The post NEW FAB 50: Gearing Up! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.
]]>By Ronnie Flores
Most of the nation's best teams are in league, conference or district play and most are winning as they gear up to earn favorable seeds in the post-season. That is reflected in the latest edition of the FAB 50 National Team Rankings powered by www.ebooksnet.com.
There are only two newcomers to the fold: No. 28 Westfield (Westfield, Ind.) and No. 50 Alta (Sandy, Utah). Westfield is now the No. 2 ranked team in Indiana after previous state No. 1 Fishers (Ind.) fell to always-tough Carmel (Ind.), 54-46, as junior guard Alex Couto netted 26 points. Fishers always have trouble with Carmel on the road, and the win is the 22nd in a row by the Greyhounds at home. Fishers is now No. 3 in the state and falls 40 points in the FAB 50 to No. 48.
The highest ranked team that fell out after a loss last week was previous No. 22 Wayzata (Plymouth, Minn.), which fell to always-tough Hopkins (Minnetonka, Minn.), 80-69, in a Lake Conference match-up of traditional state powers. Junior Anthony Smith III led the way for Hopkins with 22 points, including four 3-pointers, while sophomore Jayden Moore added 12 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists and four steals.
Breaking in for Wayzata is Alta (Sandy, Utah), Utah's top-ranked team and the favorite to capture the Class 5A state title. The Hawks have done enough to overcome their 81-69 loss to unranked St. Pius X-Matthias (Downey, Calif.) in the quarterfinals of the Tarkanian Classic in December, an event in which that club eventually won the championship.
It would bode well for Alta if St. Pius X were to be selected to play in the upcoming CIF Southern Section open division playoffs, where the Warriors are one of approximately 10 teams being considered to play in one of the two pools of four teams each, with the winner of each pool meeting in the CIF Southern Section championship game. That's where playing in a strong league or conference comes into play in the FAB 50 formula. For the first time in over 40 years of weekly state rankings, the top three teams by Cal-Hi Sports are from the same league: the Mission League in the San Fernando Valley. This week, No. 15 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.), No. 20 Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) and No. 22 Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.) will all be competing in the Mission League Tournament. One of the teams is going to win the tourney on February 2 and earn a top two seed in the CIFSS open playoffs. Either Notre Dame or Harvard-Westlake is going to lose in the semifinals and that team will be dropping down in the rankings. That drop, however, will not be happening until next week as those teams get rewarded for playing in tough conferences for now. For instance, Notre Dame lost to Sierra Canyon last week and dropped another showcase game to Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) at the Nike Extravaganza, but only drops one spot in the state rankings and nine in the FAB 50.
The Trinity League, which is made up of parochial schools primarily in Orange County, could also have three teams in the CIFSS open playoffs. No. 25 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) now has a split with unranked JSerra (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) after the Monarch lost the return match last week, 68-62, even though JSerra coach Keith Wilkinson was still serving a six-game suspension for tossing his shoes in protest of the officiating in the first round of league play. JSerra has lost twice to No. 33 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.), but also owns a double overtime win over No. 26 Roosevelt (Eastvale, Calif.). The best scenario for St. Pius X will be to win its Del Rey League title with an unbeaten slate, have unranked Centennial (Corona, Calif.) beat Roosevelt for the second time this week in the Big VIII League title game and for JSerra to lose to a unranked team in the Trinity League.
The tough league slates will undoubtedly change the FAB 50 next week, as the Mission League teams will not be 1-2-3 in California. Already we know some results from Monday that will also affect next week's FAB 50. In a Border Battle, bubble club Bartlett (Bartlett, Tenn.) downed No. 18 Huntsville (Huntsville, Ala.), 58-53. Coming into the game, Huntsville had only lost to No. 1 Montverde Academy, which captured its own Montverde Academy Invitational Tournament (MAIT) with a 78-72 victory over No. 3 Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.). It was the Eagles' second win of the season over The Crew. In other Monday action, St. John's (Washington, D.C.) downed No. 30 Bishop O’Connell (Arlington, Va.) in a contest that was a make-up game from the Capitol Hoops Challenge on January 20 that counts towards the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) standings.
RELATED: ?Preseason 2023-24 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker | | ??
