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Next, the guys give their winners and losers of the 2021 NBA Draft. Who got better? Which team's draft approach made the least sense? Which teams used their selections to add viable assets or immediate contributors? Finally, Ron and Dev break down all the big moves in NBA Free Agency. Who made signings and trades to put themselves in championship contention? Find out on the latest episode of the In The Paint Show.

You can also watch a video episode of Ep. 103 of the In The Paint Show on the Ballislife Podcast Network!

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RELATED: 3 or More NBA Pros on a HS Team | Who's the Greatest HS Team Ever? 

There is a definite difference on how great a high school player is while in high school and how good of a NBA prospect he is and how good of a player he can be down the line.

The same ideology holds true for great high school teams.

Obviously, its record and position in the FAB 50 National Team Rankings powered by www.ebooksnet.com is a good indication of how good a team is, but sometimes it's not until many years later that one can look back at a high school team and realize just how great it was. When a player goes on to success at the highest levels of a game, that can obviously enhance the perception of just how good his high school team was. That especially holds true if a team has more than one great player or future pro.

Once in a blue moon a team comes along that you know is special right away in real time as you're watching it. It's evident in its makeup, skill level, size, pedigree and results of its games. In that situation, even the players on the team know it.

That was clearly the case with the high school team most long-time followers, prep editors, and national rankings compilers feel was the best overall during the last 40 years: 1982-83 Dunbar (Baltimore, Md.). That outfit went 31-0 and defeated a strong schedule of foes (for its era) by an average margin of 36.5 ppg. The players on that roster and coach Bob Wade knew how special the group was right then and played accordingly.

It's the same feeling the players off the 2019-20 Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) felt in 2020 as the Eagles rolled to a 25-0 record and beat every foe on a true national schedule by an average margin of 38.9 ppg.

Wade's '83 unit cemented its status four years later in the 1987 NBA Draft when three of its players were drafted in the first round. Reggie Williams, the 1983 Mr. Basketball USA went No. 4 overall, spark plug guard and team MVP Muggsy Bouges went No. 12 and reserve Reggie Lewis went No. 22 overall. It blew many people's minds when Lewis, who was Dunbar's sixth or seventh man and averaged 5.5 ppg, became the third player off a single high school team taken in the same draft when the Boston Celtics selected him.

There has been 46 documented high school teams with at least three NBA players on its roster, but that '83 Dunbar team set the standard for other high school teams to follow by having three players taken in the first round of the same draft.

That was the standard until the 2019-20 Montverde Academy team came around.

The Eagles also produced the best player in the country (Mr. Basketball USA pick Cade Cunningham) and rolled to a No. 1 mythical national title as Dunbar did. The players on the Eagles' roster didn't have to wait four years to make history, as the core of the group all declared for the NBA Draft after one year of college (a record-low seven seniors were drafted in 2021). Not only did three players off that Eagles team go in the first round, the team produced the No. 1 overall pick (Cunningham), the No. 4 pick (team glue guy Scottie Barnes) and a third lottery pick in Moses Moody.

Not only did its top three get drafted higher than Dunbar's trio, MVA's 2019-20 team added a fourth first round pick in power forward Day'Ron Sharpe.

2021 NBA Draft Picks From Montverde Academy (Fla).
No. 1 Cade Cunningham (Oklahoma State) - Detroit Pistons
No. 4 Scottie Barnes (Florida State) - Toronto Raptors
No. 14 Moses Moody (Arkansas) - Golden State Warriors
No. 29 Day’Ron Sharpe (North Carolina) - Pheonix Suns (traded)
No. 50 Filip Petrusev (Gonzaga/Serbia) - Philadelphia 76ers
No. 54 Sandro Mamukelashsvili (Seton Hall) - Indiana Pacers (traded)
No. 57 Balsa Koprivica (Florida State) - Charlotte Hornets (traded)

As if having four players off the same high school team taken in the same draft isn't enough, the program produced seven of the 60 overall players drafted in 2021.

"This is a special day for all our players their families and the whole Montverde Academy community," said Boyle. "I'm very happy to see all the sacrifice and dedication pay off for all our players. To have seven drafted, four in the first round, and three in the lottery has truly exceeded our expectations. All of these guys are a special part of the Montverde family."

Petrusev was a starter on the 2017-18 team led by Mr. Basketball USA RJ Barrett (the No. 3 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft) that went 36-0 and wire-to-wire No. 1 in the FAB 50. Mamukelashsvili was a senior on the 2016-17 team that finished 26-5 and No. 5 in the FAB 50. Koprivica, who played with Barnes at FSU, was the starting center on the 2018-19 team that featured juniors Cunningham and Moody that lost in the GEICO Nationals semifinals to eventual FAB 50 National champion IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) and finished No. 4 in the FAB 50 with a 22-3 mark.

