{"id":169046,"date":"2019-10-29T14:01:12","date_gmt":"2019-10-29T21:01:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bilcomprd.wpengine.com\/?p=169046"},"modified":"2023-03-21T14:23:38","modified_gmt":"2023-03-21T21:23:38","slug":"preseason-2019-20-fab-50-top-15-teams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ballislife.com\/preseason-2019-20-fab-50-top-15-teams\/","title":{"rendered":"Preseason 2019-20 FAB 50: Top 15 Teams!"},"content":{"rendered":"

We conclude our 2019-20 preseason FAB 50 National Team Rankings powered by Ballislife.com with an in-depth look at the nation\u2019s top 15 teams. These are the teams with the best chance to win the mythical FAB 50 national title! We began with teams No. 31-50 on October 27, continued with teams No. 16-30 on October 28 and now have published an in-depth look at the nation\u2019s 50 best teams. IMG Academy of Florida is the nation\u2019s preseason No. 1 team for the first time as it seeks its second consecutive FAB 50 title.<\/strong><\/p>\n

All 50 teams are written up with explanations for why they were placed in these positions. For the first time ever, IMG Academy is in the pole position to begin the season, as the Ascenders look to capture a second straight mythical national title. IMG Academy is only the third program to earn preseason No. 1 acclaim in the past eight seasons, joining Oak Hill Academy (No. 1 in 2016 and 2017) and Montverde Academy (No. 1 five other seasons). The last time a public school was preseason FAB 50 No. 1 was in 2011-12 when Simeon (Chicago, Ill.) and it finished 33-1 at No. 6. In both 2016 and 2017, public schools finished at No. 1. Can another public school or parochial school belonging to a state association challenge the top ranked teams this season?
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RELATED:<\/strong> Preseason 2019-20 FAB 50 (16-30)<\/a> | Preseason 2019-20 FAB 50 (31-50)<\/a> | Preseason Top 20 Regional Rankings<\/a> |<\/p>\n

IMG Academy and Montverde Academy: 120 Miles Apart But Separated From Everyone Else To Begin The 2019-20 Season<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

There is no denying the dominance independent academy-type programs (that don\u2019t pay for state titles) have on the high school basketball landscape. Every off-season is littered with star players who leave their hometown team (and sometimes very good programs) to play at one of the ten or so established academy-type programs that regularly appear in the FAB 50 National Team Rankings<\/strong> powered by Ballislife.com<\/em>.<\/p>\n

This past off-season was no different and when the dust settled, it was clear two independent clubs were going to begin at the top of the preseason FAB 50 rankings. It was just a matter of which order.<\/p>\n

Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) was the most dominant high school program of the 2010s, as the Eagles won four mythical FAB 50 national titles, including three in a row between 2013-2015. In 2017-18, Montverde Academy recorded its first unbeaten season at 36-0, the first wire-to-wire No. 1 team since 2005-06 when future NBA players Greg Oden<\/strong> and Mike Conley<\/strong> led Lawrence North (Indianapolis, Ind.) to a 29-0 season. In all those four championship seasons, Montverde Academy opened up No. 1 in the FAB 50 and in 2018-19 earned the preseason No. 1 nod for the fifth time in program history.<\/p>\n

During the season, the Eagles twice lost to a powerful La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.) club, but eyed a rematch with the Lakers in the championship game of GEICO Nationals<\/em>, the end of season tournament in New York that annually features eight highly-ranked FAB 50 clubs. Montverde Academy had a 16-point lead entering the fourth quarter of its semifinal game with IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), but was outscored, 27-10, in the final eight minutes and lost the game, 74-73, on a transition dunk by Jeremiah Robinson-Earl<\/strong> (Villanova) with five seconds remaining.<\/p>\n

IMG Academy went on to defeat La Lumiere, 66-55, in the GEICO Nationals title game. By virtue of handing then No. 1 La Lumiere its only loss of the season and defeating six teams ranked in the top 12, IMG Academy captured its first FAB 50 national crown as junior guard Jaden Springer<\/strong> averaged 21.3 ppg in three GEICO Nationals victories.<\/p>\n

Although IMG Academy graduated three starters, and lost point guard Noah Farrakhan<\/strong> to transfer (Patrick School, Elizabeth, N.J.), and Montverde Academy graduated a strong senior class, it\u2019s clear these two Florida powerhouse programs have the strongest personnel in the country heading into 2019-20. Combine that with coaching experience and national schedules and it\u2019s not hard to figure out why these two clubs are relatively easy choices to open up 1-2 in this year\u2019s FAB 50.<\/p>\n

So who is No. 1?<\/p>\n

We open the season with IMG Academy as the preseason No. 1 team in the FAB 50 National Team Rankings powered by Ballislife.com. The Ascenders have re-loaded their roster and yes, beating Montverde Academy when it counted most and finishing No. 1 last season is a big factor. We don\u2019t know what would have transpired if Montverde and La Lumiere played for the third time last season. However, there isn\u2019t a good reason not to give the defending champs the benefit of the doubt in this situation.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can be better defensively and are extremely fast once again this year,\u201d said IMG Academy coach Sean McAloon<\/strong>. \u201cWe can get up and down if we need to and it\u2019s going to hard for people to score on us.\u201d<\/p>\n

