By Ronnie Flores

RELATED:????| Ballislife Podcast Network?|?How To Create A High School March Madness |??State Champions Invitational Announced ? | History of High School Team Rankings |?All-Time No. 1's

There is an old coaching saying "pressure busts pipes" and the pressure is highest when state playoffs get into the deep rounds. It's especially tough on favorites or teams working on a historic or unbeaten season. The pressure is also intense in states with the competition in traditionally the toughest.

In recent seasons, Texas' University Interscholastic League (UIL) Class 6A playoffs has been among the nation's toughest to navigate. More than once, the highest-ranked or favorite has not cut down the nets at the UIL Final Four. Richardson (Richardson, Texas) was expected to be in San Antonio this weekend with the country eyeing a semifinal showdown with current FAB 50 No. 2 Duncanville (Duncanville, Texas).

The Eagles found themselves in a regional quarterfinal dogfight with McKinney (McKinney, Texas) and on its last possession the upset-minded Lions looked to score the go-ahead or winning basket.?The Lions looked to junior Ja'Kobe Walter, but his contested jumper was blocked by Richardson's Cason Wallace (Kentucky), but Walter?instinctually tapped the ball upward towards his own basket after the block and miraculously teammate Alex Anamekwe (SMU) saw the flight of the ball, caught it in mid-air and banked it in to score the game-winning points with 1.3 seconds remaining.

After McKinney shocked the Eagles (and the nation) with its 54-52 regional quarterfinal win, the Lions went on to defeat North Crowley (Ft. Worth, Texas), 68-48, and Martin (Arlington, Texas), 58-36, to advance to the UIL Class 6A Final Four and jump into this week's FAB 50 National Team Rankings powered by www.ebooksnet.com as the highest newcomer at No. 25.

McKinney will take on No. 30 Westlake (Austin, Texas), another newcomer to this week's FAB 50, in one semifinal on March 11 at 7 pm at the Alamodome in San Antonio. The other semifinal at 8:30 pm will pit FAB 50 No. 2 Duncanville (Texas) versus bubble club Atascocita (Humble, Texas).

As for previous No. 7 Richardson, it remains in the rankings this week at No. 32. The Eagles get rankings credit for their overtime win over Duncanville, but now must be behind the North Little Rock (Ark.) club it lost to during the regular season. Both Richardson and No. 33 Oak Cliff Faith Family (Dallas, Texas) have a loss to North Little Rock, which falls six spots this week to No. 19 to account for the Richardson result.

Richardson's final ranking will heavily depend on what happens this weekend in San Antonio. From a rankings perspective, it will be rooting for McKinney to knock off Westlake in the semifinals and Duncanville in the championship game. An Atascocita victory over Duncanville in the semifinals will be a big upset.

McKinney does have a loss to Class 5A semifinalist and bubble club Mansfield Timberview (Arlington, Texas), but its win over Richardson is enough to hop that club in the rankings. Mansfield Timberview has lost to both Richardson and Duncanville. The Class 5A semifinals will be played on Thursday March 10 and opposite Mansfield Timberview's game, bubble clubs Beaumont United (Beaumont, Texas) and Kimball (Kimball, Texas) will meet in a rematch of last year's Class 5A state title game. Both Beaumont United and Kimball have been FAB 50 ranked this season and the eventual Class 5A champion will crack the nation's longest running weekly rankings.

Unfortunately for the three unbeaten clubs that tasted defeat last week, they don't have strong enough resumes to remain among the 50 ranked teams. Previous No. 20 Brentwood Academy (Brentwood, Tenn.) fell in the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) Division II Class AA semifinals to unranked Knoxville Catholic (Knoxville, Tenn.), 63-55. Knoxville Catholic fell to No. 48 Christian Brothers (Memphis, Tenn.) in the title game, 79-72. Chandler Jackson (Florida State) had 20 points and 10 rebounds to pace the Purple Wave, which finished unbeaten and moved up 13 spots in this week's rankings. The Purple Wave may not be done moving up, either, as an unbeaten state champion.

Previous No. 30 York Prep (Rock Hill, S.C.) fell from the ranks of the unbeaten when it lost to unranked Gray Collegiate Academy (West Columbia, S.C.) in the South Carolina High School League (SCHSL) Class AA title game, 56-53. Montravius White led the way with 18 points for the War Eagles, who captured their fourth Class AA title in the past five seasons.

Previous No. 24 Garfield (Seattle, Wash.) was looked at as a prime candidate for an invite to the first ever State Champions Invitational (April 7-9) provided it captured the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) Hardwood Classic Class 3A state crown. In the state quarterfinals, however, the Bulldogs got tripped up by Auburn (Auburn, Wash.), as the Trojans were able to avenge their regular season loss to Garfield with a 64-60 overtime victory. Senior Dae'kwon Watson came up big versus Garfield with 22 points and 10 rebounds for Auburn, which went on to defeat Seattle Prep (Seattle), 45-34, in the semifinals and Rainier Beach (Seattle), 58-48, in the state title game. As a result, Auburn cracks the FAB 50 at No. 39.