(6th poll of 2023-24 regular season; Through games played on Sunday, January 28; *Indicates forfeit wins, forfeit losses not included; **Indicates forfeits and defaults not included)
| No. | Prev. | High School (City) | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) | 22-0 |
| 2 | 2 | Columbus (Miami, Fla.) | 19-4 |
| 3 | 3 | Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) | 23-4 |
| 4 | 4 | Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.) | 18-2 |
| 5 | 5 | Link Academy (Branson, Mo.) | 17-4 |
| 6 | 6 | Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, N.Y.) | 12-3 |
| 7 | 7 | Plano East (Plano, Texas) | 28-0 |
| 8 | 10 | Stony Point (Round Rock, Texas) | 27-1 |
| 9 | 9 | Lawrence North (Indianapolis, Ind.) | 17-0 |
| 10 | 13 | Myers Park (Charlotte, N.C.) | 17-2 |
| 11 | 12 | Patrick School (Elizabeth, N.J.) | 23-0 |
| 12 | 14 | St. Rose (Belmar, N.J.) | 18-1 |
| 13 | 19 | Central Cabarrus (Concord, N.C.) | 19-0 |
| 14 | 15 | AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.) | 18-5 |
| 15 | 18 | Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) | 24-1 |
| 16 | 16 | Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.) | 14-3 |
| 17 | 17 | Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) | 16-3 |
| 18 | 25 | Huntsville (Huntsville (Ala.) | 26-1 |
| 19 | 26 | Combine Academy (Lincolnton, N.C.) | 19-2 |
| 20 | 11 | Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) | 24-2 |
| 21 | 21 | Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) | 18-3 |
| 22 | 23 | Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.) | 23-3 |
| 23 | 33 | Roman Catholic (Philadelphia, Pa.) | 17-1 |
| 24 | 27 | McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) | 17-5 |
| 25 | 20 | Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) | 24-2 |
| 26 | 28 | Roosevelt (Eastvale, Calif.) | 25-2 |
| 27 | 48 | Wisconsin Lutheran (Milwaukee, Wis.) | 16-0 |
| 28 | NR | Westfield (Westfield, Ind.) | 14-1 |
| 29 | 50 | De Pere (De Pere, Wis.) | 15-1 |
| 30 | 29 | Bishop O’Connell (Arlington, Va.) | 15-4 |
| 31 | 30 | Great Crossing (Georgetown, Ky.) | 22-1 |
| 32 | 31 | Oak Ridge (Orlando, Fla.) | 21-3 |
| 33 | 32 | St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) | 22-4 |
| 34 | 34 | Salesian (Richmond, Calif.) | 23-1 |
| 35 | 35 | Edmond North (Edmond, Okla.) | 12-2 |
| 36 | 36 | North Mecklenburg (Huntersville, N.C.) | 15-3 |
| 37 | 37 | Ridge View (Columbia, S.C.) | 19-1 |
| 38 | 38 | Millennium (Goodyear, Ariz.) | 17-4 |
| 39 | 39 | Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) | 19-2 |
| 40 | 40 | Kell (Marietta, Ga.) | 18-3 |
| 41 | 41 | Jackson-Reed (Washington, D.C.) | 23-2 |
| 42 | 42 | Bullis (Potomac, Md.) | 17-2 |
| 43 | 43 | Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah) | 12-3 |
| 44 | 44 | La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.) | 14-3 |
| 45 | 45 | IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) | 11-7 |
| 46 | 46 | Sidwell Friends (Washington, D.C.) | 15-4 |
| 47 | 24 | Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia, Pa.) | 16-1 |
| 48 | 8 | Fishers (Fishers, Ind.) | 16-1 |
| 49 | 49 | Homewood Flossmor (Flossmor, Ill.) | 21-2 |
| 50 | NR | Alta (Sandy, Utah) | 18-1 |
Dropped Out: Previous No. 22 Wayzata (Plymouth, Minn.), No. 47 Curie (Chicago, Ill.).
