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]]>The post In The Paint Show: NBA Draft Winners and Losers, NBA Free Agency, Olympic Hoops appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.
]]>Next, the guys give their winners and losers of the 2021 NBA Draft. Who got better? Which team's draft approach made the least sense? Which teams used their selections to add viable assets or immediate contributors? Finally, Ron and Dev break down all the big moves in NBA Free Agency. Who made signings and trades to put themselves in championship contention? Find out on the latest episode of the In The Paint Show.
You can also watch a video episode of Ep. 103 of the In The Paint Show on the Ballislife Podcast Network!
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]]>The post Magical Night For Montverde Academy! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.
]]>RELATED: 3 or More NBA Pros on a HS Team | Who's the Greatest HS Team Ever?
There is a definite difference on how great a high school player is while in high school and how good of a NBA prospect he is and how good of a player he can be down the line.
The same ideology holds true for great high school teams.
Obviously, its record and position in the FAB 50 National Team Rankings powered by www.ebooksnet.com is a good indication of how good a team is, but sometimes it's not until many years later that one can look back at a high school team and realize just how great it was. When a player goes on to success at the highest levels of a game, that can obviously enhance the perception of just how good his high school team was. That especially holds true if a team has more than one great player or future pro.
Once in a blue moon a team comes along that you know is special right away in real time as you're watching it. It's evident in its makeup, skill level, size, pedigree and results of its games. In that situation, even the players on the team know it.
That was clearly the case with the high school team most long-time followers, prep editors, and national rankings compilers feel was the best overall during the last 40 years: 1982-83 Dunbar (Baltimore, Md.). That outfit went 31-0 and defeated a strong schedule of foes (for its era) by an average margin of 36.5 ppg. The players on that roster and coach Bob Wade knew how special the group was right then and played accordingly.
It's the same feeling the players off the 2019-20 Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) felt in 2020 as the Eagles rolled to a 25-0 record and beat every foe on a true national schedule by an average margin of 38.9 ppg.
Wade's '83 unit cemented its status four years later in the 1987 NBA Draft when three of its players were drafted in the first round. Reggie Williams, the 1983 Mr. Basketball USA went No. 4 overall, spark plug guard and team MVP Muggsy Bouges went No. 12 and reserve Reggie Lewis went No. 22 overall. It blew many people's minds when Lewis, who was Dunbar's sixth or seventh man and averaged 5.5 ppg, became the third player off a single high school team taken in the same draft when the Boston Celtics selected him.
There has been 46 documented high school teams with at least three NBA players on its roster, but that '83 Dunbar team set the standard for other high school teams to follow by having three players taken in the first round of the same draft.
That was the standard until the 2019-20 Montverde Academy team came around.
The Eagles also produced the best player in the country (Mr. Basketball USA pick Cade Cunningham) and rolled to a No. 1 mythical national title as Dunbar did. The players on the Eagles' roster didn't have to wait four years to make history, as the core of the group all declared for the NBA Draft after one year of college (a record-low seven seniors were drafted in 2021). Not only did three players off that Eagles team go in the first round, the team produced the No. 1 overall pick (Cunningham), the No. 4 pick (team glue guy Scottie Barnes) and a third lottery pick in Moses Moody.
Not only did its top three get drafted higher than Dunbar's trio, MVA's 2019-20 team added a fourth first round pick in power forward Day'Ron Sharpe.
2021 NBA Draft Picks From Montverde Academy (Fla).
No. 1 Cade Cunningham (Oklahoma State) - Detroit Pistons
No. 4 Scottie Barnes (Florida State) - Toronto Raptors
No. 14 Moses Moody (Arkansas) - Golden State Warriors
No. 29 Day’Ron Sharpe (North Carolina) - Pheonix Suns (traded)
No. 50 Filip Petrusev (Gonzaga/Serbia) - Philadelphia 76ers
No. 54 Sandro Mamukelashsvili (Seton Hall) - Indiana Pacers (traded)
No. 57 Balsa Koprivica (Florida State) - Charlotte Hornets (traded)
As if having four players off the same high school team taken in the same draft isn't enough, the program produced seven of the 60 overall players drafted in 2021.
"This is a special day for all our players their families and the whole Montverde Academy community," said Boyle. "I'm very happy to see all the sacrifice and dedication pay off for all our players. To have seven drafted, four in the first round, and three in the lottery has truly exceeded our expectations. All of these guys are a special part of the Montverde family."
Petrusev was a starter on the 2017-18 team led by Mr. Basketball USA RJ Barrett (the No. 3 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft) that went 36-0 and wire-to-wire No. 1 in the FAB 50. Mamukelashsvili was a senior on the 2016-17 team that finished 26-5 and No. 5 in the FAB 50. Koprivica, who played with Barnes at FSU, was the starting center on the 2018-19 team that featured juniors Cunningham and Moody that lost in the GEICO Nationals semifinals to eventual FAB 50 National champion IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) and finished No. 4 in the FAB 50 with a 22-3 mark.
Cunningham (13.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 6.4 apg in 2019-20 for MVA) is the third No. 1 overall pick for Boyle, with the first two being Ben Simmons in 2016 (one year after graduating from MVA as the Mr. Basketball USA) and Kyrie Irving, who played at St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.), in 2011. It surprised some when Barnes (11.6 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 4.6 apg for MVA) went ahead of Gonzaga's Jalen Suggs at No. 4 and Moody (10.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg) was drafted alot higher than projected coming out of high school. Sharpe (12.1 ppg, 7.3 rpg) was actually the third McDonald's All-American and earned All-American Elite team honors from Ballislife.
As for the firth starter on that team, that would be sophomore forward Caleb Houstan (10.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg), who like Barrett, re-classed up after his sophomore season of high school and will head to Michigan this fall after earning All-American acclaim as a senior in 2020-21. In all likelihood, all five of the starters off that 2019-20 Montverde Academy team will eventually play in the NBA.
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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]]>The post In The Paint Show: Giannis' Supermax, LaMelo's Debut, Looking Forward to Top Prospects in the 2021 Draft appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.
]]>First, the guys discuss Giannis signing a five-year supermax contract extension with the Milwaukee Bucks. What other pieces do the Bucks need to add in order to create a championship contender? Can Giannis draw another superstar to Milwaukee to play alongside him?
Hit the PLAY button below to tune into ITP 90!
Next Ron and Dev dissect the latest story on ESPN regarding James Harden and his influence on the culture in Houston. Does Harden's partying lifestyle hurt the continuity of the team chemistry or does it make his insane stat lines even more impressive? Ron and Dev also debate whether a team can win a title with Harden as its centerpiece.
To follow that up, the guys take a closer look at LaMelo Ball's first two preseason games with the Hornets. Were they impressed or does Ball need to show more? Also, why Hornets fans and NBA fans in general should be patient for LaMelo's offensive game to get into full gear.
Ron and Dev then transition into their latest story on Ballislife on the six rookies that NBA fans can expect to make an immediate impact in the league and close out the show with some more updates on high school basketball guidelines, scheduling and COVID-19-related cancellations.
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]]>The post In The Paint Show: NBA Season Fast Approaching, College Blue Bloods Struggling, HSBB Update! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.
]]>On Episode 89 of our In The Paint Show, co-hosts Ronnie Flores and Devin Ugland discuss a variety of basketball topics from the NBA's quick offseason, free agency winners and losers, which rookies will make an immediate impact and which teams have the biggest advantage heading into the 2020-2021 season.
Hit the PLAY button below to tune in!
Ron and Dev also breakdown the Houston Rockets situation with James Harden. Should Houston try to move Harden before the season starts? Where does one of the best offensive players the game has ever seen fit best? What should the Rockets expect to get in return for their disgruntled superstar?
The guys also discuss the early themes and surprises of the college basketball season. Why are the "Blue Blood" programs like Duke, Kentucky and North Carolina struggling? Has the balance of power evened out this season among college hoops teams? Which college freshmen have stood out the most? Finally, Ron and Dev break down what the high school sports scene looks like across the country.
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]]>The post Final, Expanded 2019-20 FAB 50 Rankings! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.
]]>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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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The 2019-20 All-American Elite Team, now published for the 26th consecutive season and on the www.ebooksnet.com platform for the sixth time, includes 47 of the nation’s best seniors, led by Mr. Basketball USA Cade Cunningham of FAB 50 No. 1 Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.).
Seventeen seniors, two juniors and one sophomore, first five selection Emoni Bates, headline the 20-player overall first team.
A 30-player second team includes 30 additional seniors. All underclassmen are eligible for Elite All-American selection, but this year it was determined to honor the senior class as much as possible, as the 2021 class has yet to make the national splash the 2020 class did at the same time a year ago. There has also been talk of some 2021 elites re-classifying to the 2020 class.
This year’s 20-man first team includes a player who re-classified up from the 2021 class early in the school year: third five selection Terrence Clarke of Brewster Academy in Massachusetts. In the 26 seasons of publishing annual All-American teams (and on the retroactive teams dating back to the 1954-55 season), no freshman has ever made the first team.
Our national coach of the year is Thomas Ryan of Dorman (Roebuck, S.C.). He guided the Cavaliers to their fourth consecutive SCHSL Class 5A state crown and Dorman is now 84-4 vs. South Carolina competition in that time frame. Dorman finished 30-1 with its only loss to FAB 50 No. 9 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.). The No. 10 Cavs qualified for GEICO Nationals, but the event was cancelled this year over COVID-19 concerns.
National Grassroots Editor Ronnie Flores selects this performance-based All-American team with input from Mr. Basketball USA panelists. It is chosen after the conclusion of the season, which makes the Elite 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 sixth consecutive season. This team is chosen regardless of class and is not exclusive or preferential for seniors named to the Ballislife All-American Game, which has been cancelled this year due to COVID-19. To check out who has played in the Ballislife All-American Game the past nine years, please visit ballislifeallamerican.com. To view archived All-American teams published under this format, please visit GrassrootsHoops.net.
2019-20 All-American First Team
First Five
G — Cade Cunningham, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-5 Sr.
Of all the Mr. Basketball USA choices in recent years, and many years for that matter, Cunningham has the most modest individual statistics. One of the most overlooked aspects of Cunninghan’s game is how much he improved his 3-point shooting this year (48 percent) while taking disciplined shots and being the distributor on one of the best high school teams of all-time. Cunningham was first in scoring (13.9 ppg) and assists (6.4 apg) for a club that only had one team play it within 20 points. Cunningham is the third Mr. Basketball USA selection from Montverde Academy in the last six years and those teams went a combined 92-1. Cunningham is the first ever Mr. Basketball USA to sign with Oklahoma St.
G — Jalen Green, Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) 6-5 Sr.
One of the most athletic two-guards to come down the pike in California in many years, Green developed more consistency to his game over the past year. As a senior, Green led Prolific Prep to a 31-3 mark and all three losses were to teams the team at least split with. Green averaged 31.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg and 5 apg while earning co-MVP honors of the Grind Session (a mix of academy and independent programs) with third five selection Dashien Nix. Green broke the Prolific Prep single-season scoring mark with 1,008 points (missed two games) and combining his three seasons at San Joaquin Memorial (Fresno, Calif.), Green amassed 3,299 career points. Green was a legit Mr. Basketball USA candidate and with Prolific Prep set to open GEICO Nationals against FAB 50 No. 1 Montverde Academy, he’s clearly one of those players whose season was affected by the cancellation of events because of COVID-19.
F — Scottie Barnes, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-7 Sr.
The best description of this Florida St. commit is a Swiss-Army Knife. He is useful in a variety of situations and gets the job done when you need him most. Barnes didn’t get much preseason National Player of the Year attention, but many observers felt he took an already fabulous team to the next level with his versatility and forced his way onto the first five. He and Cade Cunningham are the first pair of high school teammates to earn first five Elite All-American honors since future NBA players David Greenwood and Roy Hamilton at Verbum Dei (Los Angeles) in 1974-75. Barnes was third on the MVA team in scoring (11.6 ppg), second in rebounding (6.5), second in assists (4.6 apg) first in deflections (1.7 dpg), and first in steals (1.9 spg). He impacted both ends of the floor as much as any player in the country and could dominate with his ability to defend inside and out. It’s his rebounding, passing, intensity and will to win that made Barnes of the mot highly-decorated glue players in high school history.
F — Emoni Bates, Lincoln (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 6-8 Soph.
He’s been an easy choice for class player of the year the past two seasons and is now getting honors that put him in rare air among high school sophomores. Bates is the first sophomore since LeBron James in 2001 to be named first five Elite All-American and clinched this by finishing fourth in the Mr. Basketball USA Tracker with 48 out of 100 points behind Cade Cunningham (95), Evan Mobley (81) and Jalen Green (77). As a freshman, Bates led Lincoln to the MHSAA D1 state title and he was named D1 State Player of the Year after averaging 29.8 ppg and 10.2 rpg. This past season, Bates had Lincoln on the FAB 50 bubble with a 19-3 record and into the District 18 tourney semifinals when the season was stopped short by COVID-19. He keeps improving his game and as a tenth-grader averaged 33.1 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 2.9 apg, and 2.3 spg. Along the way he became the first sophomore ever named Gatorade National Player of the Year and might one day be recognized as the best Michigan high school player ever.
C — Evan Mobley, Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.) 7-0 Sr.
