Perry scored 25 points, while senior forward Brady Dunlap was also effective with 19 points vs. Centennial after netting a team-high 18 points in the regional final win over FAB 50 No. 32 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.). Nik Khamenia, a talented sophomore wing guard originally from Slovenia, made a big impact vs. Centennial and could be an X-factor in the St. Joseph gave as Harvard-Westlake goes for its first CIF open state crown under coach Dave Rebibo. Harvard-Westlake won a state crown in D4 in 2016.

Tuesday victory marked the first time the Huskies had lost to a CIF opponent in 51 outings, dating back to the 2021 spring CIF season when Harvard-Westlake beat Centennial in a pool play game, but like this year, didn’t advance to the CIFSS title game. Centennial is the three-time defending CIF Southern Section open champs, but Harvard-Westlake is heading to Sacramento.

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MORE: Section 7 Stock-Risers

The Fiesta Bowl Section 7 Team Camp presented by Legacy Foundation has quickly become a must stop in the West Region for national scouts, college coaches and high school teams. Held during the first of two weekends of the NCAA's June Scholastic Live Period, this year's event had a different feel than last year's successful event.

In 2021, Section 7 was the first time colleges coaches got to evaluate prospects live since the outbreak of COVID-19 in March 2020, so there was a buzz surrounding the live evaluation setting and the return of the event after a one-year hiatus. This year, the buzz surrounded the continued expansion of the Arizona Basketball Coaches Association-ran event at State Farm Arena in Glendale, home of the NFL's Arizona Cardinals. This year, the event featured 224 teams from 13 states and well over 500 prospects who could garner some NCAA or NAIA interest.

Despite the growing national flavor, it was the two teams that meet in last season's California Interscholastic Federation?(CIF) Southern Section title game that advanced to the Fiesta Bowl division title game on June 19 after winning three games over the event's first two days. The two teams were Centennial (Corona, Calif.) and Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.) and behind a clutch performance from Duke-bound guard Jared McCain and senior-to-be (2023) strongman Aaron McBride, Centennial captured the Section 7 title for the second consecutive year.

Centennial, which lost two starters off its 33-1 CIF state title-winning team that finished No. 5 in the final 2021-22 FAB 50 Team Rankings, held a 25-24 halftime lead. Harvard-Westlake, which finished No. 43 in last season's FAB 50, gave a valiant effort against the Huskies even though its field goal attempts weren't dropping at their normal rate. Eventually, the shot-making of McCain, a 6-foot-2 senior-to-be, and the play-making of Bride, a barrel-chested 6-foot-6 forward, was the difference in the game.

McCain, last year's Cal-Hi Sports State Junior of the Year, knocked down a 3-pointer to give Centennial a 47-40 lead with 4:45 remaining in the game. The Wolverines made one last push on a conventional 3-point play by guard Robert Hinton with 3:30 to go that cut Harvard-Westlake's deficit to 49-46, but Centennial took control thereafter. A lay-up by McCain gave Centennial a double digit lead, as it went on to score the final eight points of the game to finish 4-0 in bracket play with a 59-49 victory.

McCain finished with 22 points, four rebounds and five assists, while McBride finished with 14 points and six rebounds. Even more than his numbers, McBride's physical impact loomed large on this game and Centennial's previous three victories, which included a 73-46 semifinal victory over Coronado (Henderson, Nev.). McBride's physicality on the offensive and defensive boards, his winning plays and approach to the game make him an invaluable cog to Centennial and appealing to college recruiters, not to mention his 4.0 GPA.

"We keep trying to be perfect every game," said McBride, our unofficial MVP of the Fiesta Bowl Division. "Of course, we're not going to play perfect, but trying to be perfect every game keeps us focused. Our goal is to work together as a team, because it's harder to try to win the game by yourself."

McBride's two college favorites are UC-Irvine and LMU.

Devin Williams, a 6-foot-10 rising senior (2023) and Centennial's third returning starter, finished with 11 points, seven rebounds and three blocks vs. Harvard-Westlake. Williams' final five college choices are reportedly Arizona, Texas Tech, UCLA, UNLV and USC. Centennial's two other starters, 5-foot-11 2023 B.J. Taylor and 6-foot-4 2024 Eric Freeny also played well throughout Section 7 for a team that should suffer little, if any drop-off, from back-to-back seasons where it finished as California's No. 1 ranked team.

"Winning never gets old, and we like the fact our guys expect to win, but we don't take it for granted," Centennial coach Josh Giles said. "With Harvard-Westlake, we've played them so many times in recent seasons, it's like playing a league team. We know what each other is about and with the talent on the floor, it was like a college game."

Hinton, a 6-foot-4 rising junior who had a terrific performance at the recent Pangos All-American Camp and continues to see his recruiting stock rise, had 11 points and seven rebounds for Harvard-Westlake. Fellow 2024 Trent Perry, a 6-foot-4 guard, was the Wolverines' leading scorer with 14 points. Brady Dunlap, a 6-foot-7 rising senior and one of the best shooters in the entire event, added 10 points even though he missed his first nine field goal attempts and finished 3-of-15 from the field while valiantly playing through injury.

Kudos should be given to Dunlap's title game performance because he gutted it out, while some other highly-regarded players chose the load management route despite the presence of a college coaching herd. Dunlap had a huge second day of the three-day event, hitting a 15-foot fall-away jumper from behind the backboard on the right baseline at the buzzer to give the Wolverines a 68-66 quarterfinal victory over Mountain Pointe (Phoenix, Ariz.). Later in the evening, Dunlap knocked down the game-clinching pull up jumper from 12 feet out with 26 seconds remaining, as his team won its semifinal contest 55-52 over Columbus (Miami, Ohio).

Columbus led by 12 points at halftime and by seven points late in the contest before the Wolverines scored the last 10 points of the game. In Harvard-Westlake's first round contest, Hinton scored with 2.4 seconds remaining on a driving baseline layup to give the Wolverines a 62-60 victory over Durango (Las Vegas, Nev.) in what was easily the best first-round game of the entire event. Both teams, plus Columbus, could conceivably begin the 2022-23 season in the FAB 50 rankings.

On club that is sure to be pre-season FAB 50 ranked this winter is Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.). The Gaels captured the tourney title in the top division in the inaugural Section 7 Team Camp in 2019 at Brophy Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.) and lost to Centennial in last year's title game, 84-64. With the expansion of the tournament and the increased number of quality teams (perhaps 30-40 played at the regionally-ranked level), Bishop Gorman competed in the Mayo Clinic Division. So even though the Gaels didn't get a chance to extract a measure of revenge on Centennial, they continued their success during the scholastic live period and exposed the players on their current roster to a throng of watchful college coaches, who came away impressed.

Gorman captured the Mayo Clinic Division courtesy of a 60-56 come-from-behind victory over talented Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.), a team that defeated Liberty (Henderson, Nev.) in the semifinals, 81-73. Liberty's 2021-22 team ended Gorman's string of nine consecutive Nevada state titles (2012-2020) after the 2020-21 season was canceled.

Trialing by eight points (38-30) to Notre Dame with 11 and a half minutes remaining in the game must of felt like no sweat to this Gaels team. After all, Bishop Gorman trialed by double-digits in in its 67-53 semifinal victory against St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.), by 25 in its 67-66 quarterfinal victory over Olympus (Holladay, Utah) and by double digits early to Clovis North (Clovis, Calif.) in its 66-61 first round victory.

John "Juni" Mobley Jr. decided to take things into his own hands against Notre Dame and after he rattled off some buckets and a big 3-pointer with 8:32 remaining, Bishop Gorman led 43-42. Notre Dame made one last push and cut its deficit to two points (58-56) on a field goal by 6-foot-3 2024 guard Mercy Miller, but Mobley's two made free throws with 14.8 seconds remaining iced the 60-56 championship game victory.

Mobley, a 6-foot 2024 guard and one of the best catch-and-shoot players in the country regardless of class, finished with 26 points in the title game victory. His title game heroics would not have been possible if it wasn't for the play of 6-foot-2 2024 guard Ryder Elisaldez, an unflappable cog for the Gaels who plays with an edge and has a never-say-die attitude. Elisaldez keyed the huge comeback win over Olympus and hit the game-winning shot, a running right-hand, one-hander from the left side, at the buzzer. He finished with 21 points

"Ryder was good all week; he doesn't get the credit he deserves," veteran Bishop Gorman coach Grant Rice said.

Elisaldez, who performed admirably at Pangos All-American Camp and gets by more defenders than he's ever slowed down by, carries a 3.9 GPA and is receiving interest from LMU, Pepperdine, USC and has made an unofficial visit to Oregon St. Expect his recruiting to pick up as the July live period approaches.

Elisaldez recorded seven points in the title game win over Notre Dame. Keenan Bay, a 6-foot-7 2023 forward, added 11 points. Chris Nwuli, a 6-foot-7 forward and one of the country's best 2025 prospects, added 10 points and 10 rebounds for Bishop Gorman and picked up a scholarship from UCLA in the process.