Bubble Teams:? Alexander (Douglasville, Ga.) 19-2; Allen (Allen, Texas) 26-4; Atascocita (Humble, Texas) 29-2**; Bartlett (Bartlett, Tenn.) 20-2; Bellevue West (Bellevue, Neb.) 15-1; Benet Academy (Lisle, Ill.) 19-3; Blue Valley Northwest (Overland Park, Kan.) 12-1; Brennan (San Antonio, Texas) 23-4; Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.) 17-5; Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.) 16-2; Cordova (Cordova, Tenn.) 20-1; Curie (Chicago, Ill.) 22-2; De Paul Prep (Chicago, Ill.) 21-2; East Lansing (East Lansing, Mich.) 13-1; Fort Bend Clements (Sugar Land, Texas) 25-0; Garfield Heights (Garfield Heights, Ohio) 17-0; Imhotep Charter (Philadelphia, Pa.) 14-3; John Marshall (Richmond, Va.) 15-3; Lake Taylor (Norfolk, Va.) 16-0; Lexington (Lexington, S.C.) 20-2; Lexington Catholic (Lexington, Ky.) 20-2; Liberty (Henderson, Nev.) 15-1; Lincoln (Warren, Mich.) 12-2; Lyon County (Eddyville, Ky.) 20-2; Madison Prep (Baton Rouge, La.) 19-2; Millard North (Omaha, Neb.) 14-2; Muskegon (Muskegon, Mich.) 9-0; Newport (Newport, Ky.) 21-3; North Crowley (Ft. Worth, Texas) 25-3; Northwest (Shawnee Mission, Kan.) 12-0; Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 16-3; Oak Park (Kansas City, Mo.) 16-1; Olentangy Orange (Lewis Center, Ohio) 16-0; Owasso (Owasso, Okla.) 15-2; Park Center (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) 18-1; Pascagoula (Pascagoula, Miss.) 23-1; Pewaukee (Pewaukee, Wis.) 13-2; Reidsville (Reidsville, N.C.) 15-0; Roosevelt (Portland, Ore.) 13-1; Southern Guilford (Greensboro, N.C.) 17-1; St. Ignatius (Cleveland, Ohio) 14-3; St. Joseph (Santa Maria, Calif.) 21-2; St. Mary’s (St. Louis, Mo.) 21-1; St. Mary Prep (Orchard Lake, Mich.) 12-1; St. Peter’s Prep (Jersey City, N.J.) 16-1; St. Raymond’s (Bronx, N.Y.) 15-3; Thornton (Harvey, Ill.) 20-3; Totino-Grace (Fridley, Minn.) 14-3; Volcano Vista (Albuquerque, N.M.) 19-1; Waubonsie Valley (Aurora, Ill.) 22-0; Wayzata (Plymouth, Minn.) 15-1; Winter Haven (Winter Haven, Fla.) 20-1.
Note:?The FAB 50 powered by www.ebooksnet.com is a continuation of the National Sports News Service ratings that began in 1952. These were the first national high school rankings and the late Art Johlfs of Minnesota compiled them. They were compiled for many years by the late Barry Sollenberger of Phoenix, who merged them into the FAB 50 24 years ago.
Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at?[email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter:?@RonMFlores
The post NEW FAB 50: Gearing Up! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.
]]>The post UPDATED FAB 50: Calm Before The Storm! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.
]]>By Ronnie Flores
Much of the focus since the turn of the New Year has been on teams at high powered events, but the focus this week will be on individual, elite talent. That's because the rosters for the 2024 McDonald's All-American Game will be unveiled on January 23 on ESPN's "NBA Today" broadcast between 3-4 pm ET. We'll have our breakdown and reactions to the team following its announcement on the latest episode of the .
Meanwhile, the latest FAB 50 National Team Rankings powered by www.ebooksnet.com is defined by its relative calmness, as most of the nation's elite teams returned to league/conference/district play and predictably won. In fact, there are only three new teams in this week's FAB 50 and all join in at the bottom of the nation's most well-researched poll.
Unbeaten Wisconsin Lutheran (Milwaukee, Wis.) breaks in at No. 48 one week after knocking off previously unbeaten and then No. 12 De Pere (De Pere, Wis.), 70-68, as the Redbirds saw their 42-game win streak snapped. The defending WIAA D1 state champs couldn't slow down Duke commit Kon Knueppel of Lutheran, who netted 38 points.
After one week on the bubble, one-loss De Pere is back in the rankings at No. 50, one spot ahead of new No. 49 Homewood Flossmor (Flossmor, Ill.). That club will have its eye on this Tuesday's Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) showdown between No. 21 Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) and No. 4 Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.). Homewood Flossmor has only lost to visiting Gonzaga, so it will be a swoon for Illinois teams (such as No. 47 Curie of Chicago) should the Purple Eagles pull off the WCAC road victory.
