RELATED: Podcast on Kobe's Prep-To-Pro Rise & Legacy | Podcast on The Lasting Legacy of Morgan Wootten |  How Your Team Can Become FAB 50 Ranked

By Ronnie Flores

The early rounds of the playoffs usually are calm for the nation's top rated teams in the FAB 50 National Team Rankings powered by www.ebooksnet.com. In the next two weeks is when the competition stiffens and some ranked teams will go down. When a team loses perhaps a bit sooner than expected, it doesn't automatically mean it won't finish the season nationally ranked. On the flip side, a team near the bottom of the FAB 50 hopes the team(s) it loses to also finish strong in order to secure a final ranking on April 6.

We already have our first ranked state champion crowned, as Concord First Assembly (Concord, N.C.) captured the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association (NCISAA) Class 3A title with a 68-48 victory over Village Christian Academy (Fayetteville, N.C.) and a dominant run through the post-season. The NCISAA Class 3A is traditionally a strong playoff bracket to navigate through, but there is no guarantee the Eagles will remain in the final rankings. There are simply too many results upcoming that could change the rankings. It will help the Eagles considerably, however, if No. 25 Mountain Brook (Birmingham, Ala.) were to go on and capture the Alabama Class 7A state crown. If the Spartans don't, the 80-57 margin in that loss may be too great for Concord First Assembly to hold on to one of the coveted 50 spots in the rankings.

One team that controls its own destiny is No. 11 Eden Prairie (Eden Prairie, Minn.), which hasn't been on the national radar, besides in the FAB 50, until recent weeks. Also known as the Eagles, Eden Prairie moved into the FAB 50 at No. 48 on our December 16 update and has been climbing steadily ever since. Last week the Class 4A front-runners met the Class 3A king, Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis, Minn.), in a game pitting the two best and highest-ranked teams in the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL).

Because of some key out-of-state wins and the presence of Mr. Basketball USA candidates Jalen Suggs and Chet Holmgren, some were anointing Minnehaha Academy perhaps the state's best team ever. It was Eden Prairie, however, that was unbeaten with a veteran unit that didn't get rattled after trailing on the road at halftime by six points (31-25). Eden Prairie keep focus and got hot from the outside to pull out a big 78-64 victory to move to 24-0 on the year. John Henry got hot at the right time, hitting three consecutive 3-pointers during a key Eden Prairie spurt and finishing with seven for the game. Henry, headed to The University of Sioux Falls, led four Eden Prairie double-digit scorers with 29 points. Liberty-bound Drake Dobbs added 19 points for the Eagles, while Suggs led Minnehaha Academy with 23 points.

Minnehaha Academy came into the game ranked No. 11 in the FAB 50, and the club with four experienced senior starters move up five spots to occupy that same spot in this week's rankings. The highest ever FAB 50 finish for a MSHSL program is No. 15 by the 2010-11 Hopkins (Minnetonka, Minn.) led by state Mr. Basketball Joe Coleman that finished 32-1 and won a third consecutive Class 4A state crown. With an undefeated finish, Eden Prairie likely will finish ranked higher than Hopkins did.

Minnehaha Academy can't fall too far in the FAB 50, mainly because it owns a 78-58 victory over California No. 1 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) before 17,378 fans at the Target Center. Sierra Canyon stays put at No. 17, which Minnehaha Academy dropping five spots to No. 16 where Eden Prairie was last week.

Sierra Canyon will take on Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) for the coveted California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Open Championship this Friday at the Pyramid in Long Beach, Calif. Mater Dei, the 11-time major division CIF state champion, is this week's highest ranked newcomer at No. 31. Sierra Canyon and the Monarchs both went 3-0 in CIFSS open pool play, which Mater Dei winning three road games to win its respective pool outright. A Sierra Canyon loss would mean a big tumble in next week's rankings, as Mater Dei currently cannot be ranked ahead of Chicago No. 1 Curie because of a regular season loss to Whitney Young (Chicago, Ill.), which currently rates no better than No. 9 in the greater Windy City metro region. Mater Dei will have done enough to overcome that loss with a Friday victory.

One team that already opened this week up with a big win is current No. 6 DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.), which won the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) crown on Monday evening with a 70-56 win over No. 13 Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.). It was the 41st WCAC title in the program's storied history and the Stags have now win 30 or more games in a season for the 19th time. For veteran coach Mike Jones, it was his 500th career win.

DeMatha's and Paul VI's season is not over and that WCAC title game result will be reflected in next week's rankings, where there should be more movement as the playoff competition heats up.

Updated FAB 50 National Team Rankings
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(Tenth poll of 2019-20 regular season; Through games played on Sunday, February 23; *Indicates forfeit wins, forfeit losses not included; **Indicates forfeits and defaults not included; ***indicates season complete)

Dropped Out: Previous No. 22 Shiloh (Snellville, Ga.), No. 26 Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.), No. 39 Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.).

