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The post Most Underrated Guard in the Draft? Shamorie Ponds All Access! appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.

By Ronnie Flores

The first nine and 16 teams overall that appear in this week's FAB 50 National Team Rankings powered by www.ebooksnet.com are still playing, as the season is quickly coming to a close. There will be two more sets of ratings after this week, including the final FAB 50 rankings on Monday, April 4.

One of the teams still playing is current FAB 50 No. 1 Chino Hills (Chino Hills, Calif.), which plays for the CIF Open Division state championship next Saturday night versus new No. 50 De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) at Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento, Calif. It will be a matchup of two nationally-ranked teams, but it still has a bit of a David vs. Goliath feel. Chino Hills has beaten No. 40 Foothills Christian (El Cajon, Calif.) by 20 points twice (106-86 and 82-62), No. 41 High Point Christian (High Point, N.C.) by 25 points (100-75) and just defeated No 36 Bishop Montgomery (Torrance, Calif.) by 22 points (84-62) in the SoCal open regional final to advance to the state title game.

The Huskies, led by Mr. Basketball USA front-runner Lonzo Ball, only beat Bishop Montgomery by four points in their first matchup. The Knights still have a strong enough resume to be ranked No. 2 in the state, according to CalHiSports.com, as Chino Hills is firing on all cylinders right now. Ball, who is averaging a triple-double, was confirmed to be California's all-time assists leader by Cal-Hi Sports and will play in the 6th Annual Ballislife All-American Game taking place the night of April 30 at Long Beach City College (Long Beach, Calif.).

Wrapping Up State Titles

Another player who will participate in the Ballislife All-American Game, point guard Shamorie Ponds, just wrapped up a championship season, as Jefferson (Brooklyn, N.Y.) won its first ever New York Federation Class AA title with a 72-65 win over FAB 50 bubble club Aquinas (Rochester, N.Y.). Jeff also win its first PSAL title since 1954.

Ponds was in some foul trouble, but his teammates, particularly Rasheem Dunn and C.J. "Big Shot" Smith, stepped up to lead the Orange Wave to victory. Dunn finished with 21 points, while Ponds and Smith added 16 and 15, respectively. Jefferson moved up five spots to No. 38 in this week's rankings, and no matter what the other results are from around the country over the final two weeks, the Orange Wave will remain behind No. 37 West Linn (West Linn, Ore.) in the final rankings. Oregon's Class 6A state champs beat Jefferson at the City of Palms Tournament in December.

Jayson Tatum, a Mr. Basketball USA candidate, led Chaminade (St. Louis, Mo.) to its first Missouri Class 5 state title with a 72-59 win over bubble club Kickapoo (Springfield, Mo.). In his final game in a Chaminade uniform, the Duke-bound forward exploded for 40 points and 14 rebounds, as the Red Devils moved up to No. 18 this week.

No. 11 Stevens Point (Stevens Point, Wis.) wrapped up a Wisconsin Division I state crown by downing Muskego (Muskego, Wis.), 89-64, to end the season on a 37-game winning streak. The Panthers dominated their in-state competition, but lack a signature out-of-area win to be in mythical national title contention. Stevens Point concluded its season with a 33.2 ppg winning margin that actually grew in the state playoffs.

In Pennsylvania, Roman Catholic (Philadelphia, Pa.) moved up two spots this week to No. 15 after capturing its second consecutive PIAA Class 4A title, while Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia, Pa.) won its sixth Class 3A crown in seven years to move up three spots to No. 24

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

(Fourteenth poll of the 2015-16 regular season; Through games played on Sunday, March 20; Previous ranking in parentheses; *Indicates forfeit wins, forfeit losses not included; **Indicates forfeits and defaults not included; ***Indicates season not complete)

Dropped Out: Previous No. 30 Simeon (Chicago, Ill.), No. 34 Morgan Park (Chicago, Ill.), No. 44 Modesto Christian (Modesto, Calif.), No. 47 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.), No. 50 Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, N.Y.).

