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All-American Elite Team Retrospective

Ronnie Flores — Thu, 30 May 2024 06:51:19 +0000

We’ve been publishing our All-American Elite teams for 30 years and we’ve had plenty of fun evaluating and pouring over the high school data of the nation’s elite players. Obviously, no one is perfect but we’ll put our track record against any of the All-American teams out there. Keep in mind, many of them have come and gone, but we plan on plugging away for as long as possible.

Today, we take a look at five selections over the years we’d love to have back and five we are proud of.

The high school industry has changed plenty over the years. In the 1970s and 1980s, getting your name in the local paper was the IT thing. In the 1980s, USA Today helped mainstream national team rankings and All-American teams, but the national daily newspaper cut its high school editorial department in Dec. 2019. In the 1990s and 2000s, national magazines were all the rage. Getting on a national cover was hot and something many athletes aspired for such as the cover story of Student Sports Magazine. LeBron James and De La Salle (Calif.) football helped high school sports become something worthy of regular national telecasts, but All-American teams have been constant throughout going back to the 1950s.

Most of the ones produced in recent decades have been recruiting-oriented and many we’ve seen even had players on them that barely played half of their team’s game that season. We’re proud of the fact we take some time to research the players and what they actually accomplished and take some local consensus into consideration. We’re not perfect by any means, and today we decided to take a look back at the five best choices we made with our All-American Elite teams we’ve produced over the years, starting in Student Sports Magazine for the 1994-95 season. Those teams have also been published under the title sponsor of EA SPORTS and under the umbrella of ESPN and Ballislife as well.

Here’s a look at 10 defining moments of choosing our annual All-American Elite Teams.

5 All-American Choices We’d Love To Take Back

1. Mike Bibby Over Kobe Bryant For ’96 Mr. Basketball USA
There is no doubt Mike Bibby is the best high school player from Arizona (in terms of his career) and is probably still the state’s only "rock star" player, but he wasn’t a better talent that Kobe Bryant. Mike Bibby was a Student Sports Magazine cover subject and we had a compelling story to go along with the selection. Still, Bryant had a monster senior season after a terrific summer in 1995, when a plan was hatched to send him straight to the NBA. Sometimes, you have to just pick the best player. It should be noted that the Mr. Basketball USA Tracker began for the 2007-08 season and the voting results may have been different had a 10-man panel voted on it, instead of a group of journalists choosing.

2. Kawhi Leonard On ’09 Third Five
Now we’re cheating a bit here because having Kawhi Leonard on any All-American team in 2009 was a good call. It’s a somewhat famous snub that he didn’t play in the 2009 McDonald’s All-American Game. However, taking a deeper look at that team, Leonard should have been somewhere on the second five. The fact he was behind sophomore Michael Gilchrist of St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.) or seniors John Henson of Sickles (Tampa, Fla.) is not awful, but is certainly not great, either. The 2009 Cal-Hi Sports Mr. Basketball out of King (Riverside, Calif.) averaged 22.6 points, 13.1 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game and led King to its second consecutive CIF Div. I SoCal regional final.

3. Blake Griffin On '07 Third Five
The class of 2007 was star-studded and one of the best of all-time. It certainly wasn’t easy to make All-American that season, but looking back Griffin should have been on second five. He was excellent in the McDonald’s All-American practices and game and it was easy to see he was more explosive and a better player than a few guys with more national notoriety or higher in national player rankings. Was Griffin a better high school player than either second five pick Corey Stokes of St. Benedict's (Newark, N. J.) or Gani Lawal of Norcross (Ga.)? Probably so.

4. Kemba Walker On ’08 Second Five
Willie Warren of North Crowley (Fort Worth, Texas) was a clutch player and state champion in Texas, but it was a close call to put him on first five. Now, we wish we would have went with the two point guard offense on first five with Walker and player of the year Brandon Jennings. At the McDonald's All-American game, Walker didn't take a backseat to any guard, finishing with 13 points, six rebounds and three assists. He didn’t begin playing basketball until 12, but Walker developed into one of the many decorated floor generals to attend now defunct Rice (New York) and went on to an excellent college and NBA career.

5. Jalen Suggs On ’20 Second Five
He moved up from second team All-American (30 players) to the second of four fives (our first team has had a 20-player format since 2004-05). After a career that rivaled any Minnesota player ever, Suggs probably would have been the better first five choice than sophomore Emoni Bates, who had tons of hype that season and was even named Gatorade National Player of the Year. We didn’t think that highly of Bates, but he did have a terrific season, but Suggs was probably better and we should have employed a three guard offense with Mr. Basketball USA Cade Cunningham of Montverde Academy (Fla.) and Jalen Green of Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.). At the time, Suggs was the highest-rated recruit ever to commit to Gonzaga and was also the nation’s top Grid-Hoop Player who was named the 2019 Minnesota Mr. Football as a signal-caller on the gridiron.

5 All-American Choices We’re Most Proud Of

1. Onyeka Okongwu On Fourth Five As A Junior In ‘18
The Chino Hills (Calif.) big man was terrific as a junior and we’re glad to honor him as a two-time All-American. He really deserved it and it’s still incredible to think he was a major omission from the 2019 McDonald’s All-American Game. He showed how good he was in high school when one year later the two-time California Mr. Basketball was the No. 6 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.

2. Jalen Brunson On Second Five As A Senior In ’15
There is this narrative the Stevenson (Lincolnshire, Ill.) was overlooked in the NBA Draft or that he’s been “slept on” until joining the New York Knicks, but that narrative is from from the truth. This pick actually can fall in both categories, as we wish we placed him on first five. Brunson was that good for his high school team and on the grassroots circuit. Some just don’t know what they are looking at when evaluating if players don’t have the typical quickness or athleticism that stands out.

3. Draymond Green On Fourth Five As A Senior In ’08
This Saginaw (Mich.) big man wasn’t rated anywhere near the Top 20 on the 2008 class. In fact, he was rated No. 122 in the country by Rivals.com, but we could see he was a talented player and more importantly, a winner. Green led the Trojans to a second straight state Class A championship while posting a 27-1 record. He was named Michigan’s Mr. Basketball for his all-around play.

4. Anthony Davis On First Five As A Senior In ‘11
Well, it wasn’t a big evaluation coupe to have A.D. on first five. After all, he was probably the most talented player in the country after being a virtual unknown as a junior. He completely blew up on the travel ball circuit, but the problem was he didn’t have any momentum from previous seasons, Perspectives Charter (Chicago) was a small school playing against relatively meager competition and the team finished 6-18. The Mr. Basketball USA Tracker knew his talent was too much to ignore, as he appeared on eight of 10 ballots, including three second-place votes. His future Kentucky teammate Michael Gilchrist was the Mr. Basketball USA that season.

5. Jalen Duren On First Five As A Junior In ‘21
Montverde Academy (Fla.) lost four starters off its terrific 2020 team, but was still able to repeat as FAB 50 champs mainly behind the play of the nation’s most physically dominant interior player. He opened up the season as the eighth highest vote-getter in the preseason Mr. Basketball USA Tracker, but ended up third behind Chet Holmgren and Jabari Smith in the final analysis. After being named national junior of the year, he re-classed up a year and left to Memphis.

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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Final, Expanded 2020-21 FAB 50 Rankings!

Ronnie Flores — Thu, 19 Aug 2021 01:35:40 +0000

All 50 ranked teams written up with explanations for why they were placed in these positions with comparisons to preseason ranking. The FAB 50 National Team Rankings powered by www.ebooksnet.com is the official rankings of the National Sports News Service, which date back to the 1952 season. Montverde Academy of Florida is the 2020-21 mythical national champion, the sixth title for the program since 2013 and the fifth No. 1 finish after starting out as preseason No. 1.

Compiled by Ronnie Flores

(Preseason ranking in parentheses; *Indicates forfeit wins, forfeit losses not included; **Indicates forfeits and defaults not included; ***Does not include results vs. out-of-season opponents.)

1. (1) Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 24-1
Despite losing four starters off a team already considered one of the best in high school basketball history, this program went wire-to-wire as the No. 1 team in the 2020-21 FAB 50. No. 2 Sunrise Christian Academy did end Montverde Academy’s 44-game winning streak, but the Eagles remained No. 1 the following week because they has defeated the Buffaloes earlier in the season, had the common opponent factor in their favor (AZ Compass Prep of Chandler, Ariz.) and because we knew the two teams would likely lock horns again. Montverde Academy wound up defeating the Buffaloes, 61-57, to win the inaugural National Interscholastic Basketball Conference (NIBC) crown. Led by National Junior Player of the Year Jalen Duren (14.3 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 2.2 bpg) and Michigan-bound Caleb Houstan (13.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg), Montverde also won the program’s fifth GEICO Nationals title, after last season's already historic team was denied the opportunity because the event was canceled. Coach Kevin Boyle’s team defeated Sunrise Christian Academy for the third time during the season in the title game (62-52). This program finished No. 1 for the sixth time in nine seasons and the only run of mythical national championships comparable to the current MVA run is Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) capturing five FAB 50/National Prep Poll titles between 1993 and 2004.

2. (3) Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.) 20-4
The Buffaloes started out No. 3 in the preseason behind IMG Academy in a close call and ended up beating that program twice during the season, including a 70-63 win over the Ascenders in the GEICO Nationals semifinals. Sunrise Christian also lost to AZ Compass Prep of Arizona, a team that fell to No. 1 Montverde Academy twice. Tennessee-bound Kennedy Chandler had a monster game (25 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists) in the win over IMG Academy, but just couldn’t get it going offensively in the title game vs. Montverde Academy. Montverde held a 23-21 halftime lead, but a 28-17 third quarter turned out to be the key in the game. Chandler (14.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 5.1 apg, 3.1 spg) and fellow All-American Kendall Brown (16.0 ppg, 4.4 rpg) led the Buffaloes to two wins over No. 8 Wasatch Academy and to another over No. 17 Paul VI.

3. (2) IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) 22-3
?The Ascenders had a terrific season and only lost to the two teams ranked ahead of them. IMG’s big opportunities came at the St. James Invitational in Maryland when it played No. 1 Montverde Academy and No. 2 Sunrise Christian Academy in back-to-back games. IMG Academy was No. 3 at the time and feel to the top-ranked Eagles, 55-51, and to No. 2 Sunrise, 67-60. IMG later lost to the Buffaloes for the second time in the GEICO Nationals semifinals, 70-63. Along the way this talented team built one of the strongest resumes in the country, defeating No. 12 Germantown Houston (93-54) and handing No. 7 Minnehaha Academy its only loss of the season (73-53). Coach Sean McAloon’s club also defeated No. 6 Milton in the GEICO quarterfinals (73-68) as point guard Jaden Bradley had 20 points and six assists. Bradley, an underclass All-American selection, was a key cog on the perimeter for a team that was led on the interior by All-American Moussa Diabate. He led the Ascenders in scoring (14.1 ppg) and rebounding (7.5) while shooting 64 percent from the field.

4. (5) DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) 9-0***
The Stags were happy they were able to get a season in, although there was no Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) tournament or any other post-season tourneys in the DMV. DeMatha was able to play more than nine games, with some of those foes considered out-of-season or fall ball games, which is noted by asterisk (***). The Stags started one spot below WCAC rival Pau VI in the preseason FAB 50, but wound up beating their rivals twice, 89-77 and 109-107 in overtime, the latter what turned out to be their final game of the season on February 14. Coach Mike Jones’ club also handed No. 18 St. Vincent-St. Mary one of its two losses (73-56). UConn commit Jordan Hawkins (18.8 ppg, 11.4 rpg, 3.7 apg, 2.1 spg, 1.9 bpg) and junior Tyrell Ward (19.3 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 4.5 apg) led a team that was just as good as advertised in the preseason. Ironically, the 2019-20 WCAC title win was Jones’ 500 career win and the program’s 41st WCAC title, as Jones stepped down in the off-season to take a college coaching job with Virginia Tech. He finishes with a 509-120 record, as DeMatha will have its third varsity head coach since 1956-57, when Morgan Wootten took over the program and stayed until Jones replaced him in 2002-03.

5. (15) Camden (Camden, N.J.) 13-0
The High was highly-regarded in the preseason and ended up playing just enough games to move up from its preseason perch to finish in the top five. Perhaps Camden gets the benefit of the doubt as an unbeaten team, but finishing undefeated in a power state that has produced a plethora of FAB 50 ranked teams in recent years definitely helps in the final analysis. Led by National Sophomore Player of the Year D.J. Wagner, the Panthers are the highest ranked among New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) teams and public schools nationwide. Despite a 42-1 mark the past two seasons, Wagner will enter his junior campaign still seeking a coveted NJ Tournament of Champions crown after the 2019-20 season was cut short due to COVID-19 and there was no post-season for 2020-21.

6. (21) Milton (Milton, Ga.) 28-3
Outside of the independent academy type teams, the Eagles are the highest-rated team that played what would amount to a normal slate of games during the season. Milton began play on November 21 and its season didn’t come to an end until it fell to No. 3 IMG Academy, 73-68, in the GEICO Nationals quarterfinals. They qualified for GEICO Nationals by capturing the coveted Georgia High School Association (GHSA) Class AAAAAAA crown by virtue of a 52-47 win over No. 37 Berkmar in the championship game. Sophomore Kanaan Caryle had 15 points and five rebounds in the Berkmar win while junior Bruce Thornton added 12 points, five rebounds and four assists. The underclass All-American duo combined for 40 points in the loss to IMG Academy. The Eagles captured their third state crown and the first since 2012 when it finished No. 7 in the FAB 50 under David Boyd. Coach Allen Whitehart’s group did lose its first game to McEachern by a point (56-55) and fell to a Sandy Creek club that spent some time in the FAB 50, but the reason it finishes ranked ahead of No. 7 Minnehaha Academy is the relative closeness of the IMG Academy game.

