NEW FAB 50: GEICO Nationals Yields New No. 1!

There’s a new No. 1 on this week’s FAB 50 Nationwide Group Rankings powered by Ballislife.com in any case seven outcomes from GEICO Nationals performed out. Montverde Academy (Fla.) captured the end-of-season event for the second consecutive season and moved up a spot to No. 2 within the rankings. Taking excessive spot is Texas Class 6A champ Duncanville (Texas), which defeated the eventual GEICO champ through the common season and strikes up from No. 2. Try our breakdown of how the season outcomes performed out to permit Duncanville to be No. 1. The primary-ever State Champions Invitational (April 7-9) are the one video games left for the 2021-22 season.

By Ronnie Flores

RELATED:   “In The Paint” Podcast  | Ballislife Podcast Network | How To Create A High School March Madness |  State Champions Invitational Announced   | History of High School Team Rankings | All-Time No. 1’s

The sphere on the 2022 GEICO Nationals was balanced and deep and every of the eight groups believed it had a shot to seize the end-of-season event. The notion it was anybody’s event turned out to be correct when prime seed after which FAB 50 No. 1 Dawn Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.) was knocked off within the first spherical by No. 8 seed Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.), 59-56, behind a 3-pointer from the left nook with 4 seconds remaining by 2024 ahead Zion Sensley.

With Dawn falling within the first spherical, that opened the door for one more staff to overhaul the Buffaloes as the highest staff within the FAB 50 Nationwide Group Rankings powered by Ballislife.com. That staff could be decided by the outcomes of the remaining video games at GEICO Nationals after Dawn Christian misplaced. The outcomes paved the best way for College Interscholastic League (UIL) Class 6A state champ and final week’s No. 2, Duncanville (Texas), to take excessive spot within the rankings.

Then No. 3 Montverde Academy (Fla.) went on to seize the event title with a 60-49 victory over No. 4 Hyperlink Academy (Branson, Mo.) on Saturday afternoon at Suncoast Credit score Union Enviornment in Ft. Myers, Fla. Montverde Academy not solely captured the tourney title for the second consecutive season and sixth time total, but it surely was the one staff within the area that may bolster Duncanville’s argument and strengthen  the Panthers’ resume to take excessive spot within the FAB 50.

Had Dawn Christian captured GEICO Nationals, it could have remained at No. 1. If some other staff apart from Dawn Christian or the Eagles received the occasion, the outcomes would have been additional scrutinized. Because the outcomes dictate our rankings greater than some other issue, the choice to place Duncanville in place to seize the FAB 50 nationwide title wasn’t tough.

Duncanville defeated Montverde Academy, 67-66, at Hoophall West in Arizona on December 9 on a buzzer beating 3-pointer by guard Aric Demings. Coach David Peavy’s membership now has a resume that features a head-to-head win over the staff that bested the 2022 GEICO Nationals area. Montverde Academy capturing GEICO Nationals remains to be spectacular and it does transfer up one spot behind the Panthers, however that wasn’t Duncanville’s solely spectacular victory. The Panthers additionally personal a 75-70 victory over No. 5 Centennial (Corona, Calif.), a staff that dominated the sector within the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) open division playoffs. The setback for the Huskies on the Thanksgiving Hoopfest was their solely lack of an in any other case dominant season. Duncanville additionally defeated No. 26 McKinney (Texas) and No. 33 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.). In all, Duncanville defeated seven groups that had been FAB 50 ranked on the time, together with the staff that’s now No. 2 and was No. 1 on the time of the sport when the Panthers had been No. 5. Duncanville misplaced in additional time by two factors (60-58) to Richardson (Texas) and that staff acquired as excessive as No. 7 within the FAB 50. Duncanville defeated the McKinney staff that knocked off Richardson within the state finals by 20 factors (69-49). Positive, Duncanville would have beloved to avenge the loss to Richardson, however the Panthers by no means fell behind Montverde Academy in our rankings and received the UIL playoff division that Richardson competes in.

