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For Cooper Flagg of Montverde Academy (Fla.), his unique talents coincide with his unique situation on the nation's best team. He starred with a group of players who were All-Americans in their own right, the Eagles started off No. 1 in the FAB 50 and were expected to dominate the 2023-24 high school scene. The team didn't skip a beat, finishing 33-0 and their individual talents were recognized by the 10-man Mr. Basketball USA Tracker panel.

It could be easy to overlook individual brilliance on a team as talented as Montverde Academy, or to dismiss the success as simply stock-piling talent, but no less than four MVA players received recognition as national player of the year candidates. On a team with plenty of stars and in a year with plenty of viable candidates, Flagg stood out, topping the voting in the final tracker, and today is honored with the title of 2023-24 Mr. Basketball USA.

"Cooper is not just a great player, he's an infectious leader with a work ethic and an approach that separates him from all players in his class," said Montverde Academy coach Kevin Boyle. "Cooper doesn't play basketball to score points or be popular; this kid plays the game to win and be a champion. There's no one like Cooper Flagg."

Flagg did have an abundance of talent around him and that is reflected in the final voting. Maryland-bound teammate Derik Queen finished sixth in the voting while appearing on eight of 10 ballots. UConn-bound wing Liam McNeeley and point guard Curtis Givens also were among 31 candidates who received recognition for the production-based national player of the year honor selected by Ballislife's 10-man panel of national scouts. Flagg was one of four candidates to appear on all ten ballots, an unusually high number at the end of the season.

Montverde Academy only had three games decided by single-digits, yet defeated 24 teams that were FAB 50 ranked at some point during the season, as individually Flagg met every challenge and performed well on the big stage. For the season, the Duke commit averaged 16.1 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 3.9 apg, 2.7 bpg and 1.6 spg, while shooting 54.7 percent from the field and 35.2 percent from 3-point range. At Chipotle Nationals, Flagg averaged 20.0 ppg and 7.0 rpg in three victories and blocked six shots in the title game win over No. 3 Paul VI (Va.).

"Flagg is the best 'player/prospect' out of the U.S. high school ranks in many years, perhaps since Anthony Davis," said panel member and U.S. Basketball Writers Association Hall of Famer Frank Burlison. "He has the ability to be a dominant college player in every aspect of the game in what will be his only college season."

Flagg is the fourth Duke-bound Mr. Basketball USA, joining 1985 honoree Danny Ferry, 2018 choice RJ Barrett and Dariq Whitehead for the 2021-22 season. He is the fifth honoree from Montverde Academy in the past 10 seasons, joining Ben Simmons in 2015, Barrett, Cade Cunningham in 2020 and Whitehead. Boyle has now coached six national players of the year, as Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was the choice in Boyle's final season at St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.) in 2010-11.

"Cooper understands the expectations that have been built around him and in his two years at Montverde, his skillset has developed to an advanced level," Boyle said. "Most of all the kid's success stems from his ability to compartmentalize and mentally prepare for the biggest moments, better than anyone."

Not only was Cooper able to separate himself from a crowded pack, what made this year's Mr. Basketball USA race so unique is that Flagg re-classified up during the off-season and last season's honoree, Cameron Boozer of Columbus (Miami, Fla.) was returning for his junior campaign after becoming the first tenth-grader ever to earn Mr. Basketball USA honors.

Flagg was a second five All-American Elite team selection as a tenth-grader, while Boozer earned top honors. Despite Boozer having another terrific campaign, Flagg's combination of talent and team success was the difference. Boozer was one of the four players to appear on all ten ballots, tallying 78 total points, but zero first place votes. He did receive two second-place and six third-place votes after averaging 22.2 ppg, 11.4 rpg, 2.7 apg, 2.1 bpg while shooting 62 percent from the field (234-378), 41 percent from the 3-point line (43-105) and 82 percent from the free throw line (155-188) for a team that won its third consecutive FHSAA Class 7A state title and finished No. 2 in the FAB 50.

"The gap between Boozer and Flagg as a 'prospect/player' is much slimmer than that between he and anyone below Boozer on my list, with each of 3-thru-10 almost interchangeable, depending on the time of day," Burlison said. "Almost “underrated” now – as crazy as that sounds – because of the elevation of the national perspective over the past year or so of Flagg and A.J. Dybansta."

Flagg tallied eight first place votes (10 points each), one second and one fourth place vote for his 96 total points. Only one other candidate received a first place vote, as Rutgers-bound point guard Dylan Harper received the other two that Flagg didn't receive after leading Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) to the New Jersey Non-Public A state title and No. 19 FAB 50 ranking with a 29-3 record. Harper closed strong, as he was named co-MVP of the McDonald's All American Game with 22 points and five assists and made the game-winning shot at the Jordan Brand Classic, finishing with a game-high 30 points.

The other prospect to appear in all 10 final ballots was another elite player who re-classed up in the off-season. A.J. Dybansta of Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) is another super junior who could challenge Boozer for the most prestigious production-based honor in high school basketball in 2024-25. As this year clearly proved, each season is its own entity and the process will start all over again with a clean slate for each player once the 2024-25 season commences.

As far as 2023-24 goes, it's impossible to deny Flagg's talent and the impact it had on his team not tasting defeat from start to finish.

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

2022-24 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker Panel

Paul Biancardi, ESPN National Director of Basketball Recruiting
Frank Burlison, BurlisonOnBasketball.com Publisher
Van Coleman, Nothing But Net Magazine
Jordan Divens, Maxpreps.com National Basketball Editor
Ronnie Flores, www.ebooksnet.com National Grassroots Editor
Chris Lawlor, Blue Star Media National Analyst
Horace Neysmith, AllMetroHoops.com
Patrick Stanwood, Patrick Stanwood Basketball
Dinos Trigonis, Fullcourt Press Editor & Publisher
Ani Umana, 5StateHoopReport.com

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

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

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

The post Cooper Flagg Named Mr. Basketball USA! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

By Ronnie Flores

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The big question heading into 2024 Chipotle Nationals was if any team could seriously challenge season-long FAB 50 No. 1 Montverde Academy of Florida. The Eagles were facing as talented a crop of teams the program has ever faced in the end-of-season event that has been played for 16 years. The Eagles were also facing seven potential teams, all ranked within the top 14 of the FAB 50 National Team Rankings powered by www.ebooksnet.com prior to the start of the event, that they beat at least once earlier in the season.

There is an old saying it's hard to beat a good team twice, but the battle tested and top seeded Eagles won three games at Brownsburg (Ind.) to capture the event title for the seventh time in the last 11 times the event was held. Montverde Academy's 79-63 victory over No. 2 seeded and FAB 50 No. 3 Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.) makes the Eagles the official 2023-24 FAB 50 National Champs.

Many veteran onlookers felt Paul VI was the best bet to upset Montverde Academy, but the all-around brilliance of Duke-bound Cooper Flagg and the shot making ability of LSU-bound Curtis Givens was the difference in the championship contest. Flagg, the leading Mr. Basketball USA candidate, was named tourney MVP after scoring 16 points, grabbing eight rebounds, and blocking six shots versus Paul VI. In Montverde Academy's three victories, Flagg averaged 20.0 ppg and 7.0 rpg and had only blocked one shot in the first two games before his big defensive performance in the final.

Montverde Academy led 45-32 at halftime, as both Givens and Flagg hit big field goals right before intermission. Whenever Paul VI looked to make a run, Givens would hit a big 3-pointer to play the role of rally-killer. Flagg's block and run out dunk right before the third period buzzer which gave his team a 60-46 lead summarized the game and the event. No matter what any team tried to do, Montverde Academy had an answer.

Givens finished with 24 points, including 6-of-9 shooting from 3-point range. Also making a big impact as a matchup nightmare was Maryland-bound forward Derik Queen. He used his big body, passing ability and uncanny moves around the basket to finish with 19 points, six rebounds and four assists. Queen, who averaged 16.3 ppg and 6.7 rpg at the event, should also be considered a Mr. Basketball USA candidate.

"In almost 40 years of coaching this year's team was as close has any I’ve ever had both on and off the court," Montverde Academy head coach Kevin Boyle told www.ebooksnet.com. "They won seven games versus nationally-ranked top five teams and 14 versus nationally-ranked top ten teams. They are in the conversation as the greatest team of all-time and clearly along with Montverde Academy 2020, Dunbar 1983, Oak Hill Academy 1993 and Montverde 2018 one of the five best teams of all- time."

The big ranking decision coming out of the event was one to move up Paul VI one spot to No. 2 as the runner-up or leave Columbus (Miami, Fla.) in that spot after the Explorers fell in the semifinals to Montverde Academy, 84-70. Even though Paul VI advanced one round further at Chipotle Nationals, the Panthers lost a head-to-head matchup to Columbus, 70-61, at the Spalding Hoophall Classic in Massachusetts, so the Explorers remain at No. 2. Although Columbus did fall behind big early in its game with MVA just as it did in the first meeting between the two, MVA's victory margins over the Explorers and the Panthers were in similar range that a rankings flip to go against the head-to-head result was unwarranted.

Flagg finished with 28 points in the win over Columbus while Queen added 16 points and six rebounds. Cameron Boozer, last season's Mr. Basketball USA as a sophomore, led Columbus with 29 points (3-of-11 3-point) and seven rebounds.

Paul VI knocked off then No. 11 Link Academy (Branson, Mo.) in its semifinal, 58-44, as Duke-bound Darren Harris led the way with 20 points. Harris also scored a team-high 16 points in the championship final loss to Montverde Academy and had 36 points (5-of-9 3-point) in the 101-89 first round win over then No. 14 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.). Link Academy is able to move up five spots after defeating then No. 6 Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.), 80-76 in double overtime, in the first round. Link Academy and Prolific Prep split games this season, but with Link Academy avenging the regular season loss, it finishes ranked one spot ahead of The Crew from Napa, Calif.

In its first round victory, Montverde Academy took down then No. 12 AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.), 64-49, as Flagg had 16 points while Queen finished with 14 points and eight rebounds.

This is Montverde Academy's third FAB 50 national title team to finish unbeaten, joining the already legendary 2020 team that didn't get the opportunity to compete in Chipotle Nationals because of COVID-19 and the 2018 team. The 2018 team also went wire-to-wire as FAB 50 No. 1 team just as this year's close knit group did.