Bubble Teams:  Allen (Allen, Texas) 29-4; Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.) 19-5; Bartow (Bartow, Fla.) 26-1; Beaumont United (Beaumont, Texas) 31-2; Benton Harbor (Benton Harbor, Mich.) 16-2; Bloom (Chicago Heights, Ill.) 25-5; Booker T. Washington (Tulsa, Okla.) 17-5; Brentwood (Brentwood, N.Y.) 21-1; Brookfield Central (Brookfield, Wis.) 20-1; Centennial (Corona, Calif.) 27-4; Clarkston (Clarkston, Mich.) 16-1; Cleveland (Cleveland, Tenn.) 29-0; Davidson Day (Davidson, N.C.) 30-1***; Davis (Kaysville, Utah) 21-1; Dickinson (Dickinson, Texas) 27-5; Eastside Catholic (Sammamish, Wash.) 22-3; Eleanor Roosevelt (Greenbelt, Md.) 18-2; Elizabeth (Elizabeth, N.J.) 19-3; Farmville Central (Farmville, N.C.) 24-2; Fort Bend Hightower (Missouri City, Texas) 28-5; Garfield (Seattle) 21-4; Grand Rapids Christian (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 16-1; Hamilton (Sussex, Wis.) 18-3; Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.) 24-6; Hellgate (Missoula, Montana) 16-0; Houston (Germantown, Tenn.) 25-3; Jefferson (Portland, Ore.) 20-2; John Paul II (Plano, Texas) 38-1; Lee (Montgomery, Ala.) 31-1; Lincoln (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 15-2; Manasquan (Manasquan, N.J.) 25-1; McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) 21-6; Mt. St. Joseph (Baltimore, Md.) 26-6; Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia, Pa.) 20-4; North Little Rock (North Little Rock, Ark.) 20-4; O’Dea (Seattle, Wash.) 20-5; Orlando Christian Prep (Orlando, Fla.) 25-2; Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.) 22-7; River Rouge (River Rouge, Mich.) 17-1; Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.) 17-6; Rutgers Prep (Somerset, N.J.) 22-1; Santa Fe Catholic (Lakeland, Fla.) 26-2; Shadow Creek (Pearland, Texas) 25-3; Sheldon (Sacramento, Calif.) 25-5; Silver Creek (Sellersburg, Ind.) 21-2; Simeon (Chicago, Ill.) 22-8; Southmoore (Moore, Okla.) 19-3; Starkville (Starkville, Miss.) 27-2; St. Mark’s (Dallas, Texas) 27-4; Thornton (Harvey, Ill.) 27-1; Union (Vancouver, Wash.) 24-0; Westover (Fayetteville, N.C.) 25-0; Whitehaven (Memphis, Tenn.) 22-3; Wyoming (Wyoming, Mich.) 16-1; Yates (Houston, Texas) 21-4.

Note: The FAB 50 powered by www.ebooksnet.com is a continuation of the National Sports News Service ratings that began in 1952. These were the first national high school rankings and the late Art Johlfs of Minnesota compiled them. They were compiled for many years by the late Barry Sollenberger of Phoenix, who merged them into the FAB 50 20 years ago. Starting with a weekly format for the 1987-88 season, the FAB 50 is the longest-running weekly national rankings.

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

The post NEW FAB 50: 1st State Champs Crowned! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

RELATED: The Prep-To-Pro Rise & Legacy of Kobe Bryant (Episode 54) 

In Episode No. 55 of our In The Paint Show,"  co-hosts Ronnie Flores and Devin Ugland celebrate the life of arguably the most well-known and respected high school basketball coach of all-time: Morgan Wootten, who coached at DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) between 1957 and 2002. The legendary coach passed away on January 21 at 88. Wooten was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame (while still an active high school coach) in 2000.

We originally had planned to honor the legacy of Wootten last week, but then the tragic aviation accident that killed Kobe Bryant along with seven other people on January 26 changed those plans. Last week's podcast was dedicated to and this week we tie in his bond with his Class of 1996 mates (two that we had on as special guests) with the legacy of Wootten, whose notoriety, reputation, and success as a high school basketball coach made him the choice of Sonny Vaccaro (another special guest from Episode 54) and Bob Geoghan (one of this week's guests) to coach in their first national all-star games. Those national all-star games eventually made high school basketball stars household names and helped elite players become close before every reaching the NBA.

Wootten's influence reached beyond the walls of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, as his DeMatha program was the first with a true nationwide reach after its legendary win over Lew Alcindor-led Power Memorial of New York in 1965. DeMatha Catholic helped put high school basketball on the national map and was the first program to go on expense paid-trips across the country in the 1970s, a prelude to the elite high school scene now. Wootten compiled a 1,274-192 career mark, his program won five mythical national titles and his undefeated 1978 team went on a tour of Brazil.