Richardson, and others equivalent to Centennial, definitely had the chance to be within the place Duncanville at the moment sits in. Montverde Academy’s total resume additionally performs a task, as just one staff within the prime staff is undefeated: No. 10 Weddington (Matthews, N.C.). Montverde break up video games with Dawn Christian and defeated IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) in a single out of three matchups.

Dawn Christian falls to No. 3 this week and stays in entrance of Hyperlink Academy as a result of it handed that membership its solely common season loss, 74-65. We did give some thought to transferring up Centennial to No. 3 or No. 4, however we gave Hyperlink Academy rankings credit score for its post-season efficiency and the first-year membership stays at No. 4 for advancing to the GEICO Nationals title sport. GEICO semifinalist IMG Academy stays at No. 6 and Oak Hill Academy stays No. 8 regardless of shedding within the first spherical to Hyperlink Academy, 81-67, in Oak Hill Academy coach Steve Smith’s final game. Oak Hill Academy owns a win over new No. 9 Roselle Catholic (N.J.).

Calvary Christian Academy (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), strikes up two spots to No. 7 rather than La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.), which misplaced within the first spherical at GEICO Nationals to IMG Academy, 76-51. La Lu stays in entrance of No. 12 Camden (Camden, N.J.) as a result of it truly break up with IMG Academy and performed No. 2 Montverde Academy comparatively more durable in two video games than Camden did (52-40 loss). Calvary Christian is the very best ranked staff nonetheless taking part in, because it opens the State Champions Invitational vs. No. 14 Sidwell Buddies (Washington, D.C.) on April 7 at 4 pm ET (ESPNU). The opposite semifinal at 6 pm ET (ESPNU) pits No. 31 Auburn (Wash.) vs. No. 48 Norcross (Ga.).

No matter its rating circumstance, successful GEICO Nationals for a second consecutive season and sixth time total was spectacular for Kevin Boyle’s program at Montverde Academy, contemplating 2020-21 Nationwide Junior of the Yr Jalen Duren left this system early to enroll at Memphis. Boyle’s greatest staff in his 11 seasons at Montverde Academy didn’t get to play at GEICO Nationals as a result of the occasion was cancelled due to COVID-19 in 2019-20. 

Duke-bound Dariq Whitehead didn’t make a 3-pointer and completed 5-of-17 from the sector, however his pull up leap shot with 1:30 remaining gave Montverde Academy a 55-49 lead with 1:30 remaining on this 12 months’s championship title with Hyperlink Academy. Junior ahead K.J. Evans then hit a clutch 3-pointer from the wing with 37 seconds remaining because the shot clock winding down to present the Eagles a 58-49 lead. Whitehead completed with 14 factors and 6 assists, whereas Evans had 11 factors together with three 3-pointers.

Montverde Academy additionally acquired massive video games inside from Texas-bound Dillon Mitchell, who completed with 17 factors and 12 rebounds, and Malik Reneau, who had 14 factors and 12 rebounds.

AZ Compass Prep and FAB 50 bubble membership Lengthy Island Lutheran (Glen Head, N.Y.) will be a part of the Nationwide Interscholastic Basketball Convention (NIBC) subsequent season. That makes AZ Compass Prep FAB 50 eligible in 2022-23. Dawn Christian received the convention championship this season.

The NIBC is dominant on the nationwide scene, however the outcomes of the season places a public college from Texas at No. 1. And it’ll stay No. 1 in subsequent weeks’ ultimate set of rankings for 2021-22.

RELATED:   “In The Paint” Podcast  | Ballislife Podcast Network | How To Create A High School March Madness |  State Champions Invitational Announced   | History of High School Team Rankings | All-Time No. 1’s

Up to date FAB 50 Nationwide Group Rankings
Powered by Ballislife.com

(seventeenth ballot of 2021-22 common season; By means of video games performed on Sunday, April 3; *Signifies forfeit wins, forfeit losses not included; **Signifies forfeits and defaults not included; ***Signifies season not full)

Dropped Out: None.