As for Mobley, he was not satisfied with his performance at the recent Pangos Camp and was a noticeable omission from one of the camp's two all-star games. Mobley has an insatiable hunger to put in gym work when Gorman or his Vegas Elite travel ball club is not playing games and he made no excuses (nor worried much) about his Pangos snub. His focus was going forward and performing well at Section 7.

"It (Pangos) taught me I have to work harder and I came here with the mindset to show by ability and what I can do", Mobley said. "When we got down (against Notre Dame), my teammates gave me the ball, they trust me. I am satisfied with how I played here, but I can always get better."

Miller, the son of rap mogul Master P and committed to Houston, finished with 12 points for Notre Dame. Gonzaga-bound 6-foot-7 forward Dusty Stromer and 6-foot-3 2023 point guard Caleb Foster, who is set to join McCain at Duke, each scored 17 points for Notre Dame.

Aside from Centennial and Notre Dame, kudos goes out to the 14 Section 7 divisional champions. The wins and losses aren't paramount to Section 7 Team Camp, but winning basketball always puts players in favorable positions with college coaches.

College coaches were mild or lukewarm about hitting the grassroots recruiting trial hard during the 2022 NCAA Spring Live Period. With the robust NCAA transfer portal, visits from players in the portal kept a nice chunk of coaches on college campuses, as the more experienced collegiate player currently is in greater demand that a high school player. Because of this relatively new phenomenon, the value of the NCAA June Scholastic Live Period has has increased in importance across the board and Section 7 foots the bill.

Section 7 Stock-Risers

Aside from players already committed who played well at the event such as McCain and Foster, those previously mentioned above, or the no-brainers such as 6-foot-8 2025 Cameron Boozer, last year's national freshman of the year from Columbus (Miami, Fla.) who is already one of the best players in the country regardless of class, below is a list of players we evaluated at State Farm Arena who played better since or last eval and/or improved their recruiting stock with colleges of various levels (listed alphabetically by class).

2023s
Marzouq Abdur-Razaaq, Overland (Aurora, Col.) 6-7 SF
Eric Brown, Mitty (San Jose, Calif.) 6-6 PF
Blake Buchanan, Lake City (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 6-10 PF
Darius Carr, St. Bernard's (Playa Del Rey, Calif.) 6-4 CG
Jameson Caruso, Beverly Hills (Calif.) 6-0 PG
Devin Curtis, Heritage Christian (Northridge, Calif.) 6-10 C
B.J. Davis, Modesto Christian (Modesto, Calif.) 6-1 PG
Jalen Glenn, Inderkum (Sacramento, Calif.) 6-4 SG
Cohen J. Gonzalez, Mesquite (Gilbert, Ariz.) 5-8 PG
Jermaine Haliburton, Inderkum (Sacramento, Calif.) 6-1 PG
Miles Heide, Mount Si (Snoqualmie, Wash.), 6-9 C
A.J. Johnson, Taft (Woodland Hills, Calif.) 6-5 PG
Isaiah Kai, Campo Verde (Gilbert, Ariz.) 6-2 PG
Cedric Lath, Balboa School (San Diego, Calif.) 6-10 C
Arman Madi, Brophy Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.) 6-6 SF
Jacob McFarland, Rancho Verde (Moreno Valley, Calif.) 6-11 C
Rickey Mitchell, Smoky Hill (Aurora, Col.) 6-2 PG
Kevin Patton, Mountain Pointe (Phoenix, Ariz.) 6-8 SF
Egan Shields, Cascade Christian (Medford, Ore.) 6-10 C
Parker Strauss, Pacifica Christian (Newport Beach, Calif.) 6-4 CG
Tru Washington, Mountain Pointe (Phoenix, Ariz.) 6-4 CG
Kodey Weary, Coronado (Henderson, Nev.) 6-6 PF

2024s
Connor Amundsen, Clovis North (Clovis, Calif.) 5-9 PG
Tobias Aisen, Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland, Calif.) 6-5 WG
Donovan Beard, Dobson (Mesa, Ariz.) 6-0 PG
Taj DeGourville, Durango (Las Vegas, Nev.) 6-4 WF
Dutch Dowdell, Olympus (Holladay, Utah) 6-4 CG
Jaden Goodall, Canyon (Anaheim, Calif.) 6-4 WF
DreVon Johnson, Modesto Christian (Modesto, Calif.) 6-7 PF
Brody Kozlowski, Corner Canyon (Draper, Utah) 6-7 SF
Austin Maurer, Cascade Christian (Medford, Ore.) 6-10 PF
Darrell Morris, Crean Lutheran (Irvine, Calif.) 5-9 PG
Styles Phipps, St. Mary's (Phoenix, Ariz.) 6-2 PG
Aaron Powell, Campbell Hall (North Hollywood, Calif.) 6-1 PG
Tyrone Riley, St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy (Downey, Calif.) 6-4 SG
Lawrence "LoLo" Rudolph, St. Augustine (Sam Diego, Calif.) 6-1 PG
Luke Shaw, Valley Christian (Chandler, Ariz.) 6-2 CG
Tyler Thompson, Vanden (Travis AFB, Calif.) 6-4 WF

2025s
Alec Blair, De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) 6-5 CG
Cayden Boozer, Columbus (Miami, Fla.) 6-3 PG
Brayden Burries, Poly (Riverside, Calif.) 6-5 SG
Aaron Glass, Rancho Cucamonga (Calif.) 6-2 CG
Gavin Hightower, Windward (Los Angeles, Calif.) 6-0 CG
Nick Jefferson, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) 6-1 CG
Doug Langford, St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy (Downey, Calif.) 6-7 PF
Mazi Mosley, Heritage Christian (Northridge, Calif.) 6-3 PG
Bryce Quinet, Notre Dame Prep (Scottsdale, Ariz.) 6-2 PG
Jasir Rencher, Riordan (San Francisco, Calif.) 6-5 SF
C.J. Shaw, Mojave (Las Vegas, Nev.) 6-3 SG
Tae Simmons, Heritage Christian (Northridge, Calif.) 6-6 PF
D.J. Stickman, Clovis West (Fresno, Calif.) 6-1 CG
Christian Taylor, St. Bernard's (Playa Del Rey, Calif.) 6-5 WG
Dallas Washington, Santa Margarita (Rancho SM, Calif.) 6-7 WF

2026s
Ty Ingram, San Ysidro (Calif.) 6-3 SG
Brayden Kyman, Santa Margarita (Rancho SM, Calif.) 6-5 SF
Mason Magee, Basha (Chandler, Ariz.) 5-10 PG

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

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Final 2021-22 FAB 50
Region-By-Region Rankings

(Preseason ranking in parentheses)

By Ronnie Flores

RELATED:? Final East Top 20 | Final Southeast Top 20 | Final Midwest Top 20?| Final Southwest Top 20 | Final 2021-22 FAB 50 Rankings

WEST Region Top 20
(Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming)

1. (2) Centennial (Corona, Calif.) 33-1
2. (10) Liberty (Henderson, Nev.) 22-4
3. (4) Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) 30-1
4. (1) Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) 26-5
5. (NR) Auburn (Auburn, Wash.) 28-3
6. (6) Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.) 25-4
7. (12) Modesto Christian (Modesto, Calif.) 28-6**
8. (7) Campolindo (Moraga, Calif.) 28-2
9. (15) Garfield (Seattle, Wash.) 25-1
10. (8) Durango (Las Vegas, Nev.) 20-6
11. (17) Damien (La Verne, Calif.) 32-4
12. (NR) Bishop Montgomery (Torrance, Calif.) 20-4**
13. (NR) Crean Lutheran (Irvine, Calif.) 25-7
14. (NR) Olympus (Salt Lake City, Utah) 26-1
15. (NR) Clovis West (Fresno, Calif.) 31-2
16. (NR) Owyhee (Meridian, Idaho) 24-3
17. (NR) St. Bernard (Playa del Rey, Calif.) 23-7
18. (14) Perry (Gilbert, Ariz.) 25-5
19. (NR) Tualatin (Tualatin, Ore.) 26-2
20. (18) Thunderidge (Highlands Ranch, Col.) 26-2

*Indicates forfeit wins/losses not included.
**Indicates default wins/losses not included.

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

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

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The post Bronny James vs Jared McCain!! Sierra Canyon vs Corona Centennial REGIONAL FINALS! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

By Ronnie Flores

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

Only two teams have a strong enough resume to crack the FAB 50 National Team Rankings powered by www.ebooksnet.com this week, as a vast majority of the nation's elite teams won games last week. The playoffs have started in some selected states, will begin this week in others, while some look to avoid a late-season upset that would cause unfavorable seeding or playoff positioning.

The two new ranked teams this week are No. 44 North Hills (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and No. 50 Catholic Central (Grand Rapids, Mich.). North Hills is rewarded as an unbeaten club and as the Keystone State's top-rated team in Class 6A. The Cougars were previously ranked and have done enough to warrant a return in the nation's longest-running weekly poll in front of King (Detroit, Mich.) as Michigan's top-rated team by the Detroit Free Press.