Wootten's second unbeaten team in 1990-91 featured senior Mike Jones, another special "In The Paint" guest this week who succeeded him as head coach at DeMatha Catholic, where he is in his 18th season. Jones talks about how coach Wootten's teachings resonated more with life than actual basketball game-play, what made playing for DeMatha so special and a great opportunity to attain a college scholarship, and how the mood for the celebration of coach Wootten's life changed the day Bryant died. For many of Jones' players and even his own kids, the former Los Angeles Laker superstar had as big or even greater impact than Wootten.

Our third special guest for Episode 55 is Marc Stern, who covers DMV basketball on a daily basis for CapitolHoops.com. Stern gives some perspective from the lens of a media member on just how big of a figure coach Wootten is in Washington, D.C., and what makes playing in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) so special. Stern also talks about Bryant's impact on Wootten's wake and funeral and a memorable speech by keynote speaker James Brown, a former DeMatha player who is a well-known sportscaster.

Episode 55 Rundown

2:25: Ronnie and Devin on the worldwide memorials for Kobe Bryant, Gianna Bryant and the seven others lost in the tragic helicopter accident.

8:49: Should the NBA change the logo?

15:30: Ronnie gives background & history of the late, legendary Morgan Wootten.

19:30: Current DeMatha coach Mike Jones on the impact coach Wootten had on him as a person, coach and player.

41:10: Capitol Hoops founder Marc Stern on Morgan Wootten’s lasting impact in the DMV area and beyond.

1:03:33: Capital Classic and McDonald’s All-American founder Bob Geoghan on his memories of coach Wootten.

Geoghan goes in depth on how his Capital Classic got off the ground, the risk he took in starting it and how he pitched McDonald's to become the title sponsor. Those prestigious all-star games, along with the Roundball Classic Vaccaro started in 1965, helped bring the high school basketball community closer and make its stakeholders more influential, as was clearly highlighted in the podcast tribute to Bryant (listen to Episode No. 54 below).

Our last two episodes cover plenty of topics that relate to the core of the history of high school and grassroots basketball. They are a bit longer than our previous episodes, but well worth the listen! 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: Salute To Morgan Wootten! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

By Ronnie Flores

As the results of the holiday tournaments played out, the FAB 50 National Team Rankings powered by www.ebooksnet.com looked strong, as a majority of the higher ranked teams beat lower ranked or bubble teams throughout the country. Perhaps because teams were a bit weary with travel, or perhaps because the middle of the pack teams are all on the same level and can't beat each other on any given night this season, the rankings were turned upside down in the short week after New Year's 2020.

When this happens, there are a five key factors to keep in mind to help navigate the waters and come up with a credible rankings order that make sense.

The first one is to rely on the previous set of rankings and move the teams up and down from their previous position and not make snap judgements. That's why preseason rankings are important, because it give compilers (and fans) a base of how good teams might be as the season plays out.

Second would be a focus on results, with an emphasis on most recent games played. Enough time has passed that teams have the ability to improve since November. That's the case with newcomer Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.), which looked shaky in its season-opener and lost two games in November. The Eagles, particularly their guards, are playing much better recently and Rancho Christian was able to knock off previous No. 6 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) 85-81 in overtime, in the championship game of The Classic at Damien in Southern California on December 30. The Eagles check in at No. 17 and in front of the Centennial (Corona, Calif.) team it lost to early that went on to capture the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas and The King Cotton Classic in Pine Bluff, Ark., behind Portland St.-bound guard Paris Dawson, who was MVP at both tourneys. The Huskies are one of 11 newcomers this week and check in at No. 24.

The third factor to consider is what's coming up. Even though Rancho Christian is now California's top-ranked team, it will have to gear up for another showdown with Sierra Canyon on January 11 at the Elite Invitational Showcase at Pasadena City College. Should the Eagles beat Sierra Canyon for the second time in two weeks, they will undoubtedly deserve to be ranked higher than Centennial despite the early head-to-head result. Should they lose, however, that result will come more into play.

The fourth factor is to look for any details that might have affected the outcome of a big game and to not forget about the big wins a team has on its resume in light of a recent skid. That's the case with No. 8 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), which fell to No. 30 Briarcrest Christian (Eads, Tenn.), 32-22, at the ARS Hoopfest in Memphis on January 4. Tennessee-bound Jaden Springer did not play in the low-scoring contest while nursing a foot injury, but earlier in the season the Ascenders showed what they are capable of with wins over No. 15 Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) and No. 19 Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.) at the City of Palms Classic in Ft. Myers, Fla. before falling to No. 1 Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) in the title game, 63-55. The fact IMG Academy is the only team to stay even remotely in the game with the Eagles is another reason why it stays put at No. 8 in the most updated rankings. This is on top of Duke-bound Jalen Johnson no longer being part of the team and not playing in any of IMG's big games.