The only top ten FAB 50 team to lose last week was previous No. 6 Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.), which fell twice in Mission League play. The Wolverines first fell to still unbeaten Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.), 59-54, as Houston-bound All-American candidate Mercy Miller scored 29 points and got plenty of help from his teammates with big rebounds and timely putbacks. Harvard-Westlake actually lost again later in the week to then No. 18 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.), 74-68. The Wolverines got done in by a 18-0 run in the fourth quarter as the Trailblazers were trialing, 58-50, with six minutes remaining before taking complete control of the game. The catalyst in this game, and for the season for a team that has only lost in overtime to Desert Mountain (Phoenix, Ariz.) in November, was Justin Pippen, the son of NBA great Scottie Pippen and one of the best unsigned seniors in the country. He nailed six 3-pointers and finished with 24 points, including 21 in the second half.
With the win, Notre Dame moved up 10 spots to No. 11 and Sierra Canyon moved up to No. 2 in the Cal-Hi Sports state rankings and to No. 18 in the FAB 50. There are three Mission League teams in the FAB 50 and they make up three of the top four teams in the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) ranks, which currently has seven of its member schools in the FAB 50. This Friday in a nationally-televised game, Notre Dame will visit Sierra Canyon in a No. 1 vs. No. 2 in the state showdown.
One of Harvard-Westlake's losses is a close one-point setback to No. 2 Columbus (Miami, Fla.), which is No. 2 in the FAB 50 behind top-ranked Montverde Academy. MVA will host its annual Montverde Academy Invitational Tournament (MAIT) beginning Thursday and it includes No. 3 Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) and No. 31 Oak Ridge (Orlando, Fla.).
Another showdown will take place on Sunday at Holy Family University when fast-rising No. 24 Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia, Pa.) and No. 33 Roman Catholic (Philadelphia, Pa.) meet with first place on the line in the Philadelphia Catholic League. Similarly to the top teams in the Mission League, which will likely meet once again in the league and sectional playoffs, Goretti and Roman could meet once again in the Philly Catholic League playoffs come February.
FAB 50 ranked teams usually win in league play, so the ones that participate in tough leagues will always get rewarded. For the ones that don't play in such strong ones, the competition will heat up once the playoffs roll around next month.
RELATED: ?Preseason 2023-24 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker | | ??
(5th poll of 2023-24 regular season; Through games played on Sunday, January 21; *Indicates forfeit wins, forfeit losses not included; **Indicates forfeits and defaults not included)
| No. | Prev. | High School (City) | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) | 19-0 |
| 2 | 2 | Columbus (Miami, Fla.) | 16-4 |
| 3 | 3 | Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) | 21-3 |
| 4 | 4 | Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.) | 15-2 |
| 5 | 5 | Link Academy (Branson, Mo.) | 17-4 |
| 6 | 7 | Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, N.Y.) | 11-3 |
| 7 | 8 | Plano East (Plano, Texas) | 26-0 |
| 8 | 9 | Fishers (Fishers, Ind.) | 15-0 |
| 9 | 13 | Lawrence North (Indianapolis, Ind.) | 15-0 |
| 10 | 10 | Stony Point (Round Rock, Texas) | 25-1 |
| 11 | 21 | Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) | 23-0 |
| 12 | 12 | Patrick School (Elizabeth, N.J.) | 16-1 |
| 13 | 14 | Myers Park (Charlotte, N.C.) | 15-2 |
| 14 | 15 | St. Rose (Belmar, N.J.) | 15-1 |
| 15 | 16 | AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.) | 17-5 |
| 16 | 17 | Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.) | 12-3 |
| 17 | 18 | Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) | 12-3 |
| 18 | 26 | Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) | 22-1 |
