The post Austin Reaves VS Paolo Banchero FULL Team USA Scrimmage! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

The post Anthony Edwards & Jalen Brunson GO AT IT at USA Basketball Scrimmage appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

The post NBA Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero was Unstoppable in HS!! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

The post LeBron James & Jayson Tatum SHUT DOWN SEATTLE!! Dejounte Murray & Paolo Banchero & More! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

The post Dejounte Murray Gets DISRESPECTFUL vs #1 Pick Paolo Banchero!! Zeke End Tournament Got WILD! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

The post Paolo Banchero Bullies These Pro Am Defenders At Zeke Weekend! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

The post Top NBA Draft Pick Paolo Banchero DROPS 50 POINTS alongside Chet Holmgren 34 PTS at The Crawsover!! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

The post "They GOIN AT IT!!" Malachi Flynn & Paolo Banchero Team UP vs Aaron Brooks At The Crawsover! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

The post JD Davison & High School All Americans Went CRAZY In Front of Allen Iverson & NLE Choppa!! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

The post JD Davison Wins INSANE DUNK CONTEST w/ NLE Choppa & Allen Iverson Watching!! + Paolo vs Ruffin 1v1! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

The post JD Davison & Paolo Banchero IMPRESS 30 NBA Scouts at Iverson Classic! Full Scrimmage Highlight! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

RELATED: Ballislife Joins Fight Against COVID-19?| All-Time National All-Star Game Records?| Ballislife All-American Game Info

It's been a long and turbulent year since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out across the World last March. The pandemic is still ongoing and despite widespread vaccination efforts, we're not out of the woodworks yet. We all still need to do our part to slow the spread

Ballislife is trying to do its part in helping fight the pandemic by producing comfortable masks that can be purchased from the Ballislife Shop. BIL is donating 25 percent of all gross mask sales and associated items to the World Central Kitchen by Jose Andres. Ballislife also supports The Bail Project, and $14 per each individual sale of our "We Cannot Be Silenced" t-shirt will go directly to an organization looking to reform pretrial justice.

With Los Angeles County ordinances still in place as it pertains to indoor sports gym capacities and restrictions on indoor gatherings, the?2021 Ballislife All-American Game will not take place. Unfortunately this is the second consecutive year the event has been cancelled. Even though the BILAAG will not take place, we wanted to salute the players on our original selection ballots. The players listed below will always be known as Ballislife All-Americans.

Ballislife is looking forward to its marquee event coming back better than ever in 2022 and continuing to expand on the company's properties, whether it be our events, apparel, media, or marketing divisions. We're excited for what's in store for the company in 2022 and beyond.

2021 Ballislife All-American Game Selections

(listed alphabetically*)

Chet Holmgren

7'0"   -   C   -   2021

F — Patrick Baldwin Jr., Hamilton (Sussex, Wis.) 6-9
F — Paolo Banchero, O'Dea (Seattle, Wash.) 6-9
C — Nathan Bittle, Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) 7-0
F — Kendall Brown, Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Air, Kan.) 6-8
G — Kobe Bufkin, Grand Rapids Christian (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 6-4
G — Kennedy Chandler, Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.) 6-1
F — Max Christie, Rolling Meadows (Ill.) 6-6
F — Daimion Collins, Atlanta (Texas) 6-9
G — Frankie Collins, Coronado (Henderson, Nev.) 6-1
G — JD Davison, Calhoun School (Letohatchee, Ala.) 6-3
F — Michael Foster, Hillcrest Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.) 6-9
F — AJ Griffin, Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.) 6-6
G — Jaden Hardy, Coronado (Henderson, Nev.) 6-5
G — Zion Harmon, Marshall County (Benton, Ky.) 5-10
G — Nolan Hickman, Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah) 6-3
C — Chet Holmgren, Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis, Minn.) 7-1
F — Caleb Houstan, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-8
G — Tyrese Hunter, St. Catherine's (Racine, Wis.) 6-1
F — Harrison Ingram, St. Mark's (Dallas, Texas) 6-7
F — Jordan Nesbitt, St. Louis Christian Academy (St. Louis, Mo.) 6-6
G — Daeshun Ruffin, Callaway (Jackson, Miss.) 5-10
G — Hunter Sallis, Millard North (Omaha, Neb.) 6-5
G — Isa Silva, Jesuit (Carmichael, Calif.) 6-4
F — Jabari Smith Jr., Sandy Creek (Tyrone, Ga,) 6-9
G — TyTy Washington, AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.) 6-4
F — Peyton Watson, Poly (Long Beach, Calif.) 6-9

*The players listed were the ones selected through the normal invitation process and would have been officially invited to play if there was game in 2021. Ballislife understands a few of the players may not have been available to play.

