By Ronnie Flores

RELATED:    | HS Basketball in 2021: What's In Store?

Since the FAB 50 got off the ground over 30 years ago, the first update of the New Year is usually volatile because of the results of the plethora of holiday tournaments across the country involving ranked teams. Because of COVID-19, of course, many of this season's top tournaments were cancelled, which meant there were less big-time match ups involving elite teams over the holiday break.

The long-running Beach Ball Classic in Myrtle Beach, S.C., is one event that continued on and was responsible for some of the changes in the updated FAB 50 National Team Rankings powered by www.ebooksnet.com. This week there are four newcomers, including No. 18 West Oaks Academy (Orlando, Fla.), the champions of the BBC's Winter Jam National Division.

The Flame bested Word of God Academy (Raleigh, N.C.), 83-73, Winston Salem Christian (Winston Salem, N.C.), 70-46, and previous No. 18 Combine Academy (Lincolnton, N.C.) in the title game, 69-65, to move back in the nation's longest-running rankings after dropping some early games while nursing injuries to key players. Talented sophomore forward Matthew Bewley led four West Oak Academy players in double figures with 20 points and eight rebounds in the title game. Senior Justin Neely added 18 points for the Flame, who got 18 points and 12 rebounds in the semifinal win over Winston Salem Christian from Bewley and 18 points from A.J. Neal in the quarterfinal win over Word of God.

Matthew Bewley

6'8"   -   PF   -   2023

West Oaks replaces Combine Academy (who has split games with talented Moravian Prep of North Carolina) at No. 18 while Jeff McGinnis' club drops to No. 27. Combine Academy defeated the Baltimore Panthers (a club made up of players from St. Frances Academy) in its semifinal contest.

"Our team has battled a lot of injuries throughout the season, but I am staying positive because it is a blessing to just be able to play," West Oaks Academy coach Kenny Gillion said. "We have no problem following protocols of wearing masks, sanitizing and taking mandatory COVID-19 tests."

The winner of the traditional BBC bracket was Milton (Ga.), which won four games in Myrtle Beach to capture its first tourney title since 2011. Bruce Thornton, a talented junior already committed to Ohio St., had 22 points, six rebounds and five assists to pace the Eagles in their 70-57 title game victory over No. 37 Calvary Christian Academy (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.). Milton had seven players score seven or more points in the win over a team that whose only other losses are to FAB 50 No. 1 Montverde Academy (97-77) and to No. 2 IMG Academy (69-62)

Thornton averaged 21.0 ppg and 5.0 rpg in Milton's four victories. Making Allen Whitehart's club tournament title even more impressive was the fact it won the championship game without talented sophomore guard Kanaan Carlyle, who sat out because of an injury. When Milton last captured the BBC in 2011, it finished the 2011-12 season 31-1 on-court and No. 7 in the FAB 50.

The other big news is the plethora of teams that have still not officially started their season and those that may never get to. Many state associations were originally scheduled to begin January 4, but there has been some pushback to that while some associations are sticking with that date.

Associations beginning practice this week include the Minnesota State High School League (Jan. 4). Games are scheduled to commence this week for the Kentucky High School Athletic Association (Jan. 4) and the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (Jan. 6). Practice is scheduled to begin for the Philadelphia Catholic League and the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association on Jan. 11. The Michigan High School Athletic Association is set to begin practice Jan. 16, while the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association is scheduled to begin games on Feb. 1.

Privately, some coaches on the Eastern Seaboard and the far West Coast are not terribly optimistic their season will get off the ground. Some school districts are ready to move forward, but communication from local health departments and government offices has been frustrating for them. Some coaches www.ebooksnet.com talks to at least a few times per month to get updates on their receptive team also expressed their frustrations on how the season can be rolling along in some states like COVID-19 doesn't exist, while the Pandemic is treated quite differently in others.

In Illinois, four parents decided to su Governor J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) over the cancellation of winter sports.

The season is moving along, and starting later this week some of the nation's elite teams will enter a bubble situation at the National Interscholastic Basketball Conference (NIBC) St. James Invitational in Springfield, Va. A plethora of showcase games are scheduled between January 8-18 and we'll have more details on that event later this week on www.ebooksnet.com.