In many respects, the preseason rankings begin at No. 3 because those two clubs clearly hold the pole position in the mythical national championship race. The good thing for fans is, the preseason debate between the two will be settled on the court. IMG and MVA play on national television January 19 at the Spaulding Hoophall Classic<\/em> in Massachusetts. In fact, the two programs could meet up three times during the regular season, including a championship blockbuster at the City of Palms Classic<\/em> in December.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn our mind we play them (MVA) once,\u201d McAloon said. \u201cWe will not disrespect any of our opponents. We want to focus day-to-day and crush each day. We want to keep things as simple as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Preseason 2019-20 FAB 50 <\/strong><\/span>
\n National Team Rankings<\/strong><\/span>
\nPowered by Ballislife.com<\/em><\/p>\n

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

(Final 2018-19 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 Tuesday, November 5 and for the preseason Mr. Basketball USA Tracker on Monday, November 18.)<\/em><\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> Preseason 2019-20 FAB 50 (16-30)<\/a> | Preseason 2019-20 FAB 50 (31-50)<\/a> | Preseason Top 20 Regional Rankings<\/a> |<\/p>\n

1. (1) IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) 31-1<\/strong>
\nKey Players:<\/strong> SG Jaden Springer 6-4 2020 (No. 15 Rivals.com, Ballislife Underclass All-American, Tennessee commit), PF Jalen Johnson 6-8 2020 (No. 4 ESPN.com, Ballislife First Team All-American, Duke commit), C Mark Williams 7-0 2020 (No. 29 247Sports.com), SF Jarace Walker 6-6 2022 (No. 5 247Sports.com, Ballislife Underclass All-American), SG Matthew Murrell 6-4 2020 (No. 43 247Sports.com), C Moussa Diabate 6-10 2021 (No. 9 ESPN.com), PF Brandon Huntley-Hatfield 6-9 2022 (No. 6 247Sport.com).
\nWhy This Ranking:<\/strong> The 2018-19 Ascenders were the first team ever in 40 years to have three McDonald\u2019s All-Americans on a single roster, and they conceivably could be better in 2019-20. Losing Armando Bacot (North Carolina), Josh Green (Arizona) and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (Villanova) hurts any program, but IMG Academy has completely re-loaded its roster and the length makes its defensively ability potentially incredible. The blow of losing Noah Farrakhan is eased by the presence of Springer (18.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 3.5 apg) and Chikara Tanaka (6-2, 2020). Although Farrakhan provided a much-needed spark at times last season, Springer had the ball in his hands in crunch time during IMG Academy\u2019s big wins at GEICO Nationals and can score or distribute where necessary. According to McAloon, Tanaka is significantly improved and will make an impact, while Murrell can effectively play on or off the ball. Walker had a big hand is the Ascenders\u2019 national title run and the frontcourt competition has the ability to make this team downright scary, if the personnel meshes. \u201cI\u2019m not sure we\u2019re as good on offense right now, but we\u2019re deeper, and top to bottom, have significantly more length. Our bigs are extremely fast\u2026we can get up and down or we can slow it down if we need to,\u201d McAloon said. \u201cDefensively, we are much better than last year and Moussa (Diabate) is unbelievably defensively\u2026it\u2019s just hard to understand until you see it or face it.\u201d In addition to Diabate, Williams is a tremendous rebounder and scorer and McAloon can go extremely fast or big with the likes of Zach Edey (7-3, 2020).
\nThe Skinny:<\/strong> IMG Academy got over the hump last season, so to speak, after three years on the national No. 1 radar. In McAloon\u2019s first season (2017-18), the Ascenders were one of the country\u2019s best teams until Silvio De Sousa left for Kansas at the semester break and last season IMG Academy started out No. 4 in the rankings. \u201cI don\u2019t think it changes anything, this is a new group, but some of our guys know what it takes to get there,\u201d McAloon said about going from the hunter to the hunted in terms of competing with and beating the nation\u2019s best teams. \u201cThe target has been there and our focus is day-to-day.\u201d The focus on daily improvement, and not on any particular opponent, is possible because of the competition available in practice. Even Johnson, a legitimate Mr. Basketball USA candidate who averaged 20 ppg at another FAB 50 ranked program last season, is not being handed a starting job. When practice opened up the first week of October, only Springer exactly new his lineup status. According to McAloon, he\u2019s lost players because of this strategy but it leads to significant progress and keeps the players focused. As was the case with Walker last season, who starts won\u2019t always match who is on the floor during crunch time. IMG has plenty of options and that focus will be necessary to navigate though a difficult schedule. Even before the monster matchup with No. 2 Montverde Academy on January 19, the Ascenders have a made-for-TV matchup with highly-regarded Huntington Prep of West Virginia on January 10. IMG Academy could play Montverde Academy in the City of Palms title game on December 23, but would likely have to get by two FAB 50 ranked foes, including No. 11 Gonzaga, just to make the championship game. This year\u2019s high school heavyweights are both scheduled to participate in the 2020 St. James Invitational in Maryland, January 30-Febuary 1, so it\u2019s conceivable IMG and Montverde could meet three times before GEICO Nationals to end the season. Don\u2019t expect too much of a FAB 50 drop for whichever team falters in these potential games since they\u2019ll be on opposite sides of the bracket.<\/p>\n