Bubble Teams: Aliquippa (Aliquippa, Pa.) 30-0; Allderdice (Pittsburgh, Pa.) 28-2; Aquinas (Rochester, N.Y.) 23-4**; Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) 25-7; Benet Academy (Lislie, Ill.) 31-4; Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.) 25-4; Columbus (Columbus, Miss.) 27-5; Crespi (Encino, Calif.) 32-4; Dillard (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) 28-5; Edmond North (Edmond, Okla.) 27-1; Eleanor Roosevelt (Greenbelt, Md.) 24-3; Garfield (Seattle, Wash.) 26-3; Houston Math Science & Tech (Houston, Texas) 33-5; Imhotep Charter (Philadelphia, Pa.) 24-6; J.O. Johnson (Huntsville, Ala.) 29-5; John Carroll (Bel Air, Md.) 27-11; Jonesboro (Jonesboro, Ga.) 28-5; Kickapoo (Springfield, Mo.) 29-3; Lee's Summit (Lee's Summit, Mo.) 29-1; Liberty County (Hinesville, Ga.) 28-1; Lincoln (Brooklyn, N.Y.) 23-8; Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, N.Y.) 22-4; Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) 27-5; Modesto Christian (Modesto, Calif.) 32-2; Morgan Park (Chicago, Ill.) 26-4; Mustang (Mustang, Okla.) 20-7; Natchitoches Central (Nachitoches, La.) 32-3; National Christian Academy (Ft. Washington, Md.) 30-2; Norcross (Norcross, Ga.) 26-4; Norland (Miami, Fla.) 25-5; Norman North (Norman, Okla.) 24-4; Oldsmar Christian (Oldsmar, Fla.) 29-9*; Omaha South (Omaha, Neb.) 28-1; Ozen (Beaumont, Texas) 31-4; Putnam City West (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 24-5; Rainier Beach (Seattle, Wash.) 24-6; Redondo Union (Redondo Beach, Calif.) 28-7; Sacramento (Sacramento, Calif.) 30-2; Sacred Heart (Waterbury, Conn.) 26-2; Scotlandville (Baton Rouge, La.) 34-3; Shadow Mountain (Phoenix, Ariz.) 27-5; Shenendehowa (Clifton Park, N.Y.) 24-1; Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) 26-5; Simeon (Chicago, Ill.) 30-4; Southport (Indianapolis, Ind.) 22-7; Starkville (Starkville, Miss.) 27-6; St. Augustine (Richland, N.J.) 30-2; Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.) 21-7***; Victory Rock Prep (Sarasota, Fla.) 25-6; Wayne (Huber Heights, Ohio) 25-1; Westfield (Chantilly, Va.) 26-3; Westlake (Atlanta, Ga.) 27-4; Westtown School (West Chester, Pa.) 28-6; Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.) 22-6; Wilmington (Wilmington, Ohio) 26-2.

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 16 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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The 10th annual Under Armour Elite 24 (August 22, 7 pm ET, ESPNU) will showcase many of the nation's top players in the Class of 2016 and 2017. Here's what to watch for on each team and our prediction of what might go down.

The one thing in an all-star/showcase game that always happens is -- the unexpected happens. There is always some unsung player that steps up and has a big game and/or the team that comes in as the prohibitive underdog plays inspired ball.

This year's Under Armour Elite 24, the elite outdoor event's 10th anniversary game, is filled with elite talent among all 24 participants (CLICK HERE for team rosters). With that much individual talent (all are ranked in the ESPNU 100 for Class of 2016 or ESPNU 60 for Class of 2017,) anyone on either roster is capable of playing well, but on paper it seems Team EZ Pass (named after 2008 participant and NCAA champion Kemba Walker) has the most firepower.