Look for Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Class 4A champion and No. 9 Calvary Christian Academy (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) to be invited to the end-of-the-season event for state champions. No. 23 Liberty (Henderson, Nev.), the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association (NIAA) Class 5A champ, will also be considered.

This weekend the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament will take place in Cumberland, Md., and it will have an affect on next week's FAB 50 with four ranked teams among the eight-team field in the event's 60th edition.

State champions will be crowned this week not only in Texas, but also in Arkansas, California, Georgia, Illinois and North Carolina. It could be another week with upsets and FAB 50 movement, or perhaps the FAB 50 ranked teams will be able to withstand the pressure of playoff basketball.

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

(13th poll of 2021-22 regular season; Through games played on Sunday, March 6; *Indicates forfeit wins, forfeit losses not included; **Indicates forfeits and defaults not included; ***Indicates season complete)

Dropped Out: Previous No. 18 Dr. Phillips (Orlando, Fla.), No. 20 Brentwood Academy (Brentwood, Tenn.), No. 24 Garfield (Seattle, Wash.), No. 30 York Prep (Rock Hill, S.C.), No. 36 North Hills (Pittsburgh, Pa.), No. 41 Westfield (Houston, Texas), No. 44 Pebblebrook (Mableton, Ga.).

Bubble Teams:? American Fork (American Fork, Utah) 16-12***; Atascocita (Humble, Texas) 34-6; Beaumont United (Beaumont, Texas) 34-3; Booker T. Washington (Tulsa, Okla.) 23-2; Brentwood Academy (Brentwood, Tenn.) 29-1***; Bristol Central (Bristol, Conn.) 20-0; Brophy Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.) 25-3***; Carver Collegiate Academy (New Orleans, La.) 31-5; Chambers (Charlotte. N.C.) 22-7***; Christian Brother’s (St. Louis, Mo.) 23-6; Columbia Heights (Columbia Heights, Minn.) 22-0; Combine Academy (Lincolnton, N.C.) 22-5; Curtis (University Place, Wash.) 27-3; Damien (La Verne, Calif.) 30-4; Del City (Cel City, Okla.) 22-3; DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) 18-7; Dr. Phillips (Orlando, Fla.) 26-6***; Durango (Las Vegas, Nev.) 20-6***; Eagle Academy (Brooklyn, N.Y.) 18-5; Fox Chapel (Pittsburgh, Pa.) 24-1; Garfield (Seattle, Wash.) 25-1***; Gill St. Bernard’s (Gladstone, N.J.) 19-6; Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) 18-9; Gray Collegiate Academy (West Columbia, S.C.) 23-4***; John Marshall (Richmond, Va.) 20-4; Kimball (Kimball, Texas) 30-8; King (Detroit, Mich.) 17-2; Kingfisher (Kingsfisher, Okla.) 25-1; Knoxville Catholic (Knoxville, Tenn.) 28-4***; Las Cruces (Las Cruces, N.M.) 29-0; Laurel Highlands (Uniontown, Pa.) 25-0; Liberty (Liberty, Mo.) 24-3; Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, N.Y.) 18-5; Madison Prep (Baton Rouge, La.) 28-6; Magnolia (Magnolia, Ark.) 26-0; Mansfield Timberview (Arlington, Texas) 35-4; Memorial (Tulsa, Okla.) 24-1; Milton (Milton, Ga.) 22-8***; Mount Si (Snoqualmie, Wash.) 25-1***; Mt. Vernon (Mt. Vernon, N.Y.) 18-0; Newton (Covington, Ga.) 24-6***; New Trier (Winnetka, Ill.) 30-4***; Norcross (Norcross, Ga.) 26-6; North Mecklenburg (Huntersville, N.C.) 27-5***; Northview (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 19-1; Panther Creek (Cary, N.C.) 23-7; North Hills (Pittsburgh, Pa.) 24-1; Patriot (Nokesville, Va.) 26-0; Pebblebrook (Mableton, Ga.) 28-3***; Perry (Gilbert, Ariz.) 25-5; Pickerington Central (Pickerington, Ohio) 22-2; Quaker Valley (Leetsdale, Pa.) 23-0; Raymond (Raymond, Miss.) 29-5***; Reading (Reading, Pa.) 25-3; Roman Catholic (Philadelphia, Pa.) 19-4; Simeon (Chicago) 27-5; South Shore (Brooklyn, N.Y.) 21-3**; South St. Paul (South St. Paul, Minn.) 25-0; Staley (Kansas City, Mo.) 25-4; St. Francis Prep (Fresh Meadows, N.Y.) 22-3; St. Mary Prep (Orchard Lake, Mich.) 16-4; St. Peter’s Prep (Jersey City, N.J.) 22-4; St. Thomas Aquinas (Edison, N.J.) 27-1; St. Vincent-St. Mary (Akron, Ohio) 21-4; The Burlington School (Burlington, N.C.) 30-7; The Rock (Gainesville, Fla.) 25-8***; Tualatin (Tualatin, Ore.) 23-2; Varina (Richmond, Va.) 23-1; Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah) 14-10; West Oaks Academy (Orlando, Fla.) 20-4***; Whitney Young (Chicago, Ill.) 24-9**; Williamston (Williamston, Mich.) 20-0; Wisconsin Lutheran (Milwaukee, Wis.) 24-2; York Prep (Rock Hill, S.C.) 27-1***; Zachary (Zachary, La.) 34-3.