Although Mobley wasn’t named Cal-Hi Sports Mr. Basketball (he also wasn’t named Riverside Press Enterprise Player of the Year), he’s a deserving first five selection. For one, he’s the best true post player in the country and we always want a post player on our elite teams and second, he was runner-up to Cade Cunningham in the final Mr. Basketball USA balloting. He moves up from the fourth five after averaging 19.2 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 4.7 bpg, and 3.3 apg as a junior. This season Mobley averaged 19 ppg, 12 rpg, 4 apg, 4 bpg, and led his 22-8 club in all four of those statistical categories. Some evaluators would love to see him be more physically aggressive on a consistent basis, but he does things athletically we haven’t seen from a 7-footer from California since first five Elite All-American Tyson Chandler of Dominguez (Compton, Calif.) in 2001. As a junior, Mobley was named Cal-Hi Sports State Junior of the Year over Jalen Green and was No. 3 in the Mr. Basketball USA balloting. He capped his career by earning Gatorade State Player of the Year for the second time and honored with the Wooten Award National Player of the Year among players selected for the McDonald’s All-American Game.
Second Five
G — Sharife Cooper, McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) 5-10 Sr.
Last season, Cooper was a first five Elite All-American when he led McEachern to a No. 2 FAB 50 ranked and 32-0 record. This season, the Indians didn’t quite have as much team success, and Cooper’s local honors reflected of that. In 2018-19, Cooper was named Georgia’s Mr. Basketball and national player of the year by one publication, but this season second teamer Walker Kessler was the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Player of the Year and fellow second teamer Deivon Smith was the sandysspiel.com Mr. Basketball. Still, it doesn’t take away from the incredible season and career the Auburn-bound Cooper had. He actually upped his scoring this season (30.6 ppg) while averaging 7.8 rpg and 3.6 spg for a 22-7 club that advanced to the GHSA Class AAAAAAA semifinals. Along the way the four-year starter became McEachern’s all-time leader in scoring and assists and never lost a home game in his career. Cooper was also named to both the McDonald’s All-American and Jordan Brand all-star games.
G — Deivon Smith, Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) 5-11 Sr.
It didn’t make sense for us to go against credible local consensus in the case of Smith. Although Sharife Cooper is one of the best players in the country, Smith had an incredible season for a team than came within a whisker of the GHSA Class AAAAAAA title. Smith was the catalyst for a 30-2 team that finished No. 26 in the FAB 50 by averaging 17.3 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 8.4 apg, and 3.2 spg. In the 82-76 victory over Cooper and McEachern in the state semifinals, Smith went for 22 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals. It was a typical outing during a spectacular season for a senior who rose in All-American talks as high as any player in the country. Smith is headed to Mississippi St.
G — Jalen Suggs, Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis, Minn.) 6-3 Sr.
Moves up from the second team as a junior after having another spectacular season and closing out a high school career that rivals any Minnesota player ever. Not only is Suggs the highest-rated recruit ever to commit to Gonzaga, he’s likely the nation’s top Grid-Hoop Player who was named the 2019 Minnesota Mr. Football as a signal-caller on the gridiron. Suggs has won three Gold Medals as part of USA Basketball so far, won three state titles and was named class player of the year as a freshman and sophomore. Suggs was looking to lead his team to a fourth consecutive Class 3A state crown, but his team’s quest was cut short by COVID-19 while sitting at 25-3 and No. 15 in the FAB 50. Suggs was named state Mr. Basketball after averaging 23.3 ppg, 7,5 rpg, 5.0 apg and 3.9 spg and finishing just shy of 3,000 career points (2,945) while playing varsity basketball at Minnehaha Academy since seventh grade.
F — Brandon Boston Jr., Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) 6-6 Sr.
Not only was Boston named the CIF Southern Section Open Division Player of the Year, and SoCal Player of the Year, he was named Cal-Hi Sports Mr. Basketball. As a junior, he was named to the Ballislife Underclass All-American team at Norcross (Ga.) and made the most of his only season out West. He was the big shot-maker and leading scorer (20.8 ppg) on the No. 17 team in the FAB 50 that was ranked No. 1 in the state before COVID-19 concerns shut down its season two days prior to the CIF Open State Championship Game. He’s an effortless scorer and terrific transition player, while his coach Andre Chevalier calls Boston an underrated passer and an instinctual offensive rebounder. Playing alongside second team choice Ziaire Williams (who missed the first 14 games of the season), Boston also averaged 7.0 rpg, 2.6 apg and 2.4 spg. He’s headed to Kentucky.
F — Greg Brown, Vandegrift (Austin, Texas) 6-7 Sr.
Always an explosive athlete, Brown displayed an improved overall skill set this season, knocking down 38 percent of his 86 3-point attempts. A two-time all-state selection, Brown concluded a stellar four-year career by averaging 26.1 ppg, 13.2 rpg, 2.1 apg and 3.5 bpg for a 33-3 club that lost in the UIL Class 6A state regional quarterfinals. He concluded his career with 3,007 points, 1,493 rebounds and 427 blocks in 121 games. A McDonald’s All-American, Brown was also named Gatorade State Player of the Year for his athletic and academic (3.74 GPA) prowess. He recently chose hometown Texas after mulling over a pro offer from the NBA’s developmental G-League.
Third Five
G — Daishen Nix, Trinity International (Las Vegas, Nev.) 6-5 Sr.
This physical point guard has taken an unconventional road to high school All-American acclaim, as he was born in Fairbanks, Alaska and grew up in Anchorage. At the advice of his mother (who played college basketball at Alaska-Fairbanks), Nix moved to Las Vegas to gain more mainstream exposure. He’ll now take an unconventional path towards the NBA by playing in the G League’s professional pathway program, where he joins first five selection Jalen Green and Isaiah Todd, after originally signing with UCLA. As a junior, Nix averaged 19.9 ppg, 6.2 rpg and 5.1 apg for a team that won its second consecutive NCSAA D1 title. Nix is considered by some recruiting experts as the top point guard prospect in the 2020 class, and in 42 games as a senior he showed why, averaging 32 ppg, 10 rpg, 10 apg, 4 spg and 2 bpg while earning McDonald’s All-American acclaim.
G — Cameron Thomas, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 6-3 Sr.
Long-time head coach Steve Smith has mentored 33 McDonald’s All-Americans at the famous Southwest Virginia boarding school and was a bit perplexed this sweet-shooting guard was not No. 34. After all, Thomas leaves the storied program as its all-time leading scorer and had a spectacular senior season. Thomas scored 1,258 points, just shy of the single-season school record of 1,312 points held by 2008 Mr. Basketball USA Brandon Jennings. He averaged 31.4 ppg for a 37-3 team that finished No. 9 in the FAB 50. Thomas also displayed improved shot selection as a senior and combined that with a terrific all-around offensive game (6.0 rpg, 3.4 apg) while finishing second on the team with 91 steals. He was also named MVP at the Iolani Classic and Bass Pro TOC and joins a terrific recruiting class at LSU.
G — Terrence Clarke, Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N. H.) 6-6 Sr.
A big scoring guard with elite skill, Clarke played for a program that includes post-graduates, but he’s eligible for Elite All-American honors as a player still within his eighth semester of high school. Clarke actually re-classified from the 2021 class and is talented enough to be named a McDonald’s All-American and to the Jordan Brand Classic. He parlayed a quality summer into stellar performances for a team that has long been a NEPSAC power. Brewster Academy finished its season 34-3 and was named National Prep co-Champions with Putnam Science Academy (Conn.) after their March 12 championship game was canceled due to COVID-19. On a team with a plethora of D1-bound players, Clark scored a team-leading 16.8 ppg. The Kentucky recruit shot 51 percent from the field, 61 percent from 2-point range, 32 percent from 3-point range, and 72 percent from the free throw line to go along with 5.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game.
F — Patrick Baldwin Jr., Hamilton (Sussex, Wis.) 6-8 Jr.
Already named our National Junior Player of the Year, Baldwin is one of three underclassmen to make the elite team, joining first five selection Emoni Bates and fourth five selection Moussa Cisse. Terrence Clark and a handful of other elites have re-classified or are thinking about re-classifying, so there is still plenty to be decided at the top of the 2021 class. Based on the first three years of high school for the class, Baldwin rates as one of the early contenders for 2021 Mr. Basketball USA with his elite skill and vast accomplishments, including National Sophomore of the Year honors in 2018-19. A three-time all-state selection with a season to go, Baldwin was named Gatorade State Player of the Year after leading his team to a 22-3 mark and into the sectional finals before COVID-19 cut Hamilton’s season short. For the season, Baldwin averaged 24.3 ppg, 10.8 rpg, 4.2 apg, and 1.7 bpg. The son of UW-Milwaukee coach Patrick Baldwin, it will be interesting to see where Baldwin Jr. lands in 2021-22 because he can play for any school in the country and he’s talented and mature enough to play pro basketball.
C — Hunter Dickinson, DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) 7-0 Sr.
A dominant post presence, Dickinson improved his game each of his four seasons in the storied Stags program and saved his best for last. He has good shooting touch, passes out of double teams well and developed into a rim protector while leading DeMatha Catholic to the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference tourney title. The Stags finished with a 30-3 mark and No. 4 FAB 50 ranking and some key wins, including a victory over first five selection Evan Mobley and Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.) behind Dickinson’s 28-point, six-rebound, three-block performance. A three-time all-WCAC choice, Dickinson averaged 17.7 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 3.8 apg and 2.1 bpg as a senior and was named WCAC Player of the Year. A Michigan recruit, Dickinson was also named Washington Post All-Met Player of the Year, Maryland Gatorade State Player of the Year and was selected to play in the Jordan Brand Classic.
Fourth Five
G — Jaden Springer, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) 6-4 Sr.
The Ascenders opened up as preseason FAB 50 No. 1, but injuries and player defections kept them from reaching their full potential. The play of Springer helped them remain at a national level and they were the only club to play competitively with eventual FAB 50 No. 1 Montverde Academy, which started No. 2 in the rankings. Springer put up even better overall marks than his junior averages (18.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 3.5 apg) although he too missed some games due to injury and played through others with an ankle sprain. He led IMG Academy to a 19-6 mark (three losses to MVA) and No. 5 FAB 50 ranking by averaging 17.4 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 5.1 apg while shooting 52 percent from the field and 81 percent from the floor. The Tennessee recruit averaged 21.3 ppg in three 2019 GEICO Nationals victories which clinched the Ascenders’ FAB 50 title. They were invited once again to the event, but were unable to defend their title because of COVID-19 concerns.
G — Reece Beekman, Scotlandville (Baton, Rouge, La.) 6-2 Sr.
Simply put, Beekman is one of the best all-around players in the county and Scotlandville went 126-11 during his four-year career. Beekman’s production impacts winning, as Scotlandville won four consecutive state crowns with this Virginia recruit in the lineup. In fact, the Hornets were one of the last teams to play this year after the COVID-19 outbreak, as it finished its season on March 14 by defeating then FAB 50 No. 50 St. Augustine (New Orleans), 66-39, behind Beekman’s 16 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists. Over the last two years, triple-doubles were the norm for Beekman as he followed up a junior season where he 21.9 ppg, 10.2 rpg, 10.2 apg, 3.6 spg, and 2.6 bpg with averages of 10.0 rpg, 9.2 rpg, 2.1 spg and 2.6 bpg for a team that went 34-3 and finished No. 29 in the FAB 50. He finished his career with averages of 16.1 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 6.8 apg, 2.6 spg and 1.7 bpg.
F — Samson Ruzhentsev, Hamilton Heights Christian Academy (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 6-7 Sr.
As we mentioned in the preseason rankings where HHCA opened up at No. 19, Ruzhentsev could turn into a household name if he had a big senior campaign and that’s exactly what happened. It almost had to happen at another program, as a small enrollment nearly forced HHCA to shut down at the end of the 2018-19 school year. After averaging 17.4 ppg and 4.6 rpg as a junior, this athletic and explosive Russian wing went for 19.2 ppg and 6.3 rpg for a 28-3 club that finished No. 6 in the FAB 50, including a win over No. 3 Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.). In that game, HHCA rallied from a 15-point deficit to win 61-59, as Ruzhentsev hit the game-winning free throws and finished with a game-high 19 points. “Samson has grown tremendously over the past three years at Hamilton Heights, mainly because of his focus and willingness to work,” HHCA coach Zach Farrell said. “He absolutely loves being in the gym and getting better.”
F — Carlos “Scooby” Johnson, Benton Harbor (Mich.) 6-5 Sr.
Although first five selection Emoni Bates earned national accolades, it was “Scooby” who was named Michigan Mr. Basketball. The powerful and athletic Johnson has enough skill to do damage on the perimeter as a small forward and can overpower high school defenses inside as a power forward with his NBA-type body. He led Benton Harbor to a 20-2 record while averaging 25 ppg, 11 rpg, 6 apg 3 spg and 3 bpg. Johnson led Benton Harbor to a Class B state crown as a sophomore and was a three-time Detroit News Dream Team honoree.
C — Mousa Cissé, Lausanne Collegiate (Memphis, Tenn.) 6-10 Jr.
We always strive to place true post players on the Elite All-American team and the talented Cisse is the next in line after a spectacular junior season. He played for two seasons at Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.) before relocating to Memphis and leading the Lynx to the TSSAA Division II Class A state crown. In the 54-44 title game victory over First Assembly Christian School of Cordova, the talented power forward prospect with a penchant for blocking shots was named tourney MVP after scoring 15 points, 10 rebounds and swatting nine shots. For the season, Cisse averaged 23.2 ppg, 14.2 rpg and 8.7 bpg. There was plenty of speculation Cisse would re-classify to the 2020 class, but his high school coach recently stated that is unlikely.