A fifth factor is to not put too much emphasis on the result of one game and ignore a team's talent level or the rest of its resume. St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.) did not play good in its 73-55 loss to No. 6 Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.), but there is not doubt coach Nicholas Myles has a fine team that will win big games throughout the season. The No. 3 spot in the previous FAB 50 might have been high, but there is little doubt the Panthers are one of the nation's finest teams as they fall to No. 10. Sunrise also owns wins over No. 9 DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.), No. 12 La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.), and No. 15 Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.). That strong resume not only helps St. Frances Academy, it also keeps the Buffaloes from falling too much (two spots) following a recent 62-54 loss to Huntington Prep of West Virginia at the Cancer Research Classic in West Virginia.

"St. Frances Academy is better than they were in that game they lost," remarked Hoop Scoop publisher Clark Francis, who was in attendance at that City of Palms game and also attended the DC Hoopfest, John Wall Invitational, Beach Ball Classic and Memphis ARS Hoopfest in recent weeks. "IMG is good, but Montverde Academy is way ahead of the pack. Sunrise Christian Academy might be better than Hamilton Heights Christian Academy, but of course you can't rank it that way. Nobody else (besides Montverde Academy) has separated themselves."

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL NEEDS A SHOT CLOCK!!!!

— Jaden Springer (@jadenspringer11) January 5, 2020

Besides crys for a shot clock (which eight states employ) in light of the IMG-Briarcrest Christian score, there was another key factor in the result of that game.

"Kennedy Chandler of Briarcrest Christian is one of the best point guards in the country, regardless of class," Francis said. "He controlled the tempo. He can stop on a dime and is very quick with ball. If Springer plays, they beat Briarcrest."

Which brings us to top-ranked Montverde Academy. Some veteran observers are calling this year's MVA club the best team they have ever seen. The Eagles have all the ingredients to run the tables against one of the nation's toughest schedules: size, athleticism, shooting, a deep bench, unselfish players, and coaches with experience in wining high level high school basketball games. We always focus on results, not what could happen or how a team looks on paper, so we'll wait to pass judgment before publishing any proclamations of Montverde's standing among the all-time great teams. As we've already seen this season, we know things can (and will) happen that will affect the results of matchups before the final game at 2020 GEICO Nationals in New York.

A focus on results not only keeps things in proper perspective, it led to a sense of excitement, as opposed to a feeling of anxiety, about compiling this week's FAB 50 rankings.

Updated FAB 50 National Team Rankings
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(Third poll of 2019-20 regular season; Through games played on Sunday, January 5; *Indicates forfeit wins, forfeit losses not included; **Indicates forfeits and defaults not included)

Dropped Out: Previous No. 16 McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.), No. 29 Norcross (Norcross, Ga.), No. 30 Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.), No. 32 Milton (Milton, Ga.), No. 33 Vashon (St. Louis, Mo.), No. 38 Knoxville Catholic (Knoxville, Tenn.), No. 40 Gray Collegiate Academy (West Columbia, S.C.), No. 41 Roman Catholic (Philadelphia, Pa.), No. 44 Tri-Cities (East Point, Ga.), No. 47 Oak Ridge (Orlando, Fla.), No. 50 Concord First Assembly (Concord, N.C.).

Bubble Teams:  Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.) 7-3; Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.) 7-1; Bloomington South (Bloomington, Ind.) 12-0; Bogan (Chicago, Ill.) 14-1; Brooklyn Collegiate (Brooklyn, N.Y.) 10-1; Callaway (Jackson, Miss.) 11-4; Camden (Camden, N.J.) 4-1; Chaminade (St. Louis, Mo.) 8-0; Clarkston (Clarkston, Mich.) 5-1; Concord First Assembly (Concord, N.C.) 18-3; Curie (Chicago, Ill.) 12-1; Del City (Del City, Okla.) 7-0; Dickinson (Dickinson, Texas) 16-5; East Lake (Tarpon Springs, Fla.) 11-0; Edmond Memorial (Edmond, Okla.) 7-1; Eleanor Roosevelt (Greenbelt, Md.) 5-1; Episcopal (Alexandria, Va.) 7-1; Etiwanda (Etiwanda, Calif.) 13-2; Evanston (Evanston, Ill.) 13-0; Farmville Central (Farmville, N.C.) 10-2; Hamilton (Sussex, Wis.) 7-0; Harrison Central (Gulfport, Miss.) 15-3; Hilliard Bradley (Hilliard, Ohio) 9-1; Greensboro Day (Greensboro, N.C.) 19-2; Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.) 15-2; Homewood Flossmoor (Flossmoor, Ill.) 11-1; Impact Christian Academy (Jacksonville, Fla.) 9-2; Jackson South Side (Jackson, Tenn.) 13-0; John Hardin (Elizabethtown, Ky.) 13-0; John Paul II (Plano, Texas) 26-1; Lincoln (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 3-1; McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) 10-4; Millbrook (Raleigh, N.C.) 13-1; Milton (Milton, Ga.) 12-3; Mitty (San Jose, Calif.) 10-1; Moeller (Cincinnati, Ohio) 8-1; Muskegon (Muskegon, Mich.) 2-1; Niles Notre Dame (Niles, Ill.) 15-2; Norcross (Norcross, Ga.) 15-2; North Mecklenburg (Huntersville, N.C.) 12-1; Oak Grove (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 11-1; Rangeview (Aurora, Col.) 9-0; River Rouge (River Rouge, Mich.) 4-1; Rogers (Rogers, Ark.) 11-0; Shadow Creek (Pearland, Texas) 15-2; South County (Lorton, Va.) 11-0; Southmoore (Moore, Okla.) 6-1; St. Anthony (Long Beach, Calif.) 18-1; St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio) 4-1; St. Mark’s (Dallas, Texas) 14-4; St. Vincent-St. Mary (Akron, Ohio) 6-2; Teays Valley Christian Prep (Scott Depot, W. Va.) 10-3; Thornton (Harvey, Ill.) 14-0; Tri-Cities (East Point, Ga.) 14-1; University Lab (Baton Rouge, La.) 14-1; Volcano Vista (Albuquerque, N.M.) 10-0; Waxahachie (Waxahachie, Texas) 18-3; Whitehaven (Memphis, Tenn.) 10-0; Xaverian (Brooklyn, N.Y.) 11-1; Yates (Houston, Texas) 8-4.