| 19 | 22 | Central Cabarrus (Concord, N.C.) | 17-0 |
| 20 | 19 | Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) | 22-1 |
| 21 | 20 | Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) | 15-2 |
| 22 | 27 | Wayzata (Plymouth, Minn.) | 14-0 |
| 23 | 6 | Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.) | 20-3 |
| 24 | 28 | Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia, Pa.) | 13-0 |
| 25 | 23 | Huntsville (Huntsville (Ala.) | 23-1 |
| 26 | 24 | Combine Academy (Lincolnton, N.C.) | 19-2 |
| 27 | 25 | McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) | 15-5 |
| 28 | 29 | Roosevelt (Eastvale, Calif.) | 22-2 |
| 29 | 30 | Bishop O’Connell (Arlington, Va.) | 14-3 |
| 30 | 31 | Great Crossing (Georgetown, Ky.) | 19-1 |
| 31 | 32 | Oak Ridge (Orlando, Fla.) | 19-2 |
| 32 | 34 | St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) | 20-4 |
| 33 | 50 | Roman Catholic (Philadelphia, Pa.) | 14-0 |
| 34 | 40 | Salesian (Richmond, Calif.) | 21-1 |
| 35 | 41 | Edmond North (Edmond, Okla.) | 10-2 |
| 36 | 36 | North Mecklenburg (Huntersville, N.C.) | 14-3 |
| 37 | 11 | Ridge View (Columbia, S.C.) | 17-1 |
| 38 | 37 | Millennium (Goodyear, Ariz.) | 15-4 |
| 39 | 39 | Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) | 17-2 |
| 40 | 42 | Kell (Marietta, Ga.) | 15-3 |
| 41 | 43 | Jackson-Reed (Washington, D.C.) | 21-2 |
| 42 | 44 | Bullis (Potomac, Md.) | 14-2 |
| 43 | 45 | Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah) | 12-3 |
| 44 | 46 | La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.) | 12-3 |
| 45 | 47 | IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) | 12-3 |
| 46 | 48 | Sidwell Friends (Washington, D.C.) | 13-4 |
| 47 | 49 | Curie (Chicago, Ill.) | 21-1 |
| 48 | NR | Wisconsin Lutheran (Milwaukee, Wis.) | 14-0 |
| 49 | NR | Homewood Flossmor (Flossmor, Ill.) | 19-1 |
| 50 | NR | De Pere (De Pere, Wis.) | 13-1 |
Dropped Out: Previous No. 33 Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.), No. 35 Camden (Camden, N.J.), No. 38 Perry (Gilbert, Ariz.).
Bubble Teams:? Alexander (Douglasville, Ga.) 17-2; Allen (Allen, Texas) 24-4; Alta (Sandy, Utah) 17-1; Atascocita (Humble, Texas) 27-2**; Bartlett (Bartlett, Tenn.) 18-2; Beaumont United (Beaumont, Texas) 24-1; Bellevue West (Bellevue, Neb.) 13-1; Benet Academy (Lisle, Ill.) 16-3; Blue Valley Northwest (Overland Park, Kan.) 11-1; Brennan (San Antonio, Texas) 22-4; Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.) 16-3; Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.) 13-2; Cordova (Cordova, Tenn.) 16-1; DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) 15-4; East Lansing (East Lansing, Mich.) 11-0; Fort Bend Clements (Sugar Land, Texas) 23-0; Garfield Heights (Garfield Heights, Ohio) 14-0; Imhotep Charter (Philadelphia, Pa.) 12-3; John Marshall (Richmond, Va.) 14-3; Lake Taylor (Norfolk, Va.) 13-0; Lexington (Lexington, S.C.) 18-2; Lexington Catholic (Lexington, Ky.) 18-1; Liberty Magnet (Baton Rouge, La.) 21-2; Lyon County (Eddyville, Ky.) 18-1; Madison Prep (Baton Rouge, La.) 15-2; Millard North (Omaha, Neb.) 12-2; North Crowley (Ft. Worth, Texas) 23-3; North Farmington (Farmington Hills, Mich.) 10-0; Northwest (Shawnee Mission, Kan.) 11-0; Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 15-3; Oak Park (Kansas City, Mo.) 14-1; Olentangy Orange (Lewis Center, Ohio) 14-0; Owasso (Owasso, Okla.) 14-2; Park Center (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) 16-1; Pascagoula (Pascagoula, Miss.) 21-1; Pewaukee (Pewaukee, Wis.) 11-1; Reidsville (Reidsville, N.C.) 13-0; Roosevelt (Portland, Ore.) 11-1; Southern Guilford (Greensboro, N.C.) 15-1; Southridge (Beaverton, Ore.) 14-1; St. Ignatius (Cleveland, Ohio) 12-3; St. John’s (Washington, D.C.) 15-3; St. Joseph (Santa Maria, Calif.) 19-2; St. Mary’s (St. Louis, Mo.) 19-1; St. Mary Prep (Orchard Lake, Mich.) 10-1; St. Peter’s Prep (Jersey City, N.J.) 14-1; St. Raymond’s (Bronx, N.Y.) 14-3; Thornton (Harvey, Ill.) 18-2; Totino-Grace (Fridley, Minn.) 12-3; Volcano Vista (Albuquerque, N.M.) 17-1; Waubonsie Valley (Aurora, Ill.) 20-0; Winter Haven (Winter Haven, Fla.) 18-1.