RELATED:    | HS Basketball in 2021: What's In Store?

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

(3rd poll of 2020-21 regular season; Through games played on Sunday, January 3; *Indicates forfeit wins, forfeit losses not included; **Indicates forfeits and defaults not included)

Dropped Out: Previous No. 22 John Marshall (Richmond, Va.); No. 37 Shadow Creek (Pearland, Texas); No. 39 Pebblebrook (Mableton, Ga.); No. 48 Marion (Marion, Ind.).

Bubble Teams:  Adams (South Bend, Ind.) 9-0; American Fork (American Fork, Utah) 7-2; Bellevue West (Bellevue, Neb.) 7-1; Blazer (Ashland, Ky.) 0-0; Blue Ridge (St. George, Va.) 8-0; Blue Valley Northwest (Overland Park, Kan.) 3-0; Brookfield Central (Brookfield, Wis.) 7-1; Callaway (Jackson, Miss.) 2-0; Carmel (Carmel, Ind.) 8-0; Centennial (Corona, Calif.) 0-0; Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village, Col.) 0-0; Christ The King (Middle Village, N.Y.) 0-0; Christian Brothers (St. Louis, Mo.) 2-0; Clinton (Clinton, Miss.) 7-0; Cretin-Derham Hall (St. Paul, Minn.) 0-0; Crispus Attucks (Indianapolis, Ind.) 9-2; Dr. Phillips (Orlando, Fla.) 9-1; Eastside Catholic (Sammamish, Wash.) 0-0; Edmond Memorial (Edmond, Okla.) 4-0; Fenwick (Oak Park, Ill.) 0-0; Garfield (Seattle, Wash.) 0-0; Grand Blanc (Grand Blanc, Mich.) 0-0; Green Run (Virginia Beach, Va.) 0-0; Hamilton Heights Christian Academy (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 2-2; Hopkins (Minnetonka, Minn.) 0-0; Houston (Germantown, Tenn.) 6-2; Jefferson (Portland, Ore.) 0-0; Kell (Marietta, Ga.) 9-4; King’s Fork (Suffolk, Va.) 0-0; Knoxville Catholic (Knoxville, Tenn.) 8-2; Las Cruces (Las Cruces, N.M.) 0-0; Magnolia (Magnolia, Ark.) 6-0; Male (Louisville, Ky.) 0-0; Marion (Marion, Ark.) 8-1; McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) 11-3; Mountain Pointe (Pheonix, Ariz.) 0-0; North Little Rock (North Little Rock, Ark.) 6-0; Oak Grove (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 5-0; Oak Ridge (Orlando, Fla.) 10-1; Pebblebrook (Mableton, Ga.) 13-2; Rangeview (Aurora, Col.) 0-0; Richardson (Richardson, Texas) 7-1; River Rouge (River Rouge, Mich.) 0-0; Riverside (Greer, S.C.) 9-1; Seattle Prep (Seattle, Wash.) 0-0; Starkville (Starkville, Miss.) 9-1; St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) 0-0; St. John’s (Washington, D.C.) 0-0; St. Mark’s (Dallas, Texas) 3-1; Waxahachie (Waxahachie, Texas) 8-2; Westover (Fayetteville, N.C.) 0-0; Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.) 10-3; Windward (Los Angeles, Calif.) 0-0.

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 NEW FAB 50: New Year Brings Uncertainty, Hope appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

By Ronnie Flores

There was little doubt in the preseason the COVID-19 Pandemic was going to affect the 2020-21 high school basketball season, it was just a matter to what level. Before the season began, many of the top traditional holiday tournaments were scrapped, and after the season got underway in selected states, events such as the Spalding Hoophall Classic and Bass Pro Tournament of Champions were nixed.

There will be less games involving FAB 50 ranked teams over the traditional holiday break, but the second phase of the COVID-19 fallout is now upon us: teams not being able to play at all in the 2020-21 season because of public health guidelines set by government health departments and implemented by school districts.