Previous No. 37 Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) had to drop out after losing 57-56 to unranked St. John's (Washington, D.C.) in Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) play. It was Gonzaga's second close loss to the Cadets, as coach Steve Turner's club now has to be behind bubble club DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) in the WCAC pecking order. FAB 50 No. 29 Bishop McNamara (Forrestville, Md.) sits at 11-1 in WCAC play, while No. 21 Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) is 10-2, one game ahead in the loss column of DeMatha Catholic (10-3) and two games ahead of Gonzaga (9-4). Bishop McNamara's only conference loss is to DeMatha, who will host Gonzaga on senior night this Friday in a key game.

St. Francis Prep (Fresh Meadows, N.Y.) lost in first game in New York Catholic High School Athletic Association (CHSAA) play to unranked Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.), 59-56. The Terriers ran into a CTK club that struggled with injuries early in the season, but is now rounding into form and is a formidable foe. St. Francis Prep drops five spots this week to No. 34 and its loss last week means a hit for other New York club. The Terriers have done enough to remain in front of Cardinal Hayes (Bronx, N.Y.) because of the head-to-head result and Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.), which has a split with Cardinal Hayes.

Another club that joins Cardinal Hayes and Archbishop Stepinac in dropping four spots this week is No. 22 Dr. Phillips (Orlando, Fla.), which fell to Olympia (Orlando, Fla.), 69-65, in its district championship game. E.J. “Jizzle” James, a 6-foot-1 2023 guard and the son of NFL Hall of Fame running back Edgerrin James, had 31 points.

Coach Ben Witherspoon's club can't fall any further in the FAB 50 because of its overall resume and because it played the district title game without McDonald's All-American center Ernest Udeh Jr., but the result does affect what could happen down the road. Although Dr. Phillips remains the top ranked team in the FHSAA power rankings system, it drops to No. 5 in its region behind four district champions and will have to travel to play any district champion it meets in regional play. According to Witherspoon, Udeh will be ready to play on Thursday and in a likely contest at home next Tuesday against No. 6 ranked region team Windemere Prep (Windermere, Fla.) and Duke commit Sean Stewart.

Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.) solidified its status as the No. 1 team in the country with a 74-65 victory over No. 4 Link Academy (Branson, Mo.) last Friday evening in a showcase game at the Heartland Hoops Classic in Grand Island, Neb. With the victory, the Buffaloes, this season's National Interscholastic Basketball Conference (NIBC) champion, all but secured the top seed at GEICO Nationals, which will take place in Ft. Myers, Fla., March 31-April 2. The entire eight-team field will be announced on March 12. Despite the loss, Link Academy did not drop in the FAB 50 this week and should be one of the teams invited for the end-of-season tournament for independent clubs.

Sunrise Christian got out to a fast start and led 21-13 after one period of play. The Buffaloes extended their lead to 12 in the second period, but when the game got sloppy in the third period, Link Academy capitalized. The first-year program closed its deficit to 48-44 at the beginning of the fourth quarter.

That's when Sunrise Christian's experience in big showcase games versus other highly-ranked foes made a difference, as the Buffaloes converted some clutch shots and limited the amount of mistakes down the stretch. Layden Blocker, a 2023 point guard who finished with 11 points, made critical plays for the victors, while a 3-pointer with three minutes remaining by Kansas-bound Gradey Dick (16 points) gave the Buffaloes some breathing room. Sunrise Christian also hit its late free throws to seal the victory.

Duke-bound Mark Mitchell netted a game-high 23 points, while 2023 wing Scotty Middleton (13 points) also came up big. Tarris Reed Jr., bound for Michigan, led Link Academy with 22 points, while Arkansas-bound McDonald's All-American Jordan Walsh added 16.

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

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

(10th poll of 2021-22 regular season; Through games played on Sunday, February 13; *Indicates forfeit wins, forfeit losses not included; **Indicates forfeits and defaults not included)

No.	Prev.	High School (City)	Record
1	1	Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.)	22-1
2	2	Duncanville (Duncanville (Texas)	26-1
3	3	Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.)	19-4
4	4	Link Academy (Branson, Mo.)	27-1
5	5	Centennial (Corona, Calif.)	27-1
6	6	IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)	20-4
7	7	Richardson (Richardson, Texas)	29-1
8	8	La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.)	16-4
9	9	Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.)	26-7
10	10	Calvary Christian Academy (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.)	19-2
11	11	Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.)	26-0
12	12	Camden (Camden, N.J.)	17-2
13	13	Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.)	23-3
14	14	North Little Rock (North Little Rock, Ark.)	20-3
15	15	Glenbard West (Glen Ellyn, Ill.)	28-1
16	16	Centerville (Centerville, Ohio)	22-0
17	17	Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.)	19-2
18	19	Weddington (Matthews, N.C.)	23-0
19	20	Westerville South (Westerville, Ohio)	19-0
20	21	Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.)	21-3
21	22	Imhotep Charter (Philadelphia, Pa.)	17-4**
22	18	Dr. Phillips (Orlando, Fla.)	22-5
23	25	St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.)	29-3
24	23	Brentwood Academy (Brentwood, Tenn.)	26-0
25	24	Garfield (Seattle, Wash.)	17-0
26	26	Orlando Christian Prep (Orlando, Fla.)	18-4**
27	27	Jonesboro (Jonesboro, Ark.)	20-3
28	28	Sidwell Friends (Washington, D.C.)	22-1
29	30	Bishop McNamara (Forrestville, Md.)	17-2
30	33	New Hanover (Wilmington, N.C.)	20-0
31	34	Liberty (Henderson, Nev.)	18-3
32	35	Oak Cliff Faith Family (Dallas, Texas)	26-4**
33	36	Glenbrook South (Glenview, Ill.)	28-2
34	29	St. Frances Prep (Fresh Meadows, N.Y.)	17-2
35	31	Cardinal Hayes (Bronx, N.Y.)	20-2
36	32	Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.)	19-3
37	40	Mt. St. Joseph (Baltimore, Md.)	21-5
38	38	Combine Academy (Lincolnton, N.C.)	17-4
39	39	South Shore (Brooklyn, N.Y.)	19-2**
40	43	York Prep (Rock Hill, S.C.)	21-0
41	41	Greensboro Day (Greensboro, N.C.)	30-3
42	42	Campolindo (Moraga, Calif.)	25-1
43	44	Hayfield (Alexandria, Va.)	22-0
44	NR	North Hills (Pittsburgh, Pa.)	21-0
45	45	Durango (Las Vegas, Nev.)	19-5
46	46	Pebblebrook (Mableton, Ga.)	23-2
47	48	George Rodgers Clark (Winchester, Ky.)	25-1
48	49	Westfield (Houston, Texas)	26-1
49	50	Booker T. Washington (Tulsa, Okla.)	18-1
50	NR	Catholic Central (Grand Rapids, Mich.)	15-1

Dropped Out: Previous No. 37 Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.), No. 47 Gill St. Bernard’s (Gladstone, N.J.).

Bubble Teams:? Auburn (Auburn, Wash.) 21-1; Beaumont United (Beaumont, Texas) 28-3; Beecher (Flint, Mich.) 14-1; Blue Valley Northwest (Overland Park, Kan.) 14-2; Brophy Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.) 23-2; Carmel Christian (Matthews, N.C.) 23-3; Cass Tech (Detroit, Mich.) 14-2; Chambers (Charlotte. N.C.) 19-5; Chaminade (St. Louis, Mo.) 17-5; Chesterton (Chesterton, Ind.) 20-0; Christian Brothers (Memphis, Tenn.) 23-0; Cleveland (Clayton, N.C.) 23-1; Coronado (Henderson, Nev.) 16-9; Damien (La Verne, Calif.) 27-2; Davis (Kaysville, Utah) 20-1; Del City (Cel City, Okla.) 17-3; DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) 15-5; Gill St. Bernard’s (Gladstone, N.J.) 13-6; Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) 15-6; John Marshall (Richmond, Va.) 15-4; Kenwood Academy (Chicago, Ill.) 22-7; King (Detroit, Mich.) 12-1; Kingfisher (Kingsfisher, Okla.) 20-1; Las Cruces (Las Cruces, N.M.) 24-0; Lee’s Summit (Lee’s Summit, Mo.) 19-2**; Liberty (Liberty, Mo.) 20-2; Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, N.Y.) 14-5; Magnolia (Magnolia, Ark.) 21-0; Memorial (Tulsa, Okla.) 20-1; Milton (Milton, Ga.) 18-7; Mount Si (Snoqualmie, Wash.) 20-0; Mountain Pointe (Phoenix, Ariz.) 18-2; Mt. Vernon (Mt. Vernon, N.Y.) 13-0; Newton (Covington, Ga.) 21-4; New Trier (Winnetka, Ill.) 26-3; Omaha Westside (Omaha, Neb.) 21-1; Perry (Gilbert, Ariz.) 21-5; Pickerington Central (Pickerington, Ohio) 19-1; Poly (Riverside, Calif.) 25-2; Richmond (Rockingham, N.C.) 21-1; Roman Catholic (Philadelphia, Pa.) 17-3; Simeon (Chicago) 23-4; South St. Paul (South St. Paul, Minn.) 19-0; Sunnyslope (Pheonix, Ariz.) 24-2; Staley (Kansas City, Mo.) 20-3; St. Thomas Aquinas (Edison, N.J.) 22-1; St. Vincent-St. Mary (Akron, Ohio) 17-3; Varina (Richmond, Va.) 19-1; Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah) 14-10; West Catholic (Philadelphia, Pa.) 18-3; Westlake (Austin, Texas) 32-1; Westminster (Town and Country, Mo.) 21-1; Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.) 21-4; Whitney Young (Chicago, Ill.) 20-9**; Williamston (Williamston, Mich.) 16-0; Wisconsin Lutheran (Milwaukee, Wis.) 19-2.

