{"id":164879,"date":"2018-11-01T15:37:07","date_gmt":"2018-11-01T22:37:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bilcomprd.wpengine.com\/?p=164879"},"modified":"2023-03-21T14:26:51","modified_gmt":"2023-03-21T21:26:51","slug":"preseason-2018-19-fab-50-top-15-teams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ballislife.com\/preseason-2018-19-fab-50-top-15-teams\/","title":{"rendered":"Preseason 2018-19 FAB 50: Top 15 Teams!"},"content":{"rendered":"

We conclude our 2018-19 preseason FAB 50 National Team Rankings powered by Ballislife.com with an in-depth look at the nation\u2019s top 15 teams. We began with teams No. 31-50 on October 30, continued with teams No. 16-30 on October 31 and now have published an in-depth look at the nation\u2019s 50 best teams. Montverde Academy of Florida is the nation\u2019s preseason No. 1 team as it seeks its fifth FAB 50 title in the past seven seasons.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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All 50 teams are written up with explanations for why they were placed in these positions. Top-ranked Montverde Academy was the nation\u2019s No. 1 team for three consecutive seasons (2013-2015) and won its fourth mythical FAB 50 national title last season. The Eagles begin as preseason No. 1 for the fifth time in program history, as they have won the FAB 50 title in each of the previous seasons in which they began No 1. Last season, Montverde Academy won its first wire-to-wire FAB 50 title after defeating preseason No. 21 University of Florida in the GEICO High School Nationals championship game. <\/i>CLICK HERE<\/a> to view the all-time list of mythical national champions.<\/i><\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> Preseason 2018-19 FAB 50 (16-30)<\/a> | Preseason 2018-19 FAB 50 (31-50)<\/a> | Preseason East Region Top 20<\/a> | Preseason Southeast Region Top 20<\/a>  | Preseason Midwest Region Top 20<\/a> | Preseason Southwest Region Top 20<\/a> | Preseason West Region Top 20<\/a> | All-Time FAB 50 No. 1s<\/a> | All-Time Preseason No. 1s<\/a><\/p>\n

Does Any Program Besides Montverde Academy
\nDeserve To Begin The 2018-19 Season No. 1?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Every season there is plenty of change on the high school basketball landscape, as stars move on and new ones emerge. In recent years, the dominance of basketball academy-type programs has been profound, but the basketball programs at public and parochial schools around the country are still quite relevant, winning national-level games and impacting the FAB 50 National Team Rankings<\/strong> powered by Ballislife.com<\/em>.<\/p>\n

In fact, two public schools recently captured the mythical FAB 50 national championship in back-to-back seasons: Chino Hills (Calif.) in 2015-16 and Nathan Hale (Seattle, Wash.) in 2016-17.<\/p>\n

Fueled by the play of Mr. Basketball USA<\/a> honorees Lonzo Ball<\/a> (UCLA\/Lakers) of Chino Hills and Michael Porter Jr.<\/a> (Missouri\/Nuggets), both Chino Hills and Nathan Hale went undefeated. Both teams steadily rose in the rankings with big win after big win whereas recent preseason rankings have been dominated by two private academies known for basketball excellence: Montverde Academy of Florida and Oak Hill Academy of Virginia.<\/p>\n

For the past six seasons<\/a>, one of those two programs began as preseason FAB 50 national No. 1. Montverde Academy was preseason No. 1 for three consecutive seasons (2013-2015), Oak Hill started out No. 1 the next two years (2016-2017) with the Eagles gaining the No. 1 nod once again last season.<\/p>\n

Since the advent of the FAB 50\/National Prep Poll in the winter of 1987, Oak Hill Academy started out as preseason No. 1 a record nine times, but the past two times the Warriors couldn\u2019t sustain that position, finishing No. 2 (45-1) and No. 11 (38-5), respectively. For Montverde Academy the preseason results have been a bit more to its liking. In each of the four seasons in which the Eagles started out No. 1, they finished as FAB 50 champions.<\/p>\n

Which brings us to this season.<\/p>\n

There is a tremendous amount of elite talent on the top academy programs, but it appears traditional schools playing for state titles have just as many game-changers doting their roster.<\/p>\n

No program with a successful track record has a clear-cut talent advantage over the rest of the field, so it makes sense to begin the 2018-19 season with defending champion Montverde Academy as the preseason No. 1 team in the FAB 50 National Team Rankings<\/strong> powered by Ballislife.com<\/em> over serious contenders Oak Hill Academy, DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) and IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.).<\/p>\n

The Eagles\u2019 talented roster, recent track record of success, and no other team clearly having more talent or that one game-changing player on its roster gives coach Kevin Boyle\u2019s<\/strong> club the preseason No. 1 nod for the fifth time in the past seven seasons. Besides Oak Hill Academy and Montverde Academy, no other program has been national preseason No. 1 more than twice in the 32 years a version of this poll has been published.<\/p>\n

This is a season where the race for No. 1 is wide open and as many as eight or nine programs are truly in the FAB 50 national title hunt. Another five believe with the right breaks they can be right there, too.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a bit wide open this year and it should be interesting,\u201d said Oak Hill Academy coach Steve Smith<\/strong>. \u201cMontverde and IMG are going to be really good. I really don\u2019t know who is No. 1, but it will all wash out in the end because all the top teams play strong enough schedules.\u201d<\/p>\n