On December 1, Clark County School District, which contains 72 high schools in the greater Las Vegas Valley of Southern Nevada, cancelled winter sports. Clark County School District includes Coronado (Henderson, Nev.) and Desert Pines (Las Vegas), two teams that started out No. 37 and No. 48, respectively, in the preseason FAB 50 National Team Rankings powered by www.ebooksnet.com and had high hopes of winning a Nevada Interscholastic Athletic Association (NIAA) Class 4A title. Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), the perennial NIAA power and nine-time defending NIAA champions, technically could have had a season, but with no local opponents and its best in-state competition not available to play, the Gaels opted out.

As we stated in the first FAB 50 update of the regular season, once we verify a team's regular season has been canceled, they will be removed from the rankings in the next update (provided they didn't play enough sanctioned contests to qualify for the final rankings). That's the case this week with Coronado, Desert Pines and Bishop Gorman, as the Nevada trio drops out of the FAB 50 to make room for talented teams whose seasons are still on the shelf. It's an unfortunate situation, but the reality of what high school sports is dealing with as we enter 2021.

In Virginia, Richmond Public Schools (RPS) cancelled winter sports (including basketball) on November 10, following the lead of the Arlington Public School system. Five days later, APS changed course and announced it will have a winter sports season. We are still awaiting verification of RPS' decision and if it holds, No. 22 John Marshall (Richmond, Va.) will be removed from the rankings. The Justices are the defending Virginia High School League (VHSL) Class 2A champions and return four starters. For now, John Marshall remains at No. 22.

In most jurisdictions, the county and state health departments set COVID-19 guidelines that school districts use to determine the best and safest course of action for its student-athletes. To be clear, the NIAA and the VHSL have not completely cancelled basketball. It was a school district decision and in most cases, athletic governing bodies don't dictate what school districts do.

Last week, the VHSL mandated that masks (facial coverings) must be worn at practice and competition during the winter season, based on recommendations from the Virginia Department of Health. Earlier today, the governing body rescinded its mask mandate. We've seen masks mandates made by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) and games in Wisconsin where they are required. Other school districts and governing bodies are trying to figure out the best course of action going forward to play in a safe manner. As one could imagine, players and parents have big-time concerns.

There have been published start dates in states that have not started competition, but many of them are fluid meaning they could be pushed back at any time. A handful of states are set to begin on January 4, 2021 with some states starting basketball later that month. California is still set for March 12, with New Mexico beginning on March 22 and Oregon set to begin a six-week season on May 17.

We take pride in our rankings' (the longest-running in the industry) focus on the on-court results, but obviously off-the-court issues will be a big factor this season and there will be adjustments made along the way. While three teams did enter the rankings because of the misfortune of the NIAA member schools, three other programs did break into the FAB 50 based on what transpired on the court.

The highest-rated of six newcomers is No. 28 Lawrence North (Indianapolis), which defeated previous No. 18 Moeller (Cincinnati) in overtime, 58-57. The Fighting' Crusaders saw a 27-game winning streak snapped, but they still rate as Ohio No. 1 after defeating FAB 50 No. 45 St. Vincent-St. Mary (Akron, Ohio), 66-57, in their previous game.

In Texas, Atascocita (Humble, Texas) remained unbeaten with a 59-56 win over previous No. 35 Shadow Creek (Pearland, Texas) to hand that club its first loss of the season at the Holiday Hoopfest in Houston. The Eagles are the second highest-rated newcomer this week at No. 33.

The next FAB 50 update is scheduled for Monday, January 4.

RELATED:  Preseason 2020-21 FAB 50 Breakdowns | Preseason 2020-21 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker |

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

The post NEW FAB 50: Teams Hopeful, Others Done! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

RELATED: 3 Things To Do For 2020-21 Season

There is no doubt COVID-19 has touched every aspect of life and high school and college basketball recruiting is no different. The pandemic has made colleges coaches re-evaluate how they build a roster and what is important they spend their time on. Some have even built new, innovative ways to work our use space on their campus facilities.

Many things are temporarily halted or changed in the world of high school and grassroots basketball, but when it comes to recruiting some of the changes will end up being permanent. College coaching staffs are finding out it's advantageous to keep some of the things they've implemented since COVID-19 became a world-wide issue back in March. Below are five ways college basketball recruiting has changed that you need to know about.

