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Note: The FAB 50 National Team Rankings 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 they were compiled by the late Art Johlfs of Minnesota. They were compiled for many years by the late Barry Sollenberger of Phoenix, who merged them into the FAB 50 for the 1999-2000 season. The FAB 50 is the longest-running weekly national rankings.

(Each school listed with win-loss record, head coach and source of ranking. Rankings key: BIL - FAB 50 powered by Ballislife; GR - Grassroots Hoops FAB 50; SS - Student Sports FAB 50; ESPN - POWERADE/ESPN RISE FAB 50; Rivals - Rivals FAB 50; Fox - Fox FAB 50; NSNS - National Sports News Service; NPP - National Prep Poll -- The Associated Press, ESPN, The Sporting News; USA - USA Today Super 25; BW - Basketball Weekly.)

FAB 50 ERA

2023 -- Link Academy (Branson, Mo.) (27-1); HC-Bill Armstrong; BIL-- The Lions began the season No. 11 in the FAB 50 and had the talent to start even higher, but were breaking in a new coach and cast of players after Rodney Perry left for an assistant coaching position at Kansas St. In 2021-22, Perry led the program to the GEICO Nationals title game, losing to Montverde Academy and finishing No. 4 in the FAB 50. This season the independent program on the campus of Camp Kanakuk had lofty aspirations and the talent level to meet those goals under new coach Bill Armstrong. The Lions started off the season 23-0 before losing by a wide margin to preseason No. 1 Montverde Academy, 84-58, at the Metro Classic in N.J. Link Academy just couldn’t overcome early 15-0 and 12-0 runs, but it bounced back at GEICO Nationals to make up for that awful first quarter against the Eagles. Led by Baylor-bound guard Ja'Kobe Walter and junior guard Elliot Cadeau, who is committed to North Carolina, Link Academy defeated three top 20 foes to claim the program’s first GEICO Nationals crown in its second year as an eligible program. In the quarterfinals, the Lions were involved in a tough No. 4 vs. No. 5 seed contest, as Link Academy was a surprise No. 4 seed and downed FAB 50 No. 18 Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.), 68-65, behind Walter's 34 points (including four 3-pointers). Top seeded Montverde Academy fell in its quarterfinal contest to FAB 50 No. 14 Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.) by a point (46-45) and the Lions were able to atone for their lone regular season loss by downing the club that just knocked off the top seed, 67-61, as Cadeau had 16 points and 10 assists. Tennessee-bound guard Cameron Carr came up big for the Lions in the win over Sunrise Christian Academy with 18 points. Link Academy, which entered the eight-team tournament No. 2 in the FAB 50, was able to secure the top spot with a dominant 73-55 championship game victory over No. 9 AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.). The Lions were in control throughout the title game, taking a 35-25 halftime lead and extending it to 44-26 after starting out the second half on a 9-1 run. Walter netted a championship game-high 21 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field, including 3-of-4 3-point shots while, Tyler McKinley, a 6-foot-9 junior, had a big outing with 17 points and six rebounds. Walter averaged 21.3 ppg in three GEICO Nationals games, while Cadeau averaged 9.7 ppg, 9.7 apg, and 2.3 spg, while his 29 total assists broke the event record held by Montverde Academy's Andrew Nembhard, who had 28 in 2018. Coach Armstrong’s club actually defeated Sunrise Christian Academy during the regular season, 72-66, as the Lions defeated seven FAB 50 ranked foes, including No. 32 Oak Cliff Faith Family (Dallas, Texas) by 30 points, 70-40. Like many outstanding ball clubs, Armstrong had a balanced attack throughout the season, with Walter (14.4 ppg, 37.8 3-PT FG, 4.0 rpg, 1.7 spg), Cadeau (10.9 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 7.3 apg, 1.9 spg) and Carr (11.6 ppg, 75.0 2-PT FG, 87.2 FT, 3.1 rpg) leading the way in the backcourt, while LSU-bound power forward Corey Chest (7.3 ppg, 76.3 2-PT FG, 3.2 rpg) and Phillips (6.8 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 1.2 bpg) playing key interior roles.

2022 -- Duncanville (Texas) (35-1); HC-David Peavy; BIL-- The Panthers began the season No. 7 and had aspirations to compete for the FAB 50 title after finishing as Texas' top-ranked team three years running. The team got its big chance when it faced No. 1 and defending FAB 50 champ Montverde Academy (Fla.) at Hoophall West in Pheonix after it moved up to No. 5. Duncanville battled back from a 21-8 deficit after one period to win the game at the buzzer, 67-66, on a 3-pointer by junior guard Aric Demings. At that point in the season, Duncanville had beaten six FAB 50 ranked foes in 10 games. The Panthers did lose in overtime by two points (60-58) to Richardson (Texas) and that team got as high as No. 7 in the FAB 50, but the Panthers never fell behind Montverde Academy in the rankings. Duncanville was behind No. 1 Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.) for the second half of the season, but when the Buffaloes were upset in the first round at GEICO Nationals and Montverde Academy went on to win the prestigious end-of-season tournament over five teams that were in the Top 10, it opened the door for the Panthers to re-gain the top position after the Richardson loss. In all, Duncanville won seven games against teams that were FAB 50 ranked at the time, including No. 33 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.), 80-73, No. 5 Centennial (Corona, Calif.), 75-50, and No. 26 McKinney (Texas), 69-49, in the University Interscholastic League (UIL) Class 6A title game after that club downed Richardson by two points (54-52) in the regional quarterfinals. In addition to Demings (9 ppg, 42 percent 3-point), junior forward Ashton Hardaway (9 ppg, 66 3-pointers), junior power forward Cam Barnes (6 ppg, 5 rpg, 53 percent FG) and senior forward Davion Sykes (9 ppg, 5 rpg) made first team all-district. McDonald's All-American Anthony Black (13 ppg, 58 percent FG, 5 rpg, 3.5 apg) was named District 11-6A Offensive Player of the Year and junior Ron Holland (15 ppg, 60 percent FG, 8 rpg, 2 spg) its overall player of the year. There is a bit of a misnomer that public school programs belonging to state associations cannot compete with academy-type programs, but Duncanville's resume means a third public in seven years finishes as the top-ranked team in the country. Duncanville is also the third UIL program to capture the FAB 50 title in 20 years, joining Lincoln (Dallas) in 2001-02 and Yates (Houston) in 2009-10. All of Texas' other mythical national championships occurred before the advent of weekly, in-season national rankings (1975-76).

2021 -- Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) (24-1); HC-Kevin Boyle; BIL-- It wouldn't be fair to compare this unit to the 2019-20 team that is considered one of high school basketball's all-time greats, as this team carved out its own niche in FAB 50 lore. The Eagles began the season at No. 1 and stayed there throughout, even when their 44-game winning streak was snapped by FAB 50 No. 2 Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.) in the two powers' second meeting of the regular season. By virtue of joining the newly-formed National Interscholastic Basketball Conference (NIBC), nearly every game on the regular season schedule was against a team of national or regional significance. All the teams in the NIBC played each other more than once and Montverde Academy won the inaugural NIBC title game with a 61-57 victory over Sunrise Christian Academy. The Eagles closed out the season by winning their fifth GEICO Nationals title, after last season's team was denied the opportunity to compete in the season-ending tournament for elite teams because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Eagles bested No. 23 Oak Hill Academy of Virginia (85-64) in the quarterfinals, AZ Compass Prep of Arizona (51-49) in the semifinals and Sunrise Christian Academy for the third time during the season in the title game (62-52). They not only went 4-1 against No. 2 Sunrise Christian Academy and No. 3 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), the Eagles won 16 games against teams that were FAB 50 ranked at some point in the season. That 16-game total doesn't include AZ Compass Prep, the only other team to defeat Sunrise Christian Academy. MVA beat AZ Compass Prep without Dayton-bound big man DaRon Holmes at GEICO Nationals and also with him in the lineup in overtime, 76-65, at the Montverde Academy Invitational. This team's defining moment came when it went 12-of-12 from the field in the decisive third quarter of the GEICO Nationals title game that broke it open in favor of the Eagles. Montverde Academy got quality, inside looks from junior center Jalen Duren and back-breaking 3-pointers from Creighton-bound Ryan Nembhard in those eight minutes. It was truly a team effort throughout the year for a program that has now won six mythical FAB 50 national titles in the past nine seasons. Duren (14.3 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 2.2 bpg) was dominant inside all season long and Nembhard (6.5 ppg, 6.0 apg) emerged as an elite floor general. Michigan-bound Caleb Houstan, the only returning starter from last year's historical unit, (13.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg), shot nearly 53 percent from the field and 40 percent from the 3-point line. Baylor-bound Langston Love (12.7 ppg), the third returning senior along with Nembhard, was one of four double-digit scorers along with junior Dariq Whitehead (10.4 ppg). As a team, the Eagles shot 55.1 percent from the field.

Cade Cunningham

6'7"   -   PG   -   2020

2020 -- Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) (25-0); HC-Kevin Boyle; BIL-- In the preseason, defending FAB 50 champ IMG Academy edged the Eagles for the No. 1 spot by the slimmest of margins. As stated in the preseason, had Montverde Academy not blown a 16-point lead (63-47) to IMG Academy entering the fourth quarter of their GEICO Nationals semifinal contest, Montverde Academy would have started as preseason No. 1. IMG Academy went on to win the game and earn the 2019 FAB 50 No. 1 ranking with a GEICO Nationals championship. With

Jeremiah Robinson-Earl

6'8"   -   PF   -   2019

2019 -- IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) (31-1); HC-Sean McAloon; BIL-USA.-- In the preseason, defending FAB 50 champ Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) was No. 1, but during the regular season preseason No. 6 La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.) beat the Eagles twice to rise to No. 1. The Lakers remained No. 1 until the final game of the season, when they were defeated, 66-55, by then No. 4 IMG Academy in the GIECO Nationals title game. By virtue of their win over a previously unbeaten No. 1 team, two additional quality victories at GEICO Nationals and six victories over teams that finished in the Top 12, the Ascenders moved up three spots in the final rankings to claim their first ever FAB 50 title. They join Montverde Academy as the only two Florida programs to win a mythical national dating back to 1952, which marks the beginning of the end-of-season National Sports News Service Rankings. IMG Academy defeated Montverde Academy in the GEICO Nationals semifinals, 74-73, after storming back from a 16-point deficit to begin the fourth quarter behind the play of junior guard

RJ Barrett

6'7"   -   SG   -   2018

2018 -- Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) (36-0); HC-Kevin Boyle; BIL-USA-NPP.-- In the preseason, there was a huge rankings decision to determine if No. 1 should be the Eagles or Memphis East (Memphis, Tenn.). After beating Montverde Academy twice in three games in 2016-17 and finishing with the highest ranking ever for a team from Tennessee (No. 3), it was completely logical to place Memphis East at No. 1. We ultimately went with Montverde Academy because we reasoned it would be difficult for Memphis East to have the ball bounce its way and get the breaks for two consecutive seasons, while also factoring in the Eagles' motivation level after coming up short the previous two seasons. When the dust settled there was no controversy, as Montverde Academy defeated 15 opponents who were ranked or previously ranked in the FAB 50 en route to an undefeated campaign. Memphis East lost three games and ended up ranked No. 4. By defeating No. 2 University School (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) 76-58 in the GEICO Nationals title game, Montverde Academy not only captured its fourth mythical national title in six years, it finished undefeated for the first time since head coach Kevin Boyle took over for the 2011-12 season. In each of those four championship seasons, the Eagles began their season as preseason FAB 50 No. 1. This is the first time MVA did not fall in the rankings and regain the top spot. In 2012-13, the Eagles lost back-to-back games, while the 2013-14 team lost on-court to Curie (Chicago, Ill.) in a game that was later forfeited by the Condors, and rose back to No. 1 after Curie lost on the court. The 2014-15 team lost one game in December (to Wheeler of Marietta, Ga.) before returning to No. 1 in the second poll of January. The ring-leader for Boyle's club this season was Duke-bound left-handed big guard

2017 -- Nathan Hale (Seattle, Wash.) (29-0); HC-Brandon Roy; BIL-NPP.-- The Raiders played above pre-season expectations and captured the WIAA Class 3A state title with an unbeaten mark. The mythical national crown came into focus after the Raiders defeated preseason No. 9 Sierra Canyon 67-65 to win the Les Schwab Invitational when that team was battling for a legitimate shot at No. 1. By that point in the season, Hale had already defeated Metro League rivals Rainier Beach and Garfield (both of whom started out the season FAB 50-ranked) and went on to defeat Garfield four times, including 68-51 in the state title game.