7. (14) Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis, Minn.) 19-1***
The Redhawks moved up one spot in the final weekly FAB 50 and finished seven spots higher than projected in the preseason. The Redhawks finish as the highest ranked team ever from the state of Minnesota, surpassing last year’s Eden Prairie team that finished No. 12. Ironically, last year’s Minnehaha team that featured point guard Jalen Suggs and big man Chet Holmgren might have been even better, but didn’t finished ranked as high because of the in-state loss to Eden Prairie. The Redhawks’ only loss this season was to No. 3 IMG Academy by a greater margin (73-53) than No. 6 Milton’s loss to the same team. Holmgren came back as a senior and had a season for the ages, earning Mr. Basketball USA honors after averaging 20.8 ppg, 12.6 rpg, 4.4 apg, and 4.7 bpg while converting an incredible 157-of-194 2-point field goal attempts (81%) and 21-of-67 3-point attempts (31%). The state title game was a coronation, as the Redhawks captured the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) Class AAA title with a dominant 80-29 victory over Alexandria. Tennessee State-bound Hercy Miller, the son of Hip-Hop Mogul Master P (Percy Miller), almost out-scored Alexandria by himself, finishing with 24 points. His brother, freshman Mercy Miller, got the Redhawks off to a fast start with three 3-pointers in the first half and finished with 15 points in the easy win. With Holmgren in the lineup, this program won three consecutive Class AA titles and four states titles in four attempts after last year’s club wasn’t able to win an on-court crown because of the COVID-19 cancellation of the state tourney.

8. (11) Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah) 18-7***
Even though the loss count is high, the Tigers finished right in the range expected of them in the preseason. It’s high because of the stiff competition in the National Interscholastic Basketball Conference (NIBC) on a nightly basis. Coach Paul Peterson’s club lost four of its games to No. 1 Montverde Academy and No. 2 Sunrise Christian Academy, while beating No. 23 Oak Hill Academy two of out three. The club, which lost its opener at GEICO Nationals to semifinalist AZ Compass Prep of Arizona, was led by its backcourt of All-American Nolan Hickman and underclass All-American Richard “Pop Pop” Isaacs. Hickman was named Utah’s Gatorade State Player of the Year after averaging 16.0 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 5.4 apg and 1.7 spg.

9. (13) Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, N.Y.) 3-0
LuHi didn’t really get to show its wares this season, but was able to beat a talented Archbishop Stepinac team twice (47-46 and 66-39) before it was unable to play any more sanctioned games. Stepinac began the season No. 35 in the FAB 50 and also helping coach Jon Buck’s team finish high in the rankings despite the limited amount of games is its recent track record. LuHi has finished no lower than No. 27 in the FAB 50 over the past four seasons and was this year’s favorite to capture the New York Federation Tournament of Champions.

10. (23) Duncanville (Duncanville, Texas) 29-1
The Panthers were highly-regarded in the preseason and lived up to their acclaim by capturing the University Interscholastic League (UIL) Class 6A state crown with a 66-53 victory over No. 14 Westlake. In the state semifinals, Duncanville downed Richardson, 68-49, after defeating Waxahachie in the 6A Region II title game, 70-65, when that club came into the regional final No. 15 in the FAB 50. Damon Nicholas Jr. had 20 points and Juan Reyna added 15 in the big win over Waxahachie that avenged the Panthers’ only regular season loss, a game they lost in overtime at the buzzer on a 3-pointer by Montez Young Jr. Nicholas and guard Zhuric Phelps earned all-state laurels for a program that captured its second Class 6A crown in three years and finished ranked No. 1 in the state for the third consecutive season. Last year, Duncanville finished No. 20 in the FAB 50 after the season was cancelled with the Panthers in the state final four.

11. (BB) Orlando Christian Prep (Orlando, Fla.) 28-0
The Warriors were the first team from the powerful Southeast Region just outside the FAB 50, checking in at No. 13. We wish we would have put OCP in from the beginning in the industry’s longest-running weekly rankings after coach Treig Burke’s club rolled to the FHSAA Class 2A state crown via a 51-32 victory over Impact Christian Academy of Jacksonville. OCP really didn’t play any close games in the post-season, and held ICA to one fourth quarter field goal after holding a 28-21 halftime lead. OCP, led by the terrific scoring duo of North Alabama-bound Omar Figueroa (14.0 ppg) and highly-touted junior A.J. Brown (14.4 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2.1 apg), recorded a key regular season victory over Oak Ridge of Orlando on MLK Monday and captured its ninth FHSAA state title. Florida, along with Georgia and states such as Tennessee and Arizona, could really use an open division or Tournament of Champions concept to make their respective state tournaments much better.

12. (28) Houston (Germantown, Tenn.) 21-3**
This team was highly-regarded in the preseason and played up to expectations, capturing the TSSAA Class AAA title with a 62-43 victory over Cane Ridge of Antioch. The inside duo of Jonathan Lawson (16 points, 6 assists) and Jerrell Colbert (14 points, 7 rebounds) led the way in the title game. AAA Mr. Basketball and Creighton-bound Mason Miller led the team in scoring (19.1 ppg) and to a key win over No. 17 Paul VI. This team only lost to No. 6 Milton by a point (54-53), although it was no match for No. 3 IMG Academy (93-54). Houston kept moving up in the rankings after its early season in-state loss to Christian Brothers and was dominant during its state-title run. The state crown was the program’s first ever in any division since opening its doors in 1989.

13. (27) Combine Academy (Lincolnton, N.C.) 26-3
The Goats played a national schedule and faired well against it, ending their season with a 71-59 victory over Liberty Heights of Charlotte in the Phenom HoopState Championship. Sophomore guard Robert Dillingham led the way with 32 points in the Liberty Heights victory and led a deep and talented team, along with junior guard A.J. Smith, all season long. Coach Jeff McGinnis’ club split with Moravian Prep of Hudson and split with Word of God Christian Academy of Raleigh. Combine Academy’s third loss was to a West Oaks Academy of Florida team that began the season ranked No. 6 in the FAB 50 by four points (69-65). McGinnis’ program made big waves in 2019-20 by defeating power Oak Hill Academy of Virginia (where he played), finished higher than forecasted in 2020-21 and should field another terrific team in 2021-22.

14. (BB) Westlake (Austin, Texas) 30-2
Similar to No. 11 Orlando Christian Prep, the Chaparrals are another team we wish we would have forecasted a bit higher in the preseason. Westlake opened up No. 10 in the Southwest Region, with five teams in front of them that just missed the FAB 50. Westlake defeated Atascocita of Humble in the Class 6A semifinals, 57-44, behind a game-high 21 points from Kansas-bound All-American K.J. Adams. Preston Clark, a junior forward, also stepped up with 11 points and 13 rebounds. Adams went for 19 points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots in Westlake’s 64-48 Class 6A Region IV title game win over Clark of San Antonio. Westlake was the first Austin area team to play for a state title in the University Interscholastic League’s highest classification since Austin in 1960 and was looking to become its first large classification state champ, but fell to No. 10 Duncanville 66-53. Westlake's only two losses of the season came against the Panthers, who now have been Texas' top-ranked team three consecutive seasons.

15. (32) Millard North (Omaha, Neb.) 27-2
The Mustangs had one of the most talent-laden rosters we’ve ever seen in Nebraska schoolboy history, and more than one local scribe called the Nebraska School Activities Association (NSAA) Class A state title the best Nebraska schoolboy game they ever witnessed, as Millard North held off No. 24 Bellevue West, 84-78, in overtime. McDonald’s All-American Hunter Sallis scored 25 points in a game fan waited hours in the rain out side Pinnacle Bank Arena to get in to. The Mustangs also had Old Dominion-bound Jadin Johnson, Loyola-Chicago-bound Saint Thomas and junior forward Jasen Green in the arsenal and recorded a 80-76 victory over No. 23 Oak Hill Academy. The Mustangs defeated Bellevue West two out of three contests and also fell to Creighton Prep, which beat the Mustangs by a point (76-75) and was No. 27 in the FAB 50 when it lost to Bellevue West in the state semifinals in an incredible three overtime game, 95-94. After averaging 22.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg and 3.8 apg, Sallis was the highest-ranked college prospect ever while Millard North is now the state’s highest-ranked FAB 50 team ever.

16. (NR) Millbrook (Raleigh, N.C.) 19-0
The Wildcats are the first team in the FAB 50 we really didn’t have on our preseason radar, but they were able to shoot high in the rankings based on their undefeated mark and what transpired with the teams they beat. North Mecklenburg of Huntersville was at No. 17 in the FAB 50 before falling from the ranks of the unbeaten versus Ardrey Kell of Charlotte in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) Class 4A state semifinals. Millbrook then capped off its own undefeated season with a come-from-behind 67-65 victory to break in at No. 36 and steadily move up from there as other ranked teams finished up their seasons. The Wildcats overcame a four-point deficit with under 30 seconds remaining in overtime behind junior Silas Demary Jr. He hit four three throws and came up with a steal and lay-in with four seconds remaining to give his team an improbable victory. Demary (17.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 4.0 apg), who had 22 points in the state final, and Louisville-bound big man Eric van der Heijden (18.2 ppg, 11.2 rpg, 4.6 apg) led the way for this club along with senior forward Redford Dunton (18.8 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 3.0 apg). Millbrook won its first state title in program history.

?17. (4) Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) 7-4
We began the Panthers right in front of their WCAC rivals from DeMatha Catholic, but when they met twice in their last three games of the season, it was the Stags who were victorious both times. Paul VI lost the first game, 89-77, and the rematch in what turned out to be the final sanctioned game of the season, 109-107 in overtime. In between, coach Paul Farello’s club downed preseason No. 31 Gonzaga of Washington, D.C., which was only able to play two games (the second being a loss to DeMatha). Despite its limited amount of games, Paul VI played tough competition, losing two other contests to No. 12 Germantown Houston (86-72) and to No. 2 Sunrise Christian Academy (73-58) in back-to-back games. There was plenty of underclass talent, but the ringleader was All-American Trevor Keels, who averaged 28.7 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 7.2 apg and 3.8 spg. Keels was the best player in the region and likely the WCAC Player of the Year under normal circumstances.

18. (49) St. Vincent-St. Mary (Akron, Ohio) 25-2
St. V’s began as the second-to-last team from the Midwest Region in the FAB 50 and made a steady climb up. Coach Dru Joyce’s club was able to crack the Top 25 after capturing the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) Division II state crown with a 72-50 victory over St. Francis DeSales of Columbus. The Fightin’ Irish lost to Moeller of Cincinnati (preseason FAB 50 No. 18) in thier second game and the only other loss was a 73-56 setback to No. 4 DeMatha Catholic and neither hurt their final ranking. St. V’s also defeated Ohio D1 state champ and No. 49 Centerville, but does have to stay behind No. 17 Paul VI because that club took DeMatha into overtime. St. V’s outscored DeSales, 44-17, in the second half of its state title game and got a monster final game from Ohio Mr. Basketball and All-American forward Malaki Branham. He netted 37 points and finished his senior season with averages of 21.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 2.7 apg, and 1.8 spg. Joyce captured his sixth state crown in 20 seasons, including the 2002-03 LeBron James-led team that won the FAB 50 national title.

19. (NR) Reading (Reading, Pa.) 26-2
The Red Knights made all of Berks County proud when they captured the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) Class 6A crown with a come-from-behind victory over No. 25 Archbishop Wood. Wood just continued to grind away at a double-digit deficit, but Reading sealed the 58-57 victory after Joey Chapman stole a Wood inbounds pass with 3.2 seconds remaining after his turnover game a previously unbeaten team one more chance to win the prior possession. Leading the way for the Red Knights was senior Moro Osumanu, who had 21 points and 13 rebounds, including six offensive rebounds that he scored on. Junior Daniel Alcantara also had a terrific all-around effort in the state title game with 10 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and three blocks. In a year in which it looked like the Reading school board may cancel the season, the Red Knights made most of their opportunity, capturing their second Class 6A title in four years. Reading only lost to one opponent, regionally ranked Wilson of West Lawn, and beat that club, 66-58 when it counted in the District 3 title game after losing to the Bulldogs in the Berks Conference title game.

20. (38) Patrick School (Elizabeth, N.J.) 14-1
The Celtics, an independent program after their removal from the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association last December, had a terrific season despite the ensuing controversy. Patrick School coaches and officials felt its program was being singled out for fielding more than one varsity team after a June 2020 ruling that prohibited any member program from operating a team outside the NJSIAA’s jurisdiction. The program operates a post-graduate team in addition to the one that previously captured six New Jersey TOC crowns, the latest coming in 2017 when the Celtics finished No. 9 in the FAB 50. This year’s deep and talented unit wouldn’t have had a chance to capture another TOC crown since there was no post-season, but the Celtics were the state’s second best team. Led by junior guard Zion Cruz and senior big man Samson Johnson, Patrick School only lost to Bergen Catholic and defeated quality Garden State clubs such as Don Bosco Prep, Gill St. Bernard’s and Roselle Catholic.

21. (NR) Carmel (Carmel, Ind.) 26-2
We had the Greyhounds on our preseason radar, but should have given them more credence. After all, they captured a section title with a young core in 2019-20 before COVID-19 canceled the remainder of the season. Coach Ryan Osborn group stayed the course and was mentally focused throughout 2020-21, capturing the Class 4A state crown with a 51-46 overtime victory over No. 29 Lawrence North at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. A big difference was the free throw shooting, as Carmel canned 20-of-25, while Lawrence North made only 6-of-17 from the line. Carmel’s Brian Waddell, a senior, had 20 points and 10 rebounds while junior Josh Whack came up with 11 crucial points, including 7-of-8 made free throws in the fourth period and overtime. For Carmel, its a second Class 4A title in three seasons (it finished No. 15 in the 2019-20 FAB 50), and with juniors Pete Suder, Charlie Williams and Whack returning, along with sophomore Sam Orme, look for another deep playoff run in 2021-22.

22. (BB) Centennial (Corona, Calif.) 21-2
We had this Huskies club on our radar in the preseason as they came in No. 13 in the West, with four clubs above them in line for one of the final spots in the FAB 50. This young club exceeded expectations, capturing the CIF Southern Section Open Division crown with a 80-72 victory over then state No. 1 Sierra Canyon. The CIF began its season in the spring and with the NCAA sanctioned live June scholastic period looming, the Huskies withdrew from the overlapping SoCal regional tournament. Centennial lost one playoff pool play contest to Harvard-Westlake of North Hollywood without the services of Kylan Boswell and lost to No. 32 Torrey Pines early in the season. Had the Falcons captured the SoCal open regional crown, they would have finished in this range and Centennial lower, but they lost in the final to an Etiwanda club that split with Sierra Canyon. That allowed Centennial to finish No. 1 in the state for the first time ever in program history and become the first team ever from Riverside County to earn that distinction. Centennial follows the now legendary 2015-16 FAB 50 champ Chino Hills team as the second California No. 1 from the greater Inland Empire. What makes that so impressive is Boswell was one of four sophomore starters, while the most highly-honored player in the lineup was junior guard Donovan Dent.

