RELATED: Updated FAB 50 Rankings | 5 Ways COVID-19 Changed Recruiting?

As COVID-19 numbers spike across the country, many state associations still have not started their 2020-21 high school hoops season. If the seven states scheduled to begin by February 1 tip-off, it will bring the number of state participating to 41.

Delays to start dates, restricted travel and schedule changes a common theme has put even a bigger emphasis on events involving top players and teams. The St. James NIBC Invitational is the event receiving the most national attention. No less than 11 teams that appeared in the FAB 50 National Team Rankings powered by www.ebooksnet.com participated in the Springfield, Va. event January 8-18. The top seven teams in the FAB 50 going into the event participated in at least one game, with No. 1 Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) playing both No. 2 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) and No. 3 Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.).

Dariq Whitehead

6'5"   -   SG   -   2022

On January 9, Montverde Academy downed Sunrise Christian, 58-52, behind elite 2022 prospects Dariq Whitehead (18 points, 8 rebounds) and Jalen Duren (13 points, 4 blocks). On January 17, MVA and IMG locked horns with the top-ranked Eagles coming away with a 55-51 victory as Michigan-bound wing Caleb Houstan netted 16 points. Montverde Academy led the entire contest, but IMG was never out of it. The Eagles had 15 turnovers (to IMG’s 10) but forced the Ascenders into just enough uncomfortable shots (20-of-56 while MVA made 16-of-38). Less than 24 hours later, Sunrise Christian secured the No. 2 spot in the latest FAB 50 with a come-from-behind 69-62 victory over IMG Academy. Tennessee-bound Kennedy Chandler made the big plays down the stretch for the Buffaloes and finished with 26 points.

The event’s talent level was unmatched and some of the nation’s most talented teams left Springfield with multiple losses and even mini losing streaks. So why were eight of the teams there for 10 days? The event was a bubble situation and for the teams that make up the National Interscholastic Basketball Conference (Montverde Academy, Sunrise Christian Academy, FAB 50 No. 5 Oak Hill Academy of Mouth of Wilson, Va., No. 6 Wasatch Academy of Mt. Pleasant, Utah, No. 11 La Lumiere of La Porte, Ind., Legacy Early College of Greenville, S.C., Hamilton Heights Christian Academy of Chattanooga, Tenn., and Bishop Walsh of Cumberland, Md.) this was the first stop in a season that will include multiple stops in a bubble-type environment and a conference championship tournament.

The original plan was for member teams to play each other at longstanding high school events and for those games to count towards conference standings. That element of the NIBC is a work in progress because of COVID-19, but ongoing league standings and crowning a conference champion is still the goal for this fragmented season, according to La Lumiere head coach Patrick Holmes. The NIBC will host its conference tournament in early March, with the event likely taking place in La Porte, Ind.

"We wanted to come together to have a safe basketball season,” Holmes said. “At the NIBC, everyone had to have a negative COVID test in order to travel here. We are fortunate to have access to a rapid test that we can administer on game day to each student-athlete. All eight schools agreed to this protocol at whatever stops we have this season.

"Talking to some of the independent schools, we wanted to figure out how to ensure all participants were going to be COVID negative and to ensure we’re still playing high quality games. As this thing continues to evolve, then the goal is to become an official conference. When the off season rolls around, we’ll figure out how to build this thing out.”

At the St. James NIBC Invitational, there were no reported COVID-19 related issues with the eight teams that make up the conference. With COVID-19 looming, this is the perfect season for NIBC members to tinker with its execution and hit the ground running in 2021-22. The top of the FAB 50 rankings is dominated by NIBC members and many evaluators and scouts commented on just how terrific the level of play was at the St. James NIBC Invitational.

The talent gap between the independent academy-type programs who attract talent from all over the country (and in some instances the world), and those public and parochial schools that play for state titles has been widening over the past decade. COVID-19 is only accelerating that gap.

So is it fair for NIBC schools to be ranked with secondary high schools? Should there be two sets of national rankings and should independent programs only play each other? As long as state association members line up to play NIBC members, they belong in the same pot. It’s up to state associations and member schools to decide if they want to play these programs. Some allow their full members to play teams that don’t compete for a traditional state title, and others do not.

If the decision is unilaterally made that state association members can no longer play teams that don’t compete for state tiles, then there will be no choice other than to separate the programs. That hasn’t happened yet, but coaches can’t schedule those teams, then complain about it when they lose. On the occasions they do win, it’s big news and used to promote their program and the virtues of playing for a secondary high school. In the same light, event operators can’t scoff at those programs when they gladly use them as promotional vehicles and to boost gate receipts.