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 22 years ago.

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

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By Ronnie Flores

When Duncanville took over the top spot in the FAB 50 National Team Rankings powered by www.ebooksnet.com following its dramatic 67-66 victory over Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) at Hoophall West in Scottsdale, Ariz., on December 9, we knew it was going to be a long, tough road for the Panthers to finish No. 1.

It's one of the reasons we placed them in the coveted No. 1 spot after that win.

Duncanville faced a major challenge when it took on then No. 25 Richardson (Texas) in the championship of the long-running Whataburger Tournament in Mansfield, Texas on December 30. The game went into overtime and the Panthers had an opportunity to win or tie the game in the closing seconds, but 2023 forward Ashton Hardaway's?3-pointer was off the mark, and Anthony Black's rebound put back attempt missed and was after the buzzer regardless, as Richardson recorded a titanic 60-58 victory.

Kentucky-bound 2022 guard Cason Wallace was named Whataburger Tournament MVP after scoring 22 points for Richardson. The Eagles, which handed Duncanville its first loss, came into the tournament with a lone loss to then FAB 50 No. 22 North Little Rock (Ark.).

The game was tied four different times in the final three minutes of regulation and incredibly Black, the 6-foot-7 2022 guard who transferred to Duncanville from Coppell (Texas), entered the game in the fourth quarter. He's involved in a season-long, ongoing eligibility issue with the University Interscholastic League (UIL) and sat out the four previous game since playing in the win over Montverde Academy after the UIL appealed his temporary restraining order to suit up for the Panthers. Reportedly, the attorneys representing Black filed an emergency motion to grant him eligibility while the UIL appeals the original injunction ruling. Incredibly, Black got cleared at the end of the third quarter, but Richardson was able to avoid any distraction his appearance may have caused to get the job done.

What Duncanville's Loss Means

Duncanville obviously falls from No. 1 in this week's rankings and the two major questions to answer are, one, what spot does the Panthers fall to and where does Richardson land? Duncanville can't fall too far because of previous wins over Montverde Academy, No. 6 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) and No. 7 Centennial (Corona, Calif.), the latter two by far and away California's two best eligible teams. Richardson, does move up but doesn't necessarily have to be in front of the Panthers. Richardson jumps up from No. 25 to No. 9, as the Eagles still must be somewhat penalized for its loss to North Little Rock (Ark.), which has three losses of its own to FAB 50 ranked teams. North Little Rock gets rankings credit for its victory over Richardson and has done enough to overcome its losses to No. 19 Calvary Christian Academy (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) and No. 49 Jonesboro (Ark.). Its third loss is to new No. 4 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.).

Richardson can still climb and surpass Duncanville in the rankings, as the two Texas powerhouses could meet in the UIL Class 6A state playoffs. That's down the line, however, and there is still plenty of basketball to go before breaking down a potential Richardson-Duncanville rematch becomes necessary.

After winning the Culligan City of Palms Classic in which 13 FAB 50 ranked teams competed in the traditional bracket, it's not a hard call to place Montverde Academy back at No. 1 despite two losses. Yes, Montverde Academy does have losses to Duncanville (at the buzzer) and to IMG Academy (in the closing seconds), but it just won a loaded tournament in which IMG Academy competed in. IMG Academy lost in the semifinals, 76-72, to then No. 32 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), as 2022 guards Chris Livingston and Judah Mintz combined for 41 points to help the Warriors avenge an earlier loss to the Ascenders. Montverde Academy's Dillon Mitchell, a 6-foot-7 forward bound for Texas, was named City of Palms MVP after leading Montverde Academy to a 60-55 title game victory over Oak Hill Academy (its second win of the season over the Warriors) by scoring 16 points, grabbing nine rebounds, blocking two shots and dishing off two assists. He made 8-of-11 field goal attempts, as Montverde Academy shot 22-of-48 from the field as a team, while Oak Hill shot 20-46.

Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.) is the new No. 2, as it has only lost one game to Montverde Academy, 53-44. Duncanville comes it as No. 3 and IMG Academy, with its loss to Sunrise Christian and split with Oak Hill Academy, comes in at No. 4. Oak Hill Academy has been a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde team so far this season, but its COP semifinal win over IMG Academy pushes coach Steve Smith's Warriors up to No. 10 this week. Oak Hill Academy did lose to No. 27 Greensboro Day (N.C.), but that was a game in which Livingston did not play. Its other losses are to teams ranked in front of it in the FAB 50.

At this point in the season, not every single result can place the winning team in front of the losing team in the rankings. Greensboro Day does get some credit for its win over Oak Hill, with its other losses to No. 19 Calvary Christian Academy (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) and to No. 40 Dr. Phillips (Orlando, Fla.).

Calvary Christian Academy's only loss has come against five-loss Milton (Ga.), which advanced to the City of Palms semifinals before losing to top-ranked Montverde Academy 59-44. It's tricky where to rank Milton, because although it does have five losses, it performed well at the COP, losing to IMG Academy by only three points (76-73) in the third place game, so it comes in at No. 26 this week.

With L.T. Overton, who doubles as a 6-foot-5, 265-pound defensive end and is considered by some the nation's top football recruit in the national class of 2023, in its lineup, Milton has the inside punch to compete with some of the nation's top teams despite a lack of depth. When he wasn't in the lineup at the Beach Ball Classic in Myrtle Beach, S.C., after Christmas, Milton fell to bubble club Bishop O’Connell (Arlington, Va.), 71-49.

We keep unbeaten Camden (Camden, N.J.) at No. 5 this week, but with every team above them in the FAB 50 now having a loss, The High has plenty of opportunity to move up in the nation's longest-running weekly rankings. Camden has plenty of land-mines coming up in its back-loaded regular season schedule, plus capturing the New Jersey Tournament of Champions is by no means an easy task.

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

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1. People Just Don't Care Enough
As omicron variant surges throughout the country, you just felt and sensed people understood there was a risk attending holiday tournaments. That risk seemed much greater than evaluating fall leagues or during the NCAA live period this past summer. Teams dropped out en masse in both major post-Christmas tournaments we observed because of COVID-19 protocols. Of course, it was easier to drop out after being regulated to the loser's bracket, but some teams had legitimate issues that prevented them from continuing and rightfully dropped out. A few teams, however, didn't tell foes of positive COVID-19 tests among players until after the game or after the fact and at least two coaches we know of were not pleased with that scenario. They wanted the option of being able to play or opting out prior to the game. Regardless of one's vaccination status, there is no doubt few people properly wears a mask at all times over their nose in public or in gyms around the country. There isn't anyone to enforce local ordinances at these tournaments as well. In the end, people don't care enough about the next person and only care about how the ongoing pandemic affects their own livelihood. There is only one way to completely eliminate the danger: stay home for an extended period of time. Some choose to do that and others do not.

2. High School Basketball Affected For A Third Season
Thirty-seven of the 50 teams in the final FAB 50 rankings for the 2019-20 season were affected by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, as some states did not complete their respective state tourney. The 2020-21 season never came to fruition in some selected states and regions and the 2021-22 season is now affected by the pandemic, even though the season started on time in every state. The omicron variant has caused positive cases to soar in recent weeks and pre and post-Christmas holiday tournaments were affected. If will be interesting to see how this latest winter surge affects the rest of the season as we ring in the New Year. Will public school districts be forced to take a pause on indoor activities in the coming weeks? It could happen, especially in states or regions with strict COVID-19 guidelines. If definitely won't happen in some states, but if virtual learning is implemented by a school district, it could cause a pause to the high school basketball season. If in-person learning continues without interruption, it would be hard to justify not playing while students sit in classrooms for six hours per day. Either way, high school basketball fans will hold their breath heading into the first full week of 2022.

3. The Future Is Bright In SoCal
Taking in the action at The Classic at Damien, it was evident there is a plethora of young talent in California, particularly in the massive CIF Southern Section. Devin Williams (6-9) and Curtis Williams (6-6), a pair of 2023 forwards, impressed in front of a flock of college coaches and national scouts on day three as Centennial (Corona, Calif.) defeated Etiwanda (Calif.) to advance to the Platinum Division final. Williams just might be the best long-term prospect on a talented Centennial team and Etiwanda's Williams had a break-out performance, scoring 27 points and showing improved range and offensive prowess in a losing effort. Our focus was getting a good look at the talented 2025 prospects in attendance, particularly the young trio of "big guards", and they didn't disappoint. Elzie Harrington, a 6-foot-5 lead guard from St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.), has terrific poise and feel, in addition to the athleticism to get to the rim at the highest levels of high school basketball. Jovani Ruff, a 6-foot-4 combo guard from Poly (Long Beach, Calif.), has a terrific stroke from long range and the mid-range, and likely the best assortment of scoring skills among the three. Brayden Burries, a 6-foot-4 wing guard from Poly (Riverside, Calif.), affects the game in a variety of ways. He has the ability to punish defenses with his downhill driving, can score on the interior with well-timed moves, or handle and beat defenders off the dribble. He could develop into the best prospect from Riverside Poly since future NBA Hall of Famer Reggie Miller signed with UCLA and was a top 50 national prospect in 1982-83. All three have their strengths and it will be interesting to see whom develops into the clear cut No. 1 prospect. Harrington's teammate, 6-foot-7 Kade Bonam, is not far behind the trio as a prospect. He is a versatile scorer and defender would fits into the mold of a hybrid playmaker that colleges seek since the emergence of the Golden State Warriors' Draymond Green. Another 2025 prospect, six-foot Gavin Hightower of Windward (Los Angeles, Calif.) is a high scoring guard but unfortunately his team had to pull out of the event due to COVID-19 protocols.

