations.

Team Harden, a group of 2017 prospects, is getting most of the attention from scouts among the high school teams -- and for good reason. As far as grassroots basketball and national all-star teams are concerned, it might be the most talented team we've seen the last 10 years. Just check out the names on this roster: Hamidou Diallo, Gary Trent Jr., Troy Brown Jr., D.J. Harvey, Trevon Duval, Kevin Knox, Wendell Carter, DeAndre Ayton, P.J. Washington, Jaylen Hands, and Makai Ashton-Langford. Seven or eight in that group will be selected for the 2017 McDonald's All-American Game.

It's ironic because Harden played on the last team we can vividly remember more talented than this one -- the 2007 McDonald's All-American West unit that played at Freedom Hall in Louisville and was coach by current Taft (Woodland Hills, Calif.) coach Derrick Taylor. That team was so loaded Harden, who would eventually develop into the No. 3 of the 2009 NBA Draft, really couldn't get much playing time in the scrimmage or the game. Current NBA all-star forward Blake Griffin, the No. 1 pick of that same draft, turned heads in the scrimmage with his play but he too couldn't crack Taylor's starting lineup. The starters for the game were 2011 NBA MVP Derrick Rose at the point, Eric Gordon at the two, Michael Beasley at the three, Kevin Love at the four and Cole Aldrich at the five.

Four of those starters were among the top seven picks of the 2008 NBA Draft and a few off Team Harden will likely go high in the 2018 NBA Draft. The team is 4-0 so far at adidas Nations, pulling out four competitive wins, including a 101-83 victory over Team Wiggins 2018. The game was close until the older unit pulled away in the fourth period. After leading by six points (75-69) entering the fourth, Team Harden was able to get gain an advantage on the break, as Diallo, Washington, Duval and Harvey scored on a variety of easy transition buckets , including some rim-rattling dunks. Doing a majority of the setup was Brown, Hands and Duval, who led Team Harden with eight assists.

Ayton, who is arguably the top overall prospect in the 2017 class, led six Team Harden players in double figures with 17 points on 8-of-9 shooting from the field. Ayton has stated Kansas, Arizona and Kentucky are his three finalists, but there are growing legions of scouts and NBA personnel that don't feel he'll play a minute in college. He's one of the early candidates to be taken as the No. 1 pick in the 2018 Draft, so it will be interesting to see where he ends up after his senior season of high school. Ayton had 12 points, eight rebounds and two steals in a 97-86 win over Team Asia Pacific on Saturday morning and opened play with a 19-point, 15-rebound performance in a 92-87 win over Team Rose 2017. On Sunday morning, he took over with his rebounding and passing in the fourth quarter of a 104-89 win over Team Canada and finished with 26 points and 11 rebounds.

Ayton and Zion Williamson, a 6-foot-7 2018 prospect out of Spartanburg Day School (Spartanburg, S.C.) who is playing for Team Wiggins, have been the two best players we've observed through pool play at this event.

Duval made 3-of-5 three-pointers and 7-of-9 field goals good for 24 points in the win over Team Asia Pacific continues to state his case as the best lead guard in the 2017 class, although he sat out Sunday morning's game. Trent (22 points) and Diallo (21 points) also played well in the victory over Team Rose 2017. In reality, however, any player on the roster has the ability to step up and dominate. It's just a matter of managing playing time (not to mention egos) and finding the right combination for this team to take home the team title once pool play is done on Sunday afternoon and championship play begins Sunday night. The championship game is slated for Monday at Cerritos College (9 pm ET, ESPNU).

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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]]> 2015-16 Underclass All-American Team http://www.ebooksnet.com/2015-16-underclass-all-american-team/ Fri, 03 Jun 2016 22:06:36 +0000 https://bilcomprd.wpengine.com/?p=125524 Class players of the year DeAndre Ayton (Juniors), Romeo Langford (Sophomores) and Charles Bassey (Freshmen) headline the 2015-16…

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]]> Class players of the year DeAndre Ayton (Juniors), Romeo Langford (Sophomores) and Charles Bassey (Freshmen) headline the 2015-16 Underclass All-American team

Six juniors and one special sophomore named to the 22nd Annual All-American Elite Team headline a group of 65 elite players selected to the 2015-16 Underclass All-American team powered by www.ebooksnet.com.

Center DeAndre Ayton of Hillcrest Academy (Phoenix, Ariz.), this year’s National Junior of the Year, and junior guard Chris Lykes of Gonzaga College (Washington, D.C.), were named to the overall All-American first team. Ayton was first five selection with Lykes a fourth five choice.

National Sophomore of the Year Romeo Langford of New Albany (Ind.) made the All-American second team.

The seven All-Americans and 58 other underclass honorees all had standout campaigns for their respective high school teams, while others are sure to emerge this summer as bona fide 2016-17 All-America candidates. Nearly every summer on the grassroots circuit, well-known players are eclipsed by lesser-known commodities, and every so often a prospect comes out of nowhere to emerge as a Mr. Basketball USA candidate.

It’s a yearly ritual for some underclass All-Americans to change programs. Michael Porter Jr. of Father Tolton (Columbia, Mo.), one of the four juniors on the All-American second team, is expected to move to the Pacific Northwest after his father joined the coaching staff of the University of Washington. De’Sean Eikens will leave Williston (N.D.) and enroll at Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah) for his junior season. Forward Kamaka Hepa will leave his native Barrow (Alaska) and enroll at Jefferson (Portland, Ore.), where he will join a club that could crack the 2016-17 preseason FAB 50 next fall.

Expect more player movement, and perhaps some reclassification, as the summer rolls on.

This performance-based squad is selected by National Grassroots Editor Ronnie Flores with input from Mr. Basketball USA panelists. It is chosen after the conclusion of the season, which makes the Underclass All-American Team more reflective of players who made state championship runs.

Our national coach of the year is Trey Mines of H.D. Woodson (Washington, D.C.). He led his club to the DCSAA title and a perfect 32-0 mark. H.D. Woodson finished No. 17 in the final FAB 50 National Team Rankings.

2015-16 UNDERCLASS All-American Team

Juniors to Watch (2017)