Note:?The FAB 50 powered by www.ebooksnet.com is a continuation of the National Sports News Service ratings that began in 1952. These were the first national high school rankings and the late Art Johlfs of Minnesota compiled them. They were compiled for many years by the late Barry Sollenberger of Phoenix, who merged them into the FAB 50 24 years ago.
Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at?[email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter:?@RonMFlores
The post UPDATED FAB 50: Calm Before The Storm! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.
]]>The post NEW FAB 50: Columbus Shines on MLK Day! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.
]]>By Ronnie Flores
The Martin Luther King Jr. holiday was first officially observed in 1986 (15 years after his assassination) and 20 years later, high-level high school basketball showcases across the country became a staple of the MLK holiday weekend. The MLK weekend eventually involved so many good national level matchups, it was decided the FAB 50 National Team Rankings powered by www.ebooksnet.com should include all the MLK Monday results and it was a policy other national polls now emulate.
It's ironic that after MLK Monday results poured in, it's a school named after another famous individual who also has an observed federal holiday in his namesake that is the big winner in this week's special MLK edition of the rankings. That school is Christopher Columbus, and it was the Roman Catholic preparatory school located in the Westchester region of Miami, Dade County that defeated two of the top three schools in the FAB 50 at the Spalding Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Mass., which has developed into the best MLK showcase over the past 15 years.
On Saturday, the Explorers of coach Andrew Moran took on then No. 2 Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, N.Y.), which had only lost to season-long No. 1 Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 73-59 in the title game of the City of Palms Classic in Florida. Columbus trialed 39-36 at halftime and the third quarter was a stalemate, with both clubs scoring 16 points. In the fourth quarter, however, it was all Columbus, as the Explorers outscored LuHi, 29-7, to pull away with a 81-62 victory. Cameron Boozer, last year's Mr. Basketball USA choice as a mere sophomore and still only 16 years old, had a big impact on the contest with 26 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the field, seven rebounds, four assists, and five blocked shots. Michigan St.-bound guard Jase Richardson also made a big impact with 20 points of 8-of-12 shooting, six rebounds, nine assists, two blocks and four steals.
In our latest edition of the "In The Paint" Podcast, we predicted Boozer was due for a breakout performance and that an upset could be brewing, and the power forward deluxe put his stamp on the holiday weekend by leading the Explorers to their second big win of the weekend on MLK Monday. Once again Columbus closed strong, outscoring then No. 3 Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.), 45-35, in the second half to record a 70-61 victory. Boozer didn't shoot well from the outside (0-4 FG 3-PT), but his looming presence was felt in a major way and he finished with 14 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, four blocks and four steals. Richardson once again, made all the difference, netting a game-high 21 points, six rebounds and four assists.
What made Columbus' second victory of the Hoophall Classic even more meaningful was the fact Paul VI was attempting to capture the "Springfield Double" after capturing the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions in Missouri with a 71-53 championship victory over then No. 46 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.). Duke-bound Darren Harris led the way for the Panthers with four 3-pointers and a game-high 23 points. Paul VI knocked off then No. 27 McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) in the semifinals, 48-37, as Harris scored 20 points. It looked good for Columbus that McEachern nearly came back to beat then No. 10 Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.), taking that club into overtime after trialing by 18 points and coming up just short, 60-59. McEachern defeated then No. 25 Edmond North (Edmond, Okla.) in the Bass Pro TOC third place game, 61-59, on a game-winning jumper by Mr. Basketball USA candidate Ace Bailey, who had 23 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks in the loss to the Wolverines.
Another result that broke Columbus' way was No. 1 Montverde's 76-71 Sunday win at Hoophall Classic over then No. 8 Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.), the Eagles' closest margin of victory to date so far in an unbeaten slate. Indiana-bound Liam McNeeley led four MVA players in double figures with 22 points, including 4-of-5 3-pointers. When the game was on the line, however, the Eagles smartly went inside to power forward Derik Queen, who scored a bucket and also got fouled on MVA's next possession and went to the free throw line to keep Prolific Prep at bay. The Crew's effort versus MVA looks good for the Explorers because they defeated Prolific Prep in overtime. With their own tough schedule, Paul VI's quality of wins, Prolific Prep's showing and Long Island Lutheran's loss to then No. 11 AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.), Columbus ia able to move up six spots this week to No. 2 with Prolific Prep checking it at No. 3.