Lonzo Ball

6'6"   -   PG   -   2016

2016 -- Chino Hills (Chino Hills, Calif.) (35-0); HC-Steve Baik; BIL-USA-NPP.-- The Huskies started out as California's No. 1 ranked team, but a national title became in reach after the Huskies defeated preseason FAB 50 No. 1 and three-time defending champion Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) by a point in the quarterfinals of the City of Palms Tournament in Florida and went on to win that tourney title. After that, the Huskies won the Maxpreps Holiday Classic and defeated seven preseason ranked FAB 50 teams after New Year's, including No. 36 Bishop Montgomery (Torrance, Calif.) 71-67 in one of California's most anticipated regular-season games in recent memory. In the playoffs, the Huskies were even more dominant against the toughest playoff competition in California, defeating eight opponents by an average of 29 points in the CIF Southern Section and SoCal Open Division playoffs, including Bishop Montgomery 84-62. By winning the CIF Open Division state title, Chino Hills became the sixth public school since 2000 to earn the mythical national title and the first team ever from California's Inland Empire region to earn national No. 1 honors. The last unbeaten team from California to finish No. 1 was Inglewood (29-0) in 1979-80, led by Cal-Hi Sports Mr. Basketball Ralph Jackson (UCLA) and future NBA guard Jay Humphries. By finishing unbeaten with 35 wins, the Huskies tied the state record for most wins by an unbeaten team first set in 2013-14 by Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), according to Cal-Hi Sports. That Mater Dei team finished No. 2 in the FAB 50 behind Montverde Academy. Led by UCLA-point

2015 -- Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) (31-1); HC-Kevin Boyle; GR-USA-NPP.-- For the second consecutive season, the Eagles defeated No. 2 Oak Hill Academy in the finals of the Dick's Sporting Goods National High School Tournament. Senior

2014 -- Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) (27-1*); HC-Kevin Boyle; SS-USA-NPP.-- The Eagles defeated No. 3 Oak Hill Academy 71-62 in the finals of the Dick's Sporting Goods National High School Tournament to capture their second consecutive mythical national title. Montverde Academy becomes the first repeat national champion in the FAB 50/National Prep Poll era since Oak Hill Academy in 1993-94. The Eagles' championship at Dick's Nationals capped off a season in which it beat 16 teams that were at some point ranked or included in the final FAB 50. That does not include Huntington Prep of West Virginia, which it defeated in the Dick's Nationals semifinals, or Curie of Chicago, which beat the Eagles on the court only to have that game forfeited later on in the season. As it did the previous season, coach Kevin Boyle lined up a daunting schedule in late December and January and the Eagles came away 10-1 on the court playing around the country against some of the nation's top teams. Montverde Academy also captured the tournament title at the prestigious City of Palms Classic. Boyle's club wasn't as strong on the interior as it 2013 club, but junior Ben Simmons had a breakout campaign. He averaged 20.3 points and 10.7 rebounds per game at the Dick's Nationals while McDonalds' All-American shooting guard

2013 -- Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) (26-2); HC-Kevin Boyle; SS-USA-NPP.-- The Eagles defeated No. 22 Oak Hill Academy of Virginia (77-71, OT), Prime Prep Academy of Dallas (57-55) and No. 2 St. Benedict’s of New Jersey (67-65) to capture the 2013 National High School Invitational (NHSI) in North Bethesda, Md. to conclude the season. Montverde Academy defeated St. Benedict’s on a last-second 3-pointer by Jalyn Patterson. In the NHSI semis, St. Benedict’s ended the 54-game winning streak of No. 3 Findlay Prep, which beat Montverde Academy at the buzzer at the Hoophall Classic. Montverde’s other loss was also at the buzzer against unranked Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) two nights before the Findlay Prep game. The Eagles are the first FAB 50 No. 1 team to lose two games in 13 years, but not many teams around the country would have taken on the daunting January schedule coach Kevin Boyle lined up for his teams and both losses came in the game's closing seconds. Montverde Academy started off as the nation’s preseason No. 1 team in the FAB 50, the only credible outlet to start the Eagles at No. 1, and their overall schedule and key wins were enough to overcome the two close losses to become the first ever Florida to finish ranked No. 1 in the nation since the National Sports News Service began end-of-the-season ratings in 1952. It’s also the first ever mythical national title for Boyle, who had two teams at now closed St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.) open preseason No. 1 and a few others come within a buzzer beater of the No. 1 ranking.

2012 -- Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) (44-0); HC-Steve Smith; ESPN-USA-NPP.--It was a remarkable comeback for No. 2 Findlay Prep in the championship game of the ESPNHS National High School Invitational, but going to overtime to beat No. 3 Montverde Academy is not what the Pilots needed to create a change at the top of the final POWERADE FAB 50. Oak Hill’s 44-0 record, including a win over the La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.) team Findlay Prep lost to, is the best in school history. It is second-best all-time for a mythical national champion after the 46-0 mark for Kashmere (Houston) in 1974-75. On their way to perfection, the Warriors defeated teams from 13 states, the District of Columbia and Canada, including five FAB 50 ranked teams. Leading the way for coach Steve Smith, now with a 27-year 860-53 record, were 5-foot-11 point guard and McDonald's All-American Tyler Lewis, a North Carolina State commit, plus 6-foot-5 Jordan Adams (UCLA), 6-foot-3 D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera (Georgetown) and 7-foot A.J. Hammons (Purdue). For Smith and the program at Oak Hill Academy, this year’s FAB 50 national crown is the seventh since 1993. The Warriors claimed their last one in 2007 with a 40-1 record. Their other No. 1 finishes were in  2004 (38-0), 2001 (33-0), 1999 (31-0), 1994 (30-1) and 1993 (36-0). Oak Hill Academy was invited to play in the NHSI, but declined this year, citing the team’s recent tour of exhibition games in China. The No. 1 team won’t always come as a result of the NHSI championship game, but we won’t always automatically rank an unbeaten club that declines an invite No. 1, or move up a team to No. 1 after it finishes an unbeaten season while turning down an invite to an event it is eligible for. Every situation like this one requires a deep examination of the circumstances.

Kyle Anderson

6'7"   -   PG   -   2012

2011 -- St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.) (33-0); HC-Bob Hurley, Sr.; ESPN-USA-NPP.--Montrose Christian felt if it won the end-of-season ESPN RISE National Invitational (NHSI), it would consider itself national champions. No one would deny the Mustangs those feelings and the winner of the NHSI did indeed win a national championship. But it’s not the same as being considered national champion among every state champion in the land and it’s not the same as a mythical national champion based on national rankings. According to criteria that have been used for over 20 years by the POWERADE FAB 50 rankings compilers, Montrose ends at No. 2 in final rankings behind St. Anthony, which did not compete at the NHSI. The Friars capped the school's sixth unbeaten season with their 11^th Tournament of Champions state crown and fourth national poll championship. International Basketball Hall of Fame coach Bob Hurley, who surpassed 1,000 career wins during the season, won his 24th Non-Public B state crown with a 62-45 win over FAB 50 No. 3 St. Patrick. The Friars' victims also included FAB 50 ranked Mount Vernon (Mount Vernon, N,Y.), Boys & Girls (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and Friends Central (Wynnewood, Pa.) plus DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) by a 75-25 margin and Linden (Linden, N.J.), the only team to defeat FAB 50 No. 2 Montrose Christian (Rockville, Md.). The Friars were led by 5-foot-9 senior point guard Myles Mack, a Rutgers recruit, and 6-foot-7 junior

2010 -- Yates (Houston, Texas) (32-0); HC-Greg Wise; ESPN-USA-NPP.--The Lions are the first from Texas to end No. 1 in the nation since 2002 when Lincoln (Dallas) won the Class 4A state title and went 40-0 behind future NBA star Chris Bosh. En route to winning its own Class 4A state crown, Yates set a national record with 15 straight 100-point games and also established a new state record with 170 points in a single outing. Despite the high-scoring antics, Yates didn’t come close to having the best record of an unbeaten team from Houston that finished No. 1 in the nation. That total is 46-0 for Kashmere High, which the National Sports News Service (FAB 50 precursor) named the No. 1 team for 1974-75 in the end of the season poll. In this year’s Class 4A state final, the Lions swamped Lancaster, 92-73, and won their second straight title. They also extended their two-year winning streak to 58 games. A 97-96 victory over No. 2 Neumann-Goretti in the final game at the Iolani Classic in Hawaii wound up being the mythical national title decider. Key players for head coach Greg Wise’s team were senior Joseph Young (Providence), senior Brandon Peters (Western Kentucky) and senior Darius Gardner (Stephen F. Austin). Wise's team, with depth and a signature full-court defense that never let up, captured its second straight Class 4A title and had an average winning margin greater than 40 points per game.

2009 -- Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) (33-0); HC-Michael Peck; ESPN-USA-NPP.-- The Pilots captured the inaugural ESPN RISE National High School Invitational in North Bethesda, Md., beating previous No. 1 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), 74-66. Avery Bradley Jr. (20 points) and junior Cory Joseph (18) combined to score 38 points and both were named to the all-tournament team, which Bradley copping tourney MVP honors. A Mr. Basketball USA finalist headed to Texas, Bradley Jr. played lockdown perimeter defense in three victories and veteran Oak Hill Academy coach Steve Smith praised Bradley as the best guard his program has faced. Coach Michael Peck’s two-year old program competed as a team that did not allow postgraduates for the first time and topped No. 5 Montrose Christian (Rockville, Md.), 60-43, in the semifinals, as Bradley scored 13 of his game-high 27 points in the first quarter and had 15 points, six rebounds and five assists in a 76-55 first round win over Mountain State Academy (Beckley, W.Va.). The three-day tournament had six ranked teams and two regional ones, playing to packed arenas at Georgetown Prep's Hanley Center. Other big contributors were seniors D.J. Richardson and Victor Rudd.