2019-20 All-American Second Team
G — Adrian “Ace” Baldwin, St. Frances (Baltimore, Md.) 5-11 Sr.
F — Jaemyn Brakefield, Huntington Prep (Huntington, W.V.) 6-8 Sr.
G — Josh Christopher, Mayfair (Lakewood, Calif.) 6-4 Sr.
G — Dominque Clifford, The Vanguard School (Colorado Springs, Colo.) 6-5 Sr.
F — Henry Coleman, Trinity Episcopal (Richmond, Va.) 6-9 Sr.
G — Jalen Cook, Landry Walker (New Orleans, La.) 6-0 Sr.
G — Andre Curbelo, Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head N. Y.) 6-0 Sr.
F — Johnny Davis, Central (La Crosse, Wis.) 6-5 Sr.
F — Jyare Davis, Sanford School (Hockessin, Del.) 6-7 Sr.
G — R.J. Davis, Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.) 6-1 Sr.
C — Dawson Garcia, Prior Lake (Minn.) 6-11 Sr.
F — Sam Hines, Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.) 6-5 Sr.
C — Walker Kessler, Woodward Academy (College Park, Ga.) 7-0 Sr.
G — Anthony Leal, Bloomington South (Bloomington, Ind.) 6-5 Sr.
F — Justin Lewis, Poly (Baltimore, Md.) 6-8 Sr.
G — Caleb Love, Christian Brothers (St. Louis, Mo.) 6-3 Sr.
G — Selton Miguel, West Oaks Academy (Orlando, Fla.) 6-5 Sr.
F — Adam Miller, Morgan Park (Chicago, Ill.) 6-4 Sr.
G — Ethan Morton, Butler Area (Butler, Pa.) 6-5 Sr.
F — Micah Peavy, Duncanville (Duncanville, Texas) 6-7 Sr.
G — Jeremy Roach, Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) 6-2 Sr.
C — Day’Ron Sharpe, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-9 Sr.
G — D.J. Steward, Whitney Young (Chicago, Ill.) 6-4 Sr.
G — Myles Tate, Dorman (Roebuck, S.C.) 6-0 Sr.
G — Bryce Thompson, Booker T. Washington (Tulsa, Okla.) 6-5 Sr.
F — Earl Timberlake, DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) 6-5 Sr.
F — Lance Ware, Camden (N.J.) 6-9 Sr.
G — C.J. Wilcher, Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.) 6-5 Sr.
F — Terrence Williams, Gonzaga (Washington, D. C.) 6-6 Sr.
F — Ziaire Williams, Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) 6-8 Sr.
Note: 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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]]>Don't look for Jalen Green of Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) to be traveling the country with an NBA G League as most players do with the hopes of an NBA call-up as result of his recent decision to bypass college for a season and join the NBA's G League development program.
Green instead will be suiting up for a developmental team outside of the traditional G League contracts. The new developmental team will play exhibition games against some G League teams and against other barnstorming-type pro teams. A few other elite 2020 prospects may also sign contracts and join the new developmental team such as 2020 McDonald's All-American Isaiah Todd of Word of God (Raleigh, N.C.) and Makur Maker, who previously prepped at Orange Lutheran (Calif.)
Green, who attended San Joaquin Memorial (Fresno, Calif.) for three seasons and became the school's all-time leading scorer after spending his senior year at non-CIF program Prolific Prep, will be getting paid much more than the $125,000 the G-League announced it would offer elite high school prospects back in 2018. No figure was officially announced in Green's deal, but it could be worth closer to $500,000 for the 2020-21 season before he joins the pool of the 2021 NBA Draft. With his charisma/looks and elite athleticism, Green is also a good candidate to land some endorsement deals.
The G-League developmental team concept is the brainchild of G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim (the former Cal Pac-12 Player of the Year) and Rod Strickland, the former NBA guard who is in charge of the NBA G League's pro path for high school prospects, and it's been in the works for over a year with the backing of the NBA commissioner's office. Green is being represented by Aaron Goodwin, the Oakland-based agent who helped broker LeBron James' initial deal with Nike out of high school in 2003 and other deals in the early stages of James' NBA career. Green played his travel ball in the Nike-fronted EYBL for Team Why Not.
"We're thrilled to welcome a player and a person of Jalen's caliber to the NBA G League," said Abdur-Rahim in the G-League's official press release. "He represents the next generation of NBA players, and we couldn't be more excited to have him develop his professional skills in our league. Jalen will learn from an NBA-caliber coaching and player development staff as he begins his professional basketball journey in the NBA G League."
Green just finished third in the voting for the prestigious Mr. Basketball USA National Player of the Year honor. Finishing ahead of him in voting by the Mr. Basketball USA Tracker panel were Oklahoma St-bound Cade Cunningham of FAB 50 No. 1 Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) and USC-bound Evan Mobley of Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.). Cunningham, Mobley and Green were the only three of 21 national player of the year candidates to appear on all 10 ballots.
Green broke the Prolific Prep single-season scoring mark with 1,008 points (he missed two games) and combining his three seasons at San Joaquin Memorial, amassed 3,299 career points. For the 2019-20 season, he averaged 31.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg and 5 apg and for the first time Prolific Prep was invited to GEICO Nationals, but the event was canceled (as many sporting events in March and April were) over COVID-19 concerns.
Green is the first player announced to participate in the NBA G League professional pathway program but won't be the last. The new format also calls for the incoming player to not be part of the regular G League. This was done to ease some concerns about young players playing a full season against older pro players and counter the desire for elite American high school prospects to play their one season between high school and the NBA overseas in a league such as the National Basketball League of Australia, which is where LaMelo Ball played this past season and expected to be a high choice in the 2020 NBA Draft.
If and when the NBA and its players association reaches a new bargaining agreement allowing elite high school players such as Green (and back to the years when Kevin Garnett started the 10-year trend in 1995) to skip college and go directly to the NBA, deciding what to do for that one season in-between will remain a very fluid situation.
Social media chatter has been heavy about Green's pro move and its impact on NCAA basketball, but this G League option will only be available to the top elite prospects that have legitimate credentials to be high NBA lottery picks. The college recruiting process and accepting a valuable college scholarship will still be the best option for a vast majority of players good enough to play after high school. What it could mean, however, for NCAA basketball going forward is it will need to include language in its scholarship agreements where student-athletes have much more control over their names, image and likeness in order for recruits of Green's caliber to accept a college scholarship offer.
Since the end of the prep-to-pro era in 2006, a majority of the elite high school tenet has spent one year in college, with a few exceptions such as Ball, RJ Hampton and Brandon Jennings. While NCAA basketball's level of play has gradually suffered since Garnett made the prep-to-pro leap in 1995, the business of college basketball has not and make no mistake, it is a business. Garnett and players such as James and the late Kobe Bryant not playing a second of college ball hasn't stopped the lucrative television contracts, college coaches being handsomely paid or fans being glued to the television in March watching their favorite team participate in the popular-as-ever NCAA tournament, which didn't take place this season because of COVID-19.
The G-League developmental team reportedly will operate out of Southern California, with the Mamba Facility in Thousand Oaks mentioned as one of the possible places were the team could train and practice.
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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]]>Episode 62 is features a great debate that few hoop heads will ever agree upon: Which high school basketball team is the greatest of all time?
This ITP Show idea was sparked from a piece co-host Ronnie Flores wrote earlier in the week outlining four teams that are in the mix for that prestigious, yet unclaimed crown. Click the link below to listen to the full podcast and continue reading for a brief overview on why these are the four high school teams up for the debate.
There are two recent teams in consideration: 2015-16 Chino Hills, which went 35-0 while playing a loaded national schedule. What stands out most about that Huskies' team is that they accomplished those feats as a public school playing with mainly neighborhood players. Chino Hills were paced that season by current New Orleans Pelicans point guard Lonzo Ball and his brothers, LaMelo and LiAngelo. Seven Chino Hills players went on to play Division 1 college basketball and four are primed to play in the NBA.
The 2019-20 Montverde Academy is the most recent team with a legitimate claim to be the best high school team ever. The Eagles went 25-0, winning their games by a staggering average margin of 38.9 points. MVA had its season cut short due to the Coronavirus pandemic and weren't able to challenge for its fifth GEICO title. It's still to be determined how many Montverde players will make it to the NBA, but coach Kevin Boyle estimates that 12 players from this year's roster will earn Division 1 scholarships.
The other two teams come from earlier in high school hoops history, starting with the famed 82-83 Dunbar team out of Baltimore. The Poets went 31-0 that season and sent 11 of their 13 rostered players to the Division 1 level. NBA players from that squad consisted of Reggie Lewis, Reggie Williams and Tyrone "Mugsy" Bogues. Dunbar played a national schedule in a time period where it was rare for programs to make multiple out-of-state trips to play the upper-echelon competition.
Finally, the 1992-93 Oak Hill Academy team rounds' out the debate. Long-time NBA players Jerry Stackhouse and Jeff McInnis highlighted that 36-0 team which beat six college programs, in addition to 30 high school teams, in its 36-0 campaign. Nine players off of that Warriors team went on to play Division 1 hoops with four making it to the NBA.
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]]>The final, expanded 2019-20 Mr. Basketball USA ballots are in and after they are tallied, there is a clear-cut top candidate. Oklahoma State-bound point guard Cade Cunningham of FAB 50 national champion Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) out paces preseason top vote-getter Evan Mobley of Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.) with 95 overall points out of 100.
Talent, on-court production and winning have always been tried and true factors in determining elite high school basketball individual accolades that truly take high school achievement as the No. 1 consideration.
Using those three factors in this year's race for national player of the year is clearly reflected in the results of the final 2019-20 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker powered by www.ebooksnet.com.
Cade Cunningham, a 6-foot-7 point guard, led Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) to a perfect 25-0 season and No. 1 FAB 50 finish as the leader of one of the most talent-laden rosters of all-time. Without the benefit of GEICO Nationals or the national all-star game circuit because of the COVID-19 Pandemic, what occurred during the high school season became more prevalent and that's where Cunningham separated himself from the pack.
The Oklahoma St-bound big point guard led a team that beat 12 FAB 50 ranked opponents and have an average victory margin on 38.9 points per game. On a team with 12 sure-fire D1 players, three Nike Hoop Summit honorees (first time that has ever happened), three McDonald's All-American selections (the second time that has ever happened) and potentially two first five All-Americans, Cunningham led the way. His unselfish offensive play led the way, as Montverde Academy coach Kevin Boyle had seven players averaging 8.3 ppg or more led by Cunningham’s 13.9. He also averaged 4.2 rpg and a team-high 6.4 apg for the best team in program history, one that captured its fifth mythical national title in the last eight seasons.
Cunningham out-distanced preseason leading vote-getter Evan Mobley of Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.), 95 points to 81, the latter which was four points (77) more than third-place Jalen Green of Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.). Cunningham, a native of Texas, received seven of the 10 first place votes with Mobley nabbing two and Green one.
Cunningham, Mobley and Green were the only three out of 21 national player of the year candidates to garner at least a vote on all 10 ballots of the Mr. Basketball USA Tracker panel. Mobley collected three second-place votes and Green four. The main difference in their point total was a seventh-place finish for Green on one ballot.
"Cade was a great player and leader and reminds me of a combination of Jason Kidd and Oscar Robertson," said Boyle said. "He is truly deserving of this prestigious award."
"Cade Cunningham is a team first player and a great player," said tracker panelist and McDonald's All-Amerian voter Clark Francis of the Hoop Scoop. "He led the City of Palms in assists and (Kevin) Boyle has compared him to Oscar Robertson. He's the reason Montverde Academy is the team to come down the pike perhaps ever."
Mobley, the preseason top vote-getter with 95 points, including six first-place votes, averaged 19 ppg, 12 rpg, 4 apg, 4 bpg and led his team in all four of those statistical categories, but Rancho Christian went 22-8 and didn't lead his team to the national-level victories that perhaps the panel wanted to see him do in order to retain his position at the top. Cunningham was able to gain five points from the preseason and take over the top spot despite only modest statistics because the panel rewarded him for his team's play.
Green was likely the one candidate hurt the most from the COVID-19 pandemic as he could have used the big national stage that GEICO Nationals normally provides to enhance his candidacy. Prolific Prep was scheduled to open the eight-team event with FAB 50 No. 1 Montverde Academy. On Thursday, Green announced he would forgo a collegiate career to turn professional and join the NBA G League, where he will play on a select team that could potentially include other elite 2020 prospects.
Coming in fourth in the balloting was sophomore forward Emoni Bates of Lincoln (Ypsilanti, Mich.) with 48 points and coming in fifth place was Cunningham's teammate, jack-of-all-trades forward Scottie Barnes, with 34 points. Bates and Barnes with the only two candidates to appear on eight ballots, with Bates getting one third place vote and Barnes two fourth-place votes.
Earlier this week, Bates became the first sophomore ever to earn the Gatorade National Player of the Year award. Will he become the first sophomore since LeBron James in 2001 named to the first five on the Elite All-American Team?
"I think Jalen Green is No. 2," Francis said. "He transitioned himself from a great athlete into a good basketball player. He's no longer a feast or famine type of guy. He brings it every night and now because of that he belongs in the elite group with Cunningham and Mobley.
