RELATED: 5 Things We Learned At Hoophall West

Boogie Fland, 2024 6’3 PG - Archbishop Stepinac (NY)
Dynamic pg going to Kentucky put on a show and led Stepinac to a win vs Perry (AZ) in a matchup of FAB 50 ranked teams. He compiled 27 points and showed high level shot creation. Good first step, creates separation off the bounce and is an adequate passer. Making a strong case as a Burger Boy and a top 15 player in his class.

Danny Carbuccia, 2025 6’0 PG - Archbishop Stepinac (NY)
Speedy guard that gets downhill. His ability to get plenty of paint touches generates a lot of attention of the defense, which allows him to find the open shooters on kickouts. As a shooter, he seems capable and he made the game winning three-pointer for Stepinac, but I wouldn’t say three point shooting is a strength of his. Regardless, tough, fast guard that’s a regular visitor in the paint.

Koa Peat, 2025 6’8 PF - Perry (AZ)
Koa makes plays that translate. A big physical wing-forward that’s a strong playmaker. Quality mid-range scorer with a college ready frame that sees the floor well. Can resort to more of a bully-ball type of offense in spurts, but I thought he did an adequate job balancing his approach. His playmaking upside to go with his size and perimeter skills makes him a matchup nightmare and he's also a good passer off the double teams.

D’Andre Harrison, 2025 6’5 SF - Perry HS (AZ)
Was very productive. Harrison is a lefty, utility wing that impacts winning. Rebounds and plays bigger than listed height, was a recipient of Koa Peat’s outlet passes that led to transition dunks and he connected on perimeter and mid-range shots off the catch.

Isiah Harwell, 2025 6’5 SG - Wasatch (UT)
Isiah had a fairly slow first half on Friday vs. AZ Compass Prep but in second half he showed why he’s a 5-Star guard in 2025. Made open shots, got to the rim when attacking closeouts and scored from the post when he had the size advantage. Energy and effort went up and he impacted the game on both ends. One aspect of Harwell I locked in on was his strong base. It allowed him to switch and hold own vs skinnier post players. There's alot to like about his game.

John Mobley Jr., 2024 6’0 PG - Wasatch (UT)
The Ohio State Signee was hot on the offensive end. Needs little space to connect on shots from three. He’s a versatile shooter that quickly launches off the catch, move and dribble effectively. Was player of the game in Wasatch key win vs AZ Compass.

Augustine Ekwe, 2025 6’10 C - Wasatch (UT)
Augustine from a physical profile draws similarities to TCU signee Malick Diallo who also plays at Wasatch. Augustine from what I was told has only played basketball for approximately 24 months, but I like what I saw. Engine stayed on, ran the floor, altered and blocks shots at the rim and showed promising touch with right handed hooks going over the left shoulder. Consistency will be key for him going forward especially as he’ll consume the starting role with Diallo out with an ACL injury for the season.

Jeremiah Fears, 2025 6’3 CG - AZ Compass (AZ)
Despite his team losing, I thought Fears was one of the bright spots on Friday evening. Got to the paint and completed crafty attempts at the rim, made shots off the bounce and showed adequate playmaking ability. Fears is more of a combo guard than his older broth Jeremy, but his play with be vital to AZ Compass' success in the EYBL Scholastic League.

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RELATED: Hoophall West Eval Standouts!

1.Boogie Fland Gives Major Kentucky Vibes

In a terrific game on Friday evening between two FAB 50 ranked teams and two elite players, it was another fine player who made the winning basket in a 53-50 buzzer-beating win for Boogie Fland's team from Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.), which came into the game ranked No. 14 in the FAB 50. Its opponent was No. 29 Perry (Gilbert, Ariz.), which is led by forward Koa Peat, one of the nation's best juniors whose team is playing a high-powered national schedule. The game went back and forth with both big guns making clutch plays, but it was Stepinac's Danny Carbuccia who hit the game-winning three-pointer right before the buzzer to give the visitors from New York a dramatic 53-50 victory in its first game of the season. Peat had a big block on Fland with 20.1 seconds to go in a possession that ended with a Fland miss in a tied game. Peat (12 points, 12 rebounds, four assists) looked to take the go-ahead field goal on Perry's final possession, but a held ball was called with seven seconds remaining to set up Carbuccia's shot that came after two quick passes to the left wing. It's safe to say without Fland, Stepinac wouldn't have been in position to win the game. The Kentucky commit and likely McDonald's All-American impressed media-types, scouts and fans in attendance with his darting moves and shot-making ability. It's fact, he moves and plays the game similarly to two former Big Blue Nation guards: Tyrese Maxey (Philadelphia 76ers) and Immanuel Quickley (New York Knicks) in terms of speed with the ball, step back shooting and ability to split defenders. He scored 14 points in the final period and finished with 27 points, five rebounds, two assists, and three steals. "Yes, we did talk about getting off on the right foot for the season and we reminded them at halftime," Stepinac coach Patrick Massaroni said. "We couldn't have played a worse first half." Stepinac will try to keep up the momentum when it faces regionally-ranked Centennial (Corona, Calif.) in a Saturday afternoon matchup. Perry (4-1) will look to rebound vs. FAB 50 No. 12 Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.).