G — Jose Alvarado, Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.) 5-11
F — Aguek Arop, Omaha South (Omaha, Neb.) 6-5
C — DeAndre Ayton, Hillcrest Academy (Phoenix, Ariz.) 7-0
C — Mohamed Bamba, Westtown School (West Chester, Pa.) 6-10
G — Alex Barcello, Corona del Sol (Tempe, Ariz.) 6-2
F — Brian Bowen, La Lumiere (LaPorte, Ind.) 6-8
G — Troy Brown, Centennial (Las Vegas) 6-6
C — Wendell Carter Jr., Pace Academy (Atlanta) 6-10
G — Jalek Felton, Mullins (S.C.) 6-2
G — Justin Forrest, Greenforest Christian Academy (Decatur, Ga.) 6-1
G — Marcus Garrett, Skyline (Dallas) 6-5
G — Jordan Goodwin, Althoff Catholic (Belleville, Ill.) 6-3
G — Quade Green, Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia) 5-11
G — Jermaine Jackson, Macomb (Dakota, Mich.) 5-9
F — Kevin Knox Jr., Tampa Catholic (Tampa, Fla.) 6-8
G — Chris Lykes, Gonzaga College (Washington, D.C.) 5-8 Jr.
C — Brandon McCoy, Cathedral Catholic (San Diego, Calif.) 6-11
G — Jaylen Nowell, Garfield (Seattle) 6-5
F — Chuma Okeke, Westlake (Atlanta) 6-8
F — John Petty, J.O. Johnson (Huntsville, Ala.) 6-6
F — Michael Porter, Father Tolton (Columbia, Mo.) 6-8
G — Paul Scruggs, Southport (Indianapolis, Ind.) 6-3
G — Gary Trent Jr., Apple Valley (Minn.) 6-5
F — James “M.J.” Walker Jr., Jonesboro (Ga.) 6-6
G — Lonnie Walker IV, Reading (Pa.) 6-5
G — Nick Weatherspoon, Velma Jackson (Camden, Miss.) 6-2
C — Austin Wiley, Spain Park (Hoover, Ala.) 6-10
G — Lindell Wiggington, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 6-2
F — Kris Wilkes, North Central (Indianapolis, Ind.) 6-7
G — Trae Young, Norman North (Norman, Okla.) 6-1

2016 National Junior of the Year: DeAndre Ayton
This 7-footer originally from the Bahamas has been one of the best players in the nation regardless of class the past two years and was the only junior named first five all-american. Ayton's school situation and his recruitment is noteworthy considering his prodigal talent. Last season he attended Balboa City School in San Diego, Calif. and this year attended an academy-type program that cannot play AIA programs and is not eligible for the FAB 50. He is eligible for individual honors, but some insiders believe he'll never play in college despite his insistence it's the route he'll take to an eventual pro career. Despite the murky school situation, Ayton's pro potential is undeniable, as he averaged 29.2 points, 16.7 rebounds and 3.8 blocked shots per game for Hillcrest Academy. He's the first player ever honoree among 11th-graders from an Arizona program.

Sophomores to Watch (2018)

F — Riley Battin, Oak Park (Calif.) 6-7
C — Jordan Brown, Woodcreek (Roseville, Calif.) 6-10
G — Devon Dotson, Providence Day (Charlotte, N.C.) 6-2
F — De’Sean Eikens, Williston (N.D.) 6-6
G — Darius Garland, Brentwood Academy (Brentwood, Tenn.) 5-11
G — Mason Harrell, Carl Albert (Midwest City, Okla.) 5-8
F — Kamaka Hepa, Barrow (Alaska) 6-9
F — Brandon Johns, East Lansing (Mich.) 6-7
G — Tavon Jones, Linden (N.J.) 6-4
G — Romeo Langford, New Albany (Ind.) 6-4
G — James Lewis, Westlake (Ga.) 6-3
F — Gerald Liddell, Steele (Cibolo, Texas) 6-7
G — Alex Lomax, East Memphis (Memphis, Tenn.) 5-11
G — Foster Loyer, Clarkston (Mich.) 5-11
G — Jordan McCabe, Kaukauna (Wis.) 5-10
F — Khavon Moore, Westside (Macon, Ga.) 6-8
G — Luther Muhammad, Hudson Catholic (Hudson, N.J.) 6-4
C — Ikey Obiagu, Greenforest Christian Academy (Decatur, Ga.) 7-0
G — Immanuel Quickley, John Carroll (Bel Air, Md.) 6-3
G — Courtney Ramey, Webster Groves (Mo.) 6-3
F — Simi Shittu, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-8
G — David Singleton, Bishop Montgomery (Torrance, Calif.) 6-3
G — Javonte Smart, Scotlandville Magnet (Baton Rouge, La.) 6-3
F — Zion Williamson, Spartanburg Day School (Spartanburg, S.C.) 6-6
F — Robert Woodard, Columbus (Miss.) 6-5

2016 National Sophomore of the Year: Romeo Langford
Hoosiers love their hoops and crazed fans in Indiana have a new favorite son in Langford, who led New Albany to the Class 4A state crown. The only sophomore to make the overall All-American team, he was also the leading vote-getter on the Indianapolis Star's prestigious all-state team. Langford averaged 29.3 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists for a 27-1 team that finished No. 31 in the FAB 50. The last tenth-grade honoree from Indiana was DeShaun Thomas of Bishop Luers in Fort Wayne for the 2007-08 season.

Freshmen to Watch (2019)

G — Bryan Antoine, Ranney School (Eatontown, N.J.) 6-3
G — Cole Anthony, Archbishop Malloy (Queens, N.Y.) 6-2
G — LaMelo Ball, Chino Hills (Calif.) 5-10
G — R.J. Barrett, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-6
C — Charles Bassey, St. Anthony (San Antonio, Texas) 6-10
G — Tyger Campbell, La Lumiere (LaPorte, Ind.) 6-0
F — Chandler Lawson, Memphis East (Memphis, Tenn.) 6-9
C — Onyeka Okongwu, Chino Hills (Calif.) 6-9
G — Cassius Stanley, Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.) 6-4
F — Trendon Watford, Mountain Brook (Birmingham, Ala.) 6-7

2016 National Freshman of the Year:  Charles Bassey
Became a known commodity during the John Lucas Enterprises grassroots events last year and blew up at the Pangos All-South Frosh/Soph Camp with his unique blend of size, athleticism, timing and ball skills. It translated over to the high school game for the native Nigerian who was discovered at age 12. He was named TAPPS Class 5A all-state and averaged 20.2 points, 17.1 rebounds and 5.9 blocked shots per game for the Tapps 5A runner-ups. He also had 14 points and 12 rebounds in the Jordan Brand Classic international game. Bassey is the first ever ninth-grade honoree from the state of Texas dating back to our first honor in that class for the 1976-1977 season.

National Coach of the Year: Trey Mines, H.D. Woodson (Washington, D.C.)

Note: Grassroots Hoops selections 2013-2015; ESPN selections 2010-2012; EA SPORTS selections 2003-2009; Student Sports selections prior to 2003; Selections are based on high school accomplishment, not future college/pro potential, and are reflective of those that lead their teams to state championships. The editors of www.ebooksnet.com do not knowingly select fifth-year players, and those ineligible due to age or academics, Mr. Basketball USA or to its various All-American teams.

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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]]> FINAL POY Tracker: Tie at top between Ball and Jackson! http://www.ebooksnet.com/final-poy-tracker-tie-at-top-between-ball-and-jackson/ Fri, 13 May 2016 07:56:35 +0000 https://bilcomprd.wpengine.com/?p=124835 The finals ballots are in and after the expanded ballots are tallied, for the first time in nine…

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]]>

The finals ballots are in and after the expanded ballots are tallied, for the first time in nine years there is a tie at the top. UCLA bound point guard Lonzo Ball of FAB 50 champion Chino Hills (Calif.) and Kansas bound wing Josh Jackson of Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) both net 85 overall points. Will there be a co-National Player of the Year? What is the difference in their candidacies? The only other players to receive at least one second-place vote are Alabama-bound Braxton Key and junior center DeAndre Ayton.

After last summer's grassroots season created preseason positioning for legitimate national player of the year candidates, the production at major holiday tournaments, showcases and various state playoff tournaments around the country that changed that original positioning. Even after the national high school all-star game circuit closed out the season, for the first time ever the final Mr. Basketball USA Tracker powered by www.ebooksnet.com balloting has ended in a tie.

