By Ronnie Flores

It's not how you start, but how you finish and for teams that do suffer a loss at an inopportune time, the hope should be that their foes do well the rest of the way. That theme definitely applied to the team at Perry (Gilbert, Ariz.). The Pumas began No. 33 in the preseason FAB 50 after capturing the first ever Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) open division state tile in 2222-23. Perry dropped out of the nation's longest-running weekly national rankings earlier this season after dropping games to Arizona clubs, including Sunnyslope (Phoenix, Ariz.), the team it beat in last year's open title game.

This week the Pumas made a grand return as the highest of six newcomers at No. 34 after defeating then No. 38 Millennium (Goodyear, Ariz.), 71-67, to repeat as AIA open division state champs. Millennium had an early 17-point lead, but Perry chipped away at its deficit behind some big shots by guard Barron Silsby down the stretch and the clutch play of All-American Koa Peat. Silsby had 10 second half points to help Perry overcome a 41-32 halftime deficit, while Peat, still a junior and a returning first team Elite All-American, finished with 21 points, 13 rebounds and four assists.

Millennium's Sabien Cain finished with 33 points, including an incredible seven 3-pointers in the first 10 minutes of the game for a team that drops five spots this week. Sunnyslope was the only in-state team Perry didn't end up defeating, as its out of state losses were to No. 18 Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.) and to No. 10 Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.), twice. On Tuesday, Harvard-Westlake hosts No. 24 Roosevelt (Eastvale, Calif.) in the California InterscholasticFederation (CIF) SoCal open division regional title game with the winner taking on either No. 37 Salesian (Richmond, Calif.) or unranked Riordan (San Francisco, Calif.) for the CIF Open Division state title on March 9 at the Golden One Center in Sacramento.

It goes without saying Perry would benefit from Harvard-Westlake winning back-to-back open state crowns, while Salesian would hop the Pumas if it goes on to win its final two games to capture its first CIF open state title. Perry has now won three consecutive AIA state titles and Peat has never lost a AIA playoff game in his stellar three-year career. Perry defeated Basha (Chandler, Ariz.) in the semifinals, 83-79, as Peat poured in 35 points and grabbed 16 rebounds.

Another team enjoying a three-peat that finished strong is No. 28 Sidwell Friends (Washington, D.C.), which captured the District of Columbia State Athletic Association (DCSAA) Class AA title with a 47-37 victory over St. John's (Washington, D.C.). The Quakers got 16 points from Acaden Lewis and 15 from Jalen Rougier-Roane in the title game victory. The big win in terms of rankings position, was the 53-52 semifinal victory over then No. 16 Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.), as the Quakers' Lewis was a difference-maker in a tight game with 21 points, five rebounds and three assists.

Sidwell Friends has now won three consecutive DCSAA state titles and four in the past five seasons and is up 18 spots this week. The Purple Eagles, who were runners-up in the WCAC Tournament to No. 3 Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) on Monday, drop 13 spots but can't go down any further. No. 30 Great Crossing (Georgetown, Ky.) has only lost in overtime to WCAC member Bishop O’Connell (Arlington, Va.), a team Gonzaga split with. No. 31 Oak Ridge (Orlando, Fla.) has also lost to Bishop O’Connell with another loss to a club Gonzaga beat: Westminster Academy (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.). Oak Ridge's third loss is to FAB 50 No. 1 Montverde Academy of Florida.

This Friday, Oak Ridge will battle No. 46 Winter Haven (Winter Haven, Fla.) in the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Class 7A semifinals. The other semifinal pits Evans (Orlando, Fla.) vs. No. 2 Columbus (Miami) with the winners of each game playing on Saturday evening.

In addition to Florida and California, another power state that will crown state champions this week is Texas. The University Interscholastic League (UIL) Class 6A Final Four will take place at The Alamodome in San Antonio. No. 5 and unbeaten Plano East (Plano, Texas) will take on Lake Ridge (Mansfield, Texas) in one semifinal, with No. 6 Stony Point (Round Rock, Texas) facing new No. 49 Beaumont United (Beaumont, Texas) in the other. Beaumont United will be making its fourth consecutive state Final Four appearance, while Stony Point has only lost to Plano East.

Another attractive state final takes place in Georgia, where the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) Class AAAAAAA title game at the Macon Coliseum pits No. 20 McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) vs. No. 35 Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) on Saturday evening. Grayson has only lost to state champ and No. 25 Ridge View (Columbia, S.C.) and to Perry.

The 2023-24 season will conclude with the Chipotle High School Basketball Nationals, April 4-6, at Brownsburg (Ind.) just outside of Indianapolis. Expect an invite for Columbus provided it captures a state title and the other top four teams in the FAB 50. All games at the event will be broadcast live on ESPN platforms.