2008 -- St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.) (32-0); HC-Bob Hurley, Sr.; Rivals-USA-NPP.--The Friars capped an unbeaten season with their 10th state Tournament of Champions title. It was the fifth unbeaten season, and third national crown, for 36-year coach Bob Hurley, who guided No. 1 teams in 1989 and 1996. Hurley has a 933-101 career record with 22 of the school's 25 North Jersey Non-Public B crowns. The Friars defeated Science Park, 69-36, in the TOC final after routing Immaculata, 76-41, in the semifinals. During the season, the Friars defeated two Top 25 teams in Utah champion Lone Peak and state rival St. Patrick. The team was led by 6-foot-3 senior guard Mike Rosario, an EA SPORTS All-American candidate and Rutgers recruit. Hurley's son, Danny, coached the No. 2 team in the country at St. Benedict's in nearby Newark. Hurley Sr. was recently elected to the Naismith Hall of Fame, only the second high school coach ever selected following six-time mythical national title winning coach Morgan Wootten of DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.).

2007 -- Oak Hill (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) (40-1); HC--Steve Smith; SS-USA-NPP.--The Warriors captured their sixth national ranking title by recording their second straight 40-1 record season and winning 96 of their last 98 games. This season, Oak Hill defeated six of seven teams ranked in the top 30 of the FAB 50. The Warriors defeated No. 8 Norcross, No. 9 South Medford, No. 13 Mater Dei, No. 22 Liberty Tech, No. 23 Fairfax, and No. 27 Montrose Christian. Oak Hill's lone loss was by 78-75 to No. 5 Simeon in Chicago. Three Warriors will earn All-America honors including McDonald's All-American Nolan Smith, a Duke recruit, who averaged 22 points and 4.5 assists a game. Other A-A honorees are Michigan recruit Alex Legion and Brandon Jennings. Coach Steve Smith has a 22-year record of 684-40 with previous national titles in 2004, 2001, 1999, 1994 and 1993. Why wasn't Oak Hill No. 1 last year despite an identical 40-1 season? Because they lost their last game to Kevin Durant and Montrose Christian plus Lawrence Central of Indianapolis went unbeaten with Greg Oden and Mike Conley and went wire-to-wire as our No. 1 team. The FAB 50 was the only national ranking last year that had that squad No. 1 from the start and considering what that duo is doing this season at Ohio State our rankings look even more credible. 

Greg Oden

7'0"   -   C   -   2006

2006 -- Lawrence North (Indianapolis, Ind.) (29-0); HC--Jack Keefer; SS-USA-NPP.--The Wildcats went wire-to-wire as the No. 1 ranked FAB 50 team and stamped itself among the legendary squads in the basketball-rich Hoosier State. As a comparison, USA Today had them No. 5 in its preseason rankings. Lawrence North became only the third state team to win three consecutive state crowns by capturing the Class 4A title with an 80-56 finals' romp over eight-time champion Muncie Central. The other two teams were Marion from 1985-87 and Franklin from 1920-22. The win streak of 45 games ties the state mark set by the Oscar Robertson-led Indianapolis teams of 1955-56 at Crispus Attucks. The average winning margin was 20.3 points and victims included Ohio Division II champion Dayton Dunbar, No. 19 in the FAB 50, and defending Illinois Class AA champion Glenbrook North, No. 30 in the FAB 50. Leading North were two four-year regulars, and Ohio State recruits, who helped teams compile a 103-7 record --

2005 -- Niagara Falls (Niagara Falls, N.Y.) (28-1); HC--Dan Bazzani; SS-NPP.--Our FAB 50 national championship nod to Niagara Falls is as much a nod to how strong New York teams were this year than any other factor. The Wolverines won their first mythical national championship on the strength of titles at the City of Palms tourney in Florida and the New York Federation state playoff tourney. In Florida, Niagara Falls defeated FAB 50-ranked Arlington Country Day of Jacksonville, Fla., the Florida 2A state champion, and Raines of Jacksonville, a 4A power. On their way to the New York Federation championship, the Wolverines defeated FAB 50-ranked New Rochelle and regionally ranked John F. Kennedy and Xaverian. The only loss for the Wolverines was to FAB 50-ranked Vashon of St. Louis, 69-66, in OT. Leading the way for Niagara Falls was junior wing Paul Harris, arguably the nation’s best on-ball defender who scored 19 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished out four assists with a broken thumb on his shooting hand in the state title game. He averaged 19.7 points and 12.6 rebounds while sophomore point guard Johnny Flynn contributed 15.2 points, 5.6 assists and 3.4 rebounds. 

Rajon Rondo

6'2"   -   PG   -   2004

2004 -- Oak Hill (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) (38-0); HC--Steve Smith; SS-USA-NPP.--The Warriors claimed their fifth mythical national ranking title by going wire-to-wire as No. 1 and posted the winningest season in team history. Two All-Americans led the way -- Josh Smith (6-8), an Indiana recruit, and

LeBron James

6'8"   -   SF   -   2003

2003 -- St. Vincent-St. Mary (Akron, Ohio) (26-0x); HC--Dru Joyce, Sr.; SS-USA-NPP; x-forfeit losses not included. --Irish capped unbeaten, on-court season with third state title in four years -- the Division II title this time -- and defeated teams from seven states: California, Illinois, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Included in those wins were victories over three Top 10 ranked teams -- No. 3 Mater Dei, No. 8 Oak Hill Academy and a dominating 78-52 win over California Division I state champ and No. 4 Westchester of Los Angeles.

2002 -- Lincoln (Dallas, Texas) (40-0); HC--Leonard Bishop; SS-USA-NPP.--The Tigers won the Class 4A title by routing nationally-ranked and defending champion Beaumont Ozen, 71-51, in the final. Lincoln, led by center Chris Bosh (Georgia Tech recruit) and Bryan Hopkins (Southern Methodist), went unscathed against a schedule that included three other FAB 50 teams besides Ozen. An early-season win over FAB 50 ranked Midwest City (Okla.) vaulted the Tigers into the rankings and they also recorded wins over No. 23 Fort Worth Dunbar and No. 24 Cedar Hill. They took over the No. 1 spot when defending national champion Oak Hill Academy suffered its only loss versus No. 28 Mater Dei in the Golden State. In 2001, Sugar Land Willowridge was an impressive large class state champ from Texas with a perfect record. This year Lincoln did it again, but unlike Willowridge, the Tigers were able to finish No. 1 in the nation instead of No. 2 to become the first Texas boys basketball team in 27 years to claim a mythical national rankings championship. The last Texas team to claim No. 1 honors was the 46-0 record Houston Kashmere team, which was crowned No. 1 in 1975 by the National Sports News Service. Two other Houston teams also captured titles in the 1970s. Legendary coach Jackie Carr guided Wheatley High to top spots with 43-1 and 39-0 records in 1973 and 1970, respectively.

2001 -- Oak Hill (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) (33-0); HC--Steve Smith; SS-USA-NPP.--The Warriors went wire-to-wire as the nation’s No. 1 team and completed its march to the mythical national crown with a 93-79 victory in late February over Notre Dame Academy of Winchester, Va. Steve Smith’s club posted wins over five state champions and beat programs from 11 states overall. Three of those teams -- No. 3 St. Vincent-St. Mary of Akron, Ohio; No. 8 Salem of Salem, Va.; and No. 13 Osseo of Osseo, Minn. -- lost their only games of the season to Oak Hill. There were two close results for a program that has now won 98 of its last 100 games. The first was Billy Edelin's last minute layup that proved to be the winning points in a 79-78 victory over St. Vincent-St. Mary and super sophomore LeBron James on Jan. 13. Three weeks later, DeSagana Diop scored with six seconds left, pushing a Feb. 3 game against Blue Ridge (Dyke, Va.) to overtime, which the Warriors won 76-69. Oak Hill defeated schools from 11 states, including four teams in the final FAB 50 and numerous regionally ranked teams. Oak Hill won five tournaments, including national events in Las Vegas, St. Louis and Raleigh. Seniors Rashaad Carruth (Kentucky), Edelin (Syracuse) and Diop (possibly NBA bound) led the Warriors. This team set school records for field goal percentage (62.1), three-point percentage (45.5) and assists per game (24.5). Diop averaged 14.6 points, 13.1 rebounds (387). Mario Boggan (14.4 ppg), the top junior contributor, shot a staggering 81.6 percent from the field and had 32 points and 12 rebounds in the final win. Edelin, the leading scorer (21.2 ppg), shot 73.6 percent. Rashaad Carruth (18.5 ppg) hit a school-record 118 3-pointers and Justin Gray (10.1 ppg) rounded out the lineup for a program that won the program’s fourth mythical national title since 1993 and set school records for field goal percentage (62.1), three-point percentage (45.5) and assists per game (24.5).

Tyson Chandler

7'0"   -   PF   -   2001

2000 -- Dominguez (Compton, Ca.) (35-2); HC--Russell Otis; Fox-USA-NPP-NSNS.--The Dons took over the No. 1 spot in the FAB 50 after a 60-47 victory in February over defending national champion Oak Hill Academy of Virginia. That 13-point victory avenged an earlier 54-50 loss to the Warriors at the Iolani Classic in Hawaii. The Dons' other loss was in their fourth game in overtime to No. 17 Clovis West of Fresno, which played in the California Div. I state final. They did not avenge that defeat, but beat No. 23 Artesia of Lakewood 72-63 in the finals of the Best of the West Tournament one day after the Pioneers defeated Clovis West in the semifinals, 72-47. The Dons capped their season by winning a fourth state Division II state title in last five years and finished with a 28-game win streak. The ringleader for Dominguez was 7-foot center Tyson Chandler, who dominated state and numerous national opponents as well with athletic play and shot-blocking ability. “The Franchise” scored 18 points in limited minutes against Philadelphia’s Eddie Griffin in a matchup pitting the nation’s best junior (Chandler) versus an elite All-American senior (Griffin) and led Dons to a 21-point win over Roman Catholic. He also had 17 points and defended well in the return win over Oak Hill, which finished No. 2 in the FAB 50, and finished with game norms of 20.1 points, 11.3 rebounds, 4.7 blocks and 3.2 assists while earning National Junior Player of the Year honors. Steve Moore and point guard Micah McKinney were other key players although McKinney missed the state tournament final with a broken hand. "I've said all year that this was a team of great chemistry,” head coach Russell Otis remarked. “I've had some teams before that had better talent, but what separates these guys is that basketball-wise they do whatever it takes to win.”  