Cunningham (13.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 6.4 apg in 2019-20 for MVA) is the third No. 1 overall pick for Boyle, with the first two being Ben Simmons in 2016 (one year after graduating from MVA as the Mr. Basketball USA) and Kyrie Irving, who played at St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.), in 2011. It surprised some when Barnes (11.6 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 4.6 apg for MVA) went ahead of Gonzaga's Jalen Suggs at No. 4 and Moody (10.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg) was drafted alot higher than projected coming out of high school. Sharpe (12.1 ppg, 7.3 rpg) was actually the third McDonald's All-American and earned All-American Elite team honors from Ballislife.

As for the firth starter on that team, that would be sophomore forward Caleb Houstan (10.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg), who like Barrett, re-classed up after his sophomore season of high school and will head to Michigan this fall after earning All-American acclaim as a senior in 2020-21. In all likelihood, all five of the starters off that 2019-20 Montverde Academy team will eventually play in the NBA.

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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This year's NBA Draft is supposed to field one of the deepest crop of impact players in recent memory. Which teams will make the right decisions in the lottery? Make sure to check out our special NBA Draft "In The Paint" podcast , Devin Ugland's NBA Draft Board watch our second annual Ballislife NBA Draft Party on July 29 at 6:15 pm ET/3:15 PT to get our insight before the draft and as the top picks unfold.

RELATED: NBA Draft podcast | Ballislife NBA Draft Board | Ballislife Podcast Network

Devin Ugland's NBA Draft Day Steals

Jared Butler, Baylor (Junior), 6-3 PG (Age 20)
Projected Pick: No. 30
Butler proved that not only could he improve individually over the course of his college career, but that he also impacts winning in high level games as he led the Bears to the 2021 NCAA Tournament title. Butler is a heady and smart lead guard who can play both on or off the ball. In his final season at Baylor, Butler shot 41.6 percent from three-point range and just over 47 percent from the field overall. Guys like Butler. who are drafted to a good team late in the first round, usually end up in a good situation where they can ease into the NBA game in a back-up style role.  I'm confident Butler has the intangibles, leadership and shot making ability to be a long-term NBA guard.

Quentin Grimes, Houston (Junior), 6-5 CG (Age 21)
Projected Pick: No. 32
Though we have Grimes slotted as an early second round pick, I can see a few teams picking in the late first round who could use his services. Grimes got off to a bit of a rocky start to his college career at Kansas before transferring to Houston where he put up numbers consistent with his Top 10 ranking coming out of high school. I like Grimes to be a draft steal because he has an NBA body, showed poise in big game situations and shooting and playmaking at his size should translate well to the pro game. Something else that stands out about Grimes is the success he had after leaving Kansas with some labeling his a "bust."

Kessler Edwards, Pepperdine (Junior), 6-8 SF (Age 21)
Projected Pick: No. 44
Edwards is one of the more unheralded prospects in this draft - both when he was coming out of high school and now coming out of college. The 6-foot-8 swingman has a ton of versatility to his game due to his combination of length, fluid athleticism and lateral mobility on the defensive end of the floor. Edwards averaged 17.2 points per game as a junior on 55.3 percent from the field, 37.8 percent from three and hit 87.6 percent of his free throws. Those are solid percentages for an inside-out type of scorer who prefers to operate in the mid-range area of the floor. NBA teams might have to be patient with his three-point shooting stroke as he gets used to the deeper line.

Ronnie Flores' NBA Draft Day Steals

Cam Thomas, LSU (Freshman), 6-4 SG (Age 19)
Projected Pick: No. 16 
This former Oak Hill Academy (VA) standout is one of the most accomplished scorers in the draft at any pick.  Any questions about being a shoot-first, volume player at his draft position will quickly be quelled by his talent level and ability to adjust and find the right role that will maximize his potential. LSU had bouts of selfishness across the board and I think he’ll excel down the line because of his innate ability to score and draw fouls.

Miles McBride, West Virginia (Sophomore), 6-2 PG (Age 20)
Projected Pick: No. 29
I like winners and tough guards and "Deuce" foots the bill. He was way better in HS than the recruiting evaluators gave him credit for coming out of Moeller (Cincinnati, Ohio), where he was a key cog on a FAB 50 ranked team. He led teams that won back-to-back D1 states titles, had a 49-game winning streak and went 29-0 his senior year. That type of production (not to mention defense) from a team standpoint translates. In two college seasons, McBride became a viable NBA prospect by improving his shooting (shot .414 from 3-point range in 2020-21) and increasing his play-making while his turnover count remained low. Obviously size will come into play for some teams with regards to where he lands, but whom ever needs a quality back up better take a long, hard look because he makes up for his lack of size with terrific on-ball defense, athleticism, instincts and a winner's mentality.