The post 2021 Ballislife All-American Game Selections appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

By Ronnie Flores

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

Expect for the top seven teams in the latest FAB 50 National Team Rankings powered by www.ebooksnet.com, no team knows its exact final ranking yet. That's because there are still ranked teams playing that could go on long winning streaks or lose and drop out.

Four states are still playing, with two teams from California still sitting at 0-0 and about to begin their seasons. California is a power state and California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) teams alone can cause plenty of movement. For No. 10 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.), it will be hard-pressed to hop No. 7 Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis, Minn.), even if it does capture another CIF Southern Section open and SoCal regional open titles, considering it will not play any ranked non-CIF foes this season.

The state of Washington is set to tip off the week of April 26 and Oregon the week of May 17 and even those two West Region states are affecting the rankings, despite not even playing a game yet. O'Dea (Seattle, Wash.) coach Jason Kerr, whose program opened up No. 20 in the preseason FAB 50 for 2020-21, informed Ballislife that star players Paolo Banchero (Duke) and John Christofillis (Creighton) will not play in O'Dea's shortened season. Banchero was one of the top Mr. Basketball USA candidates in the country, provided he played for the Fighting Irish and a big reason why the team started with a lofty ranking.

Without Banchero, O'Dea has dropped out of the FAB 50 this week and replaced by newcomer Manasquan (Manasquan, N.J.), which finished undefeated and is the third program from the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) to crack the rankings.

We'll have to check with the coaches of the other elite senior-oriented teams in Washington and Oregon to see if there seniors will indeed play this season or if they will use the abbreviated spring season as a "developmental league" for next year. Either way, you can't fault the seniors that have to prepare for college or the coaches who want to help underclassmen prepare for scholarship opportunities or simply give them a chance to play.

The same situation occurred in New York this week, as St. Raymond (Bronx, N.Y.) tip-offed in the Catholic High School Athletic Association (CHSAA) Spring Tournament. St. Raymond (Bronx, N.Y.) head coach Jorge Lopez told Ballislife that senior point guard Malachi Smith (Dayton) is not participating with the Ravens. Lopez still has a strong unit and is confident his team can have a good showing in the spring tournament that Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.) is hosting.

The Ravens won their first game last week, but dropped fours spots in the rankings this week to provide some context to Smith's absence. Their final ranking will still be determined by their on-court record. Keep in mind, another CHSAA program could still move in the FAB 50 if it has a strong showing.

Based on local health department guidelines, there is still a possibility Oregon may not get its season in. So technically we still don't know the exact date of our final rankings. We could determine that no Oregon team has a realistic shot at cracking the FAB 50 and that could affect the drop date for the final rankings.

The Southeast Region and the Midwest Region are now complete and we'll begin to release our final regional rankings this week. The other three regions (East, Southwest, West) will be released when all of their respective teams finish. Teams from the Southeast and Midwest, of course, can still crack the FAB 50 if we determine they are the next deserving team (essentially team No. 51) that would need to go in.

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

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

(19th poll of 2020-21 regular season; Through games played on Sunday, April 25; *Indicates forfeit wins, forfeit losses not included; **Indicates forfeits and defaults not included; ***Does not include results vs. out-of-season opponents; ****Indicates season not complete.)

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

Dropped Out: Previous No. 13 O’Dea (Seattle, Wash.).

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

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

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

The post NEW FAB 50: Still More Movement! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

The post Mikey Williams vs Paolo Banchero!! 5 Stars Go HEAD TO HEAD at The Battle!! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

The post DUKE Commit INSANE Ankle BREAKER!! Paolo Banchero Shows He's NBA READY & Drops 38 POINTS!! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

The post Sierra Canyon 1ST Game of 2021!! Amari Bailey Takes OVER Game & Shows Why He's Ranked Top 3! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

RELATED: All-Time Mr. Basketball USA Winners | Preseason 2020-21 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker |How To Make A HS Version Of March Madness 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The post POY Tracker: Fortunes Change For Nation's Elite appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

The post #1 Ranked Chet Holmgren vs #2 Ranked Paolo Banchero! ALL ACCESS at Pangos All American Camp!! Ep. 1 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.

On Episode 88 of the In The Paint Show, co-hosts Ronnie Flores and Devin Ugland take a deep dive into the 2020 NBA Draft with expert analyst Matt Babcock of Babcock Hoops. Matt and the guys discuss the trends of the Top 5 picks, if LaMelo Ball will slip beyond those selections, the top international prospects, which late first round or second round picks will have a long career and much more!

Hit the PLAY button below to tune in to the latest ITP Show!

In the second segment of the ITP Show, Ron and Dev discuss the standout performers from the Pangos All-American Festival 4, including Chet Holmgren, Paolo Banchero, Nolan Hickman and bring on one of the co-MVP's of the event, Sandy Creek F Jabari Smith Jr.. Smith goes in-depth on the highlights from his weekend of competing against other top players, how he's preparing for the upcoming high school season and the reasons why he chose to play his collegiate ball at Auburn.