"Mobley is the perfect example of how things can change in basketball. He still might be the guy with the best potential, but right now he deserves to be No. 3, but don't write him off yet. Right now, Bates might be No. 1 based on potential and upside, but hasn't earned a Top 3 spot yet. Nobody else has put themselves in that elite group. The rest of the group are not guys to get overly excited about."
In light of the COVID-19 Pandemic, were grateful 21 candidates earned recognition as a national player of the year candidate in the final, expanded tracker. Actually were excited and grateful they were able to play enough games to even conduct final balloting despite not being able to incorporate all the elements that usually are part of the Mr. Basketball USA selection process (regular season, post-season, GIECO Nationals, all-star events).
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. Preseason tracker results are also listed ("Prev.").
| Rank | Prev. | Name | High School | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Cade Cunningham (10) | Montverde Academy (FL) | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 95 |
| 2 | 1 | Evan Mobley (10) | Rancho Christian (CA) | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 81 |
| 3 | 3 | Jalen Green (10) | Prolific Prep (CA) | 1 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 77 |
| 4 | 6T | Emoni Bates (8) | Lincoln (MI) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 48 |
| 5 | 13 | Scottie Barnes (8) | Montverde Academy (FL) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 34 |
| 6 | 9 | Jalen Suggs (6) | Minnehaha Academy (MN) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 32 |
| 7T | 4 | Terrence Clark (7) | Brewster Academy (NH) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 28 |
| 7T | 5 | Sharife Cooper (7) | McEachern (GA) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 28 |
| 9 | NR | B.J. Boston (6) | Sierra Canyon (CA) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| 10T | 17T | Greg Brown (6) | Vandegrift (TX) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 |
| 10T | NR | Cam Thomas (5) | Oak Hill (VA) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 |
| 10T | 11 | Ziaire Williams (3) | Sierra Canyon (CA) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 19 |
| 13 | 10 | Josh Christopher (2) | Mayfair (CA) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 14 | 6T | Jonathan Kuminga (2) | Patrick School (NJ) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 |
| 15T | 15 | Patrick Baldwin (2) | Hamilton (WI) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| 15T | 16 | Day'Ron Sharpe (2) | Montverde Academy (FL) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| 17 | NR | Moussa Cisse (1) | Lousanne College (TN) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 18 | NR | Reece Beekman (1) | Scotlandville (LA) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 19 | NR | Dashien Nix (1) | Trinity International (NV) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 20T | 14 | Chet Holgrem (1) | Minnehaha Academy (MN) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 20T | NR | Deivon Smith (1) | Grayson (GA) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
2019-20 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.
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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]]>
FAB 50 No. 1 Montverde Academy just completed one of the most dominant runs through a high school season. Are the Eagles the greatest team of all-time? We compare and contrast their team and resume to three other all-time great teams. You'll be surprised to see how similar the resumes for these great teams are!
RELATED: Final 2019-20 FAB 50 Rankings | Salute To All-Time FAB 50 No. 1s
Without a question of a doubt, the 2019-20 Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) team is one of the greatest of all-time. What the Eagles accomplished over 25 games this past season has only been matched a few times in the history of the high school game going back to Brown vs. Board of Education in 1954, which ushered in an era of the game where statistics are available to research (they are much harder to do when schools were segregated), end-of-season national honors and awards for elite players emerged, and colleges began recruiting nationwide starting with Wilt Chamberlain that next spring.
Of course, most will argue that high school basketball is much better now than it was even 30 years ago, an to an extent it's true. The competition at the top has never been better and the elite high school game has evolved into something that doesn't resemble what the average high school team looked like 30-40 years ago.
The reality of the situation, however, is that all the elements of modern, elite high school basketball have been in play for much longer than the mixtape generation (2005 to current) realizes. National scouting has been around since the early 1970s, teams with elite players have played in national events since that same time period, national weekly team rankings began in 1975, and widely distributed national player rankings have been available since the 1978-79 season.
Besides, great teams and players stand the test of time. With that in mind, we wanted to break down Montverde Academy's resume to that of three other great teams over the past 40 years, one an independent basketball power and the other two public schools.
GREATEST HIGH SCHOOL TEAMS
ALL-TIME TALE OF THE TAPE
1982-1983 Dunbar (Baltimore, Md.)
Record: 31-0
Ranking: No. 1 (preseason No. 1 by USA Today)
Points For: 2,572/83.0
Points Against: 1,442/46.5
Victory Margin: 1,130/36.5
Starters: PG Tyrone "Mugsy" Bouges 5-3 Sr. (5.8 ppg, 7 apg, 7 spg), SG Keith James 6-5 Sr. (9.4 ppg), SF Reggie Williams 6-7 Sr. (23.4 ppg, 12 rpg, 4 apg, 2 bpg), PF Mike Brown 6-4 Jr. (11.2 ppg), C Tim Dawson 6-7 Sr. (9.2 ppg, 12 rpg, 5 bpg).
Roster: Derrick Lewis 6-3 Jr., Darryl Woods 5-9 Sr., Reggie Lewis 6-7 Sr., Herman Harried 6-7 Jr., Bryan Williams 5-6 Jr., Gerard Marable 6-0 Jr., Reggie McNeil 6-2 So., Eric Green 6-2 Jr., Jerry White 6-2 Sr., David Johnson 6-2 Sr.
Resume: The Poets defeated teams from seven states and captured the Poet-Laker Tip-Off, Beltway/Capital City Classic, King of the Bluegrass Tournament, Johnstown Tournament, and won the MSA Class "A" title. To close the season, coach Bob Wade's team crushed nationally-ranked Flint Hill Prep (Roanoke, Va.), 87-59, and defeated a good Cardinal Gibbons (Baltimore, Md.) team, 82-53, to win the Metro Classic. By the time the Flint Hill Prep game came, few people gave coach Stu Vetter's team a chance to stay close, as opposing coaches felt it was just an honor for their team to be able to compete with a team as talented as Dunbar. The first big win of the season was a 67-55 victory over DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) in which James had 16 points and Williams added 14. They simply crushed the field at the prestigious King of the Bluegrass, defeating Carlisle County (Ky.) 65-48 in the title game as Williams had 21 and Dawson 17. Williams, the Mr. Basketball USA National Player of the Year and a top four national recruit, scored 20 more points 22 times and could have went off even more expect the Poets were comfortably ahead by the third quarter in a vast majority of their games. Only one team gave them any real trouble, as King of New York (with McDonald's All-American Kenny Hutchinson) had Dunbar, including Williams, battling major foul trouble. Reserve Reggie Lewis (5.5 ppg/172 pts) stepped up with nine points and 11 rebounds to be named Johnstown (Pa.) Tournament MVP after Dunbar posted a 57-52 victory, the Poets’ only single-digit win. Similar to '93 Oak Hill and '20 Montverde Academy, only one team stayed within double figures.
Analysis: After the 1982 team finished 27-0 and was ranked No. 2 by Basketball Weekly, the 1983 team went wire-to-wire as No. 1, dominating its foes on a national schedule, very comparable to the best schedules played up to that point. Dunbar’s 1982 team started David Wingate (Georgetown) and Gary Graham (UNLV) along with Dawson, Bouges, and Williams and went 27-0, but the 1983 team clearly played better teams. To give one an idea of just how good '82 Dunbar was, it routed nationally-ranked Camden (N.J.), 84-59, to end that program’s long-standing home winning streak while national No. 1 Calvert Hall (which did not play Dunbar in 1982 or 1983) defeated that same team 67-62 in a come-from-behind win. What separated the two Dunbar teams was incredible depth, with at least 11 players with D1 ability on the '83 team. That was evident in Dunbar’s play when the reserves were in and by its margin of victory, as the Poets never let up against any foe. As some would say about Oak Hill's 1993 team and Montverde Academy's 2020 team, the bench was likely a nationally-ranked team.
1992-1993 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.)
Record: 36-0* (30-0 vs. high school competition)
Ranking: No. 1 (preseason No. 1 by National Prep Poll)
Points For: 3,211/89.2
Points Against: 1,868/51.9
Victory Margin: 1,343/37.3
Starters: PG Jeff McInnis 6-2 Sr. (17.0 ppg, 8.4 apg, school-record 303 assists) SG Jermaine "Sunshine" Smith 6-2 Sr. (12.2 ppg), SF Jerry Stackhouse 6-6 Sr. (25.6 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 4.0 apg), PF Alex Sanders 6-7 Jr. (12.7 ppg), C Makhtar Ndiaye 6-9 Sr. (10.3 rpg, 8.1 bpg).
Roster: Mark Blount 7-0 Soph., Michael Brittain 6-8 Jr., Ronald Williams 6-3 Sr., Vincent Luther 6-4 Sr., Jason Thomas 6-4 Sr., Tavaras Johnson 6-6 Jr.
Resume: The Warriors defeated teams from 11 states, plus the District of Columbia, as they went wire-to-wire as the No. 1 team. People nowadays talk on social media about what would happen if the nation's best FAB 50 teams or all-time great high school teams played colleges. Well, the Warriors did, going 6-0 versus colleges, including a 100-68 win over Roanoke (Va.) College, a 122-76 win over Alice Lloyd College (Ky.) and a 117-68 win over Central Piedmont Community College (N.C.). To be transparent, other great high school teams of yesteryear also beat colleges, such as Wilt Chamberlain's 1955 Overbook (Philadelphia, Pa.) club. Most high school teams were simply overwhelmed by Oak Hill's physicality, size and pressure defense. A 96-8 victory over John Battle (Bristol, Va.) at the Virginia Tip-Off Classic drew national headlines and the Warriors defeated nationally-ranked St. John’s Prospect Hall (Frederick, Md.), 63-49, to win the Iolani Classic. Oak Hill was even more dominant in its second win (91-74) over St. John’s Prospect Hall (another team coached by Vetter) to close the season at the St. James Invitational. The Warriors also captured the prestigious Las Vegas Holiday Prep Classic with a 57-52 victory of Felipe Lopez-led Rice (New York). Ironically, it was the same score that '83 Dunbar won its lone single-digit game by.
Analysis: This was the first of Steve Smith's national title clubs at Oak Hill and is his best overall club. The National Prep Poll (FAB 50 precursor) and the National Sports News Service (the original end-of-season national rankings) both tabbed Oak Hill No. 1 wire-to-wire, while USA Today had the Warriors No. 3 behind Simon Gratz (Philadelphia, Pa.) and King (Chicago, Ill.). Similar to Dunbar's Williams, Stackhouse was the nation's best wing forward (and a top three national player along with Gratz's Rasheed Wallace and guard Randy Livingston of Newman in New Orleans) and put up big scoring outings. The difference was the physicality, as Stackhouse could simply overpower high school players and had the ability to jump passing lanes because of Oak Hill's huge front line. Stackhouse and McInnis were McDonald’s All-Americans, with the clutch Smith joining McInnis in a backcourt that could really pressure the ball or funnel players towards Ndiaye, who blocked a ton of shots without the worry of foul trouble or playing from behind. This team could go big with Blount (who joined Stackhouse, McInnis, and Ndiaye in the NBA), while Sanders and Johnson helped Oak Hill finish ranked No. 1 as seniors in 1993-94.
2015-16 Chino Hills (Chino Hills, Calif.)
Record: 35-0
Ranking: No. 1 (preseason No. 11 in FAB 50)
Points For: 3,447/98.5
Points Against: 2,453/70.1
Victory Margin: 994/28.4
Starters: PG Lonzo Ball 6-6 Sr. (23.9 ppg, 11.3 rpg, 11.5 apg, 5.1 spg), SG LaMelo Ball 5-10 Fr. (16.4 ppg, 3.8 apg), SF LiAngelo Ball 6-5 Jr. (27.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg) PF Eli Scott 6-5 Jr. (15.8 ppg, 8.6 rpg), C Onyeka Okongwu 6-8 Fr. (7.9 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 3.1 bpg).
Roster: Matthew Reed 5-11 So., Andre Ball 6-7 So., Pierce Richards 5-11 Jr., Jayson Mitchell 6-0 Jr., Nic Manor-Hall 6-2 Fr., Cam Shelton 6-0 So., Grant Trueman 6-2 Jr., Adam Vasquez 6-2 Jr., Shane Hopkins 6-9 Sr.
Resume: The Huskies defeated teams from nine states and captured three major holiday tournaments: The BattleZone Tournament, City of Palms Classic and Maxpreps Holiday Classic. Unlike the other three teams, the Huskies had plenty of close calls, but they did know how to close games. Some of those wins included a 91-90 victory over Jefferson (Brooklyn, N.Y.) that Lonzo Ball saved on a terrific defensive play, a 83-82 overtime win over Montverde Academy (Fla.), a 66-60 overtime win over Patrick School (Elizabeth, N.J.) and a 71-67 win over an unbeaten Bishop Montgomery (Torrance, Calif.) team. Three of those wins were at City of Palms and the Bishop Montgomery showdown was one of the most highly-anticipated regular season games in recent California history. Bishop Montgomery came into that game ranked No. 7 in the FAB 50 and Steve Baik's club defeated 11 programs that were FAB 50 ranked at some point, including Bishop Montgomery, No. 38 Foothills Christian and No. 43 High Point Christian more than once. Chino Hills had to move up to the No. 1 spot (it started No. 8 by USA Today and No. 5 by Maxpreps) and was No. 1 after the City of Palms Tournament. The Huskies were a clear preseason No. 1 in California and likely would have started in the seven to Top 10 range of the FAB 50 had it won the CIF D1 state title in 2015, when it went 24-8 on the court and lost in double overtime in the state final after Lonzo Ball fouled out.