23. (12) Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 21-9
This legendary program under coach Steve Smith began the season with the program’s lowest ranking since 1988-89 (when it came in unranked) and its finish is tied with the 2012-13 Oak Hill Academy club for lowest final ranking in that time frame. That 2012-13 club finished 33-6 and even though this club has a high loss count, five of those were to either No. 1 Montverde Academy or No. 2 Sunrise Christian Academy in NIBC play. The Warriors also lost to two of three to No. 8 Wasatch Academy, to AZ Compass Prep of Arizona and to No. 15 Millard North. Led by underclass All-Americans M.J. Rice (18 points) and Caleb Foster (23 points), Oak Hill defeated No. 39 Pace Academy in the first round of GEICO Nationals, 84-77.

24. (NR) Bellevue West (Bellevue, Neb.) 24-3
It was a terrific season for the Thunderbirds, who along with No. 15 Millard North and Creighton Prep of Omaha, gave Nebraska School Activities Association (NSAA) hoop fans something to be proud of on a national scale. Creighton Prep defeated Millard North during the regular season and Millard North defeated Bellevue West two out of three times. The Thunderbirds won one of the regular season contests, 81-69, after losing the first tilt, 94-91 in two overtimes. Millard North was able to finish as the highest tanked of the trio, despite the loss to Creighton Prep, by defeating the Thunderbirds in the Class A state title game, 84-78, despite 25 points, eight rebounds and nine assists from All-American Chucky Hepburn in his final game. In 2019-20, Bellevue West defeated Millard North in the state title game, 64-62, after ending the game on a 16-0 run. Creighton Prep was No. 27 in the FAB 50 when Bellevue West outlasted that club in the state semifinals, 95-94, in three overtimes as the Wisconsin-bound Hepburn (23 points) and Frankie Fidler (32 points) led the way. Bellevue West didn’t fall much in the rankings despite failing to repeat as state champions because of the regular season win over eventual Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) Class 4A champ and No. 26 Waukee Senior.

?25. (9) Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.) 19-1
The Vikings were a solid FAB 50 title contender in the preseason, but that forecast was somewhat tempered with the travel restrictions in place for the 2020-21 season. Wood didn’t play an out-of-state foe, but still put forth a memorable season that came up one game short. With a veteran club that returned all five starters, Wood won the Philadelphia Catholic League crown with a 68-59 victory over Roman Catholic, but fell in the PIAA Class 6A state final to No. 19 Reading, 58-57. All-American and four-year standout Rashool Diggins (UConn) led a comeback that got as close to one-point after his final 3-pointer after trialing by seven points with 3:23 remaining in the contest. Diggins made four 3-pointers and finished with 26 points and four steals, while Marcus Randolph contributed nine points, five assists and four steals. Diggins scored less as a senior (16.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 4.7 apg, 2.7 spg, 1.1 bpg, 6.7 dpg), but improved his all-around game and was named Pennsylvania Class 6A POY as well at Catholic League POY for the second consecutive season.

26. (41) Waukee Senior (Waukee, Iowa) 16-2
Similar to No. 15 Millard North, the Warriors had a star-studded lineup that was looking to erase the memory of last year’s state final. In the 2020 Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) Class 4A title game, Waukee lost to underdog Ankeny and in this year’s championship game trailed Johnston by ten points early. Waukee then picked it up in the second half, outscoring Johnston 16-7 in the third period and 20-11 in the final one to win, 61-50. Drake-bound Tucker DeVries scored a game-high 18 points and had six rebounds and four assists. Sophomore Omaha Biliew added 16 points and six rebounds, while Iowa-bound Payton Sandfort chipped in 13 points and eight rebounds. With their second win over Johnston in three games, the Warriors claimed the program’s first-ever state title. Nebraska Class A runner-up and No. 24 Bellevue West handed Waukee its other loss (74-60), which prevents the Warriors from cracking the final Top 25. In the state semifinals, Ames was no match for Waukee (71-36), while Johnston upset previously unbeaten and No. 1 seed Cedar Falls, 64-51.

27. (BB) Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia, Pa.) 9-1**
The Saints were one of the preseason bubble clubs from the East Region considered for the FAB 50 and we’ll just never know how good this team could have been with a normal slate of games. Coach Carl Arrigale felt like his club should have beat No. 25 Wood, but a missed foul shot was a key difference in the 80-79 overtime loss in the second game of the season. Goretti’s season was cut short by COVID-19 protocols that kept them out of the post-season while the eligibility of senior Blaise Vespe (who ended up playing six games) also hung a cloud over the season. Senior guard Hysier Miller (18.2 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 6.4 apg, 3.0 spg) and senior pivot Zaakir Williamson (15.0 ppg, 5.2 rpg) had terrific seasons for a team that would have finished a couple of spots higher had Wood not been upset in the PIAA Class 6A state title game.

28. (NR) Beaumont United (Beaumont, Texas) 31-0
Our correspondents in Texas always do a terrific job, but the Timberwolves truly were one of the Cinderella stories of the season, and the glass slipper never came off. Coach David Green’s club capped an unbeaten season with a 71-70 overtime victory over Kimball of Dallas in the UIL Class 5A state title game. Beaumont United didn’t clinch its crown until junior forward Terrance Arceneaux hit a buzzer-beating jumpshot. He had a plethora of big plays that kept the Timberwolves in range, as he finished with 24 points, seven rebounds and nine blocks. No. 14 Westlake was able to stay ranked ahead of the Timberwolves because of the better overall competition in Class 6A and because that team’s only two losses were to No. 10 Duncanville. In addition to Arceneaux (20.9 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 2.3 apg, 2.5 spg, 4.0 bpg), sophomore guard Wesley Yates III (14.5 ppg, 2.4 apg, 3.5 spg) and sophomore forward Trealyn Porchia (14.2 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3.1 spg) stepped up throughout the season for a team that could be just as good as any Class 6A team in 2021-22.

29. (NR) Lawrence North (Indianapolis, Ind.) 28-3
The Wildcats moved up a spot in the final rankings and came up just one game short of the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) Class 4A crown, falling to No. 21 Carmel, 51-46, in overtime. Coach Jack Keefer’s club got into the FAB 50 mix right away with a one-point victory over Moeller of Cincinnati (preseason No. 18) in its third game and advanced to the state final with a 54-52 victory over South of Bloomington. Indiana-bound C.J. Gunn had 26 points in the Wildcats’ state tourney opener, had 18 in the state final loss and averaged over 14 ppg in the post-season. Point guard Shamar Avance, the Marion County Player of the Year, averaged 17.3 ppg and 4.4 apg for a club that lost twice to Carmel with its other loss to highly-regarded Homestead. That club was ranked No. 15 in the FAB 50 until it fell to Carmel in a regional semifinal contest with the two clubs were ranked 1-2 in the state’s Class 4A poll.

30. (NR) Etiwanda (Etiwanda, Calif.) 14-2
It’s ironic in the season when the Eagles finally got over the hump and won their first SoCal open title they weren’t able to participate in their CIF state championship game after the California Interscholastic Federation canceled the NorCal regional and state finals. Still, the Eagles exercised some demons by capturing their first regional championship in school history with a 68-65 win over No. 32 Torrey Pines in the SoCal open final. Etiwanda had a 0-5 record in regional final games under veteran coach Dave Kleckner prior to this season. Tennessee-bound Jahmai Mashack and senior Marcus Green had big outings versus Torrey Pines, scoring 21 and 22 points, respectively. Similar to No. 22 Centennial, “Clamp City” lost a regular season game to Harvard-Westlake and also knocked off No. 40 Sierra Canyon, 82-76, in the regional semifinals after losing to the Trailblazers by the same score in CIFSS open pool play. Mashack (16.3 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 5.6 apg) was named Cal-Hi Sports State Senior of the Year after his dominant playoff run and forward Darvelle Wyatt also earned all-state laurels.

31. (NR) Victory Rock Prep (Bradenton, Fla.) 27-6
Teams in the Sunshine Independent Athletic Association traditionally play games on the Grind Session and league play is tough, so many times its top-ranked team has more losses than teams in its FAB 50 range. That is the case with the Blue Devils, which captured the SIAA title with a 93-77 victory over The Rock School of Gainesville. The big win for Victory Rock came in the semifinals when it beat the Central Pointe Christian of Kissimmee club it lost to twice during the regular season when that club was No. 26 in the FAB 50. Point guard Kevin "Boopie" Miller led the way in the playoffs, netting 29 points, four rebounds and eight assists in the SIAA title game, 31 points and seven assists in the big win over Central Pointe Christian and 27 points, six rebounds and seven assists in the quarterfinal win over Downey Christian.

32. (NR) Torrey Pines (San Diego, Calif.) 30-1
In the playoffs this team looked like one of destiny as it eyed an undefeated season while being the first San Diego County team to finish No. 1 in California in the modern era. Torrey Pines was drawing comparisons to the best team ever from the CIF San Diego Section (1969-70 Bill Walton led Helix of La Mesa), but that came crashing down and the Falcons dropped nine spots in the final rankings after losing to No. 30 Etiwanda, 68-65, in the SoCal open championship game on its home floor. Torrey Pines was down, 44-27, at halftime before making a spirited comeback that just fell short. Despite losing the last game of the season, it was still a memorable one for veteran coach John Olive’s club, as his club defeated No. 22 Centennial early in the season and became the first county team to advance to the major division SoCal regional final. St. Mary’s-bound guard Chris Howell did a bit of everything for this club on both ends of the floor and Cal-St. Northridge-bound Nick Herrmann was the leading scorer and playoff hero who previously overcame cancer.

33. (22) Blair Academy (Blairstown, N.J.) 2-0
The Bucs, and independent program that doesn’t compete for a state crown, have made a commitment to carry only traditional four-year players without any post-graduates. They had a Top 25 caliber team, but because of COVID-19 protocols and restrictions, were only able to play two sanctioned games before they were unable to continue with their season. We decided to keep coach Joseph Mantegna’s club (which had nine lettermen back and two talented transfers) in the final rankings. There was a couple of other ranked teams that played only a few games, but the ones that lost fell out of the rankings. Coach Steve Turner of Gonzaga of Washington, D.C. really felt he had a Top 25 club, but finished 0-2 with losses to No. 4 DeMatha and No. 17 Paul VI. Some of the top teams in the preseason that didn’t get a season include Bishop Gorman of Nevada, Coronado of Nevada, Poly of Maryland and John Marshall of Virginia.

34. (NR) Clinton (Clinton, Miss.) 21-1
Harrison Central of Gulfport got the preseason nod as Mississippi’s top team, but it was the Arrows that emerged as the top team in the state, knocking off the Red Rebels in the Class 6A semifinals, 59-53. Clinton then took down defending 6A state champ Starkville, 56-51, in the state championship game. Junior wing Khmani Hamilton had 14 points and 14 rebounds in the Starkville win and helped put the Arrows in the title game with 22 points in the semifinal win over Harrison Central. Allen Hughes, another junior, had 16 points vs. Starkville. Clinton, which lost one game to Vicksburg in overtime, beat Starkville (21-3) twice during the season and won its first state crown since 1992-93.

35. (NR) Central Pointe Christian (Kissimmee, Fla.) 31-7
The White Tigers have an excellent resume to be in the FAB 50 despite losing to No. 31 Victory Rock Prep in the SIAA semifinals. It was the only game coach Richie Dalmau’s club lost against a foe from the talent-laden conference. All of Central Pointe Christian’s other losses were to Grind Session teams with the expection of a 67-52 setback to No. 3 IMG Academy. The team was led by SIAA MVP and Illinois-bound Ramses Melendez and junior big man Jeremy Foumena and saw its season come to a close in the second round of the Grind Session World Championships to Dream City Christian of Arizona, 65-56.

36. (BB) Grand Blanc (Grand Blanc, Mich.) 15-2
The Bobcats began the season No. 15 in the Midwest Region, but proved to be better than that once the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) D1 playoffs got underway. Grand Blanc lost to Flint Carman-Ainsworth and to Orchard Lake St. Mary Prep during the regular season, but downed St. Mary in the D1 quarterfinals, 58-53, when the Eaglets were No. 16 in the FAB 50. The Bobcats then downed Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern, 68-58, in the semifinals before meeting then No. 44 Ann Arbor Huron at the Breslin Center for all the marbles. The Bobcats defeated their second unbeaten FAB 50 ranked team in three games, 45-36, as R.J. Taylor (15 points) and Timonte Boyd (12 points) scored just enough to hold off Huron. St. Mary Prep lost at the wrong time because Huron needs to be ranked ahead of that club because it made it to the state final unbeaten.

37. (NR) Berkmar (Lilburn, Ga.) 26-6
The Patriots were battled tested during the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) regular season and were confident going into the Class AAAAAAA title game versus No. 6 Milton, a team they lost to during the regular season. The pressure of holding off the Eagles proved to be too much, as Berkmar missed crucial free throws down the stretch that allowed Milton to pull out a 52-47 victory. Berkmar was able to avenge a regular season loss to McEachern of Powder Springs with a 59-58 state semifinal victory. Of the teams it lost to, Berkmar was able to split with Norcross. Led by juniors, Malique Ewin, a center, and Jameel Rideout, a guard, Berkmar was able to land in the final FAB 50 despite the tough state final loss because it recorded a 66-47 regular season win over eventual Class AAAAAA state champ Wheeler of Marietta.

38. (7) St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.) 15-1
In a normal season, the Panthers would have been FAB 50 title contenders. After all, they were coming on three consecutive Baltimore Catholic League (BCL) titles and had a talent-laden, veteran roster. They fell a bit in the rankings before playing a sanctioned game because of results when they played as a quasi-travel team. However, when the regular season began St. Frances Academy ran roughshod through the BCL behind the play of guard Byron Ireland, Maryland-bound forward Julian Reese and National Freshman Player of the Year Derik Queen. The Panthers were one game away from a fourth consecutive BCL crown before it all came crashing down in a 66-62 overtime title game loss to five-loss John Carroll of Bel Air. Ireland (20 points) was able to send the game into overtime on a 3-pointer right before the regulation buzzer, but the Panthers did not score again. John Carroll became just the second No. 6 seed to win the title and prevented St. Frances Academy from becoming the first undefeated BCL championship team since 1981-82, when Calvert Hall captured the mythical national crown with a 34-0 mark. We decided to keep St. Frances Academy in the rankings because of their overall season success, which included a regular season win over John Carroll.