After the completion of the 2015-16 high school basketball season, the distinguished Mr. Basketball USA panel had a hard time deciding if UCLA-bound Lonzo Ball of FAB 50 national champion Chino Hills (Chino Hills, Calif.) or Kansas-bound Josh Jackson of Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) was the best and most productive player in the country. Both players are considered top five senior recruits in the country and have compelling resumes, so the factors that will ultimately decide who will forever be bestowed with the prestigious honor of 2015-16 Mr. Basketball USA must be further reviewed and broken down.

For starters, there will be no co-national player of the year. For decades, we've never had ties when it comes to team rankings or individual honors -- and we never will. We'll continue to break down the relevant results or factors and ultimately pick a winner or No. 1 team -- and take any heat that comes with it. The Ball-Jackson debate is no different.

Jackson, who missed seven Prolific Prep games while resting nagging injuries or because of schedule college visits,  averaged 26.9 ppg, 13.1 rpg, 6.3 apg, 3.5 steals and 3.9 blocks for a 26-7 team. Jackson likely help his candidacy with a strong performance at the 2016 McDonald's All-American Game after he was overtaken by Ball in points in the second-to-last tracker, but he still finished with the same amount of overall points as before (85). Jackson appeared on nine overall ballots, while Ball was one of two candidates to appear on each ballot.

Ball had a historic season for Chino Hills, which finished 35-0 and the first team from California to finish No. 1 in the FAB 50 National Team Rankings powered by www.ebooksnet.com in 16 years. The 6-foot-6 point guard averaged a triple double of 23.9 ppg, 11.3 rpg and 11.7 apg to go along with 5.1 spg and 2.0 bpg. While Jackson went 9-of-11 from the field to finish with 19 points while looking like perhaps the most NBA-ready player in Chicago for the McDonald's Game, Ball also played a great hand in helping the West team to victory. He didn't score, but tallied four rebounds, two blocked shots and tied the event record with 13 assists. A few weeks later at the 2016 Ballislife All-American Game (watch the complete BILAAG here), Ball broke the event record for assists with 13 (as did guard Andrew Jones of MacArthur High School in Irving, Texas).

Although he appeared on one more ballot than Jackson, Ball actually had two votes lower than second place to allow Jackson to finish with the same overall point total. Jackson didn't have a vote lower than second place, while Ball finished with sixth first place votes, with the other four going to the Kansas-bound small forward who originally hails from Michigan.

The other candidate to appear on all ten ballots was Duke-bound forward Jayson Tatum from Chaminade (St. Louis, Mo.), Gatorade's National Player of the Year choice. Behind the strength of six third-place votes and two fourth-place tallys, Tatum finished a strong No. 3 in overall points with 67. Junior center DeAndre Ayton of Hillcrest Academy (Phoenix, Ariz.), who finished in fourth place with 58 points, was the only candidate other than the two front-runners to tally more than one second-place vote. Tatum, despite his consistency on the ballots, did not tally a second place vote. Twenty-five candidates earned recognition as a national player of the year candidate in the final, expanded tracker.

Since the Mr. Basketball USA Tracker began for the 2007-08 season, there has never been a tie in the final balloting before the Ball-Jackson race. At the conclusion of the 2009-10 season, small forward Harrison Barnes of Ames (Ames, Iowa) finished with 89 points on nine ballots to edge power forward Jared Sullinger of Northland (Columbus, Ohio) by a single point. Barnes, who now plays for the defending NBA champ Golden State Warriors, edged Sullinger behind the strength of eight first place votes, while the current Boston Celtics power forward tallied the other two first-place votes and six second-place votes. Barnes was eventually named Mr. Basketball USA for 2009-10.

Barnes is carving out a more than solid NBA career and although it was a tough choice, in retrospect it appears Barnes was the correct call. With the panel having an even tougher time splitting hairs between Ball and Jackson, will the right choice be made this year? Only time will reveal that answer.

Editor's Note: Click on the "+" sign next to each player's number to view how many first, second, third or fourth place votes he got and his overall point total.

RankPrev.NameHigh School1st2nd3rd4thTotal
1T1Lonzo Ball (10)Chino Hills (CA)620085
1T2Josh Jackson (9)Prolific Prep (CA)450085
34Jayson Tatum (10)Chaminade (MO)006267
43DeAndre Ayton (8)Hillcrest Academy (AZ)022256
55De'Aaron Fox (9)Cy Lakes (TX)000148
68TMarkelle Fultz (6)DeMatha (MD)000129
76Miles Bridges (6)Huntington Prep (WV)000027
87Mustapha Heron (5)Sacred Heart (CT)000125
9NRTerrance Ferguson (4)API (TX)000220
10T10Bam Adebayo (4)High Point (NC)000118
10TNRCassius Winston (4)U of D Jesuit (MI)001018
12T16TFrank Jackson (5)Lone Peak (UT)000011
12T13Malik Monk (3)Bentonville (AR)000011
148TT.J. Leaf (5)Foothills Christian (CA)000010
1516TBraxton Key (1)Oak Hill (VA)01009
16NRRawle Alkins (1)Word of God (NC)00108
17TNRTrevon Duval (1)API (TX)00004
17T12Alterique Gilbert (1)Miller Grove (GA)00004
17TNRBrandon McCoy (1)Cathedral Catholic (CA)00004
2016TDavy Singleton (1)Bishop Montgomery (CA)00003
21TNRJarrett Allen (1)St. Stephen's (TX)00002
21T16TMarques Bolden (1)DeSoto (TX)00002
21T15Ethan Thompson (1)Bishop Montgomery (CA)00002
24TNRWendell Carter Jr. (1)Pace Academy (GA)00001
24TNRChris Lykes (1)Gonzaga (DC)00001

2015-16 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker Panel

Paul Biancardi, ESPN National Director of Basketball Recruiting
Frank Burlison, BurlisonOnBasketball.com Publisher
Van Coleman, TheBasketballChannel.net VP of Content
Ronnie Flores, www.ebooksnet.com National Grassroots Editor
Clark Francis, Hoop Scoop Editor & Publisher
Bob Gibbons, All-Star Sports
Jerry Meyer, 247Sports.com Director of Scouting
Scott Phillips, NBC Sports National College Basketball Writer
Patrick Stanwood, Patrick Stanwood Basketball
Dinos Trigonis, Fullcourt Press Editor & Publisher

About Basketball USA Tracker Panel
www.ebooksnet.com's panel of 10 experts, which includes six McDonald’s All-American selection committee members, casts its vote for the top national player of the year candidates. Each panelist lists his top seven candidates regardless of class. The votes are then tabulated on a 10-point scoring system with a first-place vote equaling 10 points, a second-place vote earning nine points and down to four points for a seventh-place vote. The number in parenthesis refers to the numbers of ballots on which a player appeared and previous rankings refers to position in the previous tracker.