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

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

The post UPDATED FAB 50: Teams Eye The Prize! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

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

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

The post ITP 109: Gonzaga vs. UCLA Reaction and HSBB Updates! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

In this piece we take a closer look at some of the best big men who pace Ronnie's preseason teams ranked No. 1 to No. 15. Check the full player breakdowns below and make sure to dive further into each player in our profiles database!

Aaron Bradshaw, No. 4 Camden (NJ) - Bradshaw is regarded as a Top 25 National prospect in the class of 2023 and it's easy to see why. The 7-foot, 210-pound center fits that modern big type of role as he excels in pick and roll action due to his combination of mobility on the perimeter and dexterity around the basket when rolling, catching and finishing. Adding Bradshaw to a loaded Camden roster led by 2023 guard DJ Wagner is why Ronnie started the Panthers at No. 4.

Cameron Barnes, No. 7 Duncanville (TX) - Barnes is another highly-ranked and highly-recruited 2023 forward/center prospect. The 6-foot-9, 200-pounder is regarded as a Top 60 recruit in the class and is in that "stretch four" mold where his fluid athleticism and perimeter skill-set make him an effective rim-runner and finisher in transition or a floor spacer in the half-court where he can slash his way to the rim for paint finishes out of the "dunker" spot on the floor.

Charlie Williams, No. 12 Carmel (IN) - Williams might not be as recognizable as some of the other names on this list, but the 6-foot-10 forward/center should have a strong senior season for No. 12 Carmel and a solid career at the next level at William & Mary. The senior has great hands, footwork and touch around the basket and can stretch the floor to the three-point line while also being an instinctual rim protector and shot blocker.

Devin Williams, No. 14 Corona Centennial (CA) - The Centennial junior is as high of an upside prospect as you will find on this list. At 6-feet-9 with ball skills and fluid and smooth athleticism, Williams is one of those players who gets better each time he takes the floor. He can spread defenses out with his perimeter shooting touch and is also an effective scorer in transition due to his ability to beat his defensive assignment down the floor on a consistent basis.

Drew Kania, No. 11 Gill St. Bernard - Versatility is the name of the game for Kania. The 6-foot-8 forward, who is committed to Brown University, has an inside-out scoring arsenal complete with face-up shooting ability off the catch and in pick and pop situations. Kania has proven to be a difficult cover when at the elbows or in a "horns" type of offensive set because he can put the ball on the floor and get to the rim or use his high IQ and precision passing ability to find an open teammate.

Eric Dailey Jr.

6'7"   -   PF   -   2023

Eric Dailey Jr., No. 2 IMG Academy - With his style of play, the 6-foot-7, 215-pound senior could be categorized in a variety of ways, but we think he fits well on the big man list due to how he will play for IMG Academy this season. Dailey, Jr. has a combination of size, length and athleticism that, combined with his skill, makes him a tough cover at the high school level. Dailey, Jr. can score with his back to the basket, in face-up situations with a jumper or rip-and-go, and he can take his defender off he bounce in an isolation situation for a physical paint bucket or pull-up jumper.

Ernest Udeh Jr., No. 14 Dr. Phillips - While Udeh is still in the "raw" category when it comes to his offensive skill-set, there's no teaching the size he has and the energy and effort he brings to the floor. The 6-foot-10 senior is a beast on the offensive and defensive glass and has shown a ton of potential as a shot blocker and rim protector. What the Kansas-signee does best is get out and run in transition. Udeh gets up and down the court with ease and is an elite catcher and finisher of lob passes.

Jerrell Roberson, No. 8 DeMatha Catholic - Roberson, who is unranked by most national recruiting websites, is another young big man who has developed that true stretch-four type of skill-set. At 6-feet-9, 205 pounds, the James Madison-commit has a smooth and consistent shooting stroke with his feet set and time and space to get his shot off. Roberson has a high basketball IQ when moving without the ball and executing pick-and-pop action.

Kijani Wright, No. 9 Sierra Canyon - Wright transferred to an already-loaded Sierra Canyon to fortify its front-court. The 6-foot-8 power forward, who will be at USC next season, is as high motor and hard working as they come. Wright never takes a play off and is a versatile defender who can switch on to a guard in ball screen action or hedge and recover in that same situation. Offensively, Wright has shown the ability to score through contact inside and face-up and hit the 15 to 17 foot set shot. His most effective offensive tool is his relentless pursuit of offensive rebounds resulting in second-chance points.

Kwame Evans Jr.

6'8"   -   SF   -   2023

Kwame Evans Jr., No. 1 Montverde Academy -?The No. 2 overall ranked player in the 2023 class is a new-age forward in the sense that he impacts the game in a variety of ways, many of which are both traditional and non-traditional to today's big man position. Evans, Jr. is a long and rangy 6-foot-9 junior who has shown instinctual shot blocking and rim protecting ability in addition to his ball skills and IQ in leading a fastbreak after a defensive stop. While Evans prefers to operate on the perimeter, he has great hands and footwork around the basket and it will be interesting to see how his game evolves over the next couple of years.

Mark Mitchell, No. 3 Sunrise Christian Academy -?Mitchell could be a guy who trends toward the "wing" position as a prospect as he continues to add more perimeter feel to his all-around game. As of now, though, the 6-foot-8 forward is a monster inside. The five-star ranked senior can get deep post position for a quick turn and finish, but can also back guys down in the mid-post and make a strong move on the blow block for a bucket with touch or one above the rim with authority.

Vince Iwuchukwu, No. 1 Montverde Academy - The Top 20 ranked prospect, who is heading to USC next season, is a legitimate 7-footer whose impact is felt on the defensive end of the floor. Iwuchukwu's quick twitch athleticism to go along with his anticipation and mobility when recovering or providing help-side defense makes him an intimidating rim protecting presence. Offensively, the senior is still on the raw side of his development, but he has shown flashes of fundamental post footwork and power or finesse finishing ability.

The post FAB 50: Best Big Men in the Top 15! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

Final 2020-21 FAB 50
Region-By-Region Rankings

(Preseason ranking in parentheses)

By Ronnie Flores

RELATED:? Final East Top 20 | Final Southeast Top 20??| Final Midwest Top 20?|Final Southwest Top 20 | Final 2020-21 FAB 50 Rankings

WEST Region Top 20
(Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming)

1. (2) Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah) 18-7***
2. (13) Centennial (Corona, Calif.) 21-2
3. (NR) Etiwanda (Etiwanda, Calif.) 14-2
4. (NR) Torrey Pines (San Diego, Calif.) 30-1
5. (3) Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) 16-2
6. (NR) Sunnyslope (Phoenix, Ariz.) 21-1
7. (NR) St. Mary’s (Pheonix, Ariz.) 20-1
8. (NR) Thunderidge (Highlands Ranch, Col.) 13-2
9. (NR) Davis (Kaysville, Utah) 22-4
10. (NR) Catalina Foothills (Tuscon, Ariz.) 19-1
11. (NR) Damien (La Verne, Calif.) 29-4
12. (20) Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village, Col.) 17-1
13. (6) Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) 27-4
14. (17) St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) 23-4
15. (NR) Campolindo (Moraga, Calif.) 15-0
16. (19) Seattle Prep (Seattle, Wash.) 11-2
17. (NR) Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.) 17-1
18. (NR) Jefferson (Portland, Ore.) 14-3
19. (NR) East Anchorage (Anchorage, Alaska) 17-0
20. (NR) Meridian (Meridian, Idaho) 18-1

*Indicates forfeit wins/losses not included.
**Indicates default wins/losses not included.
***Indicates results vs. out-of-season opponents not included.

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 21 years ago.

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

The post FINAL West Region Top 20 Rankings! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

The post Drake & LeBron Watch BRONNY'S FIRST GAME OF THE SEASON!! Sierra Canyon FIGHTS For The Championship!! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

By Ronnie Flores

RELATED:    | | The Future Of Big-Time HS Basketball | FAB 50 Rankings Criteria | How To Make A HS Version Of March Madness  | Final Southwest Region Top 20 | Final Midwest Region Top 20 | Final Southeast Region Top 20 | Final East Region Top 20

The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern Section pool play playoffs is hard to understand for some fans across the country. When two teams are tied in pool play, the head-to-head result is the deciding factor on which team wins the pool. If there are more than two teams with the same record, the point system determines which team advances to the CIFSS Open Division championship game.

This season after two games in pool "B", Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.), Damien (La Verne, Calif.) and Centennial (Corona, Calif.) are all tied with 1-1 won-loss records. On Friday, when the teams play the third game, two teams will finish 2-1. Whichever team won head-to-head from those two will advance.