Note: The FAB 50 powered by www.ebooksnet.com is a continuation of the National Sports News Service ratings that began in 1952. These were the first national high school rankings and the late Art Johlfs of Minnesota compiled them. They were compiled for many years by the late Barry Sollenberger of Phoenix, who merged them into the FAB 50 20 years ago.

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

The post NEW FAB 50 Rankings: MAJOR Shakeup For 2020! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

By Ronnie Flores

After the grueling MLK weekend when many of the nation's elite teams travel and take on tough foes, it was a short week and light work a majority of the teams in the FAB 50 National Team Rankings powered by www.ebooksnet.com. In addition, the inclement weather that has battered the East and parts of the Southeast caused the cancellation of many games in states such as Tennessee and Virginia.

In fact, the only team among the first 25 in the FAB 50 to lose was previous No. 4 DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.), which fell to previous No. 10 Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) 93-78 in Washington Catholic Athletic Conference play. Sophomore sensation Jeremy Roach led the way for the Panthers, which is still unbeaten in WCAC play. Two weeks ago, Paul VI handed new No. 10 Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) its first WCAC and overall loss, 67-53.

The Stags drop from No. 4 to No. 11, as they fall in line behind the Gonzaga team that beat them 71-62 in conference play where they now stand at 6-2. The second round of conference play won't begin for at least another week, but DeMatha does play 6-3 St. John's (Washington, D.C.) on January 23.

Paul VI moves up one spot to No. 9 in front of Gonzaga and one spot behind the Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) team it lost to. The Panthers also have a split with No. 14 Oak Ridge (Orlando, Fla.). Steve Reece's talented club not only has the Paul VI split, it has lost to DeMatha and No. 7 Memphis East (Memphis, Tenn.), which recently had some games wiped out by the cold weather.

The pecking order among the Top 15 falls well in line as No. 13 Imhotep Charter (Philadelphia, Pa.) also has a loss to DeMatha, Memphis East has a split with No. 5 Simeon (Chicago, Ill.), which has a loss to No. 4 McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) and must behind City of Palms Tournament Champion and No. 3 University (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.).

There could be some shake up next week as Findlay Prep and still unbeaten and No. 6 Shadow Mountain (Phoenix, Ariz.) head to Florida to participate in the Montverde Academy Invitational. Naturally, the Pilots and Shadow Mountain after scheduled to meet in a semifinal showdown on Friday, while the top-ranked Eagles could face a talented Madison Prep Academy (Baton Rouge, La.) club that has recorded some solid wins and is on the radar of the FAB 50 bubble.

Among this week's six FAB 50 newcomers, three are unbeaten and the others return after being ranked in the 2017-18 preseason FAB 50 rankings. New No. 47  Cretin-Derham Hall (St. Paul, Minn.) had done enough to recover from its December 7 loss to Edina (Minn.) after beginning the season at No. 47. Romeo Langford and new No. 50 New Albany (New Albany, Ind.) lost to Floyd Central (Floyd Knobs, Ind.) by two points on December 8 after beginning the season at No. 32. New No. 49 Westlake (Austin, Texas), Texas' No. 2 ranked Class 6A club, has done enough to overcome its hard-to-explain 54-52 loss to Catalina Foothills (Tucson, Ariz.) in the first round of the Rancho Mirage Holiday Classic in California after Christmas. Westlake, which began the season one spot ahead of New Albany at No. 31, has also lost twice to Class 6A No. 1 and No. 15 Guyer (Denton, Texas).