No. 4 Paul VI has only lost to No. 1 Montverde Academy and No. 2 Columbus. No. 5 Link has lost to No. 1 MVA, No. 3 Prolific Prep, No. 4 Paul VI and to No. 7 LuHi, which has to drop five spots to account for the upset loss to AZ Compass Prep.
Columbus' showing is also a swoon for new No. 6 Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.), ?which lost its only game in an ultra-tight contest to Columbus in the title game of the Les Schwab Invitational in Oregon on Dec. 30. What wasn't mentioned during the national telecast of the Harvard-Westlake-McEachern contest (instead Bailey's NBA prospectus was mentioned every other time he touched the ball) is Harvard-Westlake has a tough turnaround on the way back from the Spalding Hoophall Classic, not just on the way there as McEachern and Paul VI did. The Wolverines traveled back to the West Coast in inclement weather and are gearing up to host No. 21 Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) on Wednesday and travel to face No. 26 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) on January 19.?
There are only four newcomers this week as teams that play national schedules are rewarded and don't fall all the way out after a showcase loss.
Notre Dame is one of the still unbeaten clubs that gets a noticable and sizable bump up this week. Among those still unbeaten clubs are No. 8 Plano East (Plano, Texas), No. 9 Fishers (Fishers, Ind.), No. 11 Ridge View (Columbia, S.C.), No. 13 Lawrence North (Indianapolis, Ind.), No. 22 Central Cabarrus (Concord, N.C.) and No. 28 Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia, Pa.). For those that don't venture far from home or test themselves on a regional or national level, a loss could mean a big drop that following week.
RELATED: ?Preseason 2023-24 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker | | ??
(4th poll of 2023-24 regular season; Through games played on Monday, January 15; *Indicates forfeit wins, forfeit losses not included; **Indicates forfeits and defaults not included)
| No. | Prev. | High School (City) | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) | 18-0 |
| 2 | 8 | Columbus (Miami, Fla.) | 16-4 |
| 3 | 9 | Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) | 20-3 |
| 4 | 3 | Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.) | 14-2 |
| 5 | 4 | Link Academy (Branson, Mo.) | 15-4 |
| 6 | 10 | Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.) | 20-1 |
| 7 | 2 | Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, N.Y.) | 11-3 |
| 8 | 13 | Plano East (Plano, Texas) | 24-0 |
| 9 | 15 | Fishers (Fishers, Ind.) | 13-0 |
| 10 | 16 | Stony Point (Round Rock, Texas) | 23-1 |
| 11 | 17 | Ridge View (Columbia, S.C.) | 16-0 |
| 12 | 6 | Patrick School (Elizabeth, N.J.) | 14-1 |
| 13 | 22 | Lawrence North (Indianapolis, Ind.) | 14-0 |
| 14 | 14 | Myers Park (Charlotte, N.C.) | 13-2 |
| 15 | 18 | St. Rose (Belmar, N.J.) | 12-1 |
| 16 | 11 | AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.) | 17-5 |
| 17 | 41 | Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.) | 10-3 |
| 18 | 7 | Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) | 10-3 |
| 19 | 21 | Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) | 19-1 |
| 20 | 26 | Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) | 14-2 |
| 21 | 28 | Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) | 20-0 |
| 22 | 42 | Central Cabarrus (Concord, N.C.) | 14-0 |
| 23 | 31 | Huntsville (Huntsville, Ala.) | 23-1 |
| 24 | 32 | Combine Academy (Lincolnton, N.C.) | 19-2 |
| 25 | 27 | McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) | 13-5 |
| 26 | 33 | Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) | 19-1 |
| 27 | 35 | Wayzata (Plymouth, Minn.) | 12-0 |
| 28 | 47 | Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia, Pa.) | 13-0 |
| 29 | 19 | Roosevelt (Eastvale, Calif.) | 20-2 |
| 30 | 24 | Bishop O’Connell (Arlington, Va.) | 14-3 |
| 31 | 30 | Great Crossing (Georgetown, Ky.) | 17-1 |
| 32 | 44 | Oak Ridge (Orlando, Fla.) | 17-2 |
| 33 | 45 | Christ the King (Middle, Village, N.Y.) | 11-1 |
| 34 | 46 | St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) | 18-4 |
| 35 | NR | Camden (Camden, N.J.) | 11-1 |
| 36 | 29 | North Mecklenburg (Huntersville, N.C.) | 13-3 |
| 37 | 34 | Millennium (Goodyear, Ariz.) | 14-3 |
| 38 | NR | Perry (Gilbert, Ariz.) | 14-4 |
| 39 | 20 | Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) | 15-2 |
| 40 | NR | Salesian (Richmond, Calif.) | 18-1 |
| 41 | 25 | Edmond North (Edmond, Okla.) | 10-2 |
| 42 | 36 | Kell (Marietta, Ga.) | 14-3 |
| 43 | 37 | Jackson-Reed (Washington, D.C.) | 19-2 |
| 44 | 38 | Bullis (Potomac, Md.) | 12-2 |
| 45 | 5 | Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah) | 10-3 |
| 46 | NR | La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.) | 11-3 |
| 47 | 40 | IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) | 8-7 |
| 48 | 48 | Sidwell Friends (Washington, D.C.) | 11-4 |
| 49 | 49 | Curie (Chicago, Ill.) | 17-1 |
| 50 | 50 | Roman Catholic (Philadelphia, Pa.) | 14-0 |
Dropped Out: Previous No. 12 De Pere (De Pere, Wis.), No. 23 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), No. 39 Mt. St. Joseph (Baltimore, Md.), No. 43 Westminster Academy (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.).