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]]> Wendell Carter Jr. & Udoka Azubuike DOMINATE 2015 Holiday Hoopsgiving! http://www.ebooksnet.com/2015-holiday-hoopsgiving-recap/ Fri, 04 Dec 2015 20:25:48 +0000 https://bilcomprd.wpengine.com/?p=116717 Here is the official recap for the 2015 Holiday Hoopsgiving presented by Chris Williams! Holy Innocents Episcopal School…

The post Wendell Carter Jr. & Udoka Azubuike DOMINATE 2015 Holiday Hoopsgiving! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

]]> Here is the official recap for the 2015 Holiday Hoopsgiving presented by Chris Williams! Holy Innocents Episcopal School (GA) was host to over a dozen Division 1 players.This years tournament was headlined by Wendell Carter Jr., Udoka Azubuike, Eli Wright, Brandon Robinson, Jared Harper, and Ikey Obiagu to name a few. Wendell Carter Jr. was presented the first-ever Geno Morgan Award of Sportsmanship in honor of the late Wasatch Academy coach. The All Tournament was Eli Wright, Jordan Lyons, Wendell Carter Jr., Brandon Robinson, and Ikey Obiagu. For more information on the tournament or players, please visit www.holidayhoopsgiving.com!

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]]> Wendell Carter Jr. & Udoka Azubuike DOMINATE 2015 Holiday Hoopsgiving! - www.ebooksnet.com Here is the official recap for the 2015 Holiday Hoopsgiving presented by Chris Williams! Holy Innocents Episcopal School (GA) was host to over a dozen Division 1 players.This years tournament was headlined by Wendell Carter Jr., Udoka Azubuike, Eli Wright, Brandon Robinson, Jared Harper, and Ikey Ob chris williams,darius hicks,dishon lowery,eli wright,emmitt williams,georgia stars aau,holiday hoopsgiving,ikey obiagu,jared harper,jj smith,jordan lyons,Udoka Azubuike,victor enoh,wendell carter jr. Josh Jackson Tops 2015-16 Preseason POY Tracker! http://www.ebooksnet.com/josh-jackson-tops-2015-16-preseason-poy-tracker/ Mon, 23 Nov 2015 20:31:02 +0000 https://bilcomprd.wpengine.com/?p=115709 Josh Jackson, arguably the most explosive wing player in the country and one of its best all-around players,…

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]]> Josh Jackson, arguably the most explosive wing player in the country and one of its best all-around players, leads voting in preseason Mr. Basketball USA Tracker powered by www.ebooksnet.com, now in its ninth year. The Prolific Prep senior was two votes away from being the second unanimous selection in the history of the nine-year voting process to select our national player of the year.

There are plenty of factors that go into an individual award such as national player of the year: Playing for a winning team, where the team is located and whom it plays, and things such as eye-popping statistics are important -- especially when the nation's best players don't have an opportunity to play on same court too often.

When many of the best do get together under one roof to compete, however, the dynamics change. Then it's about whose skill level is the most advanced, who has the most confidence in his skill level and who has the proper mentality to rise to the occasion.

At the 2015 USA Basketball Junior National Team Minicamp in Colorado Springs, Col. in October, 6-foot-8 shooting guard/small forward Josh Jackson of Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) stood out among his peers. He was the most explosive wing-type with the ball skills to match. Jackson shot it well, displayed uncanny passing ability and a great feel for when to attack, pull back or direct teammates to an open spot. He had confidence in his arsenal and most importantly, the more intense the competition got, the more focused and better he played.

The Detroit native also displayed leadership abilities and was not afraid to jump a teammate for a missed opportunity or being out of position. It was a classic case of the cream rising to the top and a pecking order clearly being established.

Jackson's individual skill level is reflected in the preseason 2015-16 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker powered by www.ebooksnet.com.

The tracker's voting results left no doubt as to whom the early favorite to capture Mr. Basketball USA honors for the 2015-16 season is. All 10 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker panel members had the Prolific Prep senior on their preseason ballot. Jackson was the only candidate to appear on every ballot. His 98 points are tied for second most in the nine-year history of the Mr. Basketball USA voting process (preseason, in-season or final tracker included). Detroit Pistons point guard Brandon Jennings, the only consensus national player of the year Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) has ever produced, tallied 98 points in the February 8, 2008 tracker.

Last season, current LSU freshman Ben Simmons of FAB 50 national champion Montverde Academy (Fla.) was a unanimous top vote-getter (earning 100 points) in every tracker published. He was the run-away Mr. Basketball USA honoree and is living up to his advanced high school billing so far in Baton Rouge.

Will Jackson approach that kind of dominance over his peers this season?

"He's the most NBA-ready player in the country," hoopscooponline.com Publisher and McDonald's All-American voter Clark Francis said of Jackson. "The No. 1 (Harry Giles) and No. 3 player (Thon Maker) in the 2016 class aren't eligible, and DeAndre Ayton had a 50-50 summer, so I think he's disproportionately lower than his talent level at this point. If you're a good player, and will be seen on the national circuit this season, it's there for the taking."

Ironically, Harry Giles was in attendance at the USA Basketball Junior National Team Minicamp with Jackson, but did not play. One has to assume last year's National Junior of the Year would have pushed Jackson throughout the season had he not torn his ACL in Oak Hill Academy's first game of the season. Maker doesn't play for an American program and Dennis Smith Jr., arguably the nation's top point guard coming into the 2015-16 season, won't play this season because of an ACL tear and will leave for N.C. State at the semester break. Those missing players have changed the dynamics of the national player of the year race.

Point guard De'Aaron Fox of Cypress Lakes (Katy, Texas), who recently announced for Kentucky, finished second to the uncommitted Jackson with 63 points while appearing on nine ballots. He garnered one first place vote, with the tenth one going to Duke-bound Jayson Tatum of FAB 50 No. 7 Chaminade (St. Louis, Mo.). Tatum finished in third place with 60 points. He appeared on eight ballots and garnered three second-place votes. Ayton, last year's National Sophomore of the Year, appeared on half of the ballots, but two voters had him No. 2 behind Jackson.

"It's a bit of a strange year, with the major injuries and the players in flux, in school and out," said McDonald's voter and The Basketball Channel Vice President of Basketball Operations Van Coleman. "When we see who's playing well during the season, it will start to level out. Because it's the preseason voting, I strongly factored in what I saw through the July viewing period, but it's also a case of 'What have you done for more lately?' I think that's what you see with some of these candidates."

To begin the 2015-16 season, 18 players received recognition by the Mr. Basketball USA 10-man panel. Last year, there were 19 national player of the year candidates to begin the season.

Stay logged in to www.ebooksnet.com to track the progress of the nation's top individual players and the nation’s Top teams.

Editor's Note: Click on the "+" sign next to each player's number to view how many first, second, third or fourth place votes he got and his overall point total.