Jabari Smith Jr.

6'9"   -   PF   -   2021

In the final segment, the guys welcome on University of Kentucky center Nick Richards for a pre-draft interview. Ron, Dev and Nick discuss the junior's breakout season, how his game translates to the NBA, and what it is about Kentucky that produces so many pros.

The post In The Paint Show: Matt Babcock on the NBA Draft, Pangos AA Festival with Jabari Smith, Pre-Draft Talk with Nick Richards! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

Jabari Smith Jr.

6'9"   -   PF   -   2021

1. Jabari Smith Completes The 2021 Class
The 6-foot-9 combo forward made his mark at this camp with his terrific overall package of skill, competitiveness, and versatility. Smith has a complete offensive package and can blow by slower defenders on the baseline or face up and knock down the deep range shot. On defense, Smith uses his body control, long arms, wiry strong frame and desire to lock down. He did an excellent job defensively on Paolo Banchero in the event's championship game, leading the South to a 98-91 victory over Banchero's West team with an array of jump shots, strong drives and good position defense. After scoring 23 points in a 116-106 semifinal victory over the Chet Holmgren-led Midwest team, Smith had 22 points, eight rebounds and two blocked shots in the title game. The most impressive thing he did was hold his own on the block with Banchero, as he made the Duke-bound power forward uncomfortable enough to take lower percentage shots than he's had to for most of the summer. Banchero can simply overpower and impose his will on nearly any player at the high school level, but Smith is stronger than he looks in his lower body and simply wants it badly enough. An Auburn recruit who leads the preseason No. 46 team in the FAB 50 at Sandy Creek (Tyrone, Ga.), Smith gives the national 2021 class five terrific players at the top along with Holmgren, Banchero, Jaden Hardy of No. 37 Coronado (Henderson, Nev.) and Patrick Baldwin of Hamilton (Sussex, Wis.). At the beginning of 2020, it didn't look like this class had the elite star power at the top compared to recent classes, but the above-mentioned five would give the best five of plenty of recent classes a run for their money.

2. Skill And Competitive Gene Separates The Elites
There are talented players at the top of each class, and the easy-to-see attributes are what usually gets players to the front of the pack early; namely a combination of athleticism, length, good ball-handling, a college-ready body or a great outside shot. What separates the elite players from the ones who have a chance to be great at the next level and beyond are two things not as visible to the novice eye. The very best want to get out and compete and that's what we've seen over the past few months from Holmgren, the Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis, Minn.) center and the No. 1 ranked player in the 2021 class, Banchero, the star for FAB 50 ranked O'Dea (Seattle, Wash.) who has tore it up for Seattle Rotary during this unique grassroots season, Hardy and Smith. We haven't seen Baldwin as much this past summer and fall, but his skill level at 6-foot-9 is terrific. The game slows down for him, he uses good footwork and a solid base to score of an array of on-balance moves and has an I.Q. beyond his years. Those are the kind of skills that separate the elites. At the recent Border League in Arizona, Hardy displayed the burning desire to be the top player in the 2021 class, as did Smith at the Pangos All-American Festival. Holmgren comes to play each outing and his averages this past weekend in Arizona (24.5 ppg, 14.5 rpg, 4.5 apg, 12.5 bpg) made him not only look good as a No. 1 prospect, but more like a potential No. 1 NBA Draft pick one day. His timing on the defensive end and overall skill with the ball in his hands at 7-foot is a combination we haven't seen in a player for as long as we can remember. One may have to go back to Ralph Sampson in the famed 1979 class to find someone comparable as a prospect.

3. The Uncertainty Of It All Makes For Good Basketball
COVID-19 has taken its toll on almost every aspect of life in America and basketball is not an exception. In recent days, the number of cases seem to be spiking across the country, as the dreaded "second wave" is likely upon us as the weather cools. High school players are aware of what's going on, and talking to coaches from various states over the weekend, there's a growing sentiment it may be harder to get through a complete 2020-21 high school season than originally anticipated when the school year began. Many feel the liability school districts want to avoid in many states may loom large unless a vaccine is widely available soon. Players have never been more appreciative of the opportunities the game affords them than in recent months, and that was clearly evident at the Pangos All-American Festival. It was refreshing to see elite players really getting after it, instead of coasting or ducking competition. The format instituted by event director Dinos Trigonis, where teams were broken up into regions, was another plus. With regional pride on the line, the games were well played although the East team was a bit overwhelmed physically on the interior. Trigonis has indicted he may keep this format in future years for an event that would supplement the long-running Pangos All-American Camp held the first weekend of June since 2003.