The Team EZ Pass starting lineup is likely to include 6-foot-8 small forward Josh Jackson of Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.), one of the game MVPs in the 2014 game after making 10-12 shots and finishing with 22 points, seven rebounds and four assists, 7-foot DeAndre Ayton of Balboa School (San Diego, Calif.), the No. 1 prospect in the ESPNU 60, and 7-foot Thon Maker of Orangeville Prep (Ontario, Canada), a top five prospect in the rising senior class after announcing he'll remain in the 2016 class for the duration of the 2015-16 school year.

Jackson, the highest ranked participant in the ESPNU 100 at No. 3, will be working alongside 6-foot-6 wing and recent Alabama commit Terrance Ferguson (ESPNU 100 No. 14) of Prime Prep (Dallas) on the wing with Trevon Duval of St. Benedict's Prep (Newark, N.J.) and Troy Brown Jr. of Centennial (Las Vegas) running the show.

That's a lot of firepower and a lot of options for Team Doo Be Doo to deal with and attempt to slow down.

Duval, ranked No. 13 in the ESPN 60, is eager to prove he's one of the nation's best point guards regardless of class and Brown, ranked No. 6 in the ESPN 60, gained valuable experience participating in last year's game as a rising sophomore. Look for at least one of them to have a big game.

The starting lineup for Team Doo Be Doo (named after two-time UA Elite 24 game MVP Brandon Jennings) is likely to include 6-foot-9, 225-pound Edrice Adebayo of Northside (Pinetown, N.C.) and 6-foot-10, 280-pound Udoka Azubuike of Potter's House Christian (Jacksonville, Fla.). That's a lot of beef for Team EZ Pass to deal with, so Kobi Simmons of St. Francis (Alpharetta, Ga.) and Billy Preston of Prime Prep (Dallas) are going to have to get them the ball as much as possible to take advantage down low. If Team EZ Pass takes Adebayo (ESPNU 100 No. 8) and Azubuike (ESPNU 100 No. 19) out of the game by taking advantage in transition, Team Doo Be Doo will have to make adjustments and perhaps go with a smaller lineup to keep up with the pace of the game.

Simmons, ranked No. 6 in the ESPNU 100, and Preston, ranked No. 20 in the ESPN 60, are versatile talents whose production will be key for Team Doo Be Doo. Simmons can break down defenders and create, but similar to Preston, he often times hunts his own shot. Those two are going to have to be cognizant of when to attack or look for advantages on the block. If Simmons has an efficient game, Team Doo Be Doo will be in good shape.

Team Do Be Doo will also benefit from the late addition of 6-foot-9 Michael Porter Jr. of Father Tolton Catholic (Columbia, Mo.). Porter is ranked No. 2 in the ESPN 60 and is one of the most talented scorers in the country.

Simmons can slide to the two when 6-foot Shamorie Ponds of Jefferson (Brooklyn, N.Y.) is in the game or Ponds can work with 6-foot-5 Rawle Alkins of Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.) on the second shift. Where Doo Be Doo might have an advantage is when it brings in that second line. Ponds, ranked No. 66 in the ESPNU 100, is a creative playmaker suited for the UA Elite 24 atmosphere while Alkins, No. 22 in the ESPNU 100, was arguably the most productive performer on the summer grassroots circuit and likely on the rise in the next rankings shuffle.

Another player surely on the rise in the rankings is No. 83 Wenyen Gabriel, a 6-foot-9 power forward out of Wilbraham & Monson Academy (Manchester, N.H.). Like Alkins, he finished out the summer evaluation period looking like a top 10 national prospect and is likely to be on the court with Ponds and Alkins a lot of the time. The Brooklyn Bridge Park crowd is likely going to get behind Team Doo Be Doo because of the hometown products on that team.

The crowd getting behind Ponds, Alkins and company is not the only factor that could play into Team Doo Be Doo's favor. Players on the team such as Ponds, Gabriel and 6-foot-9 Jarrett Allen of Saint Stephen's Episcopal School (Austin, Texas), ranked No. 17 in the ESPNU 100, don't have the national reputations that the top players on Team EZ Pass do.