2. Wasatch Academy Is A Big EYBLS Factor

The Tigers began the season No. 23 in the preseason FAB 50, but so far they look like a realistic threat to finish in second place in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball Scholastic League (EYBL Scholastic). The Tigers will be hard pressed to beat No. 1 Montverde Academy in the league standings, but finishing in second place is realistic. After all, the Tigers lost to the Eagles, 88-53, in Utah on Nov. 20 and Montverde Academy crushed the Columbus (Miami, Fla.) team by 28 points, 89-61, on Friday evening that Wasatch Academy beat by two points (75-73). Coach Paul Peterson's club, currently ranked No. 6 nationally one spot in front of Columbus, has good pieces surrounding the high-powered backcourt of Ohio State-bound guard John Mobley Jr. and top-notch junior shooting guard Isiah Harwell. Bham Buom, a 6-foot-7 senior from Lincoln, Neb., by the way of Ghana, and 6-foot-9 junior Augustine Ekwe, a native of Nigeria, have stepped up big for the Tigers so far this season. Buom is a stringy forward who can face up with a nice handle or play inside with good instinct around the basket. He's likely going to have to go the JUCO route, but he's still a terrific long-term prospect. Ekwe is light on his feet and is a good rebounder. His production has been necessary as Wasatch Academy deals with the ACL injury loss of Malick Diallo, a TCU-bound 6-foor-10 center who played well at Border League in October but is lost for the season. Buom hit 3-of-4 3-pointers and finished with 16 points while, Mobley hit three timely 3-pointers and had 22 points in the Tigers' 71-63 victory over No. 15 AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.). "Buom and Ekwe are coming on strong and overall yes, they have been a a pleasant surprise."

3. Kaden House Is A Big-Time Player

The 6-foot-3 sophomore (2026) scoring guard is a bullish talent who incorporates some of his brother's game (New Mexico's Jaelen House) and his father's (former NBA guard Eddie House). Kaden can sprint with the ball, change direction and stop on a dime like his brother, but also has some of the scoring acumen of his father, who was the Pac-10 Player of the Year in 2000 at Arizona State and is still ASU's all-time scoring leader (2,044 points). He's not the catch-n-shoot player his father was, but the current Desert Mountain (Scottsdale, Ariz.) standout can score in a variety of ways off the dribble and has the innate ability to slide past defenders with a quick first step or a series of euro steps. He's not quite the on-ball defender his brother was at the same stage (after all, Jaelen had 591 career steals at Shadow Mountain in Phoenix) but he is more than capable and is a big play-maker on both sides of the ball. He put up 35 points, four assists, three blocks and five steals in the Wolves' 83-81 overtime victory over Notre Dame Prep (Scottsdale, Ariz.) on Thursday evening. Desert Mountain at one point led by 20 points (34-14) in the second quarter, but didn't take care of the ball. Once House (eight turnovers) and his teammates learn to value possessions, this team will be a tough out in the AIA playoffs. Keep in mind, his twin brother, 6-foot-2 sophomore Kalek House (19 points), is not too far behind as a prospect and the Wolves also start two freshmen: 6-foot Jabron Bardwell and 6-foot-3 Javon Bardwell. Jabron has fast hands on defense, while Javon has a nice change of pace to his game and a fearless approach.

4. Sunnyslope Will Be Dynamite in 2024-25

In the early season Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) game of the year, Sunnyslope (Phoenix) was seemingly in control versus Millennium (Phoenix) in a matchup of regionally ranked teams and two of the AIA's three best clubs. The Vikings led by 13 points with 4:28 to go in the third period and by nine points (49-40) with four minutes remaining, but a series of poor possessions and sloppy ball-handling allowed Millennium to storm back, tying the game with a steal and 3-pointer by CSUN-bound guard Sabien Cain with 15.3 seconds remaining. Even though Sunnyslope eventually lost the game, 65-62, in overtime, coach Ray Portela's club shows alot of promise for the future. Delton Prescott, a 5-foot-11 freshman (2027) point guard, is a blur with the ball, a good passer and a catalyst on a team that starts four underclassmen. Prescott is as good a 2027 lead guard as we've seen in the West Region, so far. John Mattingly, a 6-foot sophomore, compliments Prescott well and finds the open teammate. Mattingly also has a good I.Q. and makes the right reads. Rider Portela, a 6-foot-5 sophomore and the coach's son, moves well without the ball and has a mean streak to go along with a fine all-around skill level. Sunnyslope already owns a victory over regionally-ranked Centennial (Corona, Calif.) and its upcoming games with FAB 50 No. 20 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) and No. 29 Perry (Gilbert, Ariz.) will tell us alot. Regardless of what happens against those two opponents, Sunnyslope is a major AIA open division title contender and will even be more potent when 6-foot-7 sophomore Christian Simmons and 6-foot-10 freshman Darius Wabbington get more comfortable against national level competition. Simmons is progressing steadily, while Wabbington doesn't play much right now, he'll be a key cog come playoff time. Next year, this team will be dynamite when its interior pieces match the backcourt and it learns to take care of the ball in crunch time.