RankPrev.NameHigh School1st2nd3rd4thTotal
1NRJosh Jackson (10)Prolific Prep (CA)820098
2NRDe'Aaron Fox (9)Cy Lakes (TX)111263
315TJayson Tatum (8)Chaminade (MO)131160
4NRMalik Monk (7)Bentonville (AR)003249
55TDeAndre Ayton (4)Hillcrest Academy (AZ)021037
611TLonzo Ball (4)Chino Hills (CA)002230
7NRRawle Alkins (4)Word of God (NC)010129
8NRMiles Bridges (4)Huntington Prep (WV)000124
9TNRTrevon Duval (3)API (TX)001016
9TNRTerrance Ferguson (3)API (TX)000016
11TNRWendell Carter (3)Pace Academy (GA)000013
11TNRMustapha Heron (2)Sacred Heart (CT)000113
13NRBam Adebayo (2)High Point (NC)000012
14NRMarkelle Fultz (2)DeMatha (MD)000011
15TNRMohamed Bamba (1)Westtown (PA)00005
15TNRFrank Jackson (1)Lone Peak (UT)00005
15TNRP.J. Washington (1)Findlay Prep (NV)00005
18NREthan Thompson (1)Bishop Montgomery (CA)00004

About Mr. Basketball USA Tracker Panel
www.ebooksnet.com's panel of 10 experts, which includes six McDonald’s All-American selection committee members, casts its vote for the top national player of the year candidates. Each panelist lists his top seven candidates regardless of class. The votes are then tabulated on a 10-point scoring system with a first-place vote equaling 10 points, a second-place vote earning nine points and down to four points for a seventh-place vote. The number in parenthesis refers to the numbers of ballots on which a player appeared and previous rankings refers to position in last season's final tracker.

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]]> Inside Look at Mr. Basketball USA Candidates http://www.ebooksnet.com/inside-look-at-mr-basketball-usa-candidates/ Wed, 18 Nov 2015 09:26:55 +0000 https://bilcomprd.wpengine.com/?p=115486 Mr. Basketball USA is the title bestowed upon the National High School Player of the Year honor presented…

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]]> Mr. Basketball USA is the title bestowed upon the National High School Player of the Year honor presented by www.ebooksnet.com. The Mr. Basketball USA Tracker tracks the progress of the top player of the year candidates throughout the season. We examine the resumes of four early favorites, five others with strong cases and list other potential candidates. Now in its ninth year, the Mr. Basketball USA Tracker begins with its preseason voting results Nov. 23. 

During the regular season, www.ebooksnet.com will publish the Mr. Basketball USA Tracker, an inside look at the nation's top on-court high school performers, according to a panel made up of 10 high school basketball and recruiting experts, including six McDonald's All-American selection committee members.

Every season the race for national player of the year is altered by an early season occurrence. For instance, early in the 2012-13 season, current Los Angeles Laker forward Julius Randle (Prestonwood Christian Academy, Plano, Texas) suffered a broken foot. There's no telling how strongly he would have challenged eventual Mr. Basketball USA honoree Andrew Wiggins, last year's NBA Rookie of the Year with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Sometimes the occurrence is injury, other times it's ineligibility or a player re-classifying up and leaving for college early (current Duke freshman Derryck Thornton Jr. and N.C. State freshman Maverick Rowan come to mind).

We can't recall a preseason like this one where the race has been so significantly altered before it really even has gotten started.

First, athletic point guard Dennis Smith Jr. of Trinity Christian (Fayetteville, N.C.) tore his ACL at the second-to-last major Grassroots event of the summer (adidas Nations). He was presumably one of the top candidates coming into the fall. Then, in the opening minutes of the opening game for preseason FAB 50 No. 1 Oak Hill Academy, its best player, forward Harry Giles, tore his ACL. One has to figure he was a favorite considering he was last year's National Junior of the Year.

Then in the past week, Marvin Bagley III, last year's National Freshman of the Year at Corona del Sol (Tempe, Ariz.), left Hillcrest Academy (Phoenix, Ariz.), a relatively new program with national aspirations. Even though the prep school Bagley attended was not formally recognized by the residing state athletic association (in this case the Arizona Interscholastic Association), therefore making it ineligible for the FAB 50, the sophomore power forward was still eligible for the nation's highest individual honor because he presumably was a student in good standing with three years of regular high school eligibility remaining.

For now, Bagley is not eligible for any individual honor because he's not enrolled at a school, nor is he currently playing for a varsity program. Reports have surfaced that Bagley's family is inquiring about the possibility of him returning to Corona del Sol. Then the next natural question is, does he regain his athletic eligibility?

As if that wasn't enough, last year's National Sophomore of the Year, 7-foot DeAndre Ayton, joined the Hillcrest Academy program after playing his sophomore season at Balboa City School (San Diego, Calif.). For now Ayton is eligible for Mr. Basketball USA, but you have to wonder how playing with Bagley for a few games and then seeing Bagley leave the program, and the general uncertainty surrounding the program, is going to affect his candidacy.

Stay tuned.

For now, we present some of the eligible candidates who figure to factor in the 2015-16 Mr. Basketball USA race.

The Early Favorites*

DeAndre Ayton, Hillcrest Academy (Phoenix, Ariz.) 7-0 Jr. C

Resume: The 2014-15 national sophomore of the year averaged 21.1 points, 16.0 rebounds, 3.8 blocks, 2.6 assists and 1.6 steals for Balboa City School (San Diego, Calif.), a private institution that played mainly prep school and academy program competition. Ayton didn't always get the ball in prime spots, but still put up impressive numbers.

Why He Could Win: This talented center was a second five All-American by GrassrootsHoops.net last season as a mere sophomore. At the time, some respected prep evaluators felt the Bahamian native might have the best long-term potential of any player in high school basketball regardless of class, sans Ben Simmons, the 2015 Mr. Basketball USA whom some feel is already one of the nation's top college basketball players. Ayton has that much potential.

Why He Wouldn’t: It seemed Ayton was a surefire national player of the year candidate with Ben Simmons moving onto college, but over the summer he wasn't as dominant and he seemed to labor at times. He has since left Balboa for another prep school situation where the program is not recognized by the residing state athletic association, and that could hurt his chances. He was supposed to team up with super sophomore Marvin Bagley III to form one of the best 1-2 big man punches in high school we've ever seen, but Bagley is now gone and the situation seems a bit shaky and that could scare the Mr. Basketball USA panel.

Lonzo Ball, Chino Hills (Chino Hills, Calif.) 6-6 Sr. G

Resume: The Cal-Hi Sports State Junior of the Year averaged 24.3 points, 11.3 rebounds, 9.1 assists, 4.5 steals and 3.5 blocked shots per game for a team that advanced to the CIF Division I state title game. He was a third five All-American with now graduated standouts Brandon Ingram, Luke Kennard, Dedric Lawson and Caleb Swanigan.

Why He Could Win: One word that describes this UCLA commit is “unique.” He is a pin-point passer all 84 feet of the court and has grown to a true small forward size with uncanny rebounding ability for a true point guard. Ball is the CIF's best player (Josh Jackson's Prolific Prep team is an independent program), he's one of the state's best scorers, the best passer and could very well be the best rebounder. He's that good.

Why He Wouldn’t: Ball is one of the most polarizing elite players on social media, as some feel the style in which Chino Hills and his travel ball club play doesn't translate to the next level. Others feel he is a generational talent at the point guard position. Because of the mixed bag of opinions, Ball might be high on some lists and lower and others. Regardless, he's going to have to play his best at the City of Palms Tournament and winning a CIF state title would go a long way, too.

Josh Jackson, Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) 6-8 Sr. G

Resume: After earning National Sophomore of the Year honors two seasons ago at Consortium College Prep in Detroit, Jackson made the decision to leave the state of Michigan and attend an academy-type program based in Northern California. On a team that played a national schedule, Jackson averaged 28 points, 15 rebounds and 6 assists per game. He also led his travel team, 1Nation, to the Las Vegas FAB 48 invitational title in July.