From a national perspective previous FAB 50 No. 45 Centennial (Corona, Calif.) lost in its first pool play game to No. 7 seed Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.), which traveled to the second-seed and beat them, 70-65. Centennial played its game without sophomore guard Kylan Boswell, who was in Colorado Springs, Col., for the USA Basketball 16U mini-camp over Memorial Day weekend. On Memorial Day Monday with Boswell back in the lineup, the Huskies defeated No. 6 seed Damien, 82-69. Boswell (13 points) was one of five Centennial players in double figures led by sophomore Allen McBride with 19 points.

Harvard-Westlake had a chance to take control of pool B, but fell to Mater Dei on Tuesday night, 61-57.

In pool A, it's simpler, as Etiwanda (the No. 4 seed) will travel to top seed and state No. 1 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) for the right to advance to the championship game. Both teams are 2-0 in pool play so far.

Etiwanda moved into the latest FAB 50 National Team Rankings powered by www.ebooksnet.com after defeating No. 8 seed St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.), 48-46, on Tuesday night. Powerful Darvelle Wyatt led the Eagles with 15 points, including a late bucket to give Etiwanda a 46-43 lead. In its first pool game, Etiwanda downed No. 4 seed Ribet Academy (Los Angeles), 85-74. Ribet Academy had previously been FAB 50 ranked and got to as high as No. 4 in the state. That's how hard it is to win CIFSS open pool play games.

In its second pool play game, Ribet Academy was looking to shake up the FAB 50 and the state rankings when it traveled to face FAB 50 No. 10 Sierra Canyon. The talented Fighting Frogs held a 41-24 lead during the second quarter, but Sierra Canyon stormed back to win the game 82-70, to move its record to 14-0 on the season.

The difference in the second half of a game featuring a plethora of future D1 players was UCLA junior commit Amari Bailey. With Sierra Canyon in danger of dropping its first contest in 20 outings, Bailey put Sierra Canyon on its back. He scored 28 points in the second half and finishing with 38 on an array of dunks, drives and cutbacks. Shy Odom also had some important moments and finished with 18 points.

Sierra Canyon won its first pool play game, 60-46, over St. John Bosco as junior Ramel Lloyd Jr. had 25 points, including four 3-pointers.

It's ironic Sierra Canyon is now facing Etiwanda because it was the playoff foe its faced right before the pandemic shut down the CIF season down in March 2020. Sierra Canyon won in dramatic come-from-behind fashion in that SoCal open final after trailing by double-digits in the final two and a half minutes. The CIF state final was never played.

Sierra Canyon is the three-time defending SoCal open champion, including back-to-back CIF state championships in 2017-18 and 2018-19. Since its loss in the CIF Southern Section open division title game in 2018 (before the pool play format began), Sierra Canyon has won 20 consecutive playoff games, which is an incredible feat considering the competition level in the CIFSS playoffs.

It's reflected in the FAB 50, as Sierra Canyon is in the Top 10, while Etiwanda hovers near the bottom of the 50 teams. Sierra Canyon will be favored in the post-season until someone actually knocks them off.

Sierra Canyon won't be able to play the NorCal open representative in the CIF state title game, as the CIF is not hosting regional playoffs in that region of the state. However, a fourth consecutive SoCal title would be quite an accomplishment conspiring how many land mines there are along the way and potential rematches against teams looking for an avenging win.

RELATED:    | | The Future Of Big-Time HS Basketball | FAB 50 Rankings Criteria | How To Make A HS Version Of March Madness |Final Southwest Region Top 20 | Final Midwest Region Top 20 | Final Southeast Region Top 20 |  Final East Region Top 20

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

(24th poll of 2020-21 regular season; Through games played on Tuesday, June 1; *Indicates forfeit wins, forfeit losses not included; **Indicates forfeits and defaults not included; ***Does not include results vs. out-of-season opponents; ****Indicates season not complete.)

No.	Prev.	High School (City)	Record
1	1	Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.)	24-1
2	2	Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.)	20-4
3	3	IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)	22-3
4	4	DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.)	9-0***
5	5	Camden (Camden, N.J.)	13-0
6	6	Milton (Milton, Ga.)	28-3
7	7	Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis, Minn.)	22-1
8	8	Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah)	18-7***
9	9	Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, N.Y.)	3-0
10	10	Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.)	14-0****
11	11	Duncanville (Duncanville, Texas)	29-1
12	12	Orlando Christian Prep (Orlando, Fla.)	28-0
13	13	Houston (Germantown, Tenn.)	21-3**
14	14	Combine Academy (Lincolnton, N.C.)	26-3
15	15	Westlake (Austin, Texas)	30-2
16	16	Millard North (Omaha, Neb.)	27-2
17	17	Millbrook (Raleigh, N.C.)	19-0
18	18	Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.)	7-4
19	19	St. Vincent-St. Mary (Akron, Ohio)	25-2
20	20	Reading (Reading, Pa.)	26-2
21	21	Patrick School (Elizabeth, N.J.)	14-1
22	22	Carmel (Carmel, Ind.)	26-2
23	23	Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.)	21-9
24	24	Bellevue West (Bellevue, Neb.)	24-3
25	25	Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.)	19-1
26	26	Waukee Senior (Waukee, Iowa)	16-2
27	27	Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia, Pa.)	9-1**
28	28	Beaumont United (Beaumont, Texas)	31-0
29	29	Lawrence North (Indianapolis, Ind.)	28-3
30	30	Victory Rock Prep (Bradenton, Fla.)	27-6
31	31	Blair Academy (Blairstown, N.J.)	2-0
32	32	Clinton (Clinton, Miss.)	21-1
33	33	Central Pointe Christian (Kissimmee, Fla.)	31-7
34	34	Grand Blanc (Grand Blanc, Mich.)	15-2
35	35	Berkmar (Lilburn, Ga.)	26-6
36	36	St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.)	15-1***
37	37	Torrey Pines (San Diego, Calif.)	26-0****
38	38	Pace Academy (Atlanta, Ga.)	28-2
39	39	Bishop Miege (Shawnee Mission, Kan.)	22-1
40	40	Dr. Phillips (Orlando, Fla.)	24-3
41	41	Manasquan (Manasquan, N.J.)	12-0
42	42	Kingfisher (Kingfisher, Okla.)	25-1
43	43	Huron (Ann Arbor, Mich.)	20-1**
44	45	Sunnyslope (Phoenix, Ariz.)	21-1
45	46	North Little Rock (North Little Rock, Ark.)	21-2
46	47	Wauwatosa East (Wausatosa, Wis.)	23-3
47	NR	Etiwanda (Etiwanda, Calif.)	11-1****
48	48	Centerville (Centerville, Ohio)	26-3
49	49	Wayzata (Plymouth, Minn.)	19-2
50	50	St. Catherine’s (Racine, Wis.)	28-1

Dropped Out: Previous No. 45 Centennial (Corona, Calif.).

Bubble Teams:  Ardrey Kell (Charlotte, N.C.) 10-1; Atascocita (Humble, Texas) 24-3; Blue Ridge (St. George, Va.) 15-0; Calvary Christian Academy (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) 17-7; Cardinal Hayes (Bronx, N.Y.) 6-1; Catalina Foothills (Tuscon, Ariz.) 19-1; Catholic Central (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 20-0; Centennial (Corona, Calif.) 19-2****; Central (Little Rock, Ark.) 23-5; Chaminade (St. Louis, Mo.) 22-2; Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village, Col.) 17-1; Cleveland (Rio Rancho, N.M.) 14-1; Creighton Prep (Omaha, Neb.) 23-3; Davis (Kaysville, Utah) 22-4; Del City (Del City, Okla.) 22-4; DePaul College Prep (Chicago, Ill.) 14-2; Eastside Catholic (Sammamish, Wash.) 7-1****; Edmond Memorial (Edmond, Okla.) 17-2; Elizabethtown (Elizabethtown, Ky.) 22-3; Highlands (Ft. Thomas, Ky.) 30-4; Imhotep Charter (Philadelphia, Pa.) 14-0; Jefferson (Portland, Ore.) 5-0****; John Carroll (Bel Air, Md.) 11-5; Kickapoo (Springfield, Mo.) 28-2; La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.) 10-10; Las Cruces (Las Cruces, N.M.) 14-1; Mentor (Mentor, Ohio) 25-1; O’Dea (Seattle, Wash.) 8-1****; Richardson (Richardson, Texas) 25-2; Ribet Academy (Los Angeles, Calif.) 11-3****; Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.) 12-3; South Grand Prairie (Grand Prairie, Texas) 21-1; Starkville (Starkville, Miss.) 21-3; Stone Bridge (Ashburn, Va.) 16-1; St. Mary Prep (Orchard Lake, Mich.) 15-1; St. Mary’s (Pheonix, Ariz.) 20-1; Thunderidge (Highlands Ranch, Col.) 13-2; Vashon (St. Louis, Mo.) 15-1**; Waxahachie (Waxahachie, Texas) 20-3; Westlake (Saratoga Springs, Utah) 21-4; Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.) 27-5; Whitney Young (Chicago, Ill.) 15-1; Wilson (West Lawn, Pa.) 20-2.