4. Ty Ty Washington Isn't Letting Any Opportunity Slip By
Not every college prospect in the country has been afforded the same opportunities since the current pandemic broke out in March. Depending on which state one resides and finances has played a big role in which prospects have gotten the best opportunities for a college scholarship, especially since D1 colleges haven't been permitted to evaluate in a live setting during the pandemic. There is little doubt the 6-foot-3 point guard from Arizona Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.) has been one of the fastest rising players in the nation during the pandemic. Washington not only benefits from residing in Arizona, he has a nice combination of size, craftiness, competitiveness, and shooting skill to impress college recruiters. Washington not only excelled at the Pangos All-American Festival, where he went for 16 and 21 points in the South's two victories and made the 10-man all-tourney team, he has taken on all comers for his high school team on the Grind Session with spectacular results so far. Washington has a knack for getting by defenders with crafty hesi moves, has deep range on his jump shot and is a prototypical scoring lead guard. His college choice is likely to come down to Creighton, Illinois, Minnesota, Ole Miss or San Diego St.

Nolan Hickman

6'1"   -   PG   -   2021

5. Nolan Hickman Is Vastly Underrated Nationally
The Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah) lead guard has been tearing up the COVID-19 influenced circuit and when taking a look at the three mainstream rankings services, it's clearly evident the Seattle native is ranked too low. ESPN.com has the 6-foot-2 dynamo at No. 61, 247Sports.com has him at No. 30 and Rivals.com at No. 52. He's a McDonald's All-American candidate and for the national scouts that haven't evaluated him recently, they have missed some show-stopping performances. Hickman looked like he came down from the college level to play for the West club at the Pangos All-American Festival. His pace with the ball and smooth and effortless style had many in attendance shaking their heads. He is always attacking forward and the more intense a game gets, the better he plays. Hickman also has a knack for knocking down timely 3-pointers and shoots the deep ball at a high clip. The most impressive aspects of his game are the crafty ways in which he can finish around the rim from various angles and getting by his defender without a lot of wasted motion or excessive dribbling. Hickman is headed to Kentucky.

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 Pangos Festival: 5 Things We Learned appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

The guys start with an update on the NBA Playoffs. How did the Heat outmatch the Bucks? Will Boston be the favorite if it were to make the ECF? Lakers and Clippers have both had missteps, are they still on a collision course for the WCF? is this the last we see of Giannis in Milwaukee?

Click the play button below to listen!

Ron and Dev then discuss the proposal presented by ACC coaches to create an "All-Inclusive" NCAA Tournament. What would March Madness look like with 353 teams participating? Why does it make sense? Why doesn't it make sense?

Finally, the guys break down the high school standouts at the Pangos Rocky Mountain Summit and discuss the trend of high school players in California making the switch to prep schools for the fall and winter. Paolo Banchero, Nolan Hickman and Kaden Perry showed out for Seattle Rotary, while a handful of Vegas and California-based prospects put their names on the map!

The post In The Paint Show: NBA Playoffs, New NCAA Tournament Model, Standouts at Pangos Rocky Mountain Summit appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

The post Duke Commit & Kentucky Commit TEAM UP In an INTENSE Battle! Paolo Banchero & Nolan Hickman SHOW OUT! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

The post Mikey Williams & Border Boyz 1ST BIG TEST vs 5 ? Duke & Kentucky Commits!! Paolo Banchero Is NICE! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

Be sure to stay locked in on Ballislife for more content on some of your favorite passers in addition to write-ups on players across our comprehensive categorical system.

Andre Curbelo

6'0"   -   PG   -   2020

Andre Curbelo, Long Island Lutheran - Curbelo is your prototypical "true point guard." The 6-footer plays with a cool, calm and collected pace which allows him to see the floor and pick apart any defense thrown his way. Curbelo doesn't over-handle and advances the ball up the floor with the pass instead of the dribble. The Illinois-bound senior fires accurate and timely passes out of live dribble situations and can do so with either his left or right hand. What stands out most about Curbelo's passing is the versatility in which he can set up his teammates, whether it's finding a rim-running big man, hitting a three-point shooter off of a drive-and-kick or dropping a pocket-pass out of screen-roll action, Curbelo can do it all. His willingness to be a pass-first point guard, combined with being a reliable ball-handler and decision-maker, should allow him to see early playing time at Illinois next season. Check the highlights below to check out Curbelo in action against Jonathan Kuminga and The Patrick School.

Daishen Nix

6'5"   -   PG   -   2020

Daishen Nix, Trinity International - Nix is so smooth and smart with the ball in his hands, it sometimes looks like he's going half-speed. But that's just the way the 6-foot-5 senior operates and there are very few guards in the country, if any at all, who possess a high passing IQ than that of Nix. The UCLA-bound senior, who is also the top-ranked PG in the country, knows the strengths of each of his teammates and understands when and where to get them the ball to put them in the best position to succeed. Another advantage Nix has is his size for the position allows him to go to work out of the post, where he can get smaller guards on his back, draw a secondary defender, and hit cutters for high percentage looks. The combination of size, strength and passing IQ will propel Nix to some important minutes for the Bruins as a freshman. Hit the video below to watch Nix go head to head against one of 2021's best point guards, Frankie Collins.