Either way, Ballislife’s goal is to promote the players of high school basketball, regardless of its makeup. We adjust with the times and realize high school basketball is not nearly the same as when the precursor to the FAB 50, the National Prep Poll, began in the winter of 1987. We also understand COVID-19 is changing the realities of families and how high school basketball fits in to that reality in 2021.

“High major” high school and “neighborhood” basketball both serve their purpose. They can co-exist, although their relationship often falls into a gray area. They can also exist separately, although the lifeblood of media coverage for neighborhood basketball, our country’s daily newspapers, is in peril because of dwindling revenue. The entire sports departments of some newspapers today are smaller than their high school sports departments ?were 25 years ago. Meanwhile, the NIBC is sure to garner plenty of attention from media, scouts, college coaches and pro personnel in upcoming seasons.

“The level of competition is second to none,” Holmes said.

It will be healthy for the high school game if the NIBC expands to include other independent teams. It will also strengthen the product by adding some of the virtues of state association basketball with set rosters, standings, a post-season and uniform rules that are clearly communicated, enforced and available in the public domain.

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 Big-Time High School Basketball's Future? appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

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

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

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

Jalen Duren

6'9"   -   C   -   2021

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

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

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

By Ronnie Flores

RELATED:    | HS Basketball in 2021: What's In Store?

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

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

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

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

Kennedy Chandler

6'1"   -   PG   -   2021

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

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

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

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

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

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

Salute To John Rhodes

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

Rhodes was 77.

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

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

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

Rhodes is survived by his wife Terri Springs.

RELATED:    | HS Basketball in 2021: What's In Store?

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

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

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

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

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

Note: The FAB 50 powered by www.ebooksnet.com is a continuation of the National Sports News Service ratings that began in 1952. These were the first national high school rankings and the late Art Johlfs of Minnesota compiled them. They were compiled for many years by the late Barry Sollenberger of Phoenix, who merged them into the FAB 50 21 years ago.

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

The post NEW FAB 50: MLK Edition! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

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

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

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

Caleb Houstan

6'7"   -   SF   -   2021

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

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

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

By Ronnie Flores

RELATED:    | HS Basketball in 2021: What's In Store?

The season is moving forward despite the looming presence of COVID-19 and school district and state association cancellations has put an even bigger spotlight on the games and events taking place.

The St. James NIBC Invitational is the event getting most of the attention, as no less than 11 teams that appear in the updated FAB 50 National Team Rankings powered by www.ebooksnet.com are participating in the Springfield, Va. event. The top seven teams in the FAB 50 are participating in at least one game, plus No. 12 Legacy Early College (Greenville, S.C.), No. 13 La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.) with No. 28 St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.) and John Marshall (Richmond, Va,), which started at No. 24 in the preseason rankings but has been removed after Richmond Schools cancelled its season, participating as club teams.

With so many good teams in the event (which runs January 8 through MLK Monday), there was bound to be movement near the top of the rankings. Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) remained No. 1 by opening the event with three consecutive victories, including a monster 58-52 win over No. 3 Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.) last Saturday night.

The game was tied at halftime (33-33), but the Eagles took control in the third period, outscoring the Buffaloes 20-9. Sunrise Christian battled down the stretch and had a chance to tie the game late until MVA's Ryan Nembhard hit a big 3-pointer with 33 seconds remaining to give his team a 58-52 lead.

Dariq Whitehead had 18 points and 8 rebounds for Montverde Academy, while fellow junior Jalen Duren had 13 points, 6 rebounds and four blocks. Duren has been dominant at times at the event and appears to be a bonafide Mr. Basketball USA candidate, while the Eagles are also displaying a good brand of team defense.

Kennedy Chandler and Kendall Brown each scored 13 points for the Buffaloes, who were out-rebounded, 31-22, in their first loss of the season. Because of the score and the level of play, Sunrise Christian remains No. 3 in this week's rankings.

Gradey Dick

6'7"   -   SG   -   2022

At this event, there are plenty of ranked teams dropping games because of the quality of foe and the presence of the eight teams that make up the national Interscholastic Basketball Conference (NIBC). The telling sign of a good team is how it responds in the next game following a big win or loss. The Buffaloes bounced back in a big way with a 79-45 win over No. 12 Legacy Early College, as Gradey Dick led three Buffaloes in double-digits with 12 points.