John Petty Jr., Alabama (Senior), 6-5 SF (Age 22)
Projected Pick: No. 58
If Petty can display solid enough ball-handling, I think he can stick in the NBA. He’s always been a good shooter (.370 3-point) and can get the ball up against good defenders. He has the ability to get hot and played with other talented scorers on a balanced Alabama team and should have no trouble being productive in what would be limited minutes if he makes a roster down the line. If Petty improves on the nuances of the game, he can be a complete steal late in this draft. I like reliability in the range he's may get drafted at instead of taking a big gamble on a project.

Devin's Draft Day Enigmas

Corey Kispert, Gonzaga (Senior), 6-7 G/F (Age 22)
Projected Pick: No. 11
It's always risky when you take a specialist-type prospect with a lottery pick and Kispert is absolutely one of the best shooters in the draft. The questions with Kispert are: what else does he do well that translates to the NBA? Can he guard and rebound his position well enough to see extended minutes? At age 22 with four years of college under his belt, what type of upside is there for him? I think Kispert is valued so highly because NBA teams are putting an emphasis on players who can spread the floor with limited dribbles, and while I think Kispert would be a safe pick in the mid to late first round range, taking him in the middle to the end of the lottery could be a risky decision.

Sharife Cooper, Auburn (Freshman), 6-0 PG (Age 20)
Projected Pick: No. 19
Cooper is an enigma in two different ways: I think there's a chance he could out-play his draft position (if selected around this projected range) or a guy who doesn't quite live up to the expectations of a first round selection. Cooper is an extremely talented ball handler who has great feel for the game and possesses the passing instincts necessary to play the PG spot in the NBA. There are, however, questions about his size, burst in transition and with his first step, and his lackluster three-point shooting percentage from the college line (22.8 percent) in 12 games. I don't see Cooper slipping out of the first round, but there are some shortcomings that could make NBA front offices second guess picking him.

Ziaire Williams, Stanford (Freshman), 6-8 SF (Age 19)
Projected Pick: No. 20
Williams has shown flashes of having all the tools to become a solid NBA wing, but his up-and-down season at Stanford cooled his draft stock after many believed he was a surefire lottery pick heading into the 2020-21 college basketball season. The 6-foot-8 wing averaged just 10.7 points per game in 20 games for the Cardinal and shot 37.4 percent from the field and 29.1 percent from 3-point range. In addition to those poor shooting numbers, Williams had a streak to close the season where he scored in single digits in five of his last seven games, a stretch where Stanford went 2-5.

Ronnie's Draft Day Enigmas

Jonathan Kuminga, G League Ignite (1st Year Pro), 6-8 SF (Age 18)
Projected Pick: No. 6
Evaluating some of the G League Ignite games, Kuminga's skill and production level simply didn’t indicate a top 4-5 pick to me. Does he have loads of potential? Absolutely, plus he's a bit younger than a majority of the other prospects at the top of this draft. He also has the frame and explosiveness many NBA GMs cost. However, he shoots a low percentage (38.7 FG, 24.6 3-point, 62.5 FT), needs tons of work on what to do without the ball and his decision making left alot to be desired in those G League games. He does have plenty of potential, but not much experience even dominating at the high school level. Will that potential blossom? There’s would be a lot less pressure for him going at No. 6 through 8 than No. 3 or No. 4. The lower he goes, the more I like his chances for long-term success.

Scottie Barnes, Florida St. (Freshman), 6-9 SF (Age 19)
Projected Pick: No. 5
How do you pass on a guy who does so much well? And how do you NOT pass on a guy that simply can’t shoot it well enough for his on court and draft position (27.5 3-point, 62.1 FT)? You do because he can improve his shooting and the other things he excels at (leading, defense, play-making) most of the other draftees simply are not as capable and likely won’t ever be, no mater how much they work on it. I feel Barnes will be a good pro, but if he doesn't pan out at the production level of the pick where he's expected to go (No. 4-5), a GM will be kicking himself in the foot for overlooking the obvious.

