RELATED:? 2023-24 Underclass POYs | Preseason Mr. Basketball USA Tracker | All-Time Honorees?| Ballislife Podcast Network?|

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.

Related: 2022-23 Underclass All-American Elite Team | 2022-23 Mr. Basketball USA: Cameron Boozer | 2022-23 Class Players of the Year | Ballislife Podcast Network?|

The 2022-23 All-American Elite Team, now published for the 29th consecutive season and on the www.ebooksnet.com platform for the ninth year, includes 40 of the nation’s best seniors and four terrific sophomores led by Mr. Basketball USA Cameron Boozer of FAB 50 No. 6 Columbus (Miami, Fla.).

Four sophomores from the talented 2025 class and two juniors, including class player of the year Tre Johnson of FAB 50 No. 8 Lake Highlands (Dallas) headline the 20-player overall first team. ??Two repeaters of last year’s team are seniors D.J. Wagner and Ronald Holland, both second five selections as juniors. Wagner was the class player of the year at Camden (N.J.) his first three seasons of high school. Holland was the top honors candidate off last year’s FAB 50 championship team at Duncanville (Texas) and led this year’s club to a 28-1 record and No. 3 final FAB 50 ranking.

Last year’s 30-player second team included one lone junior: Simeon Wilcher of Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.), who moved up to the first team as a senior (fourth five) after winning his third New Jersey Non-Public state crown. This year’s 30-player second team includes four juniors, including Dylan Harper of Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.), who is having a terrific spring grassroots season and joined Wilcher as a first team all-state selection in New Jersey.

All underclassmen are eligible for All-American Elite Team selection. No sophomore was selected for second team and in 29 seasons of publishing annual All-American teams (and on the retroactive teams dating back to the 1954-55 season), no freshman has ever made the first team.

Our national coach of the year is Pat Clatchey of Mt. St. Joseph (Baltimore, Md.). The Gaels finished No. 27 in the FAB 50 after winning a second consecutive Baltimore Catholic League (BCL) title and tying a league mark with 38 victories.

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

This honors squad has been chosen in its current format since the 1994-95 season and is powered by www.ebooksnet.com for the eighth consecutive season. This team is chosen regardless of class and is not exclusive or preferential for seniors named to the Ballislife All-American Game.

2022-23 All-American First Team

First Five

G — Isaiah Collier, Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.) 6-2 Sr.
The top guard in the country, Collier was named National Senior Player of the Year after finishing No. 2 in the Mr. Basketball USA Tracker (76 points, 9 ballots) behind sophomore forward Cameron Boozer. Collier closed out his career strong, netting 22 points and seven assists in the GHSA Class AAAAAAA state title game as Wheeler easily downed Cherokee of Canton, 78-58. In leading the Wildcats to a 27-7 mark and No. 20 FAB 50 National Ranking, Collier averaged 19.6 ppg, 5.1 rpg. 6.8 apg, and 2.3 spg, while shooting 58.7 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from 3-point line and 79 percent from the foul line. Collier helped Wheeler win three state titles and the program went 102-23 in his time. This USC recruit scored a game-high 25 points in the McDonald’s All-American Game.

G — D.J. Wagner, Camden (Camden, N.J.) 6-3 Sr.
Joined his grandfather (1981 third five All-American Milt Wagner) and his father (2001 Mr. Basketball USA Dajuan Wagner) as the first three-generation McDonald’s All-Americans. Although he didn’t sweep class player of the year honors all four years, Wagner was one of the nation’s finest players over the last two seasons and as a senior finished fourth (56 points) in the Mr. Basketball USA Tracker. As a junior, Wagner averaged 19.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 3.5 spg, and 3.3 apg and as a senior sported norms of 22.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg and 3.0 apg. The Kentucky signee led Camden to a 23-2 on-court record and No. 12 FAB 50 ranking with losses to No. 6 Columbus (FL) and No. 23 Centennial (CA). He had 32 points vs. Columbus and 27 points vs. Centennial and was one of the nation’s best scorers since his freshman season. The 2021-22 NJ.com Player of the Year, he was also named Gatorade State POY three times and led The High to a 94-5 career record while scoring 2,040 career points (20.6 ppg) against quality local and national competition. Wagner had a team-high 19 points, including three 3-pointers, in his team’s come-from-behind win at the McDonald’s All-American Game.

F — Ronald Holland, Duncanville (Duncanville, Texas) 6-8 Sr.
Similar to D.J. Wagner, Holland moves up for the second five as a junior and was a serious candidate for Mr. Basketball honors, finishing No. 3 in the balloting behind Isaiah Collier and honoree Cam Boozer. Coaches and scouts raved about his work ethic and court presence at the McDonald’s All-American Game and Duncanville was always in the game as long as this dynamic forward was on the court. In his four seasons, the Panthers were FAB 50 ranked each season and finished an incredible 123-6. As a junior, Holland averaged 15 ppg (60 percent FG), 8 rpg, 2 spg on the No. 1 team in the country and this season sported norms of 20.3 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 2.4 apg and 2.0 spg while shooting 54.4 percent from the field and 79.3 percent from the free throw line for a 28-1 team that finished No. 3 in the FAB 50. He took over the game down the stretch in a win over No. 23 Centennial (Corona, Calif.), finishing with 24 points, and the next night had 25 points and 8 rebounds in a win over Boozer and No. 6 Columbus (Miami, Fla.). A two-time District 11-6A Player of the Year, Holland was committed to Texas but recently re-opened his recruitment.

F — Cameron Boozer, Columbus (Miami, Fla.) 6-9 Soph.
Only three underclassmen other than Boozer have been named Mr. Basketball USA: Jerry Lucas in 1957 (retroactively), Lew Alcindor in 1964 (retroactively) and LeBron James in 2002. Sure, every class is different and 2023 is not considered one of the stronger in recent seasons, but the fact only three players have done it before Boozer and all of them will be in the NBA Hall of Fame speak volumes. In fact, James beat out senior Carmelo Anthony, Alcindor beat out senior Wes Unseld and Lucas beat out senior Tony Jackson, and all three of those runner-ups also made the NBA. Boozer, whose father Carlos Boozer was a second five Elite All-American in 1999, led the Explorers to a second consecutive FHSAA Class 7A crown and FAB 50 ranking by averaging 21.1 ppg, 11.2 rpg, 4.2 apg and 2.0 bpg, while shooting 62.1 percent from the field, 41.6 percent from the 3-point line and 89.1 percent from the charity stripe. The class of 2025 is considered a terrific one, as three other tenth-graders made the 20-man first team all-American squad this season. Before this season, only Emoni Bates (in 2020) and James (in 2001) were first five choices as sophomores and only three others have been second five All-Americans.

F — Justin Edwards, Imhotep Charter (Philadelphia, Pa.) 6-7 Sr.
Arguably the most versatile elite offensive talent in the country, Edwards is the first player from the Philadelphia Public League to being named a McDonald’s All-American since 1993 Mr. Basketball USA choice Rasheed Wallace (Simon Gratz). Edwards came up big in key contests for a team that finished 30-3 and No. 13 in the FAB 50. Edwards had 16 points, six rebounds and three blocks to lead his team to the prestigious City of Palms title over Cameron Boozer and Columbus (Miami, Fla.), 25 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and six steals in a big win at the Spalding Hoophall Classic over Cardinal Hayes (Bronx, N.Y.) and 16 points and 10 rebounds in a loss to D.J. Wagner and Camden (N.J.) He also did well locally, leading Imhotep to three consecutive Philadelphia Public League titles 23 years after his mom (Ebony Twiggs) led University City to two city titles. The PIAA Class 5A Player of of the Year, this Kentucky recruit went for 16 points in the state title game and for the season averaged 17.9 ppg and 7.5 rpg. Edwards went for 10 and 11 points, respectively, at the McDonald’s All-American Game and Nike Hoop Summit and closed his career with a 27-point, MVP performance at the Ballislife All-American Game.

Second Five

G — Jeremy Fears, Joilet West (Joliet, Ill.) 6-2 Sr.
A natural leader that plays to win, Fears defensive effort and intensity were on full display at the Ballilsife All-American Game, where he led his team to a come-from-behind overtime win with 11 points, nine assists and hellacious defense in crunch time. Fears was also named a McDonald’s All-American after a season in which he led the Tigers to a 28-6 mark and a Class 4A sectional final appearance. Playing alongside his brother and Underclass All-American Jeremiah Fears, Jeremy averaged 18.8 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 5.3 apg and 2.0 spg while earning praise for his efficiency. He shot 59 percent from the field, 41 percent from 3-point range and 88 percent from the charity stripe. Fears spent two seasons at NIBC program La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.) after starting his career Joliet West where as a freshman he helped the Tigers to a 29-4 mark before COVID-19 shut down the season before the sectional final. He ended his career as the The News-Gazette’s All-State Player of the Year and as the leading vote-getter on the A.P. Class 4A All-State team.

G — Jackson Shelstad, West Linn (Ore.) 6-0 Sr.
No player in the country used his senior season campaign to boost his All-American candidacy as much as this Oregon-bound point guard. A four-year starter and two-time Gatorade State POY, Shelstad saved his best for last, leading the Lions to the Class 6A state title game and No. 30 FAB 50 National Ranking. He led West Linn to the Les Schwab Invitational title, the first for an Oregon team since 2012, by handing FAB 50 No. 3 Duncanville (Texas) its only loss of the season. Shelstad went for 30 points in the signature title game win and averaged 33 ppg over four tourney games. On the season, the future Duck averaged 28.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 3.6 apg and 2.0 spg for a 28-2 team. He also shot 59 percent from the field, 41 percent from 3-point range and 84 percent from the free throw line. He concluded one of the most honor-filled careers in Oregon history by earning Three Rivers League Player of the Year three times after earning second team all-league honors as a freshman. He was rewarded for his stellar play with a selection to represent Team USA at the Nike Hoop Summit.

G — Tre Johnson, Lake Highlands (Garland, Texas) 6-5 Jr.
The first player ever from Texas to earn National Junior Player of the Year honors, Johnson was recently named the state’s Mr. Basketball by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches (TABC). He was able to early these lofty honors by averaging 21.8 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 2.7 apg, and 1.7 spg while shooting 53 percent (272-513) from the field, 42 percent (84-201) from 3-point range and 91 percent (177-194) from the line. He closed out his impressive campaign with a 29-point, 8-rebound performance in a victory over FAB 50 ranked Beaumont United that gave Lake Highlands the UIL Class 6A state title. A gifted wing guard, the Dallas Morning News Player of the Year is considered by many the No. 1 prospect in the national 2024 class.

F — Cooper Flagg, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-8 Soph.
On a talented team that finished No. 2 in the FAB 50, this tenth-grader was the Eagles’ most talented player. He helped MVA win the National Interscholastic Basketball Conference (NIBC) regular season title (11-1) and led the Eagles to their 11th consecutive appearance at GEICO Nationals while officially being named second team all-NIBC. Flagg is known for his versatility, big play-ability and defensive prowess and on a team where four players averaged between 9-14 points, he averaged 9.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.2 blocked shots per game. He was the first freshman to earn Gatorade State POY honors in Maine at Nokomis Regional in Newport (20,5 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 6.2 apg, 3.7 spg, 3.7 bpg) and was the leader of Team USA’s club that captured the 2022 FIBA U17 World Cup. For his performances he was named 2022 USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year. He’s only the third sophomore to earn first or second five All-American honors in the last ten years, joining Emoni Bates in 2020 (first) and DeAndre Ayton in 2015 (second).

C — Aaron Bradshaw, Camden (Camden, N.J.) 7-0 Sr.
It was a terrific year for talent in the Garden State and some feel Bradshaw could be its most talented prospect. He’s a consensus top five national prospect and will join high school teammate and first five selection D.J. Wagner at Kentucky. Bradshaw helped The High capture its twelfth NJSIAA state title as a junior when he averaged 8.9 ppg, 7.4 rpg and 3.2 bpg but was more polished and productive as a senior. He sported norms of 12.0 ppg, 9.4 rpg and 2.4 bpg for a team that finished No. 12 in the FAB 50 with a 23-2 mark, but wasn’t able to defend its title because of a brawl in the county title game. A first team all-state selection by NJ.com, Bradshaw was selected for the McDonald’s All-American Game, where he displayed the ability that makes him the nation’s top pivot player. He finished with a team-high 18 points and eight rebounds.

Third Five

G — Jared McCain, Centennial (Corona, Calif.) 6-3 Sr.
Last season the Huskies had a third five selection in Donovan Dent (New Mexico) and this year the Duke-bound point guard matches his former teammate. McCain, a social media sensation who took advantage of NIL opportunities afforded student-athletes in California, captured many of the same honors this season Dent did in 2021-22: Inland Player of the Year by the Riverside Press Enterprise, Southland Player of the Year by the L.A. Times and State Mr. Basketball by Cal-Hi Sports. McCain earned Gatorade State POY honors in 2021-22 when he led the Huskies to a 33-1 record, No. 5 FAB 50 Rankings and the program’s first ever CIF Open Division title by leading the team in scoring (16.8 ppg) to go along with 4.6 rpg and 2.1 apg. He repeated that honor this season by averaging 18.0 ppg, 7.1 rpg, and 4.0 apg while shooting 36 percent from 3-point range and 83 percent from the line. Centennial, the No. 23 team in the FAB 50, advanced to the SoCal open final. In all, McCain helped Centennial capture three CIF Southern Section open titles and is one of the most highly-decorated players in Riverside County history.

G — Caleb Foster, Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) 6-4 Sr.
If second five selection Jackson Shelstad is not the biggest McDonald’s All-American snub, then this explosive North Carolina native is. Foster's strength, skill level and explosiveness was just too much for nearly any guard in the country to he wasted no time making an impact at Notre Dame after two terrific seasons at powerhouse Oak Hill Academy in Virginia. Foster followed up on an All-American Underclass season by leading the Knights to a CIF D1 state crown and a No. 46 FAB 50 Ranking. Foster came through in the big games, going for 28 points in the D1 regional final victory over Mission League foe Sierra Canyon and 33 points in the state final vs. Granada of Livermore, the latter a CIF championship game D1 record. In four victories over Sierra Canyon, Foster averaged 20.5 ppg and for the season averaged 21.4 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 3.9 apg and 1.2 spg. On top of that, he kept defenders honest by shooting 38 percent from 3-point range. He’s considered the state Mr. Basketball runner-up to fellow third five selection Jared McCain, who will join Foster in Durham.

G — Ja’Kobe Walter, Link Academy (Branson, Mo.) 6-5 Sr.
After earning underclass All-American honors at McKinney (Texas), Walter moved over to the independent program and immediately helped the Lions emerge as a FAB 50 title contender. After entering GEICO Nationals as the No. 2 team in the FAB 50, Walter led the program to its first national title in the program’s second year by averaging 21.3 ppg in three victories. This top-flight shooting guard netted 37 points against Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) in the quarterfinals and went for 21 points, on 6-of-8 shooting from the field, including 3-of-4 3-point shots, in the championship game victory over AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.). On a well-balanced 27-1 unit, Walter averaged 14.4 ppg (37.8 percent from 3-point range) 4.0 rpg and 1.7 spg. Selected for both the McDonald’s All-American and Nike Hoop Summit, Walter is headed to Baylor.

F — Koa Peat, Perry (Gilbert, Ariz.) 6-8 Soph.
This strong-bodied forward already has won two state titles and has scored over 1,000 points with two high school seasons to go. He followed up a freshman season in which he averaged 15.0 ppg and 6.1 rpg while helping Perry to its first Class 6A state crown by leading the Pumas to the first ever AIA open division state crown. In the title game, Peat finished with 35 points in a 74-58 victory over Sunnyslope of Pheonix. For the season, the talented tenth grader averaged 19.7 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 3.0 apg, 1.7 bpg and 1.3 spg for the No. 22 team in the FAB 50. Peat is considered one of the best overall prospects in high school basketball and is the first sophomore ever from Arizona to make the Elite All-American first team.

C — Flory Bidunga, Kokomo (Ind.) 6-10 Jr.
Led the Wildkats to their first state title game appearance since 1989 with a series of dominant performances after emerging as one of the nations’ dominant post players at the Pangos All-American Festival in August. Bidunga is not only a terrific post defender, he can move out and guard the perimeter and never takes a bad shot. In leading basketball-crazed Kokomo to a 24-5 mark, Bidunga averaged 20.2 ppg, 13.8 rpg and 4.5 bpg while making 81 percent (207-263) of his shots from the floor. He recorded 27 double-doubles in 29 outings and was the second-leading vote-getter on the Indiana A.P. All-State team behind second teamer Markus Burton.

Fourth Five

G — Simeon Wilcher, Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.) 6-4 Sr.
Moves up from the second team after another stellar season that saw this strong and athletic guard win his third state title. On a talented team that finished No. 21 in the FAB 50, Wilcher averaged 15.4 ppg, 4.7 rpg and 5.7 apg while posting a 22-6 record. That record is a bit deceiving because the Lions did not lose in-state against tough competition and Wilcher played on teams that went 17-0 in the NJSIAA state tournament during his career. A two-time NJ.com first team all-state choice, Wilcher averaged 16.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 5.1 apg and 2.0 spg as a junior when Roselle Catholic defeat Camden (N.J.) to capture the final New Jersey Tournament of Champions. Wilcher is headed to North Carolina.

G — Meleek Thomas, Lincoln Park Performing Arts (Midland, Pa.) 6-3 Soph.
The fourth tenth-grader to earn first team honors, Thomas has the ability to be the WPIAL’s finest player since its hoops heyday in the 1960s and early 1970s. Thomas is that talented and is known for his relentless motor and intensity. After averaging 18.9 ppg as a freshman, he teamed with junior Brandin Cummings (23.1 ppg) to lead the Leopards to the WPIAL title and PIAA Class 4A state title. Thomas scored 25 points in the WPIAL title game and 22 points, including the game winner bucket, in the state title win over Philly power Neumann-Goretti. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Player of the Year Thomas averaged 24.9 ppg as the Leopards finished 30-1 and No. 50 in the FAB 50.

F — DeShawn Harris-Smith, Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) 6-6 Sr.
Highly-honored forward capped his career by leading the Panthers to their first ever berth in GEICO Nationals. Harris-Smith netted a team-high 18 points in a close 68-65 loss to eventual tourney champ and FAB 50 No. 1 Link Academy of Missouri. He was consistently productive for a team that played stellar competition, spent some time in the regular season at No. 1 in the FAB 50 and finished 31-4 and No. 18, averaging 17.8 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 6.3 apg and 2.6 spg. The Panthers won the VISAA D1 state title and Harris-Smith was named MVP of the prestigious Washington Catholic Athletic Conference. He’s headed to Maryland.

C — Brandon Garrison, Del City (Del City, Okla.) 6-9 Sr.
Capped off an honors-filled career by scoring 17 points, including the game-winning lay-up with 35 seconds remaining in overtime, to lift the Eagles to the Class 5A state title over district rival Carl Albert. Garrison played a big role in Del City winning two state titles and making three state title game appearances. He had 18 points and six rebounds in the semifinals to avenge last year’s loss in the state title game to Tulsa Memorial. For the season, Garrison averaged 15.9 ppg, 9.0 rpg and 2.3 apg and was showered with post-season accolades. The Oklahoman Super 5 Player of the Year was also named Suburban Conference Player of the Year, state player of the year by Gatorade and was chosen a McDonald’s All-American. He’s headed to Oklahoma St.

C — Xavier Booker, Cathedral (Indianapolis, Ind.) 6-9 Sr.
Followed up a terrific summer in which he was named MVP of the Pangos All-American Camp with a fine senior campaign in which he was honored as a McDonald’s All-American. Booker averaged 15.2 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 1.8 apg and 1.9 bpg for a 19-6 Fightin’ Irish club. As a junior, he averaged 12.5 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 2.3 bpg as Cathedral captured the coveted Class 4A state crown and finished No. 42 in the FAB 50. Booker will join a star-studded Michigan St. recruiting class that includes second five selection Jeremy Fears and second teamer Coen Carr.

2022-23 All-American Second Team

F — Omaha Biliew, Waukee Senior (Waukee, Iowa) 6-7 Sr.
C — Blake Buchanan, Coeur D’Alene (Idaho) 6-11 Sr.
G — Markus Burton, Penn (Mishawaka, Ind.) 5-10 Sr.
F — Matas Buzelis, Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.) 6-9 Sr.
G — Elliot Cadeau, Link Academy (Branson, Mo.) 6-2 Jr.
G — Blue Cain, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) 6-4 Sr.
F — Coen Carr, Legacy Early College (Greenville, S.C.) Sr.
G — Stephon Castle, Newton (Covington, Ga.) 6-6 Sr.
G — Mookie Cook, AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.) 6-6 Sr.
G — Gabe Cupps, Centerville (Centerville, Ohio) 6-2 Sr.
G — Josh Dotzler, Bellevue West (Bellevue, Neb.) 6-3 Sr.
C — Baye Fall, Denver Prep (Denver, Col.) 6-10 Sr.
F — Amani Hansberry, Mt. St. Joseph (Baltimore, Md.) 6-7 Sr.
G — Dylan Harper, Don Bosco Tech (Ramsey, N.J.) 6-4 Jr.
G — Aden Holloway, Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) 6-0 Sr.
G — Josh Hubbard, Ridgeland Academy (Madison Miss.) 5-10 Sr.
G — Jizzle James, Olympia (Orlando, Fla.) 6-1 Sr.
G — Malik Mack, St. John’s (Washington, D.C.) 6-1 Sr.
F — Liam McNeeley, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-7 Jr.
F — Mackenzie Mgbako, Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.) 6-7 Sr.
F — Milan Momcilovic, Pewaukee (Wis.) 6-9 Sr.
F — Dennis Parker, John Marshall (Richmond, Va.) 6-6 Sr.
G — Kris Parker, Crossroad Academy (Quincy, Fla.) 6-6 Sr.
G — Ruben Rodriguez, Reading (Pa.) 6-1 Sr.
F — Devin Royal, Pickerington Central (Pickerington, Ohio) 6-7 Sr.
G — Reed Sheppard, North Laurel (London, Ky.) 6-3 Sr.
G — R.J. Taylor, Grand Blanc (Mich.) 5-11 Sr.
F — Cody Williams, Perry (Gilbert, Ariz.) 6-7 Sr.
G — Robert Wright II, Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia, Pa.) 6-0 Jr.
G — Wesley Yates III, Beaumont United (Beaumont, Texas) 6-4 Sr.