Montverde Academy didn't have a letdown in its next game, as it ran its winning to 36 games dating back to 2019 GEICO Nationals with a resounding 65-46 win over No. 13 La Lumiere, as Langston Love and Nembhard combined for 30 points. La Lumiere opened its season 1-2, as it also fell to No. 7 Wasatch Academy, which has lost only to No. 6 and still unbeaten Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.).

Outside of the St. James, Duncanville (Duncanville, Texas) saw its 20-game winning streak snapped when it fell to then unranked Waxahachie (Waxahachie, Texas) last Saturday, 88-85, in overtime. Waxahachie outscored Texas' No. 1 ranked team, 38-25, in the fourth period and overtime by employing a 1-3-1 full court press to change the momentum of the game. The District 11-6A showdown wasn't sealed until 6-foot-4 Waxahachie senior Montez Young nailed a 3-pointer in the extra stanza for a club that trailed by 10 points to begin the fourth period.

University of Oklahoma bound C.J. Noland led all scorers with 30 points, including five in the extra period. Juan Reyna led Duncanville with 25.

Local and state rankings now have Waxahachie ranked ahead of its district rivals, but from a national perspective we decided to keep Duncanville ranked as the No. 1 team from the Lone Star State, although it does drop four spots in the FAB 50 to No. 18. Despite the head-to-head factor, Duncanville still has more quality victories, and we also take into consideration the game went into overtime and Waxahachie's losses to unranked McKinley (Texas) and iSchool (Lewisville, Texas). The Indians, however, do crack the FAB 50 at No. 39

The district rivals will once again meet on February 2. If both teams hold serve until that game and Waxahachie wins again, the Indians will then have done enough to be ranked higher than Duncanville despite the two losses to unranked foes.

Looking Ahead

Montverde Academy will put its 36-game winning streak on the line at the St. James NIBC Invitational versus Legacy Early College on January 12 and against Oak Hill Academy on January 15 before meeting IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) in a No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown on January 17 on ESPN (7:30 pm ET). It's not only a matchup of the two top-ranked teams in the FAB 50, but the two programs that have captured the past two FAB 50 national titles. IMG is the last team to defeat Kevin Boyle's club.

Jalen Duren

6'9"   -   C   -   2021

Whomever gets the best of the interior matchup between Duren and IMG's Moussa Diabaté could be in good position to win this showdown game. Another matchup to watch will at the lead guard between Nembhard and Jaden Bradley. Montverde is shooting at a high team clip so far in the bubble and IMG and will look to get the Eagles under 50 percent and limit the Eagles to one shot. MVA doesn't want to shoot at a poor clip and give IMG the ability to get out on its vaunted fast break.

As if that game isn't enough, IMG Academy will come back on MLK Monday on national television to face No. 2 Sunrise Christian Academy (3 pm ET, ESPNU), while Montverde Academy will face No. 7 Wasatch Academy (5 pm ET, ESPNU).

Oak Hill Academy, which has finished No. 1 or No. 2 in the FAB 50 15 times, would like nothing more than to play spoiler on Friday night and put itself in position to challenge for the No. 1 ranking.

With the big slate of MLK Monday games, our next set of rankings will be published the Tuesday after MLK day, which is a tradition the longest-running weekly national rankings started many years ago.

RELATED:    | HS Basketball in 2021: What's In Store?