Analysis: The Huskies join this conversation for three main reasons. One, the program was a public school and there is misnomer that public schools can't compete at the elite level. Chino Hills is a "neighborhood school" program while Dunbar attracted students from all over Charm City through its magnet program. Second, Chino Hills is a team the video-centric generation of fans can relate to as they make comparisons. Lastly, even though the Huskies didn't start off with the fanfare of the other three clubs in this conversation, it's where you finish and with Okongwu and Melo Ball on their way to the NBA to join Lonzo their greatness continues to cast a shadow as time elapses. Will Scott or Gelo get a NBA crack? After the close calls during the regular season, the Huskies took it up a notch against the toughest post-season competition in California, defeating eight opponents by an average of 29 points in the CIF Southern Section and SoCal Open Division playoffs. Similar to the '83 Dunbar club, late in the season it felt like Chino Hills was a team of destiny and it rolled Bishop Montgomery 84-62 in the SoCal Open title game. With Okongwu and Melo Ball in the lineup, Chino Hills had two 14-year olds and detractors would say that puts them at a big disadvantage against these three other teams. The freshmen duo played fearlessly and beyond their years and Okongwu did a terrific job against older interior post players. It's ironic that Lonzo Ball fouled out in that 2015 state title game because the Huskies starters did a terrific job of not fouling out during the 2015-16, especially Okongwu in the middle as he never fouled out despite having a few close calls with four personals. Baik went with his starters nearly exclusively and the lack of depth was even more noticeable when Andre Ball (the cousin of Zo, Gelo and Melo) was lost to injury during the Maxpreps Holiday Classic. Lonzo Ball did a bit of everything defensively and carried the Huskies on his way to becoming California's all-time assist leader, but the scoring ability of Gelo Ball and the contributions of Scott cannot be overlooked. Chino Hills tied a state record with 18 100-point games and Lonzo Ball was named Mr. Basketball USA while collecting a triple double in 25 of 35 games, a single-season state record that may never be broken.
2019-20 Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.)
Record: 25-0
Ranking: No. 1 (preseason No. 2 by FAB 50)
Points For: 2,173/87.0
Points Against: 1,200/48.0
Victory Margin: 973/38.9
Starters: PG Cade Cunningham 6-7 Sr. (13.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 6.4 apg), SG Moses Moody 6-5 Sr. (10.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg), SF Scottie Barnes 6-8 Sr. (11.6 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 4.6 apg), PF Caleb Houstan 6-7 So. (10.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg), C Day'Ron Sharpe 6-10 sr. (12.1 ppg, 7.3 rpg).
Roster: Dariq Whitehead 6-5 So., Ryan Nembhard 6-1 Jr., Langston Love 6-4 Jr., Zeb Jackson 6-2 Sr., Keegan Harvey 6-11 Sr., Jesse Jones 6-3 Sr., Michael Wu 6-7 Jr.
Resume: The Eagles were preseason No. 2 in the FAB 50 and Maxpreps placed them at No. 1 and, on paper, not much separated Montverde Academy and IMG Academy. The Eagles, however, took their game to another level during the season and just as '83 Dunbar and '93 Oak Hill Academy did, only had one single-digit game. When the Eagles and IMG Academy met in the City of Palms Classic title game, the Ascenders gave Montverde Academy its toughest game of the season, falling 63-55. Montverde Academy defeated IMG Academy twice more, 67-46 and 76-64, while no other team came within 20 points. When Barnes joined the Eagles' roster, it turned a potential juggernaut into a virtual machine, as coach Kevin Boyle's club Eagles defeated 12 FAB 50 ranked clubs (at the time of the matchup), including No. 4 DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) 76-56 in a game that wasn't as close as the score indicates. The Eagles could have potentially faced three more FAB 50 ranked teams had GIECO Nationals not been wiped out by the COVID-19 Pandemic. Would any of those nationally-ranked clubs have been able to Montverde Academy a good game?
Analysis: IMG Academy edged the Eagles for the preseason No. 1 spot by the slimmest of margins, but in the end it didn't matter and Boyle's club provide to be one of the best teams of all-time. GEICO Nationals notwithstanding, Montverde Academy captured its fifth FAB 50 title in the past eight seasons, and fielded its best overall team in that time frame. When talking about the best teams and how they fared at the time, Montverde Academy has as strong a resume as any. The raw numbers clearly illustrate that and the roster provides more evidence. Cunningham, like Ball, Stackhouse, and Williams before him, is a Mr. Basketball USA talent and the Eagles had incredible depth and balance. The other teams were more reliant on one player for scoring (Williams and Stackhouse) or play-making (Ball), but MVA truly could beat teams in many ways, as seven players averaged 8.3 ppg or more led by Cunningham’s 13.9 ppg. How would that approach work against one of the other three teams mentioned here? The evidence suggests the Eagles would have found a way to be successful. What if Montverde Academy found a way to slow Williams, Stackhouse or Ball down? The evidence suggests others would have stepped up. It would have been interesting to see Montverde Academy play upwards of three ranked foes in succession to see if it could have been pushed to its limit. The contrast between Barnes and Bouges is fascinating because they are catalysts of the same fashion despite a huge difference in size. Could Barnes have slowed down Williams? On the other end, who on Montverde's roster could have stayed with Bouges or kept him from disrupting the Eagles' offense? Some opponents, like Camden (N.J.), didn't respect Bouges because of his size, but he made them pay severely for that by completely disrupting their offense. Could Dunbar have kept up with Montverde Academy on the boards? Dawson and Williams were fine on the glass but would have their work cut out for them trying to slow down Sharpe, who gives the Eagles an All-American at three different positions (lead guard, wing, post). Matchup wise, '93 Oak Hill might be the better comparison and the tougher check for Boyle's club. The Warriors had a huge front line and nobody on MVA's team is the physical wing scorer that Stackhouse was. Cunningham and Moody are tough checks, but McInnis and Smith were mentally tough, battle-tested and capable defenders who could put the ball in the hole when necessary. Unlike Chino Hills, there wouldn't be much issue with Oak Hill playing aggressively because of the firepower on the bench. It's easy to point to the Eagles' ranked players (their ninth man is going to Michigan), but at 5-foot-3 Bouges was ranked No. 24 by All-Star Sports. One had to think if the summer circuit and camp atmosphere was in 1982 what it is today, Lewis would have blown up and been a nationally ranked player. Luckily for Jim Calhoun and Northeastern, he didn't blow up. As role players on the '83 Dunbar team, Brown (No. 16), James (No. 40) and Harried (No. 64) were all top 100 players in the Class of 1984. Montverde Academy would seem to have the edge in versatility because Cunningham is as unique a point guard as we've seen on a team with so much talent. Ball is his equal, but he didn't have the horses around him to work with player No. 2 through No. 12. In a four-team bracket, Montverde Academy would have a strong case as the BEST team of the lot. When you talk about how GREAT the teams are, however, you can't take nothing away from Dunbar and Oak Hill. They have the data to back up their receptive cases and the numbers going forward to take their place amongst the all-time great teams. Stackhouse and McInnis were joined in the NBA by two of their teammates, but Ndiaye and Bount enjoyed cups of coffee. That's what makes '83 Dunbar so unique, as Williams, Bouges and Lewis were three of the top 22 picks in the 1987 NBA Draft. When you add in the fact that trio (along with Wingate from the '82 team) developed into long-time NBA players, it secures Dunbar's spot among the all-time great high school teams. A certain aspect of how great this year's Montverde Academy team is will be determined later by how much success individual Eagles' players have at the next levels of the game compared to Dunbar, Oak Hill, Chino Hills and other great undefeated No. 1 ranked teams that produced multiple NBA players.
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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]]>In Episode No. 47 of our In The Paint Show," co-hosts Ronnie Flores and Devin Ugland break down some of the top early-season high school basketball tournaments across the country and which players you can see at those respective events. The guys welcome special guest Glenn Smith, the Tournament Director of the Thanksgiving HoopFest in Dallas (Nov. 29-30), who gives an inside look at how his event went from a small-time local tournament to the big-time in the 11 years since its inception.
Ron and Dev also go hard in the paint on the preseason Mr. Basketball USA Tracker voting for National Player of the Year in high school hoops. Ronnie, the award's curator, opens up on the voting process, including how it all started and who is on the panel. Seven-foot forward Evan Mobley of FAB 50 No. 21 Temecula (Calif.) Rancho Christian is the early front-runner, leading second-leading vote-getter Cade Cunningham of No. 2 Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) by five points, 95-90, in the first preseason poll. Is Jalen Green of Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) too low? Who was snubbed? Who should be higher? Will Mobley be the wire-to-wire winner? Listen in to find out!
The guys close out with a look at the NBA and, in particular, if statistics are still the main barometer we should use when considering the top players in the history of the game. We're currently in the triple-double era of the league, with elite players like LeBron James, James Harden, Luka Doncic and many others turning in eye-popping stat lines each and every night. How much of that is just pure skill and how much can be attributed to the evolution of the game, especially from a defensive standpoint. Ron and Dev go into major detail on that in Episode 47!
To learn more about our hosts, Ronnie Flores and Devin Ugland, and to get more information about what "In The Paint" is all about, check out our intro below!
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]]>RELATED: 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 | Preseason 2018-19 FAB 50 (1-15) | Preseason 2018-19 FAB 50 (16-30) | Preseason 2018-19 FAB 50 (31-50)
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 factors such as team talent level (or lack thereof), injury or ineligibility. While those factors can fluctuate, there are three concrete factors that play a role in each season in the national player of the year race. With the season jumping off, we decided to break down the criteria and give some insight on the selection process. What separates the winner from other strong candidates?
Talent level
This is the most important factor. The winner must possess the skills to make an immediate impact on the college level. Nearly all past winners projected as NBA players, but not all of them start the ascension to player of the year candidate from the same point.
For instance, take the case of 1997 winner Tracy McGrady compared to runner-up Lamar Odom. As an underclassman, McGrady was a non-descript forward at Auburndale (Fla.). He wasn't on anyone's national radar prior to the summer of 1996 when he attended the ABCD Camp before transferring to Mount Zion (Durham, N.C.), whereas Odom was one of the nation's best players since his sophomore year at Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.).
Of the 57 eventual Mr. Basketball USA choices, only two did not go on to log NBA minutes: forward Bill Raftery of St. Cecelia's (Kearney, N.J.) in 1959 and Damon Bailey of North Lawrence (Bedford, Ind.) in 1990.
Team Success
Of course, talented players can't always control the talent level surrounding them, but they can control their effort and help their team win. Leading a FAB 50-ranked team and helping it win a state title is a significant factor. Those teams generally play tough competition, which nowadays means the candidate's team challenged itself against competition from outside its region.
In 2010, Jared Sullinger of Northland (Columbus, Ohio) led the nation's No. 1 ranked team before the Vikings were stunned 71-45 in the Ohio regional playoffs by an unranked team. The other top candidate that season, fellow Ballislife All-Decade selection Harrison Barnes of Ames (Iowa), led his team to a 27-0 record and No. 10 final FAB 50 rating. If Barnes' team would have lost even one game, or if Sullinger's team would have won the state title and finished No. 1 in the country, the Mr. Basketball USA panel might have voted in favor of Sullinger over Barnes.
Many of the 10 experts on the tracker panel weigh this factor nearly as much as individual talent, while others don't penalize individual talent and production should that player's team fall a bit short of its goals.
Head-to-head comparisons
This doesn't happen often, but it's a factor that can't be overlooked. In 2011, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist of St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.) and Austin Rivers of Winter Park (Fla.), played against each other on national television. St. Patrick won 75-66.
Gilchrist scored 21 points and grabbed nine rebounds and had the stronger supporting cast. In the balloting the week following that game, the panel didn't penalize Rivers much, if at all. He did score 38 points to keep his team within striking range.
Gilchrist was the eventual Mr. Basketball USA choice, but what if Rivers had scored 38 points in a Winter Park victory?
State and National Records
Raftery and Bailey never played in the NBA, but they have something else in common: both enjoyed record-breaking prep careers for winning programs.
Raftery scored 827 points in 1959, then a New Jersey single-season state scoring record. Bailey lived up to the tremendous hype that Hoosier Hysteria created around him. Bailey averaged 31.3 points per game as a senior for a state title-winning team in the Indiana single-class tournament. His team finished ranked No. 15 in the National Prep Poll (FAB 50 precursor) and he finished with 3,134 career points, a state record.
It’s not hard for respected 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 on-court performance.
For now, we present some of the eligible candidates who figure to factor in the 2019-20 Mr. Basketball USA race.
The Early Mr. Basketball USA Favorites
(listed alphabetically)
Emoni Bates, Lincoln (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 6-8 Soph.
Why He Could Win: The 6-foot-8 forward with a sweet shooting touch was so impressive in leading Lincoln to the MHSAA D1 state title he was named D1 state player of the year by the Associated Press and Gatorade State Player of the Year as a freshman. Bates led Lincoln to the D1 state crown by scoring 23 points in a 64-62 victory over University of Detroit Jesuit. It’s pretty safe to say Lincoln wouldn’t have been in position to win a state crown without Bates, as he had 31 points and 14 rebounds in a 72-56 state semifinal win over Howell and hit two game-winning post-season shots. For the season, Bates averaged 28.7 points and 10.2 rebounds. Simply put, he's one of the most talented players in the country regardless of class.