For Montverde Academy, the program has now finished No. 1 in the FAB 50 seven times, which ties Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) for the most all-time FAB 50 national titles. We'll have more detail on that achievement and this year's MVA team in our annual "Salute to All-Time FAB 50 No. 1 Teams".

There was also some movement in the final rankings after we reviewed the entire season log for each team that we'll explain in our Final, Expanded FAB 50 Rankings with detail on each team.

RELATED: Final East Top 20??| Final Southeast Top 20??| Final Midwest Top 20?| Final Southwest Top 20 | Final West Top 20 |?Preseason 2023-24 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker | | ? | Chipotle Nationals Record Book

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

(16th and final poll of 2023-24 regular season; Through games played on Saturday, April 6; *Indicates forfeit wins, forfeit losses not included; **Indicates forfeits and defaults not included)

No.	Prev.	High School (City)	Record
1	1	Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.)	33-0
2	2	Columbus (Miami, Fla.)	28-5
3	3	Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.)	35-3
4	5	Plano East (Plano, Texas)	40-0
5	4	Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, N.Y.)	21-5
6	11	Link Academy (Branson, Mo.)	26-7
7	6	Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.)	33-6
8	7	Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.)	33-3
9	9	Fishers (Fishers, Ind.)	29-1
10	9	Wisconsin Lutheran (Milwaukee, Wis.)	30-0
11	13	Stony Point (Round Rock, Texas)	38-2
12	8	Central Cabarrus (Concord, N.C.)	33-0
13	20	Roosevelt (Eastvale, Calif.)	31-4
14	15	St. Rose (Belmar, N.J.)	29-2
15	26	Oak Ridge (Orlando, Fla.)	27-4
16	12	AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.)	27-6
17	14	IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)	18-9
18	16	Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.)	26-4
19	17	Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.)	29-3
20	18	St. Mary Prep (Orchard Lake, Mich.)	27-1
21	19	Ridge View (Columbia, S.C.)	27-2
22	21	Perry (Gilbert, Ariz.)	24-6
23	22	Grayson (Loganville, Ga.)	30-2
24	23	McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.)	26-6
25	24	North Mecklenburg (Huntersville, N.C.)	30-3
26	26	Myers Park (Charlotte, N.C.)	27-3
27	27	John Marshall (Richmond, Va.)	25-3
28	28	Bullis (Potomac, Md.)	27-3
29	29	Sidwell Friends (Washington, D.C.)	27-4
30	30	Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.)	28-6
31	31	St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.)	28-7
32	32	Salesian (Richmond, Calif.)	31-2
33	33	La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.)	23-5
34	34	Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.)	27-7
35	35	Patrick School (Elizabeth, N.J.)	28-4
36	36	Camden (Camden, N.J.)	30-2
37	37	Kell (Marietta, Ga.)	28-3
38	38	Homewood Flossmor (Flossmor, Ill.)	33-4
39	39	Reidsville (Reidsville, N.C.)	29-0
40	40	Roman Catholic (Philadelphia, Pa.)	26-3
41	41	St. Ignatius (Cleveland, Ohio)	26-3
42	42	Millennium (Goodyear, Ariz.)	25-5
43	43	Winter Haven (Winter Haven, Fla.)	27-2
44	44	Jackson-Reed (Washington, D.C.)	33-3
45	45	Bellevue West (Bellevue, Neb.)	27-1
46	46	Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)	29-6
47	47	Lyon County (Eddyville, Ky.)	36-3
48	48	Beaumont United (Beaumont, Texas)	34-4
49	49	Northwest (Shawnee Mission, Kan.)	25-0
50	50	Great Crossing (Georgetown, Ky.)	36-2

Dropped Out: None.

Editor's Note: No bubble clubs are included in the final FAB 50, as the final 2023-24 Top 20 Regional Rankings include all the teams considered for the bubble.

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 24 years ago.

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

The post Final 2023-24 FAB 50: MVA Wins Chipotle Nationals! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

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.)

RELATED:    | | The Future Of Big-Time HS Basketball | FAB 50 Rankings Criteria | How To Make A HS Version Of March Madness  | Final Southwest Region Top 20 | Final Midwest Region Top 20 | Final Southeast Region Top 20 | Final East Region Top 20 | Final West Region Top 20 |  2020-21 Mr. Basketball USA | 2020-21 Underclass POYs | Salute To All-Time FAB 50 Champions | Final 2019-20 FAB 50 | Final 2018-19 FAB 50 | Final 2017-18 FAB 50 | Final 2016-17 FAB 50 | Final 2015-16 FAB 50 | Final 2014-15 FAB 50 | Final 2013-14 FAB 50 | Final 2012-13 FAB 50

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

The post Final, Expanded 2020-21 FAB 50 Rankings! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

By Ronnie Flores

RELATED:    | | The Future Of Big-Time HS Basketball | FAB 50 Rankings Criteria | How To Make A HS Version Of March Madness  | Updated FAB 50 Rankings

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.

RELATED:    | | The Future Of Big-Time HS Basketball | FAB 50 Rankings Criteria | How To Make A HS Version Of March Madness  | Updated FAB 50 Rankings

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

The post FAB 50 Champs: Montverde Academy! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

By Ronnie Flores

RELATED:    | | The Future Of Big-Time HS Basketball | FAB 50 Rankings Criteria | How To Make A HS Version Of March Madness  | Updated Mr. Basketball USA Tracker 

It was fitting that GEICO Nationals concluded with the top two teams in the FAB 50 National Team Rankings powered by www.ebooksnet.com: No. 1 Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) and No. 2 Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.). The two most talented teams in the country split regular season games, Montverde retained its No. 1 ranking by beating the Buffaloes in the inaugural National Interscholastic Basketball Conference (NIBC) title game, and clinched its fifth GEICO Nationals crown by defeating Sunrise Christian for the third time this season, 62-52, this past Saturday in Ft. Myers, Fla.

The difference in Saturday's game was the third period, as Montverde outscored Sunrise, 28-17, in those crucial eight minutes after holding a 23-21 halftime lead. The key stat of the entire game and the season series between the two clubs was this: the Eagles did not miss a field goal attempt in that eight-minute time frame, going 12-for-12.

Sunrise Christian's Kennedy Chandler, a Tennessee-bound point guard, had a knack all season long for tremendous game-ending heroics, including a 3-pointer at the end of regulation to force overtime in Montverde Academy's only loss of the season, but there was to be no heroics in this game. Sunrise Christian did have a mini 9-2 surge in the fourth quarter, but the Eagles were in countrol down the stretch.

"What a great accomplishment for our players to win the National Championship," Montverde Academy head coach Kevin Boyle said. "They played seven games versus teams that reached No. 2 (in the polls) and 13 games versus teams that appeared in the top five. Perhaps the hardest schedule any team has ever faced."

Montverde Academy was led by Michigan-bound Caleb Houstan with 16 points. He converted 4-of-9 3-point shots while Baylor-bound Langston Love added 13 points while converting 3-of-6 3-point shots. Creighton-bound Ryan Nembhard added 12 points and made all three of his 3-point attempts.

Jaden Akins led Sunrise Christian with 14 points, while Chander finished with nine points, while making 1-of-6 3-pointers and 4-of-12 shots from the field.

Houstan's tip-in on Montverde's last possession with the difference in a hard-fought 51-49 semifinal victory over AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.), which had a chance to tie or win the game on its last possession but saw a 3-pointer from TyTy Washington sail just long. Montverde Academy easily dispatched No. 23 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) in the quarterfinals, 85-64.

Sunrise Christian defeated No. 3 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) in its semifinal contest, 70-63, after trailing by eight points with just under six minutes remaining in the contest. Chandler closed strong and finished with a game-high 25 points and five assists. The Buffaloes also beat a tall and talented Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) team in the quarterfinals in come-from-behind fashion, 56-55, picking up its defense after trailing by seven points with just over four minutes remaining in the game.

Montverde Academy Is No. 1 For 2020-21

If Sunrise Christian had won GEICO Nationals, it would have moved up to No. 1 this week. It wasn't the same situation when the Buffaloes snapped Montverde Academy's 44-game winning streak in February and didn't move up to No. 1. We knew then the two teams would play once more, and perhaps, twice, and that eventually happened.

This final MVA-Sunrise meeting was more like a high school national championship game or state championship final for teams that compete for state crowns where both foes know it's the final game of their respective season. One of our main rankings criteria is the No. 1 team in the FAB 50 cannot lose its last game and another is all the rankings positions are not final until every team has played its final sanctioned game.

We always put the credibility of our rankings (the industry's longest-running) first and foremost, but because of the circumstances created by the country's response to COVID-19, GEICO Nationals games are not the final high school games of the season. Sometimes it's about when you lose or win, not a matter of how, but for this season COVID-19 has forced us to alter one of our editorial policies. The mythical national champion will be announced before every team from around the country has played its final game.

With its quality of wins, strength of schedule and track record, we have determined no team with games remaining can possibly knock the Eagles from their No. 1 ranking position. We also had to take into consideration the work we need to do for our end-of-season honors and our responsibilities heading into the summer travel ball season to come to this decision. We simply cannot wait for the last sanctioned high school games in June to begin this process. COVID-19 has forced us all to adjust and it will force us all to move on from difficult times and this is no different. We must move forward with our content initiatives, even though some states are still playing.

We'll have more on Montverde Academy's GEICO Nationals title and what it means later this week.

Not Done Yet

Montverde Academy-Sunrise Christian was not the final high school game of the 2020-21 season and, in fact, it wasn't the only high school game played last Saturday. There was a terrific state final later that evening, as the UCLA-Gonzaga NCAA semifinal wasn't the only Saturday night thriller. Carmel (Carmel, Ind.) and Lawrence North (Indianapolis, Ind.) squared off for the coveted Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) Class 4A crown at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

The game went as one would expect from the two Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference rivals who already played once during the regular season. Similar to the UCLA-Gonzaga game, overtime was needed to decide the contest and in the end it was Carmel that came out victorious, 51-46.

Carmel's victory was not only the second one over its rival this season, it gave the program two Class 4A state crowns in three seasons and the Greyhounds moved up two spots in the FAB 50 this from week from No. 27 to No. 25. The IHSAA state finals were canceled last season because of the pandemic.

In a nip-and-tuck affair, 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. Carmel made 20-of-25 shots from the charity stripe. In stark contrast, Lawrence North converted only 6-of-17.