Jalen Johnson, Duke (Freshman), 6-9 PF (Age 19)
Projected Pick: No. 14
Will he buy in and be committed to the team that drafts him, or will he excel only in a situation for a team that covets his talents and will be patient with his development? We ask that because he Johnson has one of the biggest draft ranges of any eligible prospect. To me, he has lottery type talent and the make-up of a starting caliber NBA forward, but I also wouldn't be surprised to see him drop to the slot Dev currently has him listed at. There is alot of talent to work with, but not a big body of work. He didn’t have a complete senior high school season (he abruptly left IMG Academy early in the 2019-20 season) nor a complete college season (as he exited the program in a highly-publicized manner). Why is that? What will NBA teams find out when they dig deep on those incidents? Players have to be more talented than their perceived problems and it only takes one team with the right fit to unlock the best version of a talented prospect.

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This ITP Show idea was sparked from a piece co-host Ronnie Flores wrote earlier in the week outlining four teams that are in the mix for that prestigious, yet unclaimed crown. Click the link below to listen to the full podcast and continue reading for a brief overview on why these are the four high school teams up for the debate.

There are two recent teams in consideration: 2015-16 Chino Hills, which went 35-0 while playing a loaded national schedule. What stands out most about that Huskies' team is that they accomplished those feats as a public school playing with mainly neighborhood players. Chino Hills were paced that season by current New Orleans Pelicans point guard Lonzo Ball and his brothers, LaMelo and LiAngelo. Seven Chino Hills players went on to play Division 1 college basketball and four are primed to play in the NBA.

The 2019-20 Montverde Academy is the most recent team with a legitimate claim to be the best high school team ever. The Eagles went 25-0, winning their games by a staggering average margin of 38.9 points. MVA had its season cut short due to the Coronavirus pandemic and weren't able to challenge for its fifth GEICO title. It's still to be determined how many Montverde players will make it to the NBA, but coach Kevin Boyle estimates that 12 players from this year's roster will earn Division 1 scholarships.

The other two teams come from earlier in high school hoops history, starting with the famed 82-83 Dunbar team out of Baltimore. The Poets went 31-0 that season and sent 11 of their 13 rostered players to the Division 1 level. NBA players from that squad consisted of Reggie Lewis, Reggie Williams and Tyrone "Mugsy" Bogues. Dunbar played a national schedule in a time period where it was rare for programs to make multiple out-of-state trips to play the upper-echelon competition.

Finally, the 1992-93 Oak Hill Academy team rounds' out the debate. Long-time NBA players Jerry Stackhouse and Jeff McInnis highlighted that 36-0 team which beat six college programs, in addition to 30 high school teams, in its 36-0 campaign. Nine players off of that Warriors team went on to play Division 1 hoops with four making it to the NBA.

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FAB 50 No. 1 Montverde Academy just completed one of the most dominant runs through a high school season. Are the Eagles the greatest team of all-time? We compare and contrast their team and resume to three other all-time great teams. You'll be surprised to see how similar the resumes for these great teams are!

RELATED: Final 2019-20 FAB 50 Rankings | Salute To All-Time FAB 50 No. 1s
Without a question of a doubt, the 2019-20 Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) team is one of the greatest of all-time. What the Eagles accomplished over 25 games this past season has only been matched a few times in the history of the high school game going back to Brown vs. Board of Education in 1954, which ushered in an era of the game where statistics are available to research (they are much harder to do when schools were segregated), end-of-season national honors and awards for elite players emerged, and colleges began recruiting nationwide starting with Wilt Chamberlain that next spring.

Of course, most will argue that high school basketball is much better now than it was even 30 years ago, an to an extent it's true. The competition at the top has never been better and the elite high school game has evolved into something that doesn't resemble what the average high school team looked like 30-40 years ago.

The reality of the situation, however, is that all the elements of modern, elite high school basketball have been in play for much longer than the mixtape generation (2005 to current) realizes. National scouting has been around since the early 1970s, teams with elite players have played in national events since that same time period, national weekly team rankings began in 1975, and widely distributed national player rankings have been available since the 1978-79 season.

Besides, great teams and players stand the test of time. With that in mind, we wanted to break down Montverde Academy's resume to that of three other great teams over the past 40 years, one an independent basketball power and the other two public schools.