The motivation to become a household name, and earn a bigger national reputation, just might be what many of the players on Team Doo Be Doo need to offset the advantages Team EZ Pass has on paper.

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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View my NBPA Top 100 Camp Recap No. 1 | Link

View my NBPA Top 100 Camp Recap No. 3 (Final Day) | Link

The theme of the 2015 NBPA Top 100 Camp is thinking and executing like a pro. In this camp atmosphere, where players are gaining valuable experience playing the NBA game (24-second shot clock, 12 minute quarters, etc.), those who adjust their games to be as efficient as possible are the ones excelling: quick decisions, decisive movements and thinking the game one play ahead. The elite players who get away with bad habits against lesser players are the ones struggling.

The smart players are noticing and making the adjustments necessary to excel.

_{Payton Pritchard at NBPA Top 100 Camp via Kelly Kline/Under Armour}

"I love the pace of the games," said 2016 point guard Payton Pritchard of West Linn (West Linn, Ore.). "I feel like I need to work on being more efficient and making a quick decision when I get into the lane. Luckily, I can dump it inside to Udoka (Azubuike)."

In addition to Azubuike, there are a few other big men that are making their presence known down low with quality and powerful finishes. Of course, in most instances it takes a guard to feed them the ball, but Azubuike and Omari Spellman, a 6-foot-8 power forward out of MacDuffie School (Springfield, Mass.), are making their touches count.

Spellman was particularly devastating in a Friday morning game with 24 points. He was efficient around the rim (8-of-12 field goals) and made both his 3-point field goal attempts. He added seven rebounds, three blocks in three steals in arguably the most well-rounded performance of the camp so far.

Obviously statistics are not everything with regards to best performances -- as the timing of plays and hitting clutch shots also factor in. One of the best clutch performances so far was turned in by 2017 point guard Trae Young of Norman (Norman, Okla.). With his team trailing late, Young made up for a turnover by nailing a 3-pointer to send the game into overtime. In the sudden death format, Young then led his team to victory by scoring off dribble penetration and finishing the play with a driving lay-up.

Young, who will take an unofficial visit to Duke on Sunday after the conclusion of the camp along with 2017 forward Michael Porter of Father Tolton (Columbia, Mo.), finished the game with a team-high 18 points. He made all five of his free throws, 3-of-6 3-pointers, and added two assists.

_{NBPA Top 100 Friday Highlights; Omari Spellman, Trae Young, Miles Bridges and more}

Below are some other standouts from the first two and a half days of the NBPA Top 100 Camp (listed alphabetically):

_{Deandre Ayton at NBPA Top 100 Camp via Kelly Kline/Under Armour}

DeAndre Ayton, Balboa City School (San Diego, Calif.) 7-0 C 2017: This prodigal talent has long been considered the best prospect in the 2017 class, but the race is far from over. Ayton has had his moments here, but is spending more time facing the basket and shooting from the perimeter than dominating on the block. He is displaying a multitude of skills that are rare at his size, but Ayton must continue to work on dominating from the inside-out. At times, he shied away from challenging Udoka Azubuike while the 2016 hulk guarded him on the other end. In that game, Ayton still made 6-of-10 shots and finished with 12 points. Ayton also had a 11-point,11-rebound outing and is shooting a high percentage from the field.

Mohamed Bamba, Westtown (West Chester, Pa.) 6-10 PF 2017: When it's all said and done, Bamba could challenge for the top spot nationally in the strong 2017 class. After his show-stopping performance at the Pangos All-American Camp earlier this month, Bamba's impact at this camp is just as prominent. A strider in transition who covers plenty of ground, the rising junior impacts the game in every way imaginable. He even picked a few pockets defensively on the perimeter, is hedging well on ball screens and blocking shots out of his area. Comparisons to future NBA Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett are a bit premature (after all, Garnett is likely the best high school player of the 1990s), but we see him more like a young Rasheed Wallace mixed with some LaMarcus Aldridge in his game. He had a 17-point, 7-rebound performance on Thursday and started off the camp by not missing a field goal or free throw (8 points) in his team's two-point victory.