With two of Lawrence North's three losses this season coming against Carmel, the Wildcats remain at No. 31 in this week's FAB 50. Lawrence North was gunning for its first Class 4A state crown under veteran coach Jack Keefer since 2005-06, when the program won the mythical FAB 50 national title with a team led by future NBA players Greg Oden and Mike Conley.

The only newcomer this week is Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) D1 state champ Centerville (Centerville, Ohio), which moved in after previous No. 47 Ballard (Louisville, Ky.) lost in the Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) Sweet 16 semifinals.

Minnesota and Michigan will conclude their state championships this week, California, New Mexico and New York are still playing and Washington and Oregon have yet to begin.

RELATED:    | | The Future Of Big-Time HS Basketball | FAB 50 Rankings Criteria | How To Make A HS Version Of March Madness  | Updated Mr. Basketball USA Tracker 

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

(16th poll of 2020-21 regular season; Through games played on Sunday, April 4; *Indicates forfeit wins, forfeit losses not included; **Indicates forfeits and defaults not included; ***Does not include results vs. out-of-season opponents; ****Indicates season not complete.)

No.	Prev.	High School (City)	Record
1	1	Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.)	24-1
2	2	Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.)	20-4
3	3	IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)	22-3
4	4	DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.)	9-0***
5	6	Camden (Camden, N.J.)	13-0
6	8	Milton (Milton, Ga.)	28-3
7	7	Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis, Minn.)	20-1****
8	5	Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah)	18-7
9	9	Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, N.Y.)	3-0
10	10	Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.)	0-0
11	11	Duncanville (Duncanville, Texas)	29-1
12	12	Orlando Christian Prep (Orlando, Fla.)	28-0
13	13	O’Dea (Seattle, Wash.)	0-0
14	14	Houston (Germantown, Tenn.)	21-3**
15	15	Combine Academy (Lincolnton, N.C.)	26-3
16	16	St. Mary Prep (Orchard Lake, Mich.)	15-0****
17	17	Westlake (Austin, Texas)	30-2
18	18	Millard North (Omaha, Neb.)	27-2
19	20	Millbrook (Raleigh, N.C.)	19-0
20	22	Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.)	7-4
21	23	St. Vincent-St. Mary (Akron, Ohio)	25-2
22	21	St. Raymond (Bronx, N.Y.)	0-0
23	19	Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.)	21-9
24	24	Reading (Reading, Pa.)	26-2
25	27	Carmel (Carmel, Ind.)	26-2
26	29	Bellevue West (Bellevue, Neb.)	24-3
27	25	Patrick School (Elizabeth, N.J.)	14-1
28	28	Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.)	19-1
29	30	Waukee Senior (Waukee, Iowa)	16-2
30	32	Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia, Pa.)	9-1
31	31	Lawrence North (Indianapolis, Ind.)	28-3
32	34	Victory Rock Prep (Bradenton, Fla.)	27-6
33	35	Beaumont United (Beaumont, Texas)	31-0
34	33	Blair Academy (Blairstown, N.J.)	2-0
35	36	Central Pointe Christian (Kissimmee, Fla.)	31-7
36	37	Clinton (Clinton, Miss.)	21-1
37	39	Berkmar (Lilburn, Ga.)	26-6
38	38	St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.)	15-1
39	40	Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)	2-0
40	26	Pace Academy (Atlanta, Ga.)	28-2
41	41	Bishop Miege (Shawnee Mission, Kan.)	22-1
42	42	Dr. Phillips (Orlando, Fla.)	24-3
43	43	Bishop O’Dowd (Oakland, Calif.)	0-0
44	44	Huron (Ann Arbor, Mich.)	19-0**
45	45	Kingfisher (Kingfisher, Okla.)	25-1
46	46	Ribet Academy (Los Angeles, Calif.)	0-0
47	48	Sunnyslope (Phoenix, Ariz.)	21-1
48	49	North Little Rock (North Little Rock, Ark.)	21-2
49	50	Wauwatosa East (Wausatosa, Wis.)	23-3
50	NR	Centerville (Centerville, Ohio)	26-3

Dropped Out: Previous No. 47 Ballard (Louisville, Ky.).

Bubble Teams:  Adams (South Bend, Ind.) 23-2; Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.) 0-0; Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.) 4-2****; Ardrey Kell (Charlotte, N.C.) 10-1; Atascocita (Humble, Texas) 24-3; Ballard (Louisville, Ky.) 21-3; Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.) 7-2; Blue Ridge (St. George, Va.) 15-0; Bowling Green (Bowling Green, Ky.) 24-3; Calvary Christian Academy (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) 17-7; Cannon School (Concord, N.C.) 27-5; Catalina Foothills (Tuscon, Ariz.) 19-1; Centennial (Corona, Calif.) 1-0****; Central (Little Rock, Ark.) 23-5; Chaminade (St. Louis, Mo.) 22-2; Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village, Col.) 17-1; Christ The King (Middle Village, N.Y.) 0-0; Creighton Prep (Omaha, Neb.) 23-3; Davis (Kaysville, Utah) 22-4; Del City (Del City, Okla.) 22-4; DePaul College Prep (Chicago, Ill.) 14-2; Eagle’s Landing (McDonough, Ga.) 29-1; Eastside Catholic (Sammamish, Wash.) 0-0; Edmond Memorial (Edmond, Okla.) 17-2; Elder (Cincinnati, Ohio) 20-4; Elizabethtown (Elizabethtown, Ky.) 22-3; Garfield (Seattle, Wash.) 0-0; Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) 0-2***; Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) 22-4; Green Run (Virginia Beach, Va.) 9-1; Highlands (Ft. Thomas, Ky.) 30-4; Homestead (Ft. Wayne, Ind.) 26-1; Imhotep Charter (Philadelphia, Pa.) 14-0; Jefferson (Portland, Ore.) 0-0; John Carroll (Bel Air, Md.) 11-5; Kell (Marietta, Ga.) 21-7; Kickapoo (Springfield, Mo.) 28-2; La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.) 10-10; Las Cruces (Las Cruces, N.M.) 2-0****; Legacy Early College (Greenville, S.C.) 14-7; Manasquan (Manasquan, N.J.) 12-0; McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) 24-5; Mentor (Mentor, Ohio) 25-1; Moeller (Cincinnati, Ohio) 17-5**; Oak Ridge (Orlando, Fla.) 22-3; Pebblebrook (Mableton, Ga.) 25-4; Pine Crest (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) 21-1; Richardson (Richardson, Texas) 25-2; Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.) 12-3; Seattle Prep (Seattle, Wash.) 0-0; South Central (Winterville, N.C.) 13-0**; South Grand Prairie (Grand Prairie, Texas) 21-1; Starkville (Starkville, Miss.) 21-3; Stone Bridge (Ashburn, Va.) 16-1; St. Catherine’s (Racine, Wis.) 28-1; St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) 2-0****; St. Mark’s (Dallas, Texas) 7-1; St. Mary’s (Pheonix, Ariz.) 20-1; St. Xavier (Cincinnati, Ohio) 19-3; Thunderidge (Highlands Ranch, Col.) 13-2; Vashon (St. Louis, Mo.) 15-1**; Waxahachie (Waxahachie, Texas) 20-3; Westlake (Saratoga Springs, Utah) 21-4; Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.) 27-5; Whitney Young (Chicago, Ill.) 15-1; Wilson (West Lawn, Pa.) 20-2.

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

The post UPDATED FAB 50: Ain't Over Yet! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

(Preseason ranking in parentheses; *Indicates forfeit wins, forfeit losses not included; **Indicates forfeits and defaults not included; ***Indicates season cut short due to COVID-19 Pandemic.)

RELATED: Subscribe on iTunes to "In the Paint Show” podcast  | Final East Top 20 | Final Southeast Top 20  | Final Midwest Top 20 | Final Southwest Top 20 | Final West Top 20 | Salute To All-Time FAB 50 Champions | Final 2018-19 FAB 50 | Final 2017-18 FAB 50 | Final 2016-17 FAB 50 | Final 2015-16 FAB 50 | Final 2014-15 FAB 50 | Final 2013-14 FAB 50 | Final 2012-13 FAB 50

1. (2) Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 25-0***
It was a close call between the Eagles and No. 5 IMG Academy for the No. 1 spot in the 2019-20 preseason FAB 50. It came down to IMG Academy defeating Montverde Academy at GEICO Nationals on the way to its first mythical national title in 2018-19. Had Montverde Academy won a game it was leading by 16 points, it would have went wire-to-wire as the No. 1 team in 2019-20. Instead, it moved up to No. 1 after IMG lost to preseason No. 4 Paul IV at the DC Hoopfest (67-56) and never looked back, rattling off 25 consecutive dominant wins while capturing the program’s fifth FAB 50 title in eight seasons. The Eagles stamped their place as one of the greatest teams in high school basketball history by defeating 12 FAB 50 ranked team en route to one of the largest winning margins (39.0 ppg) among elite high school teams we’ve ever uncovered. Only one team played coach Kevin Boyle’s team in single digits and that was IMG Academy in the title game of the City of Palms Classic (63-55). The Eagles defeated the Ascenders twice more and no other team game within 20 points of this juggernaut. Cade Cunningham (13.9 ppg) was the 2019-20 Mr. Basketball USA choice and do-it-all Scottie Barnes (11.6 ppg) joined him as the first pair of first five All-Americans on the same high school team since 1975. Montverde had a third McDonald’s All-American in its lineup in Day’Ron Sharpe (12.1 ppg) and its bench in all likelihood was FAB 50 level as its own separate unit. Without the luxury of participating at GEICO Nationals, the Eagles were robbed of some well-deserved national acclaim as one of the best units ever, but three more potential games against ranked foes didn’t change just how dominant this team was in its 25 games. Just how great this team is considered versus other historically great teams as the years go by will be determined by how successful the roster is on the next levels of the game, but that won’t change the Eagles’ standing as the best team since the turn of the century. Expect the Eagles to challenge for No. 1 once again in 2020-21 with sophomores Caleb Houstan (10.0 ppg), an underclass All-American, and Dariq Whitehead (8.3 ppg) leading the charge.              

Richard Isaacs Jr.