Related: 2022-23 Underclass All-American Elite Team | 2022-23 Mr. Basketball USA: Cameron Boozer | 2022-23 Class Players of the Year | Ballislife Podcast Network?|

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 2022-23 High School All-American Elite Team appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

RELATED:? 2022-23 Underclass POYs | Preseason Mr. Basketball USA Tracker | Updated Tracker: Wide-Open Race | ?All-Time Honorees?| Ballislife Podcast Network?|

Boozer, the terrific power forward who led Columbus (Miami, Fla.) to the FHSAA Class 7A crown and No. 6 final FAB 50 ranking, topped the voting in this season's final tracker and today is honored with the title of 2022-23 Mr. Basketball USA.

"Wow, Mr. Basketball USA Player of the Year is an incredible honor," Boozer told Ballislife. "I feel lucky to be selected among so many outstanding players this year. I feel like any time you are recognized for an award such as this it takes you back for a minute and just makes you very thankful for everything it took to accomplish this goal. I am extremely appreciative of the honor and hope to be a great representative of Mr. Basketball USA Player of the Year."

Boozer is appreciative of earning the nation's most prestigious individual honor and the scouts, media and fans alike are appreciative of his tremendous skill level and dominance as a mere tenth-grader. Boozer teamed up with his twin brother Cayden to lead the Explorers to a 26-4 record against national competition and it was actually Cayden who had a big game in the state final with 21 points. Throughout the season, it was Cameron who consistently dominated foes to the tune of 21.1 ppg, 11.2 rpg, 4..2 apg and 2.0 bpg, while shooting 62.1 percent from the field, 41.6 from 3-point line and 89.1 percent from the free throw line.

Despite having only one high school season under his belt, Boozer started out No. 4 in the preseason Mr. Basketball USA Tracker balloting, but moved to No. 1 in late February by one point over USC-bound senior Isaiah Collier of FAB 50 No. 20 Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.), who ended up being his stiffest challenger for player of the year honors and is the Senior Player of the Year honoree. Boozer led a group of five candidates that appeared on nine of 10 ballots (among a record group of 34 players nominated for player of the year honors) with 84 points, including six of the 10 first-place votes (no other player had more than one first-place vote). The others to appear on nine ballots: Collier with 76 points (five second place votes), Texas-bound forward Ronald Holland of Duncanville (Texas) with 71 points (five third place votes), Kentucky-bound guard D.J. Wagner of Camden (N.J.) with 56 points (one second place and one third place vote) and Kentucky-bound forward Justin Edwards of Imhotep Charter (Philadelphia, Pa.) with 50 points (one first place vote). Edwards was a recent MVP at the 2023 Ballislife All-American Game in Norwalk, Calif. ?? ? ? ? ? ????

All of the four candidates to seriously challenge Boozer were all seniors. To get a better perspective of just how dominant Boozer was this season and how the panel feels about his ability, one only needs to look at how a rare it has been for a sophomore to be considered for first or second five All-American honors over the years on the annual All-American Elite Team,?which will be published for the 29th time in the next week.?

In the 16 years of Mr. Basketball USA balloting, only Emoni Bates (a sophomore at Eastern Michigan who recently declared for the 2023 NBA Draft) has come close to the top of the balloting as a sophomore. ?In 2020 he finished in fourth place behind Mr. Basketball USA Cade Cunningham (Pistons), Evan Mobley (Cavs) and Jalen Green (Rockets) with 48 points while appearing on eight ballots. Before the balloting era, a high school sensation named Lew Alcindor was considered the unofficial runner-up to Edgar Lacey of Jefferson (Los Angeles, Calif.) in 1963 and was a two-time honoree over the next two seasons. Lucas, one of high school basketball's first stars known nationwide, was the first sophomore to be first five All-American and was also a two-time honoree (1957-58). As a sophomore in 2000-01, LeBron James probably should have received more serious consideration among Dajuan Wagner (the choice and D.J. Wagner's father) and future NBA big men Tyson Chandler and Eddie Curry. Only three sophomores have been second five All-Americans over the years: DeAndre Ayton in 2015, Michael Gilchrist in 2009 and O.J. Mayo in 2005 and among that trio only Ayton didn't go on to be named Mr. Basketball USA. ?

The senior class of 2023 is considered one of the weaker classes overall in recent memory, despite some individual brilliance, and the 2024 class, led by class player of the year Tre Johnson, is considered a mild group as well with one season to go. 2025 is a different story and is off to a roaring start, as the three before-mentioned tenth-graders appeared on the ballots and are considered among the best players in the country, regardless of class. ?

D.J. Wagner, who played at Camden as his father did over 20 years ago when he was the nation's top player, was the class player of the year in each season as an underclassmen before Boozer moved to the front of the pack this past season. Each season is its own entity, so what will Boozer do for an encore? How will next season play out? What does his development curve look like with two more seasons of high school basketball? ? ?

"Who in the junior class is going to keep them (the sophomores) off the top of the list next year?" lamented panel member Van Coleman of Nothing But Net Magazine. "Tre Johnson, Ian Jackson and Dylan Harper, those guys have to step it up because, right now, Boozer is at the top of the list, followed very closely by Flagg in his own class. There’s not much difference between the juniors and those sophomores. I don’t know if the voters will put Flagg as high as he really needs to be. As far as the seniors go, Wagner had the best career, Collier had the best season and Holland came on late."

Next season the process will start all over again with a clean slate, but based on production, Boozer is considered the best for 2022-23. ?

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.").

2022-23 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
Jerry Meyer, McDonald's All-American Voter
Horace Neysmith, AllMetroHoops.com
Patrick Stanwood, Patrick Stanwood Basketball
Dinos Trigonis, Fullcourt Press Editor & Publisher

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

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

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

The post Cameron Boozer Named Mr. Basketball USA! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

The ITP Crew start off with the saga surrounding Alabama basketball and star player Brandon Miller. Should he be playing right now? What about coach Nate Oats, should he be coaching? Chelsea and the fellas give their hot take on the situation!

Ron, who has been involved with Cal-Hi Sports state rankings for over 20 years, give his take on the CIF basketball players and why and how the California Interscholastic Federation needs a re-vamp of its regional playoff format. Ron gives his fix on how to make the section titles more meaningful and a process where everyone can understand what they are playing for.

At the NBA level, the ITP Crew talks about the disappointment of the NBA All-Star weekend (ratings wise and entertainment wise) and the load management issue the league has right now that is starting to affect public perception of the league's direction. Ani and Chelsea dish on what can be done to rectify the issue. The crew also talks about Dame Lillard's 71-point game and his path to NBA stardom and what "loyalty" represents and means to them.

Ron and Ani dish on the National All-Star Game circuit in the light of the closest Mr. Basketball USA (national player of the year) race in many years and the fact the 2023 class still has something to prove on a national level. Can front-runner Cam Boozer earn national POY honors as a sophomore? Where does Bronny James fit into this equation in light of the fact he's not a serious national player of the year candidate but is being pegged by ESPN as a Top 10 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft?

The ITP crew offers some terrific insight on Lillard, load management, and Bronny James' stance in the scouting world so make sure to tune in to Episode 155 from start to finish!

(0:00) - Intro

(2:22) - FAB 50 Update

(5:23) - Deion Sanders’ Comments on Recruiting

(9:49) - Dish on Brandon Miller-Alabama Saga

(18:24) - Ron’s Dish on Revamping CIF Basketball Playoffs

(24:17) - Dish On NBA’s Load Management Issue

(36:20) - Chelsea & Ani’s Dish on Improving A-S Weekend!

(45:35) - Quick Update on NBA Season & Dame Lillard!

(59:03) - Bronny James’ Comparisons & Draft Status: WTF!

(1:06:04) - Scouts' Lack of Focus on Production

(1:10:24) - Bronny’s and Amari Bailey’s Unique HS Situation!

(1:12:07) - Mr. Basketball USA Tracker Results/Reactions

The post In The Paint: Bronny Comparisons, Load Management Breaking Point, CIF Revamp & More! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

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

In the race for national player of the year honors, the post-season and national all-star games are traditionally a big factor in deciding who earns the title Mr. Basketball USA, the production-based national player of the year honor selected by Ballislife's 10-man panel of national scouts. This year's national player of the year race was wide-open from the start and the results of the final Mr. Basketball USA Tracker reveal some surprising results.

Dariq Whitehead, the Duke-bound wingman who contributed to four excellent Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) teams over his career, capped off his four-year run by topping the voting tally in this season's final tracker. Today, Whitehead is honored with the title of 2021-22 Mr. Basketball USA.

In his career, Whitehead helped the Eagles win back-to-back FAB 50 national titles in 2020 and 2021. In 2020, Whitehead was a reserve on one of the greatest teams of all-time and one of seven players to average between 8.3 ppg and 13.9 ppg. The team's ringleaders were leading scorer and 2020 Mr. Basketball USA Cade Cunningham and third leading scorer Scottie Barnes (11.6 ppg), who was also second in rebounding (6.5), second in assists (4.6 apg) first in deflections (1.7 dpg), and first in steals (1.9 spg). Just this week, Barnes was named NBA Rookie of the Year for the Toronto Raptors, while Cunningham came in third in the voting behind 2020 Mr. Basketball USA runner-up Evan Mobley (Barnes was No. 5 in the final voting).

Last season, Whitehead averaged 10.4 ppg on a balanced team that won its second consecutive mythical national title. That team was led by national junior of the year Jalen Duren, who finished third in the final 2021 Mr. Basketball USA voting with 66 total points behind unanimous honoree Chet Holmgren of Gonzaga (100 points out of a possible 100) and runner-up Jabari Smith of Auburn (79 points). Duren, along with highly-regarded prospect Emoni Bates (the 2020 National Sophomore of the Year) both re-classed up and played for Memphis in 2021-22. The void they left helped create the wide-open race heading into 2021-22.

Whitehead came in No. 5 in the preseason balloting (40 points while appearing on six of 10 ballots). The leader in the clubhouse was 7-foot-1 center Dereck Lively of Westtown School (West Chester, Pa.), who appeared on all ten ballots, received seven first place votes and finished with 84 points.

Whitehead stepped up big-time after Duren left for Memphis and the Mr. Basketball USA panel took notice. Whitehead led Montverde Academy to a 22-4 season, including a GEICO Nationals title and final No. 2 FAB 50 ranking. Whitehead hit the big jump shot in the GEICO Nationals title game win over Link Academy (Branson, Mo.) and averaged 15.7 ppg, 5.7 apg, and 3.0 rpg in three games at the end-of-season event. For the season, Whitehead averaged 17.1 ppg, 5.1 rpg and 3.8 apg for the nation's No. 2 team in the FAB 50.

Whitehead cemented his status as 2021-22's top performer at the national all-star games, which allowed him to over take preseason front-runner Lively, his future Duke teammate as part of new coach John Scheyer's top-rated recruiting class. Whitehead was named MVP at the McDonald’s All-American Game (13 pts, 7 rbs, 7 asts) and also shined for Team USA at the Nike Hoop Summit with a team-high 17 points, including 5-of-7 3-pointers.

Whitehead and Lively received all 10 first place votes, with Whitehead receiving seven, one second place vote (9 points), one fifth place vote (six points) and one sixth place vote (five points) for 90 total points. Lively didn't appear at all on one ballot and, in addition to his three first place votes, received two second places votes, one third place vote, one fourth, one sixth and one 10th place vote for a total of 69 points.

"I'm so happy and proud of Dariq," said Montverde Academy coach Kevin Boyle. "He started at Montverde Academy in the eighth grade and has matured to incredible heights as a person, player and student."

Only one other player appeared on all ten ballots alongside Whitehead among 24 candidates: shooting guard Keyonte George of IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.). He garnered one second place vote and three third place votes and finished five points behind Lively with 64 points. Two of Whitehead's teammates at Montverde Academy (Texas bound Dillon Mitchell and junior Kwame Evans) and two of George's teammates at IMG Academy (Houston bound Jarace Walker and Alabama bound Jaden Bradley) also received player of the year votes. It speaks to the wide open nature of the balloting and the consensus opinion of the panel that there are no sure-fire top NBA Draft pick types at the level Holmgren and Smith were graded at the top of the 2021 class, which made the voting this season as difficult as any in the 15-year history of the Mr. Basketball USA Tracker.

"I believe there is very little separation between No. 1 and No. 10 and no clear cut best combination of player talent and season production," said panel member Van Coleman of Nothing But Net Magazine. This was the toughest voting in years, likely due to class hopping and pro opportunities."

"This was perhaps the toughest selections ever; not just one (or even two or three) clear cut candidates for No. 1," said panel member Frank Burlison of BurlisonOnBasketball.com. "I gave Whitehead the nod because Montverde 'won it all' on the prep school level, plus he was very good in all of his team’s key games, as well as during the all-star game circuit."

The 10-man Mr. Basketball USA panel feels there is still time and room for this class to grow, which is exactly what Whitehead did during his five years at Montverde Academy. It will be interesting to see how the majority of these fine high school players develop and perform at the college level next season.

For now, Whitehead exhibited all the qualities and met the criteria to be named the nation's best high school player. If history is any indication, Whitehead is one the path to a successful career at the next levels of the game.

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

Rank	Prev.	Name	High School	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Total
1	5	Dariq Whitehead (10)	Montverde Academy (FL)	7	1	0	0	90
2	1	Dereck Lively (9)	Westtown School (PA)	3	2	1	1	69
3	4	Keyontae George (10)	IMG Academy (FL)	0	1	3	1	64
4	8	Nick Smith (7)	North Little Rock (AR)	0	2	1	1	45
5	3	D.J. Wagner (8)	Camden (NJ)	0	0	3	0	36
6	7	Cason Wallace (6)	Richardson (TX)	0	0	2	0	31
7	2	Amari Bailey (5)	Sierra Canyon (CA)	0	1	0	0	26
8T	NR	Gradey Dick (5)	Sunrise Christian Academy (KS)	0	0	0	1	24
8T	NR	Dillon Mitchell (5)	Montverde Academy (FL)	0	0	0	2	24
10	NR	Jarace Walker (4)	IMG Academy (FL)	0	2	0	0	23
11	7	Jaden Bradley (4)	IMG Academy (FL)	0	0	0	1	21
12	NR	Cam Whitmore (3)	Archbishop Spalding (MD)	0	0	0	1	18
13	9	Chris Livingston (6)	Oak Hill Academy (VA)	0	0	0	0	16
14	20T	Mark Mitchell (3)	Sunrise Christian Academy (KS)	0	0	0	1	12
15	20T	Kwame Evans (2)	Montverde Academy (FL)	0	1	0	0	11
16T	10	Collin Chandler (3)	Farmington (UT)	0	0	0	0	7
16T	NR	Kel’el Ware (1)	North Little Rock (AR)	0	0	0	1	7
18	11	Baye Fall (1)	Denver Prep (CO)	0	0	0	0	6
19	NR	Donovan Dent (2)	Centennial (CA)	0	0	0	0	5
20T	15T	Adem Bona (1)	Prolific Prep (CA)	0	0	0	0	4
20T	NR	Ronald Holland (2)	Duncanville (TX)	0	0	0	0	4
22	NR	Josh Phillips (1)	Link Academy (MO)	0	0	0	0	3
23T	NR	Anthony Black (1)	Duncanville (TX)	0	0	0	0	2
23T	NR	Brandon Miller (1)	Cane Ridge (TN)	0	0	0	0	2

2021-22 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
Jerry Meyer, McDonald's All-American Voter
Horace Neysmith, AllMetroHoops.com
Patrick Stanwood, Patrick Stanwood Basketball
Dinos Trigonis, Fullcourt Press Editor & Publisher

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

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

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

The post Dariq Whitehead Named Mr. Basketball USA! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

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

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

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

Related: 2020-21 All-American Elite Team | 2020-21 Mr. Basketball USA: Chet Holmgren | 2020-21 Class Players of the Year

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Juniors to Watch (2022)

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

2021 National Junior of the Year: Jalen Duren

Sophomores to Watch (2023)

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

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

Freshmen to Watch (2024)

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

2021 National Freshman of the Year: Derik Queen

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

Related: 2020-21 All-American Elite Team | 2020-21 Mr. Basketball USA: Chet Holmgren | 2020-21 Class Players of the Year

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

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

The post 2020-21 Underclass All-American Elite Team appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

RELATED: All-Time Mr. Basketball USA Winners | Final 2019-20 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker |

There is plenty of uncertainty surrounding the 2020-21 high school basketball season. The one thing certain about this season is Chet Holmgren, the nations' best center and unsigned prospect in the 2021 class, is the leading candidate for national player of the year honors. The 7-foot-1 big man from Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis, Minn.) leads a group of 17 candidates who received recognition in the preseason 2019-20 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker powered by www.ebooksnet.com.

As a junior, Holmgren averaged 14.3 ppg, 9.9 rpg and 4.9 bpg playing alongside another bonafide Mr. Basketball USA candidate in Jalen Suggs (Gonzaga), and likely didn't get the recognition his unique game as a shot-blocker and game changer deserved. With the COVID-19 pandemic ongoing since the end of the 2019-20 season and with no true end in sight, the nation's best players didn't get to play in the grassroots summer setting available in prior summers. Depending on ones locale, players got varying amounts of opportunities to work on their game or showcase their skills. Nobody played in front of a D1 college coach and no one will until at least April 15.

What the limited amount of exposure events has shown is whom has been working on his game during the pandemic, and whom has not. Count Holmgren as one of the elites who clearly has gotten better since the world changed this past March.

"Chet has gone from a prospect to a player; he did that at the end of last season," said panelist Paul Biancardi, the National Recruiting Director for ESPN.com. "During the quarantine period he worked on his body to gain 15 pounds, did a ton of skill work and studied film to be ready for the games."

After Holmgren, there is varying opinions on the leading candidates. Two other prospects appeared on each of the ballots of the 10-man Mr. Basketball USA Tracker panel: Forward Patrick Baldwin Jr. of Hamilton (Sussex, Wis.) and combo guard Jaden Hardy of FAB 50 No. 37 Coronado (Henderson, Nev.). Baldwin, last season's National Junior Player of the Year and the class POY each of the past two seasons, came in second place overall with 70 points, while coming in at No. 3 (eight points each) on five ballots. Hardy, who has played excellently in fall league competition with his high school team, came in at fifth place with 59 points, including a second place vote and three fourth place votes.

Two other elite prospects were able to snag a first place ballot from Holmgren, who came in No. 2 on those same ballots. One went to Duke-bound power forward Paolo Banchero of FAB 50 No. 20 O'Dea (Seattle, Wash.) and the other to junior sensation Emoni Bates of YSPI Prep Academy (Ypsilanti, Mich.). Banchero did not appear on one ballot, while Bates, last season's national sophomore of the year at Lincoln (Ypsilanti, Mich.), garnered four second place votes while missing altogether on two ballots.

Bates was one of four underclassmen to receive recognition from the panel and the only one who can realistically challenge Holmgren in the national player of the year race, unless something drastically changes in terms of games missed or seasons cancelled. The other three were junior guard Amari Bailey of No. 17 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.), junior big man Jalen Duren of No. 1 Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) and sophomore DJ Wagner of No. 15 Camden (N.J.). Wagner was last season's national freshman of the year and Duren and Kaleb Houstan (who re-classed up to the 2021 class) are the only pair of teammates to appear on any ballot. Houstan is the lone returning starter for the defending FAB 50 national champions.

Plenty of factors go into naming a credible high school national player of the year: namely production, winning and talent level. The top five candidates, plus Jabari Smith of No. 46 Sandy Creek (Tyrone, Ga.), clearly check off those three boxes. But so far Holmgren's unique combination of elite ability on both ends of the floor, his offensive skill level at his size and having the opportunity to carry a club that should be very good (but doesn't contain an overwhelming roster) gives him the edge as the regular season begins to tip-off in some areas on the country (but certainly not all).

Our hope is we get to see these 17 elite talents on display and that there are enough games played to get a good sense of whom is the most deserving of Mr. Basketball USA honors at the conclusion of a season that will be unlike any one we've ever seen.

"Chet is a world-class shot blocker and the greatest mismatch in the high school game," Biancardi said. "What has stood out for to me is his rebounding. The effort and commitment he has exerted on the glass has been impressive. Recently, he has posted some triple doubles against top competition. His growth in the game, production level along with the ability to make his team win is special."

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

Editor's Note: Click on the "+" sign next to each player's number to view how many first, second, third or fourth place votes he got and his overall point total.