National Prep Poll Era

1999 -- Oak Hill (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) (31-0); HC--Steve Smith; NPP-USA-NSNS.--The routine was the same almost every week for the Warriors from Oak Hill Academy -- study hard and go to class the first four days of the week. On Fridays, it was time to hit the road, venturing to such places as Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Minneapolis. On every one of its trips this year, the “Road Warriors” came home a winner as they won five tourney titles in five different states, including the 54-team Reebok Holiday Classic in Las Vegas. The team’s closest game of the season was a 61-60 victory over No. 5 Christ The King of Middle Village, N.Y., at the Glaxco-Wellcome tourney. Other close calls came against Minnetonka, Minn., and No. 3 Dominguez of Compton, Calif., 64-60. Six-foot-7 Ronald Slay led Oak Hill in scoring with 16.3 points per game and also collected 6.5 rebounds per game. Slay also was MVP at the Reebok Holiday Classic, where the Warriors rolled past No. 7 Mt. Zion of Durham, N.C., 81-50, in a title match up performance that head coach Smith called ”our best game of the year" against a team Oak Hill beat twice. Travis Watson, also 6-foot-7, set a school single season rebound record with 386 (12.5 per game) and scored at a 15.3 ppg clip. The backcourt also was strong with Jerry Reynolds (12.7 ppg), junior Cliff Hawkins (11.7 ppg) and senior point guard Steven Blake (8.8 ppg, 7.3 apg.). The 31-0 record marked the school’s third undefeated season in the last nine years, following the 29-0 record established in 1989-90 and the 30-0 mark from 1992-93. “To be honest I didn’t think at the beginning of the season we would be as good as we have over the past four or five years,” Smith said. “Talent-wise, it’s not the best we’ve had. But once they got on the floor they were great.”

1998 -- St. John's (Frederick, Md.) (25-0); HC--Stu Vetter; NPP-USA-NSNS.--On Saturday, February 28 at the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, N.C., St. John’s at Prospect Hall laid claim to the mythical national title with a 32-25 victory over Oak Hill Academy of Virginia. The game was played without a shot clock and marred by poor shooting, but salvaged by St. John’s tenacious defense and a court-ordered appearance from junior Damien Wilkins, who had previously been suspended from school. He scored eight points and helped neutralize the Warriors’ tall frontline. No. 5 Oak Hill had its 23-game winning streak snapped and besides No. 23 Liberty, Mo., no other top 25 ranked team besides St. John’s finished the season undefeated. All-American Jason Capel iced the game with two free throws with 19.5 second left as the 6-foot-8 Duke recruit led a team that won tournaments in Hawaii, North Carolina and Maryland.  The Vikings beat two other top 25 teams and finished the season having won 36 games in a row and 50 of their last 51 games. It was the second mythical national crown for head coach Stu Vetter, as he led Flint Hill Prep of Oakton, Va. to a 23-0 record in 1987 and No. 1 ranking by the National Sports News Service (National Prep Poll precursor) and USA Today.     

1997 -- Manual (Peoria, Ill.) (31-1); HC--Wayne McClain; NPP-USA-NSNS.--The Illinois High School Association coined the phrase “March Madness” years ago, but this year the moniker really hit home as the Manual Rams has to survive – and win – three games within a 24-hour period to claim the mythical national title. Manual dropped an overtime game to Carver of Chicago in December and needed some divine intervention to set up a historic Class 2A semifinal showdown with Thornton on Harvey. Defending national champion St. Anthony’s of New Jersey was knocked off in overtime 82-80 by Rice of New York after sophomore Kenny Satterfield drained a 17-footer to send the game into overtime. St. John’s Prospect Hall of Maryland was then moved up to No. 1, but the next weekend they were stunned by St. Francis of Baltimore, 75-74, at the Charm City Classic as All-American pivot Mark Karcher swished a 25-footer with 2.9 seconds left. Manual was in position to claim the mythical national title after that as it beat Chicago Public League champ Whitney Young in the quarterfinals, although a shoulder injury to emotional leader Sergio McClain put a scare in Rams’ fans. In the titanic meeting with No. 14 Thornton before 11,522 fans, the Rams fell behind 18-4 but junior Frank Williams got them back in the game and Manual led 29-26 at halftime. Thornton then took a 37-29 lead but an injured McClain led a 20-0 charge and his team took a 49-37 lead. Amazingly, Thornton made one last push before falling, 65-62. The Rams then beat West Aurora 47-41 in the final, their 24 consecutive victory and 32nd consecutive playoff win that secured a unprecedented fourth straight Class AA state title. The coach’s son led the team with a 18 ppg., but his value really wasn’t measured by stats. In addition to McClain and Williams, McDonald’s All-American center Marcus Griffin contributed to the team’s historic run.

1996 -- St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.) (31-0); HC--Bob Hurley, Sr.; NPP-USA-NSNS.--St. Anthony wore a bulls eye on its back every night, but the preseason No. 1 boys basketball team lived up to its billing. The Friars captured the New Jersey Group and overall championships, extending their winning streak to 53 in a row. St. Anthony's 61-57 overtime win over No. 23 Shawnee in the New Jersey TOC was a fitting end to a dominant season in which Garden state teams were the most talk-about nationally. Head coach Bob Hurley Sr. won his 600th game early in the season when the Friars downed Crenshaw of Los Angeles, 90-74, in the finals of the Above the Rim Tournament in San Diego as tourney MVP Ajmal Basit netted 36 points and grabbed 15 rebounds. No. 15 Crenshaw went to win the California Div. I state title and St. Anthony also downed St. Raymond's of the Bronx at Madison Square Garden, No. 6 St. John’s of Prospect Hall, No. 24 St. Patrick of Elizabeth and also recorded a win over a

1995 -- St. Augustine (New Orleans, La.) (37-1); HC--Bernard Griffith; NPP-USA-NSNS.--The Purple Knights opened the season unranked in the National Prep Poll Top 25, but climbed to the No. 1 spot during the season and capped their improbable run to the top of the polls with a 57-33 victory over Catholic-Baton Rouge in the Class 5A state title game. St. Augustine lost its second game of the season to in-state rival Glen Oaks and top-notch junior Lester Earl, but won two holiday tournaments and finished the season riding a 36-game winning streak. Bernard Griffith upped his record to 242-36 in his eight seasons at St. Augustine and has been selected district coach of the year six times and was also named Student Sports National Coach of the Year this year. Leading the Purple Knights to their third state title overall was 6-foot-5 forward Maurice Robertson, the Times-Picayune's All-Metro Large Schools most outstanding player who averaged 17.0 ppg. The other bookend forward was 6-foot-7 junior Eugene Edgerson, a no-nonsense type that checked in with norms of 15.9 points and 6.0 rebounds. The preseason No. 1 team, St. John’s of Prospect Hall, finished No. 2 after losing in overtime to Laurel (Md.) Baptist, which received 40 points and six assists from Louis Bullock to pull out a 62-56 victory. Preseason No. 2 Oak Hill Academy lost three times, but beat preseason No. 4 Mater Dei in the finals of the Las Vagas Holiday Classic while preseason No. 3 Farragut of Chicago, led by consensus national player of the year Kevin Garnett and super junior Ronnie Fields, was stunned in the Class 2A state quarterfinals by a Thornton of Harvey team led by Tai Streets.

1994 -- Oak Hill (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) (30-1); HC--Steve Smith; NPP-USA-NSNS.--Oak Hill had the fire power to finish unbeaten for the second consecutive season, but they were stunned 65-48 at the Las Vegas Holiday Prep Classic by Dominguez of Compton, a team that finished regionally ranked at 28-4. Since Dominguez did not win a California Div. II state title, the Warriors needed some help to climb back to the top of the polls and that exactly what they got when previously unbeaten King of Chicago was upset by Westinghouse, 59-58, and Mater Dei of Santa Ana suffered its first and only loss to No. 2 Crenshaw of Los Angeles, 71-67, in a much-anticipated Div. I SoCal Regional final. Those results allowed Oak Hill to finish No.1 after the early loss in Las Vegas. Leading the way for the Warriors was the stellar backcourt of 6-foot-2 Curtis Staples and 6-foot-5 Tarik Turner, both transfers from St. John’s Prospect Hall in Maryland. Staples, a Virginia commit, averaged 24 points and four assists while Tuner will join Mr. Basketball USA Felipe Lopez at St. John’s. Six-foot-11 Mark Blount, 6-foot-6 Tavares Johnson and 6-foot-7 Alex Sanders, holdovers from Oak Hill’s dominant 1993 club, were the leaders up front. Sanders actually was the only returning starter for a club that won the Above the Rim Tournament in San Diego with wins over St. John’s Prospect Hall and Bishop O’Dowd of Oakland as Oak Hill has now won 157 of its last 161 games. No. 2 Crenshaw had a team with a comparable resume and comparable talent to Oak Hill, but they lost to Simon Gratz of Philadelphia, 70-65, and then to Columbia (S.C.) Richland Northeast, 74-65, in the third place game of the Beach Ball Classic in Myrtle Beach, S.C. when all-state forward Kris Johnson was suspended for violating a team rule. 

Jerry Stackhouse

6'6"   -   SF   -   1993

1993 -- Oak Hill (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) (30-0); HC--Steve Smith; NPP-NSNS; Philadelphia, Pa., Simon Gratz (31-0); HC--Bill Ellerbee; USA.--The Class of 1993 produced a ton of quality individual talent and three dominating teams, but when it was all said and done the best team was judged to be Oak Hill Academy.  Coach Steve Smith had his first unbeaten club in 1990, when 6-foot-10 Elite All-American Anthony Cade led the Warriors to a 29-0 mark and No. 2 ranking. Despite a No. 3 finish in USA Today’s Super 25, this was clearly Smith’s best team in his eight years as Oak Hill’s head coach. In 1990, Oak Hill played second fiddle to Chicago King, but this season the Jaguars, with twins towers Rashard Griffith and Thomas Hamilton, finished No. 3 at 32-0 behind No. 2 Simon Gratz of Philadelphia, which finished 31-0. Gratz was led by Mr. Basketball USA Rasheed Wallace and was named the third best team all-time in city history by the Daily News, but Oak Hill was simply on another level. The Warriors rolled to the tournament title at the Las Vegas Holiday Prep Classic and tournament director Larry McKay remarked, “It was like men playing against boys as the Warriors dominated a talented field of teams.” In all, Oak Hill beat teams from 11 states and Australia and finished 30-0 against high school competition and 36-0 overall. First team Elite All-American

1992 -- Dunbar (Baltimore, Md.) (29-0); HC--Pete Pompey; NPP-USA-NSNS.--The Poets went wire-to-wire as the No. 1 team and have won 52 consecutive games. Considering No. 2 Oak Hill Academy finished with two losses, including one to the Poets, there’s no question Dunbar is the top team in the land but ultimately this team is going to be judged against the Poets’ legendary 1983 unit, the club most veteran observers feel is the best high school team of the modern era. "With the '92 team, it was almost like 'now it's my turn to take over the game' with each of the players," explained Sam Davis of the Baltimore Sun, who followed both teams on the prep beat for the Baltimore Sun and traveled to see them play in showcase games. "The 1992 team wasn't always on the same page. They were a free-spirited team with their own goals. (Pete) Pompey is a good coach and a good man, but doesn't have (1983 head coach) Bob Wade's dominant personality." This year’s Poets faced tougher competition overall than the 1983 unit as they won a tournament in Erie, Pennsylvania, played at the KMOX Shootout in St. Louis and also played at the Beach Ball Classic in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Dunbar defeated No. 12 Simon Gratz of Philadelphia in the Beach Ball finals after Gratz had defeated No. 7 St. Joseph’s of Alameda, California in the semifinals, 60-53. Jason Kidd and company from St. Joseph’s were edged in the finals of the Great Florida Shootout by St. Raymond’s of the Bronx, but that New York club was no match for Dunbar as they beat the New Yorkers, 93-82, in the semifinals of the Charm City Classic. In finals, Pompey’s club beat No. 14 St. Anthony’s of New Jersey and also embarrassed highly regarded Vashon, 75-49, in front of that school's hometown fans at the KMOX Shootout. Leading the way for Dunbar was a pair of McDonald All-Americans in 6-foot-6 Donta Bright, the National Sophomore of the Year in 1990, and 6-foot-2 Michael Lloyd. 6-foot-6 junior Keith Booth will likely play in the McDonald’s game next year and Davis also points to the play of unsung hero Cyrus Jones as a main reason Dunbar was able to survive its moments of individualism.