6'2"   -   PG   -   2022

2. (23) Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah) 27-2***
If there was one team who really had something to prove at GEICO Nationals it was the Tigers, as they were eager to show the country they did more than just win games at the right time. Coach David Evans’ team does finish ranked behind Montverde Academy, but the outbreak of COVID-19 meant there was no results from the end-of-season tournament to show if there was truly a second great team this season other than the FAB 50 champs. Wasatch Academy lost a competitive game (without Michigan St.-bound Maddy Sissoko) to No. 10 Oak Hill Academy (76-68) in the title game of the Iolani Classic with the other loss coming against a St. Benedict’s of New Jersey team ineligible for the FAB 50. Wasatch Academy got key wins versus No. 11 Paul VI (57-53) at the Cancer Research Classic and versus No. 6 Hamilton Heights Christian Academy (94-82) at the Kevin Durant MLK Classic. The reason the Tigers are able to finish in this spot is No. 3 Sunrise Christian Academy lost to HHCA. With a balanced attack of five-double digit scorers, it would have been interesting to see if this team had Sissoko (12.2 ppg) available for GEICO Nationals, as he played in 13 games total. Seniors Richie Saunders (14.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg) and cat-quick Mike Saunders (14.4 ppg) had plenty of big scoring nights, Caleb Lohner (14.3 ppg, 5.8 rpg) held down the front court in Sissoko’s absence and sophomore Ricky “Pop Pop” Isaacs (14.2 ppg, 5.7 apg) could distribute or knock down big shots equally well. ? ? ?

3. (12) Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.) 22-3*** ?
More than one national scout felt the Buffaloes were the second most talented team in the country, but they must remain behind Wasatch Academy because they have one more loss than that club, including a 61-59 loss to No. 6 Hamilton Heights Christian Academy (Wasatch beat that club). Coach Luke Barnwell’s club also lost to Huntington Prep of West Virginia (ineligible for the FAB 50 this year) and a Memphis East club that had some quality wins. The Buffaloes defeated No. 4 DeMatha Catholic at the D.C. Hoopfest (75-67) and also recorded wins over No. 7 La Lumiere (52-39) and No. 8 St. Frances Academy (73-55) with the loss to HHCA sandwiched in between. Led by underclass All-American Kendall Brown (13.3 ppg) and Northwestern-bound Ty Berry (11.6 ppg), the Buffaloes earned their second consecutive GEICO Nationals berth, where they were slated to open the tournament versus No. 9 Oak Hill Academy in what was a No. 3 vs. No. 6 game. The other announced matchups for the event were FAB 50 No. 2 Wasatch Academy vs. No. 5 IMG Academy (2 vs. 7 game), No. 1 Montverde Academy vs. Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) in what was the 1 vs. 8 game, and FAB 50 No. 7 La Lumiere vs. No. 10 Dorman (4 vs. 5 game). Which of those seven clubs had the ability to give MVA a run for its money?

Hunter Dickinson

7'1"   -   C   -   2020

4. (3) DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) 30-3***
Similar to the preseason No. 1 vs. No. 2 debate with IMG Academy and Montverde Academy, it was a close call between DeMatha and Paul VI for the No. 3 spot as the top team from the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC). We went with the Stags and it was one debate we came out on the right side of, as coach Mike Jones’ club defeated No. 11 Paul VI two out of three times, including a 70-56 victory over the Panthers in the WCAC Tournament championship game. DeMatha also lost to No. 3 Sunrise Christian Academy and were a bit overwhelmed by No. 1 Montverde Academy (76-56). Led by WCAC Player of the Year (17.7 ppg, 10 rpg, 2.1 bpg) Hunter Dickinson and Miami-bound Earl Timberlake (16.5 ppg), the legendary program won the conference crown by three games and also defeated No. 28 St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes, No. 41 Mater Dei and highly-regarded Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.). After capturing the WCAC regular season and conference tournament, DeMatha was all set to finish its season at the Alhambra Catholic Invitational, but the event was canceled over COVID-19 concerns. The field also included No. 8 St. Frances Academy, St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes, Paul VI, and No. 27 Gonzaga.? ? ? ? ?

5. (1) IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) 19-6***
The preseason No. 1 team in the FAB 50 didn’t quite have the season it wanted, but it was still a force on a national level. In fact, coach Sean McAloon’s club is the only team that displayed the ability to be competitive with No. 1 Montverde Academy. Three of the Ascenders’ losses were to the Eagles and they were the only club to play them within 20 points (76-64) and within 10 (63-55), so we’re a bit perplexed by IMG Academy’s positioning in other credible national rankings. IMG Academy only lost to one team that didn’t finish in the FAB 50 (Briarcrest Christian of Tennessee) and also recorded wins over No. 38 Archbishop Stepinac (80-67), No. 8 St. Frances Academy (85-67) before losing to No. 14 Poly in what turned out to be its second-to-last game of the season. IMG Academy did receive an invite to GEICO Nationals and with Tennessee-bound Jaden Springer (17.4 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 5.1 apg) leading the way, a healthy IMG club could have fared well at the event as a No. 7 seed. We’ll always wonder how this team would have fared had it had true point guard play to assist Springer’s game and if Jalen Johnson (an All-American in 2018-19) had not left the team before it got its season rolling.       

6. (19) Hamilton Heights Christian Academy (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 28-3    
The Hawks had a successful season after the school nearly shut down the program and closed its doors in the off-season. HHCA won the National Association of Christian Athletes title after a successful independent campaign that saw the Hawks record plenty of key wins. Coach Zach Farrell’s club fell to No. 2 Wasatch Academy, but was able to defeat No. 3 Sunrise Christian Academy after rallying from a 15-point halftime deficit. The Hawks also defeated No. 39 West Oaks Academy (64-61) in the Lighthouse Classic title game and defeated talented Hillcrest Prep of Arizona (67-52), a program that defeated No. 7 La Lumiere. Led by Samson Ruzhentsev (19.2 ppg, 6.3 rpg), an explosive wing who garnered some All-American acclaim, the Hawks are the highest-ranked eligible team not selected for GEICO Nationals. It’s late-season loss to Sunshine Independent Athletic Association club The Rock of Florida hurt its candidacy, but HHCA actually had a split with that club this season.

Samson Ruzhentsev

6'7"   -   SF   -   2020

7. (9) La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.) 23-3***
It was another successful season for coach Patrick Holmes’ club, as the Lakers earned their seventh invite to compete at GEICO Nationals. The Lakers split games with Prolific Prep of California (a team ineligible for the FAB 50 but invited to GEICO Nationals for the first time), beat the St. Benedict’s team (in overtime) that No. 2 Wasatch Academy lost to, and also defeated No. 27 Gonzaga (47-42). La Lumiere won GEICO Nationals in 2017, was No. 1 in the FAB 50 for a majority of the season in 2019 and will be good once again in 2021, as this season’s roster only had three seniors on it. Eastern Kentucky-bound point guard Wendell Green Jr. will be missed at point guard, but Holmes has a terrific building block returning in underclass All-American choice Kamari Lands, a 6-foot-7 sophomore wing.   

8. (7) St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.) 38-4***
The Panthers finished right in the range we expected them to, and would have had an opportunity to make even more noise at the Alhambra Catholic Invitational had the prestigious tournament not been canceled because of COVID-19. Coach Nick Miles’ club defeated No. 14 Poly (57-53) in a much-anticipated Charm City showdown at Morgan State University. The only teams the Panthers did not beat on its schedule finished ranked higher: No. 3 Sunrise Christian Academy and No. 5 IMG Academy. St. Frances Academy split four games with regionally ranked Mt. St. Joseph of Baltimore, losing to that club 76-63 in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association title game and defeating them in the last of four meetings, 81-65, in the Baltimore Catholic League title game. Led by South Alabama-bound Jamal West (16.0 ppg, 8.7 rpg) and Virginia Commonwealth commit Adrian “Ace” Baldwin (11.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 7.3 apg), the Panthers defeated No. 9 Oak Hill Academy (80-61) at the East Coast Bump at UMBC and also beat No. 39 West Oaks Academy (67-65), a team Oak Hill lost to at home. Baldwin capped his four-year career with 23 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in the BCL title game and was named the tourney’s MVP for the third consecutive year and helped the program to a combined five MIAA and BCL titles.     

9. (8) Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 37-3***
The Warriors began this season with their lowest preseason ranking since 1988-89, when coach Steve Smith’s club was unranked but had a stellar year (22-2, FAB 50 No. 12). This season, Smith knew his team would start off ranked a bit lower than usual, but he had high expectations because he sensed this club had excellent chemistry. For the most part, he was right on and his team played to the level we expected. The veteran coach upped his record to 1,178-80 with a unit he felt could have made some noise at GEICO Nationals. Led by All-American Cam Thomas (LSU), Oak Hill Academy defeated No. 11 Paul VI to win the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions, defeated No. 25 Bishop Gorman at the Hoophall Classic and handed No. 10 Dorman its only loss of the season. Coach Smith makes no bones about the losses to No. 8 St. Frances Academy and to No. 39 West Oaks Academy (its first home loss since the 1996-97 season), as he felt his team just did not play well. In addition to Thomas (Oak Hill’s all-time leading scorer who averaged 31.4 ppg), guard K.K. Robinson (Arkansas) and forward Jamari Sibley (Georgetown) also had excellent seasons for a program that will be strong once again in 2020-21.

Cameron Thomas

6'3"   -   SG   -   2020

10. (39) Dorman (Roebuck, S.C.) 30-1***
The Cavaliers got plenty of ink in the preseason, but they ended up being better than expected on their way to a fourth consecutive SCHSL Class 5A state crown. Dorman was creeping its way into contention for that coveted No. 2 FAB 50 spot after winning the Beach Ball Classic with a win over No. 33 St. John’s of Washington, D.C., but when the Cadets began dropping WCAC games after the New Year’s and dropping in the rankings, it made sense Dorman be behind the Oak Hill Academy team it lost to, 63-52, earlier in the season. Dorman was selected to participate in GEICO Nationals, and even was going to host it after the COVID-19 Pandemic broke out in New York City, but eventually the event had to be cancelled altogether. Led by Butler-bound point guard Myles Tate and Clemson-bound forward P.J. Hall, Dorman not only became the first South Carolina team to capture the Beach Ball Classic since 1986, it tied the SCHSL modern era record of four straight state titles first set by Calhoun County in 2006-09. Over that time frame, Dorman is 84-4 against in-state competition, another feather in the cap for a small state team.      