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 21 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: @RonMFlores2

The post UPDATED FAB 50: CA Open Madness! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

In Episode No. 51 of our In The Paint Show,"  co-hosts Ronnie Flores and Devin Ugland go hard on the latest FAB 50 National Team Rankings, which were the most difficult to compile, and the most anticipated, in many years.

There was major movement and 11 newcomers this week, and the fellas bring on special guest coaches Josh Giles of Centennial (Corona, Calif.), whose team is one of this week's newcomers at No. 24, and Steve Smith of Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson Va.), whose team is up seven spots this week to No. 3.

While Centennial and Oak Hill Academy are both fine programs in their own right, the latter is used to high national rankings under Smith, whose program has been ranked in the FAB 50 (every year since 1989) before Centennial even opened in Southern California's Inland Empire. They both have one thing in common this season, however, and that's having expectations a bit lower than normal in the preseason. Centennial wasn't even ranked in Cal-Hi Sports' preseason Top 20 and Oak Hill started out at No. 8 in the FAB 50, its lowest preseason ranking since 1988-89, when the Warriors were unranked in the preseason but finished at No. 12.

Giles talks about how his team has exceeded expectations and what has been the keys to the team's success so far despite the off-season transfer of three senior starters. Smith talks about how satisfying it has been to coach this team, which he understood was going to start lower than usual in the national rankings. Smith knew this team had a chance to be a very good unit, led by LSU-bound guard Cam Thomas, and feels it's a better team than last year's club. Tune in to listen to why he feels this team can play with anybody, including FAB 50 No. 1 Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.).

With the recent news that USA Today is discontinuing its Super 25 national rankings, Smith reflects on the early days of national rankings, his program's big breakthrough in the Super 25 in 1987 behind All-American Brian Shorter and the difference in the rankings now and then.

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!

The post "In The Paint" Podcast GOES IN on NEW FAB 50 w/Coaches! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

RELATED: 5 Things We Learned At Tark

When the 16-team Platinum Division field was announced for the 2019 Tarkanian Classic, it looked like Centennial (Corona, Calif.) was going to a solid first-round opponent for one of the tourney's top seeds. By the time the brackets were announced, however, it was clear the Huskies were going to be a tough out for any of the top seeds, which happened to be FAB 50 No. 17 Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia, Pa.). This was based on Centennial's showing at its own BattleZone Tournament in late November, in which it defeated preseason FAB 50 No. 21 Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.) and gave Sheldon (Sacramento, Calif.) fits before falling, 74-67. In its first game in Las Vegas, Centennial indeed gave Neumann-Goretti all it could handle and was able to pull out a 68-64 win after trailing by five points with less than three minutes remaining.

Five days before the tournament began, Centennial defeated a Coronado (Henderson, Nev.) team that began the season ranked No. 41, 73-65. When Coronado won its first round game and saw that Centennial had gotten past Goretti, the Cougars were highly-motivated for a little payback. What transpired, however, showed that Centennial was going to be a force to be reckoned with in this bracket, as it rolled Coronado 83-48. Using its guard dominant, sprinting with and without-the-ball style, Centennial knocked off two more FAB 50 ranked teams to take home the Tarknian tournament title to become the fourth California program to win the prestigious tournament since it began in 2012.

In the tournament semifinals, Centennial pulled away down the stretch from No. 19 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) and won 63-53. It wouldn't be denied against host and No. 5 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) in the title game, as the Gaels were unable to rattle Centennial's ball-handlers or keep them from getting in the key, as the Huskies recorded a 71-55 victory.

Centennial (10-2) took a 29-18 halftime lead and got a big boost when senior Freddie Dybala hit a 3-pointer right before the halftime buzzer. Gorman (7-1) battled back to tie the game at 31-31, but Centennial freshman guard Jared McCain hit a 3-pointer to make it 34-31. Gorman eventually took a 35-34 lead, but the Huskies stormed right back and went on a 10-2 run to take control of the game.

One of Centennial's two losses was to No. 27 Sheldon (Sacramento, Calif.), and it looked like Centennial might have a rematch with a team it lost to earlier in the season. Sheldon was in control against Bishop Gorman in its semifinal contest, until the Gaels outscored the Huskies, 19-5, over the course of the final 2:25 to defeat Sheldon, 76-66. Gorman was hoping to rattle Centennial with its pressure defense as it did to Sheldon a game earlier, but when the Gaels were unable to make the Huskies uncomfortable with the ball, Centennial was able to make enough shots and rebound well enough to hold off Gorman the rest of the way.

The catalyst for Centennial was senior point guard Paris Dawson, who wore down Gorman with his relentless attacking with the ball, clutch shooting and on-court leadership. The Portland St.-bound point guard scored a game-high 27 points, including 5-of-11 shooting from 3-point range. Named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, Dawson averaged 21.5 ppg for the tournament and scored 22 points in the big first-round win over Neumann-Goretti. The Saints didn't lose another game and went on to win the consolation championship with a 79-75 victory over Skyridge (Lehi, Utah).

Paris Dawson (@parisdawson19) is named @TarkClassic MOP after leading Centennial (Corona, CA) to 4 wins over highly-ranked teams while scoring 21.5 ppg. Guys can't stay in front of him or speed him up & when that jumper is WET ?, it's over. Portland St. got a WINNER! ? pic.twitter.com/tb0Ce7VSS9

— www.ebooksnet.com (@Ballislife) December 22, 2019

Dawson took it upon himself to take that leadership role after two standouts and three potential starters left the program before the season began, including D1 recruit Jaylen Clark and UC-Irvine-bound D.J. Davis. Those moves made the Huskies smaller and younger, but it also made them faster and quicker. Centennial sprints and cuts as well as any team we've seen so far this season. Gorman was worn out by Centennial's style and when the Huskies shot as well as they did, the result was a major tourney championship.

"All I thought was 'next man up,'" Dawson said. "After D.J. left, I sat down and talked to coach (Josh Giles) about doing what had to be done to lead this team. I know what I can do, plus we have young guys who can play. That's the good thing about this team."

Dybala (eight points, eight rebounds vs. Gorman) was named all-tournament as was McCain, who netted 12 points in the championship game. For the tournament, McCain averaged 17.2 ppg, including 30 in the first game against Neumann-Goretti.

Will McClendon, a 6-foot-4 junior, was named all-tournament for Bishop Gorman, as was junior point guard Zaon Collins and senior forward Mwani Wilkinson. McClendon scored 17 points in the title game while Collins finished with seven points, five rebounds and eight assists. Both scoring outputs were the lowest of the tournament for the Gorman juniors, as McClendon averaged 21.5 ppg while Collins averaged 12.8 ppg and 9.3 apg. Wilkinson had 13 points and 15 rebounds in a losing effort versus Centennial.

Sheldon bounced back from its heart-breaking loss to Bishop Gorman in the semifinals to defeat Mater Dei in two overtimes, 70-62, in the Platinum Division third place game. Arizona St.-bound Marcus Bagley scored 23 points to place Sheldon (which defeated Centennial 74-67 on November 29) before injuring his ankle in the second overtime. Bagley averaged 23.5 ppg and was named all-tourney, as was Mater Dei's Kentucky-bound point guard Devin Askew.

Not only does Centennial's title run look good for Neumann-Goretti, it also bodes well for Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.), which handed Centennial its other loss in a game the Huskies hosted, 63-50. Harvard-Westlake, unranked in the FAB 50, is 12-0 entering the Beach Ball Classic in South Carolina where it opens up the post-season Christmas tournament with FAB 50 No. 36 Poly (Baltimore, Md.).

Bishop Gorman attained its lofty preseason national FAB 50 ranking based on its returning perimeter firepower and having two big men, both whom are no longer part of the program. If Gorman fares well at the Les Schwab Tournament in Oregon after Christmas, the Gaels won't fall too far in the next FAB 50 update because they do own a win over a team (Sheldon) that handed Centennial one of its two losses. Gorman could face Mater Dei in the title game of that tournament. As for Centennial, the Huskies are leaving for the King Cotton Tournament in Pine Bluff, Arkansas on Christmas night. Giles got a nice early Christmas present by winning the Tarkanian Classic for the first time, something that he began to see was a possibility in early November.

"Our guys play with a chip on their shoulder and have a great work ethic in practice," Giles said. "We got after it in the weight room and I knew we were going to be alright. I'm really happy and proud of this group."