Bubble Teams:? Alexander (Douglasville, Ga.) 16-2; Allen (Allen, Texas) 22-4; Alta (Sandy, Utah) 15-1; Atascocita (Humble, Texas) 25-2**;Bartlett (Bartlett, Tenn.) 18-2;Beaumont United (Beaumont, Texas) 22-1; Bellevue West (Bellevue, Neb.) 11-1; Benet Academy (Lisle, Ill.) 14-2; Berkmar (Lilburn, Ga.) 14-4; Blue Valley Northwest (Overland Park, Kan.) 9-0; Brennan (San Antonio, Texas) 20-4; Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.) 13-3; Cordova (Cordova, Tenn.) 16-1; Dakota Valley (North Sioux City, S.D.) 7-0; DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) 15-4; De Pere (De Pere, Wis.) 12-1; East Lansing (East Lansing, Mich.) 9-0; Eastside Catholic (Sammamish, Wash.) 13-1; Fort Bend Clements (Sugar Land, Texas) 22-0; Garfield Heights (Garfield Heights, Ohio) 11-0; Homewood Flossmor (Flossmor, Ill.) 16-1; Imhotep Charter (Philadelphia, Pa.) 10-2; John Marshall (Richmond, Va.) 11-3; Lake Ridge (Mansfield, Texas) 21-3; Lake Taylor (Norfolk, Va.) 14-0; Lake Travis (Austin, Texas) 23-3; Lexington Catholic (Lexington, Ky.) 17-1; Liberty Magnet (Baton Rouge, La.) 19-2; Lyon County (Eddyville, Ky.) 18-1; Madison Prep (Baton Rouge, La.) 15-2; Millard North (Omaha, Neb.) 10-1; Mt. Carmel (Chicago, Ill.) 19-2; Mt. St. Joseph (Baltimore, Md.) 19-2; North Crowley (Ft. Worth, Texas) 21-3; North Farmington (Farmington Hills, Mich.) 9-0; Northwest (Shawnee Mission, Kan.) 8-0; Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 14-3; Oak Park (Kansas City, Mo.) 11-1; Park Center (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) 13-1; Pascagoula (Pascagoula, Miss.) 17-1; Raymond (Raymond, Miss.) 18-3; Roosevelt (Portland, Ore.) 11-1; Southern Guilford (Greensboro, N.C.) 14-1; Southridge (Beaverton, Ore.) 13-1; St. Joseph (Santa Maria, Calif.) 16-2; St. Mary’s (St. Louis, Mo.) 19-1; St. Mary Prep (Orchard Lake, Mich.) 9-1; Thornton (Harvey, Ill.) 15-2; Totino-Grace (Fridley, Minn.) 9-3; Vashon (St. Louis, Mo.) 10-4; Volcano Vista (Albuquerque, N.M.) 15-1; Westfield (Westfield, Ind.) 10-0; Winter Haven (Winter Haven, Fla.) 16-1; Wisconsin Lutheran (Milwaukee, Wis.) 13-0.
Note:?The FAB 50 powered by www.ebooksnet.com is a continuation of the National Sports News Service ratings that began in 1952. These were the first national high school rankings and the late Art Johlfs of Minnesota compiled them. They were compiled for many years by the late Barry Sollenberger of Phoenix, who merged them into the FAB 50 24 years ago.
Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at?[email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter:?@RonMFlores
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