Why He Wouldn’t: It could be argued junior Sharife Cooper was the most productive player in the country last season, but he didn't get the recognition from the panel that he likely deserved based on individual numbers and team success. The panel traditionally tends to favor seniors for Mr. Basketball USA honors, unless the player is a generational prospect (LeBron James, Lew Alcindor, etc.). Simply being a sophomore could hurt Bates' candidacy, as no tenth-grader has ever been named national player of the year going back to 1955. James was the last one to even be in the running back in 2001.
Sharife Cooper, McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) 6-0 Sr.
Why He Could Win: He controls the outcome of games as much as any player in the country, and his high school team wins. A leader and clutch shot maker who can get to any spot on the floor, Cooper averaged 28.1 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 8.2 apg and 4.0 spg as a junior and was named MVP of the City of Palms Tournament and the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions as the Indians finished 32-0 and No. 2 in the FAB 50.
Why He Wouldn’t: Cooper earned first five All-American status as a junior after the Indians went unbeaten against one of the best schedules in the country. He was the only underclassman to make the first five, but despite his ultra-impressive season, Cooper was No. 6 in last year's final balloting. McEachern begins at No. 10 in the preseason FAB 50, but if the Indians don't have as much team success, will Cooper be penalized? Will he be judged on this season's merits, or will his senior season be judged by what happened last season? The latter could hurt him.
Cade Cunningham, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-7 Sr.
Why He Could Win: He is the best all-around player on a team that could end up being the nation's best. A recent Oklahoma St. pledge, Cunningham finished tied for No. 12 in last year's final tracker, but had a big-time summer travel season, pushing Evan Mobley for the No. 1 overall prospect tag with his terrific approach to the game as a big guard. Cunningham plays for a team that will get tons of national exposure, he’ll have the ball in his hands and he impacts winning basketball.
Why He Wouldn’t: Cunningham averaged 25.1 ppg, 6.6 rpg and 5.2 apg for the Texas Titans on the EYBL circuit and enters the 2019-20 season with great momentum. On his high school team, his individual numbers have not been so gaudy and for good reason: Montverde Academy has one of the most talented rosters in high school basketball and there is simply no need, as the focus is winning not individual accolades. Last season, Cunningham averaged 11.4 ppg, 5.7 rpg, and 5.5 apg for a team that finished No. 4 in the FAB 50. If he has similar numbers as a senior, will it be enough for the panelists to put him No. 1 on their ballots should Montverde Academy live up to preseason expectations? Another top candidate could have monster individual numbers that could sway the panel.
Jalen Green, Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) 6-4 Sr.
Why He Could Win: Arguably the most explosive guard in the country, Green is productive and plays at the high level necessary to earn national player of the year honors. Green earned Cal-Hi Sports State Sophomore of the Year honors in 2017-18 after averaging 27.9 ppg at San Joaquin Memorial (Fresno, Calif.) and upped his overall production as a junior to 31.1 ppg, 7.8 rpg, and 3.6 apg while shooting 63 percent from the field as the Panthers won their second consecutive CIF Central Section D2 crown. He was named a second team All-American (along with Bates, Cunningham, Jalen Johnson, and Jalen Suggs), but finished only tied for No. 23 in the final balloting. It will be important for him and his team to get off to a hot start.
Why He Wouldn’t: At San Joaquin Memorial last season, he was edged for State Junior Player of the Year honors by Evan Mobley and being in the same state/region, the panel could look at an individual comparison between the two (based more on long-term potential) instead of judging him on his individual merits against the field of candidates. Green is in a similar boat to Johnson in that his role will somewhat change joining an independent program that has a lot more size and depth than the school he played at as an underclassmen. Will the transfer hurt or help his candidacy?
Jalen Johnson, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) 6-8 Sr.
Why He Could Win: IMG Academy begins at No. 1 in the FAB 50 and Johnson could emerge as its top honors candidate. Last season at Nicolet (Glendale, Wis.), Johnson was named The A.P. State Player of the Year and a second team All-American after averaging 19.7 ppg, 11.7 rpg and 5.9 apg for the WIAA D2 state champs. His team finished 27-1 and No. 24 in the FAB 50, and Johnson finished tied for No. 16 in the final 2018-19 balloting. Johnson has the necessary talent and will get the necessary exposure to move up in the balloting.
Why He Wouldn’t: Similar to Cunningham, Johnson plays with plenty of talent around him, as he joins the defending FAB 50 national champions after it graduated three McDonald’s All-American players. The Ascenders are the deepest team in the country, so Johnson won’t always have to be the player to shine or compile gaudy statistics for IMG to win. That could possibly hurt him, or a teammate such as point guard Jaden Springer (the standout in last year's GEICO Nationals run) could emerge as the Ascenders' top candidate. He isn't likely to post the stats he did at Nicolet, as Johnson will have a slightly different role on a team with four players 6-foot-10 or taller.
Evan Mobley, Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.) 7-0 Sr.
Why He Could Win: For a portion of last season, this talented seven-footer was in the thick of the Mr. Basketball USA race alongside honoree Isaiah Stewart and runner-up Cole Anthony. The agile center with great patience and a high skill level averaged 19.2 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 4.7 bpg, and 3.3 apg and bolstered his All-American candidacy with a 13-point, 3-block performance in a win over Memphis East and first five All-American James Wiseman. He's is simply that good of a high school player and will have plenty of opportunity to display his talents against a demanding schedule.
Why He Wouldn’t: Mobley finished No. 3 in the final balloting last year behind Stewart and Anthony, but his candidacy suffered when the Eagles underachieved in sectional and regional play. Rancho Christian finished No. 39 in the FAB 50 at 25-6 and for some panelists that might have been disappointing since team expectations were so high. It would definitely help Mobley's candidacy is the Eagles move up from their preseason No. 21 position and win the CIF Southern Section and/or CIF state open championship.
Jalen Suggs, Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis, Minn.) 6-3 Sr.
Why He Could Win: Suggs is one of the best athletes in the country, as he’s a highly-regarded prep signal-caller in football and was named our national class player of the year as a freshman and sophomore. Suggs averaged 24.2 ppg as a junior playing alongside elite 2021 prospect Chet Holmgren (18.6 ppg) and together they form one of the best 1-2 punches in the country.
Why He Wouldn’t: Even though he's been considered one of the very best players in the 2020 class since his freshman campaign, Suggs wasn’t mentioned as a serious national Junior Player of the Year candidate last season because of the emergence of Mobley and the terrific campaign of Cooper, so he has some ground to make up. Minnehaha Academy begins at No. 14 in the FAB 50 and could challenge for the highest FAB 50 ranking ever for a Minnesota team (No. 11), but Suggs’ candidacy will be heavily dependent on his performance on January 4 versus No. 6 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) because the MSHSL limits travel for its member schools. What is he doesn't have a big game or Minehaha Academy loses big? It could very well be that Holmgren emerges as the team's top honors candidate.
OTHER SENIOR CANDIDATES
FROM STRONG PROGRAMS
F — Jabri Abdir-Rahim, Blair Academy (Blairstown, N.J.) 6-7
G — Adrian “Ace” Baldwin, St. Frances (Baltimore, Md.) 6-0
F — Scottie Barnes, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-8
G — Reece Beekman, Scotlandville (Baton Rouge, La.) 6-2
F — Brandon Boston, Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) 6-6
F — Greg Brown III, Vandegrift (Austin, Texas) 6-8
F — Jaemyn Brakefield, Huntington Prep (Huntington, W.V.) 6-8
G — Josh Christopher, Mayfair (Lakewood, Calif.) 6-4
F — Terrence Clarke, Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.) 6-6
G — Jalen Cook, Landry Walker (New Orleans, La.) 6-0
G — Andre Curbelo, Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head N. Y.) 6-0
G — Jyare Davis, Sanford School (Hockessin, Del.) 6-7
G — R.J. Davis, Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.) 6-1
C — Hunter Dickinson, DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) 7-2
G — Noah Farrakhan, Patrick School (Elizabeth, N.J.) 6-2
F — Cam’Ron Fletcher, Vashon (St. Louis, Mo.) 6-7
F — P.J. Hall, Dorman (Roebuck, S.C.) 6-9
F — Keon Johnson, The Webb School (Bell Buckle, Tenn.) 6-5
G — Caleb Love, Christian Brothers College (St. Louis, Mo.) 6-3
G — Tristan Maxwell, North Mecklenburg (Charlotte, N.C.) 6-3
G — Carson McCorkle, Greensboro Day (Greensboro, N. C.) 6-4
F — Adam Miller, Morgan Park (Chicago, Ill.) 6-4
G — Ethan Morton, Butler Area (Butler, Pa.) 6-5
G — Dashien Nix, Trinity International (Las Vegas, Nev.) 6-4
C — Cliff Omoruyi, Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.) 6-11
F — Micah Peavy, Duncanville (Texas) 6-7
G — Jeremy Roach, Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) 6-2
G — Samson Ruzhentsev, Hamilton Heights (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 6-8
C — Day’Ron Sharpe, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-9
F — Mady Sissoko, Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah) 6-9
G — Deivon Smith, Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) 6-1
G — Jaden Springer, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) 6-3
G — D.J. Steward, Whitney Young (Chicago, Ill.) 6-4
G — Cam Thomas, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 6-3
F — J.T. Thor, Norcross (Norcross, Ga.)
G — Bryce Thompson, Booker T. Washington (Tulsa, Okla.) 6-5
F — Earl Timberlake, DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) 6-6
F — Isaiah Todd, Word of God (Raleigh, N.C.) 6-9
F — Terrence Williams, Gonzaga (Washington, D. C.) 6-6
IMPACT JUNIORS
F — Trey Alexander, Heritage Hall (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 6-4
G — Devin Askew, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) 6-4
F — Patrick Baldwin Jr., Hamilton (Sussex, Wis.) 6-8
C — Nate Bittle, Crater (Central Point, Ore.) 6-11
F — Kendall Brown, Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Air, Kan.) 6-7
G — Kennedy Chandler, Briarcrest Christian (Eads, Tenn.) 6-1
F — Paolo Banchero, O’Dea (Seattle, Wash.) 6-9
F — Max Christie, Rolling Meadows (Rolling Meadows, Ill.) 6-6
G — Zaon Collins, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) 6-1
G — Rashool Diggins, Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.) 6-1
C — Michael Foster Jr., Hillcrest Prep (Phoenix) 6-8
G — Wendell Green Jr., La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.) 5-11
G — Adrian Griffin Jr., Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.) 6-4
G — Jaden Hardy, Coronado (Henderson, Nev.) 6-4
G — Zion Harmon, Marshall County (Benton, Ky.) 5-11
G — Chucky Hepburn, Bellevue West (Bellevue, Neb.) 6-1
C — Chet Holgrem, Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis, Minn.) 7-0
F — Daron Holmes, Millennium (Goodyear, Ariz.) 6-9
F — Harrison Ingram, St. Mark’s (Dallas, Texas) 6-7
F — Will Jeffress, McDowell (Erie, Pa.) 6-6
G — Jackie Johnson, Wichita Southeast (Wichita, Kan.) 5-10
G — Trevor Keels, Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) 6-5
F — Jonathan Kuminga, Patrick School (Elizabeth, N.J.) 6-8
F — Aminu Mohammed, Greenwood Laboratory (Springfield, Mo.) 6-5
F — Trey Patterson, Rutgers Prep (Somerset, N.J.) 6-7
G — Daeshon Ruffin, Callaway (Jackson, Miss.) 5-9
F — Jabari Smith, Sandy Creek (Tyrone, Ga.) 6-8
IMPACT SOPHOMORES
G — Amari Bailey, Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) 6-4
G — Jaden Bradley, Cannon School (Concord, N.C.) 6-2
G — Jameel “Milzy” Brown, Haverford School (Haverford, Pa.) 6-1
G — Zion Cruz, Hudson Catholic (Hudson, N.J.) 6-3
C — Lee Dort, North Dallas Adventist Academy (Dallas, Texas) 6-10
C — Jalen Duren, Roman Catholic (Philadelphia, Pa.) 6-9
G — Bryce Griggs, Fort Bend Hightower (Missouri City, Texas) 6-1
G — Richard "Pop Pop" Isaacs Jr., Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah) 6-1
G — Chris Livingston, Buchtel (Akron, Ohio) 6-5
G — Knasir “Dug” McDaniel, Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) 5-9
G — Aidan Mahaney, Campolindo (Moraga, Calif.) 6-2
F — Tai Manning, Grandview (Mo.) 6-6
F — Mark Mitchell, Bishop Miege (Shawnee Mission, Kan.) 6-6
G — M.J. Rice, Durham Academy (Durham, N.C.) 6-5
F — Perry Smith Jr., Legacy Early College (Greenville, S.C.) 6-8
F — Jarace Walker, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) 6-6
F — Jordan Walsh, Faith Family Academy (Dallas, Texas) 6-6
F — Kijani Wright, Windward (Los Angeles, Calif.) 6-8
*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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]]>In episode No. 25 of our ?In The Paint Show," hosts Ronnie Flores and Devin Ugland go in hard on the 17th Annual Pangos All-American Camp, the three-day event they scouted and evaluated from start to finish last weekend.
Pangos Camp played host to approximately 110 of the nation's best 2020 and 2021 prospects, sprinkled in with some younger talent and was noted for its incredible depth this year. Ron and Dev bring on special guest Dinos Trigonis, the camp's founder and director, to go further in depth on the roster of standouts and provide some background and direction of where the prestigious camp is heading.