GREATEST HIGH SCHOOL TEAMS
ALL-TIME TALE OF THE TAPE

Reggie Williams

6'7"   -   SF   -   1983

1982-1983 Dunbar (Baltimore, Md.)
Record: 31-0  
Ranking: No. 1 (preseason No. 1 by USA Today)
Points For: 2,572/83.0
Points Against: 1,442/46.5
Victory Margin: 1,130/36.5
Starters: PG Tyrone "Mugsy" Bouges 5-3 Sr. (5.8 ppg, 7 apg, 7 spg), SG Keith James 6-5 Sr. (9.4 ppg), SF Reggie Williams 6-7 Sr. (23.4 ppg, 12 rpg, 4 apg, 2 bpg), PF Mike Brown 6-4 Jr. (11.2 ppg), C Tim Dawson 6-7 Sr. (9.2 ppg, 12 rpg, 5 bpg).
Roster: Derrick Lewis 6-3 Jr., Darryl Woods 5-9 Sr., Reggie Lewis 6-7 Sr., Herman Harried 6-7 Jr., Bryan Williams 5-6 Jr., Gerard Marable 6-0 Jr., Reggie McNeil 6-2 So., Eric Green 6-2 Jr., Jerry White 6-2 Sr., David Johnson 6-2 Sr.
Resume: The Poets defeated teams from seven states and captured the Poet-Laker Tip-Off, Beltway/Capital City Classic, King of the Bluegrass Tournament, Johnstown Tournament, and won the MSA Class "A" title. To close the season, coach Bob Wade's team crushed nationally-ranked Flint Hill Prep (Roanoke, Va.), 87-59, and defeated a good Cardinal Gibbons (Baltimore, Md.) team, 82-53, to win the Metro Classic. By the time the Flint Hill Prep game came, few people gave coach Stu Vetter's team a chance to stay close, as opposing coaches felt it was just an honor for their team to be able to compete with a team as talented as Dunbar. The first big win of the season was a 67-55 victory over DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) in which James had 16 points and Williams added 14. They simply crushed the field at the prestigious King of the Bluegrass, defeating Carlisle County (Ky.) 65-48 in the title game as Williams had 21 and Dawson 17. Williams, the Mr. Basketball USA National Player of the Year and a top four national recruit, scored 20 more points 22 times and could have went off even more expect the Poets were comfortably ahead by the third quarter in a vast majority of their games. Only one team gave them any real trouble, as King of New York (with McDonald's All-American Kenny Hutchinson) had Dunbar, including Williams, battling major foul trouble. Reserve Reggie Lewis (5.5 ppg/172 pts) stepped up with nine points and 11 rebounds to be named Johnstown (Pa.) Tournament MVP after Dunbar posted a 57-52 victory, the Poets’ only single-digit win. Similar to '93 Oak Hill and '20 Montverde Academy, only one team stayed within double figures.
Analysis: After the 1982 team finished 27-0 and was ranked No. 2 by Basketball Weekly, the 1983 team went wire-to-wire as No. 1, dominating its foes on a national schedule, very comparable to the best schedules played up to that point. Dunbar’s 1982 team started David Wingate (Georgetown) and Gary Graham (UNLV) along with Dawson, Bouges, and Williams and went 27-0, but the 1983 team clearly played better teams. To give one an idea of just how good '82 Dunbar was, it routed nationally-ranked Camden (N.J.), 84-59, to end that program’s long-standing home winning streak while national No. 1 Calvert Hall (which did not play Dunbar in 1982 or 1983) defeated that same team 67-62 in a come-from-behind win. What separated the two Dunbar teams was incredible depth, with at least 11 players with D1 ability on the '83 team. That was evident in Dunbar’s play when the reserves were in and by its margin of victory, as the Poets never let up against any foe. As some would say about Oak Hill's 1993 team and Montverde Academy's 2020 team, the bench was likely a nationally-ranked team.