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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Marcus Bagley Has A Chance
The younger brother of Sacramento Kings forward Marvin Bagley III has slowly been getting out from under his older brother's large shadow and he used Tark to completely break out and shine on his own for FAB 50 No. 27 ranked Sheldon (Sacramento, Calif.). The 6-foot-8 forward was banged up in Sheldon's 2019 state title quest, but now his legs are lively and he's jumping ability has taken his game to the next level. Bagley can leap vertically and is now throwing down horizontal dunks in the key and in traffic that he wasn't before. He's also getting tremendous lift on his jumper and it keeps defenders on their heels because he's so powerful and bouncy around the basket. Bagley had 28 points in Sheldon's tough 69-63 first round victory over Riverdale Baptist (Upper Marlboro, Md.) and was the difference-maker in the Huskies' gritty 48-37 quarterfinal victory over Westchester (Los Angeles). With Westchester holding a 31-29 lead, Bagley led a 19-0 run with 17 points, starting with a dunk and including three deep 3-pointers. When it was all over, Bagley had scored 35 of the Huskies' 48 points. When we say he has a chance, we mean to one day make some NBA money like his older brother. We also mean he's should have a real shot at the 2020 McDonald's All-American Game in Houston.

There Is Plenty Of Parity Among Elite Teams
With the possible exception of FAB 50 top-ranked Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.), the early results of holiday events around the country show almost any elite team can beat another. There are a couple of reasons. When you look at the Pangos Elite 8 Prep Division alone, you realize how many talented players are toiling on teams not eligible for credible national polls. Just imagine how much better some programs would be if players such as guard Dashien Nix of Trinity International (Las Las Vegas), Tre White and Jerrell Colbert of Cornerstone Christian (San Antonio, Texas), Carlos Rosario of Veritas Prep (Santa Fe Springs, Calif.), MarJon Beauchamp and Arthur Kaluma of Dream City Christian (Glendale, Ariz.) and Frankie Collins of AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.) among others, were on traditional high school teams. It's easy to understand just how much better public and parochial teams around the West would be if these types of players were on the roster as they likely would have been 15-20 years ago and prior. In the FAB 50, teams below No. 15 simply can beat each other on almost any given night. Another reason is fans often confuse teams with highly nationally ranked players with FAB 50 ranked teams. Not all FAB 50 ranked teams have high-major recruits and not all team with rosters dotted with high majors deserved to be ranked. A good example is Centennial (Corona, Calif.), whose senior leader is Portland St.-bound Paris Dawson, who scored 22 points in the Huskies' 63-53 semifinal win over No. 19 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) and scored 59 points through the first three victories. The Huskies play well together and consistently play hard, which is often a much bigger determining factor in high school basketball than elite talent. Other examples of FAB 50 ranked teams with this makeup include No. 3 St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.), No. 14 Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) and No. 26 Scotlandville (Baton Rouge, La.).

Small Ball Is All The Rage
When Platinum Division entrant Centennial (Corona, Calif.) defeated preseason No. 21 Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.) at its BattleZone tournament, it certainly raised eyebrows. The first question fans and scouts asked as was "how can a team with Evan Mobley lose to a team without a big man?" Mobley is the front-runner for national player of the year (Mr. Basketball USA), so it's a relevant question. The answer we give is, one, guards dominate high school basketball and two, being in shape and sprinting with the ball under control is one of the most valuable aspects of the game at this level and Centennial does it as well as any team we've watched so far. On the other end, Centennial guards the ball with the same energy and stamina. As the Huskies have advanced to the Platinum Division semifinals, perhaps that Rancho Christian result shouldn't be all that surprising. With its relentless style, Centennial also defeated Coronado (Henderson, Nev.) twice (including a 83-48 waxing in the quarterfinals of a team that began No. 41 in the FAB 50), current No. 17 Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia) in the first round and, of course, No. 19 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) in the semifinals. As the Tarkanian and the season wears on, these results might not even be that surprising because Centennial's four-guard attack is that lethal, especially when the guards are shooting well as they did in Las Vegas. Centennial coach Josh Giles has done a terrific job with a team that lost three potential starters to transfer in the off-season. The players he lost, however, don't sprint with the ball, stop and start quite like the guys in the lineup now. Plenty of other teams around this country utilize this style instead of trying to force undersized post players on the floor. Sure, talented players with size are always a plus, but there is a way to beat elite teams with size.

Dashien Nix Can Be As Good As He Wants
The most impressive player at the 2019 Tarkanian Classic likely wasn't in the Platinum, The Eight or from Sierra Canyon, it was a 6-foot-4 point guard from Anchorage, Alaska who attends an independent academy just west of the famous Las Vegas strip. Nix is that player, and he led Trinity International (Las Vegas) to the Pangos Elite 8 Prep Division title with a trio of show-stopping performances. Nix controls the game with his pin-point passing, shot-making ability and strength. Nix just has a court presence and confidence that rubs off on teammates and makes a difference on the court. Nix had 32 points in the 73-65 title game win over a talented AZ Compass Prep (Pheonix) team, had a 40-point outburst in a first round win over Tre White and his team at Cornerstone Christian (San Antonio, Texas) and averaged 31 ppg in the eight-team bracket. Nix rates right with Salen Suggs of Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis, Minn.) and returning National Junior Player of the Year Sharife Cooper of McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) as the nation's top lead guards in the 2020 class. The scary thing is, Nix's room for improvement might be the largest among the trio.

#1 ranked Point guard - UCLA bound Daishen Nix pic.twitter.com/vGq5U4nxPz

— www.ebooksnet.com (@Ballislife) December 20, 2019

There Was Plenty Of 2023 Talent In Vegas
The freshman class is shaping up to be a dynamite group on the West Coast, and nationally, and we had a chance to get a good look at five of them at Bishop Gorman and The Orleans Arena. We'd be remiss to not start off with 6-foot Jared McCain, a sharp-shooting point guard from Centennial (Corona, Calif.), which is the team everybody is talking about among the Platinum bracket. McCain plays with the poise of a seasoned college player and is never rushed or rattled going up against the pressure defense of highly-ranked teams. In the Huskies' 68-64 first round upset win over FAB 50 No. 17 Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia), which they pulled out after trailing by five points in the final four minutes, McCain hit seven 3-pointers in the second half and had eight for the game en route to a 30-point performance. McCain also had 13 points in Centennial's 83-48 waxing of a good Coronado (Henderson, Nev.) team in the quarterfinals and had 14 big points in the 63-53 semifinal win over No. 19 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.). FAB 50 No. 6 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) has 6-foot-1 Bronny James on its roster and he continues to progress and make an impact for California's top-ranked team. The Trailblazers played two showcase games and in a 76-55 victory over No. 47 Oak Ridge (Orlando, Fla.) and James finished with 13 points on 5-of-10 shooting and looked good on the boards and setting up teammates. His playing time is a bit inconsistent on a loaded roster and the next night in a 66-44 win over Northeast (Oakland Park, Fla.) Bronny on attempted one field goal. Northeast has twin freshmen that really turned heads in Las Vegas: Matthew Bewley (6-8) and Ryan Bewley (6-9). Both drew plenty of attention and right now its Matthew who is a bit more advanced, as he can face up and handle and is more of a perimeter threat. Ryan works underneath more often and is springy on the glass. Both brothers are thoroughbreds up and down the court and Matthew can also defend multiple positions on the perimeter. Matthew reminds us a bit of a combination of 2000 Mr. Basketball USA Darius Miles (who was the No. 3 pick of that year's NBA Draft) and 1993 high school All-American Jerald Honeycutt. A couple other freshmen who's had an impact and is one to track for the rest of the season is 6-foot-8 Jalen Lewis of Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland, Calif.) and 6-foot-1 Sebastian Mack of Durango (Las Vegas, Nev.).

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

Daimion Collins

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When many of the top teams travel cross country to play in holiday tournaments, often times it’s not the most talented team that advances. It's the one that stays disciplined in its travel regimen and is rested and prepared to compete at the highest level.

That’s definitely the case for FAB 50 ranked No. 30 Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.), which is coming off one of the craziest and most memorable regular season games involving highly-ranked teams in recent memory. Wood nearly had FAB 50 No. 2 Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) beat, but gave up a big fourth quarter lead and fell in seven overtimes, 130-128. The game was played last Saturday evening in Philadelphia (Eastern Time) and finished after midnight. The Vikings had to be at the airport on Sunday morning at 4:30 am to catch their flight to the Iolani Classic in Hawaii all the way across the country. Wood landed at 8:45 pm (Eastern), 16 hours later. Those are the types of occurrences that often affect what transpires on the court.

Wood joins three other FAB 50 ranked teams in Hawaii: No. 10 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), No. 18 Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, N.Y.) and No. 21 Wasatch Academy. Interestingly, three of those teams are on the opposite side of the bracket as Oak Hill Academy, which should get to the championship game slated for Saturday evening December 21. LSU-bound Cam Thomas is playing terrific for the Warriors, and he perhaps could jump into the Mr. Basketball USA conversation with big outings in Hawaii and a tourney championship for Oak Hill.

Wood, on the other hand, will have its hands full by the quarterfinals, where it could face No. 21 Wasatch Academy. That quarterfinal game could pit Wood 2021 point guard Rahsool Diggins versus Wasatch Academy 2022 lead guard Richard Isaacs Jr. It doesn’t appear strongman Mady Sissoko will return for Wasatch Academy after an off-season hand injury, so if Wood’s underclass dominated front court can rebound it will have a strong chance to win the quarterfinal showdown. Also watch out for Wood’s Daeshon Sheperd, as the 6-foot-5 junior wing will have to score big for Wood to advance to the tourney semifinals. Long Island Lutheran will likely be awaiting in the semifinals, where another good point guard, Illinois-bound Andre Curbelo, would match wits with either Isaacs or Diggins. It should make for a terrific semifinal contest, as Long Island Lutheran rates as the slight favorite to reach the championship round.