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

(4th poll of 2020-21 regular season; Through games played on Sunday, January 10; *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.)	11-0
2	2	IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)	10-0
3	3	Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.)	7-1
4	4	Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.)	2-0
5	5	DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.)	1-0
6	10	Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.)	10-0
7	6	Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah)	13-1
8	8	Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.)	0-0
9	9	Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis, Minn.)	0-0
10	11	Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, N.Y.)	0-0
11	12	Camden (Camden, N.J.)	0-0
12	13	Legacy Early College (Greenville, S.C.)	9-3
13	7	La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.)	1-2
14	15	Milton (Milton, Ga.)	12-2
15	16	Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.)	0-0
16	17	O’Dea (Seattle, Wash.)	0-0
17	23	Lawrence North (Indianapolis, Ind.)	9-0
18	14	Duncanville (Duncanville, Texas)	14-1
19	19	Millard North (Omaha, Neb.)	11-0
20	20	Simeon (Chicago, Ill.)	0-0
21	21	Blair Academy (Blairstown, N.J.)	0-0
22	22	St. Raymond (Bronx, N.Y.)	0-0
23	24	Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.)	0-0
24	25	Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.)	0-0
25	26	Combine Academy (Lincolnton, N.C.)	16-2
26	30	North Mecklenburg (Huntersville, N.C.)	2-0
27	31	Atascocita (Humble, Texas)	11-0
28	27	St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.)	0-0
29	28	Poly (Baltimore, Md.)	0-0
30	35	Orlando Christian Prep (Orlando, Fla.)	13-0
31	29	Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.)	0-0
32	NR	Central Pointe Christian (Kissimmee, Fla.)	15-2
33	32	St. Mary Prep (Orchard Lake, Mich.)	0-0
34	33	Patrick School (Elizabeth, N.J.)	0-0
35	18	West Oaks Academy (Orlando, Fla.)	9-4
36	34	Notre Dame College Prep (Niles, Ill.)	0-0
37	37	Calvary Christian Academy (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.)	8-3
38	38	Moeller (Cincinnati, Ohio)	9-2
39	NR	Waxahachie (Waxahachie, Texas)	10-2
40	39	Fern Creek (Louisville, Ky.)	0-0
41	40	St. Vincent-St. Mary (Akron, Ohio)	8-1
42	41	Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)	0-0
43	42	Sandy Creek (Tyrone, Ga.)	10-4
44	43	Westlake (Austin, Texas)	13-1
45	44	Bishop O’Dowd (Oakland, Calif.)	0-0
46	45	Pace Academy (Atlanta, Ga.)	12-1
47	46	Grayson (Loganville, Ga.)	14-3
48	47	Ribet Academy (Los Angeles, Calif.)	0-0
49	48	Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia, Pa.)	0-0
50	50	Bishop Miege (Shawnee Mission, Kan.)	3-0

Dropped Out: Previous No. 36 Waukee Senior (Waukee, Iowa), No. 49 Ballard (Louisville, Ky.).

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

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 21 years ago.

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

The post UPDATED FAB 50: NIBC Off The Ground appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

On Episode 91 of the Ballislife In The Paint Show, co-hosts Ronnie Flores and Devin Ugland discuss the rumors of the NBA expanding and adding two more teams. Are Seattle and Las Vegas the no-brainer locations to add an NBA franchise? Devin gives a west coast city he believes would embrace a new NBA team.

Hit the play button below to tune in to In The Paint episode 91!

Ron and Dev also breakdown their pre-season NBA content where they picked the impact rookies and players who were primed to have breakout seasons. Where did they hit and where did they miss? Ronnie had a bullseye on Christian Wood and Devin pinpointed Payton Pritchard as a late first-round rookie to watch.

To close the show, the guys give an update on the FAB 50 National Rankings and what to expect from high school basketball based on the current state of the pandemic. Which states are currently playing? Which states have canceled? Which states are planning on starting soon? Will California cancel its season if numbers in the region don't improve?

Tune in to the latest episode of our In The Paint Podcast to hear Ron and Dev break this all down and more!

The post In The Paint Show: NBA Expansion, Impact Rookies and Breakout Veterans, HSBB COVID-19 updates appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

By Ronnie Flores

RELATED:    | HS Basketball in 2021: What's In Store?

Since the FAB 50 got off the ground over 30 years ago, the first update of the New Year is usually volatile because of the results of the plethora of holiday tournaments across the country involving ranked teams. Because of COVID-19, of course, many of this season's top tournaments were cancelled, which meant there were less big-time match ups involving elite teams over the holiday break.

The long-running Beach Ball Classic in Myrtle Beach, S.C., is one event that continued on and was responsible for some of the changes in the updated FAB 50 National Team Rankings powered by www.ebooksnet.com. This week there are four newcomers, including No. 18 West Oaks Academy (Orlando, Fla.), the champions of the BBC's Winter Jam National Division.

The Flame bested Word of God Academy (Raleigh, N.C.), 83-73, Winston Salem Christian (Winston Salem, N.C.), 70-46, and previous No. 18 Combine Academy (Lincolnton, N.C.) in the title game, 69-65, to move back in the nation's longest-running rankings after dropping some early games while nursing injuries to key players. Talented sophomore forward Matthew Bewley led four West Oak Academy players in double figures with 20 points and eight rebounds in the title game. Senior Justin Neely added 18 points for the Flame, who got 18 points and 12 rebounds in the semifinal win over Winston Salem Christian from Bewley and 18 points from A.J. Neal in the quarterfinal win over Word of God.