5. It Isn't Easy Running National Showcase Events

This one point has really nothing to do with the Hoophall West event specifically or the event company that executes it (Position Sports), but it's necessary to mention. Post-Pandemic many public events are still recovering from where they were pre March 2020, but there are others factors. Not only are there a plethora of over-lapping events, but the prices to conduct business is rising and that cost is passed on to the consumer. Especially with so many good teams playing in high-powered fall leagues, it puts plenty of pressure on parents and fans alike to attend games. They can only shell out $15 or $20 dollars so many times during a calendar year, especially with the price to travel to many games. Three other factors play a role in the smaller crowds we've recently seen in the West Region. One, every class doesn't have a big-time social media darling like we saw in 2022-23 such as Bronny James or Mikey Williams. Second, fans follow their favorites at such a young age and see so much video and imagery of them, sometimes there is no anticipation for seeing a player in person like there was 10 years ago. Lastly, sponsors are very cautious in these economic times with what they spend on or pick up the tab for in regards to high school and grassroots events. This obviously is a fluid situation, but we rarely if, ever, get standing-room only, shoulder-to-shoulder, call the fire marshall type crowds that we saw with the Ball Brothers or other elite stars prior to 2020.

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 Hoophall West: 5 Things We Learned! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

By Ronnie Flores

RELATED: Duncanville Makes Huge Statement

Last week we decided to leave Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) at No. 1 in the FAB 50 even after it lost on a buzzer-beater to No. 2 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) in a National Interscholastic Basketball Conference (NIBC) contest. The move looked sound after one period of play in a huge Hoophall West showdown between the Eagles and No. 5 Duncanville at Chaparral High School in Scottsdale, Ariz., last Thursday night as Montverde Academy led 21-8.

"I told our guys to do what we do everyday," Duncanville coach David Peavy said. "We wanted to speed the game up. No matter what goes on, we have to figure it out and win."

Duncanville did just that, as the Panthers turned the game around with a 23-7 second quarter advantage to take a 31-28 halftime lead. Duncanville's guards, Aric Demings and Davion Sykes, turned up the defensive pressure, and forwards Cameron Barnes and Ron Holland began to make their presence felt on the glass. Demings also hit multiple run-stopping perimeter shots and saved his best for last.

Neither team could pull away, and Montverde was in good position to win the game after Duncanville's Anthony Black turned the ball over in a tie game with 19.3 seconds remaining. The six-time FAB 50 champions took a 66-64 lead on two free throws by junior Kwame Evans Jr. with 7.1 seconds remaining, but Demings, a junior, had one more big shot in his arsenal. He executed a shot fake to perfection and knocked down the game-winning 3-pointer with just over a second remaining.

"I really hasn't hit me and I have no idea how to describe what I'm feeling; I'm in the moment," Demings said moments after his team's 67-66 victory. "For a Texas team to beat a team like that is big."

Demings finished with 23 points for the Panthers, who traveled to Utah for the Holiday Hoopfest for a Saturday evening game. Similar to the Montverde Academy game, the Panthers trailed by double digits in the first half against American Fork (Utah), but came back in the third period and pulled away in the fourth to record a 79-66 win. Duncanville didn't have the services of starting guard C.J. Ford in either game but did its part to put itself in position to earn a shot at the No. 1 ranking in the FAB 50 National Team Rankings powered by www.ebooksnet.com.

Duncanville Is New No. 1

Last week we stated we're not fond of hopping a highly-ranked team over another that hasn't played yet, but the results for Duncanville are just too hard to ignore. We gave some thought to place IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) at No. 1. After all, that team also owns a last-second win over Montverde Academy, which has now lost twice in December for the first time in the 10 years of the Kevin Boyle era. The Ascenders, however, have a 68-62 loss to the Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.) that Montverde Academy soundly beat. So the pecking order of IMG Academy, Montverde Academy and Sunrise Christian Academy behind Duncanville now makes sense, and the Buffaloes will have an opportunity to avenge their loss to Montverde Academy on January 6.

Duncanville's resume also includes more than one last-second victory over a previous No. 1 ranked team, as Peavy's club has also defeated No. 6 Sierra Canyon (80-73) and No. 7 Centennial (75-70). Both of those clubs have performed well in other games and are by far the two best teams from the Golden State. Duncanville also defeated Kimball (Texas), Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.) and Carver (New Orleans, La.) when those clubs were FAB 50 ranked.

Duncanville will also face some land mines in the Whataburger Tournament in Mansfield, Texas after the Christmas holiday. The Panthers could face McKinney (Texas), this week's highest ranked newcomer at No. 26, in the semifinal and No. 25 Richardson (Texas) in the final should they advance. McKinney's only loss is by five points to the AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.) club that Richardson blew out. AZ Compass Prep took apart No. 32 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) and was impressive in two other wins at Hoophall West.