39. (26) Pace Academy (Atlanta, Ga.) 28-2
The Knights played to the level expected of them in the preseason and fulfilled more than one season goal. After losing thier season opener to Sandy Creek of Tyrone (preseason No. 46), coach Sharman White’s crew rolled off 28 consecutive wins, culminating the winning streak with a 73-42 win over Columbia of Decatur in the GHSA Class AA state title game. It was the second consecutive season the Knights defeated Columbia in the state title game after taking the AAA crown in 2019-20. Event organizers for GEICO Nationals then chose to take No. 6 Milton and the Knights for their end-of-season event instead of choosing one over the other and Pace Academy wound up falling to No. 23 Oak Hill Academy, 84-77. McDonald’s All-American Matthew Cleveland had 30 points and eight rebounds in his final game and ended the season averaging 23 ppg.

40. (17) Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) 16-2
The Trailblazers’ string of three consecutive seasons as California’s top-ranked team came to an end when they fell to No. 30 Etiwanda, 82-76, in the SoCal open semifinals. Coach Andre Chevalier’s club defeated the Eagles by the same score to advance to the CIF Southern Section Open Division title game. Sierra Canyon lost to No. 22 Centennial in that game, 80-72. Perhaps Sierra Canyon would have had an outside chance to hop in front of Centennial (which opted out of the regional tournament) in the rankings had it beat Etiwanda for a second time and No. 32 Torrey Pines to win its fourth consecutive open regional crown. After coming up two games short, however, that decision wasn’t necessary to make. Sierra Canyon battled injuries and line up changes, but as long as junior and eventual Cal-Hi Sports Mr. Basketball honoree Amari Bailey (29.2 ppg, 9.1 rpg and 6.5 apg) was in the lineup, this team had a chance against any in-state foe.

41. (NR) Bishop Miege (Shawnee Mission, Kan.) 22-1
The Stags lost their only game to our preseason No. 1 Kansas team (Blue Valley Northwest of Overland Park), but that club lost in the Class 6A playoffs. Meanwhile, Miege rolled to the Class 4A state crown in dominant fashion, defeating Louisburg, 94-40, in the state title game. Three-year starter and four year standout Harrison Braudis led the way with 22 points, as Miege was highly motivated after last year’s state tournament was canceled following its quarterfinal victory because of COVID-19. Junior forward Taj Manning also had a big night with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Braudis was on the team when Miege won a state crown in 2018. The program has now won four state titles in six years, including three in a row from 2016-18, and six overall.

42. (NR) Dr. Phillips (Orlando, Fla.) 24-3
The Panthers had a terrific campaign, defeating Dwyer of Palm Beach Gardens, 54-46, to claim the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Class 7A state crown. Also helping Dr. Phillips move into the rankings after winning their state crown was avenging a loss to talented Oak Ridge of Orlando in the semifinals. Although they were no match for No. 1 Montverde Academy (76-37), the Panthers only lost the first Oak Ridge game by two points (49-47) and its next game to West Orange of Winter Garden by a point (48-47). Denzel Aberdeen led the way for coach Ben Witherspoon’s club with 27 points. It was the first ever state title game victory for a program that should be even better in 2021-22 with Aberdeen, big man Ernest Udeh Jr., and Riley Kugel and nine lettermen total returning.

43. (NR) Manasquan (Manasquan, N.J.) 12-0
Unfortunately, the Warriors have been unable to compete for the New Jersey TOC, but it’s certainly not because they haven’t been talented enough to. Manasquan captured its second consecutive NJSIAA Central Jersey Group II title, but not without an emotional toll along the way. The program had to pause for two weeks early in the season because of COVID-19 protocols, then on February 9 Andrew and Matt Solomon lost their father Larry to COVID-19 complications. At the close of the season, coach Andrew Bilodeau missed the last seven games after contracting the virus and experiencing heart problems. Junior Ben Roy (24 ppg) went over 1,000 career points in the win over Don Bosco Prep and Manasquan also had a win over state-ranked Montclair Immaculate. Fittingly, the season ended on a Roy pass to Andrew Solomon with 1.4 seconds remaining to give the Warriors a 58-56 win over Marlboro in the Shore Conference title game.

44. (NR) Kingfisher (Kingfisher, Okla.) 25-1
The Yellowjackets finished as the top ranked team in Oklahoma after winning the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association (OSSA) Class 4A state crown. Kingfisher won its second state crown in three seasons with a 59-39 victory over Heritage Hall of Oklahoma City at State Fair Arena. The Yellowjackets were not only talented, but had plenty of incentive after suffering their only loss of 2019-20 to Heritage Hall in the state title game. Heritage Hall came into this year’s title game unbeaten and with the confidence of a 43-point semifinal win, but were held to four first-quarter points. Jett Sternberger led the way for Kingfisher with 19 points, while three of the team’s seven scorers in that game were sophomores. Its only loss came to preseason state No. 1 Edmond Memorial.

45. (NR) Huron (Ann Arbor, Mich.) 20-1**
The River Rats were at No. 44 in the rankings when they took on Grand Blanc for the MHSAA D1 state crown. Huron led after three quarters, 40-39, but could only muster six points in the final period and suffered its first and only loss of the season, 45-36. Huron’s stout defense was its usual self, holding Grand Blanc to 12-of-43 shooting from the field, but its offense never got on track. Devin Womack made 8-of-17 shots and finished with 18 points, but was the over River Rat to hit double figures. The nature of Huron's only loss dropped it two spots after the result and the team moved back up one slot after all the games were completed around the country. We also strongly considered MHSAA D2 state champ Grand Rapids Catholic Central (20-0) for a spot in the final rankings.

46. (NR) Sunnyslope (Phoenix, Ariz.) 21-1
The pecking order was easy to establish in the Grand Canyon State among Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) champions, even though the best teams all play in different divisions. The AIA would benefit from an open division or Tournament of Champions, but coach Ray Portela’s club was a cinch No. 1 after capturing the AIA Class 6A crown with a 63-62 win over Mountain Pointe of Phoenix, our preseason AIA No. 1. Sunnyslope, which was led by junior guard Oakland Fort (15 ppg) and saw Portela earn National Coach of the Year honors, only lost in overtime to Mesa and handed Class 4A champ St. Mary’s of Pheonix its only loss. St Mary's in turn handed Class 5A champ Catalina Foothills of Tucson its only setback. Sunnyslope moved into the FAB 50 at No. 48 and rose two spots after every state completed its season.

47. (BB) North Little Rock (North Little Rock, Ark.) 21-2
The Charging Wildcats opened up right outside of the FAB 50 as Arkansas’ top-rated team and were able to live up to their advance billing when it mattered most in the Class 6A title game. North Little Rock lost to Little Rock Central 80-73 and 75-67 in Central Conference play, but turned the tables in the state title game with a 65-55 victory. Senior guard D.J. Smith and 7-foot junior center Kel’el Ware combined to score 45 points to lead the Charging Wildcats to an avenging victory. In 2018-19, Little Rock Central captured the state crown while last year’s 6A final was canceled due to COVID-19. North Little Rock coach Johnny Rice, who now has five state titles under his belt, called this one the most special after his team outscored Little Rock Central, 19-8, in the fourth quarter to pull out the come-from-behind victory.

48. (NR) Wauwatosa East (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 23-3
The Red Raiders pulled away late in a nip-and-tuck affair with top seeded Kimberly in the Wisconsin Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) D1 state title game. At halftime, the Papermakers led 27-26, but Wauwatosa East went on a 13-0 third quarter run to pull out a 62-44 victory. After taking control, the Red Raiders pounded it inside and finished the game with 40 paint points. Alex Singleton led the way for Wauwatosa East, which only lost to one team on its schedule it did not beat and that was by two points (Waunakee). The program won its third state crown; the others coming in 2008 and 1991.

49. (NR) Centerville (Centerville, Ohio) 26-3
The Elks put together a terrific resume en route to the coveted OHSAA D1 state championship. Centerville defeated Westerville Central in the state title game by one point, 43-42. Its resume was also bolstered by handing Mentor its first loss of the season, when it was No. 33 in the FAB 50, in the state semifinals, 63-49. A round earlier, the Elks avenged one of its three losses with a 40-38 victory over D1 state power Moeller of Cincinnati. Coach Brook Cupps’ club also split with Miamisburg but must finish a few notches behind D2 state champ and No. 18 St. Vincent-St. Mary after losing to that club, 74-66. Gabe Cupps had 16 points in the win over Westerville Central after Tom House had a big game in the semifinals with 21 points and 10 rebounds.

50. (NR) Wayzata (Plymouth, Minn.) 19-2
We considered a host of clubs for the final spot in the FAB 50, particularly Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) Division 3 champ St. Catherine’s of Racine and Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) Class 4A state champ St. Mary’s of Pheonix, both of whom lost one game this season. In the end, we go with the Trojans, who captured the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) Class AAAA crown with a 75-61 victory over Cretin-Durham Hall of St. Paul. Junior guards Drew Berkland and Camden Heide scored 19 and 17 points, receptively, while senior guard Eddie Beeninga added 16 for the Trojans. During the regular season Wayzata split games with traditional state power Hopkins of Minnetonka and fell to No. 7 Minnehaha Academy, 70-63. This program has now won 99 state titles in all sports, and the win over Cretin-Durham Hall game it its first in boys basketball.

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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Bronny James & SFG vs #1 Ranked Player Jalen Duren Was a BATTLE In Front of Coach Calipari!!

Arek Kissoyan — Mon, 19 Jul 2021 16:41:55 +0000

Strive For Greatness faced off against Jalen Duren and Team Final in front of Coach Calipari today.

The post Bronny James & SFG vs #1 Ranked Player Jalen Duren Was a BATTLE In Front of Coach Calipari!! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

2020-21 Underclass All-American Elite Team

Ronnie Flores — Wed, 14 Jul 2021 03:29:01 +0000

Class players of the year Jalen Duren (Juniors), D.J. Wagner (Sophomores) and Derik Queen (Freshmen) headline the 2020-21 Underclass All-American Elite team.

Five juniors and a sophomore named to the 27th Annual All-American Elite Team headline a group of 75 elite players selected to the 2020-21 Underclass All-American team powered by www.ebooksnet.com.

Big man Jalen Duren of Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.), this year’s National Junior of the Year, was named to the overall All-American Elite first team and was a finalist for Mr. Basketball USA. Juniors Amari Bailey, the California Mr. Basketball, and Emoni Bates, the national sophomore of the year in 2019-20, were third five selections. In the past 27 years under the current selection format, Bates and NBA superstar LeBron James (2001) are the only tenth-graders to earn first five All-American honors.

A fourth junior, Scoot Henderson of Kell (Marietta, Ga.) was named to the fourth five. Henderson re-classified to the 2021 class and will join fellow fourth team pick Michael Foster of Hillcrest (Phoenix, Ariz.) on the NBA G League Ignite team, as more of the nation’s elite players are perusing professional basketball options.

Some media outlets have reported that Duren will re-classify to the 2021 class, but there has been no official announcement. Duren has announced his final five options as he looks to lead Team Final to the 2021 Nike EYBL Peach Jam title in North Augusta, S.C.: Memphis, Miami, Kentucky, NBA G League or Australian National Basketball League. Duren has indicated he will make a decision sometime after Peach Jam.

Each year, more players are classifying up in order to speed up the recruiting process or join a class that will be more advantageous to their development.

Ohio’s Gatorade State Player of the Year, Chris Livingstonof Western Reserve Academy (Hudson, Ohio) and 2020-21 national sophomore of the year DJ Wagner of Camden (N.J.) are the only two underclass picks on the 30-player All-American second team. In 2019-20, no underclass player was chosen to the second team, as a strong 2020 senior class was rewarded for its efforts.

As is the case every year, some underclass All-Americans will transfer programs and a few have already made the announcement.

Junior All-American Richard Isaacs Jr., is headed to Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) from Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah). Fellow 2022 MJ Rice is also headed to Prolific Prep from Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.). Sophomore All-American Omaha Biliew is leaving Waukee Senior (Waukee, Iowa) for national power Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.).

Expect more player movement and some more reclassification as the summer rolls on.

National Grassroots Editor Ronnie Flores selects this performance-based squad with input from Mr. Basketball USA panelists. It is chosen after the conclusion of the season, which makes the Underclass All-American Team more reflective of players who made state championship runs.

Our national coach of the year for 2020-21 is Ray Portela of Sunnyslope (Pheonix, Ariz.).

Juniors to Watch (2022)

F — Terrance Arceneaux, Beaumont United (Beaumont, Texas) 6-7
G — Amari Bailey, Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) 6-4
F — Emoni Bates, Ypsi Prep (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 6-8
G — Jaden Bradley, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) 6-2
G — A.J. Brown, Orlando Christian Prep (Orlando, Fla.) 6-4
F — Andre Casey, Whitney Young (Chicago, Ill.) 6-8
C — Donovan Clingan, Bristol Central (Bristol, Conn.) 6-10
F — Gradey Dick, Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.) 6-6
C — Jalen Duren, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-10
F — Barry Dunning, McGill-Toolen (Mobile, Ala.) 6-7
G — B.J. Edwards, Knoxville Catholic (Knoxville, Tenn.) 6-3
G — Corey Floyd Jr., Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.) 6-3
C — Joe Hurlburt, Enderlin Area (Enderlin, N.D.) 6-10
G — Keyonte George, iSchool (Lewisville, Texas) 6-3
G — Rylan Griffen, Richardson (Texas) 6-4
G — Bryce Griggs, Fort Bend Hightower (Missouri City, Texas) 6-1
G — Sterling “Scoota” Henderson, Kell (Marietta, Ga.) 6-2 G
G — Trejuan Holloman, Cretin-Derham Hall (St. Paul, Minn.) 6-0
G — Ricky “Pop Pop” Isaacs Jr., Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah) 6-2
G — Chris Livingston, Western Reserve Academy (Hudson, Ohio) 6-5
G — Fletcher Loyer, Homestead (Ft. Wayne, Ind.) 6-4
F — Mark Mitchell, Bishop Miege (Shawnee Mission, Kan.) 6-8
G — Arterio Morris, Kimball (Dallas, Texas) 6-3
G — M.J. Rice, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 6-5
G — Ben Roy, Manasquan (N. J.) 6-1
G — Jaquan Sanders, Our Savior Lutheran (Bronx, N.Y.) 6-3
G — Shaedon Sharpe, Dream City Christian (Glendale, Ariz.) 6-4
G — Nick Smith, Sylvan Hills (Sherwood, Ark.) 6-4
G — Bruce Thornton, Milton (Ga.) 6-2
G — Cason Wallace, Richardson (Richardson, Texas) 6-3

2021 National Junior of the Year: Jalen Duren

Sophomores to Watch (2023)