4. Owyhee (Idaho) Is A Team To Watch In 2022-23
Idaho has never had a team finish in the FAB 50 rankings since its advent for the 1987-88 season, but will that change in 2022-23? The Owyhee (Meridian, Idaho) Storm could make that a possibility with four returning starters and only two graduating seniors off its fine team this year. Six-foot-5 Jack Payne will be off to Colorado State, but there will be plenty coming back to make a FAB 50 push for coach Andy Harrington. Liam Campbell (6-5) is a 2024 combo guard who projects as a high major prospect. Jackson Rasmussen (6-7) is a 2025 forward with a high ceiling as well. Another 2025, Cameron Downie (6-3), is a terrific outside shooter and a high-level passer, while 2023 Titus Bailey (6-3) is another quality player. All of them gained valuable experience during the NCAA scholastic live period this past June and during The Classic at Damien. For the record, the highest ranked team ever from Idaho was Meridian High School in 1991-92, when it finished No. 7 in the Midlands Region Top 10.

5. Chris Nwuli Is A Big-Tine 2025 Prospect
FAB 50 No. 17 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) won two major holiday tournaments and have a plethora of underclass prospects that most colleges know about. Those same programs better start learning about this 6-foot-8 freshman forward as well. Nwuli is quickly developing into a Top 25 national prospect in the class. When he gets minutes in tight games, the springy, young front court man makes an impact with his shot blocking prowess and rebounding, while being a threat to score off the glass or catch. Nwuli needs some offensive polish, but that will come as he matures and gets more playing time on a deep and talented team. Speaking of maturity, Nwuli will be 14 years old for a few more months and his upside is off the charts with the normal development expected of a prospect his age.

Tournament Wrap

Unfortunately after its big 64-56 semifinal victory over previously unbeaten and FAB 50 bubble club Damien (La Verne, Calif.), Poly (Riverside, Calif.) had to drop out of The Classic At Damien's Platinum Division on the day of the championship game because of COVID-19 protocols. Poly was led in the scoring department in the semifinals by 2022 Payden White with 24 points and Rhode Island-bound 2022 Chance Stephens with 23 points. The victory avenged an earlier loss to the host club in the championship game of the Rumble For Rosecrans Tournament.

Poly was scheduled to play FAB 50 No. 7 Centennial (Corona, Calif.) in the Platinum Division title game, but Centennial was declared the divisional champion and ended up playing Gold Division finalist Crean Lutheran (Irvine, Calif.) in a non-bracket game on December 30. Crean Lutheran came into the game unbeaten and won the Gold Division title at the recent Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas, but dropped a 66-56 decision to Centennial in what was officially deemed a "non-bracket" game. Devin Williams, Centennial's athletic 2023 forward, had 16 points as the Huskies moved to 12-1 on the season. Williams had 20 points in Centennial's 67-61 semifinal victory over Etiwanda (Calif.), while New Mexico-bound point guard Donovan Dent had 23 points.

Crean Lutheran (10-1) was led by 2024 point guard Vyctorius Miller with 18 points, six assists and five rebounds. Miller, a Tarkanian Classic divisional MVP, one of the best prospects on the West Coast in his class and the son of noted rapper Silkk The Shocker (Vyshonn Miller), did not suit up in the Gold Division 54-52 semifinal win over Rolling Hills Prep (San Pedro, Calif.).

Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) followed up their Platinum Division title at the Tarkanian Classic by capturing the National Division title at The Holiday Classic presented by SBLive Sports in Del Mar, Calif. Gorman took on talented Oak Cliff Faith Family (Dallas, Texas), a team that finished in third place at Tarkanian. Bishop Gorman fell behind by as many as 19 points in the Tark title game against Liberty (Henderson, Nev.) before winning in double overate at the buzzer, and fell behind by 13 points in the second half against Faith Family. The Gaels once again needed overtime to pull out a victory to improve to 14-0.

