Chipotle Nationals: Can Anyone Beat Montverde Academy?

Will Chipotle Nationals be a coronation for the No. 1 staff within the FAB 50 Nationwide Staff Rankings? Or will one other ranked squad within the eight-team discipline give the Eagles a severe run for his or her cash? We give a fast breakdown of the matchups and a few perception to Chipotle Nationals (previously often known as GEICO Nationals).

RELATED: Chipotle Nationals Record Book (2009-2023)

This system at Montverde Academy in Florida has gained Chipotle Nationals, the tip of-season match based in 2009 when it was often known as the ESPN RISE Nationwide Excessive College Invitational, a document six occasions. This system, which is able to make its document thirteenth look this April, gained the occasion in 2013-15, 2018, 2021-22. These years don’t coincide with the years Montverde Academy captured its six FAB 50 national titles. That’s as a result of in 2020, this system put collectively its finest staff, solely to be denied an opportunity for a coronation on the occasion as a result of the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2020 model of the occasion by no means happened.

In 2022, Kevin Boyle’s Eagles gained the occasion for the sixth time, downing Hyperlink Academy (Branson, Mo.) within the title recreation, 60-49. That season, nonetheless, MVA completed No. 2 within the FAB 50 behind Duncanville (Texas), which beat them in a head-to-head matchup on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Panthers junior guard Aric Demings.

Many followers and scribes felt the 2020 occasion can be a coronation for that Cade Cunningham–Scottie Barnes led membership that defeated its foes, together with 12 FAB 50 ranked groups, by 39.0 ppg, one of many largest profitable margins amongst elite highschool basketball applications we’ve coated through the years. This yr’s unit, which has one other terrific beginning 5 led by Mr. Basketball USA candidates Cooper Flagg (Duke) and Derik Queen (Maryland) and three different gamers who had been severe McDonalds’ All-American candidates, hasn’t been that dominant in its profitable margin, however some really feel Chipotle Nationals (April 4-6 in Brownsburg, Ind.) is a coronation of types.

One facet of its resume this yr’s MVA membership has over earlier title groups, even the 2019-20 unit that may go down as probably the greatest in highschool historical past, is its energy of schedule. Flagg, Queen, Liam McNeeley (Indiana) and firm defeated a whopping 21 groups which have been FAB 50 ranked sooner or later through the common season. Clearly that quantity may develop to 24 on this eight-team bracket. One attention-grabbing facet of the sector is Montverde Academy has overwhelmed all seven of its potential opponents at this occasion, outscoring the opposite seven members by almost 15 ppg (the Eagles have overwhelmed FAB 50 No. 4 Lengthy Island Lutheran of New York and No. 6 Prolific Prep of California twice).

To reply the query, sure, Montverde Academy may be beat. There’s simply an excessive amount of expertise and familiarity inside the groups on this discipline.

Will it’s straightforward? No. Wouldn’t it be an upset? Sure, however not an enormous one it that occurred after its first spherical recreation with FAB 50 No. 12 AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.), the No. 8 seed. This AZ Compass Prep staff is gritty and fearless. Led by junior (2025) guard Jeremiah Fears, it simply doesn’t have the elite scoring expertise the Eagles have throughout the board. MVA beat the Dragons, 58-46, in a December assembly in Las Vegas that was pretty aggressive.

Whoever wins the No. 4 vs No. 5 seed quarterfinal matchup between Lengthy Island Lutheran and FAB 50 No. 2 Columbus (Miami, Fla.), may probably give MVA all it will probably deal with within the semifinals. Columbus’ seeding actually doesn’t match the standard of wins it has, regardless that Cameron Boozer and firm have losses to unranked Wasatch Academy and No. 17 Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.), together with losses to No. 6 seed Hyperlink Academy (Branson, Mo.) and to Montverde Academy in a recreation that wasn’t very aggressive (89-61). Columbus does have a win over No. 2 seed and FAB 50 No. 3 Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.) and over Lengthy Island Lutheran (which misplaced to AZ Compass Prep).