The gauntlet of the University Interscholastic League (UIL) Class 6A state tournament will be no easy task, either. It is consistently one of the hardest, if not the hardest, traditional high school playoff bracket in the country to navigate and win. Should Duncanville win all its games on court, it will deserve to keep its rankings position.

What's In Store Next?

Duncanville is keenly focused on its games on the court, but there is a looming off-court result that could affect the rest of its season, and ultimately, it position in the FAB 50.

According to coach Peavy, the hearing to determine the fate of a temporary court-issued injunction that has allowed Black to suit up was scheduled for December 13. The hearing did take place, and representation for both Black and the UIL were on hand to present their facts regarding Black's eligibility. The court did not make its ruling to allow for a long term injunction or reject one on this date, but reportedly will later in the week.

Black was granted an injunction on November 19 after initially being ruled ineligible by the UIL in October following his transfer from Coppell. Peavy did tell Ballislife last Saturday he is confident in Black's case for permanent eligibility, but that it's out of his team's hands. Should the injunction be rejected, the UIL could ultimately rule Duncanville must forfeit any wins that Black participated in.

Ironically, this is not the first time Montverde Academy could have a on-court loss overturned by forfeit to a team it lost to that rose to No. 1 in the FAB 50. In 2013-14, Cliff Alexander-led Curie (Chicago) defeated Montverde Academy at the Hoophall Classic and took over the No. 1 spot in the FAB 50. One-loss Curie later had to forfeit games for use of seven ineligible players and eventually lost the No. 1 position in the rankings when it lost in the first round of the Illinois state playoffs without two of its starters after capturing the Chicago Public League title on the court with a four-overtime victory over Whitney Young. Curie finished No. 26 in the FAB 50 that season.

From a FAB 50 standpoint, Duncanville will be in a similar position to Curie should Black not be granted a long-term injunction. Duncanville will be judged by how it fares on the court. It could affect Duncanville's playoff chances or seeding, however, and if Duncanville doesn't have Black for the rest of the season, or does not participate in the post-season, we'll have to make a determination when the times comes on how either or both of those scenarios affect the Panther's ranking position.

The next FAB 50 update is scheduled for Monday, January 3.

RELATED:  Preseason 2021-22 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker |  | Duncanville Makes Huge Statement

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

(3rd poll of 2021-22 regular season; Through games played on Sunday, December 12; *Indicates forfeit wins, forfeit losses not included; **Indicates forfeits and defaults not included)

Dropped Out: Previous No. 30 West Oaks Academy (Orlando, Fla.), No. 32 Kimball (Kimball, Texas), No. 40 Cane Ridge (Nashville, Tenn.), No. 41 Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah), No. 43 Legacy Early College (Greenville, S.C.), No. 46 Carver (New Orleans, La.).

Bubble Teams:  Bellevue West (Bellevue, Neb.) 4-0; Berkmar (Lilburn, Ga.) 3-1; Bishop O’Connell (Arlington, Va.) 2-2; Bishop Walsh (Cumberland, Md.) 4-3; Buford (Buford, Ga.) 5-1; Campolindo (Moraga, Calif.) 5-0; Cathedral (Indianapolis, Ind.) 5-1; Catholic Central (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1-0; Central Pointe Christian (Kissimmee, Fla.) 7-3; Christ The King (Middle Village, N.Y.) 2-1; Damien (La Verne, Calif.) 12-0; Dorman (Roebuck, S.C.) 7-0; Eagle’s Landing (McDonough, Ga.) 6-0; Edmond Memorial (Edmond, Okla.) 6-0; Garfield (Seattle, Wash.) 4-0; Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) 5-1; Glenbrook South (Glenview, Ill.) 7-1; Grissom (Huntsville, Ala.) 10-1; Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.) 10-1; Homestead (Ft. Wayne, Ind.) 5-1; Kimball (Kimball, Texas) 5-4; Legacy Early College (Greenville, S.C.) 5-5; Liberty (Henderson, Nev.) 3-0; Manasquan (Manasquan, N.J.) 0-0; Math, Civics & Sciences (Philadelphia, Pa.) 2-0; Memorial (Tulsa, Okla.) 8-0; Mountain Point (Phoenix, Ariz.) 5-0; New Hanover (Wilmington, N.C.) 4-0; Park Center (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) 3-0; Pebblebrook (Mableton, Ga.) 6-1; Pewaukee (Pewaukee, Wis.) 3-0; Rainier Beach (Seattle, Wash.) 4-0; Simeon (Chicago) 5-0; South Shore (Brooklyn, N.Y.) 6-0; St. Francis Prep (Fresh Meadows, N.Y.) 3-0; St. Vincent-St. Mary (Akron, Ohio) 1-2; The Burlington School (Burlington, N.C.) 9-3; Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah) 5-4; Xaverian (Brooklyn, N.Y.) 2-0.