Ron and Dev talk their top seven standout performers, top three break out performers and give a quick overview of the camp games. Trigonis goes "In The Paint" on the selection process, the growth of the camp and some of the standouts he evaluated while conducting the camp.
This episode focuses on this specific event and next week we'll preview the upcoming NBPA Top 100 Camp and other summer events the Ballislife team will attend. Stay tuned!
To learn more about our hosts, Ronnie Flores and Devin Ugland, and to get more information about what "In The Paint" is all about, check out our intro below!
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RELATED: Cade Cunningham, Isa Silva Bring HEAT!
Norwalk, Calif. -- It wasn't hard to pick the top standouts at this year's Pangos All-American Camp. The high-end elites, which numbered in the range from seven to a dozen, played well from start to finish and the Cream of the Crop Top 30 Game was no exception.
The most highly-anticipated matchups were the point guard duel between 5-foot-9 Zion Harmon of Bella Vista Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.) and 6-foot-3 Isa Silva of Jesuit (Carmichael, Calif.) and the big guard showdown between Cade Cunningham of Montverde Academy and Scottie Barnes of University School (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.). Harmon didn't disappoint with his long range shooting combined with his usual explosive ball-handling and play-making for teammates. Just as in camp games, Harmon proved to be impossible to keep in front of for defenders, as they simply had to give him room or get blown by. When he was left with space, his deep jumper was on, and he was still able to get in the lane even though no defender dared to press up on him. Harmon finished with 12 points and three assists in his Blue Team's 124-117 victory over the Red Team in the top all-star game.
Silva brings a different set of problems for defenders with his combination of plus size as a play-maker, craftiness, defensive smarts and body size, and ability to make teammates better because they want to play with him. He's not quite as quick or flashy as Harmon, but he also turns the ball over a bit less with equal shooting range. Silva finished the top all-star game with six point and four assists. Silva finished the camp averaging 5.25 apg while Harmon averaged 5.0 apg.
Isael “ Isa “ Silva DROPPIN’ DIMES!! ?? @isilv3 @Compton_Magic @PangosAACamp
? @cazzieballislife (IG) pic.twitter.com/pVq3QDx01X— www.ebooksnet.com (@Ballislife) June 2, 2019
The camp leader is assists was Barnes (5.5 apg), and it's no surprise his team won the Cream of the Crop Top 30 All-Star game, as one of the nation's top senior-to-be players used his swiss army knife skill set to simply will his team to victory. Although he finished the all-star game with three points and four assists, Barnes used his "point-forward" mentality to make an impact on the game by setting the tone with vocal leadership, glass work that led to impactful outlet passes and with impactful defensive plays both inside and on the perimeter. Barnes does need to develop the mechanics of his outside shot, but not only did he lead the camp in assists, he was No. 2 in rebounds (6.5 rpg).
Cunningham's team didn't get the win, but it was the only "L" for the talented Texan all weekend long. Cunningham did his best to keep his Red squad in the game by competing until the very end, and when it was all said and done he finished with one of the game's best stat lines: 11 points, nine rebounds, and four assists. Cunningham performance in the all-star game helped him bag Pangos Camp co-Most Outstanding Player honors along with 7-foot Evan Mobley of Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.). Cunningham becomes the first Texas native to cop MOP honors at Pangos Camp since 2004, when prep-to-pro C.J Miles of Skyline (Dallas) earned top billing.
Unfortunately Mobley did not play in the Cream of the Crop game to nurse an injury, but even if he had and dominated inside, Cunningham was still a deserving honoree. Mobley was the best overall big man in a camp full of talented inside players and has done nothing so far this spring and summer to relinquish the title of nation's top overall 2020 prospect.
If it wasn't Harmon, then the top junior-to-be (2021) performer was 6-foot-6 wing Terrence Clarke of Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.). Clarke has the size, wiggle, and play-making ability to stick at the game's highest level with normal development and used the wide-open setting of this camp to showcase his vast talent. Not only is Clarke a tremendous long-term prospect, his performance in the top all-star game (team-high 16 points, six assists) put him in the conversation for MOP honors. He was right there in terms of performance, despite a few moments of over-handling and forced drives, and was named Red Team Most Valuable Player.
Paulo Banchero, Tari Eason Rise Up
Joining Clarke as Top 30 game MVP was the Blue team's Paolo Banchero, a skilled 6-foot-10 post player from O'Dea (Seattle, Wash.). Banchero led the winning club with 18 points and joins the short list that includes Silva, Clarke, Harmon, and 6-foot-5 Aminu Mohammed of Greenwood Laboratory (Springfield, Mo.), who had nine points, for the title of top 2021 performer at this year's camp. Banchero didn't have big scoring outings in each game playing on a camp team with ball-dominant guards, but he hit some clutch shots, including a 3-pointer to send a camp game into overtime, and let the game come to him instead of forcing action. He's equally effective with his back to the basket or facing up and keeping defenders honest with a pick-and-pop jumper.
Tari Eason, a 6-foot-8 forward who helped Federal Way (Wash.) become a FAB 50 ranked high school team last winter, wasn't one of the first names called when discussing the worthy candidates for the top all-star game. Eason quickly proved he belong, as his active and efficient play led to 17 points and 10 rebounds. Eason was terrific in his camp game on Sunday and didn't try to do anything he wasn't capable of, excelling by rim-running, crashing the glass and being in correct position on both ends of the floor. Other Blue Team standouts that were more of the "no-brainer" variety were 6-foot-6 shooting guard Moses Moody of Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) with 16 points and 10 rebounds and 6-foot-6 combo guard Dalen Terry of Hillcrest Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.), who finished with 12 points, five rebounds and four assists.
Of the more traditional big men, one who stood out for the Red Team was 6-foot-9 Moussa Cisse of Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.) with 12 points and five rebounds. Another 2021 big who made an impact was the Blue Team's Mousa Diabete of DME Academy (Daytona Beach, Fla.) with 12 points and six rebounds. Day'Ron Sharpe, a 6-foot-10 muscle man out of FAB 50 ranked South Central (Winterville, N.C.) also made his presence felt with his no-nonense approach, as he finished with 10 points for the winning Blue club.
Kaluma, Wideman Prove Point
While the likes of Moody, Terry and the obvious half dozen or so top performers were no-brainers, some quality prospects saw their bubble burst. A few players who yours truly felt were the most glaring omissions for the top all-star game were 6-foot-7 forward Arthur Kaluma, a 2021 prospect from Universal Academy (Irving, Texas), and 6-foot-5 Malachi Wideman, a Florida St.-bound wing guard from Riverview (Sarasota, Fla.).
Kaluma uses his body well to create space and score in a variety of ways with efficiency and not alot of flash. Kaluma, who can face and attack from various angles on the floor, finished with 14 points in the Cream of the Crop Top 60 Game. It came as no surprise Wideman played well, too, as he utilizes a strong first step to finish around the basket or create opportunities for others by drawing the defense because of his explosive driving ability. Wideman can use some polish on offense, but there were plenty in the top game who could too who weren't nearly as explosive or gave the consistent effort this talented Floridian did. Wiseman finished with 10 points.
Leading the way in the scoring column in the second all-star game was 6-foot-6 2020 wing MarJon Beauchamp of Rainier Beach (Seattle, Wash.) and 6-foot-1 2021 point guard Rahsool Diggins of Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.). Both players finished the game with 19 points and also played better as the camp wore on after slow starts.
Pangos Camp All-Time MOPs
2019: Cade Cunningham, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-7 G
2019: Evan Mobley, Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.) 7-0 C
2018: Charles Bassey, Aspire Academy (Louisville, Ky.) 6-10 C
2017 (co): Cole Anthony, Archbishop Malloy (Queens, N.Y.) 6-2 PG
2017 (co): Charles Bassey, St. Anthony (San Antonio, Texas) 6-10 C
2016 (co): Trevon Duval, API (Dallas) 6-2 PG
2016 (co): Michael Porter Jr., Father Tolten (Columbia, Mo.) 6-9 SF
2015 (co): Rawle Alkins, Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.) 6-5 SG
2015 (co): Mustapha Heron, Sacred Heart (Waterbury, Conn.) 6-5 SG
2014 (tri): Isaiah Briscoe, Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.) 6-3 PG
2014 (tri): Tyler Dorsey, St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) 6-5 SG
2014 (tri): Stephen Zimmermann, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) 7-0 PF
2013: Stanley Johnson, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) 6-7 SF
2012: Cliff Alexander, Currie (Chicago) 6-9 PF
2011: Shabazz Muhammad, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) 6-6 WF
2010: Myck Kabongo, Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) 6-2 PG
2009: Harrison Barnes, Ames (Ames, Iowa) 6-7 WF
2008: John Wall, Word of God Academy (Raleigh, N.C.) 6-3 PG
2007: Brandon Jennings, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 6-1 PG
2006: James Harden, Artesia (Lakewood, Calif.) 6-5 SG
2005: Jerry-Davon Jefferson, Lynwood (Calif.) 6-8 WF
2004: C.J. Miles, Skyline (Dallas) 6-6 WF
2003: Robert Swift, Bakersfield (Calif.) 7-0 C
Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at [email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter: @RonMFlores
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RELATED: Stars SHOW OUT at '19 Pangos Camp!
The Pangos All-American Camp is the top independent (i.e. non shoe-company sponsored) elite camp on the grassroots circuit. The annual event, now in its 17th year under the direction of Dinos Trigonis, has grown from a camp with a regional feel to one with a solid national outreach with a focus on potential "breakout" performers.
This year's camp has a bit of everything for the basketball aficionados that have descended on Cerritos (Calif.) College, as the nation's No. 1 prospect is in attendance all the way down to the most hyped incoming high school freshman, and plenty in between. In fact, what's in between is tons of talented forwards and big men with size. In fact, of the 110 or so players in attendance, a whopping 58 of them are 6-foot-7 or taller.
That timber is led, of course, by the aforementioned No. 1 prospect, 7-foot Evan Mobley of Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.). Mobley has done nothing to diminish his standing in the national senior class. When he gets the ball in scoring position, it's lights out as the agile and gifted power forward finishes with authority or deft touch, whichever is needed for the particular play. He's also not getting caught up in trying to do too much with the ball, or make plays that don't play to his strengths. He wastes no time in trying to make the correct read and finish the play. It will be interesting to see which big man he matches up with and looks to challenge him in Sunday's Cream of the Crop Top 30 All-Star Game.
The player who likely presents the stiffest challenge to Mobley in terms of camp MOP honors is do-it-all point guard Cade Cunningham of FAB 50 national power Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.). The Texas native, a 6-foot-7 senior-to-be (2020) simply is a play-maker, whether it is setting up teammates with deft hit-ahead passes, making the correct read in the half court, or finishing himself under control. Cunningham is a matchup nightmare because he's simply too strong and fundamental for small guards and too quick and secure with the ball for most forwards. Above all, Cunningham's talent matches his desire to win, and that was never more evident than in a Saturday night camp game when he willed his team to an overtime victory after trailing by seven points (88-81) with just over a minute remaining in the ballgame by virtue of clutch shots and pinpoint passing.
Cunningham was aided in the comeback by 6-foot-6 2020 combo guard Dalen Terry of Hillcrest Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.), who played terrific on-ball defense on 6-foot-8 2021 forward Arthur Kaluma of Universal Academy (Irving, Texas) with the game on the line with 15 seconds remaining. Terry picked up three quarter court, stopped the powerful wing on his drive right and tipped the ball away to prevent a clean shot attempt as the regulation buzzer went off. Terry is one of the better on-ball defenders in camp with instincts from the ball around the rim. He's averaging 12.3 ppg and 3.7 rpg while consistently looking for the open man on a team that is unbeaten so far.
Isa Silva, Zion Harmon Lead Point Guard Pack
While some may label Cunningham as a big guard who can make plays, there is no questioning what 6-foot-3 2021 prospect Isa Silva of Jesuit (Carmichael, Calif.) is. He's as pure of a true point guard as you'll find in camp, and has all the ingredients a college looks for in a high-major lead guard. For the second consecutive season, the Pangos All-American Camp is NBA certified, meaning scouts from its 30 teams can be in attendance to evaluate, and we're pretty sure some would say Silva has as good a feel for the game as the guards on their respective roster. Silva simply has an innate feel for where all other nine players are on the court and where his teammates will be a step ahead of where they are. He also has quality size and a solid frame to fight over screens and develop into a good defender and shoots the deep ball well enough to keep elite defenders honest. Simply, put it's hard to find a hole in his game.
Zion Harmon is TOO SAUCEY!!! Straight dancin' out there @zion_harmon @PangosAACamp pic.twitter.com/lrgSuOvVQs
— www.ebooksnet.com (@Ballislife) June 1, 2019
After competing in the NFHS-approved Section 7 June team camp in Phoenix with Jesuit, Silva will participate in the Basketball Without Borders event representing Mexico.
Just as it is hard to find a hole in Silva's game, it's hard to find a hole or opening on the court that 5-foot-10 2021 prospect Zion Harmon of Bella Vista Prep (Ariz.) via of Marshall County (Benton, Ky.) can't exploit. Harmon has a low-to-the-ground handle and combines it with ground-covering ability and complete confidence in his ball-handing ability to create the most dynamic and show-stopping guard in attendance. Other guards at this camp simply can't stay in front of this well-traveled dynamo, who knows how good he is with the ball and knows when and where to take advantage of his deft ball-handling ability.