Jerry Stackhouse

6'6"   -   SF   -   1993

1992-1993 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.)
Record: 36-0* (30-0 vs. high school competition) 
Ranking: No. 1 (preseason No. 1 by National Prep Poll)
Points For: 3,211/89.2
Points Against: 1,868/51.9
Victory Margin: 1,343/37.3
Starters: PG Jeff McInnis 6-2 Sr. (17.0 ppg, 8.4 apg, school-record 303 assists) SG Jermaine "Sunshine" Smith 6-2 Sr. (12.2 ppg), SF Jerry Stackhouse 6-6 Sr. (25.6 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 4.0 apg), PF Alex Sanders 6-7 Jr. (12.7 ppg), C Makhtar Ndiaye 6-9 Sr. (10.3 rpg, 8.1 bpg). 
Roster: Mark Blount 7-0 Soph., Michael Brittain 6-8 Jr., Ronald Williams 6-3 Sr., Vincent Luther 6-4 Sr., Jason Thomas 6-4 Sr., Tavaras Johnson 6-6 Jr.  
Resume: The Warriors defeated teams from 11 states, plus the District of Columbia, as they went wire-to-wire as the No. 1 team. People nowadays talk on social media about what would happen if the nation's best FAB 50 teams or all-time great high school teams played colleges. Well, the Warriors did, going 6-0 versus colleges, including a 100-68 win over Roanoke (Va.) College, a 122-76 win over Alice Lloyd College (Ky.) and a 117-68 win over Central Piedmont Community College (N.C.). To be transparent, other great high school teams of yesteryear also beat colleges, such as Wilt Chamberlain's 1955 Overbook (Philadelphia, Pa.) club. Most high school teams were simply overwhelmed by Oak Hill's physicality, size and pressure defense. A 96-8 victory over John Battle (Bristol, Va.) at the Virginia Tip-Off Classic drew national headlines and the Warriors defeated nationally-ranked St. John’s Prospect Hall (Frederick, Md.), 63-49, to win the Iolani Classic. Oak Hill was even more dominant in its second win (91-74) over St. John’s Prospect Hall (another team coached by Vetter) to close the season at the St. James Invitational. The Warriors also captured the prestigious Las Vegas Holiday Prep Classic with a 57-52 victory of Felipe Lopez-led Rice (New York). Ironically, it was the same score that '83 Dunbar won its lone single-digit game by.      
Analysis: This was the first of Steve Smith's national title clubs at Oak Hill and is his best overall club. The National Prep Poll (FAB 50 precursor) and the National Sports News Service (the original end-of-season national rankings) both tabbed Oak Hill No. 1 wire-to-wire, while USA Today had the Warriors No. 3 behind Simon Gratz (Philadelphia, Pa.) and King (Chicago, Ill.). Similar to Dunbar's Williams, Stackhouse was the nation's best wing forward (and a top three national player along with Gratz's Rasheed Wallace and guard Randy Livingston of Newman in New Orleans) and put up big scoring outings. The difference was the physicality, as Stackhouse could simply overpower high school players and had the ability to jump passing lanes because of Oak Hill's huge front line. Stackhouse and McInnis were McDonald’s All-Americans, with the clutch Smith joining McInnis in a backcourt that could really pressure the ball or funnel players towards Ndiaye, who blocked a ton of shots without the worry of foul trouble or playing from behind. This team could go big with Blount (who joined Stackhouse, McInnis, and Ndiaye in the NBA), while Sanders and Johnson helped Oak Hill finish ranked No. 1 as seniors in 1993-94.   

Onyeka Okongwu

6'8"   -   C   -   2019

2015-16 Chino Hills (Chino Hills, Calif.)
Record: 35-0
Ranking: No. 1  (preseason No. 11 in FAB 50)
Points For: 3,447/98.5
Points Against: 2,453/70.1 
Victory Margin: 994/28.4 
Starters: PG Lonzo Ball 6-6 Sr. (23.9 ppg, 11.3 rpg, 11.5 apg, 5.1 spg), SG LaMelo Ball 5-10 Fr. (16.4 ppg, 3.8 apg), SF LiAngelo Ball 6-5 Jr. (27.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg) PF Eli Scott 6-5 Jr. (15.8 ppg, 8.6 rpg), C Onyeka Okongwu 6-8 Fr. (7.9 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 3.1 bpg).