Bubble Groups:  American Fork (American Fork, Utah) 16-12; Archbishop Wooden (Warminster, Pa.) 21-8; Atascocita (Humble, Texas) 34-7; Beaumont United (Beaumont, Texas) 36-3; Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.) 21-9; Berkmar (Lilburn, Ga.) 26-5; Brentwood Academy (Brentwood, Tenn.) 29-1; Bristol Central (Bristol, Conn.) 28-0; Brophy Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.) 25-3; Campolindo (Moraga, Calif.) 28-2; Carver Collegiate Academy (New Orleans, La.) 33-5; Catholic Central (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 25-2; Chambers (Charlotte. N.C.) 22-7; Chesterton (Chesterton, Ind.) 29-1; Christian Brother’s (St. Louis, Mo.) 26-6; Mix Academy (Lincolnton, N.C.) 25-5; Curtis (College Place, Wash.) 27-3; Damien (La Verne, Calif.) 32-4; Del Metropolis (Cel Metropolis, Okla.) 24-4; DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) 21-7; Dr. Phillips (Orlando, Fla.) 26-6; Durango (Las Vegas, Nev.) 20-6; Eagle Academy (Brooklyn, N.Y.) 19-6; Edmond North (Edmond, Okla.) 24-5; Fox Chapel (Pittsburgh, Pa.) 27-2; Garfield (Seattle, Wash.) 25-1; Gill St. Bernard’s (Gladstone, N.J.) 20-7; Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) 18-12; Grey Collegiate Academy (West Columbia, S.C.) 23-4; John Marshall (Richmond, Va.) 22-4; Kimball (Kimball, Texas) 30-9; Kingfisher (Kingsfisher, Okla.) 28-1; King’s Fork (Suffolk, Va.) 24-1; Knoxville Catholic (Knoxville, Tenn.) 28-4; Las Cruces (Las Cruces, N.M.) 31-1; Liberty (Liberty, Mo.) 24-3; Lengthy Island Lutheran (Glen Head, N.Y.) 19-7; Madison Prep (Baton Rouge, La.) 31-6; Magnolia (Magnolia, Ark.) 29-0; Mansfield Timberview (Arlington, Texas) 36-5; Milton (Milton, Ga.) 22-8; Modesto Christian (Modesto, Calif.) 28-6**; Mount Si (Snoqualmie, Wash.) 25-1; Mt. Vernon (Mt. Vernon, N.Y.) 24-0; Newton (Covington, Ga.) 24-6; North Mecklenburg (Huntersville, N.C.) 27-5; North Hills (Pittsburgh, Pa.) 26-2; Panther Creek (Cary, N.C.) 23-8; Pebblebrook (Mableton, Ga.) 28-3; Perry (Gilbert, Ariz.) 25-5; Pewaukee (Pewaukee, Wis.) 27-3; Quaker Valley (Leetsdale, Pa.) 27-1; Raymond (Raymond, Miss.) 29-5; Richardson (Richardson, Texas) 32-2; Roman Catholic (Philadelphia, Pa.) 24-4; South Shore (Brooklyn, N.Y.) 23-3**; St. Francis Prep (Recent Meadows, N.Y.) 22-4; St. Vincent-St. Mary (Akron, Ohio) 25-4; The Burlington College (Burlington, N.C.) 30-7; The Rock (Gainesville, Fla.) 25-8; Totino-Grace (Fridley, Minn.) 25-6; Tualatin (Tualatin, Ore.) 26-2; Wasatch Academy (Mt. Nice, Utah) 14-10; West Oaks Academy (Orlando, Fla.) 23-5; Whitney Younger (Chicago, Unwell.) 26-10**; York Prep (Rock Hill, S.C.) 27-1; Zachary (Zachary, La.) 36-3.

Observe: The FAB 50 powered by Ballislife.com is a continuation of the Nationwide Sports activities Information Service scores that started in 1952. These had been the primary nationwide highschool rankings and the late Artwork Johlfs of Minnesota compiled them. They had been compiled for a few years by the late Barry Sollenberger of Phoenix, who merged them into the FAB 50 22 years in the past.

Ronnie Flores is the nationwide Grassroots editor of Ballislife.com. He might be reached at ronnie@ballislife.com. Don’t overlook to observe him on Twitter: @RonMFlores