The Tarkanian Classic boasts four teams in its main bracket, two on each side. It would seem No. 17 Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia, Pa.) would meet No. 19 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) in one semifinal, with host program and No. 5 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) facing No. 27 Sheldon (Sacramento, Calif.) on the opposite side. However, don’t be too surprised if the seeds don’t hold up. There are plenty of dangerous teams capable of knocking off the top seeds and a few teams that have already defeated ranked clubs or were once themselves in the FAB 50.

Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia, Pa.) has a super-tough test right off the bat against bubble club Centennial (Corona, Calif.), which despite its guard heavy lineup and losing three potential starters to transfer, has played terrific ball. The Huskies run their sets and harass ball-handlers into submission, so the Saints will have their hands full. The matchup to watch will be Goretti’s Hakim Byrd, one of the top uncommitted guards in Pennsylvania, versus Centennial’s Paris Dawson, who’s headed to Portland St. If Dawson has the outside shot rolling, Centennial could pull off the mild upset. Last Saturday, Centennial defeated previous No. 40 Coronado (Henderson, Nev.), 73-65, by speeding up the Cougars' guards. Ironically, if Centennial defeats the Saints in the first round, it could meet Coronado again in the quarterfinals. Coronado has a tough first round game against Bishop O’Dowd (Oakland, Calif.), which is always a tough out in this tournament and boasts terrific 2023 forward Jalen Lewis. O’Dowd is another team that can really defend the ball, so Jaden Hardy and the other Cougars guards are going to have to take care of the ball and hit timely shots to give the team an opportunity to advance to the semifinals. On the other hand, Mater Dei, which won the first two Tarkanian Classics in 2012 and 2013, should advance to the semifinal contest, with St. Augustine (San Diego, Calif.) giving it a solid challenge in the quarterfinals.

Bishop Gorman always plays tough at home, so it would be the favorites in its quarterfinal contest between either Fairfax (Los Angeles) or Thomas Jefferson (Brooklyn, N.Y.), which is a pick’em game in the first round. Jefferson comes in ranked No. 8 in New York City at 6-3, while Fairfax is unbeaten and already owns a win over archival Westchester (Los Angeles). Fairfax has been getting some excellent scoring performances from San Diego St.-bound Keith Dinwiddie, so if he gets off to a good start it could carry over to the rest of the tournament. Westchester is actually on the same side of the bracket as its rival, but it’s doubtful the L.A. City Section powers will meet in the championship semifinals. The Comets have their hands full with Marion (Ark.), which started off FAB 50 ranked and could be a surprise on its side of the bracket. Marion has a terrific backcourt featuring 6-foot-3 2020 shooting guard Detrick Reeves Jr. and 6-foot 2020 point guard Makyi Boyce. In addition to Lewis, Marion has one of the top freshman in the Tarkanian in 6-foot-1 Jayden Forrest. Westchester is always tough defensively, but lacks scoring consistency thus far.

If Neumann-Goretti-Corona Centennial is not the best first round matchup, then it's No. 27 Sheldon (Sacramento, Calif.) versus bubble club Riverdale Baptist (Upper Marlboro, Md.). One-loss Riverdale Baptist is capable of an upset behind its terrific transfer backcourt of Devon Savage (6-3, 2021) and Guy Flauntroy (5-10, 2021). Sheldon has plenty of weapons and perhaps for the first time in recent memory is healthy and has all its players eligible early in the season. Arizona St.-bound Marcus Bagley of Sheldon could really stamp himself as one of the best players on the West Coast with a big tourney performance, while unsigned senior guard Xavion Brown will have to continue to make plays on both sides of the ball and pound the boards to offset Savage's and Flauntroy’s production. A Sheldon-Marion quarterfinal could be a close game, and if Gorman doesn’t have the services of Stanford-bound Noah Taitz and transfer center Christian Bento is not ready for the intensity of this tourney, Gorman could be upset in the semifinals. The Gaels, however, usually shoot good and play well at home so they are the slight favorites by a whisker in its side of the bracket over Sheldon.

There will be two more FAB 50 ranked teams at the Tarkanian and they will face each other on Wednesday night in a showcase game: No. 47 Oak Ridge (Orlando, Fla.) and No. 6 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.). Many local fans will come out to watch Sierra Canyon, particularly freshman Bronny James, but it will be senior wing B.J. Boston and sophomore guard Amari Bailey Oak Ridge has to worry about slowing down. Oak Ridge has a terrific 1-2 punch with 6-foot-5 Michael James (2021) and 6-foot-3 Jalen Smith (2021). James is one of the fastest-rising juniors in the country and comes in averaging 19.2 ppg, while Smith sports norms of 16 points and six assists. The following night, the Trailblazers will face Northeast (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.), a talented team featuring 6-foot-5 Wesley Cardet (2021), 6-foot-3 J.J. Harris (2021) and the highly regarded Bewley Twins, standout 6-foot-8 2023 prospects Matthew Bewley and Ryan Bewley. Sierra Canyon will have its hands full, with Oak Ridge a bit more battle-tested at this level.

Both Oak Ridge and Northeast will participate in the Tarkanian’s “The Eight” Bracket with Oak Ridge the slight favorites. Northeast will have a tough first-round game with Capital Christian (Sacramento, Calif.). Oak Ridge will likely have a tough semifinal contest on Friday with either Liberty (Henderson, Nev.) or Poly (Riverside, Calif.). Poly will have to slow down Liberty’s Julian Strawther, a Gonzaga-bound wing who is capable of 40 point performances against any team in the "The Eight” bracket. The other first-round game pits Mayfair (Lakewood, Calif.) and Desert Pines (Las Vegas, Nev.), the latter a talented team which could give Northeast fits. Mayfair is the type of team that could get upset or has the ability to win the entire bracket behind the spectacular play of senior guard Josh Christopher.

The City of Palms Classic boasts 10 FAB 50 ranked teams in its main bracket, with five on each side. On one side it doesn’t look like any team will have the horses to knock off No. 1 Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.). As we stated in this week’s updated FAB 50 rankings, it will take a special performance to knock off the Eagles.

The best first-round matchup is No. 20 Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.) vs. No. 34 Briarcrest Christian (Eads, Tenn.), with the winner likely facing No. 8 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) in the quarterfinals. Stepinac can definitely make IMG work and its an excellent opportunity for Briarcrest Christian to show it’s a team to be reckoned with on a national scale. No. 15 Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) is battle-tested, but taking down No. 23 O’Dea (Seattle, Wash.) to get to the semifinals won’t be an easy task. It would seem IMG would be the favorites on its side of the bracket, and if Stepinac could pull off the upset it would be our dark horse finalist against Montverde Academy.

As it that isn’t enough, the COP Signature Series is just as intriguing. In fact, the game we're most looking forward to down in Ft. Myers is No. 4 Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.) versus No. 3 Saint Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.). It’s a terrific opportunity for the Panthers to prove their rankings worth. Saint Frances Academy is a balanced club with no elite superstar, but the Panthers play hard, play together and are experienced. Sunrise’s Kendall Brown is one of the fastest-rising players in the country and the Buffaloes would rate as a slight favorite in this game based on whom they beat so far. The other Signature Series semifinal pits No. 9 Hamilton Heights Christian Academy (Chattanooga, Tenn.)  and its fast-rising 2020 Samson Ruzhentsev versus No. 28 West Oaks Academy (Orlando, Fla.). West Oaks is battle-tested and whomever comes out of this mini-bracket with two wins will clearly be one of the best teams in the country heading into 2020.

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

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In episode No. 13 of our ?In The Paint Show," hosts Ronnie Flores and Devin Ugland break down and offer predictions for the NorCal and SoCal regional championships, talk about LeBron James calling out his teammates in the media and go in on the NBA's recent proposal to lower the age minimum for the NBA Draft from 19 to 18 years old.

The fellas talk about James' decision to call out teammates as the Los Angeles Lakers look to stay relevant in the Western Conference playoff race. Did management screw this up before it ever got started by placing an aging superstar with a young core that is simply not ready to compete for a NBA championship? Did LeBron throw off the time clock for the entire franchise by brining his closing championship window to La La land?

Ron and Dev also break down what it would mean if the NBA allowed high school players to enter the NBA Draft once again as it did before the "One-and-Done" rule was established for the 2006 NBA Draft. They go hard on the pros and cons of the?NBA's proposal to change the draft age from 19 to 18 years old. What does it mean that the league is much younger than it used to be? Will a bunch of unprepared players try to declare for the NBA Draft if a new age requirement is in place by 2022?

Also check out this week's pod to see how if Ron and Devin know their stuff as it relates to the CIF regional playoffs? Were their first round predictions spot on or bricks? Hint: Devin know his stuff!

The fellas covered plenty of topics this week, so make sure to give our Pod a listen and share it with friends!

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!

Subscribe to our new Podcast on iTunes here

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