Rank	Prev.	Name	High School	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Total
1	20T	Chet Holmgren (10)	Minnehaha Academy (MN)	8	2	0	0	98
2	15T	Patrick Baldwin (10)	Hamilton (WI)	0	0	5	1	70
3	12	Paolo Banchero (9)	O'Dea (WA)	1	1	1	5	68
4	4	Emoni Bates (8)	YSPI Prep (MI)	1	4	1	0	66
5	NR	Jaden Hardy (10)	Coronado (NV)	0	1	1	3	59
6	NR	Jabari Smith (8)	Sandy Creek (GA)	0	2	2	0	53
7	NR	Kendall Brown (3)	Sunrise Christian (KS)	0	0	0	1	15
8	NR	Jalen Duren (3)	Montverde Academy (FL)	0	0	0	0	13
9	NR	Caleb Houstan (2)	Montverde Academy (FL)	0	0	0	0	9
10T	NR	Daimion Collins (1)	Atlanta (TX)	0	0	0	0	6
10T	NR	D.J. Wagner (1)	Camden (NJ)	0	0	0	0	6
12T	NR	Mike Foster (1)	Hillcrest Prep (AZ)	0	0	0	0	5
12T	NR	Nolan Hickman (1)	Wasatch Academy (UT)	0	0	0	0	5
12T	NR	A.J. Griffin (1)	Archbishop Stepinac (NY)	0	0	0	0	5
15T	NR	Amari Bailey (1)	Sierra Canyon (CA)	0	0	0	0	4
15T	NR	J.D. Davison (1)	Calhoun (AL)	0	0	0	0	4
15T	NR	Daron Holmes (1)	Montverde Academy (FL)	0	0	0	0	4

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

The post Who's The Top National POY Candidate? appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

Related: 2019-20 All-American Elite Team | 2019-20 Mr. Basketball USA: Cade Cunningham | 2019-20 Class Players of the Year

Two juniors and a sophomore named to the 26th Annual All-American Elite Team headline a group of 75 elite players selected to the 2019-20 Underclass All-American Elite team powered by www.ebooksnet.com.

Small forward Patrick Baldwin Jr. of Hamilton (Sussex, Wis.), this year’s National Junior of the Year, was named to the overall All-American Elite third team. In 2018-19, Baldwin was the only tenth-grader on the Elite All-American second team. This season no underclass player was chosen to the second team, as a strong senior class was rewarded for its efforts.

Mousa Cissé

6'9"   -   PF   -   2020

The second junior to make the All-American Elite team was big man Mousa Cissé of Lausanne Collegiate (Memphis, Tenn.). The fourth five selection led the Lynx to the TSSAA Division II Class A state crown.

Two juniors were honored as fourth five selections in 2018-19: Evan Mobley of Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.) and Jalen Johnson of Nicolet (Glendale, Wis.). Mobley moved up to the first team this season and Johnson didn’t play in enough games to be eligible for All-American honors. He was expected to suit up for preseason FAB 50 No. 1 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), but eventually returned to Wisconsin and played a handful of games at the end of the regular season for his original high school.

This year Emoni Bates became the first sophomore to earn first five honors since current NBA superstar LeBron James while at St. Vincent-St. Mary (Akron, Ohio) in 2000-01. In the past 26 years under the current selection format Bates and James are the only tenth-graders to earn first five All-American honors and fans are already anticipating a lengthy pro career for Bates.

In 26 years of publishing our annual All-American teams and including our retroactive teams dating back to the 1954-55 season, no freshman has ever been a first team All-American selection. Bates was a second team selection in 2018-19 and the third freshman ever to earn All-American acclaim, joining Marvin Bagley III of Corona Del Sol (Tempe, Ariz.) in 2014-15 and 6-foot-8, 215-pound man child Wayne McKoy of Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.) back in 1973-74.

As is the case every year, some underclass All-Americans will transfer programs and have already made the announcement. Each year, more players are classifying up in order to speed up the recruiting process or join a class that will be more advantageous to their development.

Jalen Duren

6'9"   -   C   -   2021

Sophomore big man Jalen Duren will leave Roman Catholic (Philadelphia, Pa.) and is headed to defending FAB 50 champ Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.). Sophomore Skyy Clark of Heritage Christian, (Northridge, Calif.) is headed to Brentwood Academy (Brentwood, Tenn.) while Zion Cruz will leave Hudson Catholic (Hudson, N.J.) to play for Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), where he will be joined by another talented 2022 guard, Dior Johnson from Mayfair (Lakewood, Calif.). Expect more player movement and some more reclassification as the summer rolls on.

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

Our national coach of the year is Thomas Ryan of Dorman (Roebuck, S.C.).

Juniors to Watch (2021)

G — Trey Alexander, Heritage Hall (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 6-4
F — Patrick Baldwin Jr., Hamilton (Sussex, Wis.) 6-8
C — Nate Bittle, Crater (Central Point, Ore.) 6-11
G — Ahamad Bynum, Simeon (Chicago, Ill.) 6-2
G — Kennedy Chandler, Briarcrest Christian (Eads, Tenn.) 6-1
F — Paolo Banchero, O’Dea (Seattle, Wash.) 6-9
F — Kendall Brown, Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Air, Kan.) 6-7
F — Max Christie, Rolling Meadows (Rolling Meadows, Ill.) 6-6
C — Moussa Cisse, Lausanne Collegiate (Memphis, Tenn.) 6-10
G — Zaon Collins, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) 6-1
G — Jerdarrian Davison, Calhoun School (Letohatchee, Ala.) 6-3
C — Moussa Diabate, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) 6-10
G — Rashool Diggins, Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.) 6-1
F — Caleb Furst, Blackhawk Christian (Ft. Wayne, Ind.) 6-10
G — Nolan Hickman, Eastside Catholic (Sammamish, Wash.) 6-3
G — Jaden Hardy, Coronado (Henderson, Nev.) 6-5
G — Chucky Hepburn, Bellevue West (Bellevue, Neb.) 6-1
C — Chet Holmgren, Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis, Minn.) 7-1
F — Daron Holmes, Millennium (Goodyear, Ariz.) 6-9
G — Jackie Johnson, Wichita Southeast (Wichita, Kan.) 5-10
G — David Jones, Teas Valley Christian Prep (Scott Depot, W. Va.) 6-5
F — Harrison Ingram, St. Mark’s (Dallas, Texas) 6-6
G — Trevor Keels, Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) 6-5
F — Trey Kaufman, Silver Creek (Sellersburg, Ind.) 6-9
F — Jonathan Lawson, Wooddale (Memphis, Tenn.) 6-7
F — Aminu Mohammed, Greenwood Laboratory (Springfield, Mo.) 6-5
F — Trey Patterson, Rutgers Prep (Somerset, N.J.) 6-7
G — Daeshon Ruffin, Callaway (Jackson, Miss.) 5-9
G — Hunter Sallis, Millard North (Omaha, Neb.) 6-4
F — Jabari Smith, Sandy Creek (Tyrone, Ga.) 6-9

2020 National Junior of the Year: Patrick Baldwin Jr.

Sophomores to Watch (2022)

G — Amari Bailey, Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) 6-4
F — Emoni Bates, Lincoln (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 6-8
G — Jaden Bradley, Cannon (Concord, N.C.) 6-2
F — Andre Casey, Tinley Park (Ill.) 6-8
G — Skyy Clark, Heritage Christian, (Northridge, Calif.) 6-3
C — Donovan Clingan, Bristol Central (Bristol, Conn.) 6-10
G — Zion Cruz, Hudson Catholic (Hudson, N.J.) 6-3
F — Gradey Dick, Wichita Collegiate (Wichita, Kan.) 6-6
C — Lee Dort, North Dallas Adventist Academy (Richardson, Texas) 6-10
C — Jalen Duren, Roman Catholic (Philadelphia, Pa.) 6-9
F — Barry Dunning, McGill-Toolen (Mobile, Ala.) 6-7
G — Keyonte George, Lewisville (Texas) 6-3
G — Rylan Griffen, Richardson (Texas) 6-4
G — Bryce Griggs, Fort Bend Hightower (Missouri City, Texas) 6-1
G — Sterling “Scoota” Henderson, Kell (Marietta, Ga.) 6-2 G
G — Trejuan Holloman, Cretin-Derham Hall (St. Paul, Minn.) 6-0
G — Jalen Hood-Schifino, Combine Academy (Lincolnton, N.C.) 6-4
F — Caleb Houstan, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-7
G — Ricky “Pop Pop” Isaacs Jr., Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah) 6-2
F — Kamari Lands, La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.) 6-7
G — Desean Lecque, Desert Vista (Phoenix, Ariz.) 6-0
G — Chris Livingston, Western Reserve Academy (Hudson, Ohio) 6-5
G — Fletcher Loyer, Clarkston (Clarkston, Mich.) 6-4
F — Mark Mitchell, Bishop Miege (Shawnee Mission, Kan.) 6-8
G — Ben Roy, Manasquan (N. J.) 6-1
G — Bruce Thornton, Milton (Ga.) 6-2
G — Milos Uzan, Desert Pines (Las Vegas, Nev.) 6-5
F — Jarace Walker, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) 6-6
G — Chance Westry, Trinity (Camp Hill, Pa.) 6-5
F — Kijani Wright, Windward (Los Angeles, Calif.)

2020 National Sophomore of the Year: Emoni Bates

Freshmen to Watch (2023)

F — Omaha Biliew, Dowling Catholic (West Des Moines, Iowa) 6-7
G — Kanaan Carlyle, Milton (Ga.) 6-1
F — Kwame Evans, Poly (Baltimore, Md.) 6-8
C — Baye Fall, Lutheran (Parker, Col.) 6-10
F — Rayvon Griffith, Taft (Cincinnati, Ohio) 6-6
F — Matthew Bewley, Northeast (Oakland Park, Fla.) 6-9
F — Amani Hansberry, St. John’s (Washington, D.C.) 6-7
G — Jaylen Jones, East Nashville (Nashville, Tenn.) 5-9
C — Jalen Lewis, Bishop O’Dowd (Oakland, Calif.) 6-8
G — Chris Lockett, Newman (New Orleans, La.) 6-4
F — Mackenzie Mgbako, Gill St. Bernard (Gladstone, N.J.) 6-7
F — Dennis Parker, John Marshall (Richmond, Va.) 6-6
G — Mike Price, Crespi (Encino, Calif.) 6-1
G — D.J. Wagner, Camden (N.J.) 6-2
G — Mikey Williams, San Ysidro (Calif.) 6-3

2020 National Freshman of the Year: D.J. Wagner

National Coach of the Year: Thomas Ryan, Dorman (Roebuck, S.C.).

Related: 2019-20 All-American Elite Team | 2019-20 Mr. Basketball USA: Cade Cunningham | 2019-20 Class Players of the Year

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

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

The post 2019-20 Underclass All-American Elite Team appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

RELATED: All-Time Mr. Basketball USA Winners | Final 2018-19 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker | 2019-20 Mr. Basketball USA Handicap

Plenty of concrete factors go into an individual award such as high school basketball national player of the year, but sometimes talent level just rises to the top above everything else. Sheer talent went a long way in determining the top national player of the year candidates in the preseason 2019-20 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker powered by www.ebooksnet.com.

The evidence is clear when taking a look at the recruiting player rankings for the most credible and visible networks (ESPN.com, Rivals.com, 247Sports.com) and comparing them to the 2019-20 preseason ballots of the 10-man Mr. Basketball USA Tracker panel of national scouts (see footer below). As the 2019-20 season tips off around the country, the No. 1 recruit in each network's latest 2020 rankings is the top vote-getter. Evan Mobley, the go-to player for Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.), the No. 21 team in the preseason FAB 50 National Team Rankings, is the leading vote-getter for the nation's most prestigious individual honor and one of only two players among 18 candidates to appear on all ten ballots. The 7-footer headed to USC collected 95 points, appearing in first or second place on all but one ballot, to best 6-foot-6 senior point guard Cade Cunningham of FAB 50 No. 2 Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) by five points (90).

Mobley and Cunningham dominated the preseason balloting, as they occupied the top two spots on all but two ballots. Mobley received six first-place votes and one third-place vote, Cunningham received three first-place votes and one fifth-place vote. It should come as no surprise since Cunningham is considered the No. 2 prospect in the 2020 class behind Mobley. The Oklahoma St.-bound Cunningham used a terrific spring and summer to push Mobley for the top spot with his skill, play-making and simple approach to the game as a big point guard.

The only other player to receive a preseason first-place vote was 6-foot point guard Sharife Cooper of preseason FAB 50 No. 10 McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.), last season's National Junior Player of the Year over Mobley after leading the Indians to a 32-0 record and No. 2 final FAB 50 ranking in 2018-19. Cooper, who appeared on five total ballots and comes in fifth-place overall to begin the season, impacts winning at the high school level as much as any player, so it will be interesting to see how his candidacy grows if McEachern continues to rack up victories.

"Cunningham and (Jalen) Johnson are the biggest challengers to Mobley," said panel member Frank Burlison of BulisonOnBasketball.com. "Another unbeaten state title run gets Cooper in the hunt, as well."

Jalen Green of Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.), who came in third-place, is still 36 points behind Cunningham. The explosive shooting guard appeared on six ballots, including four where he came in No. 3 on each.

"Evan Mobley and Cade Cunningham...take your pic...Cunningham deserves it now based on what he did this summer, but in terms of ability and long-term potential, Mobley is that guy,” said panel member Clark Francis of the Hoop Scoop. "There is no right or wrong answer on that.

"Jalen Green deserves to be No. 3. He took it to another level at Peach Jam and Vegas, so he deserves some credit. And those are the three, but Green is not better than Cunningham and Mobley at this point. The other guys I voted for are not in the class of the top three. I’m surprised Terrence Clark is No. 4 (in the balloting). I think from a rankings standpoint, he would have been better to stay in the junior class. Jonathan Kuminga is a feast or famine guy, too. Cunningham gets it done every time.”

In last year's preseason, six players received first-place votes, so going into 2019-20 it's evident the other 16 top national player of the year candidates have their work cut out for them to be mentioned in the same breath as the nation's top two 2020 prospects. A majority of the top candidates over the years played for winning programs and had the opportunity to perform against other quality teams and players, and this season is no different. Mobley and Cunningham will also play in high-profile games and have an opportunity to show the country why they are so highly-regarded.

If Mobley leads his team to a CIF Southern Section and/or CIF state open championship, or if Cunningham leads Montverde Academy back to the top of the FAB 50 and a GEICO Nationals championship, will any other candidate stand a chance?

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

Editor's Note: Click on the "+" sign next to each player's number to view how many first, second, third or fourth place votes he got and his overall point total.

Rank	Prev.	Name	High School	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Total
1	3	Evan Mobley (10)	Rancho Christian (CA)	6	3	1	0	95
2	12T	Cade Cunningham (10)	Montverde Academy (FL)	3	6	0	0	90
3	23T	Jalen Green (6)	Prolific Prep (CA)	0	0	4	1	44
4	NR	Terrence Clark (5)	Brewster Academy	0	0	2	1	34
5	6	Sharife Cooper (4)	McEachern (GA)	1	0	1	2	30
6T	NR	Emoni Bates (5)	Lincoln (MI)	0	0	0	1	27
6T	16T	Jalen Johnson (4)	IMG Academy (FL)	0	0	1	1	27
6T	21T	Jonathan Kuminga (4)	Patrick School (NJ)	0	1	1	0	27
9	NR	Jalen Suggs (4)	Minnehaha Academy (MN)	0	0	0	0	20
10	NR	Josh Christopher (3)	Mayfair (CA)	0	0	0	1	17
11	NR	Ziaire Williams (3)	Sierra Canyon (CA)	0	0	0	1	16
12	NR	Paolo Banchero (3)	O'Dea (WA)	0	0	0	1	15
13	NR	Scottie Barnes (2)	Montverde Academy (FL)	0	0	0	1	13
14	NR	Chet Holmgren (2)	Minnehaha Academy (MN)	0	0	0	1	12
15	19T	Patrick Baldwin (2)	Hamilton (WI)	0	0	0	0	9
16	NR	Day'Ron Sharpe (1)	Montverde Academy (FL)	0	0	0	0	6
17T	17T	Greg Brown (1)	Vandegrift (TX)	0	0	0	0	4
17T	NR	Jeremy Roach (1)	Paul VI (VA)	0	0	0	0	4

About Mr. 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 last season's final tracker.

The post Evan Mobley Tops Preseason POY Tracker! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

RELATED: Preseason East Region Top 20 | Preseason Southeast Region Top 20  | Preseason Midwest Region Top 20 | Preseason Southwest Region Top 20 | Preseason West Region Top 20 | Preseason 2018-19 FAB 50 (1-15) | Preseason 2018-19 FAB 50 (16-30) | Preseason 2018-19 FAB 50 (31-50)

During the regular season, www.ebooksnet.com will publish the Mr. Basketball USA Tracker, an inside look at the nation’s top on-court high school performers, according to a panel made up of 10 high school basketball and recruiting experts, including six McDonald’s All-American selection committee members.

Every season, the race for national player of the year is affected by factors such as team talent level (or lack thereof), injury or ineligibility. While those factors can fluctuate, there are three concrete factors that play a role in each season in the national player of the year race. With the season jumping off, we decided to break down the criteria and give some insight on the selection process. What separates the winner from other strong candidates?

Talent level

This is the most important factor. The winner must possess the skills to make an immediate impact on the college level. Nearly all past winners projected as NBA players, but not all of them start the ascension to player of the year candidate from the same point.

For instance, take the case of 1997 winner Tracy McGrady compared to runner-up Lamar Odom. As an underclassman, McGrady was a non-descript forward at Auburndale (Fla.). He wasn't on anyone's national radar prior to the summer  of 1996 when he attended the ABCD Camp before transferring to Mount Zion (Durham, N.C.), whereas Odom was one of the nation's best players since his sophomore year at Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.).

Of the 57 eventual Mr. Basketball USA choices, only two did not go on to log NBA minutes: forward Bill Raftery of St. Cecelia's (Kearney, N.J.) in 1959 and Damon Bailey of North Lawrence (Bedford, Ind.) in 1990.

Team Success

Of course, talented players can't always control the talent level surrounding them, but they can control their effort and help their team win. Leading a FAB 50-ranked team and helping it win a state title is a significant factor. Those teams generally play tough competition, which nowadays means the candidate's team challenged itself against competition from outside its region.

In 2010, Jared Sullinger of Northland (Columbus, Ohio) led the nation's No. 1 ranked team before the Vikings were stunned 71-45 in the Ohio regional playoffs by an unranked team. The other top candidate that season, fellow Ballislife All-Decade selection Harrison Barnes of Ames (Iowa), led his team to a 27-0 record and No. 10 final FAB 50 rating. If Barnes' team would have lost even one game, or if Sullinger's team would have won the state title and finished No. 1 in the country, the Mr. Basketball USA panel might have voted in favor of Sullinger over Barnes.

Many of the 10 experts on the tracker panel weigh this factor nearly as much as individual talent, while others don't penalize individual talent and production should that player's team fall a bit short of its goals.

Head-to-head comparisons

This doesn't happen often, but it's a factor that can't be overlooked. In 2011, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist of St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.) and Austin Rivers of Winter Park (Fla.), played against each other on national television. St. Patrick won 75-66.

Gilchrist scored 21 points and grabbed nine rebounds and had the stronger supporting cast. In the balloting the week following that game, the panel didn't penalize Rivers much, if at all. He did score 38 points to keep his team within striking range.

Gilchrist was the eventual Mr. Basketball USA choice, but what if Rivers had scored 38 points in a Winter Park victory?

State and National Records

Raftery and Bailey never played in the NBA, but they have something else in common: both enjoyed record-breaking prep careers for winning programs.

Raftery scored 827 points in 1959, then a New Jersey single-season state scoring record. Bailey lived up to the tremendous hype that Hoosier Hysteria created around him. Bailey averaged 31.3 points per game as a senior for a state title-winning team in the Indiana single-class tournament. His team finished ranked No. 15 in the National Prep Poll (FAB 50 precursor) and he finished with 3,134 career points, a state record.

It’s not hard for respected scouts to pick out the nation’s best players, but it’s never easy to predict how the season will play out or forecast the one national player of the year award that is truly based on season on-court performance.

For now, we present some of the eligible candidates who figure to factor in the 2019-20 Mr. Basketball USA race.

The Early Mr. Basketball USA Favorites
(listed alphabetically)

Emoni Bates, Lincoln (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 6-8 Soph.

Why He Could Win: The 6-foot-8 forward with a sweet shooting touch was so impressive in leading Lincoln to the MHSAA D1 state title he was named D1 state player of the year by the Associated Press and Gatorade State Player of the Year as a freshman. Bates led Lincoln to the D1 state crown by scoring 23 points in a 64-62 victory over University of Detroit Jesuit. It’s pretty safe to say Lincoln wouldn’t have been in position to win a state crown without Bates, as he had 31 points and 14 rebounds in a 72-56 state semifinal win over Howell and hit two game-winning post-season shots. For the season, Bates averaged 28.7 points and 10.2 rebounds. Simply put, he's one of the most talented players in the country regardless of class.

Why He Wouldn’t: It could be argued junior Sharife Cooper was the most productive player in the country last season, but he didn't get the recognition from the panel that he likely deserved based on individual numbers and team success. The panel traditionally tends to favor seniors for Mr. Basketball USA honors, unless the player is a generational prospect (LeBron James, Lew Alcindor, etc.). Simply being a sophomore could hurt Bates' candidacy, as no tenth-grader has ever been named national player of the year going back to 1955. James was the last one to even be in the running back in 2001.