Matthew Bewley

6'8"   -   PF   -   2023

West Oaks replaces Combine Academy (who has split games with talented Moravian Prep of North Carolina) at No. 18 while Jeff McGinnis' club drops to No. 27. Combine Academy defeated the Baltimore Panthers (a club made up of players from St. Frances Academy) in its semifinal contest.

"Our team has battled a lot of injuries throughout the season, but I am staying positive because it is a blessing to just be able to play," West Oaks Academy coach Kenny Gillion said. "We have no problem following protocols of wearing masks, sanitizing and taking mandatory COVID-19 tests."

The winner of the traditional BBC bracket was Milton (Ga.), which won four games in Myrtle Beach to capture its first tourney title since 2011. Bruce Thornton, a talented junior already committed to Ohio St., had 22 points, six rebounds and five assists to pace the Eagles in their 70-57 title game victory over No. 37 Calvary Christian Academy (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.). Milton had seven players score seven or more points in the win over a team that whose only other losses are to FAB 50 No. 1 Montverde Academy (97-77) and to No. 2 IMG Academy (69-62)

Thornton averaged 21.0 ppg and 5.0 rpg in Milton's four victories. Making Allen Whitehart's club tournament title even more impressive was the fact it won the championship game without talented sophomore guard Kanaan Carlyle, who sat out because of an injury. When Milton last captured the BBC in 2011, it finished the 2011-12 season 31-1 on-court and No. 7 in the FAB 50.

The other big news is the plethora of teams that have still not officially started their season and those that may never get to. Many state associations were originally scheduled to begin January 4, but there has been some pushback to that while some associations are sticking with that date.

Associations beginning practice this week include the Minnesota State High School League (Jan. 4). Games are scheduled to commence this week for the Kentucky High School Athletic Association (Jan. 4) and the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (Jan. 6). Practice is scheduled to begin for the Philadelphia Catholic League and the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association on Jan. 11. The Michigan High School Athletic Association is set to begin practice Jan. 16, while the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association is scheduled to begin games on Feb. 1.

Privately, some coaches on the Eastern Seaboard and the far West Coast are not terribly optimistic their season will get off the ground. Some school districts are ready to move forward, but communication from local health departments and government offices has been frustrating for them. Some coaches www.ebooksnet.com talks to at least a few times per month to get updates on their receptive team also expressed their frustrations on how the season can be rolling along in some states like COVID-19 doesn't exist, while the Pandemic is treated quite differently in others.

In Illinois, four parents decided to su Governor J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) over the cancellation of winter sports.

The season is moving along, and starting later this week some of the nation's elite teams will enter a bubble situation at the National Interscholastic Basketball Conference (NIBC) St. James Invitational in Springfield, Va. A plethora of showcase games are scheduled between January 8-18 and we'll have more details on that event later this week on www.ebooksnet.com.

RELATED:    | HS Basketball in 2021: What's In Store?

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

(3rd poll of 2020-21 regular season; Through games played on Sunday, January 3; *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.)	8-0
2	2	IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)	6-0
3	3	Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.)	5-0
4	4	Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.)	0-0
5	5	DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.)	0-0
6	9	Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah)	11-0
7	7	La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.)	0-0
8	8	Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.)	0-0
9	10	Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis, Minn.)	0-0
10	11	Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.)	7-0
11	12	Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, N.Y.)	0-0
12	13	Camden (Camden, N.J.)	0-0
13	14	Legacy Early College (Greenville, S.C.)	8-1
14	15	Duncanville (Duncanville, Texas)	13-0
15	25	Milton (Milton, Ga.)	12-2
16	16	Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.)	0-0
17	17	O’Dea (Seattle, Wash.)	0-0
18	NR	West Oaks Academy (Orlando, Fla.)	9-3
19	23	Millard North (Omaha, Neb.)	10-0
20	19	Simeon (Chicago, Ill.)	0-0
21	20	Blair Academy (Blairstown, N.J.)	0-0
22	21	St. Raymond (Bronx, N.Y.)	0-0
23	28	Lawrence North (Indianapolis, Ind.)	8-0
24	24	Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.)	0-0
25	26	Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.)	0-0
26	18	Combine Academy (Lincolnton, N.C.)	15-2
27	6	St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.)	0-0
28	30	Poly (Baltimore, Md.)	0-0
29	31	Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.)	0-0
30	32	North Mecklenburg (Huntersville, N.C.)	0-0
31	33	Atascocita (Humble, Texas)	8-0
32	34	St. Mary Prep (Orchard Lake, Mich.)	0-0
33	35	Patrick School (Elizabeth, N.J.)	0-0
34	36	Notre Dame College Prep (Niles, Ill.)	0-0
35	43	Orlando Christian Prep (Orlando, Fla.)	11-0
36	38	Waukee Senior (Waukee, Iowa)	0-0
37	NR	Calvary Christian Academy (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.)	8-3
38	29	Moeller (Cincinnati, Ohio)	8-2
39	40	Fern Creek (Louisville, Ky.)	0-0
40	45	St. Vincent-St. Mary (Akron, Ohio)	6-1
41	42	Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)	0-0
42	41	Sandy Creek (Tyrone, Ga.)	7-4
43	NR	Westlake (Austin, Texas)	12-1
44	44	Bishop O’Dowd (Oakland, Calif.)	0-0
45	46	Pace Academy (Atlanta, Ga.)	10-1
46	27	Grayson (Longanville, Ga.)	12-3
47	47	Ribet Academy (Los Angeles, Calif.)	0-0
48	49	Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia, Pa.)	0-0
49	50	Ballard (Louisville, Ky.)	0-0
50	NR	Bishop Miege (Shawnee Mission, Kan.)	3-0