Colleges Are Making Evaluation Decisions Earlier
According to new NCAA rules, D1 recruits in most sports can now start taking official and unofficial visits starting August 1 before their junior year of high school. Obviously, nobody is taking campus visits right now during the pandemic, but when colleges are once again allowed to, potential scholarship players will be visiting as rising juniors. That means colleges will focus on on potential players they will ultimately offer sooner than ever. That means players have to physically and emotionally ready to approach the game in the necessary manner to secure a scholarship (habits, training, etc.) and be more realistic than ever about the level that makes most sense for them to play at.

Colleges Won't Get Rid Of Their New Techniques After COVID-19
College coaching staffs enjoy zoom and virtual meetings and will continue to use them as a part of their recruiting process after there is a COVID-19 vaccine. It's a way to easily stay connected to potential recruits (and trusted sources), get to know them a bit and to avoid taking unnecessary trips that waste money and valuable time. Student-athletes should get make sure to download and learn how to use all the popular virtual meeting apps. They should also make sure to keep scheduled appointments and clearly communicate with their high school, travel ball or potential college coach if they can't make a meeting or need to re-schedule. Now would be a good time to create a calendar because successful student-athletes at the college level and successful businessmen use one.

Colleges Are Relying More On Others' Evaluations More
It's no secret college coaches haven't evaluated players in person since early March. They won't see any 2021 or 2022 recruits this summer or fall. Because of that, college coaching staffs are relying on the trusted scouting services they subscribe to and rely on more than ever. The people in the industry they trust are more important than ever. While alot of coaches (and fans) don't think player rankings mean anything, what will always be true is that its beneficial for those evaluating you to believe you are of high character and responsible. It's not a good look when a scout is being honest and he has to tell a college coach he's seen you have a bad attitude, act selfishly, or display poor sportsmanship. Now, more than ever, student-athletes' character is important and it's also a good thing to keep a positive relationship or reputation with credible evaluators. If you don't know them, introduce yourself and be cordial when they introduce themselves.

Colleges Are Looking For Self-Motivated Players
High school and college players are away from their coaches more than they have ever been because of the pandemic. Right now, some don't have anyone to push them to train, work out, or seek somewhere to play. In these times, it's easy to lose focus, get lazy or get off track when it comes to one's on-court development. Sure, part of a college coaches' job is to motivate his or her roster, but more than ever college coaching staffs are looking for motivated players. Will the player follow the regimen the coach outlined? Will he attend voluntary workouts without alot of pushback? Coaches want to know a player is just more than skilled, they want to know what potential recruits have that drive and competitiveness to compete for a rotation spot or take minutes from an upperclassman. This is especially true in light of the robust transfer portal. If a freshman can't compete, why would a college waste its time when there is older, more seasoned, talent available in the transfer portal?

Colleges' Recruiting Budgets Are Affected By COVID-19
Not every college has the budget of the best and biggest Blue Bloods, and the pandemic has affected college sports programs across the board. Fortunately, it doesn't seem that many (if any) colleges will drop men's or women's basketball, but it doesn't mean athletic departments won't be more frivolous in their recruiting budgets or communicate to their coaching staffs that things have to be done with the almighty dollar in mind more than ever. Colleges don't have the time to watch players they can't recruit, go recruit in regions they normally don't land players from or correspond or watch film of players who can't compete at their level. With that in mind, it's important to be realistic, pro-active, and open-minded about the recruiting process. Colleges are going to rely more on technology to evaluate so quality game film and access to it is a must. Make sure to don't forget to identify yourself on your game tape. And just because colleges are casting a narrower net because of the state of the game, doesn't mean you have to as a potential recruit. In fact, cast a wider net, reach out to colleges (don't be generic, college coaches can sniff that out) and don't be afraid. What's the worse that can happen? So you don't get a response or a response that informs you they are not interested. Simply try another program. Keeping a positive attitude about the recruiting process will put you in the best position possible when opportunity knocks.

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 5 Ways COVID-19 Has Changed Recruiting appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

Related: 5 Ways College Recruiting Has Changed?