Sharife Cooper, McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) 6-0 Sr. 

Why He Could Win: He controls the outcome of games as much as any player in the country, and his high school team wins. A leader and clutch shot maker who can get to any spot on the floor, Cooper averaged 28.1 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 8.2 apg and 4.0 spg as a junior and was named MVP of the City of Palms Tournament and the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions as the Indians finished 32-0 and No. 2 in the FAB 50.

Why He Wouldn’t: Cooper earned first five All-American status as a junior after the Indians went unbeaten against one of the best schedules in the country. He was the only underclassman to make the first five, but despite his ultra-impressive season, Cooper was No. 6 in last year's final balloting. McEachern begins at No. 10 in the preseason FAB 50, but if the Indians don't have as much team success, will Cooper be penalized? Will he be judged on this season's merits, or will his senior season be judged by what happened last season? The latter could hurt him.

Cade Cunningham, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-7 Sr. 

Why He Could Win: He is the best all-around player on a team that could end up being the nation's best. A recent Oklahoma St. pledge, Cunningham finished tied for No. 12 in last year's final tracker, but had a big-time summer travel season, pushing Evan Mobley for the No. 1 overall prospect tag with his terrific approach to the game as a big guard. Cunningham plays for a team that will get tons of national exposure, he’ll have the ball in his hands and he impacts winning basketball.

Why He Wouldn’t: Cunningham averaged 25.1 ppg, 6.6 rpg and 5.2 apg for the Texas Titans on the EYBL circuit and enters the 2019-20 season with great momentum. On his high school team, his individual numbers have not been so gaudy and for good reason: Montverde Academy has one of the most talented rosters in high school basketball and there is simply no need, as the focus is winning not individual accolades. Last season, Cunningham averaged 11.4 ppg, 5.7 rpg, and 5.5 apg for a team that finished No. 4 in the FAB 50. If he has similar numbers as a senior, will it be enough for the panelists to put him No. 1 on their ballots should Montverde Academy live up to preseason expectations? Another top candidate could have monster individual numbers that could sway the panel.

Jalen Green, Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) 6-4 Sr.

Why He Could Win: Arguably the most explosive guard in the country, Green is productive and plays at the high level necessary to earn national player of the year honors. Green earned Cal-Hi Sports State Sophomore of the Year honors in 2017-18 after averaging 27.9 ppg at San Joaquin Memorial (Fresno, Calif.) and upped his overall production as a junior to 31.1 ppg, 7.8 rpg, and 3.6 apg while shooting 63 percent from the field as the Panthers won their second consecutive CIF Central Section D2 crown. He was named a second team All-American (along with Bates, Cunningham, Jalen Johnson, and Jalen Suggs), but finished only tied for No. 23 in the final balloting. It will be important for him and his team to get off to a hot start.

Why He Wouldn’t: At San Joaquin Memorial last season, he was edged for State Junior Player of the Year honors by Evan Mobley and being in the same state/region, the panel could look at an individual comparison between the two (based more on long-term potential) instead of judging him on his individual merits against the field of candidates. Green is in a similar boat to Johnson in that his role will somewhat change joining an independent program that has a lot more size and depth than the school he played at as an underclassmen. Will the transfer hurt or help his candidacy?

Jalen Johnson, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) 6-8 Sr.

Why He Could Win: IMG Academy begins at No. 1 in the FAB 50 and Johnson could emerge as its top honors candidate. Last season at Nicolet (Glendale, Wis.), Johnson was named The A.P. State Player of the Year and a second team All-American after averaging 19.7 ppg, 11.7 rpg and 5.9 apg for the WIAA D2 state champs. His team finished 27-1 and No. 24 in the FAB 50, and Johnson finished tied for No. 16 in the final 2018-19 balloting. Johnson has the necessary talent and will get the necessary exposure to move up in the balloting.

Why He Wouldn’t: Similar to Cunningham, Johnson plays with plenty of talent around him, as he joins the defending FAB 50 national champions after it graduated three McDonald’s All-American players. The Ascenders are the deepest team in the country, so Johnson won’t always have to be the player to shine or compile gaudy statistics for IMG to win. That could possibly hurt him, or a teammate such as point guard Jaden Springer (the standout in last year's GEICO Nationals run) could emerge as the Ascenders' top candidate. He isn't likely to post the stats he did at Nicolet, as Johnson will have a slightly different role on a team with four players 6-foot-10 or taller.

Evan Mobley, Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.) 7-0 Sr.

Why He Could Win: For a portion of last season, this talented seven-footer was in the thick of the Mr. Basketball USA race alongside honoree Isaiah Stewart and runner-up Cole Anthony. The agile center with great patience and a high skill level averaged 19.2 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 4.7 bpg, and 3.3 apg and bolstered his All-American candidacy with a 13-point, 3-block performance in a win over Memphis East and first five All-American James Wiseman. He's is simply that good of a high school player and will have plenty of opportunity to display his talents against a demanding schedule.

Why He Wouldn’t: Mobley finished No. 3 in the final balloting last year behind Stewart and Anthony, but his candidacy suffered when the Eagles underachieved in sectional and regional play. Rancho Christian finished No. 39 in the FAB 50 at 25-6 and for some panelists that might have been disappointing since team expectations were so high. It would definitely help Mobley's candidacy is the Eagles move up from their preseason No. 21 position and win the CIF Southern Section and/or CIF state open championship.

Jalen Suggs, Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis, Minn.) 6-3 Sr.

Why He Could Win: Suggs is one of the best athletes in the country, as he’s a highly-regarded prep signal-caller in football and was named our national class player of the year as a freshman and sophomore. Suggs averaged 24.2 ppg as a junior playing alongside elite 2021 prospect Chet Holmgren (18.6 ppg) and together they form one of the best 1-2 punches in the country.

Why He Wouldn’t: Even though he's been considered one of the very best players in the 2020 class since his freshman campaign, Suggs wasn’t mentioned as a serious national Junior Player of the Year candidate last season because of the emergence of Mobley and the terrific campaign of Cooper, so he has some ground to make up. Minnehaha Academy begins at No. 14 in the FAB 50 and could challenge for the highest FAB 50 ranking ever for a Minnesota team (No. 11), but Suggs’ candidacy will be heavily dependent on his performance on January 4 versus No. 6 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) because the MSHSL limits travel for its member schools. What is he doesn't have a big game or Minehaha Academy loses big? It could very well be that Holmgren emerges as the team's top honors candidate.

OTHER SENIOR CANDIDATES
FROM STRONG PROGRAMS

F — Jabri Abdir-Rahim, Blair Academy (Blairstown, N.J.) 6-7
G — Adrian “Ace” Baldwin, St. Frances (Baltimore, Md.) 6-0
F — Scottie Barnes, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-8
G — Reece Beekman, Scotlandville (Baton Rouge, La.) 6-2
F — Brandon Boston, Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) 6-6
F — Greg Brown III, Vandegrift (Austin, Texas) 6-8
F — Jaemyn Brakefield, Huntington Prep (Huntington, W.V.) 6-8
G — Josh Christopher, Mayfair (Lakewood, Calif.) 6-4
F — Terrence Clarke, Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.) 6-6
G — Jalen Cook, Landry Walker (New Orleans, La.) 6-0
G — Andre Curbelo, Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head N. Y.) 6-0
G — Jyare Davis, Sanford School (Hockessin, Del.) 6-7
G — R.J. Davis, Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.) 6-1
C — Hunter Dickinson, DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) 7-2
G — Noah Farrakhan, Patrick School (Elizabeth, N.J.) 6-2
F — Cam’Ron Fletcher, Vashon (St. Louis, Mo.) 6-7
F — P.J. Hall, Dorman (Roebuck, S.C.) 6-9
F — Keon Johnson, The Webb School (Bell Buckle, Tenn.) 6-5
G — Caleb Love, Christian Brothers College (St. Louis, Mo.) 6-3
G — Tristan Maxwell, North Mecklenburg (Charlotte, N.C.) 6-3
G — Carson McCorkle, Greensboro Day (Greensboro, N. C.) 6-4
F — Adam Miller, Morgan Park (Chicago, Ill.) 6-4
G — Ethan Morton, Butler Area (Butler, Pa.) 6-5
G — Dashien Nix, Trinity International (Las Vegas, Nev.) 6-4
C — Cliff Omoruyi, Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.) 6-11
F — Micah Peavy, Duncanville (Texas) 6-7
G — Jeremy Roach, Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) 6-2
G — Samson Ruzhentsev, Hamilton Heights (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 6-8
C — Day’Ron Sharpe, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-9
F — Mady Sissoko, Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah) 6-9
G — Deivon Smith, Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) 6-1
G — Jaden Springer, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) 6-3
G — D.J. Steward, Whitney Young (Chicago, Ill.) 6-4
G — Cam Thomas, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 6-3
F — J.T. Thor, Norcross (Norcross, Ga.)
G — Bryce Thompson, Booker T. Washington (Tulsa, Okla.) 6-5
F — Earl Timberlake, DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) 6-6
F — Isaiah Todd, Word of God (Raleigh, N.C.) 6-9
F — Terrence Williams, Gonzaga (Washington, D. C.) 6-6

IMPACT JUNIORS

F — Trey Alexander, Heritage Hall (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 6-4
G — Devin Askew, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) 6-4
F — Patrick Baldwin Jr., Hamilton (Sussex, Wis.) 6-8
C — Nate Bittle, Crater (Central Point, Ore.) 6-11
F — Kendall Brown, Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Air, Kan.) 6-7
G — Kennedy Chandler, Briarcrest Christian (Eads, Tenn.) 6-1
F — Paolo Banchero, O’Dea (Seattle, Wash.) 6-9
F — Max Christie, Rolling Meadows (Rolling Meadows, Ill.) 6-6
G — Zaon Collins, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) 6-1
G — Rashool Diggins, Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.) 6-1
C — Michael Foster Jr., Hillcrest Prep (Phoenix) 6-8
G — Wendell Green Jr., La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.) 5-11
G — Adrian Griffin Jr., Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.) 6-4
G — Jaden Hardy, Coronado (Henderson, Nev.) 6-4
G — Zion Harmon, Marshall County (Benton, Ky.) 5-11
G — Chucky Hepburn, Bellevue West (Bellevue, Neb.) 6-1
C — Chet Holgrem, Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis, Minn.) 7-0
F — Daron Holmes, Millennium (Goodyear, Ariz.) 6-9
F — Harrison Ingram, St. Mark’s (Dallas, Texas) 6-7
F — Will Jeffress, McDowell (Erie, Pa.) 6-6
G — Jackie Johnson, Wichita Southeast (Wichita, Kan.) 5-10
G — Trevor Keels, Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) 6-5
F — Jonathan Kuminga, Patrick School (Elizabeth, N.J.) 6-8
F — Aminu Mohammed, Greenwood Laboratory (Springfield, Mo.) 6-5
F — Trey Patterson, Rutgers Prep (Somerset, N.J.) 6-7
G — Daeshon Ruffin, Callaway (Jackson, Miss.) 5-9
F — Jabari Smith, Sandy Creek (Tyrone, Ga.) 6-8

IMPACT SOPHOMORES

G — Amari Bailey, Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) 6-4
G — Jaden Bradley, Cannon School (Concord, N.C.) 6-2
G — Jameel “Milzy” Brown, Haverford School (Haverford, Pa.) 6-1
G — Zion Cruz, Hudson Catholic (Hudson, N.J.) 6-3
C — Lee Dort, North Dallas Adventist Academy (Dallas, Texas) 6-10
C — Jalen Duren, Roman Catholic (Philadelphia, Pa.) 6-9
G — Bryce Griggs, Fort Bend Hightower (Missouri City, Texas) 6-1
G — Richard "Pop Pop" Isaacs Jr., Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah) 6-1
G — Chris Livingston, Buchtel (Akron, Ohio) 6-5
G — Knasir “Dug” McDaniel, Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) 5-9
G — Aidan Mahaney, Campolindo (Moraga, Calif.) 6-2
F — Tai Manning, Grandview (Mo.) 6-6
F — Mark Mitchell, Bishop Miege (Shawnee Mission, Kan.) 6-6
G — M.J. Rice, Durham Academy (Durham, N.C.) 6-5
F — Perry Smith Jr., Legacy Early College (Greenville, S.C.) 6-8
F — Jarace Walker, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) 6-6
F — Jordan Walsh, Faith Family Academy (Dallas, Texas) 6-6
F — Kijani Wright, Windward (Los Angeles, Calif.) 6-8

*Editor's note: Listed alphabetically; The Mr. Basketball USA honor is based on high school accomplishment, not future college/pro potential. www.ebooksnet.com does not knowingly select fifth-year players, and those ineligible due to age or academics, as Mr. Basketball USA or to the various All-American teams it publishes.

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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RELATED:  Final Mr. Basketball USA Tracker | All-Time Honorees | 2018-19 Elite All-American Team | 2018-19 Underclass All-American Team

There were trends broken and first occurrences when it came to determining the nation's best high school basketball player for 2018-19. Sure, having tremendous individual talent remains paramount and if history is any indication, this year's top player will one day soon play in the NBA.

For the first time in five years, the nation's top individual honor does not come off the roster of the mythical FAB 50 national championship team. This year's honoree also hails from a program that has emerged as a FAB 50 power over the past five years and for the first time produced the national player of the year.

That player is 6-foot-9 power forward Isaiah Stewart of La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.) and today he is honored with the title of 2018-19 Mr. Basketball USA.

La Lumiere came up one game short of its ultimate goal of capturing the FAB 50 national title, losing in the GEICO Nationals championship game to IMG Academy (Brandenton, Fla.), 66-55, to finish No. 3 in the FAB 50 at 30-1. Despite the Lakers coming up one game short of an unbeaten championship season, the loss didn't deter the 10-man Mr. Basketball USA Tracker panel from rewarding Stewart with a much deserved prestigious individual accolade.

Stewart is first player ever from the emerging FAB 50 national power that operates as a "boarding day school" to earn the title of Mr. Basketball USA. He's headed to Washington, and is the second Mr. Basketball USA honoree to sign with a Pac-12 program in four years. In 2016, Chino Hills (Calif.) point guard Lonzo Ball signed with UCLA, as did Shabazz Muhammad coming out of Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) in 2012. In 2017, Mr. Basketball USA honoree Michael Porter Jr. of Nathan Hale (Seattle, Wash.) originally committed to Washington, but after Lorenzo Romar was fired and his dad was hired as an assistant at the University of Missouri, Porter changed his commitment.

Washington head coach Mike Hopkins is getting one of the best competitors in high school basketball we've evaluated in recent years. The Rochester, N.Y. native drew raves all season long for his competitiveness, toughness and impact on winning from coaches and peers alike. For the season, Stewart averaged 18.1 ppg, 11.3 rpg and over 3 blocks while shooting 60 percent from the field for one of the nation's top teams. He also imposed his will on many top opponents, wearing them down in the second half or fourth quarter with his relentless inside work on both ends of the floor.

“After playing against La Lumiere twice this year and coaching Isaiah Stewart in the Jordan Brand Classic, I feel that he is the player of the year in high school basketball," said Grant Rice, Muhammad's coach at Bishop Gorman whose program enters 2019-20 with eight consecutive NIAA state titles under its belt. "Not only does he put up big numbers each game, but he’s a winner and leader on and off the court. He plays as hard as anyone I’ve coached against over the years."

The only other candidate to receive strong consideration for this year's honor was 6-foot-3 point guard Cole Anthony of national power Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.). In the final Mr. Basketball USA Tracker, the North Carolina recruit and son of former NBA guard Greg Anthony was the only other candidate to appear on all 10 ballots. Anthony, who averaged 18.5 ppg, 10.1 rpg and 10.2 apg for the No. 10 team in the FAB 50, recorded four first-place votes, one second-place vote, two third-place, one fourth-place and two fifth-place votes. Stewart gobbled up the other six first place votes.

Anthony actually made the race compelling to the very end and would have been a credible winner this season and in many others, as well. Even though he battled injuries during Oak Hill's regular season, he closed strong. The explosive point guard finished with 14 points, on 7-of-11 shooting, five rebounds, seven assists, and two blocks in the McDonald's All-American Game. He also starred at the Nike Hoop Summit (25 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists) and at the Jordan Brand Classic (25 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists) and was named team MVP at all three events. Panelist Jerry Meyer of 247Sports.com calls Anthony the best point guard prospect he's seen in the past 15 years covering basketball for a major recruiting network.

Stewart was also impressive on the post-season all-star circuit. He went for 16 points on 8-of-11 shooting and five rebounds at McDonald's and for 16 points and nine rebounds at the Jordan Brand Classic. It doesn't always happen, but there was an also a rare head-to-head in-season matchup of the top two candidates and that's where Stewart likely gained his edge.

La Lumiere and Oak Hill Academy played in the GEICO Nationals semifinals and the game came down to the last play, as a corner 3-pointer by Oak Hill's Cam Thomas was just off, as the Lakers held on for a 58-57 victory. Stewart finished with 16 points and 14 rebounds, including the one that came off the rim on Thomas' attempt as the horn sounded, as La Lumiere survived an onslaught of close range Oak Hill shot attempts in the game's closing minutes. Anthony finished with 11 points and eight assists, but missed 12 of 16 shots from the field, as the Warriors made 24-of-67 shots from the field. If just a few more of those Oak Hill shots go down, would Anthony be the recipient? The race was that close.

For now, however, Stewart leaves to Washington as a player who left his indelible mark on La Lumiere's program. The Lakers' coaching staff has nothing but praise for Stewart as he begins his next journey from Indiana to the Pacific Northwest.

"We are extremely excited for Isaiah for the hard work he's put in to get to this stage in his career," said La Lumiere head coach Pat Holmes. "He wants to be challenged and coached and doesn't want it sugar coated."

It's quite an honor and accomplishment to be named national player of the year, but Holmes and his staff is not exactly shocked by Stewart's standing and accolades after transferring to La Lumiere following his sophomore season at McQuad Jesuit (Rochester, N.Y.).

"Not really, he always finds a way to impact the game and always plays his butt off," Holmes said when asked if he was surprised by the announcement of Stewart as Mr. Basketball USA. "He imposes his will the whole game, never backs down, never goes into a game thinking we will lose. That mentality is contagious throughout the team."

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 Isaiah Stewart Named Mr. Basketball USA! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

RELATED: All-Time Mr. Basketball USA Winners | GEICO Nationals Breakdown | Latest FAB 50 National Rankings | GEICO Nationals All-Time Records  | GEICO Nationals Bracket/TV Listings

As the season winds down, the elite performers have separated themselves from the pack in the latest 2018-19 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker powered by www.ebooksnet.com. The race for the prestigious national honor was wide open in the preseason and during the regular season, but with only GEICO Nationals and the national all-star game circuit to complete, the list of legitimate national player of the year candidates has trimmed down and the top candidates are now in focus.

In the last go-around, 22 candidates received recognition from the 10-man Mr. Basketball USA Tracker panel, but in the latest voting results, 17 players made the cut as legitimate candidates. While no candidate appeared on all 10 ballots in the previous tracker, the top two candidates heading down the stretch are on the radar of the entire panel. Fittingly, their seasons are not complete yet and what transpires in the next few weeks could swing the votes in favor of the eventual winner.

Those two players are point guard, Cole Anthony of FAB 50 No. 17 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) and power forward Isaiah Stewart of No. 1 La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.). Both Anthony and Stewart appeared on 10 ballots (no other player appeared on more than eight) with Anthony leading the way with 84 total points, four points more than the Washington-bound Stewart. Anthony, still undecided for college, garnered four of the 10 first-place votes and two other second-place votes, while Stewart had two first-place and two second place votes among his 80 total points.

Cole Anthony is averaging a triple double this season. 17.8 PPG, 10 RPG, 10 APG ?? Can he lead Oak Hill to #GEICONationals championship next week? @The_ColeAnthony pic.twitter.com/5ARB4Y3e6H

— www.ebooksnet.com (@Ballislife) March 29, 2019

In the previous tracker, Anthony tied with junior center Evan Mobley of FAB 50 No. 39 Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.) for first place, but Anthony's performance at the 42nd annual McDonald's All-American Game and the early exit for Mobley's team in the post-season caused changed at the top of the voting results. Mobley appeared on eight ballots and only dropped a single option overall (from 64 to 63), but Anthony and Stewart gained traction and gobbled up many of the points that previously went to fringe candidates to take control of the race.

Mobley might be the top long-term prospect of the entire group, but he's done for the season, while Anthony and Stewart used McDonald's to propel their candidacy. The point guard matchup between the East's Anthony and the West's Nico Mannion of FAB 50 No. 47 Pinnacle (Phoenix, Ariz.) was one of the most highly-anticipated matchups of the prestigious all-star game. Mannion (who was one of five candidates to receive a first-place vote) played well during McDonald's practices, but the East club dominated the scrimmage and when the bright lights came on in the nationally-televised game, Anthony put his stamp on the game from the onset with his explosiveness and pin-point passing and took home the McDonald's Most Valuable Player award. The son of former NBA point guard Greg Anthony finished with 14 points on 7-of-11 shooting, five rebounds, seven assists, two blocks and zero assists.