Note: The FAB 50 powered by www.ebooksnet.com is a continuation of the National Sports News Service ratings that began in 1952. These were the first national high school rankings and the late Art Johlfs of Minnesota compiled them. They were compiled for many years by the late Barry Sollenberger of Phoenix, who merged them into the FAB 50 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: Look Who's No. 1 Now! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

By Ronnie Flores

When the National Interscholastic Basketball Conference (NIBC) announced its full slate of games for the 2021-22 season, it was pretty evident it was not going to be easy for any team to run through the gauntlet of games unbeaten. This past weekend the NIBC hosted its first weekend of conference games and already the top ranked teams from the eight-team conference, who came in as the top three units in the FAB 50 National Team Rankings powered by www.ebooksnet.com, already have one loss each and stand at 2-1 in conference play.

It started on Thursday when No. 3 Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.) downed No. 2 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), 68-62, as Mark Mitchell had 22 points and five rebounds and Gradey Dick added 20 points in the statement win. IMG Academy bounced back in a major way the next evening by knocking off No. 1 Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.), 65-64, on a put back of his own missed shot with three seconds remaining by IMG guard Keyonte George. Jarace Walker had 20 points, seven rebounds and five blocks for the victorious Ascenders, while Dariq Whitehead had 31 points in a losing effort. On Saturday, Montverde Academy was able to bounce back as well with a 53-44 victory over Sunrise Christian, as Whitehead led the way with 16 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists.

With all three teams with one loss and a 2-1 mark in conference play, it raises the question who is now No. 1?

There is no simple answer, unless you give unequal weight to particular wins and losses. It's always been our strategy over the years in compiling national rankings to give equal weight to key wins and losses and to let the results on the court dictate the pecking order as much as possible. A simple answer would naturally be to elevate No. 4 Camden (N.J.) or No. 5 Duncanville (Texas) to No. 1. After all, neither team has lost and all three teams above them lost a game last week. There are two issues with that logic. As we've stated many times in recent years, often it's not if you lose but when you lose. No. 4 Camden has yet to play a game (the Panthers open on Dec. 17) and it will be a rare occasion when we elevate a team to No. 1 in the FAB 50 that hasn't played a game or recorded a win the previous week. Duncanville (also the Panthers) is making a strong case for No. 1, but with Camden having yet to play a game, we don't have great justification yet for one Panthers club hopping the other in the rankings. It's just the nature of the high school game with no uniform start dates and amount of games teams can play across the country.

At the end of the day, if we did the proper research and took the time to place these teams in the preseason, then we should believe in what we eventually publish. It we didn't believe in it, then we would jump teams around and place them on a whim. It's the reason why Camden isn't hopped by Duncanville or anyone else, doesn't jump to No. 1, and why Montverde Academy remains at No. 1 this week.

Looking at the results, there is some credence to placing IMG Academy at No. 1. After all, the Ascenders did beat the previous No. 1, but that places emphasis on only one result and less on the other quality NIBC games recently played. Sunrise Christian would have a legit gripe with IMG Academy at No. 1 after beating that club by six points and Montverde Academy could point to its nine-point win over the team that defeated IMG Academy as well. In a nutshell, last weekend's NIBC matchups didn't solve anything from a rankings standpoint, but Montverde Academy came the closest to going unbeaten, losing one game in the final seconds. There are still tons of big games coming up that will solve this rankings debate where it matters most: on the court.

We always look ahead to see how the rankings might shape up and it's hard to ignore Montverde Academy's game on December 9 with Duncanville as part of Hoophall West at Chaparral High School in Scottsdale, Ariz (9:30 ET, ESPN+). Duncanville is red-hot and already owns five wins over FAB 50 ranked foes, including a 95-52 win over previous No. 38 Carver (New Orleans, La.) at the Red River Hoopfest this past Saturday. Duncanville will certainly have a terrific chance to show its worthy of the No. 1 ranking. From a national perspective, it would be a huge win for the Panthers as Montverde Academy hasn't lost to a non-NIBC club since losing 50-49 to St. Benedict's Prep (Newark, N.J.) on February 4, 2017.   

Technically, it's new No. 11 La Lumiere that is in first place in the NIBC with a 3-0 conference mark after winning its three games over the weekend in impressive fashion. The Lakers are now 8-0 and have a huge conference test with No. 3 Sunrise Christian Academy on December 11. Coach Pat Holmes' club has moved up 17 spots in two weeks and could put itself right in FAB 50 No. 1 contention with a win over the Buffaloes. It's becoming clear the Lakers have put last year's 10-10 mark in the distant past and this club is resembling the LaLu teams we witnessed from 2017-2020, which all finished in the Top 10.

IMG Academy and Montverde Academy could tussle once again in two weeks at the prestigious Culligan City of Palms Classic in Ft. Myers, Fla. and will meet again at the Spalding Hoophall Classic on MLK Monday. Its first league game with La Lumiere will take place on January 7, one day after the Eagles face Sunrise Christian for the second time.

Last week's highest ranked newcomer, Richardson (Richardson, Texas), cracks the Top 10 and could meet Duncanville down the line in the long-running Whataburger Tournament, which begins on December 28 in Ft. Worth, Texas. This week's highest ranked newcomer also checks in at No. 14, as St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.), which just missed the FAB 50 in the preseason, downed previous No. 7 DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.), 59-55, at the National HS Hoopfest as senior Cortez Johnson had 16 points, 20 rebounds and two blocks in the big win. The Panthers (yes, the nickname is popular around the country) have big games coming up and will have the opportunity to show their rankings worth in the rugged Baltimore Catholic League, which also includes No. 12 Mt. St. Joseph (Baltimore, Md.).