11. (4) Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) 27-8***    
The Panthers are the first team in the rankings with a high number of losses, but they only lost to one unranked club (twice): WCAC foe Bishop McNamara. Coach Glen Farello’s club was still able to finish second place in WCAC play behind No. 4 DeMatha Catholic, a team it beat once in three games. The battle-tested Panthers fell to No. 2 Wasatch Academy (57-53), to No. 9 Oak Hill Academy (72-57) and No. 36 Archbishop Stepinac (70-64), but they made up for those losses with regular season wins over No. 5 IMG Academy (67-56) and No. 17 Sierra Canyon (70-62). They also swept the St. John’s of Washington, D.C. club that was ranked in the Top 10 for some time and finished No. 33 in the FAB 50. Led by two-time All-Met choices Jeremy Roach (Duke) and Trevor Keels, Paul VI advanced to the WCAC title game where it fell to DeMatha, 70-56. Paul VI was able to bounce back and defeat No. 28 St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes (67-59) in the Virginia Independent School Schools Athletic Association D1 title game. Keels is one of the nation’s best juniors and Farello will once again have a terrific backcourt with sophomore Knasir “Dug” McDaniel taking on a bigger role. The Panthers will welcome back 11 of 15 lettermen in 2020-21.

Jeremy Roach

6'2"   -   PG   -   2020

12. (NR) Eden Prairie (Eden Prairie, Minn.) 28-0***    
The Eagles were in the midst of a storybook season when the Minnesota State High School Public League canceled its state tournament on March 12. The Eagles were the top seed in the state tournament and an unbeaten Class 4A state crown would have pushed this club into the top 10. We’ll never know how the state tournament would have played out, but coach David Flom’s team does deserve this ranking based on results. Eden Prairie got the big win during the regular season it needed, a 78-64 victory over No. 15 Minnehaha Academy, as the Eagles were red hot from the outside in the big 3A vs. 4A showdown. John Henry (University of Sioux Falls) hit seven 3-pointers and led four double-digit scorers with 29 points. Eden Prairie also defeated in-state clubs Cretin-Derham Hall and Hopkins that Minnehaha Academy lost to before at full strength. Incredibly, Henry, Drake Dobbs (Liberty), Austin Andrews (Minnesota-Duluth), and Connor Christian (Dartmouth) all scored over 1,000 career points and all averaged between 18.8 and 12.7 ppg this season. Needless to say it was a special senior class for Flom and a unit we should have given more preseason credence to in our Midwest Regional Top 20. We’ll never know if Eden Prairie would have finished out unbeaten, but it now goes down as the highest rated team ever from Minnesota, besting the Hopkins of Minnetonka team that finished No. 15 in 2011.   

13. (20) Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, N.Y.) 22-3***    
During the week of March 9 is when things began to rapidly change around county because of COVID-19. With the New York Federation Tournament of Champions scheduled for March 27-29 at Fordham University, coach John Buck’s club obviously never got a chance to defend their Federation Class AA title, as New York was the country’s hardest hit state by Novel Coronavirus. LuHi closed out its season by hosting the LuHi Postseason Invitational and defeating Albany Academy in overtime (102-101). That team was the defending Class A champs and also heading back to the Feds tournament. Led by Class AA co-Player of the Year Andre Curbelo (17.2 ppg) and first team all-state choice Zed Key (17.8 ppg), LuHi defeated talented Patrick School of New Jersey (68-63) and downed No. 17 Sierra Canyon (86-74) right before hosting its own invitational. Another key win came over No. 35 Garfield (66-63). Similar to No 14 Poly, LuHi lost to No. 33 St. John’s and also fell to No. 2 Wasatch Academy (68-58) and to top-ranked Montverde Academy (83-47)

Andre Curbelo

6'0"   -   PG   -   2020

14. (NR) Poly (Baltimore, Md.) 24-2***
Unlike No. 12 Eden Prairie, we knew plenty about the Engineers in the preseason and they should have been in the FAB 50 or right outside it in the preseason East Region Top 20. Coach Sam Brand club’s was coming off its third consecutive MPSSAA Class 3A state crown and was two victories from a fourth straight title before the outbreak of COVID-19 cancelled the remainder of the tournament. Poly was disappointed in its 57-53 loss to No. 8 St. Frances Academy, as the Panthers hit their free throws down the stretch in the battle for city supremacy. Poly lost to No. 33 St. John’s of Washington, D.C., at the Beach Ball Classic in South Carolina, where it beat two regionally-ranked opponents in addition to defeating Coronado of Henderson, Nev., which was a preseason FAB 50 ranked team. Led by Baltimore Sun co-Player of the Year Justin Lewis (Marquette), City Player of the Year Brandon Murray (21.7 ppg) and four-year starting point guard Rahim Ali (Howard), the big win of the season was a 62-60 victory over No. 5 IMG Academy, as Ali scored on a reverse lay-up with eight seconds remaining. Lewis averaged 19.3 ppg, 13.4 rpg, 4.0 apg, 4.4 bpg, had 18 double-double performances and graduates as the program’s third all-time leading scorer (1,374 points). Freshman Kwame Evans Jr. has the ability to one day put up those type of numbers for Brand.     

15. (14) Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis, Minn.) 25-3***  
Some were calling this club potentially the best ever to lace them up in Minnesota, and it looked the part in defeating No. 17 Sierra Canyon, 78-58, before 17,378 fans at the Target Center. Led by two All-Americans, Gonzaga-bound guard Jalen Suggs, and talented junior center Chet Holmgrem, the Red Hawks actually lost two early in-state games when not 100 percent healthy, but regardless the victory margin over Sierra Canyon was a bit surprising as Suggs had 23 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and six steals. An effective zone (which the Red Hawks never practice) in the second half made Holmgren even more of a presence, as he finished with 10 points and 12 blocks. The greatest team of all-time talk was out the window after the 78-64 setback to No. 11 Eden Prairie, but since Sierra Canyon ended up as California’s top-rated team for the third consecutive season, coach Lance Johnson’s club goes down tied with the 2011 Hopkins club as the second highest ranked team ever from the state three spots behind Eden Prairie. COVID-19 likely cost Suggs a chance to hit the 3,000 career points mark, but it was still a memorable season and career for the two-time All-American. He finished with 2,945 career points while averaging 23.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 5.0 apg and 3.9 spg. Not only was he named the state’s Mr. Basketball, the nation’s top Grid-Hoop athlete also earned state Mr. Football honors, the first Minnesota athlete to achieve that double. With Holmgren and sophomore guard Prince Aligbe back next season, Minnehaha Academy could be a FAB 50 contender once again.       

16. (NR) Bloomington South (Bloomington, Ind.) 26-0***
The Panthers are one of 37 FAB 50 teams whose seasons were affected by COVID-19, as they won three playoff games before their season came to an abrupt halt. The Panthers were Indiana’s top-rated club and an unbeaten Class 4A champ in Indiana will receive plenty of rankings credit. Indiana-bound Anthony Leal (18.2 ppg) was impressive enough as a standout scorer and all-around player to win the state’s coveted Mr. Basketball award. Leal and his teammates were shocked the season came to a quick end and the lack of out-of-state competition meant this team can be ranked no higher. Unlike No. 12 Eden Prairie, a loss would have sent this team tumbling in the rankings but we’ll never know how the season would have played out for those affected Indiana teams.  

17. (6) Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) 30-4***
A few event operators asked us in the preseason if the Trailblazers were the No. 2 or No. 3 team in the country (presumably behind Montverde Academy and IMG Academy). Everyone loves to promote their event with the top team in the country in attendance, but we were frank about our “No”. The Trailblazers deserved high accolades in the preseason, but fall to this spot because they dropped three out-of-state showcase games. Sierra Canyon lost to No. 15 Minnehaha Academy (78-58) at the Target Center, fell to No. 11 Paul VI at the Hoophall Classic (70-62), and to No. 13 Long Island Lutheran (86-74) at the Metro Classic in New Jersey. Although California teams were a bit down from a national perspective (which is reflected here), Sierra Canyon took care of business back home, as it avenged its only in-state loss to regionally-ranked Rancho Christian of Temecula with a resounding 78-62 victory to re-gain the state’s No. 1 ranking the game after losing to Minnehaha Academy. Stanford-bound Ziaire Williams (15.0 ppg, 7.9 reg) was terrific in the loss to Rancho Christian, which was his first game of the season, while Kentucky-bound B.J. Boston (20.8 ppg, 7.0 rpg) was the team’s most consistent performer and named Cal-Hi Sports Mr. Basketball. Williams hit the shot at the buzzer to lift Sierra Canyon to a 63-61 victory over No. 24 Etiwanda to win the SoCal Open title in dramatic fashion. Sierra Canyon was unable to capture a third consecutive CIF open title because of COVID-19, but will have a chance to be the California’s top-ranked team for the fourth consecutive season next year with talents such as Amari Bailey, the state sophomore of the year, big man Harold Yu, and freshman LeBron James Jr. all returning.

Ziaire Williams

6'9"   -   SF   -   2020

18. (BB) Camden (Camden, N.J.) 29-1***  
We began “The High” No. 19 in the East Region Top 20, but this relatively young club got into gear quicker than expected, and was rolling along as The Garden State’s No. 1 ranked team before COVID-19 ended its run at the Tournament of Champions crown. Coach Rick Brunson’s club defeated Haddonfield, 70-42, to capture the South Jersey Group 2 final after losing to that same club last season for the title. After losing to Roman Catholic of Philadelphia (which began No. 42 in the preseason FAB 50) on December 30, the Panthers rattled off 25 consecutive wins to close the season, including a 63-51 victory over No. 40 Roselle Catholic and a 61-59 win over Rancho Christian of California (which split with No. 17 Sierra Canyon). Kentucky-bound Lance Ware had 18 points, 14 rebounds and four steals in the win over Rancho Christian at Hoophall Classic and averaged 11.8 ppg, 7.9 rpg and 1.3 bpg and was Brunson’s most versatile player. The team’s leading scorer was freshman D.J. Wagner, a 6-2 guard who hit for 18.5 ppg with a high of 32. His grandfather Milt led Camden to a national ranking in 1981 and D.J. hopes to one day match the feat of his father, Dajuan, in leading the Panthers to a New Jersey TOC crown. In 1999-2000, Camden finished No. 16 in the FAB 50 with a 28-5 mark during Dajuan Wagner’s junior season.     