1991 -- Simon Gratz (Philadelphia, Pa.) (27-1); HC--Bill Ellerbee; NPP; Detroit, Mi., Southwestern (26-1); HC--Perry Watson; USA-NSNS.--The Bulldogs repeated as the Public League champion with a 47-43 victory over Franklin Learning Center at the Civic Center. A year earlier, Gratz had rolled past Franklin LC, 80-60, as then 6-foot-8 freshman Rasheed Wallace scored 23 points in the easy win. Gratz didn’t seal the win this year, however, until second team all-city guard Levan Alston (11.4 ppg.) sealed the game with two free throws after no-nonsense post presence Wilfred Kirkaldy drew an offensive foul on FLC's Faron "Meatball" Hand with eight seconds left. Alston and National Sophomore of the Year Wallace (13.8 ppg.) were the double-digit scorers in a balanced starting lineup that included forward Andre Griffin, center Calvin Wingfield and junior guard Contrell Scott. The 6-foot-9 Kirkaldy, a Brooklyn native who played his junior season at Oak Hill Academy, actually didn’t start but played the important minutes at center and averaged 14.1 ppg., and the Bulldogs often got a spark off the bench from freshman dynamo Shawn ''Reds'' Smith, a 5-foot-8 guard. Speaking of Oak Hill, the No. 4 Warriors  handed Gratz its only loss, 67-59, in the semifinals of the Great Florida Shootout. The Bulldogs, however, won the Beach Ball Classic in South Carolina with a 44-40 victory over St. Joseph’s of Cleveland and were able to move back in front of the Warriors in the polls after Oak Hill suffered an uncharacteristic 28-point loss to a Robert Hughes-coached club at Dunbar of Fort Worth, Texas.  

1990 -- King (Chicago, Ill.) (32-0); HC--Landon Cox; NPP-USA-NSNS.--Chicago Public League power Martin Luther King opened up the season as the National Prep Poll's and USA Today's No. 1 ranked team. King, under Landon "Sonny" Cox, then went wire-to-wire as the nation's top team and won the Illinois Class AA state title with a 65-55 victory over cross-town Gordon Tech. In the first all-city final in state tournament history, 6-foot-4 McDonald’s All-American Jamie Brandon netted 25 points and grabbed 12 rebounds while bruising 6-foot-6 forward Johnny Selvie added 17 points and 11 rebounds. Selvie was a four-year starter as was Brandon, who ended his career with 3,174 points, second on the state's all-time career scoring list and was called the, “Money player every truly great team has,'' by veteran talent scout Bob Gibbons. Although the Jaguars played down to the competition at times, they indeed faced tough teams in the public league and during the Windy City Classic while remaining undefeated despite the distractions of Selvie’s arrest on drug charges. The IHSA also made King forfeit 13 games for using an ineligible player, a ruling that was overturned after an appeal by King. Cox had a senior-oriented team, as five of the top six players were seniors, including Brandon, Selvie, 6-foot-3 guard Ahmad Shareef, 5-foot-10 Fred Sculfield and top sub Damian Porter, a 6-foot-10 center. Sculfield backed up 6-foot-11 Rashard Griffith, the National Freshman of the Year who is expected to help keep King in the national rankings picture over the next three years and also expected to be Chicago’s next great prep player as Brandon departs for the University of Illinois.

1989 -- St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.) (32-0); HC--Bob Hurley, Sr.; NPP-USA-NSNS.--The Friars capped an unbeaten season by winning the first state Tournament of Champions with a 62-55 victory over regionally-ranked Elizabeth. Six-foot-7 Jerry Walker, a Seton Hall recruit, was named tourney MVP and 6-foot-4 wing Terry Dehere, also headed to Seton Hall, scored a team-high 20 points in the title game while 6-foot point guard Bobby Hurley Jr., a Duke recruit, adding 16 points for the Friars. St. Anthony had to overcome some adversity throughout the season and came through with flying colors. In the preseason, Bobby’s younger brother Danny, the top player on the junior varsity team as a freshman who was expected to be the top guard off the bench as a sophomore, shattered his finger and missed the season. Later in the season, 6-foot-7 Sean Rooney, the team’s top rebounder, tore ligaments in his ankle during a 64-43 win over All Hollows of the Bronx.  Six-foot-6 junior Jose Ortiz stepped in the lineup for Rooney and the Friars didn’t miss a beat, defeating teams from 10 states in addition to winning the TOC and finishing the season riding a 50-game winning streak. Highlighting the regular season was a tournament victory at the Great Florida Shootout and an impressive 64-45 victory, in front of a national television audience, over No. 9 Flint Hill Prep of Oakton, Va. in the finals of the King Cotton Classic in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. The Friars even recorded a 68-59 victory over Solesbury Prep of Pennsylvania, a school with post-graduates, to close out the regular season. Rounding out the team’s excellent starting line up is 6-foot-5 freshman Rodrick Rhodes, who edged California phenom Jason Kidd, from St. Joseph’s of Alameda, for National Freshman of the Year honors.

1988 -- Tolentine (Bronx, N.Y.) (30-1); HC--John Sarandrea; NPP-USA-NSNS.-- There was little doubt the Big Apple fielded the best crop of teams nationally among cities known for producing basketball talent this season. Most veteran observers also considered the CHSAA the best league in the country and it was the Wildcats that captured the school’s first CHSAA title since 1982. The season opened on a good note for Tolentine as the Wildcats defeated two-time defending CHSAA champ Archbishop Malloy of Queens, 76-72, before an overflow crowd. Tolentine was led to victory by 6-foot-7 Elite All-American Malik Sealy with 19 points, seven rebounds, three blocks and two steals. Sealy, New York’s Mr. Basketball, was the ringleader all season as he finished the season shooting 65.4 percent from the field with norms of 21.4 points and 10.2 rebounds and was named tourney MVP of both the CHSAA and state championships. In the CHSAA final, the Wildcats had an expected return match up with No. 8 Malloy. Malloy took a 37-36 halftime lead, but Sealy responded by scoring six straight points to tie the game at 49. He eventually scored 18 of the Wildcats’ final 27 points, including a resounding dunk that gave his team a 63-61 lead, in an eventual 70-65 victory. Tolentine went on to win the Class A state title with a 95-69 win over Our Savior Lutheran of the Bronx as sophomore forward Brian Reese netted 23 points with Sealy adding 21 points. Reese was one of two standout sophomores on Tolentine’s squad, the other being guard Adrian Autry. The CHSAA’s also had a third 10th-grader, Cardinal Hayes’ Jamal Mashburn, considered among the top 10 nationally and two of the 10 best juniors nationally in Malloy's Kenny Anderson and Christ the King’s Jamal Faulkner. Outside the Big Apple, the Wildcats only lost to No. 2 St. Anthony of Jersey City, N.J., 62-58, but that contest was actually played in Hawaii in the championship game of the Iolani Prep Classic. In the semifinals St. Anthony downed Dunbar of Baltimore, 84-71, while the Wildcats mauled No. 17 Flint Hill Prep of Virginia, 97-69, to end that program’s 59-game winning streak. Tolentine was then able to jump back in front of St. Anthony in the polls after the Friars were upset by Ferris of Jersey City after leading by nine points with just under two minutes remaining.     

All-Time No. 1's

1987 -- Flint Hill (Oakton, Va.) (23-0); HC--Stu Vetter; NSNS-USA.

1986 -- Camden (Camden, N.J.) (30-0); HC--Clarence Turner; NSNS-USA.

1985 -- Spingarn (Washington, D.C.) (31-0); HC--John Wood; NSNS; Dunbar (Baltimore, Md.) (28-1); HC--Bob Wade; USA.

1984 -- Poly (Long Beach, Calif.) (31-2); HC--Ron Palmer; NSNS; DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) (39-2); HC--Morgan Wootten; USA.

1983 -- Dunbar (Baltimore, Md.) (31-0); HC--Bob Wade; NSNS-USA.

1982 -- Calvert Hall (Towson, Md.) (34-0); HC--Mark Amatucci; NSNS-BW.

1981 -- Quincy (Quincy, Ill.) (33-0); HC--Jerry Leggett; NSNS-BW.

1980 -- Inglewood (Inglewood, Calif.) (29-0); HC--Vince Combs; NSNS-BW.

1979 -- Southwest (Macon, Ga.) (28-0); HC--Don Richardson; NSNS-BW.

1978 -- DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) (28-0); HC--Morgan Wootten; NSNS-BW.

1977 -- West Philadelphia (West Philadelphia, Pa.) (30-0); HC--Joey Goldenberg; NSNS-BW.

1976 -- Dunbar (Washington, D.C.) (29-0); HC--Joe Dean Davidson; NSNS; Canarsie (Brooklyn, N.Y.) (24-0); HC--Mark Reiner; BW.

1975* -- Kashmere (Houston, Texas) (46-0); HC--Weldon Drew; NSNS; Verbum Dei (Los Angeles, Calif.) (28-1); HC--George McQuarn; BW.

1974 -- Verbum Dei (Los Angeles, Calif.) (30-2); HC--George McQuarn.

1973 -- tie: Wheatley (Houston, Texas) (43-1); HC--Jackie Carr; Verbum Dei (Los Angeles, Calif.) (29-2); HC--George McQuarn.

1972 -- Thornridge (Dolton, Ill.) (33-0); HC--Ron Ferguson.

1971 -- Washington (East Chicago, Ind.) (29-0); HC--John Molodet; Schenley (Pittsburgh, Pa.) (25-3) HC--Spencer Watkins.

1970 -- Wheatley (Houston, Texas) (39-0); HC--Jackie Carr.

1969 -- Compton (Compton, Calif.) (30-0); HC--Bill Armstrong.

1968 -- Compton (Compton, Calif.) (32-0); HC--Bill Armstrong.

1967 -- tie: Ambridge (Ambridge, Pa.) (27-0); HC--Charles DeVenzio; Newark (Newark, N.J.) (26-0).

1966 -- DeWitt Clinton (New York, N.Y.) (21-0); HC--Robert Buckner.

1965 -- DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) (28-1); HC--Morgan Wootten.

1964 -- Power Memorial (New York, N.Y.) (30-0); HC--Jack Donahue.

1963 -- Power Memorial (New York, N.Y.) (27-0); HC--Jack Donahue.

1962 -- DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) (29-3); HC--Morgan Wootten.

1961 -- Collinsville (Collinsville, Ill.) (32-0); HC--Vergil Fletcher.

1960 -- McClymonds (Oakland, Calif.) (22-0); HC--Paul Harless.