Isa Silva

6'3"   -   PG   -   2021

Isa Silva, Jesuit - Like all of the players in this initial top passers list, Silva sees the game one or two steps ahead of his opponents. The 6-foot-3 junior out of Northern California has every pass in the book down to a science, whether it's a pinpoint cross-court skip pass to an open shooter, or a simple extra pass off of good ball movement, or drawing bigs away from the basket on penetration and dropping a bounce pass to an open big in the paint, Silva makes the simple, yet effective play more often than not. Don't sleep on Silva's flair, though, as his no-look passing game ranks among the top in the country. Watch the video below to peep some of Isa's crazy vision.

Paolo Banchero

6'9"   -   PF   -   2021

Paolo Banchero, O'Dea - Court vision isn't reserved for point guards only and Banchero is one of the better passing bigs we've seen. The 6-foot-9 forward out of Washington state can pick apart teams with his vision out of the high or low-post areas of the floor. When at either elbow, the junior can face, rip and go by defenders forcing help to drop off of shooters or step up off of a teammate, allowing Banchero to use his IQ and vision to make the correct read. Another way Banchero uses his passing ability is in the middle of a press break. His ability to handle, see over the defense and play-make for others makes him a reliable option in the middle of the floor when facing a zone press.

Scottie Barnes

6'8"   -   SF   -   2020

Scottie Barnes, Montverde Academy - There's no question that Barnes is one of the best passers in the country regardless of class or position. The 6-foot-8 forward, who is headed to Florida State, uses his versatility to serve a point-forward role when needed. His high energy makes him a beast on the defensive glass, while his ball skills and vision allow him to push the break and find cutters or open shooters behind-the-arc. Barnes always keeps his eyes up the floor after securing a defensive board, which results in long and accurate advance passes to streaking teammates for easy layups. Watch our video below to see Barnes in action against another high level passer mentioned in this piece, Andre Curbelo of Long Island Lutheran.

The post BIL's Top Passers in the Country! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

Approximately 120 of the top high school players from across the nation and beyond are participating this week at the NBPA Top 100 Camp. As part of the new NCAA sanctioned live period, this prestigious camp was open for viewing for NCAA Division I coaches, as well as NBA scouts.

The prevailing thought was, with the presence of college coaches,  camp games would be as crisp and well-played as they have in recent memory. With the combination of the camp's highly-regarded coaches and emphasis on teamwork and post play, many expected an upgrade from th game play over previous summer camps, including the Pangos All-American Camp held in Southern California two weeks ago. While some well-respected national scouts were disappointed and made their feeling known on social media, to us the camp's games didn't seem much different than in year's past and were what we expected: a high level of play and sloppiness at times.

Bottom line is, the presence of college coaches can't magically change the way elite high school players approach camp games in a short period of time. The habits they have developed and the way those players have performed that led to an invite is what they'll show. It's hard to expect anything else when players are rewarded for what some influencers see as bad habits. Lesser talented players would perform no better in the same setting. What we were looking for was players who could withstand the long and tedious format of the five-day camp where there  is much less down time than a majority of the other national camps. We also wanted to get progress reports on the top shelf talent unable to attend Pangos Camp for various reasons.

As far as college coaches being in attendance, they were able to view for a 24-hour period between Thursday and Friday and for some we spoke to, it wasn't an adequate amount of time based on travel time and travel ability to Charlottesville, Va. from destinations around the country. The camp is also not a recruiting venue for well over 50 percent D1 programs across the country. Those college we're speaking of realistically have minuscule to zero chance to land a high major prospect that attended this camp. We'll continue to monitor how the NCAA's new recruiting calendar impacts the grassroots landscape and recruiting. It's obvious there needs to be changes to the newly-implemented calendar to make sense for all, including grassroots event operators and non power conference college programs.

Five NBPA Top 100 Standouts We Wanted To Get A Good Look At

Jabri Abdur-Rahim, Blair Academy (Blairstown, N.J.) 6-7 2020
The son of former NBA standout Shareef Abdur-Rahim is one of the most talented wing scorers in attendance at the NBPA Top 100 camp and has impressed with his ability to score at all three levels. He is not the swiftest or most athletic, but Abdur-Rahim knows how to break down defenders and change direction. He also uses change of speed to lull defenders to sleep or keep them off-balance, and is one of the camps leading scorers (15.8 ppg). He's also had the long range shot falling (10-of-21 from 3-point range through Friday) and has displayed marked improvement in his overall game in the past calendar year.