Boozer, final yr’s Mr. Basketball USA as a sophomore, his twin brother Cayden Boozer and Jase Richardson, a gifted guard headed to Michigan St., performed extra cohesively during the last month of the season and are motivated to point out the Explorers can play with Montverde, however beating Lengthy Island Lutheran a second time gained’t be a simple activity. V.J. Edgecombe may have a breakout match and LuHi has loads of depth, together with standout juniors resembling Kiyan Anthony, Nigel James, Jacob Ross and Kayden Mingo. Whoever survives that first spherical recreation ought to have loads of confidence vs. Montverde Academy in a possible semifinal on April 5.

Final yr, we felt Paul VI had a troublesome draw in opposition to Hyperlink Academy, the eventual Chipotle Nationals champ and FAB 50 No. 1 staff. We felt whoever gained that No. 4 vs. No. 5 quarterfinal matchup had an opportunity to win the entire match and Hyperlink ran the tables after a 68-65 win over the Panthers. This yr, Paul VI is the No. 2 seed and might be even higher. The Panthers return most of their forged, together with Duke-bound Darren Harris, one of many higher abilities on this match. The person numbers don’t do Harris justice on this deep and balanced staff that might be the one that offers Montverde Academy all it will probably deal with within the championship recreation.

Paul VI opens up with No. 7 seed IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), the bottom ranked staff within the discipline (No. 14) which already has a loss to the Panthers. With junior guard Darius Acuff Jr., the Ascenders will at all times have an opportunity due to his penchant for scoring and play-making. In truth, he led the EYBL Scholastic League (which incorporates 5 Chipotle Nationals members) in scoring at 21.3 ppg. The important thing to the No. 2 vs. No. 7 seed recreation can be if IMG Academy’s entrance court docket gamers, resembling Donnie Freeman, can decelerate Paul VI on the boards and maintain the Panthers from second shot alternatives.

Montverde Academy has performed in probably the most general match video games by far (26-6 document in 12 appearances), however No. 6 seed Hyperlink Academy really has the perfect profitable proportion within the occasion’s historical past (5-1) after advancing to the title recreation in 2022 in its first yr of eligibility and profitable all of it final yr. Coach Billy Armstrong may have his staff prepared in its matchup with No. 3 seed Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.), a harmful membership that would win all of it if it’s wholesome and in sync. Hyperlink Academy has a reliable Mr. Basketball USA candidate in Tre Johnson that would assist the Lions pull off a minor upset in opposition to a staff it has already misplaced to, 77-76, within the first recreation of the season tremendous sophomore Tyran Stokes performed for The Crew after lacking the staff’s first 9 video games. Through the center portion of its schedule (almost two months), McDonald’s All-American Derrion Reid was out with harm, however he’s an indispensable piece if Prolific Prep is to defeat Hyperlink Academy, probably Paul VI and probably meet Montverde Academy within the finals.

No person has performed Montverde Academy harder than Prolific Prep. Taking part in the Eagles powerful, nonetheless, and beating this yr’s staff, are two various things. Montverde Academy’s unit is aware of what’s at stake in attempting to stay as much as the lofty requirements that earlier MVA items set. The sphere, nonetheless, is as gifted because it’s ever been and these groups know one another inside and outside. Whoever emerges can be a worthy champion and if that is without doubt one of the prime 4 seeds, it willl probably end at No. 1 within the remaining FAB 50 on April 8.

Chipotle Nationals April 4 Lineup

No. 1 Montverde Academy (1) vs. No. 12 AZ Compass Prep (8), 8 pm ET
No. 4 Lengthy Island Lutheran (4) vs. No. 2 Columbus (5), 4 pm ET
No. 6 Prolific Prep (3) vs. No. 11 Hyperlink Academy (6), 6 pm ET
No. 3 Paul VI (2) vs. No. No. 14 IMG Academy (7), 2 pm ET

Notice: Seeds listed in parenthesis. All quarterfinal video games televised on ESPNU. The semifinals on April 5 can be televised on ESPN2, as will the title recreation on April 6 (12 pm ET).

Ronnie Flores is the nationwide Grassroots editor of Ballislife.com. He may be reached at [email protected]. Do not forget to comply with him on Twitter: @RonMFlores