RELATED: ?Preseason 2023-24 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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Editor's Note: In the Tarkanian Classic high school division, FAB 50 No. 34 West Ranch (Valencia, Calif.) takes on Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) and FAB 50 No. 22 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, NeV.) battles No. 42 Oak Cliff Faith Family (Dallas, Texas)in the semifinals of the event's Platinum Division.

1. Traditional High School Ball Is At A Crossroads

For the first time ever, the Tarkanian Classic was certified for NBA scouts and they definitely got their money's worth, as both the prep division and high school division were loaded with talent. From that evaluation standpoint, NBA clubs want to get a head start on identifying prospects for their level and it's a good thing to have more intel on prospects before they get to college. For college coaches, however, the high school recruiting landscape has changed since COVID-19 hit and the NCAA Transfer portal became so robust. It has nothing to do with the relative strength or weakness of the 2023 recruiting class and everything to do with college coaching staffs desiring experienced players, prospects who don't come from a traditional high school setting i.e. foreign players, and the unrealistic expectations of incoming high school recruits. We had one West Coast D1 staff tell us while they like some of the players in the current recruiting cycle, they are simply waiting to see what college rosters look like after the season in order to upgrade their own roster. The prevailing thinking is the best way to get better quickly it to look for experienced players through the NCAA transfer portal. With academy-type programs constantly recruiting elite high school players (even after the season has started), it's easier than ever for players to leave a situation they don't like and harder for the fringe recruit to get an offer. High school basketball isn't going anywhere and there will always be kids to participate on teams and to have quality events, but the scholarship offers coming from the performances at those same events are not as prevalent as in previous seasons. There is more players in the prep and academy ranks with the size colleges covet, more avenues to recruit players from (such as the NBA Academy teams), and one more important caveat to recruiting high school aged players (see below). It doesn't seem to be anything that is going to stop these trends.

2. High School Recruits Must "Get It" Quicker

When we say "get it" we mean understanding the realities of their recruitment and what level these American high school recruits can expect to play at. For some players, this reality hits way too late in the recruiting process and it makes that particular player even more undesirable as a recruit because he feels D2, NAIA or Junior College ball is beneath him. The caveat we were referring to in point No. 1 is with the recruitment of foreign players, they are ineligible for Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) deals if they attend school in America on a student visa. There are some work-arounds to that NIL rule, but if two players are relatively equal, and one is a foreign recruit and the other a domestic, who do you think is going to get the scholarship in the current landscape? NIL is still relatively new and there is little the NCAA is in position to regulate at this point. Families see all these NIL numbers thrown around on social media (most of which will never see a player's bank account) and it has created at atmosphere where expectations for NIL opportunities are quickly out of control. NIL makes sense for elite scholarship players, but the combination of colleges looking for more experienced recruits and unrealistic NIL expectations, makes a foreign recruit a much more desirable option. That means high school players must have a better (and faster) understanding of NCAA eligibility requirements, keep up grades, and have realistic expectations of playing level more than ever before. Those that don't "get it" will be left behind wondering why they don't have a scholarship when their high school career comes to a close. Even for those high school players that do get it, scholarship opportunities are harder to come by than ever before.

3. Alex Toohey & Thierry Serge Darlan Are The Real Deal

The NBA Academy teams (Global, Africa, Latin America) have been a great addition to the Tarkanian Classic, especially since the G-League 2022 AT&T Winter Showcase took place at the Mandalay Bay on the Las Vegas strip. With the Tarkanian Classic now certified for NBA scouts to evaluate, the G-League event and the Tark Prep Division gave NBA personnel an extended look at the prospects on these three academy teams, not to mention the other prep schools in attendance, and overall they liked what they saw. Gonzaga, Arizona, St. Mary's (CA) and Tennessee are four of the college programs tapping into the foreign well the best and Gonzaga got a gem in NBA Global's Alex Toohey, a 6-foot-8 2023 forward from Australia. The 18-year old has experience playing for the Australian Senior National Team in FIBA competition and is one of the best international prospects going the college route in 2023. In fact, if Toohey was in the national Class of 2023, he'd be a consensus Top 10 prospect. He has an element of toughness and skill that is hard to find and is a matchup problem with his versatile inside-out game. He also moves he feet on defense and can defend pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop situations well. NBA Africa's Thierry Serge Darlan, a 6-6 2023 prospect, was another standout at the Tarkanian Classic and would rate as a Top 10 2023 consensus prospect as well. The South Africa native is a terrific big guard prospect. He has positional NBA size, can handle the ball well and shoot it consistently enough to make NBA scouts give him a long look. Darlan's 7'1 wingspan and defensive intensity could shoot him up draft boards after teams take a deeper look. Darlan has plenty of options, too, as the G League has been mentioned as a potential destination, Arizona is in hot pursuit and he's also eligible for the 2023 NBA Draft. Others standouts in the Tarkanian Classic Prep Division included 7-foot 2024 Makhan Diouf of Bella Vista Prep (Ariz.), 6-foot-9 2025 forward Alejandro Aviles of Dream City Christian (Ariz.), 6-foot-10 2025 Jaden Toombs of Dynamic Prep (Texas), 7-foot 2025 Khaman Maluach of NBA Africa, 6-foot-7 2023 Augusto Cassia of NBA Global, 6-foot-8 2024 Chris Tadjo of NBA Latin America, 6-foot-11 2024 Steven Osei of Real Salt Lake (Utah), 6-foot 2026 Imahri Wooten of Redemption Christian Academy (N.Y.) and 6-foot-3 2025 Aram Soqui Urbano of Veritas Prep (Calif.).