1959 -- McClymonds (Oakland, Calif.) (22-0); HC--Paul Harless.

1958 -- McClymonds (Oakland, Calif.) (21-0); HC--Paul Harless.

1957 -- Middletown (Middletown, Ohio) (27-0); HC--Paul Walker.

1956 -- tie: Middletown (Middletown, Ohio) (25-0); HC--Paul Walker; Crispus Attucks (Indianapolis, Ind.) (31-0); HC--Ray Crowe.

1955 -- Crispus Attucks (Indianapolis, Ind.) (31-1); HC--Ray Crowe.

1954 -- Pampa (Pampa, Texas) (28-0); HC--Clifton McNeely.

1953 -- Pampa (Pampa, Texas) (26-0); HC--Clifton McNeely.

1952 -- Compton (Compton, Calif.) (32-0); HC--Ken Fagans.

*All selections prior to 1975 by National Sports News Service (unless noted)

National Negro High School Tournament

A national tournament for segregated Black high schools took place from 1929-1967. It was held at Hampton, Va., Institute (now Hampton University), 1929-33; Gary, Ind., 1934-35, Roanoke, Va., 1936-1937, Fayetteville State College (N.C.), 1938-44, Tennessee State (Tenn.), 1945-65, and Alabama State College (Ala.), 1966-67. It was known as the The Southern Interscholastic Basketball Tournament from 1949 until the final year in 1967.

Source: Charles Herbert Thompson, LSU Historial Dissertations and Theses, 1980

1929 -- Armstrong (Washington, D.C.) d. Douglass (Huntington, W.Va.), 20-19

1930 -- Armstrong (Washington, D.C.) d. Douglass (Huntington, W.Va.), 32-23

1931 -- Phillips (Chicago) d. Genoa (Bluefield, W.Va.), 39-14

1932 -- No Tournament

1933 -- Roosevelt (Gary, Ind.) d. Henderson Institute (N.C.), 37-6

*1934 -- Roosevelt (Gary, Ind.) d. Central Colored School (Louisville, Ky.), 39-24

*1935 -- Roosevelt (Gary, Ind.) d. Kelly Miller (Clarksburg, W.Va.), 21-19

**1935 -- Genoa (Bluefield, W.Va.) d. Interurban Heights (Jefferson County, Ala.), 19-17

*1936 -- Roosevelt (Gary, Ind.) d. Kelly Miller (Clarksburg, W.Va.), 37-17

**1936 -- Rosenwald (Harlan County, Ky.) d. Dorchester Academy (Midway, Ga.), 20-19

**1937 -- Avery Institute (Charleston, S.C.) d. Mayo-Underwood (Frankfort, Ky.), 21-20

**1938 -- Xavier University Prep (New Orleans, La.) d. Garnet (Charleston, W.Va.), 12-9

*1939 -- Roosevelt (Gary, Ind.) d. E. E. Smith (Fayetteville, N.C.), 28-21

**1939 -- Booker T. Washington (Tulsa, Okla.) d. Cuyler Beach (Savannah, Ga.), 31-29

*1940 -- Roosevelt (Gary, Ind.) d. Gary District (Gary, W.Va.), 37-24

**1940 -- Lincoln (Evansville, Ind.) d. Cuyler Beach (Savannah, Ga.), 31-29

*1941 -- Morningside (Statesville, N.C.) d. Armstrong (Richmond, Va.), 34-32

**1941 -- Booker T. Washington (Sand Springs, Okla.) d. Booker T. Washington (Seminole, Okla.), 38-24

*1942 -- Sumner Academy (Kanas City, Kan.) d. Garnet (Charleston, W.Va.), 31-26

**1942 -- Booker T. Washington (Tulsa, Okla.) d. Southern Lab (Baton Rouge, La.), 42-19

*Sponsored by the National Interscholastic Athletic Association

**Sponsored by Tuskegee Institute

1943 -- No Tournament (World War II)

1944 -- No Tournament (World War II)

*1945 -- Douglass (Oklahoma City, Okla.) d. Elkhorn (Switchback, W. Va.), 36-33

*1946 -- Booker T. Washington (Cushing, Okla.) d. Middleton (Tampa, Fla.), 44-40

*1947 -- Booker T. Washington (Tulsa, Okla.) d. Middleton (Tampa, Fla.), 51-42

*1948 -- Booker T. Washington (Tulsa, Okla.) d. Don Thompson Vocational (Tampa, Fla.), 52-29

*Sponsored by the National High School Athletic Association

1949 -- St. Elizabeth (Chicago, Ill.) d. Booker T. Washington (Tulsa, Okla.), 57-36

1950 -- St. Elizabeth (Chicago, Ill.) d. Ballard-Hudson (Macon, Ga.), 56-49

1951 -- St. Elizabeth (Chicago, Ill.) d. Booker T. Washington (Cushing, Okla.), 46-40

1952 -- Central Colored School (Louisville, Ky.) d. Wheatley (Houston, Texas), 41-38

1953 -- Western (Paris, Ky.) d. Booker T. Washington (Montgomery, Ala.), 70-41

1954 -- Laurinburg Institute (Laurinburg, N.C.) d. Dunbar (Summerset, Ky.)

1955 -- Central Colored School (Louisville, Ky.) d. Burt (Clarksville, Tenn.), 85-61

1956 -- Central Colored School (Louisville, Ky.) d. Douglass (Lexington, Ky.), 81-61

1957 -- St. Elizabeth (Chicago, Ill.) d. McKinley (Baton Rouge, La.), 61-53

1958 -- Pearl (Nashville, Tenn.) d. Carver (Dothan, Ala.), 68-58

1959 -- Pearl (Nashville, Tenn.) d. Scipio Jones (North Little Rock, Ark.), 76-72

1960 -- Pearl (Nashville, Tenn.) d. Roosevelt (West Palm Beach, Fla.), 74-50

1961 -- Burt (Clarksville, Tenn.) d. Webster (Minden, La.), 73-70

1962 -- Booker T. Washington (Memphis, Tenn.) d. Carter Parramore (Quincy, Fla.), 66-61

1963 -- Pearl (Nashville, Tenn.) d. Jim Hill (Jackson, Miss.), 64-55

1964 -- Parker (Birmingham, Ala.) d. Armstrong (Richmond, Va.), 81-79

1965 -- Lanier (Jackson, Miss.) d. Booker T. Washington (Suffolk, Va.), 58-55

1966 -- Coleman (Greenville, Miss.) d. Dunbar (Lynchburg, Va.), 81-54

1967 -- Booker T. Washington (Montgomery, Ala.) d. Temple (Vicksburg, Miss.), 71-56

National Interscholastic Tournament Finals (at University of Chicago, Bartlett Gym)

1930 -- Athens (Athens, Texas) d. Jena (Jena, La.), 22-16; HC--Jimmy Kitts.

1929 -- Athens (Athens, Texas) d. Classen (Oklahoma City, Okla.), 25-21; HC--Jimmy Kitts.

1928 -- Ashland (Ashland, Ky)., d. Canton (Canton, Ill.), 15-10; HC--James Anderson.

1927 -- Morton (Cicero, Ill.) d. Batesville (Batesville, Ark.), 18-16; HC--H. K. Long.

1926 -- Fitchburg (Fitchburg, Mass.), d. Fargo (Fargo, N.D.), 25-14; HC--Clarence N. Amiott.

1925 -- Wichita (Wichita, Kan.), d. El Reno (El Reno, Okla.), 27-6; HC--A. R. Young.

1924 -- Windsor (Windsor, Colo.), d. Yankton (Yankton, S.D.), 25-6; HC--Joseph E. Ryan.

1923 -- Kansas City (Kansas City, Kan.), d. Rockford (Rockford, Ill.), 43-21; HC--C. W. Corsant.

1922 -- Lexington (Lexington, Ky.), d. Mt. Vernon (Mt. Vernon, Ohio.), 46-28; HC--John Barclay.

1921 -- Washington (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) d. West Lafayette (West Lafayette, Ind.), 43-19; HC--Leo V. Novak.

1920 -- Wingate (Wingate, Ind.), d. Crawfordville (Crawfordville, Ind.), 22-16; HC--Merrill Eaton.

1918-19 -- not staged because of World War I.

1917 -- Township (Evanston, Ill.) d. Freeport (Freeport, Ill.), 27-22, ot.; HC--James W. Bixby.

Note: Head coaches (HC) listed for championship team.

National Catholic Interscholastic Tournament Finals
(at Loyola University, Chicago; Alumni Hall)

1941--Leo (Chicago, Ill.) d. St. Francis Mission (St. Francis, S.D.), 49-41, ot.

1940--Catholic (Fort Wayne, Ind.) d. St. Michael (Santa Fe, N.M.), 35-33.

1939--Catholic (Fort Wayne, Ind.) d. Leo (Chicago, Ill.), 44-37.

1938--St. Xavier (Louisville, Ky.) d. Loyola (Winnetka, Ill.), 31-22.

1937--Fenwick (Oak Park, Ill.) d. Catholic (Joliet, Ill.), 30-27.

1936--De La Salle (Chicago, Ill.) d. St. Mary (Anderson, Ind.), 45-29.

1935--St. Xavier (Louisville, Ky.) d. St. Mel (Chicago, Ill.), 29-24.

1934--Catholic (Joliet, Ill.) d. St. Mary's (Stockton, Calif.), 30-17.

1933--Cathedral (Indianapolis, Ind.) d. St. Rita (Chicago, Ill.), 31-10.

1932--St. Patrick (Chicago, Ill.) d. St. Mel (Chicago, Ill.), 22-20.

1931--De La Salle (Minneapolis, Minn.) d. Academy (Jasper, Ind.), 23-21.

1930--De La Salle (Chicago, Ill.) d. Academy (Jasper, Ind.), 25-14.

1929--De La Salle (Chicago, Ill.) d. St. Stanislaus (Bay St. Louis, Miss.), 25-16.

1928--De La Salle (Joliet, Ill.) d. University (St. Louis, Mo), 32-11.

1927--De La Salle (Joliet, Ill.) d. Roman Catholic (Philadelphia, Pa.), 26-11.

1926--St. Xavier (Louisville, Ky.) d. Aquinas (Rochester, N.Y.), 18-16.

1925--St. Mel (Chicago, Ill.) d. Marquette Academy (Milwaukee, Wis.), 15-7.

1924--Spalding (Peoria, Ill.) d. Marquette Academy (Milwaukee, Wis.), 21-7.

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 Salute to All-Time FAB 50 No. 1s appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

Last season Link Academy, on the campus of Camp Kanakuk in Branson, Mo., was a new four-year program eligible for the FAB 50 for the first time. After starting No. 40 in the FAB 50 that season, the Lions surprised the basketball world by advancing to the title game of GEICO Nationals, where they lost to Montverde Academy of Florida.

After head coach Rodney Perry left for an assistant coaching position at Kansas St., it would have been easy for new coach Bill Armstrong to curtail expectations. After all, he was a new coach with a new crop of players taking on a tough national schedule. The exact opposite happened for a team that opened up No. 11 in this year's preseason rankings, as the Lions took it one step further to put the program in position to earn their first FAB 50 national title. Link Academy, which entered the eight-team tournament No. 2 in the FAB 50, won its last game of the season, capturing 2023 GEICO Nationals with a dominant 73-55 victory over then FAB 50 No. 22 AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.) Saturday afternoon in Ft. Myers, Fla. It was obviously the program's first GEICO Nationals crown and it won three game over three days after entering the event as the No. 4 seed (despite being No. 2 in the FAB 50 for weeks leading up to the event).