Why He Could Win: With his size, explosiveness, passing and rebounding ability, Jackson is clearly one of the elite players in the country. At the USA Basketball Mini-Camp in October, he was the best performer and showed the alpha male mentality and competitive instincts to be a long-time NBA player.

Why He Wouldn’t: Jackson wasn't eligible for end-of-the season honors as a junior because the players on Prolific Prep's team attended various high schools (which made them an after-school academy). This season, all the players attend Justin-Siena High School, so Jackson returns as a serious candidate. The Mr. Basketball USA panelists were made aware Jackson is eligible, but some might favor a candidate from a traditional high school. Other than that or the injury bug, Jackson should be in the thick of the race.



Jayson Tatum, Chaminade (St. Louis, Mo.) 6-8 Sr. F

Resume: As a junior, Tatum averaged 26 ppg, 11 rpg and 3 apg for a 25-4 team. Tatum was named Gatorade State Player of the Year for the second consecutive season, but his team was shocked in the state semifinals.

Why He Could Win: The Chaminade Red Devils, ranked No. 7 in the preseason FAB 50, is a team that really has a chance to challenge the academy-type powers for the FAB 50 national title because of their national schedule. The Duke-bound Tatum is a household high school basketball name and will be on national TV versus No. 1 Oak Hill Academy and No. 5 DeMatha Catholic. If Tatum plays well in those games, plus at the City of Palms Tournament, it could catapult him to the top of the Mr. Basketball USA conversation.

Why He Wouldn’t: Perhaps Chaminade falters from a team perspective and that could hurt him from an individual perspective. Winning the state title would clearly help Tatum's candidacy because expectations are so high from a national perspective for his team. It's not too often Missouri has a bonafide Mr. Basketball USA candidate (only Crystal City's Bill Bradley has been honored from the state for the 1960-61 season).

Strong Cases*



Edrice Adebayo, High Point Christian Academy (High Point, N.C.) 6-9 Sr. C

Resume: As a junior, Adebayo averaged 32.1 ppg and 21.0 rpg against small-school competition at Northside (Pinetown, N.C.). He was named an Underclass All-American by GrassrootsHoops.net.

Why He Could Win: This summer, Adebayo was one of the top five performers at the prestigious NBPA Top 100 Camp and showed why he's considered one of the top true post players in the country. This winter, his new high school team will play in enough big games for "Bam" to become a serious candidate. High Point opens up No. 25 in the preseason FAB 50 with "Bam" on board. His team plays in the NCISAA Class 3A ranks, which offers good competition and is good for his candidacy.

Why He Wouldn’t: Bam may not put up prolific numbers as he did last season, because he'll be facing better competition and has more talented teammates. Eye-popping numbers, especially for a big man, always help. There has only been one true post player to earn this honor in the last 25 years (Greg Oden in 2005-2006) as the game has gone away from the big man. That could hurt "Bam" because analysts and fans are more drawn to skill, rather than size, than in the past.



Rawle Alkins, Word of God Academy (Raleigh, N.C.) 6-5 Sr. F

Resume: He was arguably the best player on the summer Grassroots circuit after an impressive junior season at Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.), which he led to the CHSAA Class AA title after helping the Royals win New York Federation titles as a freshman and sophomore. Alkins shared Pangos All-American Camp MOP honors with fellow Mr. Basketball USA candidate Mustapha Heron, led the New York Rens to the title of the adidas Uprising Gauntlet Finale championship and later led his team to the championship of adidas Nations.

Why He Could Win: Alkins helped Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.) win big time games, but eligibility issues loomed so he decided to take his talents to North Carolina, where he leads one of the better independent schools in the country. Alkins wins in whatever setting he plays in and that combination of production and winning could put him in the national player of the year conversation.

Why He Wouldn’t: The Holy Rams have a talented roster and open up No. 37 in the FAB 50, but should they falter it could hurt Alkins' candidacy. Word of God doesn't compete for a state title, and playing an independent schedule could be a hindrance for Alkins, especially if Word of God is not selected for Dick's Nationals.



Trevon Duval, Advanced Prep International (Dallas) 6-2 Jr. G

Resume: This fast-rising point guard averaged 15.9 points per game last season in leading St. Benedict's (Newark, N.J.) to the Prep A title. He also was stellar in the Under Armour Association and in Las Vegas at the Fab 48. Duval decided to leave the Garden State for API and joins a strong nucleus of players at a brand new program.

Why He Could Win: An Underclass All-American last season at St. Benedict's, Duval has elevated his game to the point where where he's now considered the best underclass point guard in the nation and arguably the best overall 2017 prospect. API opens up No. 8 in the FAB 50 and with Duval as the catalyst, the Bulldogs like their chances to move up in the rankings. The better API does, the better Duval's chances are.

Why He Wouldn’t: Duval could lead his new team to a memorable season, or he could get outshined by another elite talent on his own team. Some Mr. Basketball USA Tracker panelists could feel junior forward Billy Preston or senior wing Terrence Ferguson is the more viable candidate on API's team. Sometimes teammates help, and sometimes they cancel each other out when it comes to individual awards.



Mustapha Heron, Sacred Heart (Waterbury, Conn.) 6-5 Sr. F

Resume: Heron led Sacred Heart to its second consecutive state title and a perfect 28-0 record. Only the second junior ever named New Haven Register State Player of the Year, Heron averaged 22 ppg and 5.3 rpg. He also had an excellent summer, earning co-MOP honors at the Pangos All-American Camp with Rawle Alkins.

Why He Could Win: You have to like the best player returning from an undefeated state championship team who is clearly one of the best players in his region. If Sacred Heart builds an unbeaten record and remains FAB 50 ranked (it opened the season No. 21), Heron could gain traction in the race over the course of the season.

Why He Wouldn’t: Position factors and regional factors. There is a lot of shooting guards/small forwards types in this year's crop of candidates and perhaps the panel might like another one just a bit more. There's been only one Mr. Basketball USA from Connecticut and that was in 1965-1966 (the great Calvin Murphy) and no panelist will see Sacred Heart during its league/conference schedule.

Malik Monk, Bentonville (Bentonville, Ark.) 6-3 Sr. G

Resume: He averaged 26.9 ppg, 6.7 rpg, and 2.6 apg and also had a solid showing on the summer Grassroots circuit. Monk was one of only three juniors named All-American (along with Jayson Tatum and Lonzo Ball), so he definitely has an opportunity to impress the panel.

Why He Could Win: Monk led Bentonville to the Arkansas Class 7A title game, where it lost. This season, Bentonville has a lot of firepower and opened up No. 24 in the preseason FAB 50. Winning a state title and some big scoring outputs would keep Monk in the conversation with the other candidates.

Why He Wouldn’t: They will play in some big tournaments and showcase games, but if Bentonville doesn't win those games, Monk could fall on ballots even if he puts up numbers. Some of these games will be potential head-to-head matchups against other guards and sometimes too much emphasis (good or bad) can be placed on one game.