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

The post Tark Classic Prep: 3 Things We Learned appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

By Ronnie Flores

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

RELATED:  Previous Mr. Basketball USA Tracker | All-Time Honorees | Ballislife Podcast Network

There were plenty of milestone and first-time occurrences during the 2020-21 high school basketball season. The first order of business was deciding when to release "end-of-season" national honors because, as many know, the 2020-21 season is still going. In fact, in California, Washington and Oregon, the season will be going after school districts let school out for the summer. The affects of COVID-19 on high school basketball will linger far into the summer.

To be fair to players in those three Western states and the others who played spring seasons, we wanted to offer a fair opportunity at end-of-season honors. However, and the season wore along it became clear: Seven-foot Chet Holmgren of Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis, Minn.) is a special player and no matter when the announcement was set for, the results were going to be the same with regards to national player of the year.

It was clear to the 10-man Mr. Basketball USA panel, and to most fans that watched him over the course of the past year, that Holmgren is a unique prospect and best player in the country for the 2020-21 season. Today, he is honored with the title of 2020-21 Mr. Basketball USA.

"Chet Holmgren has been the best prospect and player in high school since at least August prior to his junior year, in my opinion," said panel member Frank Burlison of BurlisonOnBasketball.com.

Watch the video below to check out and co-hosts Ronnie Flores and Devin Ugland discuss the full Mr. Basketball USA Player of the Year voting (full results below) and stay tuned for a special guest interview with Chet's high school coach, Lance Johnson, of Minnehaha Academy.

Holmgren led the Redhawks to the MHSL Class AAA state title with a 22-1 mark and No. 7 FAB 50 national ranking, which will go down as the highest ever ranking for a Minnesota team, topping last season's undefeated Eden Prairie team that finished No. 12. Holmgren played five years on the varsity and Minnehaha Academy captured four state titles in that time frame.

Holmgren was a skinny, 6-foot-6 eighth grader who played spot varsity minutes (in Minnesota student-athletes can play varsity before ninth grade) while averaging 1.4 ppg and less than one rpg. According to Johnson, he started to show glimpses of the player he is today in tenth-grade, when he averaged 18.2 ppg, 9.8 rpg and a career-high 5.5 bpg for a 29-2 team.

As a underclassmen, Holmgren teamed up with NBA-bound point guard Jalen Suggs (who led Gonzaga to the 2021 NCAA title game) and with his good friend in the college ranks in 2020-21, he was just as individually dominant. Holmgren was efficient in all facets of the game, averaging 20.8 ppg, 12.6 rpg, 4.4 apg, and 4.7 bpg (he averaged 4.9 bpg as a junior). On the season, he converted an incredible 157-of-194 two-point field goal attempts (81%) and 21-of-67 3-point attempts (31%).

Holmgren is lauded as a good teammate, put together one of the best seasons we've ever seen in terms of offensive efficiency and was hailed as the best defensive player in the country. It's been a long time since a big man national player of the year candidate has put together such a complete resume.

Holmgren is the first true post player to earn the nation's most prestigious individual honor since 2013-14, when Cliff Alexander of Curie (Chicago) was the choice. Holmgren also makes history as the first player from the state of Minnesota to be recognized as the best high school player in the country.

If history is any indication, this year's top player will one day soon play in the NBA.

Editor's Note: Click on the "+" sign next to each player's number to view how many first, second, third or fourth place votes he got and his overall point total. Previous tracker results are also listed ("Prev.").