F — Sultan Adewale, St. Louis Christian Academy (St. Louis, Mo.) 6-7
G — Marvel Allen, Calvary Christian (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) 6-4
F — Matthew Bewley, Northeast (Oakland Park, Fla.) 6-9
F — Omaha Biliew, Waukee Senior (Waukee, Iowa) 6-8
G — Kylan Boswell, Centennial (Corona, Calif.) 6-0
F — Taylor Bowen, St. George’s School (Newport, R.I.) 6-8
G — Kanaan Carlyle, Milton (Milton, Ga.) 6-1
F — Julius Clark, Mountain Brook (Birmingham, Ala.) 6-5
G — Isaiah Collier, Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.) 6-0
G — Gabe Cupps, Centerville (Centerville, Ohio) 6-2
G — Robert Dillingham, Combine Academy (Lincolnton, N.C.) 6-4
C — Baye Fall, Lutheran (Parker, Col.) 6-10
G — Caleb Foster, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 6-2
C — Brandon Garrison, Del City (Del City, Okla.) 6-8
F — Rayvon Griffith, Taft (Cincinnati, Ohio) 6-6
F — Ronald Holland, Duncanville (Duncanville, Texas) 6-8
F — Jalen Hooks, Crispus Attucks (Indianapolis, Ind.) 6-7
G — Jaylen Jones, East Nashville (Nashville, Tenn.) 5-9
G — K.J. Lewis, Chapin (El Paso, Texas) 6-4
G — Chris Lockett, Newman (New Orleans, La.) 6-4
F — Mackenzie Mgbako, Gill St. Bernard (Gladstone, N.J.) 6-7
G — Ruben Rodriguez, Reading (Reading, Pa.) 6-1
G — Reed Sheppard, North Laurel (London, Ky.) 6-2
F — J.J. Taylor, Kenwood (Chicago, Ill.) 6-8
G — R.J. Taylor, Grand Blanc (Grand Blanc, Mich.) 5-11
G — D.J. Wagner, Camden (N.J.) 6-2
F — Ja’Kobe Walter, McKinney (McKinney, Texas) 6-5
G — Isaiah West, Goodpasture Christian (Madison, Tenn.) 6-1
G — Mikey Williams, Lake Norman Christian Academy (Charlotte, N.C.) 6-3
G — Sonny Wilson, U-D Jesuit (Detroit, Mich.) 6-1

2021 National Sophomore of the Year: D.J. Wagner

Freshmen to Watch (2024)

G — Jax Abernathy, Christian Heritage (Dalton, Ga.) 6-3
G — Marcus Allen, Norland (Miami, Fla.) 6-6
F — K. Annor Boateng, Central (Little Rock, Ark.) 6-5
G — Elliot Cadeau, Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.) 6-2
G — David Castillo, Bartlesville (Bartlesville, Okla.) 6-2
F — Naasir Cunningham, Gill St. Bernard’s (Gladstone, N.J.) 6-7
G — Isaiah Elohim, Heritage Christian (Northridge, Calif.) 6-4
G — Jahseem Felton, Northside Christian Academy (Charlotte, N.C.) 6-3
G — Johnuel “Boogie” Fland, Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.) 6-3
F — Ryan Jones, The Rock (Gainesville, Fla.) 6-8
G — Ahmad Nowell, Houston (Germantown, Tenn.) 6-0
F — Derik Queen, St. Francis Academy (Baltimore, Md.) 6-7
G — Malachi Palmer, Central Dauphin (Harrisburg, Pa.) 6-5
G — Jamari Phillips, Modesto Christian (Modesto, Calif.) 6-2
F — Cameron Scott, Lexington (Lexington, S.C.) 6-6

2021 National Freshman of the Year: Derik Queen

National Coach of the Year: Ray Portela, Sunnyslope (Pheonix, Ariz.).

Note: ESPN selections 2010-2012; EA SPORTS selections 2003-2009; Student Sports selections prior to 2003; Selections are based on high school accomplishment, not future college/pro potential, and are reflective of those that lead their teams to state championships. The editors of www.ebooksnet.com do not knowingly select fifth-year players, and those ineligible due to age or academics, Mr. Basketball USA or to its various All-American teams.

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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2020-21 National Underclass POYs

Ronnie Flores — Fri, 18 Jun 2021 20:08:31 +0000

Today we honor our underclass players of the year Jalen Duren (Juniors), D.J. Wagner (Sophomores) and Derik Queen (Freshmen) along with National Coach of the Year Ray Portela of Sunnyslope (Phoenix, Ariz.). These players along with 2020-21 Mr. Basketball USA Chet Holmgren will headline the 27th Annual Elite All-American Team.

2020-21 Mr. Basketball USA: Chet Holmgren, Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis, Minn.) 7-1 C Sr.
The Gonzaga-bound skilled big man is officially the first national player of the year from Minnesota. To view the full Mr. Basketball USA release, the Mr. Basketball Tracker voting results, and comments from Minnehaha Academy coach Lance Johnson, CLICK HERE.

For all-time Mr. Basketball USA honorees dating back to 1954-55, CLICK HERE

2021 National Junior of the Year: Jalen Duren, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-10 C
In today's game almost every elite player clamors to shoot the 3-point shot, but the most dominant interior player in the country stuck to his strength all season long, and the result was a national championship for his team. Duren's discipline not only helped his team's success, as the Eagles finished 24-1, it also helped his standing individually, as some recruiting experts now feel he is the No. 1 prospect nationally in the 2022 class.

After transferring over from Roman Catholic (Philadelphia, Pa.), Duren came in at No. 8 in the preseason Mr. Basketball USA Tracker, second behind Emoni Bates among juniors, but he made most of his opportunity playing national level competition nearly every game with his team part of the National Interscholastic Basketball Conference (NIBC). After some dominant performances on national television and at GEICO Nationals, Duren finished in third place in the final Mr. Basketball USA tracker (voting process for national player of the year) behind runner-up Jabari Smith of Sandy Creek (Tyrone, Ga.) and 2020-21 honoree Chet Holmgren of Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis, Minn.), both seniors.

On the season, Duren was the leading scorer (14.3 ppg) for a team with four players averaging over 10.4 points per game that captured Montverde Academy's fourth FAB 50 crown in six seasons. He also added 8.4 rpg and 2.2 bpg while shooting 65 percent from the field.

Duren is Montverde Academy's second national honoree among juniors, joining Ben Simmons in 2013-14. He is the third honoree from Florida in that time frame, joining 2017-18 honoree Vernon Carey Jr. of University School (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.). Simmons went on to earn Mr. Basketball USA honors as a senior.

Check out the video below for a breakdown of all the underclass players of the year, including interviews with Duren and Montverde Academy head coach Kevin Boyle.

For all-time Junior Player of the Year honorees dating back to 1966-67, CLICK HERE

2021 National Sophomore of the Year: DJ Wagner, Camden (N.J.) 6-3 G

New Jersey schools had an abbreviated season, but the son and grandson of former NBA players did more than enough to earn top honors among tenth-graders nationally. Wagner led Camden to a 13-0 mark, as "The High" finished No. 5 in the FAB 50, highest among New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) teams and public schools nationwide. An natural scorer with ability to score from deep range, mid-range and to the rack, Wagner went over 20 points in 11 of the 13 games and finished the season averaging 22.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg, and 3.8 apg for the Panthers. He earned first team all-state honors.

His father Dajuan Wagner earned top honors among sophomores in 1998-1999 while also playing for Camden. The only other player from the Garden State to earn this honor in between father and son was Michael Gilchrist of St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.) in 2008-09. Similar to Dajuan Wagner, Gilchrist went on to earn Mr. Basketball USA honors as a senior.

Despite leading Camden to a 42-1 mark in his first two seasons on the team, D.J. still has plenty of motivation heading into his junior campaign. There was no post-season in 2020-21 in New Jersey and the 2019-20 season was cut short by COVID-19 with Camden riding a 25-game winning streak. Ironically, Dajuan Wagner didn't win junior player of the year honors, but that was the season in which he led "The High" to the New Jersey Tournament of Champions crown.

For all-time Sophomore Player of the Year honorees dating back to 1967-68, CLICK HERE

2021 National Freshman of the Year: Derik Queen, St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.) 6-8 F

In some years, there is a ninth-grader who is a clear cut choice among his peers or a talented one who puts up gaudy statistics, but this year neither scenario emerged. The 2024 group also didn't have the luxury of playing in front of national media and college coaches during the summer of 2020, so we were admittedly a bit behind the eight-ball when it came to identifying the top freshmen on talented teams.

After evaluating all the resumes of all the FAB 50 ranked teams and the top players in the class, Queen is the candidate who best checks off all the marks of a great first-year player. He has a position-less versatile game and performed well against quality competition in the Baltimore Catholic League. He helped the Panthers to a 15-1 and the BCL Championship game where they were upset by John Carroll (Bel Air, Md.) and currently sit at No. 36 in the FAB 50. On a team with four college bound seniors, Queen averaged 14 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two blocks per game. He was also assertive, a go-to player and not afraid to take the big shot. He even had a 56-point game versus Annapolis Area Christian School.

Other first-year players highly considered for this honor were guard Isaiah Eholim from Heritage Christian (Northridge, Calif.) and a pair of talented players from New Jersey: Naasir Cunningham of Gill St. Bernard’s in Gladstone and Elliot Cadeau of Bergen Catholic in Oradell. Queen is the first freshman selection from the state of Maryland since forward Barry Young of Mt. Hebron (Ellicott City, Md.) for the 1983-84 season. To find another choice from Baltimore, you have to go back to big man Larry Gibson from Dunbar in 1971-72.

For all-time Freshman Player of the Year honorees dating back to 1969-70, CLICK HERE

2021 National Coach of the Year: Ray Portela, Sunnyslope (Phoenix, Ariz.)

It's ironic that Portela is this year's national honoree among coaches because schools belonging to the Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) nearly didn't have a season. When the vote to cancel the winter sports season was rescinded in January, it opened up the door for the Vikings to take a crack at its third state crown in five seasons.

It wasn't going to be easy, as the Vikings lost their big man to a national academy-type program in town and were moved up to Class 6A, the AIA's top classification. Under Portela's guidance, Sunnyslope overcame those obstacles, not to mention a quarantine period after the season began, to bring home the program's first 6A state crown courtesy of a 63-62 win over Mountain Pointe (Phoenix, Ariz.).

Led by junior guard Oakland Fort, the Vikings went 21-1, losing only one game by two points in overtime. They will finish as the AIA's only FAB 50 ranked team and currently sit at No. 44 in the nation's longest-running weekly rankings. Sunnyslope opened it season with a victory over eventual Class 4A state champ St. Mary’s (Pheonix, Ariz.). It was that team's only loss in 21 games. Catalina Foothills (Tuscon, Ariz.) won the Class 5a state crown with its only loss coming to St. Mary's.

For Portela, it was his third state crown after winning titles in Class 5A two consecutive seasons in 2017-2018. Portela doesn't like to focus on his career marks or winning percentage, instead giving credit to the close-knit nature of his players and staff. His mentor in coaching is former Sunnyslope boss Dan Mannix, who he played for at the school before going on to play at Pomona-Pitzer (Calif.).

This year's team at Sunnyslope was the schools' first FAB 50 ranked unit since Mannix's 2001-02 team that won the Class 4A crown. Similar to this year's Sunnyslope club, that Vikings team came within a hair of going undefeated, as they finished 29-1 and No. 32 in the FAB 50.

For all-time National Coach of the Year honorees dating back to 1969-70, 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

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Pangos Camp: Stars Finish Strong!

Ronnie Flores — Fri, 11 Jun 2021 03:15:40 +0000

It was refreshing to see the 2021 Pangos All-American Camp close strong with tight games, including an overtime finish in the Cream of the Crop Top 30 Game. Many of the camp's stars had big all-star games and lesser knowns who we hadn't evaluated in person made lasting impressions.

In a three-day camp setting, sometimes players get a bit worn out by the last day, or the pecking order is establish and they don't feel so comfortable on their camp team. When physical abilities are fairly even among campers, mental and physical endurance takes over and becomes a separator

At the 2021 edition of the Pangos All-American Camp, it was refreshing to see the campers stay focused and all three camp games on the last session Tuesday morning all went down to the wire. In one of the matchups, 6-foot-4 2022 Collin Chandler of Farmington (Utah) hit a deep range 3-pointer from the left wing to give his North Carolina team a 56-53 victory over the Jalen Duren-led Duke team.

In that game, there weren't many 3-point shots, but Chandler hit two of them and then had nine points (including one 3-pointer) in the Cream of the Crop Top 30 all-star game reserved for the camp's best performers. Chandler also converted two of the most acrobatic lay-ups of the entire event in that all-star game and showed why he should be rated much higher than he currently is by the leading national recruiting services. Most recruiting gurus feel he'll eventually make a commitment to Utah.

On the opposite court in that first morning game, there were 3-point shots raining down from all over, and most of them were knocked down by 6-foot-7 2022 Alex Karaban of New Hampton School (Hampton, N.H.). He was stroking on Saturday night and had a big game on Sunday morning, knocking down seven 3-pointers (in 9 attempts) en route to a 31-point, 7-rebound, 4-assist performance for his Virginia club versus Florida State. Ironically, Karaban dished off to teammate Roddy Gayle Jr., a 6-foot-5 2022 prospect from Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah) for a 3-pointer that gave Virginia a 86-83 sudden death overtime win.

Another knock 'em down shooter who upped his stock at the camp was 6-foot-5 2022 Oziyah Sellers of Southern California Academy (Valencia, Calif.). Sellers is a terrific spot up shooter, but has improved in putting it on the deck for pull-ups or creating for others. Even though he missed the first night of camp, he quickly made up for it with his long range shooting exhibition. Sellers, who is an above average athlete, averaged 24.7 ppg in three games and is now high on the board across most Pac-12 programs.

There were players who used one of the two all-star games to leave a lasting impression or atone for moments of struggle in the camp games. One of those players was 6-foot-7 2022 Jordan Walsh of Faith Family Academy (Cedar Hill, Texas). His perimeter shooting wasn't on point during camp games, but he was active and had one of the best noses for the ball on the offensive glass among all campers. Walsh settled down as the camp wore on and closed strong, hitting 3-of-4 3-pointers and finishing with 15 points for the wining Red team (130-99 over the Blue team).