Harmon is terrific in pick-in-roll situations, especially with the bounce pass or whip pass through and around defensive traffic, and also has his deep range jump shot working at Pangos. Harmon changes direction under control as well as any guard we've seen in recent memory and is fundamental enough that the occasional spectacular or low-risk play a coach has to live with. Harmon is not listed as one of the assist leaders in camp, but trust us when we say he's thrown more than his fair share of "dimes", both of the hit ahead and spectacular variety.
According to the statistics provided, 6-foot-8 Scottie Barnes of University School (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) leads the camp with 5.7 apg with Silva right behind him at 5.0 apg. Barnes is the second-leading rebounder with 7.0 rpg while leading the pack at 7.3 rpg is 6-foot-10 Mousa Diabate of DME Academy (Daytona Beach, Fla.).
Aminu Mohammed Leads Pangos Camp Breakout Performers
Mohammed of Greenwood Laboratory (Springfield, MO) made his presence felt from the opening tip-off Friday night, using his elite burst in transition and freakish leaping ability to get to the rim and finish through or over contact at-will. The 6-foot-5 wing leads the entire camp in scoring at 28.7 points per game. Mohammed brings a no-nonsense type of approach to the floor, which is quite welcomed in a setting like this, and his impact on the defensive end has led to a number of easy transition opportunities for his squad. He doesn't try to make the flashy play and instead makes the simple one to put his team in the best position to win games. Six-foot-7 2021 prospect Terrence Clarke of Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.) No. 2 at 25.0 ppg and 6-foot-6 2020 Jaylen Clark of Etiwanda (Calif.) next at 23.0 ppg.
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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]]>The 2017 Pangos All-South Frosh/Soph Camp concluded with the most competitive Cream of the Crop All-Star Game we can recall in the 17-year history of the event. The reason it was so competitive? It was Texas vs. every other of the 12 states represented and in the end, the U.S. team pulled out a close win where everybody benefitted from how hard the two teams played.
RELATED: The Highlight Show at Pangos Camp Day 1!
The Pangos Frosh/Soph Camps are designed to showcase the individual skill level of the campers in attendance. The four camps held across the country each fall designed for many of the nation’s top sophomore and freshman players are offensive-oriented and perimeter players tend to dominate the action. You often won’t find a ton of post entry passes or extensive offensive sets. The goal of showcasing individual talent sometimes leads to all-star games that only reinforce what was already learned over the course of the weekend.
The ending of this year’s Pangos All-South Frosh/Soph Camp was completely different. The Cream of the Crop All-Star game designed for the camp’s top 30 players as selected by event director Dinos Trigonis and respected national scouts in attendance turned out to be the most competitive game of the event. In fact, it was likely the most competitive Cream of the Crop All-Star game in the history of Pangos’ grassroots events and the nature of the game was the difference maker in many of the key evaluations of the camp's elite players much more than usually is the case.
When the teams were selected, it just so happen there were 15 players selected from Texas high school programs and 15 out of staters. It was quickly decided to pit the Texas players vs. those from outside the Lone Star State and it led to an ultra-competitive game that gave the fans at The Mac Athletic complex in Lewisville, Texas more than their money’s worth.
The Lone Star State team was much bigger and physical in nature and the game was definitely a physical affair. The United States team was smaller, but had the quicker and more skilled group of guards. At the beginning of the game, it looked like the Texans would just be too dominant inside and on the boards for the U.S. team to keep up with, as it jumped out to a 17-9 lead. A line shift, however, ignited a 30-18 U.S. run, as the visitors led 39-35 at halftime and rolled to a 81-74 game that was close to the very end.
The game went back and forth in the second half with both teams holding the lead and matters weren’t decided until 6-foot-4 sophomore (2020) Caleb London of Conway (Ark.) hit a baseline jumper to give the U.S. team a 73-64 lead with 1:45 remaining. With 1:15 remaining, the game clock was reset to 2:00 minutes and the game went to a one-and-one foul situation to keep it interesting. That case of home-cooking, however, didn’t deter the U.S. team to the delight of their raucous cheering section.
Leading the charge in the backcourt for the victorious U.S. team was creative 6-foot-1 sophomore point guard Gerald Doakes of North Little Rock (Ark.) and 6-foot-1 sophomore lead guard Chanse Robinson of Lincoln Prep (Ruston, La.). The complexion of the game changed when that duo had the ball in their hands. The Texas team simply couldn’t keep Doakes in front, as he consistently got in the lane and finished plays by scoring or dishing off for easy buckets. Doakes simply was the fastest and quickest player with the ball in his hands and was one of the few guards in attendance whose ability to break down defenders didn’t curtail in half court situations.
Doakes was named game MVP after finishing with 18 points, five rebounds and four assists. Robinson, who hit a timely 3-pointer to help the U.S. team regain its lead and some clutch baskets down the stretch, finished with 10 points and three rebounds.
Although his team didn’t win the game, the most impressive overall individual player in the Texas vs. Everyone affair was 6-foot-8 sophomore forward Greg Brown of Vandergrift (Austin, Texas). He dominated action early by blocking three shots and kept his team in the game with his big-time scoring ability and zest on the boards. As he did in camp games, Brown scored on a variety of spectacular power dunks and acrobatic moves around the basket. He finished with game-highs of 16 points and 13 rebounds, in addition to the highlight blocks.
Cade Cunningham, a 6-foot-6 do-it-all dynamo from Bowie (Arlington, Texas) also concluded his camp in spectacular fashion. The sophomore wing was relentless in his offensive attack, whether it was pull-up jumpers, long-range bombs or getting to the front of the rim under control. Cunningham has just the right blend of coordination, strength and athleticism to give even the toughest defender total fits. He finished the Cream of the Crop affair with 12 points, five rebounds and three spectacular assists.
Even though the Texas Team had the most impressive performer and arguably the best overall player in camp, the U.S. team played spectacular enough on the defensive end with their intensity, pressing and trapping to record the victory. Among those who contributed heavily on the defensive end and gave the Texans fits with their quickness included 6-foot sophomore Khalen Robinson of Bryant (Ark.), 6-foot-3 sophomore Matthew Murrell of Whitehaven (Memphis, Tenn.), 6-foot-6 sophomore Chris Moore of West Memphis (Ark.), and 6-foot-5 Moses Moody of North Little Rock (Ark.). Robinson finished with two steals, Murrell also was credited with two steals, Moore had seven points and three rebounds and Moody made a difference with relentless ball pressure in crunch time.
Each team actually had one player who technically should have played for the opposite team, but they didn’t want to join forces with whom they considered the enemy in this intense contest. Sekou Kalle, a 6-foot-10 freshman (2021) from Apsire Academy (Louisville, Ky.), is a San Antonio, Texas product. He played for the Texas team and even though he didn’t play his best in the all-star affair, he still finished with four points and four rebounds. He was one of the best long-term prospects in attendance.
Donald Ghostone, a 6-foot-7 sophomore forward at Grand Prairie (Texas), hit two big 3-pointers for the U.S. team. The Arkansas native recently relocated to the Lone Star State and was adamant about playing with his comrades from the Razorback State.
Other Pangos Standouts
The Cream of the Crop Top 60 Game wasn’t a matchup based on geographical boundaries and wasn’t quite as competitive. As one can guess, the final score also wasn’t as close as the Top 30 game, as the White Team built a sizable advantage early and rolled to a 97-71 victory.
The game MVP and most impressive player was southpaw point guard Jackie Johnson III, a 6-foot freshman from Wichita North (Wichita, Kan.). The smooth and confident guard nailed four 3-pointers and dished off a handful of assists for the winning club.
Had the Black club came out victorious, the MVP likely would have been Grant Bulmash, a 6-foot-4 sophomore wing from Greenhill (Addison, Texas). Bulmash combined a nice blend of instinct and intensity to capture the attention of the scouts in attendance. The blue-collar worker finished with eight points and six rebounds, a few with were of the spectacular variety.
Another standout for the white club with his offensive ability was 6-foot-6 sophomore Evan Williams of Plano East (Plano, Texas). He made some nice moves and cuts around the basket to free himself loose to the tune of 12 points. Six-foot-3 sophomore Jarren Cook of Newman Smith (Carrollton, Texas) also turned in a 12-point performance.
Two eight-graders (class of 2022 prospects) also shined in the Cream of the Crop Top 60 game. From the lead guard position 6-foot Keyonte George (eight points) of Lewisville, Texas was a smooth operator whose possessed one of the best feels of any player in attendance. Shooting guard Tre White, a 6-foot-4 eighth-grader from Frisco, Texas, impressed with his passing and also had five rebounds.
There were nearly 100 prospects nominated for one of the two all-star games and we’d be remiss not to mention some of the better prospects who unfortunately just missed the cut.
Those players included 5-foot-11 sophomore Andre Howard Jr. of Lone Star (Frisco, Texas), 5-foot-11 sophomore Kendall Fair of OD Wyatt (Ft. Worth, Texas), 6-foot sophomore Sebastian Kinney of International Community School (Winter Park, Fla.), 6-foot-4 freshman Toney Green of OD Wyatt (Ft. Worth, Texas), 6-foot-5 freshman Alden Applewhite of Lausanne Collegiate (Memphis, Tenn.) and 5-foot-7 sophomore Darryl McNealy of Duncanville (Texas).
Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at [email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter: @RonMFlores
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]]>Related: Texas vs. EVERBODY at Pangos South All-Star Game!
Athleticism will always be one of the first and easiest attributes to identify when scouting young basketball players. Even though it's not hard to spot that aspect of a player's overall evaluation, it was hard to ignore the amount of talented athletes at the 2017 Pangos All-South Frosh/Soph Camp. Among over 200 campers from 13 states, the big guard and wings were easily the positions that produced the most standouts on day one of the two-day affair at The Mac Sports Complex in Lewisville, Texas. Many of them have the necessary size and length to excel on the wing at the next level and the lack of point guards with plus size made the wings stand out even more.
Arguably the two best prospects among the 204 in camp were lengthy wings with an abundance of skill: 6-foot-6 Cade Cunningham, a sophomore (2020) from Bowie (Arlington, Texas), and 6-foot-8 sophomore Greg Brown from Vandergrift (Austin, Texas). Cunningham had the most complete performances on Saturday in terms of scoring, transition game and beating defenders in a variety of ways. Cunningham has a strong frame, good body balance and combines a nice combination of explosiveness and confidence to dominate camp defenders. Brown was scoring in droves, whether making moves off the dribble or scoring around the basket. Brown, who is coming off participating in the 2017 USA Junior National Team Mini-Camp in Colorado Springs, Col. last weekend, was also blocking shots at a good clip and can finish a variety of shots.
Other day one standouts on the wing included Caleb London, a 6-foot-4 sophomore from Conway (Ark.), Jaylin Posey, a 6-foot-2 sophomore from Grand Prairie (Texas), Jerry Lliya, a 6-foot-6 sophomore from CGM Prep Academy (Phoenix, Ariz.), Chris Moore, a 6-foot-6 sophomore from West Memphis (Ark.), Moses Moody, a 6-foot-5 sophomore from North Little Rock (Little Rock, Ark.), and Matthew Murell, a 6-foot-3 sophomore from Whitehaven (Memphis, Tenn.).
London has a high skill level while Posey can score on all three levels and is quite bouncy to boot. Speaking of bounce, Lliya was attacking the rim with a vengeance and displayed a relentless motor in both of his Saturday games. Moore was one of the camp's most impressive performers on day one, according to veteran talent scout Van Coleman of The Basketball Channel. He displayed a multitude of skills and got things done for his team. Moody didn't score at a high clip, but he made plays in the backcourt, showed his defensive prowess and continues to develop his body. Murrell is a combo guard who can really glide to the basket, gets good lift on his jumper and uses his aggressive nature to demoralize defenders.
One of the most punishing scorers in the camp so far has been Hayden Brittingham, a 6-foot-4 sophomore from Crowley (Ft. Worth, Texas). A beastly scorer around the rim, this physical specimen is a bit undersized for the skill level he brings to the table, but if he continues to develop his face-up game he could develop into a nice combo forward prospect. Regardless of Brittingham's projection, at this camp very few players want a piece of him!
Although there weren't too many plus size lead guards we evaluated, there are some standouts at the one spot. Among the day one point guard standouts included 5-foot-11 sophomore Andre Howard Jr. of Lone Star (Frisco, Texas), 6-foot sophomore Khalen Robinson of Bryant (Ark.) and 6-foot-1 sophomore Gerald Doakes of North Little Rock (Ark.). Needless to say, there are many standouts from the state of Arkansas at this event and it bodes well for the future of high school and grassroots basketball in the Razorback State.
Besides Arkansas and the Lone Star State, the other nine states represented at this deep camp include Oklahoma, Tennessee, Louisiana, Alabama, Illinois, New Mexico, Kansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky and Arizona.
One shooter deserving of recognition for his excellent first day of camp is 6-foot-2 Juan Reyna, a freshman (2021) from Antonian College Prep (San Antonio, Texas). The lefty was confidently knocking down long range shots at a high clip and has an abundance of crafty skill.
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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]]>The post Top Ranked 9th Grader Cade Cunningham & Kyler Edwards Put On A Show! 1st Rd Playoffs Full Highlights appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.
]]>STATS
Cade Cunningham-26Pts
Kyler Edwards-23Pts
Donovan Davenport-13Pts
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]]>FINAL SCORE
North Crowley 59-56 Arlington Bowie
STATS
Jordan Meyers:19Pts
Kyler Edwards:19Pts
Cade Cunningham:18Pts
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