Rank	Prev.	Name	High School	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Total
1	1	Chet Holmgren (10)	Minnehaha Academy (MN)	10	0	0	0	100
2	2	Jabari Smith (10)	Sandy Creek (GA)	0	6	1	1	79
3	3	Jalen Duren (9)	Montverde Academy (FL)	0	2	4	1	66
4	5	Kennedy Chandler (10)	Sunrise Christian (KS)	0	0	1	2	62
5	7	TyTy Washington (7)	AZ Compass Prep (AZ)	0	1	1	1	39
6	16T	Caleb Houstan (5)	Montverde Academy (FL)	0	0	1	1	28
7T	6	Emoni Bates (5)	Ypsi Prep (MI)	0	1	1	0	23
7T	9	Hunter Sallis (5)	Millard North (NE)	0	0	0	1	23
9	13	Daimion Collins (6)	Atlanta (TX)	0	0	0	1	22
10	10	Mike Foster (4)	Hillcrest Prep (AZ)	0	0	1	0	17
11	11T	J.D. Davison (5)	Calhoun (AL)	0	0	0	0	16
12T	16T	Kobe Bufkin (3)	Grand Rapids Christian (MI)	0	0	0	0	12
12T	8	D.J. Wagner (3)	Camden (NJ)	0	0	0	1	12
14	16T	Moussa Diabate (1)	IMG Academy (FL)	0	0	0	0	8
15T	16T	Nolan Hickman (2)	Wasatch Academy (UT)	0	0	0	0	7
15T	NR	Peyton Watson (2)	Long Beach Poly (CA)	0	0	0	0	7
17T	NR	Amari Bailey (3)	Sierra Canyon (CA)	0	0	0	0	6
17T	NR	Tyrese Hunter (1)	St Catherines (WI)	0	0	0	0	6
19T	NR	Rashool Diggins (1)	Archbishop Wood (PA)	0	0	0	0	4
19T	15	DaRon Holmes (1)	AZ Compass Prep (AZ)	0	0	0	0	4
21	NR	Saint Thomas (1)	Millard North (NE)	0	0	0	0	3
22	NR	Matthew Cleveland (1)	Pace (GA)	0	0	0	0	2
23T	NR	Adrame Diongue (1)	Bella Vista Prep (AZ)	0	0	0	0	1
23T	NR	Harrison Ingram (1)	St. Marks (TX)	0	0	0	0	1
23T	NR	J.J. Taylor (1)	Kenwood (IL)	0	0	0	0	1
23T	NR	Bruce Thornton (1)	Milton (GA)	0	0	0	0	1

2020-21 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker Panel

Paul Biancardi, ESPN National Director of Basketball Recruiting
Frank Burlison, BurlisonOnBasketball.com Publisher
Van Coleman, Global Sports Television C.O.O.
Jordan Divens, Maxpreps.com National Basketball Editor
Ronnie Flores, www.ebooksnet.com National Grassroots Editor
Bob Gibbons, All-Star Sports
Chris Lawlor, Blue Star Media National Analyst
Jerry Meyer, 247Sports.com Director of Scouting
Patrick Stanwood, Patrick Stanwood Basketball
Dinos Trigonis, Fullcourt Press Editor & Publisher

About Basketball USA Tracker Panel
www.ebooksnet.com's panel of 10 experts, which includes six McDonald’s All-American selection committee members, casts its vote for the top national player of the year candidates. Each panelist lists his top seven candidates regardless of class. The votes are then tabulated on a 10-point scoring system with a first-place vote equaling 10 points, a second-place vote earning nine points and down to four points for a seventh-place vote. The number in parenthesis refers to the numbers of ballots on which a player appeared and previous rankings refers to position in the previous tracker.

For the all-time list of Mr. Basketball USA honorees, CLICK HERE.

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 Chet Holmgren Named Mr. Basketball USA! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