The next FAB 50 update is scheduled for Monday, December 13.

RELATED:  Preseason 2021-22 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker |

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

The post NEW FAB 50: Who's No. 1 Now? appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

Jalen Green Just Might Be The Most Productive Player In The Country

The 6-foot-5 shooting guard put fourth the most spectacular individual performance of the event, as he netted 33 points, including 10-of-10 free throws, four rebounds, two assists and a steal in Prolific Prep’s 88-71 dismantling of Hillcrest Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.). And the game wasn’t as close as the score indicated, as the Bruins trailed 71-45 before adding some garbage time points. It wasn’t so much Green’s scoring output, it was the fashion in which he scored and the timing of the shots, as they demoralized the opponent and showed to a national television audience who was the best player on the court. Green hit a 3-pointer at the first period buzzer and another field goal right before halftime. Green has always displayed the traits of a NBA guard, but it’s his body control and coordination that separates him from other elite high school players with similar athleticism. Green is now sprinting into his pull-up jump shot and getting tremendous lift on his jumper that gives him plenty of separation from even elite high school defenders. The added lift and on-the-move pull up has helped take his game up a notch as a senior. So is Green the best player in the country? One can make a compelling argument although the three major candidates for that title are quite different. He’s more explosive than OSU-bound Cade Cunningham of Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.), who came in No. 2 in the preseason Mr. Basketball USA Tracker behind USC-bound Evan Mobley of Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.) by five points (95-90). Green was a distant third (44 points), but he impacts high-level games just as much as the other two. We had a chance to evaluate Mobley twice more in Phoenix and in many instances, he's reliant on teammates to get him the ball. For instance, Mobley had six points on three field goal attempts in the first half of the Eagles’ eventual 95-75 win over Rainier Beach (Seattle). Now, he did pick it up in the second half, finishing the game with 16 points, 11 rebounds, and three blocks, and he was the difference-maker in the Eagles' 77-74 win over Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.) with 22 points, 17 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 blocks but the point remains: as a post player he’s often reliant on others to get the ball. That’s not the case with Green and so far the results have been spectacular, as Green is averaging over 25 ppg for 12-0 Prolific Prep.

Jalen Green went for 33 points, 4reb, 2ast vs Hillcrest Prep! Prolific Prep winning 88 - 71 at the @HoophallClassic west. @JalenRomande @ProlificPrep ? @WhosNextHS pic.twitter.com/Hr3aqu6lxx

— www.ebooksnet.com (@Ballislife) December 6, 2019

Prolific Prep Would Be Highly Ranked In The FAB 50

Based on how easily Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) dismantled a talented Hillcrest (Phoenix, Ariz.) team, the Crew (the program’s nickname) would firmly be a Top 15 team in our FAB 50 rankings with the ability to move up. It wasn’t just the performance of Green, as Prolific Prep rebounds well, plays terrific interior defense and has plenty of scoring options. Fallou Cisse, a 6-foot-7 2021, can score in a variety of ways, can defend both forward positions and can start the break off the glass. Frank Anselem, a 6-foot-10 2021, is a terrific interior rebounder who can clear space or go rebound outside of his area. While Hillcrest Prep came into the game as the No. 3 ranked team in one national poll where its eligible, the Bruins didn’t play anywhere near that level on Thursday night before a national television audience. Considering Hillcrest Prep lost by a sizeable margin in fall league ball to the Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.) team that started No. 21 in the FAB 50 (and is currently unranked), the Bruins might have been in the 35-50 range of the FAB 50. Keep in mind, Prolific Prep played without two rotation players in Phoenix: starter and Rutgers-bound Mawot Mag (6-foot-7, 2020) and 6-foot-11 2022 Mouhamed Gueye, who was out with the flu. In case you’re wondering why Prolific Prep and Hillcrest Prep are not FAB 50 eligible, it’s because eligible programs must be recognized by a high school athletics governing body or be an associate member of a state association. Generally, that means independents must be allowed to play state association member programs in the state the independent program resides.