Stewart, a recruiting gem for Mike Hopkins at Washington, was arguably the most productive and competitive player from start to finish at McDonald's. He had a competitive battle with seven-foot James Wiseman of Memphis East (Memphis, Tenn.), who had one first-place vote and 47 points overall, and was one of the most impressive performers in the game, finishing with 16 points on 8-of-11 shooting and five rebounds in the East's 115-110 victory. Stewart is the ringleader for the nation's No. 1 ranked team, averaging 18.1 ppg, 11.3 rpg and 2.9 bpg and looking to lead the Lakers to a GEICO Nationals championship this week in New York City.

"He's the best low-post player in the country and out played Wiseman at McDonald's," said tracker panelist and McDonald's All-American committee member Frank Burlison of BurlisonOnBasketball.com. "He's certainly a worthy national player of the year candidate and should be an instant 17 ppg guy at Washington. If La Lumiere wins GEICO Nationals and is dominant, it will be hard to pick against him."

The top-seeded Lakers open with FAB 50 No. 25 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) on April 4 (2 pm ET, ESPNU) while fourth seeded Oak Hill Academy takes on No. 5 seed Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah) at 6 pm ET (ESPNU). If Stewart leads La Lumiere to the GEICO Nationals title, will that propel him in front of Anthony in the Mr. Basketball USA race? Or if Anthony has a big opening game and leads Oak Hill to the semifinals or title game, will his performances be enough to hold off Stewart and the other top candidates?

"We have only lost one game when our team was at full strength," Oak Hill Academy coach Steve Smith said. "Cole didn't play in two of our four losses. He's healthy now, and I like our chances in the GEICO Nationals. It's obviously, one game at a time, but he's the best player in the tournament. He facilitates for our team, and when he's on his game, we will be an extremely tough out."

Similar to the race for the No. 1 spot in the FAB 50, it looks like the most prestigious individual honor in the country will be decided by what happens on the court all the way until the very end and that's an exciting development because often times the honoree is quite obvious by this time in the season.

Make sure to tune into the ESPN family of networks April 4-6 to catch GEICO Nationals and stay logged in to www.ebooksnet.com to track the progress of the nation's top individual players and the nation’s Top teams.

Editor's Note: Click on the "+" sign next to each player's number to view how many first, second, third or fourth place votes he got and his overall point total.

Rank	Prev.	Name	High School	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Total
1	1T	Cole Anthony (10)	Oak Hill (VA)	4	2	2	0	84
2	3	Isaiah Stewart (10)	La Lumiere (IN)	2	2	3	2	80
3	1T	Evan Mobley (8)	Rancho Christian (CA)	2	2	1	0	63
4	7	James Wiseman (7)	Memphis East (TN)	1	0	1	2	47
5	4	Anthony Edwards (6)	Holy Spirit (GA)	0	1	0	3	38
6	5	Vernon Carey (5)	University School (FL)	0	1	0	1	31
7	8	Scottie Lewis (3)	Ranney School (NJ)	0	1	0	1	26
8	6	Sharife Cooper (3)	McEachern (GA)	0	1	1	0	23
9	9T	Precious Achiuwa (4)	Montverde Academy (FL)	0	0	1	0	22
10T	12T	Onyeka Okongwu (3)	Chino Hills (CA)	0	0	0	1	16
10T	16	Nico Mannion (2)	Pinnacle (AZ)	1	0	0	0	16
12	9T	Cade Cunningham (2)	Montverde Academy (FL)	0	0	0	0	12
13	11	Jaden McDaniels (2)	Federal Way (WA)	0	0	0	0	11
14	12T	Trendon Watford (1)	Mountain Brook (AL)	0	0	1	0	8
15	14T	Jalen Green (1)	San Joaquin Memorial (CA)	0	0	0	0	5
16T	NR	Dashien Nix (1)	Simply Fundamental (NV)	0	0	0	0	4
16T	18T	Khalil Whitney (1)	Roselle Catholic (NJ)	0	0	0	0	4

About Mr. 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 last season's final tracker.

The post Cole Anthony, Isaiah Stewart 1-2 In POY Race! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

RELATED: All-Time Mr. Basketball USA Winners | 2018-19 Preseason Tracker Results | Anthony Edwards Reclassifies To 2019 Class  | "In The Paint" Podcast Breaks Down Top Candidates 

Just as was the case in the preseason, 22 elite players received recognition as legitimate national player of the year candidates in the updated 2018-19 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker powered by www.ebooksnet.com. The results, however, show plenty of difference in terms of whom may win the prestigious honor and reflect just how wide open the race is. As many as seven players have a legitimate chance to join a Who's Who list in basketball as the nation's best high school basketball player for several reasons.

First, there is not one elite senior who is having monster season that is head and shoulders above the field such as NBA All-Star Ben Simmons did in 2015 for Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.). There is varying opinions on whom is the most talented player in the national 2019 class and that is clearly reflected in the 10-man tracker panel's voting results. Six players received first place votes with one, 7-foot junior Evan Mobley of FAB 50 No. 10 Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.), receiving three of them.

It also means the overall point totals for the top vote-getters are much lower overall. Over the years, the top vote-getter usually appeared on nine or all 10 ballots and hovered in the high 80s or low 90s (out of a possible 100 points). This time, however, the two players in first place received a total of 64 points and appeared on eight ballots. As a sign of the varying opinions of the elite players this season, 7-foot James Wiseman of Memphis East (Tenn.) received two first-place votes, but only appeared on one other ballot (seventh place) to tally 24 points. That combination of first place votes and total points has never been seen in the 12-year history of the Mr. Basketball USA Tracker.

"It's a tough vote since there aren't no brainer guys like (R.J.) Barrett, (Zion) Williamson, (DeAndre) Ayton, and (Marvin) Bagley that separate from the rest," said Van Coleman, COO of Global Sports Television, a long-time McDonalds All-American voter and tracker panelist. "This will need at least two more votes to get it right. Cole Anthony is trending downward and Evan Mobley upward and I'm not sure that before this is done, the juniors may be 1-2."

Coleman's comments regarding Anthony reflect the thinking of dominant stats and winning at a high level   are required to earn an honor such as this (Listen to "In The Paint" Podcast about factors that make top candidates). Anthony, arguably the nation's top point guard for Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson Va.), tied Mobley for first place in the voting with 64 points, down from his preseason positioning of 81 points. In the preseason, Anthony was the only candidate to appear on all ten ballots, but this time around he's on seven ballots. Anthony is averaging 18.7 ppg, 9.6 rpg and 10.1 apg, but the Warriors are not having the season quite expected of them and it will be interesting to see where Anthony falls in the next go around after FAB 50 No. 16 Oak Hill was shocked 80-72 by unranked Teays Valley Christian (Scott Depot, W. Va.) after the ballots were sent out and compiled.

The juniors Coleman was referring to that could surpass all the 2019 players with strong closings are Mobley, who is averaging 19.2 ppg, 11.5 rpg, 2.5 apg, and 5.5 bpg, and junior point guard Sharife Cooper, who has McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) sitting at No. 2 FAB 50 rankings with averages of 28 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 9.2 apg, and 4 spg while shooting at a 50-40-90 clip for an unbeaten club. Cooper's production on a team exceeding expectations is reflected in the voting, as he went from appearing on one ballot (seventh place) in the preseason to garnering 36 points and appearing on five ballots, including three third place votes.

Will Cooper and Mobley, one of three players to appear on eight ballots along with Anthony Edwards of Holy Spirit Prep (Atlanta, Ga.) and Isaiah Stewart of FAB 50 No. 1 La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.), continue to gain traction as the season concludes? Or will a player from the 2019 class stand up and take charge of the race? (Listen to our podcast on this topic)

It will be interesting to follow since only a few of the game's immortals (Jerry Lucas, Lew Alcindor, LeBron James) have been Mr. Baketball USA honorees as juniors.

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

Editor's Note: Click on the "+" sign next to each player's number to view how many first, second, third or fourth place votes he got and his overall point total.

Rank	Prev.	Name	High School	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Total
1T	3	Evan Mobley (8)	Rancho Christian (CA)	3	0	1	1	64
1T	1	Cole Anthony (8)	Oak Hill (VA)	2	4	1	0	64
3	5	Isaiah Stewart (8)	La Lumiere (IN)	1	2	0	1	59
4	4	Anthony Edwards (8)	Holy Spirit (GA)	1	1	1	2	56
5	2	Vernon Carey (6)	University School (FL)	0	1	2	2	44
6	20T	Sharife Cooper (5)	McEachern (GA)	0	0	3	0	36
7	6	James Wiseman (3)	Memphis East (TN)	2	0	0	0	24
8	14T	Scottie Lewis (3)	Ranney School (NJ)	1	0	0	2	19
9T	19	Cade Cunningham (3)	Montverde Academy (FL)	0	0	0	2	18
9T	10T	Precious Achiuwa (2)	Montverde Academy (FL)	0	2	0	0	18
11	7	Jaden McDaniels (2)	Federal Way (WA)	0	0	0	1	12
12T	9	Onyeka Okongwu (2)	Chino Hills (CA)	0	0	0	0	11
12T	NR	Trendon Watford (2)	Mountain Brook (AL)	0	0	0	1	11
14T	8	Jalen Green (2)	San Joaquin Memorial (CA)	0	0	0	0	9
14T	20T	Matthew Hurt (2)	Marshall (MN)	0	0	0	0	9
16	12T	Nico Mannion (1)	Pinnacle (AZ)	0	0	1	0	8
17	14T	Patrick Baldwin (1)	Hamilton (WI)	0	0	0	0	6
18T	NR	Greg Brown (1)	Vandergrift (TX)	0	0	0	0	5
18T	20T	Khalil Whitney (1)	Roselle Catholic (NJ)	0	0	0	0	5
20T	17T	R.J. Hampton (1)	Little Elm (TX)	0	0	0	0	4
20T	12T	Jonathan Kuminga (1)	Our Savior New American (NY)	0	0	0	0	4
20T	NR	Cassius Stanley (1)	Sierra Canyon (CA)	0	0	0	0	4

About Mr. 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 last season's final tracker.

The post Cole Anthony, Evan Mobley Lead Pack in WIDE OPEN POY Race! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

RELATED: All-Time Mr. Basketball USA Winners | Final 2017-18 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker | Anthony Edwards Reclassifies To 2019 Class

Plenty of factors go into an individual award such as high school basketball national player of the year and one of the biggest ones is opportunity. A majority of the top candidates over the years played for winning programs and had the opportunity to perform against other quality teams and players. Those two facts went a long way in determining the top national player of the year candidates in the preseason 2018-19 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker powered by www.ebooksnet.com.

The evidence is clear reviewing the 2018-19 preseason ballots of the 10-man Mr. Basketball USA Tracker panel of national scouts. As the 2018-19 season tips off, the most highly-regarded senior point guard on the nation's No. 2 ranked team in the preseason FAB 50 National Team Rankings is the top vote-getter over last season's National Junior of the Year. Cole Anthony, the top player for No. 2 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), is the leading vote-getter for the nation's most prestigious individual honor and the only player among 22 candidates to appear on all ten ballots. Anthony collected 81 points, including 20 points as the top vote-getter on two ballots, to best 6-foot-9 senior Vernon Carey of FAB 50 No. 5 University School (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) by seven points (74).

Carey was the only other player besides Anthony to appear on at least nine ballots and received the most first-place votes (four). There were six players who received a first-place vote: Carey, Anthony and one vote apiece for 7-foot junior Evan Mobley of FAB 50 No. 24 Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.), 6-foot-11 senior James Wiseman of FAB 50 No. 25 Memphis East (Memphis, Tenn.), 6-foot-5 junior Anthony Edwards of No. 35 Holy Spirit Prep (Atlanta), and 6-foot-8 Precious Achiuwa of FAB 50 No. 1 Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.).

In what could make for the most exciting Mr. Basketball USA race in recent memory, the Mr. Basketball Tracker panel has varying opinions on whom could emerge as the top player in the country after some recent season where it was a lot more obvious whom that player was (i.e. Ben Simmons in 2015). While all of the above mentioned candidates are impact players on nationally-ranked teams, only Anthony is a point guard and the panel is of the general consensus that his play is key in his team's success, which will ultimately impact his individual honors.

"First thing, Cole Anthony is very important to Oak Hill and the national schedule it plays," said panel member and McDonald's All-American voter Van Coleman, the TheBasketballChannel.net VP of Content who was one of four voters to place Carey No. 1. "He is going to have the ball in his hands, so there is an advantage there in terms of his potential production. He's going to have pressure, too, because it's up to him to get Oak Hill's other players involved and get them to perform at a level to be in the discussion at the end of the season. If they enter GEICO Nationals unbeaten or with one loss, he's going to be right there (in the race)."

How a candidate performed the previous summer and high school season are important factors in determining the preseason pecking order among elite players. Last season, Carey led University School to a 35-2 record and No. 2 ranking in the final FAB 50 by averaging 26.1 ppg and 10.4 rpg. He shined at GEICO Nationals, including a 13-of-16 from the field, 29-point performance in the semifinal win over No. 3 Oak Hill Academy and finished No. 3 in last year’s final tracker behind eventual Mr. Basketball USA honoree R.J. Barrett and runner-up Zion Williamson, who are arguably the best two NCAA players at Duke University. Anthony, who finished No. 20 in last season's final tracker, didn't have quite the level of production at Archbishop Malloy (Queens, N.Y.) that Carey did for his high school team, but turned it on over the summer to surpass Carey in the preseason balloting. Anthony was named Most Valuable Player on the 2018 Nike EYBL circuit, averaging 26.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.4 steals over 16 EYBL games for the PSA Cardinals travel ball club.

The panel understands for Carey, some of the shine may be taken by his own teammate (small forward Scottie Barnes) and the group really likes Mobley, who some feel is the best overall prospect in the country, but understand his older brother Isaiah Mobley is on the team and put up better statistics last season and like the other top inside players, is dependent on guards getting them the ball. Anthony doesn't have those variables to deal with.

"By the end of the summer, Vernon Carey was production-wise, the easy choice as top big man," said Coleman. "Evan Mobley is the better prospect, but doesn't mean that Carey, James Wiseman, Anthony and Anthony Edwards aren't going to be good pros."

Coleman had high praise for Mobley, even though he didn't peg him as his No. 1 national player of the year candidate, favorably comparing the Rancho Christian junior to 1995 Mr. Basketball USA Kevin Garnett. Mobley garnered four second-place votes, but did not appear at all on two ballots.

"He's Kevin Garnett with better range," Coleman said. "Kevin didn't have a jumper at that point. He dominated with length and desire. Again, I'm comparing junior to junior, not what Kevin would become to be when he did have a jump shot."

Achiuwa, who collected a first-place vote but only appeared on two ballots, was one of two Monterde Academy players to receive a vote. The other was 6-foot-6 junior Cade Cunningham, who collected five points after finishing No. 6 on one ballot. Carey and Barnes, who appeared on three ballots, were the only other set of teammates to appear among the 22 candidates. Carey will narrow his college choice down to three programs this week, Anthony is undecided and Wiseman, who is the No. 1 prospect in the nation according to 247Sports.com, will make his college choice November 20.

So will Anthony (literally) control his own destiny, or will Carey's production move him to the top of the list by the end of the season? Can Mobley or another candidate overcome some of the shortcomings their candidacy's possess? One thing is for sure, it will be exciting to see how it unfolds as the Mr. Basketball USA race is for the taking.

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

Editor's Note: Click on the "+" sign next to each player's number to view how many first, second, third or fourth place votes he got and his overall point total.

Rank	Prev.	Name	High School	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Total
1	20	Cole Anthony (10)	Oak Hill (VA)	2	3	1	3	81
2	3	Vernon Carey (9)	University School (FL)	4	1	1	0	74
3	NR	Evan Mobley (8)	Rancho Christian (CA)	1	4	1	0	64
4	NR	Anthony Edwards (6)	Holy Spirit (GA)	1	1	2	0	45
5	NR	Isaiah Stewart (6)	La Lumiere (IN)	0	0	1	2	35
6	14T	James Wiseman (4)	Memphis East (TN)	1	0	3	0	34
7	NR	Jaden McDaniels (4)	Federal Way (WA)	0	0	0	0	19
8	17T	Jalen Green (3)	San Joaquin Memorial (CA)	0	0	0	2	18
9	12T	Onyeka Okongwu (3)	Chino Hills (CA)	0	0	1	0	18
10T	NR	Scottie Barnes (3)	University School (FL)	0	0	0	0	17
10T	NR	Precious Achiuwa (2)	Montverde Academy (FL)	1	0	0	1	17
12T	NR	Jonathan Kuminga (2)	Our Savior New American (NY)	0	0	0	0	9
12T	17T	Nico Mannion (1)	Pinnacle (AZ)	0	1	0	0	9
14T	NR	Armando Bacot (1)	IMG Academy (FL)	0	0	0	1	7
14T	NR	Patrick Baldwin (1)	Hamilton (WI)	0	0	0	1	7
14T	17T	Scottie Lewis (1)	Ranney School (NJ)	0	0	0	1	7
17T	NR	R.J. Hampton (1)	Little Elm (TX)	0	0	0	0	6
17T	NR	Tyrese Maxey (1)	South Garland (TX)	0	0	0	0	6
19	NR	Cade Cunningham (1)	Montverde Academy (FL)	0	0	0	0	5
20T	NR	Sharife Cooper (1)	McEachern (GA)	0	0	0	0	4
20T	NR	Matthew Hurt (1)	Marshall (MN)	0	0	0	0	4
20T	NR	Khalil Whitney (1)	Roselle Catholic (NJ)	0	0	0	0	4

About Mr. 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 last season's final tracker.

The post Cole Anthony, Vernon Carey 1-2 in preseason POY Tracker! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

RELATED:  Final Tracker | All-Time Honorees

There is a common denominator when it comes to determining who is the nation's best high school basketball player. Obviously prodigious talent is paramount, but winning high-level games is often the separator among the top candidates.

This especially rings true in the last four years for the title of national player of the year and for the fourth consecutive time the nation's top individual honor for high school basketball comes from a team that captured the mythical FAB 50 national championship. That player is R.J. Barrett, a 6-foot-7 left-handed wing guard from FAB 50 No. 1 Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) and today he is honored with the title of 2017-18 Mr. Basketball USA.

Barrett is the fourth consecutive honoree off the nation's top team, following in the footsteps of 2017 honoree Micahel Porter Jr. of Nathan Hale (Seattle), Lonzo Ball of Chino Hills (Calif.) in 2016, and Ben Simmons of Montverde Academy in 2015. Prior to Simmons, the last player to earn the nation's top individual honor and lead his team to the FAB 50 title was center Greg Oden of Lawrence North (Indianapolis) in 2005-06.

The only other candidate to receive strong consideration for this year's honor was 6-foot-7 power forward Zion Williamson of Spartanburg Day School (Spartanburg, S.C.). In the final Mr. Basketball USA Tracker, the power dunking sensation and one of the most viral players since the advent of social media was the only other candidate to appear on all 10 ballots. Williamson, who averaged 36.3 ppg, 11.3 rpg, 4.7 apg, 2.4 bpg and 3.6 spg and didn't play in five of Spartanburg Day School's eight losses, recorded eight second-place votes, one third-place and one fifth-place vote.

Barrett just missed becoming the first consensus national player of the year since Simmons in 2015, as he garnered nine first place votes and one third place vote. Barrett wanted to follow in the path of Simmons (now a rookie sensation with the Philadelphia 76ers) in earning national player of the year honors and leading Montverde Academy to a mythical national crown. He accomplished that goal and actually did Simmons one better by leading an Eagles team that went wire-to-wire as the No. 1 team in the FAB 50 and the first to finish with an unbeaten record.

"It's the same concept with Michael Porter last season in that at every big venue, Barrett was the best player and hit it out of the park," said long-time panel member Clark Francis of the Hoop Scoop. "R.J. has done that three years, actually. When the bright lights come on and it's showtime, he's there. When it counts, he's the guy."

Barrett was the leading scorer for the Eagles in 2015-16 and last season was named national sophomore of the year and fourth five All-American after averaging 22 points and seven rebounds on a team that finished 26-5 and ranked No. 5 in the FAB 50. He re-classed up over the summer and didn't miss a beat. He led the Eagles to their fourth mythical FAB 50 national title (Montverde Academy won three straight with Simmons on the roster in 2013-15) by averaging 26.7 ppg in three wins at GEICO Nationals. Barrett also averaged 28.7 ppg for the entire season as the Eagles won 15 games against foes who were ranked or previously FAB 50 ranked.

His candidacy was sealed by being the best player in many high-level high school games...and not losing any of them.

Barrett, whose father Rowan Barrett is a former St. John's player and the Executive Vice President for Canada Basketball, is the third foreign-born selection of the past seven seasons. A native of Mississauga, Ontario, Barrett is the second Mr. Basketball USA from Canada, following 2013 winner Andrew Wiggins of Huntington Prep (Huntington, W. Va.). Simmons, who attended Box Hill in Melbourne, Australia before enrolling at Montverde Academy in January 2013, is the third honoree among that group.

Just as the NBA has grown with foreign-born talent, so too has high school basketball and Montverde Academy is at the forefront of United States academic institutions kids from all over the world know about and even hope to attend one day. In the first 59 years of the Mr. Basketball USA honor, there was only one foreign-born national player of the year: Dominican Republic-born Felipe Lopez of now defunct Rice High in New York City for the 1993-94 season.

