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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

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1. The Top Players Are Living Up To The Hype

The 3-day Hoophall West featured 16 games and 24 teams and every single star player lived up to his advanced billing. There wasn't an elite player who didn't make some sort of impact in his respective game(s). Nico Mannion of Pinnacle (Phoenix, Ariz.), Isaiah Mobley of Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.), Jalen Green of San Joaquin Memorial (Fresno, Calif.), Anton Watson of Gonzaga Prep (Spokane, Wash.), De'Vion Harmon and Jalen Wilson of Guyer (Denton, Texas), Kyree Walker of Hillcrest Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.), LaMelo Ball of Spire Institute (Geneva, Ohio), Jaden Hardy of Coronado (Henderson, Nev.), and the Shadow Mountain (Phoenix, Ariz.) duo of Javon Blacksher and Jaelen House all played to the level expected. There were some young players who turned heads and some unsung heroes, but the big guns were the difference in the top games. The one player who stood out because his production is beginning to match his immense potential and his No. 1 ranking by some recruiting services is 7-foot junior Evan Mobley of FAB 50 No. 23 Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.). His size, length and immense skill is all coming together and most importantly, impacting Rancho Christian's games at a much higher level than his sophomore season. Evan Mobley wasn't as confident and didn't have the stamina he now does because of nagging injuries and pains associated with physical growth. He can finish around the rim with alarming quickness and authority unlike any big man in high school basketball and the rim resembles a nerf hoop when he squares up to it and converts a quick flush. Rancho Christian is effectively working a high-low with the Mobley brothers that it didn't utilize last season and the results have been terrific so far. Evan Mobley had 20 points in a 78-59 victory over Simeon (Chicago) and came back the next night to score 25 points in a 89-79 win over Pinnacle in which the Mobley brothers combined for 47 points.

2. The Hoopla Hasn't Hurt Melo

When Lavar Ball walked into the gym at Chaparral High School, many of the youngsters in the crowd went nuts as if their favorite WWE wrestler made an appearance in the building. With all the attention and the Facebook "Ball In the Family" cameras following the Ball's every move, it could easily hurt a young player's development. That's not the case with LaMelo Ball, who is attending SPIRE Institute (Geneva, Ohio) this season after playing professionally for a year overseas and in his father's JBA league. He continues to track as one of the top players in his original high school class (2019) and is a 17-year old tall (6-foot-6 ish) and unselfish point guard who impacts the game in a variety of ways. The "pro" experience certainly hasn't put Melo head and shoulders ahead of his 2019 peers, but it certainly didn't hurt him, either. For a deeper breakdown of Melo's game, CLICK HERE.

3. Isaiah Jackson Needs More Ink

Melo Ball and 2019 guard "Rocket" Watts grab most of the headlines on SPIRE's team from the media and social media havens, but Isaiah Jackson, a 6-foot-9 2020 combo forward, is an electrifying prospect. Jackson runs the floor well and is a hard check because he's so active. Jackson is a leaper who explodes off the ground for shot blocks and positive defensive plays. There isn't too many players in the country that can go get a block shot or alter one as a secondary defender like him. He doesn't touch the ball enough to lead to rapid offensive development in a high school setting, but perhaps the best thing about his game is he doesn't need the ball to make an impact on the game.

4. Tyler Mcghie Is Denton Guyer's Secret Weapon

The most impressive team of the weekend was the Wildcats, who entered at No. 16 in the latest FAB 50 National Rankings, and came away with two victories: a 80-62 win over No. 14 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) and a 80-74 victory over talented Hillcrest Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.). Guyer is a physically strong team with a multitude of versatile talents, including Michigan-bound Jalen Wilson, who is one of the toughest checks in the country with his ability to play outside or take smaller defenders inside. Oklahoma-bound De'Vion Harmon is a terrific leader and imposes his will on teams, but it could very well be Mcghie that will be the difference-maker in Guyer's state championship aspirations. Wilson, Harmon, and 6-foot-9 junior JaKobe Coles combined for 55 points in the victory over Bishop Gorman and Wilson and Harmon combined for 50 points in the tough win over Hillcrest Prep. Mcghie played well in both games, as he picks his spots and is a terrific spot up shooter. Mcghie, a 6-foot-4 junior, is a bit unassuming on the court and just kills teams with his timely shots and heady plays. He had four 3-pointers and 13 points in the win over Gorman and three 3-pointers and 14 points versus Hillcrest. "He moves well and has great feet," said Guyer head coach Grant Long.

5. DaRon Holmes Jr. Has A Real Chance

There were plenty of talented young (2021 and 2022) prospects in attendance who played well and had big moments for their teams, such as sophomore combo guard Jaden Hardy of Coronado (Henderson, Nev.), freshman center Max Allen of Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.), and Holmes deserves mention even though he didn't have a monster game or lead Millennium (Goodyear, Ariz.) to a big win. The 6-foot-8 2021 4-man really moves well and has plenty of offensive ability and is a good patient passer. Holmes is a long-strider who finishes well and is a high-level two-handed rebounder. Holmes also tracks the ball well for blocking shots and already fields offers from Ole Miss, New Mexico, CAL, ASU, Grand Canyon. He was 4-of-6 from the field for 10 points, had five rebounds and two blocks in Millennium's loss to Rolling Hills Prep (San Pedro, Calif.).

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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