19. (25) Moeller (Cincinnati, Ohio) 25-1***
The Fighting Crusaders saw a 50-game winning streak snapped in a 64-59 loss to St. Vincent-St. Mary of Akron (a team No. 17 Sierra Canyon defeated) in their second game. Moeller defeated Saint V’s in the OHSAA Division I state title game in 2018-19, but after that game, coach Karl Kremer’s club didn’t lose again and was in prime position to capture a third consecutive D1 state crown before the state tournament was cancelled due to the nation’s ongoing pandemic. Moeller got to the regional final with No. 21 St. Edward sitting on the opposite side of the bracket. Even though the Fighting Crusaders weren’t able to defend their title on the court, it was another fantastic season for a club that has been FAB 50 ranked the past four seasons and compiled a 109-5 record in that time. St. Francis (PA) bound Max Land (14.1 ppg) was a first team all-Ohio selection and Kremer has two excellent building blocks for next season in all-stater Logan Duncomb (13.8 ppg), a 6-foot-9 junior, and Alex Williams, a 6-foot-4 junior forward. If it wasn’t for COVID-19 this past season or a disputed foul in 2016-17, Moeller could conceivably be gunning for a fifth consecutive state crown in 2020-21.

Micah Peavy

6'7"   -   SF   -   2020

20. (28) Duncanville (Duncanville, Texas) 31-3**
The defending University Interscholastic League (UIL) Class 6A state champions got back to the state Final Four before the remainder of the state tourney was called off. In 2018-19, Duncanville started out on the FAB 50 bubble and began the season 7-7 before closing on a 25-game winning streak. This season, coach David Peavy’s club was more consistent from the beginning and rebounded nicely from back-to-back losses to No. 1 Montverde Academy (84-51) and No. 17 Sierra Canyon (66-63) at the Thanksgiving Hoopfest. Duncanville defeated No. 22 Lancaster, The Rock of Florida (a club that beat No. 6 Hamilton Heights Christian Academy) and lost its only in-state game to Richardson, a squad it split with by a total of six points. Micah Peavy, the coach’s son who was MVP of the 2019 state final, had a stellar senior season and is headed to Texas Tech. He was selected to play in the Jordan Brand Classic after averaging 17.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 3.1 apg and 2.5 spg with a season-high 37 points vs. Richardson. Senior point guard Ja’Bryant Hill (9.9 ppg) was a steadying force and Peavy has two solid building blocks for next season with junior guards Juan Reyna (10.9 ppg) and Damon Nicholas (10.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg) returning.    

21. (BB) St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio) 25-1***
Coach Eric Flannery’s club began the season ranked No. 11 in the Midwest Region Top 20 and worked its way up into the FAB 50 as a major OHSAA Division I state title contender. The Eagles lost only to Hilliard Bradley (60-50) in December and that club lost only one other game and was still alive on the same side of the D1 bracket with No. 19 Moeller when the season was called. It’s not easy to predict which club would have walked away with the state title, but an Ohio D1 state champ with 1 or 2 losses would have been ranked among the Top 25. St. Ed’s excellent season was built around all-state picks Grant Huffman (17.0 ppg) and Devontae Blanton (17.1 ppg).

22. (BB) Lancaster (Lancaster, Texas) 35-2**      
The Tigers had a terrific season and were in line to capture the UIL Class 5A state crown when the season was called because of COVID-19. Coach Ferrin Douglas’ club started out just outside the FAB 50 at No. 10 in the Southwest Region and technically did not lose a game in-state. The Tigers fell to No. 20 Duncanville, 89-83, but the game was later ruled a forfeit win for Lancaster. We go by on-court results (and have since the advent of the FAB 50 in 1987-88) so since both clubs won their last game, both advanced to the state finals (in different classifications) and both were unable to complete their respective season, Duncanville finishes two sports higher in the final analysis. The only other on-court loss for the Tigers was a 69-47 setback at the Thanksgiving Hoopfest to Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.), a program that qualified for GEICO Nationals for the first time. Junior Wade Taylor IV had a terrific season, averaging 15.7 ppg, 4.3 apg and 3.3 spg while TCU-bound point guard Mike Miles was named the TABC Class 5A Player of the Year.   

23. (NR) Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.) 24-7  
The Wildcats have made many appearances in the FAB 50 over the years, but this year’s appearance in the Top 25 is a bit surprising after seven regular season losses. It’s necessary, however, after coach Larry Thompson’s club shocked No. 26 Grayson in the GHSA Class AAAAAAA state final, 60-59, after losing to the same club, 73-68, during the regular season. Grayson was sitting at No. 4 in the FAB 50 at the time and the loss not only cost it a state title berth but also a bid to GEICO Nationals (which was never played). Wheeler’s Sam Hines Jr. had a monster final, going 11-of-12 from the field, scoring 28 points, grabbing nine rebounds and hitting the game-winning free throw. Hines (17.8 ppg, 8.8 rpg) earned some All-American acclaim while Prince Davies (10.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg) was another senior standout. One silver lining that stands out about this club is it was never blown out in any of the losses and learning how to play in those close games paid off in the end. Thompson has two nice building blocks for next season in junior forward Ja’Hiem Hudson (11.9 ppg, 7.2 rpg) and freshman guard Isaiah Collier (11.2 ppg, 3.9 apg).  

24. (29) Etiwanda (Etiwanda, Calif.) 30-4
The Eagles finished right in the range we expected for them in the preseason, and unfortunately that means just a shade below California No. 1 Sierra Canyon. You have to feel a bit for Etiwanda, as it fell to Sierra Canyon in the 2018 SoCal Open regional final in overtime, lost to Onyeka Okongwu and Chino Hills in the 2019 SoCal D1 regional final after that club closed on a 13-0 run and lost this year once again to Sierra Canyon in the SoCal open final under hard-to-believe circumstances unless you saw the game. In its third game against the Trailblazers this season, it looked like Etiwanda finally had Sierra Canyon’s number but a 11-point lead with three minutes to play evaporated and Etiwanda lost at the buzzer on a jumper by Ziaire Williams. Etiwanda fell to 0-5 all-time in regional finals and ironically if it had pulled out the game, it would have never enjoyed its first trip to a CIF final because of COVID-19. Etiwanda, led by all-state forward Jaylen Clark (UCLA) and all-stater Camren Pierce (Ca Poly SLO) at point guard, defeated Rancho Christian (67-61) and No. 41 Mater Dei (65-61) in the SoCal open playoffs. Three of its losses were to Sierra Canyon and the contributions of seniors D.J. Jackson, Brantley Stevenson and Tyree Campbell can’t be overlooked in another successful season under veteran coach Dave Kleckner.

Zaon Collins

6'0"   -   PG   -   2021

25. (5) Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) 29-3
Nevada’s top overall program earned its second-highest preseason ranking ever (it opened up No. 4 in 2014-15) and captured the program’s ninth consecutive Nevada Interscholastic Athletic Association (NIAA) state title and its 11th in the past 12 seasons. It may seem as the Gaels didn’t live up to preseason expectations, but they lost veteran center Isiah Cottrell (West Virginia) and his backup (sophomore Max Allen) to transfer after the preseason rankings were released. Stanford-bound senior Noah Taitz also didn’t suit up and had we known those three players wouldn’t be part of the equation in the preseason, Gorman would have started right in this range. Junior guard Zaon “Sauce” Collins (14 ppg, 8 apg, 3 spg) has been the catalyst the past two years and he led the Gaels to wins over No. 34 Sheldon (75-66), No. 40 Roselle Catholic (55-47) and over regionally-ranked Harvard Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.). LSU-bound wing Mwani Wilkinson (19 ppg, 10 rpg, 4 bpg) also stepped up big time in Cottrell’s absence for a team that will be strong once again in 2020-21 with UCLA-bound Will McClendon (16 ppg) returning in the backcourt for coach Grant Rice (503–102).      

26. (17) Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) 30-2
The FAB 50 was way ahead of the curve nationally when it came to the Rams’ prowess, as they let the country be known they were a force to be reckoned with when they avenged their overtime loss (84-80) to Newton with a resounding 86-39 win. They also defeated defending GHSA Class AAAAAAA state champ McEachern (83-57) and No. 43 Mountain Brook (71-60). Grayson rose to No. 4 in the FAB 50 and was in line for a GEICO Nationals berth before falling to No. 23 Wheeler 60-59 in the Class AAAAAAA state title game. What made it even more gut-wrenching was it had defeated the Wildcats earlier in the season, 73-68. Grayson was highly-regarded because of three D1-bound seniors, led by All-American point guard Deivon Smith (17.3 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 8.4 apg, 3.2 spg). South Florida-bound Caleb Murphy and Winthrop-bound Toneari Lane were the other key cogs for a team that beat every team on its schedule. 

27. (11) Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) 25-10***
The Purple Eagles came in third in the WCAC as we predicted in the preseason, one game behind No. 11 Paul VI and one game in front of No. 33 St. John’s. Gonzaga, however, just had a few too many losses to fall in the range of its preseason billing. Coach Steve Turner’s club did have a high number of losses, but only one of those clubs (WCAC club Our Lady of Good Counsel in Olney, Maryland) was never in the FAB 50. Led by two-time All-Met choice and Gonzaga recruit Terrance Williams (over 2,000 career points), the Purple Eagles defeated Paul VI once in three games, split with St. John’s, defeated No. 28 St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes and won the program’s second D.C. State Athletic Association title. A strong senior class will move on with Malcolm Dread leading a group of seven returning lettermen.     

28. (NR) St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes (Alexandria, Va.) 26-4***    
The Saints had a terrific season and naturally fall in the rankings right behind the Gonzaga of Washington, D.C. team if fell to, 69-63. The other losses for coach Mike Jones’ club are to No. 4 DeMatha, No. 11 Paul VI and the St. Benedict’s Prep of New Jersey. The Saints defeated Episcopal of Alexandria four times, including a 74-65 win to capture their second consecutive Interstate Athletic Conference title. St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes fell to Paul VI, 67-59, in the VISSA D1 final. Leading the charge for the Saints was Radford-bound Xavier Lipscomb (11 ppg, 6 rpg, 6 apg) with seniors Andre Screen (12.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg) and Jared Cross (14.3 ppg) also making huge contributions for the back-to-back IAC champions. Lipscomb and Screen were both first team all-VISAA selections.     