Get Ready For Mac McClung

Gate City (Va.) is a FAB 50 bubble club at 13-1 and in order to get a shot at cracking the FAB 50, the Blue Devils must win two big games this weekend. Gate City, which has a single loss to 16-1 North Mecklenburg, is led by high-flying point guard and Georgetown commit Mac McClung.

You can catch both Gate City Games this weekend live on the Ballislife HS Basketball Weekly Showcase. On January 26, the Blue Devils host Union (Tenn.) at 7:45 pm (ET) and the next night Gate City hosts highly-regarded Cleveland (Tenn.) at 6 pm (ET). Make sure to check the Ballislife Show Page to get a reminder link for both games and for other game updates.

RELATED: Ballislife HS Basketball Weekly Showcase | Gate City (VA) vs. Union (VA) Game Link | Gate City (VA) vs. Cleveland (TN) Game Link 

Updated FAB 50 National Team Rankings
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(Sixth poll of 2017-18 regular season; Through games played on Sunday, January 21; *Indicates forfeit wins, forfeit losses not included; **Indicates forfeits and defaults not included)

Dropped Out: Previous No. 27 Lincoln (Brooklyn, N.Y.), No. 37 Bishop Miege (Shawnee Mission, Kan.), No. 38 Iowa City West (Iowa City, Iowa), No. 42 Huffman (Birmingham, Ala.), No. 45 West Oaks Academy (Orlando, Fla.), No. 48 Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.).

Bubble Teams:  Bishop Miege (Shawnee Mission, Kan.) 9-1; Belleville West (Belleville, Ill.) 17-2; Broken Arrow (Broken Arrow, Okla.) 14-1; Camel Christian (Matthews, N.C.) 20-3; Canton (Canton, Miss.) 18-2; Chaminade (St. Louis, Mo.) 14-2; Curie (Chicago, Ill.) 17-2; Cypress Falls (Houston, Texas) 22-3; DeKaney (Houston, Texas) 25-3; Federal Way (Federal Way, Wash.) 18-0; Gate City (Gate City, Va.) 13-1; Greensboro Day (Greensboro, N.C.) 20-3; Hazelwood Central (Florissant, Mo.) 17-1; Hopkins (Minnetonka, Minn.) 16-1 Iowa City West (Iowa City, Iowa) 11-1; Lake Taylor (Norfolk, Va.) 14-0; Las Cruces (Las Cruces, N.M.) 19-0; Lincoln (Brooklyn, N.Y.) 15-3; Lincoln (Tacoma, Wash.) 16-0; Lincoln East (Lincoln, Neb.) 15-0; Loundon Valley (Purcellville, Va.) 14-1; Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) 13-6; McPherson (McPherson, Kan.) 12-1; Memorial (Tulsa, Okla.) 13-1; Mills University Studies (Little Rock, Ark.) 15-2; Meridian (Meridian, Miss.) 23-1; Morgan County (Madison, Ga.) 20-1; Mountain Brook (Mountain Brook, Ala.) 22-5; Mt. Vernon (Mt. Vernon, N.Y.) 12-1; Newton (Covington, Ga.) 17-3; Norcross (Norcross, Ga.) 17-3; North Mecklenburg (Huntersville, N.C.) 16-1; Northwest Classen (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 15-1; Olive Branch (Olive Branch, Miss.) 13-4; Olympus (Salt Lake City, Utah) 15-0; Osceola (Kissimmee, Fla.) 15-5; Oshkosh North (Oshkosh, Wis.) 14-1; Pickerington North (Pickerington, Ohio) 10-2; Rainier Beach (Seattle, Wash.) 13-3; Ranney School (Tinton Falls, N.J.) 11-3; Richland (Richland, Wash.) 16-0; Rock Canyon (Highlands Ranch, Col.) 15-0; Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) 14-3; Skyline (Ann Arbor, Mich.) 10-0; Solon (Solon, Ohio) 10-0; South Central (Winterville, N.C.) 15-0; South Garland (Garland, Texas) 25-3; Southwind (Memphis, Tenn.) 19-1; Trinity Episcopal (Richmond, Va.) 15-2; Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah) 16-2; Webster Groves (Webster Groves, Mo.) 9-6; Westchester (Los Angeles, Calif.) 17-4**.

Note: The FAB 50 powered by www.ebooksnet.com is a continuation of the National Sports News Service ratings that began in 1952. These were the first national high school rankings and the late Art Johlfs of Minnesota compiled them. They were compiled for many years by the late Barry Sollenberger of Phoenix, who merged them into the FAB 50 18 years ago.

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: Top Teams Keep ROLLING! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

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- Chris Lykes hangs in the air for nice finish.
- Jeffrey Dowtin with the block then dunk on the break.
- DJ Harvey with 2 nice blocks in the WCAC conference tourney.
- Jamir Moultrie puts defender on ground and finishes through the tough foul.
- Anthony Cowan with a nice crossover and finish in the lane.
- Brandon Slater denies the would be dunk on.
- Khalia Skyes follows up with a putback dunk.
- Markelle Fultz throws down a nice reverse dunk after the PRO euro step.
- Freshman Anwar Gill posterizes defender on break for the and 1 dunk.