Leading the way in the 81-73 overtime win was 2024 guard Jase Richardson, who had a breakout game with 23 points. Darrion Williams, a 6-foot-6 small forward who remains one of the top 2022 unsigned prospects in the West Region, was named tourney MVP after netting 21 points.

Right before the third quarter buzzer, Williams nailed a 3-pointer to get Bishop Gorman within 10 points (58-48). The Gaels slowly chipped away at their deficit before taking a 61-60 lead with 4:06 remaining on a 3-pointer by 2024 guard John "Juni" Mobley. Faith Family (18-4) battled back and the game went into overtime tied at 68-68 after the Eagles' Brandon Walker played excellent defense on Richardson as he attempted a game-winning shot with the game clock running down. In overtime, Richardson hit a corner 3-pointer, his fifth and final one of the game, to give Gorman a 73-70 lead it would not relinquish.

"I just needed to do whatever it took for the team to win," said Richardson, the son of former NBA forward Jason Richardson. "After we got down, we just came together as a team."

Walker, bound for UT-Arlington, and 2022 guard Isaiah Jones scored 19 points apiece for Faith Family.

It will be interesting to see where Bishop Gorman lands in the the next edition of the FAB 50 National Team Rankings, after entering the holiday tournament season at No. 17. There is likely to be a new No. 1 team when the next set of rankings are published.

On December 30 in Mansfield, Texas, No. 1 Duncanville (Texas) lost in overtime, 60-58, to No. 25 Richardson (Texas) in the tile game of the 64th Annual Whataburger Tournament. Duncanville (15-1), which handed Centennial its only loss of the season so far, had a chance to win or tie the game in the closing seconds of overtime, but 2023 forward Ashton Hardaway's 3-pointer was off the mark and Anthony Black's put back attempt missed and was late.

Black, the 6-foot-7 2022 guard, entered the game in the fourth quarter. He was held out earlier in Duncanville's three games at the long-running tournament and the Panthers' 57-53 win over DeSoto (Texas) on December 21 because of an ongoing eligibility issue with the University Interscholastic League (UIL). The game was tied four different times in the final three minutes of regulation.

Kentucky-bound Cason Wallace was named tourney MVP after scoring 22 points for Richardson. The Eagles came into the tournament with a lone loss to FAB 50 No. 22 North Little Rock (Ark.).

We'll have more on Black's eligibility situation in our next FAB 50 update.

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

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By Ronnie Flores

When the casual fan thinks "early playoff loss", the immediate reaction is "season over" and "big rankings drop". However, there are various playoff formats across the country and luckily for many FAB 50 ranked programs, a loss last week doesn't mean an early end to the 2019-2020 season.

For Centennial (Corona, Calif.), it drew a tough first assignment in the eight-team CIF Southern Section open playoffs, which is formatted into two pools of four teams each, with the winner of each pool playing for the CIFSS open championship on February 28 in Long Beach, Calif. Each team plays three, pre-set games with the higher seed hosting in each game. As the No. 2 seed behind top-seeded and Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.), which comes in at No. 17 in the latest FAB 50 National Team Rankings powered by www.ebooksnet.com, the Huskies and Trailblazers are in separate pools and that guarantees each to be the host in all three pool play games.

Centennial had a tough opening draw with No. 7 seed Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), which actually gave Sierra Canyon its toughest competition on the way to the 2019 CIF Open Division state crown and returned its team basically intact. Mater Dei didn't have a vintage regular season, but still won its league title and would be an awfully tough opening playoff foe for any team in the country. Mater Dei went on the road and pulled out a 66-58 overtime win, as back-to-back 3-pointers by Ryan Evans and Aidan Prukop (22 points) helped the Monarchs take control of the game after Centennial tied it with 2.8 seconds in regulation on a driving lay-up by Portland St.-bound Paris Dawson.

The overtime loss dropped Centennial out of the FAB 50 this week. It might seem like a harsh drop to Huskies' fans, but it comes with plenty of caveats. They have to be behind Mater Dei in the current California pecking order, as well as bubble club Sheldon (Sacramento, Calif.), which beat the Huskies 74-67 during the regular season. Sheldon also beat Mater Dei in two overtimes at the Tarkanian Classic and neither of those clubs had great success against out-of-state competition, so Centennial is penalized this week.

Centennial still has to face Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.), a team that handed it one of its three losses, and No. 26 Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.) in pool play games this week. Centennial will need some help to win its pool and if Mater Dei, which plays Rancho Christian in its second pool play game on February 18, were to win the pool, it will have done enough to hop Sheldon in the Cal-Hi Sports state rankings and will likely return to the FAB 50 next week. Obviously, should Centennial go 2-1 in its pool and Mater Dei win it, that would help the Huskies as well.