Dropped Out: Previous No. 22 John Marshall (Richmond, Va.); No. 37 Shadow Creek (Pearland, Texas); No. 39 Pebblebrook (Mableton, Ga.); No. 48 Marion (Marion, Ind.).

Bubble Teams:  Adams (South Bend, Ind.) 9-0; American Fork (American Fork, Utah) 7-2; Bellevue West (Bellevue, Neb.) 7-1; Blazer (Ashland, Ky.) 0-0; Blue Ridge (St. George, Va.) 8-0; Blue Valley Northwest (Overland Park, Kan.) 3-0; Brookfield Central (Brookfield, Wis.) 7-1; Callaway (Jackson, Miss.) 2-0; Carmel (Carmel, Ind.) 8-0; Centennial (Corona, Calif.) 0-0; Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village, Col.) 0-0; Christ The King (Middle Village, N.Y.) 0-0; Christian Brothers (St. Louis, Mo.) 2-0; Clinton (Clinton, Miss.) 7-0; Cretin-Derham Hall (St. Paul, Minn.) 0-0; Crispus Attucks (Indianapolis, Ind.) 9-2; Dr. Phillips (Orlando, Fla.) 9-1; Eastside Catholic (Sammamish, Wash.) 0-0; Edmond Memorial (Edmond, Okla.) 4-0; Fenwick (Oak Park, Ill.) 0-0; Garfield (Seattle, Wash.) 0-0; Grand Blanc (Grand Blanc, Mich.) 0-0; Green Run (Virginia Beach, Va.) 0-0; Hamilton Heights Christian Academy (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 2-2; Hopkins (Minnetonka, Minn.) 0-0; Houston (Germantown, Tenn.) 6-2; Jefferson (Portland, Ore.) 0-0; Kell (Marietta, Ga.) 9-4; King’s Fork (Suffolk, Va.) 0-0; Knoxville Catholic (Knoxville, Tenn.) 8-2; Las Cruces (Las Cruces, N.M.) 0-0; Magnolia (Magnolia, Ark.) 6-0; Male (Louisville, Ky.) 0-0; Marion (Marion, Ark.) 8-1; McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) 11-3; Mountain Pointe (Pheonix, Ariz.) 0-0; North Little Rock (North Little Rock, Ark.) 6-0; Oak Grove (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 5-0; Oak Ridge (Orlando, Fla.) 10-1; Pebblebrook (Mableton, Ga.) 13-2; Rangeview (Aurora, Col.) 0-0; Richardson (Richardson, Texas) 7-1; River Rouge (River Rouge, Mich.) 0-0; Riverside (Greer, S.C.) 9-1; Seattle Prep (Seattle, Wash.) 0-0; Starkville (Starkville, Miss.) 9-1; St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) 0-0; St. John’s (Washington, D.C.) 0-0; St. Mark’s (Dallas, Texas) 3-1; Waxahachie (Waxahachie, Texas) 8-2; Westover (Fayetteville, N.C.) 0-0; Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.) 10-3; Windward (Los Angeles, Calif.) 0-0.

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 21 years ago.

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

The post NEW FAB 50: New Year Brings Uncertainty, Hope appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.