Isaiah Cottrell, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) 6-10 2020
Unfortunately this talented post wasn't able to attend the Pangos All-American Camp because of nagging injuries, but he's made the most of his time here in Charlottesville so far. Cottrell is scoring with efficiency around the rim (66 percent field goal shooting) and mixing it up in a camp with an impressive lot of centers and power forwards. Cottrell runs the floor well, is light on his feet and has the ability to impact the game on both the offensive and defensive glass. Competing on the glass is what his college coach Bobby Huggins would like to see Cottrell do on a nightly basis. He committed to West Virginia over Kansas at the camp.

Chet Holmgren, Minehaha Academy (Minneapolis, Minn.) 7-1 2021
We didn't know that much about Holmgren coming in, but there is plenty to like. He moves his feet well laterally for a young prospect his size and knows how to get to the openings on offense and make offensive players feel him on defense. He is a high level shot blocker and had one that caught our eye against 2020 standout post Day'ron Sharpe on Thursday. Holmgren is also a skilled offensive player around the basket with good touch and finesse moves that makes him a tough check for heavier set bigs. Holmgren had a five-block game on Thursday and a 19-point, 10-rebound performance on Friday and is one of the best underclass players, regardless of position, in attendance.

Brandon Boston Jr., Norcross (Norcross, Ga.) 6-6 2020
This skilled wing has had a big reputation in his class for many years and most think his recruitment will come down to Duke or Kentucky when it's all said and done. Boston wasn't able to attend Pangos this year after playing well at the event as a rising sophomore. Boston is slight of frame, but his innate ability to score is surpassed by few, if any, in attendance at the NBPA Top 100. He uses long strides and good footwork to get by defenders and knows how to create separation. Boston is especially effective attacking from the top of the key and knows how to draw fouls. He 3-point shooting is not his strength, but he'll shoot it well enough down the line to keep defenders honest and at this camp, few have been able to check him, regardless. Boston had three consecutive double-digit scoring games to open camp before taking five shots and scoring six points in his final game on Thursday. With a big closing on Saturday, he could be right there with Abdur-Rahim among the top performing shooting guards/wing forwards in our camp player rankings. 

Bryce Thompson, Booker T. Washington (Tulsa, Okla.) 6-3 2020
After his terrific high school season in which he led Washington to the Oklahoma Class 6A state crown and a final No. 45 FAB 50 ranking, we were eager to get a look at the muscular shooting guard. We were not disappointed, as Thompson punishes defenders with his relentless ability to score in the key, push the ball in transition and shoot it deep. He's had his deep jumper working so far (7-of-11 through Friday) and has impacted every single game because he's a threat from every spot in the half court offense and his teammates look for him to take the big shot. He had 19 points, including 3-of-5 3-pointers, in a Friday game, with three assists and two steals.

Five More Who Impressed:

Jaemyn Brakefield, Huntington Prep (Huntington, W. Va.) 6-8 2020 PF
Cameron Fletcher, Vashon (St. Louis, Mo.) 6-7 2020 SF
Tramon Mark, Dickinson (Dickinson, Texas) 6-4 2020 PG
Dwon Odom, St. Francis (Alpharetta, Ga.) 6-2 2020 PG
D.J. Stewart, Whitney Young (Chicago, Ill.) 6-4 2020 SG

Banchero Stands Out Once Again

Paolo Banchero, O'Dea (Seattle, Wash.) 6-9 2021
This versatile power forward is in the running for top overall performer among forwards in camp to follow up on an excellent showing at the Pangos All-American Camp. In fact, with his performance at Pangos and NBPA Top 100, Banchero could challenge the likes of small forwards Jalen Johnson and Patrick Baldwin of Wisconsin and wing guard Terrence Clarke of New York for the top spot in the consensus national 2021 rankings if he closes out the summer the way he played on Friday. He had all the moves in his vast repitriore working, going 9-for-12 from the field for 28 points in a 82-21 victory in which teammate Johnson hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer. He also had nine steals in two camp games on Friday and is averaging 16.0 ppg (No. 3 in camp) while shooting over 63 percent from the field. Banchero has a relaxed and confident offensive approach and is near automatic in his mid-range field goal attempts.

R.J. Davis, Archbishop Stepanic (White Plains, N.Y.) 6-1 2020
After being selected for the top all-star game at the Pangos Camp, Davis has turned in another series of fine performances in a camp setting. Early on he had some flashy moments where teammates weren't ready, but since that first game Davis hasn't had more than one turnover in any game while scoring at an efficient clip. This combo guard is confident and can really push the ball to put pressure on defenses. He also is a square shooter and when he get his feet under him, it looks like every jumper is going down. He's seen his stock soar in the past few weeks and was recently offered by Vanderbilt and UCLA, as new Bruins boss Mick Cronin was recruiting him while at Cincinnati.