As of earlier this week, at least four states have pushed back football to calendar year 2021. New Mexico was the first to announce on July 9. The Virginia High School League (VHSL) will have football in the winter, as will Nevada and California. The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) will begin its basketball season on March 12, by far the latest start date so far that's been officially announced. (Coaches react to CIF start date in our latest "In The Paint" podcast below)

Fifteen states, so far, have pushed the start of their 2020-21 sports calendar back. Expect a vast majority of them to be altered in some fashion. And when we say altered, we mean if our government gets some control over the spread of COVID-19 because of it doesn't, these announcements regarding the 2020-21 school year will be a moot point. Below are three things likely to happen as a result of the sports calendar changes and the first three things you should do to prepare to put yourself in the best available position to have a good season and earn a scholarship.

3 Things That Will Happen

1. Things Will Rapidly Change, So Have Proper Attitude
Many state associations have announced their calendar, but things could change depending on the availability of a vaccine. Either way, your gym time could be curtailed this school year and everybody will be adjusting to getting back into a classroom setting for the first time in over nine months. It's important to have a good attitude and expected the unexpected. Be prepared for the worst possible scenario when it comes to practice time or game conditions (no parents allowed, etc.).

2. Colleges Won't Evaluate Live This Fall
The Class of 2021 is clearly behind the eight-ball when it comes to recruiting opportunities and the pandemic could also affect the 2022 class as well. Already student-athletes missed the spring live period, any scholastic-based June live events that the NCAA planned and the summer live period. Some colleges coaches have already mentioned to Ballislife it's highly unlikely the NCAA will have a live period this fall or allow coaches to travel by plane on school time. This means student-athletes will have to be pro-active in the recruiting process more than ever.

3. There Will Be a New Normal
You've probably heard this before, but you have to know what this means. What is going to change about your education or campus experience? There will also be a fallout from the pandemic that we haven't reached yet. Many people will be uprooted or lose their jobs, if they haven't already. Many student-athletes will have to adjust to a new situation, may have to make some hard decisions about secondary sports they play or be more realistic than ever about the scholarship opportunities that will be available to them. Since the transfer portal became such a huge part of the college landscape, the true freshman has become a bit less important to colleges plans, and that will be especially true for the 2021 class.

-Ronnie Flores

3 Things You Should Do To Prepare

1. Be Proactive With Your Own Recruitment
Just because there were no live viewing periods in the spring and summer and likely none in the fall doesn't mean you can't be on the radar of a college coach. Take the necessary steps to reach out to college coaches on your own. The first thing I would do as a 2021 high school prospect is create a list or spreadsheet of email addresses of head and assistant college coaches. This information can be found with a simple google search of college men's basketball programs. Take down the full name of each coach, where they coach and their email address, which leads into my second preparation tool.

2. Gather Your Film and Send It Out
And by film, I mean actual game film, not a highlight reel. Once you've amassed a list of college programs that interest you, the next step would be to compose a well-written email, include links to your film and send if off to the respective coaching staffs. In the email make sure to include your vitals: full name, the high school you attend, the club or travel team you play for, your graduating class, height, weight, position, and, most importantly, your uniform number in the film you sent. Having all of these small details included in the body text of the email will make it more likely to catch the eye of a college coach.

3. Stay Sharp On and Off The Court
There's no doubt that gym time - both for hooping and weight lifting - is and will become much more difficult to come by, but there are still plenty of ways to keep game sharp and stay in shape during this time at home or at a nearby park that still has its basketball rims up. Another way to stay sharp in a basketball sense is by watching and breaking down your own game film. Watch yourself on film and be honest about what you see. Write down strengths and weaknesses of your game or even write down specific plays that you thought resulted in something good or something bad. Self-evaluation can be a valuable and humbling tool. Off the court, make sure you're keeping your grades up, because while you may not be in the classroom because of distance learning, universities still have grade and GPA requirements to attend and earn scholarship money.

-Devin Ugland

The post 2020-21 Season: 3 Things To Do appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

The Coronavirus pandemic has affected every aspect of American life and high school and college basketball are no different. Coronavirus became a full-blown pandemic in March and sports changed forever when the NBA shut down its 2019-2020 season on March 11.

Game stoppages reached the high school ranks and only four states where able to complete their state tournaments thereafter: Iowa, Louisiana, Nebraska and New Mexico. In all, 37 of the 50 teams that made the cut in the final 2019-20 FAB 50 National Rankings had their seasons affected by COVID-19.