By Ronnie Flores

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get Ready For Mac McClung

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

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

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

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

No.	Prev.	High School (City)	Record
1	1	Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.)	25-0
2	2	Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.)	29-0
3	3	University School (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.)	20-1
4	5	McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.)	15-2
5	6	Simeon (Chicago, Ill.)	17-3
6	7	Shadow Mountain (Phoenix, Ariz.)	14-0
7	8	Memphis East (Memphis, Tenn.)	13-3
8	9	Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.)	22-2
9	10	Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.)	16-2
10	11	Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.)	15-1
11	4	DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.)	16-3
12	12	La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.)	16-3
13	13	Imhotep Charter (Philadelphia, Pa.)	14-2
14	14	Oak Ridge (Orlando, Fla.)	19-3
15	15	Guyer (Denton, Texas)	27-1
16	16	Bishop Montgomery (Torrance, Calif.)	19-0
17	17	Garfield (Seattle, Wash.)	16-0
18	18	Hudson Catholic (Jersey City, N.J.)	9-3
19	19	Wesleyan Christian Academy (High Point, N.C.)	19-5
20	20	Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.)	13-2
21	21	Riverside Academy (Reserve, La.)	23-0
22	22	Riley (South Bend, Ind.)	15-0
23	23	Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, N.Y.)	13-2
24	24	Upson-Lee (Thomaston, Ga.)	20-0
25	25	Cox Mill (Concord, N.C.)	15-3
26	26	Warren Central (Indianapolis, Ind.)	15-0
27	30	Trinity (Louisville, Ky.)	17-1
28	28	Clarkston (Clarkston, Mich.)	10-1
29	29	St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.)	21-2
30	32	Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati, Ohio)	12-3
31	31	Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.)	15-2
32	36	Wayne (Huber Heights, Ohio)	12-0
33	33	Scott County (Georgetown, Ky.)	18-1
34	34	Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.)	16-4
35	35	Salesian (Richmond, Calif.)	19-1
36	44	Waxahachie (Waxahachie, Texas)	20-4
37	NR	Seton Hall Prep (West Orange, N.J.)	13-0
38	46	John Carroll (Bel Air, Md.)	15-5
39	41	Clark (Las Vegas, Nev.)	17-3
40	39	Jefferson (Portland, Ore.)	13-3
41	47	Mt. St. Joseph (Baltimore, Md.)	16-3
42	40	Gill St. Bernard's (Gladstone, N.J.)	9-3
43	43	IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)	14-5
44	NR	Hazel Park (Hazel Park, Mich.)	10-0
45	49	Gonzaga Prep (Spokane, Wash.)	16-0
46	NR	Plymouth-Whitemarsh (Plymouth Meeting, Pa.)	14-0
47	NR	Cretin-Derham Hall (St. Paul, Minn.)	12-1
48	50	Etiwanda (Etiwanda, Fla.)	21-1
49	NR	Westlake (Austin, Texas)	25-3
50	NR	New Albany (New Albany, Ind.)	13-1

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

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

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

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

The post NEW FAB 50: Top Teams Keep ROLLING! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

Sierra Canyon will play against Michael Porter and the Nathan Hale Raiders in the Les Schwab Invitational Championship Finals. Stay tune here on www.ebooksnet.com

The post 5'7 Chris Lykes & Gonzaga Put Up A FIGHT vs Sierra Canyon! FULL Highlights appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

The post Gonzaga-Bound Shooter Zack Norvell Leads Simeon! Official Senior Mixtape! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

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The post Markelle Fultz SHUTS DOWN ACIT Tourney with FREE THROW Line Dunk! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

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

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The post Markelle Fultz REVERSE Jam & Anwar Gill POSTER Headline WCAC February Top Plays! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

By Ronnie Flores

Longtime Cardozo (Bayside, N.Y.) coach Ron Naclerio made no bones about his team's 96-60 loss to Long Island Lutheran (Glen head, N.Y.) this past Saturday at the second annual Apparel Challenge at Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.). "It was one of those days," Naclerio told www.ebooksnet.com.

Since LuHi was already a bubble club in last week's FAB 50 National Team Rankings powered by www.ebooksnet.com, we considered keeping Naclerio's Judges in this week's FAB 50. At this point in the season, a bad loss can really hurt a team's ranking and we ultimately decided Cardozo had to drop out at 22-2. Had Cardozo lost on a fluke play or wild ending, such as was the case with its other loss to Queens Teaching on a half court buzzer beater while 'Dozo was missing two starters, it likely would have remained in. LuHi's margin of victory, however, means other teams from around the country deserve a crack in the nation's deepest set of national weekly rankings.

Long Island Lutheran is the highest ranked of five newcomers this week at No. 41, seven spots behind the Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.) team it previously lost to. LuHi's other loss is to Bishop Loughlin (Brooklyn, N.Y.). The highest ranked team in New York's Five Boros ahead of Cardozo is bubble club Archbishop Malloy (Queens, N.Y.).

The highest ranked team to taste defeat last week was previous No. 10 Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.), which was upset in Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) play by unranked Bishop O'Connell (Arlington, Va.), 69-65. The Eagles' resume is too strong, however, for them to drop out, as they have lost to No. 7 St. John's (Washington, D.C.) twice, including once in overtime, and have a split with No. 6 DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.). The natural spot for coach Steve Turner's club to fall is to No. 36, one spot behind the Roman Catholic (Philadelphia, Pa.) club it lost to in overtime.

The week's other big loss was a 76-69 victory by bubble club Rainier Beach (Seattle, Wash.) over previous No. 11 Garfield (Seattle, Wash.) in a Metro League showdown played between Washington's top top Class 3A clubs at Rainier Beach before an overflow crowd. Seattle loves its hoops and the crowd was treated to a dandy, as Rainier Beach's Sam Cunliffe netted 25 points to hand Garfield its first in-state loss of the season against a team it could potentially meet three more times. Rainier Beach and Garfield could meet in the Metro League tournament, in SeaKing District 2 play and potentially at the Tacoma Dome in the 3A state tourney March 3-5.