Zion Harmon, Marshall County (Benton, Ky.) 6-1 2021
It was going to be awfully tough for this dynamic point guard to top his Pangos performance, but he's done a good job of both getting teammates involved or creating his own scoring opportunities. The well-traveled junior-to-be gets it done offensively with a wicked handle, strength and the ability to find passing angles on the move. Harmon's greatest asset is it takes an elite, NBA-type defender to stay in front of him or slow him down. If he just works on cutting down on the flashy and low risk passes, there's no telling how high he could finish in the 2021 national rankings next year.  

Day'Ron Sharpe, South Central (Winterville, N.C.) 6-10 2020
This muscular force inside was one of our top dozen performers at Pangos Camp and will finish even higher at NBPA Top 100. Sharpe is simply relentless and as a majority of the guards showed signs of weariness and fatigue by the camp's third day, the forwards have helped serve while Sharpe has gotten stronger. Simply put, he's a load inside with his power moves and stands out even in the most physical matchups. North Carolina has to be salivating over what he'll bring to Chapel Hill and he'll likely be one of the top high school players in the country for the 2019-20 season. Heading into Saturday, Sharpe is averaging 15.0 ppg and 10.3 rpg (No. 1 in camp), including a 20-point, 10-of-11 from the field, eight-rebound performance in a Friday victory.

Many Sissoko, Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah) 6-9 2020
With the camp's format more regimented and its length a day or two longer than most of the similar elite national camps, the NBPA Top 100 is often a battle of attrition. The players that are in the best physical shape and display a love for competition are more often than not the ones who stand out late and rated accordingly. This camp traditionally contains more McDonald's All-American voters in one setting than any camp or event throughout the year and there is little doubt Sissoko has made a positive impression with his play. He was productive at Pangos Camp, but here his physical nature, relentless work around the boards and energy are contagious. Many times as skill wanes because of fatigue, simply playing the right way and consistently playing hard is the difference-maker at this camp and Sissoko embodies that notion. Sissoko makes defenders feel him and few can outwork him on the glass.

The amount of 5 star players in this game was crazy! @bboston_
@MakurMaker @Jalen_J23 @_pbaldwin23 pic.twitter.com/FoilHHF9Ps

— www.ebooksnet.com (@Ballislife) June 14, 2019

Five More Who Impressed:

Jaylen Clark, Etiwanda (Calif.) 6-6 2020 SF
Franck Kepnang, Westtown School (West Chester, Pa.) 6-10 2021 C
Ian Martinez, JSerra (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) 6-2 2020 SG
Cliff Omoruyi, Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.) 6-10 2020 C
J.T. Thor, Huntington Prep (Huntington, W. Va.) 6-9 2021 PF

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 Sets of Fives BALLIN at NBPA Top 100 Camp! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

RELATED: Cade Cunningham, Isa Silva Bring HEAT!

Norwalk, Calif. -- It wasn't hard to pick the top standouts at this year's Pangos All-American Camp. The high-end elites, which numbered in the range from seven to a dozen, played well from start to finish and the Cream of the Crop Top 30 Game was no exception.

The most highly-anticipated matchups were the point guard duel between 5-foot-9 Zion Harmon of Bella Vista Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.) and 6-foot-3 Isa Silva of Jesuit (Carmichael, Calif.) and the big guard showdown between Cade Cunningham of Montverde Academy and Scottie Barnes of University School (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.). Harmon didn't disappoint with his long range shooting combined with his usual explosive ball-handling and play-making for teammates. Just as in camp games, Harmon proved to be impossible to keep in front of for defenders, as they simply had to give him room or get blown by. When he was left with space, his deep jumper was on, and he was still able to get in the lane even though no defender dared to press up on him. Harmon finished with 12 points and three assists in his Blue Team's 124-117 victory over the Red Team in the top all-star game.

Silva brings a different set of problems for defenders with his combination of plus size as a play-maker, craftiness, defensive smarts and body size, and ability to make teammates better because they want to play with him. He's not quite as quick or flashy as Harmon, but he also turns the ball over a bit less with equal shooting range. Silva finished the top all-star game with six point and four assists. Silva finished the camp averaging 5.25 apg while Harmon averaged 5.0 apg.

Isael “ Isa “ Silva DROPPIN’ DIMES!! ?? @isilv3 @Compton_Magic @PangosAACamp
? @cazzieballislife (IG) pic.twitter.com/pVq3QDx01X

— www.ebooksnet.com (@Ballislife) June 2, 2019

The camp leader is assists was Barnes (5.5 apg), and it's no surprise his team won the Cream of the Crop Top 30 All-Star game, as one of the nation's top senior-to-be players used his swiss army knife skill set to simply will his team to victory. Although he finished the all-star game with three points and four assists, Barnes used his "point-forward" mentality to make an impact on the game by setting the tone with vocal leadership, glass work that led to impactful outlet passes and with impactful defensive plays both inside and on the perimeter. Barnes does need to develop the mechanics of his outside shot, but not only did he lead the camp in assists, he was No. 2 in rebounds (6.5 rpg).

