Florida Eagles defeat Columbus Explorers within the championship sport of the Prime Flight Invite bracket on the Border League at Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.). Florida Eagles (Montverde Academy) captures championship at occasion for the second straight season and serves discover it’s the favourite to start No. 1 within the upcoming 2023-24 preseason FAB 50 Nationwide Rankings.
Final fall, the Florida Eagles (the staff at Montverde Academy) ventured to Las Vegas for the Prime Flight Invite, the elite division of the Border League fall occasion, and wanted time beyond regulation to take down AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.) to seize the annual occasion for the primary time. This fall it didn’t take time beyond regulation, however the Florida Eagles as soon as once more received the Prime Flight Invite title with a 83-77 victory over the Explorers (Columbus of Miami). This yr the Eagles hope to make use of the autumn league championship as a springboard to a championship when it actually counts, on the finish of the 2023-24 highschool basketball season in March of subsequent yr. That’s when the Eagles hope to seize GEICO Nationals, the end-of-the-season match reserved for the nation’s finest academy-type packages that compete for the FAB 50 National Team Rankings title every season.
Capturing GEICO Nationals does not robotically imply the winner is the FAB 50 nationwide champion on the finish of the season, however the Eagles served discover, by advantage of their Prime Flight Invite title, that they’ll probably be within the pole place when the 37th edition of the preseason FAB 50 rankings drop on October 29.
This occasion confirmed the Eagles have the expertise and chemistry to win this system’s seventh FAB 50 crown in 2023-24. In addition they have one thing else: motivation. That comes from falling to Dawn Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.) within the first spherical of GEICO Nationals final season.
“That’s our mindset, after shedding final yr (at GEICO) we needed to come back out right here and begin off with a win,” mentioned Cooper Flagg, the nation’s top-rated senior (2024) who led 5 Eagles’ double-digit scorers with 20 factors within the win over the Explorers. Flagg, who confirmed why he’s thought of the nation’s finest prospect all through the three-day occasion, dominated the title sport in numerous capacities on each ends of the ground, ending with a game-high 11 rebounds, including seven assists, 4 blocks and two steals. He was particularly potent within the first half, hitting a wide range of pull-up jumpers in conditions some other excessive school-aged participant within the nation can be exhausting pressed to execute, scoring 16 factors of 7-of-8 capturing from the sector because the Eagles constructed a 48-32 lead.
It’s not a given the FAB 50 title can be received by an academy-type program or one belonging to the Nationwide Interscholastic Basketball Convention (NIBC). Columbus is a parochial program in Miami and confirmed it is going to be a serious challenger for the 2023-24 FAB 50 crown after ending No. 6 in last season’s final rankings. The Explorers didn’t go down with no combat and although they received’t start as preseason No. 1, they received’t be very removed from the highest.
After trailing large early within the second half, the Explorers lower their deficit to 57-47 with 11 minutes remaining within the sport on a slashing lay-up by latest Michigan St. pledge Jase Richardson (11 factors), a 2024 guard and switch from Bishop Gorman of Las Vegas. The Explorers made one closing push and lower the Eagles’ result in three factors. Cayden Boozer missed a contested, facet step 3-pointer that might lower the Eagles’ deficit to 2 factors when the rating stood at 74-69 with beneath two minutes remaining. The Explorers would get no nearer and had a couple of key missed photographs and alternatives on quick breaks the place they couldn’t convert that would have modified the sport.
Boozer, a 6-foot-4 junior level guard, completed with 22 factors, together with 3-of-6 3-pointers with 9 assists. His brother Cameron, a 6-foot-9, 240-pound energy ahead and final season’s Mr. Basketball USA as a mere 15-year old sophomore, additionally performed a giant hand in maintaining the Explorers in vary towards probably the most proficient lineup in highschool basketball (the Eagles solely performed six gamers). Cam Boozer and Flagg had three memorable battles this summer time through the grassroots season and Sunday night earlier than a nationwide tv viewers was one other epic battle. Cam Boozer dominates across the paint like no different participant within the nation, however he continues to enhance his face up sport and deep vary. On this contest, he made 5-of-7 3-pointers and completed with 26 factors and eight rebounds. Flagg is ultra-talented, however there isn’t any doubt Cam Boozer might repeat because the nationwide participant of the yr in 2023-24.
Liam McNeeley, who dedicated to Indiana through the occasion, completed with 16 factors for the Eagles. Baylor commit Rob Wright, one of many nation’s finest level guards, added 13 factors and 9 assists for the victors. Along with Richardson and McNeeley, ahead Pharaoh Compton of Arbor View (Las Vegas, Nev.) and guard Trent Perry of Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.) additionally dedicated on reside tv through the occasion. Compton is headed to San Diego St. and Perry is headed to USC.
Within the championship semifinals, The Explorers took on a Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) staff that defeated Harvard-Westlake, the defending California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) open division champions, within the opening spherical, 81-70. It was a terrific check for Prolific Prep when it comes to gauging its staff towards one of many true FAB 50 nationwide championship contenders for 2023-24. It was additionally a contest involving the top-two ranked gamers within the nationwide 2025 class. Now Cam Boozer and small ahead A.J Dybansta don’t play the identical place, however when Dybansta, a switch from St. Sebastian’s (Needham, Mass.) and initially from Brockton, Mass., re-classified from the 2026 to the 2025 class every week in the past and was elevated over Boozer within the mainstream recruiting community participant rankings, this turned a giant matchup. Boozer confirmed why he’s not prepared to surrender the mantle as the highest participant in his class, placing forth a virtuoso efficiency with 29 factors and 16 rebounds within the Explorers’ 83-61 win that was dominant because the rating signifies.
Dybansta completed the competition with six factors. Prolific Prep and Dybansta bounced again to win the third place sport over AZ Compass Prep, 72-62. Dybanata and Tyran Stokes, a 6-foot-7 ahead now thought of the perfect prospect nationally within the 2026 class, each completed with 15 factors for the victors.
Cam Boozer had 20 factors and 16 rebounds versus Coronado (Henderson, Nev.) within the opening spherical to complete the three-game set with averages of 25.0 factors and 13.3 rebounds per sport.
As for the Eagles, they simply downed AZ Compass Prep of their semifinal contest, 85-51. McNeeley led the best way offensively with 25 factors and 7 rebounds. In its quarterfinal opener, the Eagles downed Bishop O’Connell, 86-58, as Wright had 21 factors and Flagg had 20 factors on 9-of-10 capturing from the sector.
Perry averaged 20.3 ppg for Harvard-Westlake in its three video games to come back in second in tourney scoring behind Cam Boozer. Quincy Wadley, a proficient 6-foot-4 sophomore (2026) for O’Connell, was third in scoring at 19.7 ppg, whereas Flagg got here in fourth at 19.0 ppg.
Ronnie Flores is the nationwide Grassroots editor of Ballislife.com. He might be reached at [email protected]. Remember to comply with him on Twitter: @RonMFlores