Turning in a MVP performance for the Red team was 6-foot-11 Baye Fall of Lutheran (Denver, Col.), who gets our nod as the top 2023 prospect in attendance. In our eyes, he's right there with 6-foot-3 guard DJ Wagner of Camden (Camden, N.J.), who wasn't in attendance, as the top national prospect among juniors-to-be. Fall doesn't take bad shots, he is a NBA-level shot-blocker with good instinct, has a quality motor and is unselfish in nature. He scored a game-high 20 points to go along with eight rebounds. His relentlessness and nose for the ball separates him from any underclass post prospect in the nation.

Not too far behind Fall and Wagner in the 2023 rankings is fast-rising Javonte Taylor of Kenwood Academy (Chicago, Ill.). He copped MVP honors for the Blue team with 15 points. Taylor has a deep tool box and just needs to work on his consistency from deep and working the offensive glass 100 percent of the time to reach his full potential.

Taylor's Blue team was hurt by top 10 camp performers Adem Bona of Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) and Grady Dick of Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Air, Kan.) needing to take care of travel priorities before the end of the game.

Six-foot-9 2022 Ernest Udeh of FAB 50 ranked Dr. Phillips (Orlando, Fla.) was one of the final selections to the top all-star game and made terrific use of the opportunity, finishing with 10 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals for the winning Red club. Since the conclusion of camp, he's been offered by George Washington and Stanford has shown an increased interest for this fine student-athlete.

Of course, many players could have been picked for either all-star game and the one who solidified his selection in the Top 60 game the most was 6-foot-5 2022 Jevin Sullivan of North Polk (Alleman, Iowa). He was one of the camp's best corner shooters and he knocked down a couple of 3-pointers in the first half of the Top 60 game, which fittingly came down to the wire. Sullivan tied the game at 87-87 on a contested offensive putback at the regulation buzzer.

After Blue club teammate Austin Nunez of Wagner (San Antonio, Texas) attempted to win the game with a 3-pointer, it was another offensive rebound putback, this one by 6-foot-7 2022 Jaylen Thompson of Southern California Academy (Valencia, Calif.), that gave the Blue team a 89-87 sudden death victory. We say it was only fitting because Thompson might have been the most deserving player left off the Top 30 roster. The scoring wing ended up with a team-high 15 points and eight rebounds.

The player that got the most mileage out of his Top 60 all-star game selection was 6-foot-9 2022 Dillon Mitchell of Bishop McLaughin (Spring Hill, Fla.). The athletic lefty reminds us of former Michigan St. standout and 2000 NCAA champ Morris Peterson with his ability as a scoring slasher and with his activity level. He was named Blue team most valuable player with 14 points and six rebounds.

The Red team MVP was nimble 6-foot-10 2022 Reed Bailey of Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.). His versatility was on display when scored 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the field to go along with five rebounds.

Amongst the players who didn't get picked for the Top 60 game and were most impactful included 6-foot-3 2022 Avery Brown of Northfield Mt. Herman (Gill, Mass.), 6-foot-6 2023 Scotty Middleton of Patrick School (Elizabeth, N.J.), 6-foot-7 2022 Jasen Green of Millard North (Omaha, Neb.), 6-foot-1 2024 Elliot Cadeau of Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.) and 6-foot-6 2022 Justyn Fernandez of Virginia Episcopal (Lynchburg, Va.).

Brown was the best on-ball defender we evaluated. Middleton, who came to the camp the second day, is oozing with potential and upside. Versatility is the name of his game. Green was solid and showed the ability to knock down shots with a solid face up game. Cadeau is one of the best sophomores-to-be (2024) in the country and has a polished floor game. Fernandez can really chase the ball and attack the rim or set it up for teammates. He also plays under control and is hardly ever sped up.

Cadeau is a candidate for 2020-21 National Freshman of the Year honors, as is Fall among sophomores and Duren among juniors. Look for the announce of the national underclass players of the year next week.

Pangos Camp All-Time MOPs

2020: Jalen Duren, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-10 C
2019 (co): Cade Cunningham, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-7 G
2019 (co): Evan Mobley, Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.) 7-0 C
2018: Charles Bassey, Aspire Academy (Louisville, Ky.) 6-10 C
2017 (co): Cole Anthony, Archbishop Malloy (Queens, N.Y.) 6-2 PG
2017 (co): Charles Bassey, St. Anthony (San Antonio, Texas) 6-10 C
2016 (co): Trevon Duval, API (Dallas) 6-2 PG
2016 (co): Michael Porter Jr., Father Tolten (Columbia, Mo.) 6-9 SF
2015 (co): Rawle Alkins, Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.) 6-5 SG
2015 (co): Mustapha Heron, Sacred Heart (Waterbury, Conn.) 6-5 SG
2014 (tri): Isaiah Briscoe, Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.) 6-3 PG
2014 (tri): Tyler Dorsey, St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) 6-5 SG
2014 (tri): Stephen Zimmerman, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) 7-0 PF
2013: Stanley Johnson, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) 6-7 SF
2012: Cliff Alexander, Currie (Chicago) 6-9 PF
2011: Shabazz Muhammad, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) 6-6 WF
2010: Myck Kabongo, Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) 6-2 PG
2009: Harrison Barnes, Ames (Ames, Iowa) 6-7 WF
2008: John Wall, Word of God Academy (Raleigh, N.C.) 6-3 PG
2007: Brandon Jennings, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 6-1 PG
2006: James Harden, Artesia (Lakewood, Calif.) 6-5 SG
2005: Davon Jefferson, Lynwood (Calif.) 6-8 WF
2004: CJ Miles, Skyline (Dallas) 6-6 WF
2003: Robert Swift, Bakersfield (Calif.) 7-0 C

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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Duren Leads Power-Packed Pangos Camp!

Ronnie Flores — Wed, 09 Jun 2021 05:12:47 +0000

19th Edition of the Pangos All-American Camp is loaded with big men looking to knock Jalen Duren of Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) from his perch as the top interior player in the country. Many took their shot, but Duren went the distance and capped off the camp with Most Outstanding Player honors. Interior play was the big theme of the camp and that made the skilled guards and wings stand out.

The chatter around basketball at all levels is how it's not longer a big man's game, but rather a skilled man's game. While that may ring true, the big man can still change the complexion of a game, dictate its outcome and dominate in a setting such as the 2021 Pangos All-American Camp, an annual showcase evaluation affair that just completed its 19th edition.

Interior dominance was the theme of the event as the plethora of big men in attendance dominated game play with their lane clogging, shot blocking, and physicality. Most of the campers in attendance can easily dominate a high school or travel ball game by getting clean looks at will, but that certainly wasn't the case at this camp, especially early on. There were plenty of rejected shots, plenty of contact and certainly not many high percentage field goals in the painted area.

Although the battles were fierce, 6-foot-10 Jalen Duren of FAB 50 No. 1 Montverde Academy rejected any notion, literally and figuratively, that he wasn't the top interior player, top overall player, or No. 1 player in the national 2022 class at this camp. He met all challenges head-on and came away as the camp's leading rebounder and one of its top assist man (yes from the center position). The Pennsylvania native produced enough to join luminaries such as Cade Cunningham and Evan Mobley, both potential No. 1 picks on the 2021 NBA Draft, as well as Harrison Barnes and John Wall as Pangos Camp Most Outstanding Player.

Duren, who led Montverde Academy to the most recent FAB 50 National title and competes for Team Final on the Nike EYBL grassroots circuit, had plenty of competition in the post and he was locked in from the beginning of camp until its conclusion. Even when Duren could of shut it down for the Cream of the Crop Top 30 all-star game at the camp's conclusion because of a ginger knee, he gave it a go and contributed five early assists to set the tone for his team's victory.

Duren has large, soft hands, is patient in letting plays develop in the post, knows how to pass out of the double team and can initiate the break by making the correct decisions in the open court. By no means is he a "stretch four", but he doesn't over-handle and doesn't take many bad shots outside his range. Combine that with his physicality and NBA-ready body, it's easy to see why he's often compared to 1991 Mr. Basketball USA, FAB 5 legend and newly cemented NBA Hall of Famer Chris Webber. He certainly made a favorable impression among NBA scouts for the 29 teams credentialed for the event.

Duren was pushed plenty in this camp by post presences such as 6-foot-11 2023 Baye Fall of Lutheran (Denver, Col.), 7-foot-1 2022 Dereck Lively II of Westtown School (West Chester, Pa.), 6-foot-11 2022 Kel'el Ware of North Little Rock (Ark.), 6-foot-9 2022 Adem Bona of Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.), 7-foot 2022 Vince Iwuchukwu of La Lumiere School (La Porte, Ind.), 6-foot-9 2022 Ernest Udeh of Dr. Phillips (Orlando, Fla.), 6-foot-9 2023 Jayden Hastings of Orlando Christian Prep (Orlando, Fla.) and 6-foot-10 2022 Lee Dort of Greenhill School (Addison, Texas). All those bigs, and a few others, all had their moments and perhaps even won a round versus Duren, but no one could deliver a knockout blow to take his crown.

Amongst the trees, who made the most favorable impression outside of Duren? As a long-term prospect, Lively definitely showed why he has a chance to one day be mentioned in the same breath as Duren with his shot-blocking ability, rim-running and coordination. He's not the polished package yet, but he can get there one day soon. Among junior-to-be prospects (2023), Fall left no doubt he was the best of the lot and could match any of the 2022s with his fluidity, shot-blocking ability out of his area and motor. Baye brought it every camp game and closed strong with a MVP performance in the Cream of the Crop Top 30 game for the winning team.

When it came to motors, nobody in the camp could match Bona, who simply will do anything to help his team win a basketball game. In fact, when you disregard ball skills and just consider the skill of playing hard, nobody we've seen in recent memory plays harder in a high school or camp setting than this muscular power forward. His reckless abandon can sometimes get him a cheap foul or turnover, but his play is infectious and he brings a positive attitude to teammates while on the court or cheering on the bench. As he continues to polish his skill level, he will eventually be regarded as a consensus Top 10 national prospect.

At the beginning of camp, the wings and guards were having trouble adjusting to the length and the space-eating by the bigs. While the scoring wings and jump shooters weren't the strength of the camp, they stepped up their production as the camp went on.

Overall the best of the lot was 6-foot-7 2022 Gradey Dick of Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Air, Kan.). He was a complimentary piece on the No. 2 team in the FAB 50 that featured graduated point guard Kennedy Chandler (Tennessee) and Kendall Brown (Baylor), but that should show fans just show strong high school teams that belong to the National Interscholastic Basketball Conference (NIBC) are because the Kansas commit was one of the five best overall players in camp. It's just another level than the vast majority of neighborhood high school basketball.

Dick had one of the best pure strokes of any camper, a good triple threat and square up, solid vision, explosive leaping ability and good defensive instincts. In an open camp setting such as Pangos, some scouts left with the feeling Dick can be in the NBA sooner rather than later.

Some of the other top scoring wings included 6-foot-8 2023 J.J. Taylor of Kenwood Academy (Chicago, Ill.), 6-foot-7 2022 Alex Karaban of New Hampton School (Hampton, N.H.), 6-foot-6 2022 Anthony Black of Coppell (Texas) and Black's high school teammate, 6-foot-7 2022, Stanford-bound Ryan Agarwal.

The quality jump shooters in attendance included 6-foot-5 2022 Oziyah Sellers of Southern California Academy (Valencia, Calif.), 6-foot-4 2022 Chance Westry of Hillcrest Prep (Pheonix, Ariz.), 6-foot-4 2022 Collin Chandler of Farmington (Utah), 6-foot-4 2022 Zion Cruz of Patrick School (Elizabeth, N.J.) and the Texas quartet of 6-foot-3 2022 Noah Shelby of Greenhill School (Addison, Texas), 6-foot-3 2023 Robert Jones Jr. of Ray Braswell (Aubrey, Texas), 6-foot-3 2022 Arterio Morris of Kimball (Dallas, Texas) and 6-foot-4 2022 Keyonte George of iSchool Academy (Lewisville, Texas).

Leading the lot of point guards was 6-foot-2 2022 Mark Armstrong of St. Peter's Prep (Jersey City, N.J.). NBA scouts in attendance nodded their heads in "that makes sense" gestures when they found out he was going to play for Jay Wright at Villanova. Even though he was on one of the weaker camp teams, it simply didn't matter; Armstrong made all the right reads, hit timely jumpers and was the most vertically explosive true lead guard in camp.

Richard Isaacs Jr. of Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.), a seasoned camp veteran who is 6-foot-2 and lining up his official visits as a 2022 prospect, also made a favorable impression with his passing, feel and shooting. The lead guard who got the most mileage out of his participation was 6-foot-2 2022 B.J. Edwards of Knoxville Catholic (Knoxville, Tenn.).

In our next report, we'll wrap up the camp and give our breakdown of those who we saw for the first time who made favorable impressions.

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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FAB 50 Champs: Montverde Academy!

Ronnie Flores — Tue, 06 Apr 2021 05:47:16 +0000

By virtue of beating FAB 50 No. 2 Sunrise Christian Academy (Kan.) three of four times, including the title game of GEICO Nationals, Montverde Academy (Fla.) officially finishes as the top-ranked team in the FAB 50 National Team Rankings powered by www.ebooksnet.com for the 2020-21 season. The program has now won six mythical FAB 50 national titles.

By Ronnie Flores

It wasn't going to be easy for Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) to defeat Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.) for the 2021 GEICO Nationals championship. After all, the teams had already played three times and the Buffaloes had the luxury of knowing they could beat the Eagles, having done so in February. With Kennedy Chandler at the controls, Sunrise Christian Academy already recorded two impressive come-from-behind victories at the event.

What transpired during the third quarter of the championship contest summed up this entire season perfectly for the Eagles. Montverde Academy got quality, timely shots inside from junior center Jalen Duren and back-breaking 3-pointers from Creighton-bound Ryan Nembhard to score 28 points on 12-of-12 shooting from the field to take control of the game.

It's hard to beat perfection and for one quarter, at least, Montverde Academy was just that.

While Kevin Boyle's program wasn't perfect this season, having seen it's 44-game winning streak snapped, this year's team had a nice blend of balance in its front court and back court and a group of returning seniors and new underclassmen who contributed to the cause. And even though it didn't dominate quite like last year's Montverde Academy team did, its resume made the rankings decision to place them No. 1 fairly easy once again.

Today, Montverde Academy has named mythical FAB 50 national champions by www.ebooksnet.com. For the program it's the second consecutive No. 1 FAB 50 finish, although last year's team wasn't able to compete at GEICO Nationals because of the COVID-19 outbreak. The program also won GIECO Nationals in 2018 and 2013-2015. In all, Montverde Academy has won five GEICO Nationals titles and six FAB 50 crowns since the 2012-13 season.