Rainier Beach had a letdown after its big win, falling to Seattle Prep 70-63. Had it not lost last week, the Vikings may have cracked the FAB 50, but the more deserving team regardless is new No. 44 Simeon (Chicago, Ill.). Coach Robert Smith's club defeated Rainier Beach, 70-56, at the Hoophall West in December. Two of Simeon's three losses are two clubs ranked ahead of them in local polls: No. 37 Morgan Park (Chicago, Ill.) and No. 40 Fenwick (Oak Park, Ill.). The fourth Illinois team that is playing terrific ball as of late is No. 32 Althoff Catholic (Belleville, Ill.), which recorded a convincing 80-64 win over Kenwood (Chicago, Ill.) on Saturday and could be the one team that keeps a Chicago Public League program from winning the Class 3A state title.

Updated FAB 50 National Team Rankings
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(Eighth poll of the 2015-16 regular season; Through games played on Sunday, February 7; Previous ranking in parentheses; *Indicates forfeit wins, forfeit losses not included; **Indicates forfeits and defaults not included)

No.	Prev.	High School (City)	Record
1	1	Chino Hills (Chino Hills, Calif.)	25-0
2	2	Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.)	22-1
3	3	Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.)	32-1
4	4	Atascocita (Humble, Texas)	30-0
5	5	St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.)	18-0
6	6	DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.)	20-3
7	7	St. John's (Washington, D.C.)	23-2
8	8	University of Detroit Jesuit (Detroit, Mich.)	15-0
9	9	Bishop Montgomery (Torrance, Calif.)	23-1
10	14	Memphis East (Memphis, Tenn.)	22-1
11	12	Providence Day (Charlotte, N.C.)	25-3
12	13	Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.)	21-3
13	15	Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.)	23-1
14	16	St. Benedict's (Newark, N.J.)	23-1
15	18	Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia, Pa.)	20-2
16	20	Seton Hall Prep (West Orange, N.J.)	18-1
17	17	Stevens Point (Stevens Point, Wis.)	18-0
18	21	Chaminade (St. Louis, Mo.)	18-5
19	28	La Lumiere (LaPorte, Ind.)	22-3
20	24	Hammond (Columbia, S.C.)	21-1
21	25	Greenforest Christian Academy (Decatur, Ga.)	23-2
22	30	Dakota (Macomb, Mich.)	14-0
23	31	Wayne (Huber Heights, Ohio)	20-0
24	23	Hamilton Heights Christian Academy (Chattanooga, Tenn.)	22-3
25	26	Hopkins (Minnetonka, Minn.)	22-1
26	27	Apple Valley (Apple Valley, Minn.)	21-1
27	33	Archbishop Carroll (Radnor, Pa.)	21-2
28	29	Lima Senior (Lima, Ohio)	17-0
29	34	High Point Christian (High Point, N.C.)	21-4
30	35	Greensboro Day (Greensboro, N.C.)	26-4
31	37	Edmond North (Edmond, Okla.)	19-0
32	38	Althoff Catholic (Belleville, Ill.)	21-2
33	36	Norcross (Norcross, Ga.)	23-2
34	40	Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.)	20-5
35	41	Roman Catholic (Philadelphia, Pa.)	18-4
36	10	Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.)	19-5
37	42	Morgan Park (Chicago, Ill.)	19-2
38	11	Garfield (Seattle, Wash.)	18-2
39	39	West Linn (West Linn, Ore.)	16-3
40	45	Fenwick (Oak Park, Ill.)	20-2
41	NR	Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, N.Y.)	18-2
42	50	Blackman (Murfreesboro, Tenn.)	24-0
43	49	Advanced International Prep (Dallas, Texas)	25-7
44	NR	Simeon (Chicago, Ill.)	19-3
45	46	Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah)	23-3
46	NR	Oldsmar Christian (Oldsmar, Fla.)	25-6*
47	48	Miller Grove (Lithonia, Ga.)	22-2
48	44	West Oaks Academy (Orlando, Fla.)	20-3
49	NR	Scotlandville (Baton Rouge, La.)	24-2
50	NR	Omaha South (Omaha, Neb.)	20-0

Dropped Out: Previous No. 19 Cardozo (Bayside, N.Y.), No. 22 DeSoto (DeSoto, Texas), No. 32 Foothills Christian (El Cajon, Calif.), No. 43 Moeller (Cincinnati, Ohio), No. 47 Lone Peak (Highland, Utah).