Cunningham's team didn't get the win, but it was the only "L" for the talented Texan all weekend long. Cunningham did his best to keep his Red squad in the game by competing until the very end, and when it was all said and done he finished with one of the game's best stat lines: 11 points, nine rebounds, and four assists. Cunningham performance in the all-star game helped him bag Pangos Camp co-Most Outstanding Player honors along with 7-foot Evan Mobley of Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.). Cunningham becomes the first Texas native to cop MOP honors at Pangos Camp since 2004, when prep-to-pro C.J Miles of Skyline (Dallas) earned top billing.

Unfortunately Mobley did not play in the Cream of the Crop game to nurse an injury, but even if he had and dominated inside, Cunningham was still a deserving honoree. Mobley was the best overall big man in a camp full of talented inside players and has done nothing so far this spring and summer to relinquish the title of nation's top overall 2020 prospect.

If it wasn't Harmon, then the top junior-to-be (2021) performer was 6-foot-6 wing Terrence Clarke of Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.). Clarke has the size, wiggle, and play-making ability to stick at the game's highest level with normal development and used the wide-open setting of this camp to showcase his vast talent. Not only is Clarke a tremendous long-term prospect, his performance in the top all-star game (team-high 16 points, six assists) put him in the conversation for MOP honors. He was right there in terms of performance, despite a few moments of over-handling and forced drives, and was named Red Team Most Valuable Player.

Paulo Banchero, Tari Eason Rise Up

Joining Clarke as Top 30 game MVP was the Blue team's Paolo Banchero, a skilled 6-foot-10 post player from O'Dea (Seattle, Wash.). Banchero led the winning club with 18 points and joins the short list that includes Silva, Clarke, Harmon, and 6-foot-5 Aminu Mohammed of Greenwood Laboratory (Springfield, Mo.), who had nine points, for the title of top 2021 performer at this year's camp. Banchero didn't have big scoring outings in each game playing on a camp team with ball-dominant guards, but he hit some clutch shots, including a 3-pointer to send a camp game into overtime, and let the game come to him instead of forcing action. He's equally effective with his back to the basket or facing up and keeping defenders honest with a pick-and-pop jumper.

Tari Eason, a 6-foot-8 forward who helped Federal Way (Wash.) become a FAB 50 ranked high school team last winter, wasn't one of the first names called when discussing the worthy candidates for the top all-star game. Eason quickly proved he belong, as his active and efficient play led to 17 points and 10 rebounds. Eason was terrific in his camp game on Sunday and didn't try to do anything he wasn't capable of, excelling by rim-running, crashing the glass and being in correct position on both ends of the floor. Other Blue Team standouts that were more of the "no-brainer" variety were 6-foot-6 shooting guard Moses Moody of Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) with 16 points and 10 rebounds and 6-foot-6 combo guard Dalen Terry of Hillcrest Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.), who finished with 12 points, five rebounds and four assists.

Of the more traditional big men, one who stood out for the Red Team was 6-foot-9 Moussa Cisse of Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.) with 12 points and five rebounds. Another 2021 big who made an impact was the Blue Team's Mousa Diabete of DME Academy (Daytona Beach, Fla.) with 12 points and six rebounds. Day'Ron Sharpe, a 6-foot-10 muscle man out of FAB 50 ranked South Central (Winterville, N.C.) also made his presence felt with his no-nonense approach, as he finished with 10 points for the winning Blue club.

Kaluma, Wideman Prove Point

While the likes of Moody, Terry and the obvious half dozen or so top performers were no-brainers, some quality prospects saw their bubble burst. A few players who yours truly felt were the most glaring omissions for the top all-star game were 6-foot-7 forward Arthur Kaluma, a 2021 prospect from Universal Academy (Irving, Texas), and 6-foot-5 Malachi Wideman, a Florida St.-bound wing guard from Riverview (Sarasota, Fla.).

Kaluma uses his body well to create space and score in a variety of ways with efficiency and not alot of flash. Kaluma, who can face and attack from various angles on the floor, finished with 14 points in the Cream of the Crop Top 60 Game. It came as no surprise Wideman played well, too, as he utilizes a strong first step to finish around the basket or create opportunities for others by drawing the defense because of his explosive driving ability. Wideman can use some polish on offense, but there were plenty in the top game who could too who weren't nearly as explosive or gave the consistent effort this talented Floridian did. Wiseman finished with 10 points.

Leading the way in the scoring column in the second all-star game was 6-foot-6 2020 wing MarJon Beauchamp of Rainier Beach (Seattle, Wash.) and 6-foot-1 2021 point guard Rahsool Diggins of Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.). Both players finished the game with 19 points and also played better as the camp wore on after slow starts.

Pangos Camp All-Time MOPs

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

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

The post Stars SHOW OUT at '19 Pangos Camp! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.