"Our guys practiced extremely hard over the month of March to prepare for these three games," Armstrong told www.ebooksnet.com. "Their approach each day of GEICO was tremendous. They came and set the tone defensively with their energy, focus and toughness.

The Lions were in control of the championship game, taking a 35-25 halftime lead and extending it to 44-26 after starting out the second half on a 9-1 run. AZ Compass, which knocked off No. 19 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), 68-50 in the semifinals and then No. 8 Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, N.Y.) in the quarterfinals, 73-71, never got back in the game as Link Academy ended its successful campaign with only one regular season loss. That came against the same Montverde Academy program it lost to in last season's GEICO Nationals title game.

The catalysts for coach Armstrong (who previously was an associate head coach at LSU) throughout the tournament was Baylor-bound Ja’Kobe Walter and junior guard Elliot Cadeau, who is committed to North Carolina. Walter netted a championship game-high 21 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field, including 3-of-4 3-point shots. Tyler McKinley, a 6-foot-9 junior, also came up big with 17 points and six rebounds for Link Academy. Cadeau finished with 11 points and five assists, which gave him 29 for the event, breaking the event record (according to the record book published by www.ebooksnet.com) held by Montverde Academy's Andrew Nembhard, who had 28 in 2018 when the Eagles won the event and FAB 50 national crown.

Walter averaged 21.3 ppg in three GEICO Nationals games, while Cadeau averaged 9.7 ppg, 9.7 apg, and 2.3 spg for the team that moved up one spot in this week's FAB 50 to the top spot.

Cadeau had 16 points and 10 assists in the 67-61 semifinal victory over then No. 17 Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.), which moved up three spots this week after knocking off top seed Montverde Academy in the quarterfinals, 46-45. Tennessee-bound guard Cameron Carr came up big for the Lions in that game with 18 points, including 3-of-6 3-pointers. In the quarterfinals, Link Academy needed all of Walter's 34 points (including four 3-pointers) to knock off then No. 16 Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.) in the No. 4 vs. No. 5 seed game, which was by far the best matchup of the quarterfinals considering the Panthers spent some time at No. 1 in the FAB 50 earlier in the season. Cadeau broke the single-game GEICO Nationals assist mark in the hard-fought win over Paul VI with 14.

They stepped their games up on the biggest stage which is what great players do," Armstrong said. "When you have the best back court in the country you have a chance to win every game and they wouldn’t be denied this opportunity to win a championship. That’s as good a performance from a backcourt in tournament time as I have ever seen. They made every big play each and every time we needed one made. I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for these two future superstars."

Now What?

The State Champions Invitational, which is set for April 6-8 at McDonough Arena at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., is all that's left for the 2022-23 season. The highest ranked team competing is No. 16 Sidwell Friends (Washington, D.C.), which has lost to No. 15 Beaumont United (Beaumont, Texas). Sidwell Friends will take on the winner of No. 45 Corner Canyon (Draper, Utah) and bubble club Yazoo City (Yazoo City, Miss.) on April 7. No. 38 Curtis (University Place, Wash.) plays No. 21 Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.) with the winner set to meet No. 31 Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.) in the semifinals. The SCI championship game is set for 12 pm ET on April 8.

As for the rest of the teams that competed in GEICO Nationals, Montverde Academy gets credit for being the only team to hand Link Academy a loss and is down a spot to No. 2 this week. The Eagles also beat the Sunrise Christian Academy team it was upset by two out of three times this season. We decided to reward AZ Compass Prep for making it to the championship game and moved the Dragons up to No. 9 in front of new No. 10 Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, N.Y.) for avenging the loss in National Intersholastic Basketball Conference (NIBC) play. Long Island Lutheran has to finish ranked higher in next week's final FAB 50 in front of Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) Class 6A state champ and No. 13 Imhotep Charter (Philadelphia, Pa.) because of a head-to-head victory. Sunrise Christian Academy moves up three spots this week to No. 14 after losing to new No. 1 Link (for the second time this season) by only six points and for beating No. 2 MVA once. The Buffaloes are rated higher than No. 19 IMG Academy, whom they slit with, as the Ascenders were routed in their semifinal contest by runner-up AZ Compass Prep after defeating Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) in the quarterfinals.

The SCI will affect next week's final poll, but it will be hard to top what Link Academy accomplished over Final Four weekend and over the course of the season.

RELATED:  Updated 2022-23 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

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The post LINK ACADEMY PUT ON A SHOW!! DUEL IN THE DESERT!! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

Editor's Note: The City of Palms semifinal matchups are FAB 50 No. 1 Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) vs. No. 12 Columbus (Miami, Fla.) and No. 10 Imhotep Charter (Philadelphia, Pa.) vs. No. 14 Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.).

Elliot Cadeau, Link Academy (Branson, Mo.)
6-1 | 165 | Guard | Class of 2024
I first saw Elliot Cadeau at Pangos All-American Camp in Las Vegas, Nev., and thought he was great! He's certainly on the smaller side, which is a problem from an NBA standpoint on some level or another, and he's on the older side in age for his grade. (He's already 18 years old). However, aside from those things, there's not much else not to like about Cadeau: he's quick, explosive, has a high basketball IQ, seems mature and composed, and is just a terrific floor general overall. In the game I watched, he scored 12 points on 6-12 shooting and impressively dished out 9 assists while only turning the ball over once.

Isaiah Collier, Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.)
6-3 | 190 | Guard | Class of 2023
One would be remiss if they didn't point out Isaiah Collier's physical profile immediately. At 6-3 190 lbs., Collier is already built like a grown man. He's a physical guard, especially at this early stage in his career. Collier is most effective with the ball in his hands and has a similar playing style as Russell Westbrook. He's constantly pushing the ball north and south and is assertive, trying to make plays -- he's hard to guard. And Collier also seems to be a natural passer and playmaker. From my viewpoint, his outside shooting appears to be sporadic and seems to be his swing skill. He'll be a high priority on my watch list for next season when he suits up for the USC Trojans.

Justin Edwards, Imhotep Charter (Philadelphia, Pa.)
6-7 | 180 | F | Class of 2023
The City of Palms Classic wasn't my first time seeing Edwards, but I have still been trying to gain a better grasp of him as a prospect. And considering he's one of the top-ranked prospects in the Class of 2023 and is committed to John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcats, expectations have been high. However, when I evaluate prospects, especially in high school, I do my best to remove myself from the "hype" and form my own raw opinions. So regarding my evaluation of Edwards, first of all, his physical tools are impressive. His listed measurements of 6-7 and 180 lbs., are misleading because Edwards is big and long. As I project how he'll develop physically, I don't think he'll have any problem playing both forward spots. His game is predicated on slashing to the hole, with shooting from the perimeter being very much secondary. Edwards routinely uses his long wingspan and instincts to effectively make things happen on the defensive end, whether getting loose balls, rebounds, deflections, or blocks. I'm projecting Edwards to become a slashing hybrid forward that can be switchable on the defensive end. And I'm hoping he can develop into a reliable outside shooter because that will open up the game for him. At this point, I can see some resemblance to a young Thaddeus Young, who has had a terrific NBA career.

Boogie Fland, Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.)
6-3 | 165 | Guard | Class of 2024
Each time I watch Fland, I walk away even more excited about his future. He's only 16 years old, but he's already doing many great things on the court. His handles are tight as he has the ball on a string. He's a crafty scorer, creates off the dribble, and can finish effectively with both hands. Most impressively, though, he can shoot the ball with range and can make tough shots. Fland is currently being used as a combo guard, but long term, I project him to become a primary ball handler and on-ball creator. His combination of being a crafty creator and tough shot maker with range reminds me of a young Darius Garland. I'm excited about Fland's potential, but there's a lot of time between now and when I need to come to a conclusive evaluation. And he needs to take care of business. I'll certainly be tracking Fland closely.

Tre Johnson, Lake Highlands (Dallas, Texas)
6-5 | 180 | G | Class of 2024
Although I evaluate high school prospects, I'm not nearly as entrenched in the high school scouting and college recruiting scene as analysts that focus on that level as their primary responsibility. So I'm not quite sure how bold of a statement I'm about to make, but here we go: Tre Johnson is the top NBA prospect currently playing at the high school level. He has terrific positional size, can create for himself, has a bursty first step, and has a sweet stroke with range. All in all, Johnson is just a natural scorer. And although I think he's already an exceptional prospect, Johnson has a frame that can add functional strength and weight, and when he does, he will be an even bigger problem for opponents.

Karter Knox, Tampa Catholic (Tampa, Fla.)
6-6 | 205 | Class of 2024
A scoring wing with a sturdy build, Tampa Catholic's star player has moved up the ranks for a good reason. Knox possesses several elements that translate well and are immensely valuable: he shoots the ball with range, scores the ball going to the hole, and is very explosive -- he'll throw it down at the rim. As a result, Knox is a high priority for me to continue watching and keeping a pulse on his progression.

Ja'Kobe Walter, Link Academy (Brandon, Mo.)
6-5 | 180 | Class of 2023
I had a chance to spend some time with Walter this past summer at Damian Lillard's Formula Zero, so I went to the City of Palms Classic, already familiar with him and his game. At first glance, Walter doesn't have any specific skills that blow you away. For example, his handles and shooting mechanics are okay but not worth writing home about. But the more you watch him play, Walter's value becomes clear-cut. He has a motor that doesn't ever stop. He competed on every possession in the one game I watched in Florida. Due to his hard work and athleticism, he's an effective defender. Walter is also an effective slasher. He is a capable outside shooter, but it needs to be his primary focal point for development moving forward. I think there will be a direct correlation between his growth as an outside shooter and his long-term success. Regardless, one thing is sure: Scott Drew and the Baylor Bears are getting a true competitor next season that will do many little things to contribute to winning.

The post City of Palms: NBA Draft Analyst Impressions appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

Over the past 20 years, the annual Pangos All-American Camp has showcased some of the biggest talents in high school basketball. Names such as Harden, Simmons, Ayton and countless other big-time NBA players have suited up at the showcase camp that traditionally tip offs the summer evaluation period. Since 2018, camp director Dinos Trigonis has upped the ante by having his marquee individual event certified for NBA scouts to evaluate.

This year 25 NBA teams sent representatives to evaluate some of the league's future talent and although the event lacks some of the "sure-fire pro" star power of past camps, there have been plenty of breakout stars and veteran camp participants that will be elite college and contributing NBA players in due time.

The clear breakout performer of this camp is 2024 big man Yves Thierry Ouwe Missi, a 6-foot-11 talent from West Nottingham Academy (Colora, Md.). He goes by Yves Missi, but regardless of what the Centre, Cameroon native is called on social media post or in published stories, one word sums him up: talent! In fact, Missi might be the camp's biggest breakout performer since Ben Simmons came to the camp as a rising sophomore in the summer of 2012 and wowed with his size, passing and feel. The native of Australia went to Montverde Academy (Fla.) that following winter and was named by www.ebooksnet.com as the high school player of the 2010s.