The only run of mythical national championships comparable to the current MVA run is Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) capturing five FAB 50/National Prep Poll titles between 1993 and 2004. In all, the Warriors have captured seven FAB 50 titles (1993, '94, '99, 2001, '04, '07, '12) and eight overall mythical crowns, as the now defunct USA Today Super 25 named the Warriors their No. 1 team in 2004-05.

"Our returning seniors Caleb Houstan, Ryan Nembhard and Langston Love were outstanding and carved out their own place in Montverde Academy basketball history," Boyle said.

With Duren joining the returning seniors and a quality bench, the Eagles resume was just as impressive as their other FAB 50 championship teams. Three of its No. 1 teams did not finish unbeaten and only the 2018 unit was unbeaten and won a GEICO Nationals title. Still, the Eagles played a daunting schedule and won the inaugural National Interscholastic Basketball Conference (NIBC) title with a 61-57 victory over Sunrise Christian Academy. They not only went 4-1 against No. 2 Sunrise Christian Academy and No. 3 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), the Eagles won 16 games against teams that were FAB 50 ranked at some point in the season. That doesn't include the AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.) club that was the only other team to defeat Sunrise Christian Academy. MVA beat that club twice, once with and once without Dayton-bound big man DaRon Holmes, who actually started the season as part of MVA's roster.

Houstan was the only returning starter from last season's all-time great unit, but Duren stepped up to be the team's leading scorer and rebounder and was unselfish with his dominating interior play. Duren, Houstan, Love and junior Dariq Whitehead all averaged double-figure scoring while Nembhard was the team's on-court floor general and clutch 3-point shooter.

Last year's team was easily one of the greatest high school units of all-time (with a winning margin of 38.9 ppg and by virtue of winning games against 12 FAB 50 ranked clubs at the time of the matchup), but didn't get the big stage GEICO Nationals offers for college and everyday basketball fans to truly appreciate their dominance. The COVID-19 outbreak also prevented the Eagles from perhaps being tested by another ranked team and taking their game to another level. There was a motivation, especially for Houstan, to capture this year's GEICO Nationals crown for the group that wasn't able to participate last season.

To add some perspective on Montverde Academy's recent run of dominance at the top of the FAB 50 rankings, 17 former MVA players participated in this year's NCAA tournament. There is a chance four players off last year's historic FAB 50 title-winning team will go in the first round of the 2021 NBA Draft.

"We our so proud of all our current and past players," Boyle said. "Through their skill, hard work and dedication we've been able to win 6 of last 9 (FAB 50) national championships and will have six players drafted in this year's NBA Draft."

What About Teams Still Playing?

Last season, 37 of the 50 teams in the final FAB 50 rankings were affected by COVID-19, including Montverde Academy. This year many were and there are even some FAB 50 caliber teams that never got to play in a single sanctioned game.

Among teams that did not participate in GEICO Nationals, DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) will finish as the highest-rated team at No. 4. It's the second consecutive season the Stags will finish No. 4 behind three teams selected for the end-of-season tournament.

As for teams still playing we had to come to some determination if there was any way they could leap frog DeMatha Catholic or any of the GEICO Nationals participants ahead of the Stags and the answer is "no". Minnesota and Michigan will conclude their state championships this week. No. 7 Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis, Minn.) has a sole loss to No. 3 IMG Academy by twenty points, while No. 6 Milton (Milton, Ga.) lost to the same team by five points (73-68) at GEICO Nationals. Michigan's top-rated team, No. 16 St. Mary Prep (Orchard Lake, Mich.), will have to finish undefeated to have a chance at the final Top 10.

Teams in New York are still in a state of flux and there will be no New York State Federation Tournament. In California, games have begun but there will be no regional or California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) state championships. Teams in New Mexico are now playing while Washington and Oregon have yet to begin.

Teams in California have been strong in recent seasons, but can only play other CIF teams this season. Hosting or traveling to national holiday season events and tournament is where their opportunities lie to claim a FAB 50 national crown. No. 10 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) or any other CIF power just won't have the opportunity to move up that high without its normal slate of games. Teams in New Mexico, Washington and Oregon are basically in the same boat and began lower in the rankings than Sierra Canyon.

Teams can still move up and down in the rankings in the coming weeks, but congrats to the Montverde Academy Eagles on another championship season.

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 21 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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POY Tracker: Fortunes Change For Nation's Elite

Ronnie Flores — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 22:46:19 +0000

Chet Holmgren, the preseason top vote-getter in the Mr. Basketball USA Tracker powered by www.ebooksnet.com, leads the voting in the updated balloting for national player of the year. The fortunes of some of the other top preseason candidates, however, has drastically changed.

There was always plenty of uncertainty surrounding the 2020-21 high school basketball season way before any sanctioned games were played. Would health departments give guidance and clearance to state associations? Would school districts follow suit with sanctioned games after their state associations created guidelines?

Fortunately for a vast majority of states around the country, high school basketball and winter sports are being played. As of February 18, only seven states have yet to play sanctioned games, with the Baltimore Catholic League set to tip-off this week. Not every state will have a full slate of regular season games and some states, such as Illinois and Indiana, have canceled their post-season.

Chet Holmgren, the nations' best center and unsigned prospect in the 2021 class, leads the way as the top national player of the year candidate in the latest Mr. Basketball USA Tracker powered by www.ebooksnet.com. The 7-foot-1 center from FAB 50 No. 9 Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis, Minn.) was the top vote-getter (10 points) on seven ballots and No. 2 on the other three for 97 points out of a possible 100.

"Holmgren is easily the top player in any class over the past two years," said panelist Frank Burlison of burlisononbasketball.com. "Along with Zion Williamson, he's one of the two most compelling prospects I’ve seen over the past 10 years or so."

One only needs to look at the plight of the other top candidates after Holmgren in the updated Mr. Basketball USA Tracker voting results to realize how much the response to COVID-19 has affected the high school basketball landscape.

The two other candidates who appeared on all 10 ballots in the preseason voting, undecided forward Patrick Baldwin Jr. of Hamilton (Sussex, Wis.) and undecided guard Jaden Hardy of Coronado (Las Vegas, Nev.), are no longer on the ballots. Baldwin, the national class player of the year the past two seasons, was No. 2 behind Holmgren in the preseason but a severe ankle injury has sidelined him since early December. Hardy, who was No. 5 in the balloting, was able to play in some fall league contests, but the Clark County Unified School District that Coronado belongs to cancelled the winter high school basketball season on December 1.

The player who was No. 3 in the preseason voting behind Baldwin, Duke-bound power forward Paolo Banchero of O'Dea (Seattle, Wash.), has also seen his fortunes changed. He is now No. 4 in the balloting with 59 overall points while appearing on seven ballots. Banchero's positioning is based on the premise O'Dea, currently No. 12 in the FAB 50, will play its season in the spring. WIAA programs are supposed to conduct two, 10-week seasons beginning April 26. Banchero is without question one of the nation's most dominant talents, but the fragmented season means he won't get to play out-of-region competition or have any matchups against any of the other 18 Mr. Basketball USA candidates.

It was also announced today the 2021 McDonald's All-American Game is canceled. All the above mentioned players are shoo-ins for the game and it's practices are usually a good barometer to gauge many of the Mr. Basketball USA candidates in one setting. That is another opportunity taken away from the 16 senior candidates. McDonald's will still announce its rosters for the game and celebrate the honorees virtually.

The top candidate who has participated in what one would consider a "normal" season is Auburn-bound Jabari Smith of FAB 50 No. 35 Sandy Creek (Tyrone, Ga.) and his production is reflected in voting tally. Sandy Creek's season began on November 21 and the team is 21-4 against a tough schedule. Smith, a versatile forward who impacts both ends of the floor, is No. 2 in the balloting with 73 overall points whole posting season norms of 23.4 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 3.2 apg, 1.7 spg, and 2.8 bpg. Although he didn't garner a No. 1 vote, Smith did garner two No. 2 votes (nine points each) and joins Holmgren as the only two candidates to appear on all ten ballots.

Besides Holmgren (7) and Banchero (2), the only other candidate to receive a first place vote is junior center Jalen Duren of FAB 50 No. 1 Montverde Academy. Duren, a physical presence underneath who defends the glass well for the nation's top-ranked team, appeared on nine ballots with 63 points, good for third place overall. On the season, he’s the leading scorer (14.9 ppg, 63.6% FG) for a Eagles team with three players averaging over 13 points per game, while adding 9.4 rpg and 2.2 bpg.

Duren has supplanted Emoni Bates of YSPI Prep Academy (Ypsilanti, Mich.) as the top vote-getter among underclassmen and is a legitimate national POY candidate should he close the season strong. Bates, No. 4 overall in the preseason balloting, is now No. 6 after garnering 32 overall points, including one second place vote and one third. He appeared on eight ballots in the preseason (including four second-place votes), but appeared on five ballots is the updated tracker. YSPI Prep, a start-up, independent prep program, has had some trouble building its schedule thus far because of COVID-19 and sanctioning regulations and is 7-2 on the season with Bates averaging 23.0 ppg, 5.8 rpg and 3.0 apg.

Bates was one of the hottest rising names in basketball at all levels last season, but that has slowed somewhat in 2020-21.

The fast-risers in the latest Mr. Basketball USA Tracker are a pair of point guards who didn't garner any preseason attention. Kennedy Chandler, the catalyst for FAB 50 No. 2 Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Air, Kan.), came in at No. 5 in the balloting while appearing on seven ballots. The Tennessee-bound Chandler has hit big shots throughout the season for a 18-2 club and is currently averaging 15.2 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 6.6 apg and 3.5 spg.

The second point guard to garner serious national POY consideration is TyTy Washington of AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.). He too has been a catalyst for one of the best teams in the country (which owns a win over Sunrise Christian Academy). The Creighton-bound lead guard had 12 points, eight rebounds, six assists in the Sunrise Christian victory and is currently averaging 21.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 5.9 apg, and 2.6 spg.

Stay logged in to www.ebooksnet.com to track the progress of the nation's top individual players and the nation’s Top teams.

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.

Rank	Prev.	Name	High School	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Total
1	1	Chet Holmgren (10)	Minnehaha Academy (MN)	7	9	0	0	97
2	6	Jabari Smith (10)	Sandy Creek (GA)	0	2	4	2	73
3	8	Jalen Duren (9)	Montverde Academy (FL)	1	2	1	0	63
4	3	Paolo Banchero (7)	O’Dea (WA)	2	2	2	0	59
5	NR	Kennedy Chandler (7)	Sunrise Christian (KS)	0	0	0	4	44
6	4	Emoni Bates (5)	YSPI Prep (MI)	0	1	1	0	32
7	NR	TyTy Washington (3)	AZ Compass Prep (AZ)	0	0	1	2	22
8	10T	D.J. Wagner (3)	Camden (NJ)	0	0	1	0	16
9	NR	Hunter Sallis (3)	Millard North (NE)	0	0	0	0	15
10	12T	Mike Foster (2)	Hillcrest Prep (AZ)	0	0	0	1	13
11T	7	Kendall Brown (2)	Sunrise Christian (KS)	0	0	0	0	11
11T	16T	J.D. Davison (2)	Calhoun (AL)	0	0	0	0	11
13	10T	Daimion Collins (1)	Atlanta (TX)	0	0	0	1	7
14	NR	Trevor Keels (1)	Paul VI (VA)	0	0	0	0	6
15	16T	Daron Holmes (1)	AZ Compass Prep (AZ)	0	0	0	0	5
16T	NR	Kobe Bufkin (1)	Grand Rapids Christian (MI)	0	0	0	0	4
16T	NR	Moussa Diabate (1)	IMG Academy (FL)	0	0	0	0	4
16T	12T	Nolan Hickman (1)	Wasatch Academy (UT)	0	0	0	0	4
16T	9	Caleb Houstan (1)	Montverde Academy (FL)	0	0	0	0	4

About Mr. Basketball USA Tracker Panel
www.ebooksnet.com's panel of 10 experts, which includes five 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 last season's final tracker.

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In The Paint: Talking Production vs. Hype, Me vs. We!

Ronnie Flores — Wed, 17 Feb 2021 22:23:04 +0000

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On Episode 94 of the "In The Paint" Show, co-hosts Ronnie Flores and Devin Ugland go in-depth on the top teams and players with an eye on the 2021 NBA Draft. The fellas also introduce their now Ballislife original show "On The Rise", where they will use their evaluation and scouting background to break down each year's top draft prospects and the NBA stars of tomorrow!

Click the PLAY button below to tune into the latest episode of the In The Paint Show!

Ballislife Podcast Network · Ep. 94 - FAB 50, Mr. Basketball Update, Thoughts on Jalen Johnson + G-League Ignite

Ron breaks down the top players on the top teams in the latest FAB 50 National Rankings, including fast-rising prospects such as Kennedy Chandler of No. 2 Sunrise Christian Academy and Jalen Duren of No. 1 Montverde Academy. Where do these two rate among the top high school national player of the year candidates for 2020-21?

The fellas break down the top Mr. Basketball USA candidates and how much the fortunes for many of the nation's elite players has changed since the preseason amid the backdrop of COVID-19. The fellas break down Paolo Banchero (has not yet played), Jaden Hardy (no official high school season) and Emoni Bates (mixed bag of limited games on an independent club).

Dev also goes in-depth on the Jalen Johnson situation at Duke. Did he "opt out" or "quit"? How will this affect his standing as a potential 2021 NBA lottery pick? Dev also gives a preview of the first three players that will be broken down on the new "On The Rise Show."

Please listen in to get the drop dates on Ron and Dev's new show!

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In The Paint Show: The Sports Trading Card Revival, Harden in Brooklyn, FAB 50 Update!

Devin Ugland — Tue, 19 Jan 2021 20:46:07 +0000

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On Episode 93 of the In The Paint Show, co-hosts Ronnie Flores and Devin Ugland go in-depth on the booming sports trading card industry with owner of Denver-based Vices, Noe Magdaleno. From nostalgia to supply and demand to social media promo, Ron Dev and Noe discuss what sparked this trend to make its comeback.

Click the PLAY button below to tune into the latest episode of the In The Paint Show!

Ballislife Podcast Network · Ep. 93 - The Sports Trading Card Revival + Harden in Brooklyn, FAB 50 Rankings Update!

Ron and Dev also touch on the new-look Brooklyn Nets with James Harden in the fold. What will the dynamic be when Kyrie Irving takes the floor forming one of the more potent "Big Three" offensive trios in NBA History? Are the Nets now the odds on favorites to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals?