COVID-19 will certainly affect all levels of basketball until a vaccine is widely available.

No Summer NCAA Live Period

Most elites in the 2020 class had already made their college choices by the time the Pandemic affected games and ultimately canceled the 2020 NCAA tournament. There was no spring NCAA Live Viewing period and ultimately the NCAA extended its dead period through August 31. That means no sanctioned grassroots basketball events for college coaches to attend and no college campus visits for prospects. With COVID-19 cases surging, the college coaches we talked to are not overly optimistic there will be live evaluation periods the rest of 2020. Colleges are worried about the risks associated with staff travel to and from events, especially plane travel. There is also the issue of fairness among member institutions if some can attend multiple events nearby, while others in more remote locations have to travel far distances to evaluate during these times. Legal liability issues with a coach potentially catching COVID-19 on the road or the risks of carrying Coronavirus back to campus is not something NCAA member institutions want to take on.

There have been some summer leagues and “dead period” events available on streaming services, and a handful of prospects have made a positive impression. Only a handful of 2021 prospects have been able to participate in such events so far, as the pandemic is greatly affecting the 2021 class. It also had an effect on the 2020 players hoping to find a scholarship late in the 2019-20 season because many colleges chose to wait and see what talent would be available in the robust NCAA transfer portal. Coaches would rather take proven college talent over taking a chance on a fringe D1 prospect, especially since many transfers will request hardship waivers to waive the sit-out period due to the pandemic.

Elites Go Unscathed

Isa Silva

6'3"   -   PG   -   2021

With the uncertainty surrounding when colleges can evaluate prospects in person, the non-elites in 2021 have certainly been affected. Many high D2-low D1 types needed the summer live eval period to boost their recruiting stock. Without a live period for the foreseeable future, college coaches are relying on streams and their scouting contacts to offer prospects. That means a handful of low and mid-major programs will sign players who likely would have went higher had there been a live period.

Elites still have the scholarship options they had before COVID-19 but the timing of their commitments has changed. More than one elite prospect, including guard Isa Silva of Carmichael (Jesuit, Calif.), told Ballislife they moved up the timing of their commitment because of the uncertain nature of the 2020-21 recruiting calendar. Silva committed to Stanford on April 21.

Altered, Shortened High School Schedules

Talking to coaches of elite high school programs around the country, there’s plenty of uncertainly when it comes to the upcoming season. Many governing bodies and school districts have looked for guidance from local government and the uncertainty surrounding America’s grip on Coronavirus has created frustration for many coaches. As one coach of an elite West Coast power stated, “We just want our association to make a decision. We don’t care what it is, just tell us so we can plan accordingly.”

Others are planning a normal schedule, until told otherwise, but are expecting a shorter than normal season. What we do know is some states will not be playing football in the fall (such as the Virginia High School League), which will in turn affect the basketball season. While not yet official, we have good information some state associations will mandate shortened seasons, with league/conference games only beginning in February or March with a limited playoff schedule likely to exclude state championship events. This means the vast array of national-level holiday tournaments will be severely curtailed. Already the long-running Iolani Prep Classic in Hawaii has cancelled its tournament for 2020 and you can expect other holiday tournaments will have vastly altered schedules, depending on how many schools and independent programs actually begin playing games in November.

Jonathan Kuminga

6'8"   -   SF   -   2020

What this means is the high school basketball season will likely be longer than ever, and we'll have to adjust the 2020-21 FAB 50 National Rankings accordingly. We'll likely release our preseason rankings a bit later than usual and they'll run a bit longer, perhaps even into April and May. Even if basketball doesn't begin for some states at the start of the winter season, we'll still only conduct one weekly poll and rank the teams accordingly, even if one team remains at 0-0 for a long time. Obviously the teams that are able to play more games will have a better opportunity to move up in the rankings, but it looks like for a vast majority of programs there will be less games played than would be in a normal season.

Another potential issue with moving back football to 2021 is the logistical nightmare this creates for high schools with regards to referee shortages, available practice facilities and campus administration and safety personnel availability with various sports running simultaneously.