Bubble Teams: Allderdice (Pittsburgh, Pa.) 19-1; Archbishop Malloy (Queens, N.Y.) 17-3; Bingham (South Jordan, Utah) 16-2; Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) 18-7; Brandeis (San Antonio, Texas) 27-1; Burlington School (Burlington, N.C.) 30-0; Cardozo (Bayside, N.Y.) 22-2; Clarkston (Clarkston, Mich.) 12-1; Coatesville (Coatesville, Pa.) 21-1; Curie (Chicago, Ill.) 18-2**; DeSoto (DeSoto, Texas) 26-2; Dublin Jerome (Dublin, Ohio) 19-2; Eaglecrest (Centennial, Col.) 18-1; Father Tolton (Columbia, Mo.) 15-2; Fayetteville (Fayetteville, Ark.) 18-1; Federal Way (Federal Way, Wash.) 21-0; Foothills Christian (El Cajon, Calif.) 17-4; Fort Bend Bush (Richmond, Texas) 23-6; Fort Bend Elkins (Missouri City, Texas) 27-2; Gwynn Park (Brandywine, Md.) 16-0; H.D. Woodson (Washington, D.C.) 24-0*; Jonesboro (Jonesboro, Ga.) 21-4; Kickapoo (Springfield, Mo.) 19-2; Lancaster (Lancaster, Texas) 26-2; Lee's Summit (Lee's Summit, Mo.) 19-0; Lincoln (Gahanna, Ohio.) 20-1; Linden (Linden, N.J.) 13-3; Lone Peak (Highland, Utah) 16-4; Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) 23-3; McComb (McComb, Miss.) 22-0; Merrillville (Merrillville, Ind.) 17-1; Modesto Christian (Modesto, Calif.) 23-1; National Christian Academy (Ft. Washington, Md.) 17-1; New Albany (New Albany, Ind.) 16-1; Norland (Miami, Fla.) 23-4; Norman North (Norman, Okla.) 17-2; Overland (Aurora, Colo.) 15-3; Patrick School (Elizabeth, N.J.) 16-4; Peabody (Alexandria, La.) 26-1; Rainier Beach (Seattle, Wash.) 16-4; Rangeview (Aurora, Col.) 18-0; Sacred Heart (Waterbury, Conn.) 14-2; Shadow Mountain (Phoenix, Ariz.) 21-5; Shenendehowa (Clifton Park, N.Y.) 19-0; Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.) 12-5; Tascosa (Amarillo, Texas) 27-0; Thornton (Harvey, Ill.) 18-1; Victory Rock Prep (Sarasota, Fla.) 19-5; Westerville South (Westerville, Ohio) 17-4; Westfield (Chantilly, Va.) 15-2; Westlake (Atlanta, Ga.) 19-4; Westtown School (West Chester, Pa.) 22-6; Wilmington (Wilmington, Ohio) 18-1.

Note: The FAB 50 powered by www.ebooksnet.com is a continuation of the National Sports News Service ratings that began in 1952. These were the first national high school rankings and the late Art Johlfs of Minnesota compiled them. They were compiled for many years by the late Barry Sollenberger of Phoenix, who merged them into the FAB 50 16 years ago.

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

The post NEW FAB 50: Who's In? Who's Out? appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

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

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

By Ronnie Flores

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

No.	Prev.	High School (City)	Record
1	1	Chino Hills (Chino Hills, Calif.)	19-0
2	2	Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.)	19-1
3	3	Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.)	26-1
4	6	Atascocita (Humble, Texas)	25-0
5	7	St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.)	11-0
6	5	DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.)	16-3
7	11	Bishop Montgomery (Torrance, Calif.)	19-0
8	8	St. John's (Washington, D.C.)	18-2
9	14	Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.)	15-2
10	9	Garfield (Seattle, Wash.)	15-1
11	12	University of Detroit Jesuit (Detroit, Mich.)	11-0
12	15	Providence Day (Charlotte, N.C.)	20-3
13	16	Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.)	16-3
14	17	Memphis East (Memphis, Tenn.)	17-1
15	4	Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.)	18-1
16	13	St. Benedict's (Newark, N.J.)	18-1
17	18	Stevens Point (Stevens Point, Wis.)	14-0
18	19	Hopkins (Minnetonka, Minn.)	19-0
19	20	Westlake (Atlanta, Ga.)	14-2
20	22	Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia, Pa.)	15-2
21	21	Chaminade (St. Louis, Mo.)	16-5
22	23	Hammond (Columbia, S.C.)	19-0
23	10	Cardozo (Bayside, N.Y.)	18-1
24	24	Apple Valley (Apple Valley, Minn.)	17-1
25	25	Greenforest Christian Academy (Decatur, Ga.)	18-2
26	26	Morgan Park (Chicago, Ill.)	15-1
27	27	Seton Hall Prep (West Orange, N.J.)	13-1
28	29	DeSoto (DeSoto, Texas)	24-1
29	30	Lima Senior (Lima, Ohio)	14-0
30	31	La Lumiere (LaPorte, Ind.)	18-3
31	32	Patrick School (Elizabeth, N.J.)	10-3
32	34	Hamilton Heights Christian Academy (Chattanooga, Tenn.)	18-2
33	41	Wayne (Huber Heights, Ohio)	14-0
34	40	Oldsmar Christian (Oldsmar, Fla.)	21-4
35	35	Greensboro Day (Greensboro, N.C.)	23-3
36	36	High Point Christian (High Point, N.C.)	17-4
37	43	Dakota (Macomb, Mich.)	9-0
38	44	Foothills Christian (El Cajon, Calif.)	13-3
39	39	Norcross (Norcross, Ga.)	17-2
40	33	Archbishop Carroll (Radnor, Pa.)	16-2
41	42	West Linn (West Linn, Ore.)	12-3
42	48	Edmond North (Edmond, Okla.)	16-0
43	49	Althoff Catholic (Belleville, Ill.)	17-2
44	47	Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.)	15-5
45	45	Roman Catholic (Philadelphia, Pa.)	13-4
46	46	Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah)	19-2
47	NR	Moeller (Cincinnati, Ohio)	15-1
48	37	West Oaks Academy (Orlando, Fla.)	14-2
49	NR	Steele (Cibolo, Texas)	23-1
50	50	Victory Rock Prep (Sarasota, Fla.)	17-2