We almost started the Warriors No. 1, but their candidacy was hurt when 6-foot-4 guard Jahmius Ramsey<\/strong> transferred out in late September after coming over from IMG Academy in the off-season. The talented combo guard is now at Duncanville High School in Texas (the 2007-08 preseason FAB 50 No. 1), which fields a potential FAB 50 team this season.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomebody is going to get Jahmius\u2019 minutes and has to step up,\u201d Smith said. \u201cBecause he played so hard, it hurts us a little. It hurts us defensively.\u201d<\/p>\n

As for Montverde, its coaching staff is confident this team has what it takes to bring home FAB 50 title No. 5, despite the graduation loss of 2017-18 Mr. Basketball USA R.J. Barrett<\/a> (Duke).<\/p>\n

\u201cThe standard remains the same\u2026we think we can win every game,\u201d said Montverde Academy Associate Head Coach Rae Miller<\/strong>. \u201cI think this group is focused, together, has chemistry and incredible depth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Preseason 2018-19 FAB 50 National <\/strong>
\nTeam Rankings Powered by Ballislife.com<\/strong><\/p>\n

By Ronnie Flores<\/em><\/p>\n

(Final 2017-18 ranking in parentheses; *Indicates forfeit wins, forfeit losses not included; **Indicates forfeits and defaults not included; Look for preseason Region-By-Region Top 20 Rankings on Wednesday, November 7 and for the preseason Mr. Basketball USA Tracker on Monday, November 19.)<\/em><\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> Preseason 2017-18 FAB 50 (16-30)<\/a> | Preseason 2017-18 FAB 50 (31-50)<\/a><\/p>\n

1. (1) Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 36-0<\/strong>
\nKey Players:<\/strong> PF Precious Achiuwa 6-9 2019 (No. 5 247Sports.com, Ballislife Underclass All-American), C Balsa Koprivica 7-0 2019 (No. 28 Hoop Scoop, Florida St. commit), PF Omar Payne 6-9 2019 (No. 35 ESPN.com, Florida commit), SF Cade Cunningham 6-5 2020 (No. 9 247Sports.com, Ballislife Underclass All-American), SG Moses Moody 6-5 2020 (No. 20 ESPN.com, Ballislife Underclass All-American).
\nWhy This Ranking:<\/strong> No other team possessing a clear-cut talent advantage over the Eagles is a big factor in awarding the defending FAB 50 champs preseason No. 1. The Eagles have won more head-to-head FAB 50-level matchups than any other program since the end of Kevin Boyle\u2019s first season (2011-12) and that\u2019s another key factor in this year\u2019s preseason positioning. This year\u2019s roster also features incredible depth and practice time will make the reserves ready in the big game. The frontline of Koprivica, Achiuwa and Payne could be America\u2019s best, while Cunningham mans one backcourt spot with Moody (who has been slowed by a foot injury in the preseason) and Harlond Beverly (6-5, 2019) vying for the fifth starting position. Koprivica can stretch defenses to the 3-point line and Payne is a potential game-changer with his shot-blocking and intensity level. Miller thinks Montverde\u2019s special freshman class that includes Caleb Houston (6-8, 2022), Ryan Nembhard (5-10, 2022) and Dariq Whitehead (6-2, 2022) will force its way into rotation minutes. Houston is a good shooter while Nembhard is every bit the prospect older brother Andrew (an All-American on the Eagles\u2019 undefeated championship team last season and now at Florida) is. If his performance at the recent USA Basketball mini-camp is any indication, Whitehead might be the best freshman in the country. He\u2019s got one of the best first steps you\u2019ll see and is an explosive athlete, but on this team (as opposed to him playing on a state or regionally-ranked team), there will be much less pressure to produce. It\u2019s the depth, coaching staff experience and expectation level for this program that makes them a deserving No. 1 to begin the season.
\nThe Skinny:<\/strong> Without 2018 national player of the year R.J. Barrett, the Eagles\u2019 roster doesn\u2019t contain that one game-changing player capable of putting a team on his back and leading them to a mythical national championship. It will likely be a more collective team effort for this team to retain its rankings position, as championship level leadership is the only missing ingredient. \u201cThat leadership is going to fall to Precious,\u201d Miller said. \u201cHe comes in with a lot behind his name (in terms of national acclaim). \u201cBoth Precious and Cade (Cunningham) have great leadership skill and can impose their will on teams.\u201d \u201cPractice is going great so far,\u201d Cunningham said. \u201cIt\u2019s a different level and the coaching staff will have us prepared.\u201d There is no doubt if Boyle\u2019s club enters GIECO Nationals with an unblemished record, it will enter the end-of-season tournament as the No. 1 ranked team in the country. With their daunting schedule, the Eagles could lose a game and still regain a foothold on the No. 1 ranking as their 2013-2015 teams did. Montverde will take on No. 17 Sunrise Christian Academy and No. 9 Paul VI at the ARS National Hoopfest in Washington D.C. (Dec. 7-8) and will travel to the Iolani Classic before Christmas before taking the post-Christmas event circuit off. The Eagles come back to play No. 11 Norcross and No. 6 La Lumiere at the Cancer Research Classic in West Virginia (Jan. 4-5) and face No. 8 Sierra Canyon and No. 7 Imhotep Charter at the Spalding Hoophall Classic in Massachusetts (Jan. 19-21). If they survive those games and their own Montverde Academy Invitational (Jan. 24-26), a potential No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown with Oak Hill Academy awaits on Feb. 2 at the ARS Hoopfest in Tampa, Fla.<\/p>\n