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- St. John's Anthony Cowan steal and three ball before halftime.
- Gonzaga's Chris Lykes nice drive and floater over defender.
- NC State's Malik Abu AND 1 dunk on the defender.
- WOG's Rawle Alkins chasedown block followed by Davon Newton dunk.
- Dematha's DJ Harvey chasedown block.
- Havelock's Kyran Bowman windmill dunk on break.
- Fayetteville Academy's Josh Nickelberry putback dunk on defender.
- Paul VI's Derrick Carter forces OT with game-tying jumper.
- HPCA Bam Adebayo Monsterous Block on defender.
- WOG's Jalen Harris back to back blocks on defense.
- HPCA Bam Adebayo takes off for 2-handed slam.
- HPCA Bam Adebayo ends game with windmill dunk.
- NC State's Malik Abu with a nasty inbounds dunk on the defender.
- WOG Rawle Alkin with the off-the-backboard dunk in game.
- HPCA Bam Adebayo inbounds dunk on defender.
- GDS Soloman Smith game-tying jumper with 6 seconds, followed by HPCA Jalen Seegars layup for the WIN!

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The post Kentucky Bound Bam Adebayo NASTY Inbounds Oop! East January Top Plays! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

By Ronnie Flores

We're getting to a point in the season where unbeaten teams get rewarded for their season resume, while keeping in mind those that have played tough schedules -- and soft ones.

We don't overly penalize highly-ranked teams that have played tough schedules, and even though we don't like to go against credible local rankings, looking at teams from a national perspective sometimes yields different results. Such is the case with the weekly Top 25 released by the Washington Post. AllMetSports went with Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) as its top-ranked team after the Eagles went on the road last week and downed DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.), 73-70, behind 30 points from guard Chris Lykes.

We decided to keep DeMatha in front of Gonzaga, but did drop the Stags one spot to No. 6 and moved up the Eagles five spots to No. 9. The reason we did that is Gonzaga has to stay behind Washington Catholic Athletic Conference foe St. John's (Washington, D.C.), since the Cadets own an overtime victory over coach Steve Turner's team. DeMatha defeated St. John's in the first round of WCAC play, 59-57.

From a national perspective, Gonzaga's resume includes an overtime loss to No. 45 and four-loss Roman Catholic (Philadelphia, Pa.), whereas the Stags' other two losses are to No. 2 Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) and No. 3 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.). While DeMatha gets the nod this week, upcoming results in the ultra-competitive WCAC will eventually sort the rankings out.

The other top five team to lose last week was previous No. 4 Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.), which fell to bubble club Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.), 77-71, in the Big City Showdown at South Point Arena just minutes from the world-famous Las Vegas Strip. Junior wing Charles O'Bannon Jr., the son of 1993 McDonald's All-American and 1995 NCAA champion Charles O'Bannon, was the best player on the floor and finished with 25 points. The Gaels also overcame the foul trouble of McDonald's All-American center Zach Collins to pull off the upset.

We considered Grant Rice's team for one of the two open FAB 50 spots this week, but the Gaels haven't yet overcome six losses to now unranked teams. They could in two weeks however, when they face top-ranked Chino Hills (Chino Hills, Calif.) at the Nike Extravaganza in Southern California. This weekend, Chino Hills will take on No. 7 Bishop Montgomery (Torrance, Calif.) at the James Sampson Fairfax State Preview in a game that will be live streamed by BIL. (For an extensive preview of that game, CLICK HERE.)

Findlay Prep has to drop further than DeMatha in the rankings because the Stags have played a significantly tougher overall schedule. The Pilots, however, must remain in front of a talented St. Benedict's (Newark, N.J.) team it recently defeated at the Hoophall Classic.

The two new teams to crack the top five are No. 4 Atascocita (Humble, Texas) and No. 5 St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.). The reason the Eagles moved up two spots is they are five wins away from an unblemished regular season and it is extremely tough to make it through the UIL Class 6A state tournament unbeaten. Same thing goes for the unbeaten Friars and its four-time FAB 50 title-winning coach Bob Hurley Sr. Even with a talented group and a Hall of Fame coach, winning the New Jersey TOC without a blemish won't be easy.

Updated FAB 50 National Team Rankings
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(Sixth poll of the 2015-16 regular season; Through games played on Sunday, January 24; Previous ranking in parentheses; *Indicates forfeit wins, forfeit losses not included; **Indicates forfiets and defaults not included)

Dropped Out: Previous No. 28 Westerville South (Westerville, Ohio), No. 38 Norland (Miami, Fla.).