The Bronny James Experience Doesn’t Leave Fans Disappointed

Bronny James and his team at Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) had another overflow, sold-out crowd on hand as it continues to entertain curious fans around the country. Young fans filing in to Chaparral High School four hours before tip-off of the Sierra Canyon game told us “I can’t wait to see Bronny play.” Despite not being the team’s featured player or even a starter, the 6-foot-1 freshman guard gives fans their money’s worth because they just want to see him play and follow his growth as he looks to get from underneath the considerable shadow created by his famous father. James scored five points and added three rebounds in the Trailblazers’ 76-66 victory over FAB 50 No. 47 Millennium (Goodyear, Ariz.). Kentucky-bound B.J. Boston led the way to victory for the No. 6 team in the FAB 50 with 22 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals, which upped its record to 7-0. It will be fun for fans to see James’ growth over the course of his high school career, as he’s not some already peaked man-child or a kid without legitimate D1 skill. It would be interesting to see the hoopla surrounding Bronny if he was a JayVee player, or on the flip side, the consensus best player nationally in his class. Through the team’s first six games, Bronny was averaging 4.5 ppg. For some perspective on the situation, in four varsity seasons at St. Vincent-St. Mary’s (Akron, Ohio), his father scored under 10 points once: an eight-point effort versus Maple Heights (Ohio) as a freshman in 1999-2000. In his first season for the Irish, LeBron James averaged 17 points and six rebounds for a team that finished 27-0 and No. 43 in the FAB 50. He scored 25 points in the state title game. In James’ four seasons, The Irish went 102-5 on the court with three state titles and four FAB 50 rankings, including the mythical FAB 50 crown as a senior in 2002-03. James didn’t quite have the national notoriety of his son as a freshman, but by the middle of his sophomore season, after a superlative performance against No. 1 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), it was apparent James was the most talented player in the country. And no, the interest and hype surrounding this Sierra Canyon team hasn’t quite reached the level of that ’03 SV-SM national title team. Bronny, of course, has three more seasons of high school basketball to go.

Final: #FAB50 No. 6 Sierra Canyon 76, No. 47 Millenium 66

BJ Boston with 22 points, 4 rebounds, 4 asts, 2 steals; Amari Bailey 18 pts, 5 assists of the spectacular type

Daron Holmes with 20 pts, 9 rbs, 4 blks #HSBB #HoophallWest pic.twitter.com/z45HLjrxTK

— Ronnie Flores (@RonMFlores) December 8, 2019

More HoopHall West Tidbits

The three-day event was a nice platform for some breakout performances and sleepers to shine. The country’s most popular team and arguably the nation’s two best players were on display, but there definitely was other players who put their stamp on HoopHall West….Besides Jalen Green, the player that turned the most heads in the Prolific Prep-Hillcrest Prep game was Sadraque Nganga. The 6-foot-10 forward rates as one of the very best 2022 prospects in the West Region. Nganga has tons of natural talent, is a fluid athlete and can run the floor and finish well in stride. Nganga, who led the Bruins with 19 points in the loss, can handle the ball well for his size and has a solid stroke from the outside…Rainer Beach (Seattle) doesn’t have one of its vintage, FAB 50-level teams, but coach Mike Bethea has a bonafide sleeper on his roster in John Hart. The 6-foot-1 combo guard has a terrific body and could be a key national level JUCO recruit. He netted 26 points, including six 3-pointers, in the Vikings’ loss to Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.)….Even though he’s not a sleeper by any means, we have to give a shout out to Gonzaga-bound Julian Strawther of Liberty (Henderson, Nev.). The 6-foot-7 small forward set a HoopHall West single-game scoring record in a 88-74 victory over Apollo (Glendale, Ariz.), scoring 51 points on a variety of shots. He finished 19-of-29 from the field, including four 3-pointers, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 steals…Another breakout performance from an elite player came courtesy of Jaden Hardy of FAB 50 No. 40 Coronado (Henderson, Nev.) in a 95-60 win over Shadow Mountain (Phoenix, Ariz.). The 2021 scoring point guard had 40 points, nine rebounds and 11 assists. Less than 24 hours earlier, Hardy had 27 points in a 85-62 victory over Paradise Honors (Surprise, Ariz.).

FAB 50 Update: No. 1 IMG Academy Goes Down 

The big news from other events around the country occurred at the DC Hoopfest in Maryland, as FAB 50 No. 1 IMG Academy (Brandenton, Fla.) fell to No. 4 Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.), 67-56. Paul VI was led to victory by Trevor Keels with 25 points and Duke-bound Jeremy Roach with 16 points. Keels nailed 5-of-12 3-pointers in the game, as Paul VI nailed 10 for the game, while IMG Academy shot 1-for-9 as a team from behind the line.

The next FAB 50 update will be on Monday, December 16.

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 Three Things We Learned At HoopHall West! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

1. The Top Players Are Living Up To The Hype

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

2. The Hoopla Hasn't Hurt Melo

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

3. Isaiah Jackson Needs More Ink

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

4. Tyler Mcghie Is Denton Guyer's Secret Weapon

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

5. DaRon Holmes Jr. Has A Real Chance

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

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

The post Hoophall West: 5 Things We Learned appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

Gathering film, creating scouting reports and knowing the tendencies of out-of-town opponents is much easier nowadays with HUDL and Crossover film and the advent of social media, which is filled with countless highlight tapes of America’s top talent and allows coaches to communicate freely through direct messaging and expedite the process of exchanging film.

Take Pinnacle high out of Phoenix (Ariz.) for example, the team led by five-star point guard and Arizona-bound point guard Nico Mannion which has been through a rollercoaster the last few days.

Last Friday the Pioneers won an epically emotional game against in-state rival and FAB 50 No. 18 ranked Shadow Mountain, 82-80, on a last second half-court shot banked in by Mannion only to fall Tuesday night from a lesser-known, but equally tough Phoenix team in Mountain Pointe, 76-59.