Roster: Matthew Reed 5-11 So., Andre Ball 6-7 So., Pierce Richards 5-11 Jr., Jayson Mitchell 6-0 Jr., Nic Manor-Hall 6-2 Fr., Cam Shelton 6-0 So., Grant Trueman 6-2 Jr., Adam Vasquez 6-2 Jr., Shane Hopkins 6-9 Sr.
Resume: The Huskies defeated teams from nine states and captured three major holiday tournaments: The BattleZone Tournament, City of Palms Classic and Maxpreps Holiday Classic. Unlike the other three teams, the Huskies had plenty of close calls, but they did know how to close games. Some of those wins included a 91-90 victory over Jefferson (Brooklyn, N.Y.) that Lonzo Ball saved on a terrific defensive play, a 83-82 overtime win over Montverde Academy (Fla.), a 66-60 overtime win over Patrick School (Elizabeth, N.J.) and a 71-67 win over an unbeaten Bishop Montgomery (Torrance, Calif.) team. Three of those wins were at City of Palms and the Bishop Montgomery showdown was one of the most highly-anticipated regular season games in recent California history. Bishop Montgomery came into that game ranked No. 7 in the FAB 50 and Steve Baik's club defeated 11 programs that were FAB 50 ranked at some point, including Bishop Montgomery, No. 38 Foothills Christian and No. 43 High Point Christian more than once. Chino Hills had to move up to the No. 1 spot (it started No. 8 by USA Today and No. 5 by Maxpreps) and was No. 1 after the City of Palms Tournament. The Huskies were a clear preseason No. 1 in California and likely would have started in the seven to Top 10 range of the FAB 50 had it won the CIF D1 state title in 2015, when it went 24-8 on the court and lost in double overtime in the state final after Lonzo Ball fouled out.
Analysis:  The Huskies join this conversation for three main reasons. One, the program was a public school and there is misnomer that public schools can't compete at the elite level. Chino Hills is a "neighborhood school" program while Dunbar attracted students from all over Charm City through its magnet program. Second, Chino Hills is a team the video-centric generation of fans can relate to as they make comparisons. Lastly, even though the Huskies didn't start off with the fanfare of the other three clubs in this conversation, it's where you finish and with Okongwu and Melo Ball on their way to the NBA to join Lonzo their greatness continues to cast a shadow as time elapses. Will Scott or Gelo get a NBA crack? After the close calls during the regular season, the Huskies took it up a notch against the toughest post-season competition in California, defeating eight opponents by an average of 29 points in the CIF Southern Section and SoCal Open Division playoffs. Similar to the '83 Dunbar club, late in the season it felt like Chino Hills was a team of destiny and it rolled Bishop Montgomery 84-62 in the SoCal Open title game. With Okongwu and Melo Ball in the lineup, Chino Hills had two 14-year olds and detractors would say that puts them at a big disadvantage against these three other teams. The freshmen duo played fearlessly and beyond their years and Okongwu did a terrific job against older interior post players. It's ironic that Lonzo Ball fouled out in that 2015 state title game because the Huskies starters did a terrific job of not fouling out during the 2015-16, especially Okongwu in the middle as he never fouled out despite having a few close calls with four personals. Baik went with his starters nearly exclusively and the lack of depth was even more noticeable when Andre Ball (the cousin of Zo, Gelo and Melo) was lost to injury during the Maxpreps Holiday Classic. Lonzo Ball did a bit of everything defensively and carried the Huskies on his way to becoming California's all-time assist leader, but the scoring ability of Gelo Ball and the contributions of Scott cannot be overlooked. Chino Hills tied a state record with 18 100-point games and Lonzo Ball was named Mr. Basketball USA while collecting a triple double in 25 of 35 games, a single-season state record that may never be broken.