_{Brian Bowen at NBPA Top 100 Camp via Kelly Kline/Under Armour}

Brian Bowen, Arthur Hill (Saginaw, Mich.) 6-7 SF 2017: This smooth wing prospect has some great versatility in his scoring ability. Bowen excels in finding gaps in the defense and attacking them. He also knows how to get loose from defenders with crafty moves, although he must work on tightening up his crossover, especially when he is handling it in his left hand and attacking right towards the middle of the key. On Thursday afternoon, Bowen had a productive 13 point performance of 5-of-6 shooting from the field.

_{Trevon Duval at NBPA Top 100 Camp via Kelly Kline/Under Armour}

Trevon Duval, St. Benedict's (Newark, N.J.) 6-3 SG 2017: There is a strong group of 2016 shooting guards in attendance at the NBPA Top 100 camp, including Frank Jackson of Lone Peak (Highland, Utah), Markelle Fultz of DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) and Kyle Guy of Lawrence Central (Indianapolis, Ind.) and Duval is in the conversation among them as having the most impact despite being a rising junior. Duval plays confidently and uses his strong upper body to absorb contact from defenders to finish plays. The Wilmington, Del. native knows what to do with the ball when he gets it into the key and is creating for teammates at a high rate. Unofficially, he leads the camp in assists so far and the We R1 standout impacts high level games in a fashion similar to former DC Premier and current Maryland guard Romello Trimble. Duval, who started off camp with a 13-point, 8-assist, 3-steal performance, reportedly will be attend another high school for the 2015-16 season.

E.J. Montgomery, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-9 PF 2018: There are three rising sophomores listed on the camp roster and Montgomery had the most impact before a scary injury slowed him down on Thursday. He was a contributor to the nation's top high school basketball team as a freshman this past season, but others elite 2018s such as Arizona's Marvin Bagley III and California's Jordan Brown had bigger roles on their respective teams. They made more of an impact and even though that duo has surpassed Montgomery in the eyes of many national scouts, Montgomery has a multitude of skills and here at UVA it's evident he'll be in the conversation as a top five national prospect in the coming months and years. The lanky forward has good instincts around the basket and displayed a solid shooting form. Towards the end of a Thursday game, he fell awkwardly and it looked like his knee buckled or leg was bent in a compromising position. After staying down for a minute, Montgomery got up on his own power and was able to put pressure on his leg and walk through the handshake line after the game. He participated in limited minutes in Friday morning games.

Shamorie Ponds, Jefferson (Brooklyn, N.Y.) 6-0 PG 2016: When a guard is limited in size, he must defend and create for teammates and Ponds foots that bill. He gets down in a stance and defends as well as any lead guard in attendance and is a crafty play-maker on the offensive end. He is conservatively, one of the top 15 overall performers so far. On Friday morning, Ponds had 12 points, including 2-of-4 3-pointers, to follow up on a 16-point, 3-steal performance on Thursday night. Earlier on Thursday, he had 17 points of 5-of-6 shooting from the field and 5-of-6 from the line. Now that's efficient!

Xavier Simpson, Central Catholic (Lima, Ohio) 6-0 PG 2016: This combo guard, a cousin of 1992 McDonald's All-American Greg Simpson (Ohio State/West Virginia), had one of the camp's best statistical outings on Thursday. Playing off Thon Maker, Simpson found openings and converted them in addition to hitting the outside shot. Simpson made 11-of-13 field goal attempts, including 3-of-3 3-pointers, to finish with a game-high 25 points in his team's 18-point win. He also had a game-high four assists while Maker finished with 22 points.

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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