29. (22) Scotlandville (Baton Rouge, La.) 34-3
The Hornets were as good as advertised in the preseason and were able to complete what they set our forth by capturing a fourth consecutive LHSAA D1 state crown. Scotlandville was fortunate that the Louisiana High School Athletic Association was one of the four states to complete its state tourney the weekend of March 13-14 after most of the country shut down play before the weekend. The other states to complete state tournaments that weekend were Missouri, Nebraska and New Mexico. Coach Carlos Sample’s club steamrolled then No. 50 St. Augustine of New Orleans, 66-39, as All-American Reece Beekman was named the game’s MOP (16 points, 14 rebounds, 10 assists) with a limited number of fans in attendance. With Beekman, who averaged a triple double the past two seasons, and all-stater Tai’Reon Joseph (19.8 ppg) in the lineup, Scotlandville went 126-11 over the past four seasons. Scotlandville lost big to No. 1 Montverde Academy, but defeated regionally-ranked Vashon of St. Louis and No. 38 Archbishop Stepinac. It’s a loss to McEachern of Georgia that prevents a higher ranking since No. 26 Grayson easily defeated that club.

Reece Beekman

6'2"   -   PG   -   2020

30. (NR) Jackson South Side (Jackson, Tenn.) 32-0***
As we followed this club’s rise from the bubble ranks, we were eager to see if the Hawks could roll to a TSSAA Class AA title. An unbeaten run to a Tennessee Class AA D1 state crown would have meant a Top 25 ranking, but the season came to a close after the Hawks defeated Covington, 77-57, on March 9 after defeating South Gibson for the Region 7-AA title on March 5. Coach DaMonn Fuller’s club defeated Poplar Bluff of Missouri and regionally-ranked Southmoore of Oklahoma to win the Popular Bluff Showdown, but a lack of FAB 50 wins means the Hawks can climb no further without the additional results the state tournament would have provided. Senior J.J. Johnson and junior Brandon Maclin were named to the Class AA all-state team.         

31. (NR) Curie (Chicago, Ill.) 29-2***    
It was a season full of twists and turns but at the end of the day, coach Michael Oliver’s club goes down at Illinois’ best for 2019-20. The Condors had a terrific overall resume, defeating highly-regarded Bloom of Chicago Heights at the Pontiac Holiday Tournament and defeating regionally-ranked Vashon of St. Louis (as did No. 29 Scotlandville). Oliver was suspended by the Chicago Public League and without him on the bench for many weeks, it was bad timing for Curie to  come up with its worst outing of the season in a 79-69 setback to Simeon in the CPL semifinals. The Condors had defeated the eventual CPL champs earlier in the season and also split with a talented Callaway of Mississippi club that was on the FAB 50 bubble for a majority of the season. Ramean Hinton, a 6-foot-4 senior wing, was one of the most under appreciated talents in Illinois and his backcourt make, 5-foot-11 senior Elijah Pickens, epitomized the Curie roster: tough, experienced and capable of playing with anyone. Oliver’s club advanced to the IHSA’s Class 4A Sectionals where it was scheduled to meet city power Whitney Young before the season was called because of COVID-19.   

32. (NR) Lee (Montgomery, Ala.) 33-1 
The Lee Generals marched their way to a storybook season that concluded with a 40-38 victory over No. 43 Mountain Brook to capture the AHSAA Class 7A state crown. It is the first state title for Lee, which lost to Mountain Brook in the state semifinals in 2019. Coach Bryant Johnson’s club didn’t clinch the coveted crown until Deyunkrea Lewis rebounded a Mountain Brook missed field goal at the buzzer. With 18 seconds remaining, senior forward Jamari Smith nailed a three throw to put Lee in position to win the game. Senior guard De’Marquiese “Duke” Miles was named Class 7A tourney MVP with 12 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals while Smith hit a free throw to put Lee ahead for good with 4:14 to go in a tight contest. Late in the regular season, Lee dropped a 83-82 contest to Pinson Valley which was its only blemish all season long. Beating Mountain Brook (which defeated No. 48 North Mecklenburg and other regionally ranked foes) helped Lee’s final ranking, but since that club lost to McEachern of Georgia (which beat No. 29 Scotlandville), the Generals can’t rise any further despite the sole one-point loss.   

33. (NR) St. John’s (Washington, D.C.) 24-9    
For the a good portion of the 2010s, three WCAC clubs were consistently ranked in the weekly FAB 50, but the results this season warranted a fourth team from the powerful conference in the final rankings. After the turn of the New Year, St. John’s was 13-1 with its only loss to Dorman of South Carolina, which finished No. 10 in the FAB 50. The Cadets did start dropping games in WCAC play, but three of those were to No. 4 DeMatha and two of them to No. 11 Paul VI. Coach Patrick Behan’s club did split with No. 27 Gonzaga, and also defeated No. 14 Poly and No. 38 Archbishop Stepinac at the Beach Ball Classic. Rhode-Island commit Ishmael Leggett had a terrific senior campaign and 6-foot-7 freshman forward Amani Hansberry looks like a WCAC star of the future.  

34. (BB) Sheldon (Sacramento, Calif.) 28-5***  
The Huskies are a bit tricky to rank because of the way the season concluded and because top player Marcus Bagley missed some key games. When he was in the lineup, Sheldon was a forced to be reckoned with and in contention to capture its third consecutive NorCal Open crown. It advanced to the NorCal open title game for the fourth straight year (and fifth time in eight years) with a 59-58 victory over Dublin on the road (as the No. 1 seed) after it was re-instated into the NorCal regional by the CIF following the Elk Grove Unified School District’s decision to shut down school-related activities for the week of March 9. That decision meant No. 17 Sierra Canyon had already advanced to the CIF final, while the Huskies were set to play regionally-ranked Bishop O’Dowd of Oakland on March 12 before the COVID-19 outbreak in the NBA changed sports plans around the country. Without Bagley in the lineup, Sheldon still advanced to the Torrey Pines Holiday Classic final (where it lost to JSerra of Capistrano Valley), lost to regionally-ranked Vashon of St. Louis and with him they were able to defeat No. 41 Mater Dei at the Tarkanian Classic, where it fell to host Bishop Gorman in the semifinals. The ASU-bound Bagley was named the Cal-Hi Sports NorCal POY, while senior guards Xavion Brown (Appalachian St.) and Josh Williams earned all-state laurels.

Marcus Bagley

6'7"   -   SF   -   2020

35. (NR) Garfield (Seattle, Wash.) 26-4
Coach Brandon Roy (a former NBA All-Star) led Nathan Hale of Seattle to the 2017 FAB 50 national title and now has his alma mater raising a state crown after moving over to his old stomping grounds that off-season. The Bulldogs got their season off to relatively ho-hum start, losing to regionally ranked Archbishop Wood of Pennsylvania and to No. 13 Long Island Lutheran at the Iolani Classic. They peaked at the right time, however, and closed out their state title run with a resounding 69-44 victory over an O’Dea of Seattle club that was FAB 50 ranked for a majority of the season. Senior forward Tari Eason led the way with 21 points and 14 rebounds vs. O’Dea, which beat Garfield by four points (64-60) in the Sea-King District 2 tournament and by 20 points on January 7. Garfield steamrolled an Eastside Catholic club (which beat No. 25 Gorman earlier in the season) in the semifinals, 74-46, after beating the Crusaders in two relatively close games earlier in the season. Eason, bound for Cincinnati, averaged 22.3 ppg and 15.7 rpg while 6-foot-2 sophomore guard Koren Johnson is in line to be the program’s next impact star.      

36. (NR) St. Mary Prep (Orchard Lake, Mich.) 21-1***
It’s often difficult to judge Michigan teams because Michigan High School Athletic Association members are restricted in travel and because they traditionally play the bulk of their schedule much later than other states. This year’s analysis proved to be even more difficult because of COVID-19, but we peg the Eaglets as Michigan’s top-ranked team. It dropped one game to regionally-ranked Flint Beecher (which finished 20-2) and handed regionally-ranked Detroit Cass Tech its only loss. St. Mary Prep’s final victory was a 78-55 win over Bloomfield Hills in a District 1 semifinal, as sophomore Jason Drake II had a big game with 31 points. The Eaglets were set to take on Waterford Mott in a Division 1 district championship, but the playoffs were cancelled before it could take place. Wisconsin-bound Lorne Bowman II (25.2 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 6.2 apg) and Julian Roper II were St. Mary Prep’s catalyst all season long, as the Eaglets put a stop to University of Detroit Jesuit’s seven-year reign as Catholic League champs with a 61-54 victory. With Roper (18.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 2.6 spg) and Drake back next season, St. Mary Prep has high hopes to win a state tile on the court.         

37. (BB) Starkville (Starkville, Miss.) 30-2
We gave serious credence to placing the Yellowjackets in the 45-50 range of the preseason FAB 50 after winning the MHSAA Class 6A state title and finishing No. 37 in last year’s final rankings. We thought Starkville lost too much backcourt firepower, so we started it out No. 17 in the Southeast Region, but that clearly wasn’t the case. After defeating Murrah of Jackson, 58-51, coach Greg Carter’s club claimed back-to-back Class 6A state titles. Starkville lost to Meridian (55-51), the team it beat in last year’s final, in its second game and and didn’t lose again after December 20 (a 58-47 setback to Pontotoc). A key victory was the 65-63 state quarterfinal win over Olive Branch, a club that beat No. 43 Mountain Brook. Senior Forte Prater stepped up big in the backcourt all season long and came up big in the state final after last year’s state tourney MVP, senior forward Zeke Cook, missed significant portions of the season with injury.       

RJ Davis

6'0"   -   PG   -   2020

38. (36) Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.) 18-9***
Similar to No. 34 Sheldon, the Crusaders are difficult to rate because their overall record does not reflect their ability at full strength. Last season, Stepinac was 14-16 mainly because junior A.J. Griffin played in only 16 games and this season he appeared in only 12 due to injury. At full strength Stepinac defeated Briarcrest Christian of Tennessee (which defeated the No. 5 IMG Academy club Stepinac lost to 80-67), O’Dea of Seattle (which like Briarcrest Christian was FAB 50 ranked for many weeks) and No. 11 Paul VI. Without Griffin (17.3 ppg, 8.8 rpg) the Crusaders were competitive, but with him well on their way to a second Catholic High School Athletic Association crown in three seasons before COVID-19 put at end to New York’s post-season. The constant in Stepinac’s arsenal was the play of North Carolina-bound R.J. Davis, who became Westchester County’s all-time leading scorer while averaging 26.5 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 5.3 apg, and 2.1 spg.