Barrett's domination in international competition only adds to his already impressive high school resume. In the summer of 2017, he led Canada to the FIBA 19U World Cup title, including a 38-point, 13-rebound, 5-assists performance in a semifinals win over the United States that played a big factor in him rising to the No. 1 rated prospect in the 2018 class. He also scored a game-high 20 points and had nine rebounds, six assists and five steals at the 2018 Nike Hoop Summit and was named MVP.

The Montverde Academy coaching staff and Barrett's family are proud of his on-court accomplishments, but are equally proud of the growth as a young man in his three seasons in the program. He has represented the school, and his country, to the point where he's now a young ambassador to the game for many kids in Canada (and other countries who follow the high school scene) who aspire to be high school and college basketball stars in the United States.

"Over the past three years, R.J. has matured both on and off the court," said Montverde Academy assistant coach Rae Miller. "His progress academically, socially, and community outreach, far outweighs his basketball achievements. We are truly delighted to have been able to watch his tremendous growth. His work ethic and commitment will continue to lead him to the highest level of success."

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 R.J. Barrett Named Mr. Basketball USA! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

The two most prominent factors when it comes to honoring individual players for their high school basketball accolades are production and winning. That clearly is reflected in the results of the final 2017-18 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker powered by www.ebooksnet.com.

R.J. Barrett, a 6-foot-7 senior guard, led Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) to its fourth FAB 50 mythical national title in six seasons. The Eagles finished unbeaten at 36-0 and recorded their first-ever wire-to-wire No. 1 finish with the Ontario, Canada native leading every step of the way.

A couple of off-season happenings shaped this season's national player of the year race. The would-be top returning vote-getter in the final 2016-17 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker, 6-foot-10 Marvin Bagley of Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.), decided to join the 2017 recruiting class and enroll at Duke. Last season's National Junior of the Year finished as the No. 3 vote-getter and this season was the ACC Player of the Year and is expected to be one of the top picks in the 2018 NBA Draft.

Barrett followed in Bagley's footsteps and also re-classified, joining the 2018 class after earning National Sophomore of the Year honors and being the only tenth-grader to earn first team honors (fourth five) on our 2016-17 All-American Elite Team. Barrett didn't receive much national player of the year recognition as a sophomore (tied for 19th place), but things changed in July 2017 after he led Canada to the FIBA 19U World Cup title in Cairo, Egypt. Barrett was the leading scorer (21.6 ppg) in the event and recorded 38 points, 13 rebounds and five assists in a 99-87 semifinal win over Team USA.

Barrett's big summer was reflected in the preseason Mr. Basketball USA Tracker balloting. Every single scout on the 10-man tacker panel (see below) had him as their leading candidate or No. 2 for 2017-18 national player of the year honors. He received six first-place votes and finished with 96 points, five more than forward Zion Williamson of Spartanburg Day School (Spartanburg, S.C.), who was technically the highest returning vote-getter (No. 5 overall) from 2016-17 after Bagley left early for college. Williamson's 89 points included three first-place votes, five second-place votes, a third-place vote and a fifth-place vote.

All throughout this past season, Barrett wanted to prove he was the best player in the country and to put himself alongside the other Montverde Academy greats who have played for Kevin Boyle. In order to do that, Barrett felt Montverde Academy needed to win GEICO Nationals and the mythical national title. He accomplished that goal, as the Eagles did not lose a game while he averaged 28.7 ppg, 8.5 rpg, and 4.4 apg. Barrett averaged 26.7 ppg in the three games at GEICO Nationals, including 25 points and 15 rebounds in the 76-58 championship game victory over No. 2 University School (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.).

In the final balloting for 2017-18, Barrett strengthened his candidacy over Williamson, as those two spectacular players remained the only Mr. Basketball USA candidates to appear on each ballot. Even after production at major holiday tournaments, showcases and various state playoff tournaments around the country changed positioning among other candidates, it did not alter the panel's evaluation of Barrett and Williamson very much.

Barrett was the No. 1 vote-getter on all but one of the panelist's ballots, finishing with 98 overall points, seven more than Williamson. The Spartanburg Day sensation recorded eight second-place votes, while again garnering one third-place and one fifth-place vote. As a senior, Williamso led Spartanburg Day to a third consecutive SCISA Class 2A state title, as SDS went 20-8. For the season, he averaged 36.3 ppg, 11.3 rpg, 4.7 apg, 2.4 bpg and 3.6 spg, while shooting 78 percent from the field. Of those eight losses for Spartanburg Day, Zion missed five of those games. Williamson's foot was in a boot for a short period of time this season and he did have some lingering injuries that affected his candidacy, but it was more likely a case that Barrett was just that spectacular and productive for the No. 1 ranked team in the FAB 50 National Team Rankings powered by www.ebooksnet.com.

"Barrett, based on his individual performances and Montverde's unbeaten record, is an easy choice as No. 1," said panel member Frank Burlison of BurlisonOnBasketball.com. "Williamson, my choice as best player/"prospect" in the 2018 class, is No. 2."

As in the preseason, only Barrett and Williamson appeared on all ten ballots. Both are headed to Duke, where they will be joined by Cam Reddish of Westttown School (West Chester, Pa.) for the 2018-19 season. Reddish, the only other player to receive a No. 1 vote in the preseason, finished in fifth place in the final balloting with 50 points on seven ballots, including five third-place votes.

Reddish was the No. 3 vote-getter in the preseason, but jumping up in the final balloting to that position was junior power forward Vernon Carey of FAB 50 No. 2 University School (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.). He had a spectacular campaign, leading the Sharks to a state crown and a runner-up finish at GEICO Nationals, and received one second-place vote and three third-place votes while appearing on nine ballots. The only other candidate to appear on nine ballots was Romeo Langford, who scored 3,002 career points for FAB 50 No. 28 New Albany (New Albany, Ind.).

Charles Bassey, a 6-foot-10 junior at Aspire Basketball Academy (Louisville, Ky.) who was the National Freshman of the Year in 2015-16, got the first-place vote that denied Barrett a perfect score. For the season, the big man averaged 19.3 ppg, 11.4 rpg and 3.0 bpg.

It will be interesting to see how this spring and summer's travel ball circuit affects the candidacy of Carey and Bassey heading into next season. As we saw a year ago, alot can change once the high school season is complete.

In all, 28 candidates earned recognition as a national player of the year candidate in the final, expanded tracker.

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. Preseason tracker results are also listed ("Prev.").

Rank	Prev.	Name	High School	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Total
1	1	R.J. Barrett (10)	Montverde Academy (FL)	9	0	1	0	98
2	2	Zion Williamson (10)	Spartanburg Day (SC)	0	8	1	0	86
3	7	Vernon Carey (9)	University School (FL)	0	1	3	1	56
4	4	Romeo Langford (9)	New Albany (IN)	0	1	1	3	51
5	3	Cameron Reddish (7)	Westtown School (PA)	0	0	5	1	50
6	9T	Nasir Little (6)	Orlando Christian Prep (FL)	0	0	0	1	32
7T	6	Charles Bassey (5)	Aspire Academy (KY)	1	0	0	0	23
7T	11	Keldon Johnson (5)	Oak Hill (VA)	0	0	0	0	23
9	9T	Tre Jones (5)	Apple Valley (MN)	0	0	0	1	19
10	NR	Emmitt Williams (5)	Oak Ridge (FL)	0	0	0	1	16
11	5	Bol Bol (3)	Findlay Prep (NV)	0	0	0	0	12
12T	NR	Onyeka Okongwu (3)	Chino Hills (CA)	0	0	0	1	11
12T	12T	Foster Loyer (2)	Clarkston (MI)	0	0	0	1	11
14T	15T	Jordan Brown (2)	Prolific Prep (CA)	0	0	0	0	7
14T	8	Darius Garland (2)	Brentwood Academy (TN)	0	0	0	0	7
14T	NR	James Wiseman (2)	Memphis East (TN)	0	0	0	0	7
17T	17	Scottie Lewis (2)	Ranney School (NJ)	0	0	0	0	6
17T	NR	Jalen Green (1)	San Joaquin Memorial (CA)	0	0	0	0	6
17T	NR	Nico Mannion (1)	Pinnacle (AZ)	0	0	0	0	6
20	14	Cole Anthony (2)	Archbishop Malloy (NY)	0	0	0	0	5
21T	NR	Jalen Smith (2)	Mt. St. Joseph (MD)	0	0	0	0	4
21T	NR	Ashton Hagans (1)	Newton (GA)	0	0	0	0	4
21T	NR	E.J. Montgomery (1)	Wheeler (GA)	0	0	0	0	4
24	NR	Cassius Stanley (1)	Sierra Canyon (CA)	0	0	0	0	2
25T	NR	Devin Dotson (1)	Providence Day (NC)	0	0	0	0	1
25T	NR	Bryce Hamilton (1)	Pasadena (CA)	0	0	0	0	1
25T	NR	Talen Horton-Tucker (1)	Simeon (IL)	0	0	0	0	1
25T	NR	Colby White (1)	Greenfield (NC)	0	0	0	0	1

2017-18 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker Panel

Paul Biancardi, ESPN National Director of Basketball Recruiting
Frank Burlison, BurlisonOnBasketball.com Publisher
Van Coleman, TheBasketballChannel.net VP of Content
Ronnie Flores, www.ebooksnet.com National Grassroots Editor
Clark Francis, Hoop Scoop Editor & Publisher
Bob Gibbons, All-Star Sports
Jerry Meyer, 247Sports.com Director of Scouting
Scott Phillips, NBC Sports National College Basketball Writer
Patrick Stanwood, Patrick Stanwood Basketball
Dinos Trigonis, Fullcourt Press Editor & Publisher

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

The post R.J. Barrett TOPS Final POY Tracker! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

RELATED: 2016-17 Preseason Tracker | Tracker No. 2 | Tracker No. 3 | Final Tracker | All-Time Honorees

Winning is obviously a big factor when it comes to naming a national player of the year, and at all levels of basketball one player can change a team's fortunes. The latter was clearly was the case at Nathan Hale (Seattle), which went 3-18 during the 2015-16 season. The off-season saw returning second team All-American Michael Porter Jr. transfer into the school from Father Tolton (Columbia, Mo.), and to say he made a big impact would be an understatement.

Hale started out FAB 50 ranked, but very few, if any, predicted Hale would end up as mythical national champions. Behind the play of the 6-foot-9 silky smooth forward from Columbia, Missouri that's what happened, as Hale became the first team ever team from the state of Washington to earn the FAB 50 national champion tag. Just as Hale earned a lofty status no other team from the Pacific Northwest ever has, Porter's individual production on an unbeaten team earns him an honor no other Washington player has ever achieved: the title of 2016-17 Mr. Basketball USA.

Porter led Hale to a 29-0 record by averaging 37.6 ppg, 14.5 rpg and 5.2 apg and coming through when the Raiders needed him most in their big games. The presence he brought to the court was a factor in his selection, as no matter the opponent, Porter was the best player on the floor in each game.

"It's a dream come true," said Porter when officially informed of his selection as 2016-17 Mr. Basketball USA. "I've been grinding so hard and it's rewarding to see my hard work pay off in ways like these."

"Michael was what as a coach I called the impossible matchup," said Rainier Beach (Seattle) coach Mike Bethea, whose fellow Metro League club lost to Hale three times during the season. "Six-foot-10 with a 8-foot wingspan and Michael Jordan type skills....shoot, handle the ball, post game...Most of the time seemed bored on the court. You have to understand if he would have been in college last year he would have been the best player in college no doubt. The game is easy for him. When he gets bigger and stronger, I don't even want to think about how scary he'll be."

Porter, who teamed with younger brother Jontay Porter on this year's Hale team while being homeschooled, is the first-ever Mr. Basketball USA from the state of Washington and the third consecutive honoree to emerge from the No. 1 ranked team in the FAB 50. Last season it was 6-foot-6 point guard Lonzo Ball of 35-0 and FAB 50 No. 1 Chino Hills (Calif.) and in 2014-15 6-foot-9 forward Ben Simmons of FAB 50 champ Montverde Academy (Fla.) earned the nation's most prestigious honor. Ball's and Simmons' impact on an unbeaten, championship team was the determining factor and it's a similar situation for Porter.

Porter will return to the Midwest for college at Missouri following the firing of his godfather Lorenzo Romar at the University of Washington, where he initially committed. While there was some controversy in Hale's No. 1 final ranking, there was absolutely no controversy in the selection of Porter, as he joined Simmons as the only two players ever to earn a perfect 100 points in the Mr. Basketball USA Tracker since we have been tracking the nation's top players using a distinguished 10-man panel of top basketball scouts 10 years ago. Ball edged out Josh Jackson of Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) by basically earning six first place votes to his four. Both are expected to be taken among the top five picks in the 2017 NBA Draft, while Porter is expected to be one of the top picks in 2018.

While he has Midwest roots, Porter will forever be linked to the state of Washington and, interestingly enough, no other player from the state has even been a finalist dating back to the 1954-55 season. Missouri's only Mr. Basketball USA honoree is Crystal City's Bill Bradley. The 6-foot-5 forward and future NBA player, Rhodes Scholar and U.S. Senator was honored for the 1960-61 season after ending his career at Crystal City with 3, 068 points.

This is the second consecutive season a player from a West Coast program is honored as Mr. Basketball USA. Prior to Ball's selection last season, Minnesota Timberwolves' small forward Shabazz Muhammad of Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas was the first West Coast player to earn the honor in 16 years at the conclusion of the 2011-12 season.

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 Michael Porter Jr. Named Mr. Basketball USA! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

RELATED: Inside Look At Top Mr. Basketball USA Candidates | 2016-17 Preseason Mr. Basketball USA Tracker |  All-Time Mr. Basketball USA Winners

Individual talent and winning doesn't always go hand-in-hand, but when the two mesh, the results are often spectacular. That is clearly the case in the updated 2016-17 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker powered by www.ebooksnet.com.

Michael Porter Jr. of FAB 50 No. 1 Nathan Hale (Seattle, Wash.) was considered on par with DeAndre Ayton of Hillcrest Academy (Phoenix, Ariz.), last year's National Junior Player of the Year, as the nation's top prospect and national player of the year candidate in the preseason. The Washington-bound Porter edged the 7-footer originally from the Bahamas by a single point in the preseason Tracker, but Hale's 17-0 record and Porter's role in the Raiders' ascension to the top of the team rankings has created some separation.

Both continue to appear on every ballot of the 10-man Mr. Basketball USA Tracker Panel and Porter was the first-place vote-getter on each ballot. In the preseason, Porter and Ayton received five first-place votes each. Porter becomes the second player in the 10-year history of the Mr. Basketball USA Tracker to earn a perfect score of 100 points. The first player to turn the trick was point forward Ben Simmons of Montverde Academy during the 2014-15 season. Simmons was so dominant in helping Montverde Academy win the third of three consecutive mythical FAB 50 national titles, he collected every single first-place vote on each ballot throughout the entire season. Simmons was the No. 1 pick of the 2016 NBA Draft after one season at LSU.

Porter has No. 1 pick type potential, but is currently focused on leading Hale to an undefeated season. He's had some monster games on big stages, including a 27-point, 15-rebound, 4-steal performance against No. 2 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.). He also had 34 points and 11 rebounds in a Metro League win over No. 24 Garfield (Seattle). Currently averaging over 35 points and 15 rebounds per games, panel member Frank Burlison of BurlisonOnBasketball.com feels Porter is the best player in high school basketball by a fairly healthy margin.

Joining Porter and Ayton (who collected six second-place votes) on all ten ballots is point guard Trevon Duval of FAB 50 No. 6 IMG Academy (Brandenton, Fla.). The explosive point guard is averaging 16.1 ppg, 7.7 apg, and 2.9 spg for a talented team that has recorded 11 wins over teams that are currently or previously FAB 50 ranked so far this season.

The other big news in the national player of the year race besides Porter's dominance in the rising candidacy of junior forward Zion Williamson of Spartanburg Day School (Spartanburg, S. C.). Williamson was our top-rated player at the 2016 NBPA Top 100 Camp, but no one could foreshadow his newfound popularity and fame. His unique blend of power and athleticism has made him high school basketball's most viral player and its social media king. Nicknamed the "Cheatcode" because of his spectacular blocks and dunks, Williamson is currently averaging 36.1 ppg, 13.4 rpg, 2,4 spg, and 2.7 bpg for a 17-6 club.

"Williamson was great in December... If Collin Sexton wasn't putting up similar individuals numbers, then he would be No. 4 on my ballot with a bullet!" said panel member Van Coleman of The Basketball Channel.

In addition to Coleman's endorsement of Williamson as a top five overall player in the nation, the junior sensation received another fifth-place vote in addition to a second-place vote. He appeared on seven ballots and tallied 43 overall points after appearing on three ballots (18 points) in the preseason.

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

Editor's Note: Click on the "+" sign next to each player's number to view how many first, second, third or fourth place votes he got and his overall point total.

Rank	Prev.	Name	High School	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Total
1	1	Michael Porter (10)	Hale (WA)	10	0	0	0	100
2	2	DeAndre Ayton (10)	Hillcrest Academy (AZ)	0	6	2	0	81
3	3	Marvin Bagley (8)	Sierra Canyon (CA)	0	2	1	1	63
4	4	Trevon Duval (10)	IMG (FL)	0	0	0	4	53
5	8	Zion Williamson (7)	Spartanburg Day (SC)	0	1	0	2	43
6	5	Wendell Carter (5)	Pace Academy (GA)	0	1	1	1	33
7	7	Collin Sexton (5)	Pebblebrook (GA)	0	0	1	1	30
8	9	Trae Young (3)	Norman North (OK)	0	0	1	0	17
9	17T	Brian Bowen (2)	La Lumiere (IN)	0	0	1	0	12
10	NR	Cameron Reddish (1)	Westtown School (PA)	0	0	0	1	7
11T	12	Quade Green (1)	Neumann-Goretti (PA)	0	0	0	0	6
11T	14T	P.J. Washington Jr. (1)	Findlay Prep (NV)	0	0	0	0	6
13T	NR	Jaren Jackson (1)	La Lumiere (IN)	0	0	0	0	5
13T	13	Billy Preston (1)	Oak Hill (VA)	0	0	0	0	5
15T	NR	R.J. Barrett (1)	Montverde Academy (FL)	0	0	0	0	4
15T	NR	Jordan Brown (1)	Woodcreek (CA)	0	0	0	0	4
15T	10	Romeo Langford (1)	New Albany (IN)	0	0	0	0	4
15T	17T	Davy Singleton (1)	Bishop Montgomery (CA)	0	0	0	0	4
15T	NR	Isaiah Washington (1)	St. Raymond's (NY)	0	0	0	0	4

About Mr. 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 last season's final tracker.

The post Zion Williamson MOVES UP in Mr. Basketball USA Tracker! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

RELATED: Inside Look At Top Mr. Basketball USA Candidates | All-Time Mr. Basketball USA Winners

Plenty of factors go into an individual award such as high school basketball national player of the year: Playing for a winning team, where the team is located and whom it will have the opportunity to play, and how a candidate performed in the previous summer and high school season are important and go a long way in determining the preseason pecking order among elite players.

Sometimes, however, it's not so complicated. The top candidates are simply the most talented players and the ones national scouts, in this case the Mr. Basketball USA Tracker panel, believe have the brightest future in the game with natural progression.

That simplicity is clearly reflected in the voting results of the preseason 2016-17 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker powered by www.ebooksnet.com.

Michael Porter, a 6-foot-9 forward who attended Father Tolton (Columbia, Mo.) as a junior but will play his senior year at Nathan Hale (Seattle, Wash.) before matriculating to Washington next fall, and DeAndre Ayton, a 7-foot center from Hillcrest Academy (Phoenix, Ariz.) who is still undecided, are the two best prospects in the country, according to national scouting services and other veteran scouts on our tracker panel. Some like Ayton because of his vast potential and talent level, while others like Porter because of his ability and winning resume.

When the preseason votes were tallied, those two players were deemed head-and-shoulders above the other 16 players who received some consideration for 2016-17 national player of the year. Porter is the top candidate right now and the leading vote-getter by the slimmest of margins. Porter, whose younger brother Jontay will join him on a Hale squad which opens the season No. 38 in the FAB 50, tallied 94 points to Ayton's 93. They were the only two among 18 candidates to appear on all 10 preseason ballots, with the difference being Porter receiving four second-place votes (which equal 9 points apiece) while Ayton received three and one more third-place vote.

"Basically we see what the body of work is," said long-time panel member Clark Francis of

"Sometimes the best player is just the best player and better than everyone else. Is Michael Porter better than DeAndre Ayton and Marvin Bagley? No. But consistency counts and so does production. Whose team won the Peach Jam last year? Great players find a way to beat you and keep getting better. That's why I have Michael Porter No. 1 right now."

Bagley, the nation's top junior prospect who did not play high school basketball as a sophomore, came in a distant third in the voting results. The Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) big man garnered two second-place votes, finishing with 57 points, and was the only player to appear on nine ballots.

Five players who appeared on last year's final Mr. Basketball USA Tracker collected votes. Ayton (who came in fourth place), point guard Trevon Duval of IMG Academy in Florida (the only player to appear on eight ballots), Duke commit Wendell Carter Jr. of Pace Academy in Atlanta, dynamic point guard Chris Lykes of FAB 50 No. 10 Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) and junior guard David Singleton of FAB 50 No. 7 Bishop Montgomery (Torrance, Calif.).

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

Editor's Note: Click on the "+" sign next to each player's number to view how many first, second, third or fourth place votes he got and his overall point total.