OTHER SENIOR CANDIDATES
FROM STRONG PROGRAMS

G — Bryce Aiken, The Patrick School (Elizabeth, N.J.) 5-11
C — Udoka Azubuike, Potter’s House Christian (Jacksonville, Fla.) 6-10
G — Tyus Battle, St. Joseph's (Metuchen, N.J.) 6-5
F — Braxton Key, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 6-7
F — Miles Bridges, Huntington Prep (Huntington, W.Va.) 6-6
G — Tony Carr, Roman Catholic (Philadelphia) 6-3
G — Anthony Cowan Jr., St. John's (Washington, D.C.) 5-11
G — De'Aaron Fox, Cypress Lakes (Katy, Texas) 6-3
F — Markelle Fultz, DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) 6-5
G — Alterique Gilbert, Miller Grove (Lithonia, Ga.) 6-0
F — Dewan Huell, Norland (Miami, Fla.) 6-9
G — Frank Jackson, Lone Peak (Highland, Utah) 6-2
G — Andrew Jones, MacArthur (Irving, Texas) 6-4
F — Mario Kegler, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 6-7
F — V.J. King, Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) 6-6
G — Josh Langford, Madison Academy (Madison, Ala.) 6-5
F — T.J. Leaf, Foothills Christian (El Cajon, Calif.) 6-9
G — Shamorie Ponds, Thomas Jefferson (Brooklyn, N.Y.) 6-1
G — Kobi Simmons, St. Francis (Alpharetta, Ga.) 6-5
G — Xavier Simpson, Lima Senior (Lima, Ohio) 6-1
G — Seventh Woods, Hammond (Columbia, S.C.) 6-1

JUNIORS TO WATCH

C — Mohamed Bamba, Westtown School (West Chester, Pa.) 6-10
G — Alex Barcello, Corona del Sol (Tempe, Ariz.) 6-2
F — Brian Bowen, La Lumiere (LaPorte, Ind.) 6-6
G — Troy Brown, Centennial (Las Vegas, Nev.) 6-5
C — Zach Brown, Miami Senior (Miami, Fla.) 7-0
C — Wendell Carter Jr., Pace Academy (Atlanta) 6-10
G — Jalek Felton, Mullins (Mullins, S.C.) 6-2
G — Quade Green, Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia) 5-11
G — Jaylen Nowell, Garfield (Seattle) 6-5
F — John Petty, J.O. Johnson (Huntsville, Ala.) 6-6
G — Michael Porter, Father Tolton (Columbia, Mo.) 6-5
F — Billy Preston, Advanced Prep International (Dallas) 6-9
G — Paul Scruggs, Southport (Indianapolis, Ind.) 6-3
F — Cody Riley, Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) 6-7
C — Jeremiah Tillman, La Lumiere (LaPorte, Ind.) 6-10
G — Gary Trent Jr., Apple Valley (Apple Valley, Minn.) 6-4
G — Jarred Vanderbilt, Victory Prep (Houston) 6-7
F — James “M.J.” Walker Jr., Jonesboro (Jonesboro, Ga.) 6-5
F — P. J. Washington, Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) 6-8
G — Trae Young, Norman North (Norman, Okla.) 6-2

IMPACT SOPHOMORES

F — De’Sean Allen-Eikens, Williston (Williston, N.D.) 6-5
C — Jordan Brown, Woodcreek (Roseville, Calif.) 6-9
G — Marquis Brown, Simeon (Chicago) 6-0
F — Silvio De Souza, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-9
F — E.J. Montgomery, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-9
G — Cameron Reddish, Westtown School (West Chester, Pa.) 6-10
F — Naz Reid, Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.) 6-8
G — Javonte Smart, Scotlandville (Baton Rouge, La.) 6-3
F — Robert Woodard, Columbus (Columbus, Miss.) 6-5

*Editor's note: Listed alphabetically; The Mr. Basketball USA honor is based on high school accomplishment, not future college/pro potential. www.ebooksnet.com does not knowingly select fifth-year players, and those ineligible due to age or academics, as Mr. Basketball USA or to the various All-American teams it publishes.

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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]]> MN EYBL Top Performers led by Harry Giles, Jarred Vanderbilt http://www.ebooksnet.com/mn-eybl-top-40-player-rankings-led-by-harry-giles-jarred-vanderbilt/ Tue, 26 May 2015 23:17:18 +0000 https://bilcomprd.wpengine.com/?p=103227 We evaluated all rounds of games at the 2015 EYBL Session No. 4 in Minneapolis, Minn. and broke…

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]]> We evaluated all rounds of games at the 2015 EYBL Session No. 4 in Minneapolis, Minn. and broke down our notes and reports to rank the top 40 performers led by National Junior Player of the Year Harry Giles. 

This player list is based on performances during the Nike EYBL event only, not performance combined with previous honors and/or other national player rankings. Our evaluations are based on all-around performance within the context of winning basketball. We also took into account statistics provided at the event and a player's class. Visit nikeeyb.com for game-by-game statistics from the Minneapolis EYBL.

View my EYBL Day 1 Recap | Link

View my EYBL Day 2 Recap | Link

PlayerClassHTPOSProgram
Harry Giles Jr.20166'10FTeam CP3
Jarred Vanderbilt20176'8WHouston Hoops
Wendell Carter20176'10CGeorgia Stars
De'Aaron Fox20166'4GHouston Hoops
Jayson Tatum20166'8GSt. Louis Eagles
Udoka Azubuike20166'11CGeorgia Stars
Michael Porter Jr.20176'9FMokan Elite
Miles Bridges20166'7FThe Family
Marques Bolden20166'10CProskills Elite
Dennis Smith Jr.20166'2GTeam Penny
Maverick Rowen20166'6FE1T1
Troy Brown Jr.20176'6GLas Vegas Prospects
Malik Monk20166'4GArkansas Wings
Bruce Brown20166'0GBABC
Ira Lee20176'8FOakland Soldiers
Peyton Pritchard20166'1GSeattle Rotary
Trae Young20176'1GMokan Elite
Ty Jerome20166'4GPSA Cardinals
Kevin Huerter20166'5GCity Rocks
P.J. Washington20176'6FTeam Penny
Willie Jackson20166'6FKing James
Derrick Funderburk20166'9FKing James
Jordan Tucker20176'8FNY Lightning
Ikenna Ndugba20166'0GBABC
Braxton Blackwell20166'8FTeam Penny
Markus Howard20175'11GLas Vegas Prospects
Omari Spellman20166'9FPSA Cardinals
Devearl Ramsey20165'10GCal Supreme
Zach Norvell20166'5FMac Irvin Fire
Nick Ward20166'9FAll Ohio Red
Alterique Gilbert20166'1GTeam CP3
Asante Gist20165'11GNY Lightning
Tony Bradley Jr.20166'10CE1T1
Gary Trent Jr.20176'5GHoward Pulley
Christian Vital20166'3GPSA Cardinals
Brandon Rachal20176'6WElfrid Payton
Lamar Stevens20166'5FTeam Final
Evan Leonard20166'2GNorthwest Xpress
Shamorie Pounds20166'1GNY Lightning
John Petty Jr.20176'6FAlabama Challenge

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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]]> Brandon Rachal, Braxton Blackwell among Minneapolis EYBL Day 2 Standouts http://www.ebooksnet.com/brandon-rachal-braxton-blackwell-among-minneapolis-eybl-day-2-standouts/ Mon, 25 May 2015 18:03:14 +0000 https://bilcomprd.wpengine.com/?p=103145 The action continued on Sunday at Session 4 of the Nike EYBL in Minneapolis as teams position themselves…

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]]> The action continued on Sunday at Session 4 of the Nike EYBL in Minneapolis as teams position themselves for Peach Jam berths. The standouts just didn't come from the top teams in each of the four divisions, as we made it a point to see every team at least once. Elites such as Harry Giles and Michael Porter stood out, but some diamonds in the rough also made their mark.