39. (27) West Oaks Academy (Orlando, Fla.) 28-7**
Coach Kenny Gillion’s club was on the verge of making some heavy FAB 50 noise or falling out of the rankings because of untimely losses. At the end of the day, we rewarded The Flame for playing in the tough Sunshine Independent Athletic Association and for its big road win over No. 9 Oak Hill Academy. West Oaks Academy lost to No. 8 St. Frances Academy by two points (67-65) and lost some games on the Grind Session against independent, academy-type programs. With a plethora of D1 talent on the roster, Gillion’s standout player was Kansas St.-bound Selton Miguel, who scored 27 points vs. Oak Hill Academy and was named SIAA MVP after averaging 21 ppg and 5.3 apg. The Flame did lose to regionally-ranked Central Pointe Christian Academy of Kissimmee in the SIAA title game, but beat that team twice during the regular season.     

40. (13) Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.) 21-7***
We thought Garden State teams would be a bit stronger than they ended up, and that is reflected in Roselle Catholic’s final ranking. The Patrick School never jelled and didn’t fare well in national contests, but were able to defeat coach Dave Boff’s club three times. The Lions were able to defeat The Patrick School when it counted the most, with a 56-47 victory in the North Jersey, Non-Public B semifinals to align with our preseason choice to have the Lions ranked higher by two spots. After defeating highly-regarded Gill St. Bernard in the Non-Public B final, the Lions were gunning for their second New Jersey TOC crown in three years before the season was shut down by Novel Coronavirus that hit the Garden State hard. Boff’s club did lose to No. 25 Bishop Gorman, to No. 18 (and state No. 1) Camden and to St. Benedict’s of Newark in three consecutive games, so without the TOC results can’t be any higher in the rankings. St. Benedict’s transfer and Xavier commit C.J. Wilcher (18.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg) had a fantastic season and big man Cliff Omoruyi (14.2 ppg, 11.5 rpg, 5.4 bpg) had a triple-double in the avenging win over The Patrick School with 15 points, 10 rebounds and 10 blocks.

Cliff Omoruyi

6'10"   -   C   -   2020

41. (18) Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) 25-8  
The California state power struggled at times during the regular season, but was still able to clinch at least a share of its league crown for the 32nd consecutive season, a state record according to Cal-Hi Sports. Led by Kentucky-bound Devin Askew, the Monarchs put it together in the post-season for the second consecutive season, as the advanced to the CIF Southern Section Open Division title game where they fell to No. 17 Sierra Canyon for the second straight year. Mater Dei struggled at time with national competition during the regular season, but defeated regionally-ranked Corona Centennial (who won the Tarkanian Classic over No. 25 Bishop Gorman) and Rancho Christian (split with Sierra Canyon) in the post-season. Askew (16.7 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 6.3 apg) was named Orange County Player of the Year.      

42. (NR) Lawrence North (Indianapolis, Ind.) 25-2***
The Wildcats had a terrific season, handing regionally-ranked Lawrence Central (which started out No. 4 in the Midwest Region) its only three losses, with its own losses coming against North Central (split) and Hamilton Southeastern in the final game of the regular season. The third victory over Lawrence Central came in a IHSAA Class 4A playoff opener and the Wildcats got to the regional semifinals before the season was halted because of the current pandemic. Lawrence North could have potentially met undefeated and No. 16 Bloomington South in the state semifinals and that result would have had huge FAB 50 implications had both teams advanced that far. Six-foot-4 Tony Perkins eared first team all-state acclaim.  

43. (NR) Mountain Brook (Birmingham, Ala.) 32-3  
It looked like without 2019 All-American Trendon Watford (LSU) the Spartans would be down a notch after it finished No. 5 in the 2018-19 final FAB 50. That didn’t turn out to be the case, as coach Bucky McMillian’s club was formidable and recorded some terrific wins. The Spartans defeated NCISAA Class 3A champ Concord First Assembly of North Carolina (80-57) and No. 48 North Mecklenburg (77-66) to capture the Arby’s Classic in Tennessee. Had No. 26 Grayson (71-60 loss) hung on to win a state title, both Mountain Brook and No. 32 Lee would be a tad higher in the final rankings. Mountain Brook lost a heart-breaker to Lee to prevent the Spartans from a fourth consecutive AHSAA Class 7A state crown with the third loss coming by one point to Olive Branch of Mississippi, which recorded quality wins throughout the season. Wing Colby Jones was a first team all-state selection and Holt Bashinsky, a senior guard, was named to the third team for McMillian, who was named head coach at Samford in the off-season.       

44. (NR) St. Raymond (Bronx, N.Y.) 22-5***    
The Ravens fell to No. 38 Archbishop Stepinac (73-68) in the CHSAA Archdiocesan title game, but were able to defeat the Crusaders once in three tries, with the first meeting of the season an overtime loss. The Ravens also routed highly-regarded Gill St. Bernard of New Jersey with fellow Garden State club Bergen Catholic (69-67) and No. 13 Long Island Lutheran the only two clubs St. Raymond didn’t defeat on its schedule. The CHSAA Archdiocese of New York cancelled the remainder of the state tournament on March 12. Every team ranked at this spot and below in the FAB 50 had its season affected by COVID-19, which definitely impacted the overall rankings because of the plethora of games involving state ranked teams that were never played.  

45. (BB) Male (Louisville, Ky.) 30-4***  
The Bulldogs get a spot in the FAB 50 as Kentucky’s highest-rated team at the time the state’s Sweet 16 was cancelled. Male started out as its state’s highest ranked team in the preseason (No. 15 in the Midwest Region Rankings) in front of Madisonville-North Hopkins and Marshall County and both Male and Madison-North Hopkins were still alive in the single-class event when it was cancelled. Coach Tim Haworth’s club defeated Ballard of Louisville in what turned out to be an avenging win, as it split with the other Kentucky club it lost to (North Oldham). Ballard’s other two losses were to highly-regarded Briarcrest Christian of Tennessee (in overtime) and to No. 29 Scotlandville (59-39). Lincoln Memorial-bound guard Tyren Moore (17.9 ppg) was a first team all-state pick and Haworth has 12 lettermen returning next season.    

46. (16) Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia, Pa.) 24-4***
The Saints were our preseason choice to capture the Philadelphia Catholic League title and they took care of business, although they dropped a few more regular season contests than they would have liked. The Saints got to the quarterfinals before the PIAA Class 3A state tourney was halted. In December, coach Carl Arrigale’s club drew an extremely tough draw in the opening round of the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas and fell in a close game to eventual tourney champ Centennial of California. Goretti defeated highly-regarded Archbishop Wood in PCL play (66-55) before downing Roman Catholic in the league title game, 66-58, behind 22 points from Bowling Green-bound wing Cam Young. For Arrigale it was his record-breaking 11th Philly Catholic League title.   

47. (BB) Rangeview (Aurora, Col.) 26-0***   
The Raiders were the team to beat in the CHSAA Class 5A state tournament and were a solid FAB 50 bubble club in the preseason. They opened up No. 19 in the West Region Top 20 and were set to face Grandview of Aurora, the team the Raiders defeated by one point (38-37) to open the season, in their next playoff game before the CHSAA cancelled the remainder of its state tournament on March 12 after the University of Denver informed the governing body it could no longer host the event. Led by senior guard Obi Agbim (13.3 ppg, 4.6 rpg) and junior guard Cade Palmer (10.4 ppg) Rangeview was also at the Tarkanian Classic in December and it easily out-classed its division. We would have loved to see them in the Platinum bracket with the likes of No. 46 Neumann-Goretti, No. 41 Mater Dei and No. 34 Sheldon, but the Raiders had a scheduling issue with school finals.  

48. (BB) North Mecklenburg (Huntersville, N.C.) 30-1***
Along with No. 37 Starkville, Oak Ridge of Orlando, Tampa Catholic, among others, the Vikings were seriously considered as the final team from its region in the preseason FAB 50. North Meck came in at     No. 15 in the Southeast Region Top 20, one spot below preseason FAB 50 No. 49 Briarcrest Christian of Tennessee. The Vikings lived up to their advanced billing, finishing as the runner-up at the Arby’s Classic to No. 43 Mountain Brook. Coach Duane Lewis’ club, led by Georgia Tech-bound Tristan Maxwell, defeated Olympic of Charlotte (86-78) in the state Class 4A tournament and were the solid favorites vs. 26-5 Lumberton in the final before it was called off because of COVID-19.      

49. (NR) Del City (Del City, Okla.) 24-1***
Not only did Coronavirus affect 37 FAB 50 teams, it also affected 69 of the 100 teams in our final regional rankings, so it’s safe to say the FAB 50’s bottom 25 could have looked completely different had the season been played out all the way through GEICO Nationals. There is no doubt, however, that the Eagles got the big win they needed over highly-regarded Washington of Tulsa (67-54) to finish as the top-ranked team from Oklahoma and the No. 4 team from the Southwest Region. The Eagles were the Class 5A state favorites before the state tourney was cancelled. Senior guards Nate Goodlow and Demontreal Crutchfield were all-state selections by the Oklahoma Basketball Coaches Association.

50. (NR) Blue Valley Northwest (Overland Park, Kan.) 21-2***
The final team in this year’s rankings comes in as the No. 5 team from the Southwest Region with a glossy record and no in-state losses, which is key in a season cut short by COVID-19. Coach Brian Morton’s Huskies fell to the No. 2 team from the region, Duncanville of Texas, by only seven points (51-44). That was the second game of the season and in its opener Blue Valley Northwest fell to Blue Springs of Missouri. The Huskies then closed the season out with 21 consecutive wins, advancing to the KSHSAA Class 6A semifinals with a 55-48 quarterfinal win over Lawrence Free State. Jack Chapman, a 6-foot-7 versatile D1 talent, led the charge all season long and was named first five all-state after averaging 21 ppg and 6 rpg.  

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

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

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