In Texas, getting a local consensus is a bit more difficult, so the 81-77 loss by previous No. 19 Duncanville (Duncanville, Texas) to unranked Richardson (Richardson, Texas) was handled differently than the Centennial loss. Duncanville lost to California No. 1 Sierra Canyon by three points, beat the Whitney Young (Chicago, Ill.) club that Mater Dei lost to, and did well against out-of-state competition. Coach David Peavy's club also owns a 70-68 overtime win over Richardson. In the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches statewide poll (TABCHoops.org), Duncanville actually remained No. 1 this week despite the loss to the Eagles, which checked in at No. 6. In the Hoopinsider.com poll, Richardson took over the top spot with Duncanville falling to No. 2.

What made most sense to us was to drop Duncanville two spots to No. 21, while rewarding Richardson for its victory. Not only did the Eagles only lose the first Region I, District 8 game by two points (70-68) in overtime, it hasn't lost any other game since November 22. That makes Richardson the highest ranked newcomer among three teams this week at No. 23, in front of FAB 50 ranked and fellow Class 6A contender Westlake (Austin, Texas) and Class 5A front-runner Lancaster (Lancaster, Texas), which lost to Duncanville. Westlake and Lancaster drop this week as a result, but they'll have ample opportunity to move back up in the UIL playoffs, which is traditionally one of the toughest post-season brackets to capture, especially in Class 6A.

The Georgia (GHSA) Class AAAAAAA are also tough, so we reward one loss Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) by moving it up three spots to No. 5 after previous No. 5 DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) lost its first game in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) to No. 13 Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.). For the four WCAC teams in the FAB 50 this week, we simply followed the league standings, as the teams are most concerned with capturing the upcoming WCAC Tournament.

As for Grayson, it has one overtime loss to a Newton (Covington, Ga.) team it demolished 86-39 in a return game and just beat for a second time 82-58 in the Region 8 semifinals. Grayson defeated No. 22 Shiloh (Snellville, Ga.) in the finals, 75-64, and is the only team to defeat the Generals so far this season. Should Grayson capture the GHSA Class AAAAAAA, its season likely wouldn't be over as it would be a strong shoo-in for GEICO Nationals April 2-4 in New York City.

Cardozo (Bayside, N.Y.) fell to High School for Construction (Queens, N.Y.), 86-69, in a puzzling Public School Athletic League (PSAL) Queens Borough quarterfinal game. The Judges had previously defeated Construction by 38 and 26 points. According to long-time Cardozo coach Ron Naclerio, his team was without two starters, Errol White and Aston Miller. Miller did not suit up and White tried to make a go of it, but was unable to participate.

As a result, the Judges drop seven spots to No. 32, as they are penalized but not harshly because they are still the top ranked team in New York City and the team to beat in the PSAL Class AA City Tournament. They don't play again until February 27 so they have time to rest up on their injuries.

Curie (Chicago) is in a similar boat to Duncanville, as it failed to win the Chicago Public League title, but still remains ranked No. 1 locally by the Chicago Sun-Times and other polls. As a result, the Condors drop 16 spots because of their loss to eventual city champ Simeon, but not all the way out of the FAB 50.

When we get to the portion of the post-season where it's win-or-go-home bracket style play, then we'll see more teams harshly penalized for early exits. That's where the opportunity lies for many bubble clubs to make a move into the longest-running weekly national rankings.

Updated FAB 50 National Team Rankings
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(Ninth poll of 2019-20 regular season; Through games played on Sunday, February 16; *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.)	25-0
2	2	Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah)	27-2
3	3	Hamilton Heights Christian Academy (Chattanooga, Tenn.)	24-2
4	4	Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.)	20-3
5	8	Grayson (Loganville, Ga.)	27-1
6	6	IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)	19-6
7	7	St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.)	33-3
8	5	DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.)	26-3
9	9	La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.)	20-3
10	11	Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.)	35-3
11	12	Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis, Minn.)	19-2
12	13	Dorman (Roebuck, S.C.)	25-1
13	16	Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.)	22-7
14	14	Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, N.Y.)	20-3
15	15	Poly (Baltimore, Md.)	20-2
16	17	Eden Prairie (Eden Prairie, Minn.)	23-0
17	18	Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.)	25-4
18	10	West Oaks Academy (Orlando, Fla.)	24-6
19	34	Bloomington South (Bloomington, Ind.)	20-0
20	35	Moeller (Cincinnati, Ohio)	20-1
21	19	Duncanville (Duncanville, Texas)	25-3
22	20	Shiloh (Snellville, Ga.)	24-3
23	NR	Richardson (Richardson, Texas)	31-3
24	24	Patrick School (Elizabeth, N.J.)	16-6
25	27	Camden (Camden, N.J.)	20-1
26	28	Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.)	22-5
27	31	Etiwanda (Etiwanda, Calif.)	27-2
28	36	Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.)	21-9
29	21	Westlake (Austin, Texas)	31-1
30	29	Mountain Brook (Birmingham, Ala.)	30-2
31	32	St. John's (Washington, D.C.)	23-7
32	25	Cardozo (Bayside, N.Y.)	24-1
33	30	North Mecklenburg (Huntersville, N.C.)	23-1
34	26	Lancaster (Lancaster, Texas)	29-2
35	33	St. Stephen's & St. Agnes (Alexandira, Va.)	24-3
36	40	Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.)	25-3
37	37	Scotlandville (Baton Rouge, La.)	29-3
38	22	Curie (Chicago, Ill.)	24-2
39	38	Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.)	19-4
40	44	St. Raymond (Bronx, N.Y.)	19-4
41	41	Lawrence North (Indianapolis, Ind.)	19-1
42	43	Beecher (Flint, Mich.)	16-1
43	46	Male (Louisville, Ky.)	25-4
44	45	Rangeview (Aurora, Col.)	21-0
45	49	St. Mary's Prep (Orchard Lake, Mich.)	15-1
46	47	Lawrence Central (Indianapolis, Ind.)	19-2
47	NR	Jackson South Side (Jackson, Tenn.)	26-0
48	48	Del City (Del City, Okla.)	18-1
49	NR	Rocky Mountain (Meridian, Idaho)	20-1
50	50	Concord First Assembly (Concord, N.C.)	33-3