Team CP3 forward Harry Giles of Wesleyan Christian Academy (High Point, N.C.) has clearly established himself as the top 2016 prospect in attendance at Session 4 of the 2015 Nike EYBL. He's arguably its top performer, as he's led his team to a league-best 14-2 mark in Division B heading into the last session of games on Monday morning. There is more debate at the top among 2017 performers, but it's hard not to like what center Wendell Carter of Pace Academy (Atlanta, Ga.) is providing for the Georgia Stars, who are 13-3 and a top Division D.

In addition to Giles and Carter, here's a look at selected Sunday standouts from the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) Session 4 in Minneapolis, Minn.

Brandon Rachal, Natchitoches Central (Natchitoches, La./Elfrid Payton Elite) 6-6 2017 F: Cal Supreme simply couldn't keep this broad-shouldered forward from scoring, as the junior-to-be had a standout game at both ends of the floor in Elfrid Payton's 70-56 win. Not only does Rachal have the ability of an elite finisher, he rebounds hard, moves his feet well and goes the extra mile on the defensive end. He had an incredible block shot on a hustle play where he got back in bounds and swatted Cal Supreme center Brandon McCoy. Rachal finished the game with 29 points, 14 rebounds and two blocked shots. He also had 14 points (team-high) and nine rebounds in a key 59-55 win over the Las Vegas Prospects. Elfrid Payton is 9-7 and in sixth place (the top five advance to Peach Jam) in Division C.

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Javonte Smart, Scotlandville (Baton Rouge, La./Elfrid Payton Elite) 6-4 2018 G: The first thing that stands out about this sophomore-to-be is the poise he plays with up in the EYBL 17U division. There is a confidence about his game that is unflappable, although he still occasionally makes the freshman mistake. He's the one of three ultra talented 2018 prospects from the state of Louisiana playing in the EYBL and is showing he belongs. With his solid shooting stroke and ability to play off the ball or run a team, Smart is proving he can impact high-level EYBL games. The smooth lefty made a clutch field goal in the win over Cal Supreme and finished with 14 points and three assists in that game. Smart had nine points, five rebounds and seven assists in the win over the Las Vegas Prospects and made 4-of-8 3-pointers in the two contests.

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Braxton Blackwell, Christ Presbyterian (Nashville, Tenn./Team Penny) 6-8 2016 F: In the 72-57 victory over Cal Supreme, this athletic forward with a springy game made his mark with key plays down the stretch to go along with 13 rebounds. Blackwell's vicious dunk gave his team a double-digit (58-47) lead with 3:58 remaining and he set up guard Dennis Smith Jr. for a easy field goal with a crisp pass on the move. Blackwell actually has some point forward skill, but must work on consistency with his outside shooting to take his game to the next level. He made all six of his field goal attempts (14 points) and came up with four steals in a 61-59 victory over Elfrid Payton Elite on Saturday night.

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Evan Leonard, Cerritos (Cerritos, Calif./Northwest Xpress) 6-2 2016 G: Yes, his underhanded team is struggling in Division B (1-15), but this combo guard has been one of its bright spots. Leonard has a sweet stroke from the outside and doesn't get enough credit for his ability to slash and score. He's not an elite athlete, but Leonard does excel in finding gaps in the defense and knows how to stop his feet for pull-up jumpers (a lost art in grassroots and high school basketball). He's more of a natural shooting guard, but is evolving into a quality mid-major combo guard prospect with good enough ball-handling skills and savvy to handle the pressure of playing the one. Against the EYBL's top team, Team CP3, Leonard had his outside shot going, nailing 7-of-10 from 3-point range, and finished with a game-high 33 points. Holding offers from Cal-St. Fullerton and UC-Irvine, expect Leonard to announce before summer is up.

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Michael Porter Jr., Tolton Catholic (Columbia, Mo./Mokan Elite) 6-9 2017 F: The en vogue thing to do in the grassroots scouting business is to compare an elite prospect with a current NBA star, especially if the pro has a unique skill set. Such is the case with Mokan Elite's star junior-to-be, who is the latest player on the grassroots trail compared to NBA star Kevin Durant because of his combination of size and shooting ability. Porter's length stands out as well, but he's going to have to get more physical and relish contact down low in order to become a complete player. Porter loves the perimeter game right now and settles far too often when he could explode to the basket for a higher percentage shot. In that frame of reference, he is a lot like a young Durant. We also caught him dribbling with his head down at times this weekend. Still there is a lot to like about Porter, as he's an effortless scorer and impacts the game with winning plays. Mokan Elite was tied with King James for second place in Division B at 12-4, two games behind Team CP3, with a round of games to go. On Sunday, Porter had 15 points and 10 rebounds in an easy win over Northwest Xpress and earlier in the day came up with 18 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and three blocked shots in a whitewashing of Seattle Rotary.

Wendell Carter, Pace Academy (Atlanta, Ga./Georgia Stars) 6-10 2017 C: Arguably the most dominant interior player at EYBL Session 4, the 250-pound Carter has led his team to a 13-3 mark in Division D, one game ahead both Each 1 Teach 1 (Fla.) and Team Takeover (D.C.) with one game remaining on Monday morning. Carter is a mobile post prospect and impacts the game on both ends with his rare combination of space-eating, timing and aggressiveness. Carter also doesn't hesitate to shoot the open perimeter shot and can knock it down with respectable accuracy for a young prospect his size. Carter had 14 points and 10 rebounds in only 16 minutes of action in a 79-65 win over The Travelers (Ky.). Later Saturday night, he went for 16 points and nine rebounds in a 73-55 win over host Howard Pulley (Minn.) before an overflow crowd.

Division Rundown from EYBL

The Boston Amateur Basketball Club (BABC) joins Team CP3 (B), St. Louis Eagles and Houston Hoops in C and the Georgia Stars (D) as EYBL Divisional leaders with one session to go. BABC is 12-4, one game ahead of Wings Elite (Ark.), Athletes First (Okla.) and PSA Cardinals (N.J.) in Division A.

BABC defeated the PSA Cardinals on Sunday morning in one of the finest played EYBL games we've ever witnessed in terms of elite talent playing within a team setting. Leo Papile's club won the game at the buzzer 58-56 on a eight-foot runner by 2016 guard Ikenna Ndugba of Brooks School (Boston, Mass.). Ndugba finished with 14 points while his backcourt mate Bruce Brown, a 6-foot 2016 prospect out of Vermont Academy (Boston, Mass.), finished with 16 points. Later on Sunday, Brown had 17 points and 6 rebounds in a 64-63 win over Boo Williams Summer League (Va.) in which Ndugba did not play.

The PSA Cardinals play Wings Elite on Monday morning, while BABC plays fifth place Pro Skills (10-6).

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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