Jalen Duren

6'9" - C - 2021

Next, the guys break down the standout high school players from the NIBC St. James Invitational, including Jalen Duren and Ryan Nembhard of Montverde Academy, Caleb Foster and MJ Rice of Oak Hill Academy, Kennedy Chandler of Sunrise Christian Academy and many more.

To close out the show, Ron and Dev hit on the latest FAB 50 National Ranking update and some news from the CIF Southern Section putting SoCal high school sports at further risk of postponement/cancellation.

The post In The Paint Show: The Sports Trading Card Revival, Harden in Brooklyn, FAB 50 Update! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

NEW FAB 50: MLK Edition!

Ronnie Flores — Tue, 19 Jan 2021 06:30:34 +0000

For the second consecutive week, there are two new teams in the updated FAB 50 National Team Rankings powered by www.ebooksnet.com for the 2020-21 season. The rankings include MLK Monday results and because of that there is a new No. 2 team behind preseason No. 1 and defending FAB 50 champ Montverde Academy of Florida.

By Ronnie Flores

The season had a bit of normalcy, for a weekend at least, with a terrific slate of national games over MLK weekend. Normally there are games going on into the late night hours on the West Coast, but with COVID-19 numbers still high in that region, most of the attention centered on matchups involving Southeast and East region teams.

After all the dust cleared, the preseason No. 1 team in the FAB 50 National Team Rankings powered by www.ebooksnet.com, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.), remained in the pole position after running its winning streak to 40 games with victories over teams that come into this week ranked No. 3, No. 5, and No. 6, along with previous No. 12. This comes after defeating current No. 2 club Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.) the previous week at the loaded St. James NIBC Invitational in Virginia.

The Eagles closed out the second week of the St. James with a 70-59 victory over No. 6 Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah) behind a dominant performance by Jalen Duren, who is developing into a legitimate Mr. Basketball USA candidate as a junior. He finished the game with 18 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and a couple of spectacular blocks. This win came on the heels of a big No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown between Montverde Academy and IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) on MLK Sunday that saw Kevin Boyle's club come away with a 55-51 victory. Montverde Academy led the whole way, but IMG Academy remained in the hunt the entire game until a late power lay-up by Duren (10 points, 8 rebounds, 6 blocks) sealed matters.

With Montverde Academy defeating Sunrise Christian 58-52, normally we'd have to take a deep dive and figure out which team deserved to be ranked right behind the Eagles since no other team has yet proven to be on the level of the top three clubs. This week, however, that deep rankings expose wasn't necessary as IMG Academy and Sunrise Christian locked horns on MLK Monday right before MVA took on Wasatch Academy. The No. 2 vs. No. 3 matchup took care of our "problem", and it was the Buffaloes that overcame a 21-11 deficit after one quarter to pull out a 69-62 victory to hand IMG Academy its second loss in less than 24 hours.

Kennedy Chandler

6'1" - PG - 2021

IMG Academy led 27-25 at halftime but was outscored by four points in the third period and by five points in the final stanza. The game was in the balance until Sunrise Christian's Kennedy Chandler took over down the stretch. The point guard hit his fourth 3-pointer late to give the Buffaloes breathing room and the Tennessee-bound point guard finished with a game-high 26 points. Forward Kendall Brown, bound for Baylor, added 17 points.

S.O.S. vs. 0-0?

The St. James NIBC Invitational provided a glimpse of what the rest of the season may look like at the top of the FAB 50 and what future seasons could look like for teams in the National Interscholastic Basketball Conference. Two teams dropped out this week: previous No. 38 Moeller (Cincinnati, Ohio) and NIBC member and previous No. 12 Legacy Early College (Greenville, S.C.).

Moeller dropped a decision to an unranked Ohio club, but what to do with Legacy Early College was a bit more tricky. The Lions lost four St. James games last week, including to unranked Bishop Walsh (Cumberland, Md.), and ended the event with five losses in a row to drop to 9-7 on the season. It's not an easy decision on what to do with the Lions because they played tough competition each game, while there are teams ranked in the preseason still sitting at 0-0 because of COVID-19 restrictions in their respective states.

Could Legacy Early College beat some of the FAB 50 ranked teams? We wouldn't bet against it. Do the Lions deserve to be ranked? That's is a trickier question to answer because of their amount of losses and no owning a win over a current ranked club. If they didn't lose to Bishop Walsh (only the one win vs. NIBC clubs), Legacy Early would still be ranked, albeit no where close to No. 12. We'd bet the Lions will re-appear in the rankings in future weeks, as they'll have plenty of opportunity to knock off ranked clubs.

What to do with Legacy Early shined light on the notion of just how much COVID-19 is still affecting the FAB 50. In corresponding with coaches around the country, many state associations have banned travel and showcases for this season. Some teams just won't have their normal opportunities to beat ranked clubs, or upset higher ranked FAB 50 teams. Many teams will have gaudy records entering the post-season and we'll have to gauge just how many teams that have multiple losses deserve to crack the rankings over teams that play much weaker schedules. The S.O.S. vs. unbeaten or one-loss clubs will be a closely watched rankings factor this season. It's never easy to sort out, but this season COVID-19 is making it much tougher.

Salute To John Rhodes

This special MLK edition of the FAB 50 is dedicated to the memory of John Rhodes, the executive director of the Beach Ball Classic and former Mayor of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Rhodes, who was involved with the holiday tournament since its inception in 1980, passed on January 17 due to COVID-19 complications.

Rhodes was 77.

Martin Luther King Jr. weekend is a celebration of service to others and our country and Rhodes was a shining example of serving our country's youth. The post-Christmas tournament he ran was one of the first to consistently draw nationally ranked teams, and countless future NBA players. More importantly, the Beach Ball Classic offers countless young men the opportunity to experience another part of the country they normally would never see if it wasn't for basketball. Every high school coach we've ever spoken to about the event has raved about its hospitality and that's a reflection of Rhodes.

"I'm truly saddened by John's passing," said Donnie Wilkie, the event director of the City of Palms Classic in Ft. Myers, Fla. "He was a good friend, and his energy and passion for the Beach Ball Classic, honestly, was the biggest reason why it was the classiest tournament in the nation for so many years."

According to Chris Lawlor, a long-time national rankings compiler, Rhodes started off as an event sponsor who was added to the tournament committee in 1980-81. What fans today see at events such as City of Palms, GEICO Nationals and most recently the St. James NIBC Invitational has roots from the Beach Ball Classic. Since the FAB 50's first season in 1987-88, that tournament has been a major factor in the rankings and Rhodes will be missed by many.

Rhodes is survived by his wife Terri Springs.

Updated FAB 50 National Team Rankings
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(5th poll of 2020-21 regular season; Through games played on Monday, January 18; *Indicates forfeit wins, forfeit losses not included; **Indicates forfeits and defaults not included; ***Does not include results vs. out-of-season opponents.)

No.	Prev.	High School (City)	Record
1	1	Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.)	15-0
2	3	Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.)	11-1
3	2	IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)	12-2
4	5	DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.)	2-0***
5	6	Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.)	13-1
6	7	Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah)	15-3
7	8	Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.)	0-0
8	9	Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis, Minn.)	2-0
9	10	Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, N.Y.)	0-0
10	11	Camden (Camden, N.J.)	0-0
11	13	La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.)	3-4
12	14	Milton (Milton, Ga.)	14-2
13	17	Lawrence North (Indianapolis, Ind.)	13-0
14	15	Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.)	0-0
15	16	O’Dea (Seattle, Wash.)	0-0
16	21	Blair Academy (Blairstown, N.J.)	0-0
17	30	Orlando Christian Prep (Orlando, Fla.)	17-0
18	18	Duncanville (Duncanville, Texas)	16-1
19	19	Millard North (Omaha, Neb.)	13-0
20	20	Simeon (Chicago, Ill.)	0-0
21	22	St. Raymond (Bronx, N.Y.)	0-0
22	23	Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.)	0-0
23	27	Atascocita (Humble, Texas)	13-0
24	26	North Mecklenburg (Huntersville, N.C.)	3-0
25	NR	Christian Brothers (Memphis, Tenn.)	13-0
26	4	Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.)	3-2
27	24	Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.)	0-0
28	28	St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.)	0-0
29	29	Poly (Baltimore, Md.)	0-0
30	39	Waxahachie (Waxahachie, Texas)	13-2
31	31	Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.)	0-0
32	33	St. Mary Prep (Orchard Lake, Mich.)	0-0
33	32	Central Pointe Christian (Kissimmee, Fla.)	16-4
34	34	Patrick School (Elizabeth, N.J.)	0-0
35	35	West Oaks Academy (Orlando, Fla.)	9-4
36	36	Notre Dame College Prep (Niles, Ill.)	0-0
37	37	Calvary Christian Academy (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.)	8-3
38	43	Sandy Creek (Tyrone, Ga.)	13-4
39	44	Westlake (Austin, Texas)	16-1
40	NR	Houston (Germantown, Tenn.)	11-3
41	46	Pace Academy (Atlanta, Ga.)	14-1
42	40	Fern Creek (Louisville, Ky.)	0-0
43	25	Combine Academy (Lincolnton, N.C.)	16-3
44	41	St Vincent-St. Mary (Akron, Ohio)	12-1
45	42	Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)	0-0
46	47	Grayson (Loganville, Ga.)	15-3
47	45	Bishop O’Dowd (Oakland, Calif.)	0-0
48	48	Ribet Academy (Los Angeles, Calif.)	0-0
49	49	Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia, Pa.)	0-0
50	50	Bishop Miege (Shawnee Mission, Kan.)	6-0

Dropped Out: Previous No. 12 Legacy Early College (Greenville, S.C.), No. 38 Moeller (Cincinnati, Ohio).

Bubble Teams: Adams (South Bend, Ind.) 13-0; American Fork (American Fork, Utah) 10-2; Ballard (Louisville, Ky.) 0-0; Bellevue West (Bellevue, Neb.) 11-1; Blue Ridge (St. George, Va.) 8-0; Blue Valley Northwest (Overland Park, Kan.) 6-0; Callaway (Jackson, Miss.) 6-0; Carmel (Carmel, Ind.) 10-1; Cathedral (Indianapolis, Ind.) 10-1; Centennial (Corona, Calif.) 0-0; Chaminade (St. Louis, Mo.) 7-1; Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village, Col.) 0-0; Christ The King (Middle Village, N.Y.) 0-0; Christian Brothers (St. Louis, Mo.) 6-1; Clinton (Clinton, Miss.) 11-0; Crispus Attucks (Indianapolis, Ind.) 12-2; Dr. Phillips (Orlando, Fla.) 12-2; Eastside Catholic (Sammamish, Wash.) 0-0; Edmond Memorial (Edmond, Okla.) 8-1; Edmond North (Edmond, Okla.) 9-1; Elder (Cincinnati, Ohio) 12-1; Fenwick (Oak Park, Ill.) 0-0; Garfield (Seattle, Wash.) 0-0; Grand Blanc (Grand Blanc, Mich.) 0-0; Green Run (Virginia Beach, Va.) 0-0; Hopkins (Minnetonka, Minn.) 1-0; Homestead (Ft. Wayne, Ind.) 14-0; Houston (Germantown, Tenn.) 11-3; Jefferson (Portland, Ore.) 0-0; Johnston (Johnston, Iowa) 3-1; Kell (Marietta, Ga.) 12-5; Kingfisher (Kingfisher, Okla.) 11-1; Knoxville Catholic (Knoxville, Tenn.) 11-2; Las Cruces (Las Cruces, N.M.) 0-0; Legacy Early College (Greenville, S.C.) 9-7; Magnolia (Magnolia, Ark.) 12-0; Male (Louisville, Ky.) 0-0; Marion (Marion, Ark.) 12-1; McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) 16-4; Moeller (Cincinnati, Ohio) 10-3; North Little Rock (North Little Rock, Ark.) 9-1; Oak Ridge (Orlando, Fla.) 14-2; Pebblebrook (Mableton, Ga.) 15-2; Rangeview (Aurora, Col.) 0-0; Richardson (Richardson, Texas) 11-1; River Rouge (River Rouge, Mich.) 0-0; Seattle Prep (Seattle, Wash.) 0-0; Shawnee (Lima, Ohio) 13-0; South Grand Prairie (Grand Prairie, Texas) 12-0; Starkville (Starkville, Miss.) 13-2; St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) 0-0; St. John’s (Washington, D.C.) 0-0; St. Mark’s (Dallas, Texas) 5-1; Vashon (St. Louis, Mo.) 6-0; Waukee Senior (Waukee, Iowa) 3-1; Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.) 13-3; Windward (Los Angeles, Calif.) 0-0.

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: MLK Edition! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

In The Paint Show: NBA COVID Issues, NIBC St. James with ESPN's Paul Biancardi and LaLu HC Pat Holmes

Devin Ugland — Tue, 12 Jan 2021 21:19:08 +0000

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On Episode 92 of the "In The Paint" Show, co-hosts Ronnie Flores and Devin Ugland discuss the College Football National Championship game in which Alabama defeated Ohio State. Should there be an asterisk next to this year's National Title? Is Nick Saban the GOAT of college football coaches?

Hit the PLAY button below to tune into In The Paint 92!

Ballislife Podcast Network · Ep. 92 - NBA COVID Issues, NIBC St. James with ESPN's Paul Biancardi and La Lu HC Pat Holmes

The guys also touch on the NBA's latest issues with COVID-19 outbreaks. With multiple games postponed this week, and no bubble to fall back on, how should the NBA proceed? What further steps could the Association take to ensure each player, coach and staff member are minimizing their exposure to the illness?

Caleb Houstan

6'7" - SF - 2021

Next, Ron and Dev discuss the latest FAB 50 National Rankings and the standouts from the first set of games at the NIBC St. James Invitational. ESPN's National Director of Recruiting, Paul Biancardi, is the show's first guest as he joins to break down what he's evaluated so far St. James and his approach to scouting and evaluating during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Biancardi gives us the inside scoop on which teams and players have impressed him most so far and which games he's looking forward to seeing in the next week.

The final guest of the show is La Lumiere head coach Pat Holmes who gives the listeners an inside look at how the National Interscholastic Basketball Conference (NIBC) was born and where it's headed, the precautions the St. James is taking to avoid a COVID outbreak and the early ups and downs facing his team this season.

The post In The Paint Show: NBA COVID Issues, NIBC St. James with ESPN's Paul Biancardi and LaLu HC Pat Holmes appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

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In The Paint Show: NBA COVID Issues, NIBC St. James with ESPN's Paul Biancardi and LaLu HC Pat Holmes

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Updated FAB 50 National Team Rankings
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