Dropped Out: Previous No. 23 Centennial (Corona, Calif.), No. 39 Eastside Catholic (Sammamish, Wash.), No. 42 O’Dea (Seattle, Wash.).

Bubble Teams:  Allen (Allen, Texas) 28-4; Bartow (Bartow, Fla.) 25-1; Beaumont United (Beaumont, Texas) 30-2; Benton Harbor (Benton Harbor, Mich.) 14-1; Bloom (Chicago Heights, Ill.) 23-5; Booker T. Washington (Tulsa, Okla.) 15-5; Brentwood (Brentwood, N.Y.) 20-1; Brookfield Central (Brookfield, Wis.) 18-1; Centennial (Corona, Calif.) 26-3; Clarkston (Clarkston, Mich.) 15-1; Cleveland (Cleveland, Tenn.) 28-0; Collinsville (Collinsville, Ill.) 25-2; Davidson Day (Davidson, N.C.) 27-1; Davis (Kaysville, Utah) 20-1; Dickinson (Dickinson, Texas) 26-5; Eastside Catholic (Sammamish, Wash.) 19-3; Eleanor Roosevelt (Greenbelt, Md.) 16-2; Elizabeth (Elizabeth, N.J.) 17-3; Evanston (Evanston, Ill.) 24-3; Farmville Central (Farmville, N.C.) 22-2; Fort Bend Hightower (Missouri City, Texas) 27-5; Garfield (Seattle) 19-3; Grand Rapids Christian (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 14-1; Hamilton (Sussex, Wis.) 16-3; Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.) 23-5; Hellgate (Missoula, Montana) 15-0; Houston (Germantown, Tenn.) 24-3; Jefferson (Portland, Ore.) 18-2; John Paul II (Plano, Texas) 36-1; Lee (Montgomery, Ala.) 30-1; Lincoln (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 13-2; Manasquan (Manasquan, N.J.) 23-1; Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) 23-6; McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) 20-6; Millbrook (Raleigh, N.C.) 22-2; Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia, Pa.) 19-4; North Little Rock (North Little Rock, Ark.) 19-3; North Shore (Houston, Texas) 30-4; O’Dea (Seattle, Wash.) 18-4; Orlando Christian Prep (Orlando, Fla.) 24-2; Potomoc (Oxon Hill, Md.) 19-1; River Rouge (River Rouge, Mich.) 16-1; Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.) 15-6; Rutgers Prep (Somerset, N.J.) 21-1; Simeon (Chicago, Ill.) 22-8; Shadow Creek (Pearland, Texas) 24-3; Sheldon (Sacramento, Calif.) 23-5; Southmoore (Moore, Okla.) 17-3; Starkville (Starkville, Miss.) 24-2; St. Anthony (Long Beach, Calif.) 26-3; St. Augustine (New Orleans, La.) 27-1; St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio) 19-1; St. Mark’s (Dallas, Texas) 27-4; Thornton (Harvey, Ill.) 26-1; Trinity Christian (Fayetteville, N.C.) 26-2; Union (Vancouver, Wash.) 22-0; Westover (Fayetteville, N.C.) 24-0; Whitehaven (Memphis, Tenn.) 21-3; Wyoming (Wyoming, Mich.) 14-1; Yates (Houston, Texas) 20-4.

Note: The FAB 50 powered by www.ebooksnet.com is a continuation of the National Sports News Service ratings that began in 1952. These were the first national high school rankings and the late Art Johlfs of Minnesota compiled them. They were compiled for many years by the late Barry Sollenberger of Phoenix, who merged them into the FAB 50 20 years ago. Starting with a weekly format for the 1987-88 season, the FAB 50 is the longest-running weekly national rankings.

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

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