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

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

Note: The FAB 50 powered by www.ebooksnet.com is a continuation of the National Sports News Service ratings that began in 1952. These were the first national high school rankings and the late Art Johlfs of Minnesota compiled them. They were compiled for many years by the late Barry Sollenberger of Phoenix, who merged them into the FAB 50 16 years ago.

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

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DePaul-bound Chicago Curie senior point guard Devin Gage has been a four year varsity contributor. But now is his biggest chance to lead his team.
Facing Chicago powerhouse Simeon at the 85th annual Pontiac Holiday Tournament semis was Curie's chance to show they're among the elite teams in the state of Illinois.
High school basketball fans flock to Pontiac Illinois for the nation's oldest high school tournament annually and this year, Simeon's leading scorer Zach Norvell (headed to Gonzaga) was one of the star attractions along with slightly under-publicized Gage.

After cutting open his hand (which delayed the game) and later missing critical free throws in the closing seconds, Gage tipped the ball out of bounds off a Simeon player with 3 seconds remaining in the game. Given a second chance to win the game (still down 1 point), Gage sunk a 3-pointer, just beating the buzzer (80-78).
Simeon's Zach Norvell finished with 24 points before fouling out with 90 seconds left in the 4th quarter and was later named to the All-tournament team.
Devin Gage finished with 23 points (21 in second half), 4 rebounds and 8 hours later his undefeated Curie team went on to win their second Pontiac title in school history (handing Peoria Manual its first loss of the season). Gage was named tournament MVP.

Check out this raw footage of this dramatic Pontiac semifinal game featuring 2 of the Chicago Public League's top teams that lasted over 2 hours!

Thanks to Jim Drengwitz and everyone at Pontiac High School and the Pontiac Holiday Tournament!

For more Pontiac Holiday Tournament basketball mixtapes and raw game footage watch and subscribe to Ballislife Midwest youtube channel and follow @scottballislife on Instagram and @BallislifeCHI on Twitter. Thanks for watching and subscribing!

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"A classic dual between current Kansas Jayhawk star Andrew Wiggins and his then York Region rival and current Gonzaga star Kevin Pangos. These two Canadian talents have been Canada Basketball teammates as well as good friends. Drew Ebanks documented this epic championship match back in 2011 in front of a sold out crowd when Andrew Wiggins was only a Sophomore in high school and Kevin Pangos a senior. Since then, ON POINT has been there every step of the way to document the burgeoning career of the 2014 projected #1 NBA draft pick Andrew Wiggins who follows 2013 #1 pick Anthony Bennett. The Toronto region has produced a number of elite level basketball players from Tristan Thompson to Cory Joseph and now Andrew Wiggins, Kevin Pangos, Nick Stauskas, Anthony Bennett, Kelly Olynyk, Andrew Nicholson and many more." - On Point Basketball

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A headliner game Gonzaga and one of high schools most exciting players was the perfect combination for anyone needing a basketball fix on MLK day. The 2012 MLK Hoopfest Showcase attracted a crowd of nearly 3,000 fans that gathered to support Gonzaga or just to see America's most electrifying high school point guard. We have it all for you here and ofcourse we had to include Kris Jenkins dagger.

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