With the uncertainties surrounding the 2020-21 season and shortened schedules, it made the decision for top tier prospects considering a re-class up to 2020 a lot easier. On July 15, Jonathan Kuminga of Patrick School (Elizabeth, N.J.), who some considered the nation’s top 2021 prospect, announced he would bypass this upcoming season, and college, to play in the new G League professional pathway program. The 6-foot-8 forward, who graduated from Patrick School in June, is now the fifth player to bypass college basketball in favor of the new G League team, which will be spearheaded by former NBA player and head coach Brian Shaw.

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 COVID-19’s Impact on Travel Ball, 2020-21 Season appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

Ballislife is dedicated to being a small part of the solution and change to end systemic racism and its institutions in America. Even if it’s just a small part, we as a team feel an initiative is more powerful than a statement that doesn’t contain an action towards real change.

Quantasy, as an agency who is committed to pushing culture in the right direction, understands that every person and every organization has the responsibility and a role to play in dismantling the racial injustices that plague our world. The long-term partnership between Quantasy and Ballislife offer us an opportunity to create real action, inspiring the next generation of athletes and fans to make positive change by using our collective platforms. 

High school and grassroots basketball, which makes up the majority of Ballislife's core content, is more popular with audiences around the world and more powerful to our youth because of video. Video we attempt to produce in a quality fashion every week. High school basketball legends used to be created through word of mouth and stories passed along, but now they are created by video.

There is an old saying that a picture is worth a 1,000 words. Well, a video may be worth even more, but there are only a few to describe the video showing George Floyd in the final moments of his life.

Shocking. Unjust. Unnecessary. Anger. Disgust.

It shouldn’t have happened. As a company and as a group of co-workers, Ballislife & Quantasy condemns law enforcement brutality against African-Americans and institutional racism. It must end and the focus should be on the action that caused this civil unrest, not the effects of it.

What can't you do to start making change? For one, don’t participate in acts of racism and condemn it whenever you see it, even if it costs you friendships. We know the road to true change in America won’t be a quick one, but here’s our small contribution to help those that have been affected by racism or fighting against it.

Beginning today we are happy to be a part of the solution and not let this moment become yesterday's social media timelines. Our first initiative is releasing a “We Cannot Be Silenced” t-shirt. We will be donating 100% of the proceeds to The Bail Project (bailproject.org). 

“We believe that paying bail for someone in need is an act of resistance against a system that criminalizes race and poverty and an act of solidarity with local communities and movements for decarceration. Over the next five years, The Bail Project will open dozens of sites in high-need jurisdictions with the goal of paying bail for tens of thousands of low-income Americans, all while collecting stories and data that prove money bail is not necessary to ensure people return to court. We won’t stop until meaningful change is achieved and the presumption of innocence is no longer for sale.” - bailproject.org

Next Ballislife & Quantasy will be presenting an ongoing educational series around subjects such as: 

• Exploring other ways to work in sports
• Money/Financial Management 
• When, why and how to be serious about education
• What to take away from sports other than the activity itself
• And many more

In partnering with Quantasy we will also be bringing guest speakers that resonate with our audience through IG live. In addition to the Live sessions we will also provide written resources. 

To help the cause please consider directly donating to the following organizations that Ballislife fully supports:

Black Lives Matter:  #BlackLivesMatter was founded in 2013 in response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer. Black Lives Matter Foundation, Inc is a global organization in the US, UK, and Canada, whose mission is to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes. By combating and countering acts of violence, creating space for Black imagination and innovation, and centering Black joy, we are winning immediate improvements in our lives.

NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund: The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. is America’s premier legal organization fighting for racial justice. Through litigation, advocacy, and public education, LDF seeks structural changes to expand democracy, eliminate disparities, and achieve racial justice in a society that fulfills the promise of equality for all Americans. LDF also defends the gains and protections won over the past 75 years of civil rights struggle and works to improve the quality and diversity of judicial and executive appointments.

The post Ballislife's Contribution To A Worthy Cause appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

On May 16, Ballislife took things a step further by teaming up with a well known YouTube brand and content group called 2hype. Produced designed and facilitated by Ballislife, the 2hype brand sold out of every item in the release. The 2hype Shop donated 20 percent of gross proceeds to the WCK.

Today, Ballislife is proud to announce that it has donated over $30,000 to WCK over the past month as a result of its mask sales and product sales, particularly from its 2Hype Icy Collection. As of May 28, the sales are actually over $31,000 from 3,265 orders placed.