Bubble Teams: Advanced Prep International (Dallas, Texas) 20-7; Allderdice (Pittsburgh, Pa.) 14-1; Bingham (South Jordan, Utah) 13-2; Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) 15-6; Bishop Loughlin (Brooklyn, N.Y.) 12-3; Blackman (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) 19-0; Brandeis (San Antonio, Texas) 24-0; Burlington School (Burlington, N.C.) 24-0; Christian Brothers (Memphis, Tenn.) 20-0; Clarkston (Clarkston, Mich.) 9-1; Copper Hills (West Jordan, Utah) 14-1; Crespi (Encino, Calif.) 20-1; De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) 16-1; Eaglecrest (Centennial, Col.) 14-0; Father Tolton (Columbia, Mo.) 12-2; Fenwick (Oark Park, Ill.) 17-2; Folsom (Folsom, Calif.) 18-2; Fort Bend Bush (Richmond, Texas) 19-6; Fort Bend Elkins (Missouri City, Texas) 23-2; Gwynn Park (Brandywine, Md.) 13-0; H.D. Woodson (Washington, D.C.) 22-0*; Jonesboro (Jonesboro, Ga.) 17-3; Kenwood (Chicago, Ill.) 15-1; Kickapoo (Springfield, Mo.) 15-2; Lancaster (Lancaster, Texas) 22-2; Lee's Summit (Lee's Summit, Mo.) 12-0; Lincoln (Gahanna, Ohio.) 16-1; Linden (Linden, N.J.) 11-2; Lone Peak (Highland, Utah) 13-3; Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, N.Y.) 14-2; Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) 18-3; McComb (McComb, Miss.) 18-0; Mercer County (Harrodsburg, Ky.) 20-0; Miller Grove (Lithonia, Ga.) 19-2; Modesto Christian (Modesto, Calif.) 18-1; Mustang (Mustang, Okla.) 7-4; National Christian Academy (Ft. Washington, Md.) 15-1; New Albany (New Albany, Ind.) 13-1; Norland (Miami, Fla.) 18-4; Norman North (Norman, Okla.) 11-2; North Central (Indianapolis, Ind.) 13-1; Omaha South (Omaha, Neb.) 15-0; Overland (Aurora, Colo.) 12-2; Peabody (Alexandria, La.) 22-1; Rainier Beach (Seattle, Wash.) 12-3; Rangeview (Aurora, Col.) 14-0; Ravenscroft (Raleigh, N.C.) 16-4; Renaissance (Detroit, Mich.) 9-1; Redondo Union (Redondo Beach, Calif.) 16-3; Sacred Heart (Waterbury, Conn.) 9-2; Scotlandville (Baton Rouge, La.) 22-2; Shadow Mountain (Phoenix, Ariz.) 16-4; Shenendehowa (Clifton Park, N.Y.) 16-0; Simeon (Chicago, Ill.) 15-3; Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.) 10-4; Thornton (Harvey, Ill.) 14-1; Westerville South (Westerville, Ohio) 13-3; Westfield (Chantilly, Va.) 12-2; Westtown School (West Chester, Pa.) 18-5; Wilmington (Wilmington, Ohio) 14-1.

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 16 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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Basketball teams don't always have access to the weight room during the season. Here is an on-court strength workout you can do before or after practice. Alan Stein also offers his best advice for basketball players in the first installment of the Stronger Team Insider.

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The post Basketball On Court Strength Workouts + Alan Stein's Best Advice For Basketball Players appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

Game 1: W 72-48: 34 points, 9 rebounds while holding 6-9 North Carolina State recruit BeeJay Anya to 11 points and five rebounds for nationally-ranked DeMatha (MD). MSU’s Izzo among the 7,000+ in the gym.

Game 2: W 99-38: 31 points, 9 rebounds in less than 2 quarters. Okafor scored at will in this conference blowout.

Game 3: W 98-49: In 15 minutes, shot 13-13 (27 points, 9 rebounds, 6 block) including 15 points in 3rd quarter (and a 3-pointer) in front of Illinois coach John Groce and Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski in packed home opener vs #25 previously unbeaten Westinghouse.

Game 4: W 103-46: 10 dunks, 21 points in front of OSU coach Thad Matta and alum Jared Sullinger (Celtics) in another conference blowout.

For more Jahlil Okafor, Whitney Young HS, and Chicago basketball highlights, watch www.ebooksnet.com all season long!
Thanks to Coach Slaughter and everyone at Whitney Young HS, the Chicago Elite Classic, Douglass HS, Power House High and Homan Square.

The post Unguardable! #1 Junior 6’11 Jahlil Okafor dunks at will in season’s first 4 games for Chicago’s #1 Whitney Young HS appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

Here is another brief in-season strength workout we did before a practice in late November. The goal was to work the entire body through all three planes of motion and put an emphasis on the ankles/feet. Whenever we strength train before practice, we are careful not to induce much overall fatigue so they can still compete at a high level. We prefer quality over quantity.

Alan Stein
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