Rank	Prev.	Name	High School	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Total
1	NR	Michael Porter (10)	Hale (WA)	5	4	1	0	94
2	4	DeAndre Ayton (10)	Hillcrest Academy (AZ)	5	3	2	0	93
3	NR	Marvin Bagley (9)	Sierra Canyon (CA)	0	2	1	1	57
4	17T	Trevon Duval (8)	IMG (FL)	0	0	2	1	53
5	24T	Wendell Carter Jr. (6)	Pace Academy (GA)	0	1	2	1	42
6	NR	Mohamed Bamba (5)	Westtown School (PA)	0	0	1	2	31
7	NR	Collin Sexton (4)	Pebblebrook (GA)	0	0	1	1	25
8	NR	Zion Williamson (3)	Spartanburg Day (SC)	0	0	0	1	18
9	NR	Trae Young (3)	Norman North (OK)	0	0	0	1	16
10	NR	Romeo Langford (2)	New Albany (IN)	0	0	0	1	11
11	NR	Gary Trent Jr. (2)	Prolific Prep (CA)	0	0	0	0	10
12	NR	Quade Green (2)	Neumann-Goretti (PA)	0	0	0	0	8
13	NR	Billy Preston (1)	Oak Hill (VA)	0	0	0	1	7
14T	24T	Chris Lykes (1)	Gonzaga (DC)	0	0	0	0	6
14T	NR	P.J. Washington Jr. (1)	Findlay Prep (NV)	0	0	0	0	6
16	NR	Mitchell Robinson (1)	Chalmette (LA)	0	0	0	0	5
17T	NR	Brian Bowen (1)	La Lumiere (IN)	0	0	0	0	4
17T	20	Davy Singleton (1)	Bishop Montgomery (CA)	0	0	0	0	4

About Mr. 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 last season's final tracker.

The post Michael Porter EDGES DeAndre Ayton In 2016-17 Preseason POY Tracker! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

The finals ballots are in and after the expanded ballots are tallied, for the first time in nine years there is a tie at the top. UCLA bound point guard Lonzo Ball of FAB 50 champion Chino Hills (Calif.) and Kansas bound wing Josh Jackson of Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) both net 85 overall points. Will there be a co-National Player of the Year? What is the difference in their candidacies? The only other players to receive at least one second-place vote are Alabama-bound Braxton Key and junior center DeAndre Ayton.

After last summer's grassroots season created preseason positioning for legitimate national player of the year candidates, the production at major holiday tournaments, showcases and various state playoff tournaments around the country that changed that original positioning. Even after the national high school all-star game circuit closed out the season, for the first time ever the final Mr. Basketball USA Tracker powered by www.ebooksnet.com balloting has ended in a tie.

After the completion of the 2015-16 high school basketball season, the distinguished Mr. Basketball USA panel had a hard time deciding if UCLA-bound Lonzo Ball of FAB 50 national champion Chino Hills (Chino Hills, Calif.) or Kansas-bound Josh Jackson of Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) was the best and most productive player in the country. Both players are considered top five senior recruits in the country and have compelling resumes, so the factors that will ultimately decide who will forever be bestowed with the prestigious honor of 2015-16 Mr. Basketball USA must be further reviewed and broken down.

For starters, there will be no co-national player of the year. For decades, we've never had ties when it comes to team rankings or individual honors -- and we never will. We'll continue to break down the relevant results or factors and ultimately pick a winner or No. 1 team -- and take any heat that comes with it. The Ball-Jackson debate is no different.

Jackson, who missed seven Prolific Prep games while resting nagging injuries or because of schedule college visits,  averaged 26.9 ppg, 13.1 rpg, 6.3 apg, 3.5 steals and 3.9 blocks for a 26-7 team. Jackson likely help his candidacy with a strong performance at the 2016 McDonald's All-American Game after he was overtaken by Ball in points in the second-to-last tracker, but he still finished with the same amount of overall points as before (85). Jackson appeared on nine overall ballots, while Ball was one of two candidates to appear on each ballot.

Ball had a historic season for Chino Hills, which finished 35-0 and the first team from California to finish No. 1 in the FAB 50 National Team Rankings powered by www.ebooksnet.com in 16 years. The 6-foot-6 point guard averaged a triple double of 23.9 ppg, 11.3 rpg and 11.7 apg to go along with 5.1 spg and 2.0 bpg. While Jackson went 9-of-11 from the field to finish with 19 points while looking like perhaps the most NBA-ready player in Chicago for the McDonald's Game, Ball also played a great hand in helping the West team to victory. He didn't score, but tallied four rebounds, two blocked shots and tied the event record with 13 assists. A few weeks later at the 2016 Ballislife All-American Game (watch the complete BILAAG here), Ball broke the event record for assists with 13 (as did guard Andrew Jones of MacArthur High School in Irving, Texas).

Although he appeared on one more ballot than Jackson, Ball actually had two votes lower than second place to allow Jackson to finish with the same overall point total. Jackson didn't have a vote lower than second place, while Ball finished with sixth first place votes, with the other four going to the Kansas-bound small forward who originally hails from Michigan.

The other candidate to appear on all ten ballots was Duke-bound forward Jayson Tatum from Chaminade (St. Louis, Mo.), Gatorade's National Player of the Year choice. Behind the strength of six third-place votes and two fourth-place tallys, Tatum finished a strong No. 3 in overall points with 67. Junior center DeAndre Ayton of Hillcrest Academy (Phoenix, Ariz.), who finished in fourth place with 58 points, was the only candidate other than the two front-runners to tally more than one second-place vote. Tatum, despite his consistency on the ballots, did not tally a second place vote. Twenty-five candidates earned recognition as a national player of the year candidate in the final, expanded tracker.

Since the Mr. Basketball USA Tracker began for the 2007-08 season, there has never been a tie in the final balloting before the Ball-Jackson race. At the conclusion of the 2009-10 season, small forward Harrison Barnes of Ames (Ames, Iowa) finished with 89 points on nine ballots to edge power forward Jared Sullinger of Northland (Columbus, Ohio) by a single point. Barnes, who now plays for the defending NBA champ Golden State Warriors, edged Sullinger behind the strength of eight first place votes, while the current Boston Celtics power forward tallied the other two first-place votes and six second-place votes. Barnes was eventually named Mr. Basketball USA for 2009-10.

Barnes is carving out a more than solid NBA career and although it was a tough choice, in retrospect it appears Barnes was the correct call. With the panel having an even tougher time splitting hairs between Ball and Jackson, will the right choice be made this year? Only time will reveal that answer.

Editor's Note: Click on the "+" sign next to each player's number to view how many first, second, third or fourth place votes he got and his overall point total.

Rank	Prev.	Name	High School	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Total
1T	1	Lonzo Ball (10)	Chino Hills (CA)	6	2	0	0	85
1T	2	Josh Jackson (9)	Prolific Prep (CA)	4	5	0	0	85
3	4	Jayson Tatum (10)	Chaminade (MO)	0	0	6	2	67
4	3	DeAndre Ayton (8)	Hillcrest Academy (AZ)	0	2	2	2	56
5	5	De'Aaron Fox (9)	Cy Lakes (TX)	0	0	0	1	48
6	8T	Markelle Fultz (6)	DeMatha (MD)	0	0	0	1	29
7	6	Miles Bridges (6)	Huntington Prep (WV)	0	0	0	0	27
8	7	Mustapha Heron (5)	Sacred Heart (CT)	0	0	0	1	25
9	NR	Terrance Ferguson (4)	API (TX)	0	0	0	2	20
10T	10	Bam Adebayo (4)	High Point (NC)	0	0	0	1	18
10T	NR	Cassius Winston (4)	U of D Jesuit (MI)	0	0	1	0	18
12T	16T	Frank Jackson (5)	Lone Peak (UT)	0	0	0	0	11
12T	13	Malik Monk (3)	Bentonville (AR)	0	0	0	0	11
14	8T	T.J. Leaf (5)	Foothills Christian (CA)	0	0	0	0	10
15	16T	Braxton Key (1)	Oak Hill (VA)	0	1	0	0	9
16	NR	Rawle Alkins (1)	Word of God (NC)	0	0	1	0	8
17T	NR	Trevon Duval (1)	API (TX)	0	0	0	0	4
17T	12	Alterique Gilbert (1)	Miller Grove (GA)	0	0	0	0	4
17T	NR	Brandon McCoy (1)	Cathedral Catholic (CA)	0	0	0	0	4
20	16T	Davy Singleton (1)	Bishop Montgomery (CA)	0	0	0	0	3
21T	NR	Jarrett Allen (1)	St. Stephen's (TX)	0	0	0	0	2
21T	16T	Marques Bolden (1)	DeSoto (TX)	0	0	0	0	2
21T	15	Ethan Thompson (1)	Bishop Montgomery (CA)	0	0	0	0	2
24T	NR	Wendell Carter Jr. (1)	Pace Academy (GA)	0	0	0	0	1
24T	NR	Chris Lykes (1)	Gonzaga (DC)	0	0	0	0	1

2015-16 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker Panel

Paul Biancardi, ESPN National Director of Basketball Recruiting
Frank Burlison, BurlisonOnBasketball.com Publisher
Van Coleman, TheBasketballChannel.net VP of Content
Ronnie Flores, www.ebooksnet.com National Grassroots Editor
Clark Francis, Hoop Scoop Editor & Publisher
Bob Gibbons, All-Star Sports
Jerry Meyer, 247Sports.com Director of Scouting
Scott Phillips, NBC Sports National College Basketball Writer
Patrick Stanwood, Patrick Stanwood Basketball
Dinos Trigonis, Fullcourt Press Editor & Publisher

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

The post FINAL POY Tracker: Tie at top between Ball and Jackson! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

Team success has traditionally been a big factor over the years in the national player of the year process. There is little doubt leading a team to a high FAB 50 ranking or to a state title can propel a talented prospect into a legitimate candidate. Playing for a nationally-ranked team and performing well helped the candidacy of eventual Mr. Basketball USA winners such as Michael Kidd-Gilchrist of St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.) in 2011, Rasheed Wallace of Simon Gratz (Philadelphia, Pa.) in 1993 and Reggie Williams of Dunbar (Baltimore, Md.) in 1983.

Lonzo Ball of Chino Hills (Chino Hills, Calif.) started out No. 6 in the preseason voting and his team started No. 11 in the FAB 50. He worked his way up to No. 3 in the second voting go-around in early January as his ascended to the No. 1 spot in the FAB 50. As Chino Hills continues to win games as it eyes its first CIF Southern Section and CIF state title in the Ball era, the 10-man Mr. Basketball USA Tracker has taken notice.

Ball moved up another spot in in the latest 2015-16 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker powered by www.ebooksnet.com voting, and now only trails 6-foot-8 small forward Josh Jackson of Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) as the nation's leading national player of the year candidate. Jackson, who is still uncommitted for college, actually gained in overall points, as he went up from 89 points to 92 points. He remains the only candidate to appear on all ten ballots.

Jackson is truly an elite talent, as he is averaging 27.8 ppg, 12.9 rpg, 6.2 apg, 3.3 spg and 3.3 bpg against a national schedule. Prolific Prep was 16-5 when the balloting went out and that was the exact won-loss record for the team at FAB 50 No. 21 Chaminade (St. Louis, Mo.), which of course is led by Duke-bound Jayson Tatum. As Ball's Chino Hills team runs its record to 21-0 heading into its January 30 showdown with FAB 50 No. 7 Bishop Montgomery (Torrance, Calif.) that will be streamed live by BIL, it appears that some the points that Tatum and other candidates such as Washington-bound Markelle Fultz of FAB 50 No. 6 DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) and Kentucky-bound Malik Monk of Bentonville (Bentonville, Ark.) previously collected have shifted over to the UCLA-bound point guard.

Tatum once again appeared on eight ballots, but his point total dropped from 70 to 68 points, including two first place votes. Fultz dropped from 37 points to 20, although he remained in sixth place, while Monk went from appearing on five ballots down to two and dropped 19 points down to 12 overall.

Ball, who enters the Bishop Montgomery showdown averaging triple-double numbers of 25.5 ppg, 11.5 rpg, and 10.9 apg, appeared on one extra ballot (from 8 to 9) and his point total went from 67 to 79. While Ball's three first place votes remained the same, he gained one second place vote (1 to 2) and added two additional third place votes (1 to 3). If his team keeps winning, he's likely to gain even more traction among the panel.

"Lonzo is finally showing he can carry a team when needed and if he leads his team to a CIF championship, he may get my top vote," said McDonald’s voter and The Basketball Channel Vice President of Basketball Operations Van Coleman.

"No player on this list has done as much for his team," added McDonald's voter Frank Burlison of BurlisonOnBasketball.com.

Will the voting continue to swing in Ball's direction if Chino Hills continues to win? Or will Jackson and Tatum swing the momentum back their way when all three compete in the same environment in the major national high school all-star games at the end of the season? If Ball leads his team to the mythical FAB 50 national title, how much will the post-season all-star circuit factor in to the voting process?

We'll eventually find out, but for now, if you can't make it to Cerritos College (Calif.) on January 30 for the Chino Hills-Bishop Montgomery game, make sure to watch the BIL Livestream beginning at 5 pm PST.

Editor's Note: Click on the "+" sign next to each player's number to view how many first, second, third or fourth place votes he got and his overall point total.

Rank	Prev.	Name	High School	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Total
1	1	Josh Jackson (10)	Prolific Prep (CA)	4	4	2	0	92
2	3	Lonzo Ball (9)	Chino Hills (CA)	3	2	3	1	79
3	2	Jayson Tatum (8)	Chaminade (MO)	2	3	1	1	68
4	4	DeAndre Ayton (9)	Hillcrest Academy (AZ)	1	1	3	1	66
5	5	De'Aaron Fox (8)	Cy Lakes (TX)	0	0	0	1	47
6T	6	Markelle Fultz (6)	DeMatha (MD)	0	0	0	0	20
6T	16T	T.J. Leaf (4)	Foothills Christian (CA)	0	0	0	1	20
8	9	Miles Briges (5)	Huntington Prep (WV)	0	0	0	1	15
9T	12T	Carsen Edwards (2)	Atascocita (TX)	0	0	0	0	12
9T	10T	Mustapha Heron (2)	Sacred Heart (CT)	0	0	0	0	12
11	8	Bam Adebayo (2)	High Point (NC)	0	0	0	0	11
12	7	Malik Monk (2)	Bentonville (AR)	0	0	0	0	10
13	12T	Rawle Alkins (1)	Word of God (NC)	0	0	1	0	8
14	NR	Mohamed Bamba (1)	Westtown School (PA)	0	0	0	0	6
15T	NR	Braxton Key (1)	Oak Hill (VA)	0	0	0	0	5
15T	10T	Charles Bassey (1)	St. John's (TX)	0	0	0	0	5
17T	16T	Wendell Carter (1)	Pace Academy (GA)	0	0	0	0	4
17T	19T	Ethan Thompson	Bishop Montgomery (CA)	0	0	0	0	4

About Mr. 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 last season's final tracker.

The post POY Tracker: Lonzo Ball Closing in on Josh Jackson! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

It's hard to deny the individual talents of 6-foot-8 small forward Josh Jackson of Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.). Despite playing for a program that didn't participate in Holiday events where the 10-man Mr. Basketball USA Tracker panel congregated at such as the City of Palms Classic or Tarkanian Classic, and even though Prolific Prep won't compete for a state title, Jackson still is the leading vote-getter in the latest 2015-16 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker powered by www.ebooksnet.com.

Through 17 games, Jackson is averaging 28.5 points, 12.7 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 3.4 steals, and 3.1 blocks per game against a national schedule. Jackson, who is reportedly considering Michigan State, Arizona, Maryland, Kansas and UNLV and will sign in the spring, was the only candidate among 20 to appear on all 10 ballots. Jackson collected 89 points and four first-place votes, the most of any candidate but down four from his total of eight in the preseason.

Two talented seniors who play for more traditional high school programs have made in-roads as serious challengers to Jackson for this prestigious award. Jayson Tatum, who plays for parochial program Chaminade (St. Louis, Mo.), and Lonzo Ball, who has led public school Chino Hills (Calif.) to the No. 1 spot in the FAB 50 National Team Rankings, accounted for a combined five first place votes and are both within 22 overall points of Jackson after he led the voting by 35 points in the preseason.

Tatum, a 6-foot-8 wing headed to Duke University, has turned in monster individual games against a national schedule and moved up from third place to second place behind Jackson with 70 overall points. Tatum went for 27 points versus FAB 50 No. 3 Oak Hill Academy, had 40 points in a home victory over Mr. Basketball USA candidate Malik Monk and Bentonville (Ark.) and recently had a career-high 46 points in a win over Miles Bridges and his talented Huntington Prep team at the Cancer Research Classic. Tatum, who appeared on eight ballots, is currently averaging 30.3 ppg.

"Jayson Tatum has done a nice job opening this season with impressive personal performances and big teams wins for a school that doesn't normally play this type of national schedule," said panel member and NBC Sports national college basketball and recruiting analyst Scott Phillips. "His 3-pointer looks much improved since the summer and fall and he's now scoring efficiently from all three levels on the floor in many games."

Tatum garnered two first place votes, one less than Ball, who also appeared on eight ballots and garnered 67 points. Ball, a 6-foot-6 point guard known for serpentine full-court passes and court awareness rarely seen at the high school level, currently has Chino Hills 13-0 and atop the FAB 50. His production in the context of winning is clearly reflected in the ballots of the 10-man Mr. Basketball USA Tracker panel. The MVP of three Holiday events, Ball went from appearing on four ballots and collecting 30 points to appearing on an additional four and finishing with 67 points.

Ball's 33 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, 7 blocks and 4 steals in the MaxPreps Holiday Classic championship game win over Redondo Union (Redondo Beach, Calif.) are not exaggerated (his assist total is more conservative than liberal) and the type of numbers he's put up on a consistent basis so far this season. Chino Hills defeated teams from eight different states during December.

"Lonzo Ball is the fastest rising senior and if he continues to dominate as he did at COP & MaxPreps Holiday Classic he may become the leading challenger to Tatum by February," said McDonald’s voter and The Basketball Channel Vice President of Basketball Operations Van Coleman.

"Lonzo Ball has been a force early this high school season and his Chino Hills team has the undefeated record to help prove it," Phillips added. "Although Ball's personal numbers might be a tad inflated with Chino Hills' up-tempo style of play, there is no taking away from the kinds of competition that Ball has outplayed and defeated."

The only other candidate to garner a first place vote was 7-foot junior DeAndre Ayton, last year's National Sophomore of the Year at Balboa City School (San Diego, Calif.) who is now at Hillcrest Academy (Phoenix, Ariz.). Jackson was awarded the same honor two seasons ago at Consortium College Prep School in Detroit.

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

Editor's Note: Click on the "+" sign next to each player's number to view how many first, second, third or fourth place votes he got and his overall point total.

Rank	Prev.	Name	High School	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Total
1	1	Josh Jackson (10)	Prolific Prep (CA)	4	5	0	0	89
2	3	Jayson Tatum (8)	Chaminade (MO)	2	2	4	0	70
3	6	Lonzo Ball (8)	Chino Hills (CA)	3	1	1	2	67
4	5	DeAndre Ayton (7)	Hillcrest Academy (AZ)	1	1	0	3	51
5	2	De'Aaron Fox (6)	Cy Lakes (TX)	0	0	3	1	42
6	14	Markelle Fultz (6)	DeMatha (MD)	0	0	1	2	37
7	4	Malik Monk (5)	Bentonville (AR)	0	1	0	1	29
8	13	Bam Adebayo (3)	High Point (NC)	0	1	0	0	21
9	8	Miles Briges (3)	Huntington Prep (WV)	0	0	0	0	14
10T	NR	Charles Bassey (2)	St. John's (TX)	0	0	0	0	10
10T	11T	Mustapha Heron (2)	Sacred Heart (CT)	0	0	0	0	10
12T	NR	Carsen Edwards (2)	Atascocita (TX)	0	0	0	0	8
12T	7	Rawle Alkins (1)	Word of God (NC)	0	0	1	0	8
14	NR	Ty-Shon Alexander (1)	Oak Hill (VA)	0	0	0	1	7
15	NR	Seventh Woods (1)	Hammond (SC)	0	0	0	0	6
16T	NR	Li'Angelo Ball (1)	Chino Hills (CA)	0	0	0	0	5
16T	11T	Wendell Carter (1)	Pace Academy (GA)	0	0	0	0	5
16T	NR	T.J. Leaf (1)	Foothills Christian (CA)	0	0	0	0	4
19T	NR	M.J. Walker (1)	Jonesboro (GA)	0	0	0	0	4
19T	18	Ethan Thompson (1)	Bishop Montgomery (CA)	0	0	0	0	4

About Mr. 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 last season's final tracker.

The post POY Tracker: Jayson Tatum, Lonzo Ball Close Gap on Josh Jackson! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

There are plenty of factors that go into an individual award such as national player of the year: Playing for a winning team, where the team is located and whom it plays, and things such as eye-popping statistics are important -- especially when the nation's best players don't have an opportunity to play on same court too often.

When many of the best do get together under one roof to compete, however, the dynamics change. Then it's about whose skill level is the most advanced, who has the most confidence in his skill level and who has the proper mentality to rise to the occasion.