Missi may not have a Simmons type of impact on the high school game, but he's leaving an indelible mark on this camp. Missi is a workhorse underneath with a frame that screams upside and a toolbox that leads to rapid development. He is also producing, even coming up with a spectacular block to save a game for his camp team. Two of the three major recruiting networks do have Missi ranked and the third doesn't have him among its published top 60. Through the camp's first two days, Missi rates as a top five performer.

The early clubhouse favorite for camp Most Outstanding player is Xavier Booker, a 6-foot-11 2023 prospect out of Cathedral (Indianapolis, Ind.). Booker would be a terrific prospect with his frame, fluidity, bounce and skill level alone, but the separator is his shooting range. He has a terrific left-handed stroke and his shooting mechanics will never be confused for those Richie Adams (UNLV) and Walter Berry (St. John's) possessed. Like those two college standouts from yesteryear, Booker could develop into a collegiate All-American...and more.

Booker's shot is pure and he had it going on Sunday evening in a prime-time matchup with Baye Fall, a 6-foot-11 prospect from Accelerated Schools (Denver, Col.) who is considered one of the best prospects in the national Class of 2023. Booker continued to light it up on Saturday and showed why he could challenge for the top spot in the national class of 2023 when it's all said and done in the Spring of next year. Not bad for a young man who came off the bench for Cathedral as a sophomore, had zero offers just over a year ago, plays for independent travel club George Hill All-Indy and was a Cream of the Crop Top 60 selection at last year's camp.

Michigan St., Indiana, Ohio St., and Illinois have Booker as a priority. ?Some recruiting experts believe the Spartans have the inside track. At Pangos, Booker is playing for camp team "Duke" and the Blue Devils are now eyeing Booker. Can John Scheyer wrestle him away from Big Ten country?

Some of the other top national breakout performers at the camp include 6-foot-7 2024 power forward Pharaoh Compton of AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.) and 6-foot-4 2024 shooting guard Robert Hinton of Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood).

Other top front court performers include Alabama-bound Sam Walters, a 6-foot-9 2023 from Villages School (The Villages, Fla.), James Brown, a 6-foot-10 2024 from St. Rita (Chicago, Ill.), Jayden Williams, a 6-foot-9 2024 from Brookwood (Snellville, Ga.), and Duke-bound Sean Stewart, a 2023 from Windermere Prep (Windemere, Fla.)

Guards Galore At Pangos

At the 2021 Pangos All-American Camp, some injuries and selfish attitudes caused a minor point guard shortage. That is clearly not the case at the 2022 edition, as there are an abundance of lead guards with the tools to not only perform well at the three-day event, but run collegiate clubs in the near future as well.

The competition will be fierce for one of the coveted guard spots in the Cream of the Crop Top 30 game at the camp's conclusion, which will be reserved for the top performers after four rounds of camp games for each of the 12 teams.

Some of the top candidates to be selected include, but are not limited to, Rob Wright, a 6-foot 2024 from Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia, Pa.), Michigan St.-bound Jeremy Fears, a 6-foot-2 2023 from La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.) and his high school teammate Aden Holloway, a 6-foot 2023 prospect. Other lead guard standouts include Oregon-bound Jackson Shelstad, a 6-foot-1 2023 from West Linn (Ore.), D.J. Thomas, a 6-foot-1 2024 from Liberty (Henderson, Nev.) and Elliot Cadeau, a 6-foot-1 2024 from Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.).

Among the wing guard prospects, Marvel Allen, a 6-foot-4 2023 from Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.), Devin Royal, a 6-foot-6 2023 from Pickerington Central (Pickerington, Ohio), Ian Jackson, a 6-foot-6 2024 from Cardinal Hayes (Bronx, N.Y.), Wesley Yates, a 6-foot-4 2023 from Beaumont United (Beaumont, Texas), Tru Washington, a 6-foot-4 2023 from Mountain Pointe (Phoenix, Ariz.), Isaiah Elohim, a 6-foot-5 2024 from Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) and Dylan Harper, a 6-foot-5 2024 from Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) have all made noise.

The major buzz of Saturday's games was made by Cadeau, when he closed out the second-to-last camp game on court one with a thunderdous tomahawk dunk over the top of Jazz Gardner, a 2023 7-foot center from West Ranch (Valencia, Calif.). Cadeau missed most of his sophomore high school season with injury, but has shown no affects of the bad high ankle sprain he suffered last December.

The nod for the bounciest wing in camp, and perhaps the most bounciest player at the event, goes to Kaden Cooper, a 6-foot-5 2023 from the Skill Factory (Atlanta, Ga.).

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 Pangos: Yves Thierry Ouwe Missi? Oh Yes! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

It's been stated by many basketball aficionados and experts the utilization of the 3-point shot has fundamentally changed the way the game is played and diminished the importance of the traditional big man. Post players who stay in the interior, crash the boards and patrol the painted area are seen as less valuable recruiting commodities than big men who stretch the floor, play the pick and pop game and shoot the deep perimeter shot.

If some of the best players in the class of 2024 and 2025 who participated on the Pangos Frosh/Soph Camp circuit are any indication, that trend could be rapidly changing. There still is room in the game for traditional big men and they have tremendous value. That was clearly evident at the Pangos All-East Frosh/Soph Camp in New Jersey over the weekend.

Luke Bamgboye, a 6-foot-10 power forward from Our Lady Of Mt. Carmel (Essex, Md.), started off the camp by sending shots back, whether it be from driving guards or other forwards trying to challenge him at the rim. His length, timing and motor were all on display throughout the two-day event. He was an easy selection to the Cream of the Crop Top 30 All-Star Game for the camp's top performers and carried over the high octane interior play from his three camp games. He was named co-MVP of the game courtesy of his 16 points, six rebounds, three assists and two block shots.

The interior play was hot and heavy, but in a camp setting such as this one for young players, guards usually dominate game action. Fittingly it was a traditional pick-and-roll play from point guard Elliot Cadeau to forward Emmanuel Okitondo that decided the close game. Okitondo's driving bucket with six seconds remaining proved to be the winning points in the Black jersey-wearing team's 108-106 victory over the White jersey-wearing unit in a game that was tied 47-47 at halftime.

Cadeau, a 6-foot-2 sophomore (2024) from 2021-22 preseason FAB 50 ranked Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.), was only able to participate in the event for one afternoon. He made the most of it and was arguably the top guard in attendance with his combination of strength, speed, skill and confidence. Cadeau, who was invited to the 2021 Pangos all-American Camp in Las Vegas this past summer, finished the Top 30 game with nine points and five assists for the winning Black club to cop co-MVP honors with Bamgboye.

All the guards selected for the Top 30 game were deserving, but almost all of them had trouble at one point or another in the game with getting to optimal spots on the floor and making positive things happen for themselves or teammates. The interior defense, length and closing of gaps were that good. As a unit, the guards did not perform to the level of play displayed in their camp games. They had their moments and there were a plethora of quality long-term prospects nonetheless, including 5-foot-10 2024 Edward Rezendes of East Providence (R.I.), 6-foot-1 2024 Alex Chaikin of Trinity Episcopal (Richmond, Va.), 6-foot-4 2025 (freshman) Barrett Loer of St. George's (Newport, R.I.), 6-foot-3 2025 Wilkin Paulino of Springfield Commonwealth Academy (Springfield, Mass.), 6-foot-1 2024 Tahaad Pettiford of Hudson Catholic (Jersey City, N.J.), 6-foot-3 2024 Delamortay Jones of Bishop O'Connell (Arlington, Va.) and 6-foot-4 2024 Jahlil Bethea of Archbishop Wood (Philadelphia, Pa.).

The leading scorer of the lot was Loer with 12 points for the winning Black club. Pettiford had eight points, four rebound and a couple of clutch steals down the stretch for the White club after taking some ill-advised shots early.?Dylan Harper, a 6-foot-6 2024 prospect from Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) also played well for the White club, finishing with 13 points, including two second half 3-pointers, and six rebounds.

With a game-high 21 points, 6-foot-6 2024 forward Ian Jackson of Cardinal Hayes (Bronx, N.Y.) was named MVP for the White club. He displayed a fine all-around game and had his stroke going from the outside, nailing three 3-pointers and also scoring on a variety of drives. Similar to Cadeau, Jackson is expected to be a key cog for a high school team that crecked the 2021-22 preseason FAB 50 National Team Rankings.

Some of the other big men who played well in a camp where many were deserving to play in either all-star game were the White Club's Kany Tchanda, a 6-foot-9 2024 prospect from Concord Academy (Concord, N.C.), with 12 points, and 6-foot-9 2024 prospect Eli DeLaurier of Miller School (Charlottesville, Va.) with eight points. Tchanda, in particular, helped himself tremendously with his play during the Top 30 all-star contest.

For the Black club, Jack Nieradko, a 6-foot-9 2024 prospect from Kingswood Oxford School (West Hartford, Conn.), was one of the top players in the event based on his skill and touch around the basket, to go along with a high end motor. Six-foot-8 2024 prospect Jason Schofield of Avon Old Farms (Avon, Conn.) also played well.

When it was all said and done, however, it was an athletic and powerful three-man who took home camp Most Outstanding Player honors for his consistent high level of play. That 2024 prospect was 6-foot-6 Isaiah Abraham, who served noticed that he should be seriously considered for any credible national rankings in the sophomore class. Abraham is an athletic downhill driver with a terrific frame and good skill. He can keep defenders honest with the perimeter game and explode by defenders for powerful dunks and acrobatic finishes. He had eight points in the all-star game, but his impact was not just derived from scoring, but his all-around feel and presence. His performance makes him a shoo-in to be selected for next year's 2022 Pangos All-American Camp, which is ultimately the goal for all campers in attendance.

Even though the top all-star game came down to a field goal by Okitondo, the lackluster team play from the guards early on threatened to make the Top 30 game a flop compared to how well the Cream of the Crop Top 60 All-Star Game was played. In fact, it was the most well-played Top 60 game in recent memory. There was little sulking from not being selected to play in the top game and excellent intensity, defense and a pass-first mentality. Perhaps the inspiring pep talk from long-time talent scout Van Coleman?had something to do with the participant's approach.

The amount of quality prospects in the Top 60 game was a testament to the camp's depth. There was three players who really stood out in the Black club's 107-70 victory over the White club, in particular power guard Zion Walker, a 6-foot-2 2024 prospect of The Burlington School (Burlington, N.C.). The other two were 6-foot-3 2024 Justin Menard of Loomis Chaffe (Windsor, Conn.) and 6-foot-3 2025 Omari Moore of Hudson Catholic (Hudson, N.J.).

Walker used his strength and driving skill to score 20 points for the wining club. Menard netted 17 points, while Moore finished with 13.

The White club MVP was 6-foot-6 2024 Jeremiah White of Imhotep Charter (Philadelphia, Pa.), one of the top-rated teams in the country in the preseason FAB 50. He had 18 points and two blocks, while big man Badara Diakite,?a 6-foot-10 2025 pivot out of Northwest Catholic (West Hartford, Conn.), proved to be one of the best long-term prospects in attendance.

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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