Day'Ron Sharpe

6'10"   -   C   -   2020

2019-20 Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.)
Record: 25-0
Ranking: No. 1 (preseason No. 2 by FAB 50)  
Points For: 2,173/87.0
Points Against: 1,200/48.0
Victory Margin: 973/38.9
Starters: PG Cade Cunningham 6-7 Sr. (13.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 6.4 apg), SG Moses Moody 6-5 Sr. (10.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg), SF Scottie Barnes 6-8 Sr. (11.6 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 4.6 apg), PF Caleb Houstan 6-7 So. (10.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg), C Day'Ron Sharpe 6-10 sr. (12.1 ppg, 7.3 rpg).
Roster: Dariq Whitehead 6-5 So., Ryan Nembhard 6-1 Jr., Langston Love 6-4 Jr., Zeb Jackson 6-2 Sr., Keegan Harvey 6-11 Sr., Jesse Jones 6-3 Sr., Michael Wu 6-7 Jr. 
Resume: The Eagles were preseason No. 2 in the FAB 50 and Maxpreps placed them at No. 1 and, on paper, not much separated Montverde Academy and IMG Academy. The Eagles, however, took their game to another level during the season and just as '83 Dunbar and '93 Oak Hill Academy did, only had one single-digit game. When the Eagles and IMG Academy met in the City of Palms Classic title game, the Ascenders gave Montverde Academy its toughest game of the season, falling 63-55. Montverde Academy defeated IMG Academy twice more, 67-46 and 76-64, while no other team came within 20 points. When Barnes joined the Eagles' roster, it turned a potential juggernaut into a virtual machine, as coach Kevin Boyle's club Eagles defeated 12 FAB 50 ranked clubs (at the time of the matchup), including No. 4 DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) 76-56 in a game that wasn't as close as the score indicates. The Eagles could have potentially faced three more FAB 50 ranked teams had GIECO Nationals not been wiped out by the COVID-19 Pandemic. Would any of those nationally-ranked clubs have been able to Montverde Academy a good game?
Analysis: IMG Academy edged the Eagles for the preseason No. 1 spot by the slimmest of margins, but in the end it didn't matter and Boyle's club provide to be one of the best teams of all-time. GEICO Nationals notwithstanding, Montverde Academy captured its fifth FAB 50 title in the past eight seasons, and fielded its best overall team in that time frame. When talking about the best teams and how they fared at the time, Montverde Academy has as strong a resume as any. The raw numbers clearly illustrate that and the roster provides more evidence. Cunningham, like Ball, Stackhouse, and Williams before him, is a Mr. Basketball USA talent and the Eagles had incredible depth and balance. The other teams were more reliant on one player for scoring (Williams and Stackhouse) or play-making (Ball), but MVA truly could beat teams in many ways, as seven players averaged 8.3 ppg or more led by Cunningham’s 13.9 ppg. How would that approach work against one of the other three teams mentioned here? The evidence suggests the Eagles would have found a way to be successful. What if Montverde Academy found a way to slow Williams, Stackhouse or Ball down? The evidence suggests others would have stepped up. It would have been interesting to see Montverde Academy play upwards of three ranked foes in succession to see if it could have been pushed to its limit. The contrast between Barnes and Bouges is fascinating because they are catalysts of the same fashion despite a huge difference in size. Could Barnes have slowed down Williams? On the other end, who on Montverde's roster could have stayed with Bouges or kept him from disrupting the Eagles' offense? Some opponents, like Camden (N.J.), didn't respect Bouges because of his size, but he made them pay severely for that by completely disrupting their offense. Could Dunbar have kept up with Montverde Academy on the boards? Dawson and Williams were fine on the glass but would have their work cut out for them trying to slow down Sharpe, who gives the Eagles an All-American at three different positions (lead guard, wing, post). Matchup wise, '93 Oak Hill might be the better comparison and the tougher check for Boyle's club. The Warriors had a huge front line and nobody on MVA's team is the physical wing scorer that Stackhouse was. Cunningham and Moody are tough checks, but McInnis and Smith were mentally tough, battle-tested and capable defenders who could put the ball in the hole when necessary. Unlike Chino Hills, there wouldn't be much issue with Oak Hill playing aggressively because of the firepower on the bench. It's easy to point to the Eagles' ranked players (their ninth man is going to Michigan), but at 5-foot-3 Bouges was ranked No. 24 by All-Star Sports. One had to think if the summer circuit and camp atmosphere was in 1982 what it is today, Lewis would have blown up and been a nationally ranked player. Luckily for Jim Calhoun and Northeastern, he didn't blow up. As role players on the '83 Dunbar team, Brown (No. 16), James (No. 40) and Harried (No. 64) were all top 100 players in the Class of 1984. Montverde Academy would seem to have the edge in versatility because Cunningham is as unique a point guard as we've seen on a team with so much talent. Ball is his equal, but he didn't have the horses around him to work with player No. 2 through No. 12. In a four-team bracket, Montverde Academy would have a strong case as the BEST team of the lot. When you talk about how GREAT the teams are, however, you can't take nothing away from Dunbar and Oak Hill. They have the data to back up their receptive cases and the numbers going forward to take their place amongst the all-time great teams. Stackhouse and McInnis were joined in the NBA by two of their teammates, but Ndiaye and Bount enjoyed cups of coffee. That's what makes '83 Dunbar so unique, as Williams, Bouges and Lewis were three of the top 22 picks in the 1987 NBA Draft. When you add in the fact that trio (along with Wingate from the '82 team) developed into long-time NBA players, it secures Dunbar's spot among the all-time great high school teams. A certain aspect of how great this year's Montverde Academy team is will be determined later by how much success individual Eagles' players have at the next levels of the game compared to Dunbar, Oak Hill, Chino Hills and other great undefeated No. 1 ranked teams that produced multiple NBA players.

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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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.

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In episode No. 25 of our ?In The Paint Show," hosts Ronnie Flores and Devin Ugland go in hard on the 17th Annual Pangos All-American Camp, the three-day event they scouted and evaluated from start to finish last weekend.

Pangos Camp played host to approximately 110 of the nation's best 2020 and 2021 prospects, sprinkled in with some younger talent and was noted for its incredible depth this year. Ron and Dev bring on special guest Dinos Trigonis, the camp's founder and director, to go further in depth on the roster of standouts and provide some background and direction of where the prestigious camp is heading.

Ron and Dev talk their top seven standout performers, top three break out performers and give a quick overview of the camp games. Trigonis goes "In The Paint" on the selection process, the growth of the camp and some of the standouts he evaluated while conducting the camp.

This episode focuses on this specific event and next week we'll preview the upcoming NBPA Top 100 Camp and other summer events the Ballislife team will attend. Stay tuned!

To learn more about our hosts, Ronnie Flores and Devin Ugland, and to get more information about what "In The Paint" is all about, check out our intro below!

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University School out-rebounded Vashon 60 to 21 for the 96-69 victory to move on to the next round of the tournament. Vashon will move on to the consolation bracket.

Mario Mckinney: 17 points
Cam'ron Fletcher: 16 points
Nick Kern: 16 points
-
Vernon Carey: 35 points
Scottie Barnes: 13 points
Roger McFarlane: 16 points
Jace Howard: 19 points

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