We're proud to do our small part in helping those affected by COVID-19 and will continue to do so.

In addition to donating 25 percent of our gross mask sales, BIL is also donating 25 percent gross of all spring collection merchandise sales to WCK after initially offering up 10 percent. This spring collection donation will continue through the end of June.

The masks are made of polyester and spandex moisture wicking material, and available as singles or bundle packs in Black, White, Red, Orange, Royal Blue, and Yellow.

What is the World Central Kitchen?

The WCK (wck.org) is an organization started by Jose and Patricia Andres with a vision of creating smart solutions to hunger and poverty. As of April 23, WCK has served over 3.1 million meals with its #ChefsForAmerica campaign. This campaign has safely distributed individually packaged, fresh meals in communities most affected by COVID-19 for families to pick up and take home or via delivery for seniors unable to venture outside. With its #ChefsForAmerica campaign, WCK has committed to purchasing 1 million meals from local restaurants and delivering them directly to Americans that need assistance. The restaurant industry has been devastated by COVID-19 and WCK's campaign is designed to alleviate a small part of the devastation.

How Can I Help In The Fight vs. COVID-19?

You can start by taking precaution and being selective when you go out in public. That starts by always wearing a mask. If you do purchase a Ballislife mask in coming months, just know a quarter of the proceeds will go to the World Central Kitchen (Watch its "60 Minutes" Episode). You don't have to make a BIL purchase to support the World Central Kitchen, you can donate directly to this non-profit we chose to align ourselves with during COVID-19 RIGHT HERE.

As a nonprofit, WCK ensures 100 percent of all philanthropic donations go directly to the meals and restaurant workers.

WCK works with local agencies trained and established in identifying COVID-19 "hot spots" and selected restaurants go through an onboarding process and COVID-19 training. WCK issues payment directly to the restaurant. Additionally, this nonprofit has engaged partnerships with UberEats, DoorDash, GrubHub, Postmates and Lyft to put them back to work.

The post Ballislife And 2Hype Donate Over $30K To Fight Covid-19 appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

The industry leader in basketball video content will also be donating 10 percent gross of all spring collection merchandise sales to the World Central Kitchen.

What is the World Central Kitchen?

The WCK (wck.org) is an organization started by Jose and Patricia Andres with a vision of creating smart solutions to hunger and poverty. As of April 23, WCK has served over 3.1 million meals with its #ChefsForAmerica campaign. This campaign has safely distributed individually packaged, fresh meals in communities most affected by COVID-19 for families to pick up and take home or via delivery for seniors unable to venture outside.?

Traditional community-based safety nets such as school feeding programs, city services and foodbanks are struggling to meet current needs, as job loss continues to grow across the country. Restaurants are the nation’s second largest employer (outside of the Federal Government), sustaining 15.6 million American jobs with $889 billion in annual sales. In the next there months alone, the restaurant industry is projecting job losses of upwards of 7 million with a decline in sales estimated at $225 billion.

WCK has introduced a new program that is activating restaurants to help meet this demand by providing jobs for their staff and meals for those in need. With its #ChefsForAmerica campaign, WCK has committed to purchasing 1 million meals from local restaurants and delivering them to meals directly to Americans that need assistance.

How Can I Help In The Fight vs. COVID-19?

You can start by taking precaution and being selective when you go out in public. That starts by always wearing a mask. If you do purchase a Ballislife mask in coming months, just know a quarter of the proceeds will go to the World Central Kitchen (Watch its "60 Minutes" Episode). You don't have to make a BIL purchase to support the World Central Kitchen, you can donate directly to this non-profit we chose to align ourselves with during COVID-19 RIGHT HERE.

As a nonprofit, WCK ensures 100 percent of all philanthropic donations go directly to the meals and restaurant workers.

WCK works with local agencies trained and established in identifying COVID-19 "hot spots" and selected restaurants go through an onboarding process and COVID-19 training. WCK issues payment directly to the restaurant. Additionally, this nonprofit has engaged partnerships with UberEats, DoorDash, GrubHub, Postmates and Lyft to put them back to work.

The post Ballislife Joins Fight Against COVID-19 appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.