RELATED: More on Pinnacle and Hoophall West 

“It was a big game and we were feeling good, but they wanted it more,” Mannion said of Tuesday’s let-down. “Mountain Pointe is a good team with two good bigs and they killed us.”

Pinnacle had Wednesday to recuperate from its crazy last six days, but its schedule doesn’t get any easier as it takes on Jalen Green-led Fresno (Calif.) San Joaquin Memorial Thursday on ESPN2 (9 pm ET) and FAB 50 No. 23 Temecula (Calif.) Rancho Christian headlined by the Mobley brothers, Isaiah and Evan, on Saturday (9 pm ET) at the three-day Hoophall West at Scottsdale (Ariz.) Chaparral.

“We have a little gauntlet here,” Pinnacle coach Charles Wilde said. “We just try to keep everything the same, whether it's a big rivalry game or a state championship, we try to keep our emotions in check and treat it like we’re going to work.”

Coach Wilde has the benefit of having a player like Mannion who has played on plenty of big stages and in highly-touted individual match-ups throughout his travel ball career. Mannion’s experience in those types of games is something that he shares with his teammates.

“We just have to lock in,” Mannion said of Pinnacle’s next two games. “We had a good practice today and put in some new things, but we match up with San Joaquin Memorial really well. Saturday will be hard because of Rancho Christian’s bigs. Playing on ESPN is cool for the team because not everyone gets to be on that big stage.”

As far as game-planning specifically against top echelon talent, Wilde believes there is no special philosophy that follow.

“You’re just trying to slow them down and make sure that you try to take away their best moves,” he said. “You have to make their other players beat you and it’s basic stuff that you have to find and scout them on.”

The ultimate goal with putting together a tough schedule, according to Wilde, is not to search out appearances on ESPN or gain an extra layer of exposure, but instead to prepare his team for a long postseason run.

“Everyone’s goal is a state championship and we can learn from what we did Tuesday night,” he said. “We had a poor shooting third quarter and we let it affect us on the defensive end.”

And as Mannion pointed out, Pinnacle had seven losses heading into the 2018 postseason before running the table en route to a AIA Conference 6A title, winning the championship 77-60 over Mountain Pointe.

Regardless of the outcome Pinnacle’s games Thursday and Friday, the Pioneers are focused on their long-term goal of winning a state title and a more short-term goal of showing just how far basketball in the state of Arizona has come.

“It’s good for Arizona basketball,” Wilde said. “You’re finding out that there are good teams like us, but also other teams, like Mountain Pointe, that have talented kids.”
“The kids are working,” Mannion added. “There’s no secret to being good and you can tell kids train every day. It’s good for the state. A lot of people don’t think its a good basketball state, but if you put a starting five of Arizona kids together, we can compete with any state.”

Postscript: Pinnacle Bounces Back In Big Way

On Thursday night, it was an ideal scenario for Pinnacle and Arizona high school basketball fans curious to get a look at talented junior Jalen Green and his team at San Joaquin Memorial (Fresno, Calif.). The locals wanted to see if all the hype was warranted...and see Pinnacle bounce back from the loss to Mountain Pointe (Phoenix, Ariz.).

The fans got what they wanted, as Green and Pinnacle's Nico Mannion went Mano a Mano to begin the game and Pinnacle came away with a 90-69 victory at Scottsdale's Chaparral High School. Both elite guards were on fire in the first quarter, hitting a variety of deep jumpers and scoring on drives to the basket. Green, arguably the nations' top 2020 guard prospect, started the game with a dunk, while Mannion hit a 3-pointer.

Green scored the first 18 points for San Joaquin Memorial (2-2) and between both players, they made seven of their first eight three-point attempts. Mannion had 20 points in the first period, and Pinnacle (7-1) led 29-21, as Green finished the quarter with 18 points. Both players cooled a bit in the second quarter, as the Pioneers took a 49-33 lead at halftime. At that point, Mannion had 23 points and Green 21.

The Panthers cut their deficit to as low as 11 points (62-51) but eventually Pinnacle pulled away and got its lead over 20 points (70-54) with 6:12 remaining in the game on a driving lay-up by junior Marcus Libman. Both Mannion and Green finished with 33 points apiece, but the Arizona-bound "Red Mamba" was satisfied with how his team played defensively versus Green and how the team bounced back.

"I thought it was big for us to win this game," Mannion said. "We didn't want to let Jalen beat us, and even though he scored alot of points, we did a good job on him in the second half.

"After we beat Shadow Mountain, Mountain Pointe wanted it more than us. We came out flat and didn't play well. Right now, we're not worried about our won-loss record. Of course, we want to have a good record, but we more importantly want to peak in February."

Mannion also stated how his reclassifying back up to the 2019 class and committing early to the University of Arizona has helped his approach and Pinnacle's fortunes.

"After I committed, everything has been easier," Mannion said. "I'm comfortable in my decision and it allows me to be comfortable playing my game. I'm stoked and can't wait to get up there (at Arizona)."

RELATED: More on Pinnacle and Hoophall West 

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