At the 2015 USA Basketball Junior National Team Minicamp in Colorado Springs, Col. in October, 6-foot-8 shooting guard/small forward Josh Jackson of Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) stood out among his peers. He was the most explosive wing-type with the ball skills to match. Jackson shot it well, displayed uncanny passing ability and a great feel for when to attack, pull back or direct teammates to an open spot. He had confidence in his arsenal and most importantly, the more intense the competition got, the more focused and better he played.

The Detroit native also displayed leadership abilities and was not afraid to jump a teammate for a missed opportunity or being out of position. It was a classic case of the cream rising to the top and a pecking order clearly being established.

Jackson's individual skill level is reflected in the preseason 2015-16 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker powered by www.ebooksnet.com.

The tracker's voting results left no doubt as to whom the early favorite to capture Mr. Basketball USA honors for the 2015-16 season is. All 10 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker panel members had the Prolific Prep senior on their preseason ballot. Jackson was the only candidate to appear on every ballot. His 98 points are tied for second most in the nine-year history of the Mr. Basketball USA voting process (preseason, in-season or final tracker included). Detroit Pistons point guard Brandon Jennings, the only consensus national player of the year Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) has ever produced, tallied 98 points in the February 8, 2008 tracker.

Last season, current LSU freshman Ben Simmons of FAB 50 national champion Montverde Academy (Fla.) was a unanimous top vote-getter (earning 100 points) in every tracker published. He was the run-away Mr. Basketball USA honoree and is living up to his advanced high school billing so far in Baton Rouge.

Will Jackson approach that kind of dominance over his peers this season?

"He's the most NBA-ready player in the country," hoopscooponline.com Publisher and McDonald's All-American voter Clark Francis said of Jackson. "The No. 1 (Harry Giles) and No. 3 player (Thon Maker) in the 2016 class aren't eligible, and DeAndre Ayton had a 50-50 summer, so I think he's disproportionately lower than his talent level at this point. If you're a good player, and will be seen on the national circuit this season, it's there for the taking."

Ironically, Harry Giles was in attendance at the USA Basketball Junior National Team Minicamp with Jackson, but did not play. One has to assume last year's National Junior of the Year would have pushed Jackson throughout the season had he not torn his ACL in Oak Hill Academy's first game of the season. Maker doesn't play for an American program and Dennis Smith Jr., arguably the nation's top point guard coming into the 2015-16 season, won't play this season because of an ACL tear and will leave for N.C. State at the semester break. Those missing players have changed the dynamics of the national player of the year race.

Point guard De'Aaron Fox of Cypress Lakes (Katy, Texas), who recently announced for Kentucky, finished second to the uncommitted Jackson with 63 points while appearing on nine ballots. He garnered one first place vote, with the tenth one going to Duke-bound Jayson Tatum of FAB 50 No. 7 Chaminade (St. Louis, Mo.). Tatum finished in third place with 60 points. He appeared on eight ballots and garnered three second-place votes. Ayton, last year's National Sophomore of the Year, appeared on half of the ballots, but two voters had him No. 2 behind Jackson.

"It's a bit of a strange year, with the major injuries and the players in flux, in school and out," said McDonald's voter and The Basketball Channel Vice President of Basketball Operations Van Coleman. "When we see who's playing well during the season, it will start to level out. Because it's the preseason voting, I strongly factored in what I saw through the July viewing period, but it's also a case of 'What have you done for more lately?' I think that's what you see with some of these candidates."

To begin the 2015-16 season, 18 players received recognition by the Mr. Basketball USA 10-man panel. Last year, there were 19 national player of the year candidates to begin the season.

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

Editor's Note: Click on the "+" sign next to each player's number to view how many first, second, third or fourth place votes he got and his overall point total.

Rank	Prev.	Name	High School	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Total
1	NR	Josh Jackson (10)	Prolific Prep (CA)	8	2	0	0	98
2	NR	De'Aaron Fox (9)	Cy Lakes (TX)	1	1	1	2	63
3	15T	Jayson Tatum (8)	Chaminade (MO)	1	3	1	1	60
4	NR	Malik Monk (7)	Bentonville (AR)	0	0	3	2	49
5	5T	DeAndre Ayton (4)	Hillcrest Academy (AZ)	0	2	1	0	37
6	11T	Lonzo Ball (4)	Chino Hills (CA)	0	0	2	2	30
7	NR	Rawle Alkins (4)	Word of God (NC)	0	1	0	1	29
8	NR	Miles Bridges (4)	Huntington Prep (WV)	0	0	0	1	24
9T	NR	Trevon Duval (3)	API (TX)	0	0	1	0	16
9T	NR	Terrance Ferguson (3)	API (TX)	0	0	0	0	16
11T	NR	Wendell Carter (3)	Pace Academy (GA)	0	0	0	0	13
11T	NR	Mustapha Heron (2)	Sacred Heart (CT)	0	0	0	1	13
13	NR	Bam Adebayo (2)	High Point (NC)	0	0	0	0	12
14	NR	Markelle Fultz (2)	DeMatha (MD)	0	0	0	0	11
15T	NR	Mohamed Bamba (1)	Westtown (PA)	0	0	0	0	5
15T	NR	Frank Jackson (1)	Lone Peak (UT)	0	0	0	0	5
15T	NR	P.J. Washington (1)	Findlay Prep (NV)	0	0	0	0	5
18	NR	Ethan Thompson (1)	Bishop Montgomery (CA)	0	0	0	0	4

About Mr. 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 last season's final tracker.

The post Josh Jackson Tops 2015-16 Preseason POY Tracker! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

During the regular season, www.ebooksnet.com will publish the Mr. Basketball USA Tracker, an inside look at the nation's top on-court high school performers, according to a panel made up of 10 high school basketball and recruiting experts, including six McDonald's All-American selection committee members.

Every season the race for national player of the year is altered by an early season occurrence. For instance, early in the 2012-13 season, current Los Angeles Laker forward Julius Randle (Prestonwood Christian Academy, Plano, Texas) suffered a broken foot. There's no telling how strongly he would have challenged eventual Mr. Basketball USA honoree Andrew Wiggins, last year's NBA Rookie of the Year with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Sometimes the occurrence is injury, other times it's ineligibility or a player re-classifying up and leaving for college early (current Duke freshman Derryck Thornton Jr. and N.C. State freshman Maverick Rowan come to mind).

We can't recall a preseason like this one where the race has been so significantly altered before it really even has gotten started.

First, athletic point guard Dennis Smith Jr. of Trinity Christian (Fayetteville, N.C.) tore his ACL at the second-to-last major Grassroots event of the summer (adidas Nations). He was presumably one of the top candidates coming into the fall. Then, in the opening minutes of the opening game for preseason FAB 50 No. 1 Oak Hill Academy, its best player, forward Harry Giles, tore his ACL. One has to figure he was a favorite considering he was last year's National Junior of the Year.

Then in the past week, Marvin Bagley III, last year's National Freshman of the Year at Corona del Sol (Tempe, Ariz.), left Hillcrest Academy (Phoenix, Ariz.), a relatively new program with national aspirations. Even though the prep school Bagley attended was not formally recognized by the residing state athletic association (in this case the Arizona Interscholastic Association), therefore making it ineligible for the FAB 50, the sophomore power forward was still eligible for the nation's highest individual honor because he presumably was a student in good standing with three years of regular high school eligibility remaining.

For now, Bagley is not eligible for any individual honor because he's not enrolled at a school, nor is he currently playing for a varsity program. Reports have surfaced that Bagley's family is inquiring about the possibility of him returning to Corona del Sol. Then the next natural question is, does he regain his athletic eligibility?

As if that wasn't enough, last year's National Sophomore of the Year, 7-foot DeAndre Ayton, joined the Hillcrest Academy program after playing his sophomore season at Balboa City School (San Diego, Calif.). For now Ayton is eligible for Mr. Basketball USA, but you have to wonder how playing with Bagley for a few games and then seeing Bagley leave the program, and the general uncertainty surrounding the program, is going to affect his candidacy.

Stay tuned.

For now, we present some of the eligible candidates who figure to factor in the 2015-16 Mr. Basketball USA race.

The Early Favorites*

DeAndre Ayton, Hillcrest Academy (Phoenix, Ariz.) 7-0 Jr. C

Resume: The 2014-15 national sophomore of the year averaged 21.1 points, 16.0 rebounds, 3.8 blocks, 2.6 assists and 1.6 steals for Balboa City School (San Diego, Calif.), a private institution that played mainly prep school and academy program competition. Ayton didn't always get the ball in prime spots, but still put up impressive numbers.

Why He Could Win: This talented center was a second five All-American by GrassrootsHoops.net last season as a mere sophomore. At the time, some respected prep evaluators felt the Bahamian native might have the best long-term potential of any player in high school basketball regardless of class, sans Ben Simmons, the 2015 Mr. Basketball USA whom some feel is already one of the nation's top college basketball players. Ayton has that much potential.

Why He Wouldn’t: It seemed Ayton was a surefire national player of the year candidate with Ben Simmons moving onto college, but over the summer he wasn't as dominant and he seemed to labor at times. He has since left Balboa for another prep school situation where the program is not recognized by the residing state athletic association, and that could hurt his chances. He was supposed to team up with super sophomore Marvin Bagley III to form one of the best 1-2 big man punches in high school we've ever seen, but Bagley is now gone and the situation seems a bit shaky and that could scare the Mr. Basketball USA panel.

Lonzo Ball, Chino Hills (Chino Hills, Calif.) 6-6 Sr. G

Resume: The Cal-Hi Sports State Junior of the Year averaged 24.3 points, 11.3 rebounds, 9.1 assists, 4.5 steals and 3.5 blocked shots per game for a team that advanced to the CIF Division I state title game. He was a third five All-American with now graduated standouts Brandon Ingram, Luke Kennard, Dedric Lawson and Caleb Swanigan.

Why He Could Win: One word that describes this UCLA commit is “unique.” He is a pin-point passer all 84 feet of the court and has grown to a true small forward size with uncanny rebounding ability for a true point guard. Ball is the CIF's best player (Josh Jackson's Prolific Prep team is an independent program), he's one of the state's best scorers, the best passer and could very well be the best rebounder. He's that good.

Why He Wouldn’t: Ball is one of the most polarizing elite players on social media, as some feel the style in which Chino Hills and his travel ball club play doesn't translate to the next level. Others feel he is a generational talent at the point guard position. Because of the mixed bag of opinions, Ball might be high on some lists and lower and others. Regardless, he's going to have to play his best at the City of Palms Tournament and winning a CIF state title would go a long way, too.

Josh Jackson, Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) 6-8 Sr. G

Resume: After earning National Sophomore of the Year honors two seasons ago at Consortium College Prep in Detroit, Jackson made the decision to leave the state of Michigan and attend an academy-type program based in Northern California. On a team that played a national schedule, Jackson averaged 28 points, 15 rebounds and 6 assists per game. He also led his travel team, 1Nation, to the Las Vegas FAB 48 invitational title in July.

Why He Could Win: With his size, explosiveness, passing and rebounding ability, Jackson is clearly one of the elite players in the country. At the USA Basketball Mini-Camp in October, he was the best performer and showed the alpha male mentality and competitive instincts to be a long-time NBA player.

Why He Wouldn’t: Jackson wasn't eligible for end-of-the season honors as a junior because the players on Prolific Prep's team attended various high schools (which made them an after-school academy). This season, all the players attend Justin-Siena High School, so Jackson returns as a serious candidate. The Mr. Basketball USA panelists were made aware Jackson is eligible, but some might favor a candidate from a traditional high school. Other than that or the injury bug, Jackson should be in the thick of the race.

Jayson Tatum, Chaminade (St. Louis, Mo.) 6-8 Sr. F

Resume: As a junior, Tatum averaged 26 ppg, 11 rpg and 3 apg for a 25-4 team. Tatum was named Gatorade State Player of the Year for the second consecutive season, but his team was shocked in the state semifinals.

Why He Could Win: The Chaminade Red Devils, ranked No. 7 in the preseason FAB 50, is a team that really has a chance to challenge the academy-type powers for the FAB 50 national title because of their national schedule. The Duke-bound Tatum is a household high school basketball name and will be on national TV versus No. 1 Oak Hill Academy and No. 5 DeMatha Catholic. If Tatum plays well in those games, plus at the City of Palms Tournament, it could catapult him to the top of the Mr. Basketball USA conversation.

Why He Wouldn’t: Perhaps Chaminade falters from a team perspective and that could hurt him from an individual perspective. Winning the state title would clearly help Tatum's candidacy because expectations are so high from a national perspective for his team. It's not too often Missouri has a bonafide Mr. Basketball USA candidate (only Crystal City's Bill Bradley has been honored from the state for the 1960-61 season).

Strong Cases*

Edrice Adebayo, High Point Christian Academy (High Point, N.C.) 6-9 Sr. C

Resume: As a junior, Adebayo averaged 32.1 ppg and 21.0 rpg against small-school competition at Northside (Pinetown, N.C.). He was named an Underclass All-American by GrassrootsHoops.net.

Why He Could Win: This summer, Adebayo was one of the top five performers at the prestigious NBPA Top 100 Camp and showed why he's considered one of the top true post players in the country. This winter, his new high school team will play in enough big games for "Bam" to become a serious candidate. High Point opens up No. 25 in the preseason FAB 50 with "Bam" on board. His team plays in the NCISAA Class 3A ranks, which offers good competition and is good for his candidacy.

Why He Wouldn’t: Bam may not put up prolific numbers as he did last season, because he'll be facing better competition and has more talented teammates. Eye-popping numbers, especially for a big man, always help. There has only been one true post player to earn this honor in the last 25 years (Greg Oden in 2005-2006) as the game has gone away from the big man. That could hurt "Bam" because analysts and fans are more drawn to skill, rather than size, than in the past.

Rawle Alkins, Word of God Academy (Raleigh, N.C.) 6-5 Sr. F

Resume: He was arguably the best player on the summer Grassroots circuit after an impressive junior season at Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.), which he led to the CHSAA Class AA title after helping the Royals win New York Federation titles as a freshman and sophomore. Alkins shared Pangos All-American Camp MOP honors with fellow Mr. Basketball USA candidate Mustapha Heron, led the New York Rens to the title of the adidas Uprising Gauntlet Finale championship and later led his team to the championship of adidas Nations.

Why He Could Win: Alkins helped Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.) win big time games, but eligibility issues loomed so he decided to take his talents to North Carolina, where he leads one of the better independent schools in the country. Alkins wins in whatever setting he plays in and that combination of production and winning could put him in the national player of the year conversation.

Why He Wouldn’t: The Holy Rams have a talented roster and open up No. 37 in the FAB 50, but should they falter it could hurt Alkins' candidacy. Word of God doesn't compete for a state title, and playing an independent schedule could be a hindrance for Alkins, especially if Word of God is not selected for Dick's Nationals.

Trevon Duval, Advanced Prep International (Dallas) 6-2 Jr. G

Resume: This fast-rising point guard averaged 15.9 points per game last season in leading St. Benedict's (Newark, N.J.) to the Prep A title. He also was stellar in the Under Armour Association and in Las Vegas at the Fab 48. Duval decided to leave the Garden State for API and joins a strong nucleus of players at a brand new program.

Why He Could Win: An Underclass All-American last season at St. Benedict's, Duval has elevated his game to the point where where he's now considered the best underclass point guard in the nation and arguably the best overall 2017 prospect. API opens up No. 8 in the FAB 50 and with Duval as the catalyst, the Bulldogs like their chances to move up in the rankings. The better API does, the better Duval's chances are.

Why He Wouldn’t: Duval could lead his new team to a memorable season, or he could get outshined by another elite talent on his own team. Some Mr. Basketball USA Tracker panelists could feel junior forward Billy Preston or senior wing Terrence Ferguson is the more viable candidate on API's team. Sometimes teammates help, and sometimes they cancel each other out when it comes to individual awards.

Mustapha Heron, Sacred Heart (Waterbury, Conn.) 6-5 Sr. F

Resume: Heron led Sacred Heart to its second consecutive state title and a perfect 28-0 record. Only the second junior ever named New Haven Register State Player of the Year, Heron averaged 22 ppg and 5.3 rpg. He also had an excellent summer, earning co-MOP honors at the Pangos All-American Camp with Rawle Alkins.

Why He Could Win: You have to like the best player returning from an undefeated state championship team who is clearly one of the best players in his region. If Sacred Heart builds an unbeaten record and remains FAB 50 ranked (it opened the season No. 21), Heron could gain traction in the race over the course of the season.

Why He Wouldn’t: Position factors and regional factors. There is a lot of shooting guards/small forwards types in this year's crop of candidates and perhaps the panel might like another one just a bit more. There's been only one Mr. Basketball USA from Connecticut and that was in 1965-1966 (the great Calvin Murphy) and no panelist will see Sacred Heart during its league/conference schedule.

Malik Monk, Bentonville (Bentonville, Ark.) 6-3 Sr. G

Resume: He averaged 26.9 ppg, 6.7 rpg, and 2.6 apg and also had a solid showing on the summer Grassroots circuit. Monk was one of only three juniors named All-American (along with Jayson Tatum and Lonzo Ball), so he definitely has an opportunity to impress the panel.

Why He Could Win: Monk led Bentonville to the Arkansas Class 7A title game, where it lost. This season, Bentonville has a lot of firepower and opened up No. 24 in the preseason FAB 50. Winning a state title and some big scoring outputs would keep Monk in the conversation with the other candidates.

Why He Wouldn’t: They will play in some big tournaments and showcase games, but if Bentonville doesn't win those games, Monk could fall on ballots even if he puts up numbers. Some of these games will be potential head-to-head matchups against other guards and sometimes too much emphasis (good or bad) can be placed on one game.

OTHER SENIOR CANDIDATES
FROM STRONG PROGRAMS

G — Bryce Aiken, The Patrick School (Elizabeth, N.J.) 5-11
C — Udoka Azubuike, Potter’s House Christian (Jacksonville, Fla.) 6-10
G — Tyus Battle, St. Joseph's (Metuchen, N.J.) 6-5
F — Braxton Key, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 6-7
F — Miles Bridges, Huntington Prep (Huntington, W.Va.) 6-6
G — Tony Carr, Roman Catholic (Philadelphia) 6-3
G — Anthony Cowan Jr., St. John's (Washington, D.C.) 5-11
G — De'Aaron Fox, Cypress Lakes (Katy, Texas) 6-3
F — Markelle Fultz, DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) 6-5
G — Alterique Gilbert, Miller Grove (Lithonia, Ga.) 6-0
F — Dewan Huell, Norland (Miami, Fla.) 6-9
G — Frank Jackson, Lone Peak (Highland, Utah) 6-2
G — Andrew Jones, MacArthur (Irving, Texas) 6-4
F — Mario Kegler, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 6-7
F — V.J. King, Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) 6-6
G — Josh Langford, Madison Academy (Madison, Ala.) 6-5
F — T.J. Leaf, Foothills Christian (El Cajon, Calif.) 6-9
G — Shamorie Ponds, Thomas Jefferson (Brooklyn, N.Y.) 6-1
G — Kobi Simmons, St. Francis (Alpharetta, Ga.) 6-5
G — Xavier Simpson, Lima Senior (Lima, Ohio) 6-1
G — Seventh Woods, Hammond (Columbia, S.C.) 6-1

JUNIORS TO WATCH

C — Mohamed Bamba, Westtown School (West Chester, Pa.) 6-10
G — Alex Barcello, Corona del Sol (Tempe, Ariz.) 6-2
F — Brian Bowen, La Lumiere (LaPorte, Ind.) 6-6
G — Troy Brown, Centennial (Las Vegas, Nev.) 6-5
C — Zach Brown, Miami Senior (Miami, Fla.) 7-0
C — Wendell Carter Jr., Pace Academy (Atlanta) 6-10
G — Jalek Felton, Mullins (Mullins, S.C.) 6-2
G — Quade Green, Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia) 5-11
G — Jaylen Nowell, Garfield (Seattle) 6-5
F — John Petty, J.O. Johnson (Huntsville, Ala.) 6-6
G — Michael Porter, Father Tolton (Columbia, Mo.) 6-5
F — Billy Preston, Advanced Prep International (Dallas) 6-9
G — Paul Scruggs, Southport (Indianapolis, Ind.) 6-3
F — Cody Riley, Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) 6-7
C — Jeremiah Tillman, La Lumiere (LaPorte, Ind.) 6-10
G — Gary Trent Jr., Apple Valley (Apple Valley, Minn.) 6-4
G — Jarred Vanderbilt, Victory Prep (Houston) 6-7
F — James “M.J.” Walker Jr., Jonesboro (Jonesboro, Ga.) 6-5
F — P. J. Washington, Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) 6-8
G — Trae Young, Norman North (Norman, Okla.) 6-2

IMPACT SOPHOMORES

F — De’Sean Allen-Eikens, Williston (Williston, N.D.) 6-5
C — Jordan Brown, Woodcreek (Roseville, Calif.) 6-9
G — Marquis Brown, Simeon (Chicago) 6-0
F — Silvio De Souza, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-9
F — E.J. Montgomery, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-9
G — Cameron Reddish, Westtown School (West Chester, Pa.) 6-10
F — Naz Reid, Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.) 6-8
G — Javonte Smart, Scotlandville (Baton Rouge, La.) 6-3
F — Robert Woodard, Columbus (Columbus, Miss.) 6-5

*Editor's note: Listed alphabetically; The Mr. Basketball USA honor is based on high school accomplishment, not future college/pro potential. www.ebooksnet.com does not knowingly select fifth-year players, and those ineligible due to age or academics, as Mr. Basketball USA or to the various All-American teams it publishes.

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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