UPDATED FAB 50: Abrupt Endings!

The playoffs are in full have an effect on and leads to the CIF Southern Part open playoffs brought about some shift and one in all its groups dropping out of the brand new FAB 50 Nationwide Crew Rankings powered by Ballislife.com. There are 4 complete newcomers this week, two that have been beforehand ranked plus a St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) membership that may look to win its first CIFSS open title on Saturday. There’s additionally a brand new No. 1 ranked crew within the nation, as Paul VI of Virginia goes down on Sunday night. Can the Panthers climb again up within the rankings? March goes to be thrilling!

The NBA All-Star Sport was one other lackluster affair, however what younger gamers can take from it’s that you must be able to play and learn to win beneath making an attempt circumstances, particularly for these groups competing for a spot within the FAB 50 Nationwide Crew Rankings powered by Ballislife.com.

When a crew is within the No. 1 spot, as Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.) was for the previous month and a half, each crew is gunning for them and each outing issues. On Sunday night, Paul VI took on a Sidwell Associates (Washington, D.C.) membership that has been taking part in a lot better in current weeks as a result of return of 6-foot-7 junior (2024) wing Caleb Williams. Paul VI got here into the sport with not alot on the road, by way of convention standings, and was taking part in with out 6-foot-7 senior (2023) wing Isaiah Abraham.

After one interval, Sidwell-Associates led 18-15 and went into halftime trialing the Panthers however two factors (32-30). Paul VI was outscored by eight factors within the pivotal third interval and to make issues worse, standout 2026 guard Jordan Smith broke his wrist. Paul VI simply couldn’t recover from the hump towards a hungry crew that match each subject objective the Panthers might make, because the Quakers went on to report a 75-68 victory. Six-foot-5 sophomore (2025) Jalen Rougier-Roane led the Quakers with 20 factors, fellow 2025 Acaden Lewis, a 6-foot-3 guard, added 17 and Williams completed with 15.

The win catapulted Sidwell-Associates again into the FAB 50 this week at No. 40 after the Quakers bought as excessive as No. 35 earlier within the season. They’re in entrance of one other newcomer this week, No. 47 Roman Catholic (Philadelphia, Pa.), a crew they to misplaced earlier within the 12 months as a result of the Quakers deserve credit score for taking down the nation’s No. 1 crew. As for Roman Catholic, which bought as excessive as No. 33 earlier within the season and takes on Archbishop Wooden (Philadelphia, Pa) within the Philadelphia Catholic League semifinals on Wednesday at The Palestra, it does need to be in entrance of the No. 48 Dorman (Roebuck, S.C.) membership it defeated earlier within the season.

As for Paul VI, it drops to No. 7 this week proper behind the Columbus (Miami, Fla.) membership it misplaced to within the Metropolis of Palms Basic semifinals. It could be a troublesome break for the Panthers, each actually and figuratively, however it can have loads of alternative to remain in competition for the FAB 50 nationwide title. Paul VI, which was led in defeat by 5-foot-10 2024 guard Ben Hammond (18 factors) and Maryland-bound ahead DeShawn Harris-Smith (16 factors), nonetheless has the upcoming Washington Catholic Athletic Convention (WCAC) event and a possible journey to GEICO Nationals down the road.

What’s coming down the road influenced the highest of this week’s FAB 50, as preseason No. 1 Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) resumes the highest spot after Paul VI’s second lack of the season. The Eagles, which went 11-1 in Nationwide Interscholastic Basketball Convention (NIBC) play, are the doubtless prime seed at GEICO Nationals (March 30-April 1) this 12 months. Hyperlink Academy (Branson, Mo.), which completed its common season with just one loss to Montverde Academy, is up three spots to No. 2. Hyperlink Academy will obtain a berth to GEICO Nationals after dropping to the Eagles in final 12 months’s title recreation. How would Paul VI fare on the event ought to it obtain an invitation?

Abrupt Endings For Duncanville & Camden

For 2 highly-ranked groups with FAB 50 title aspirations, there’s an abrupt ending to its season, one anticipated and one unexpectedly. For Duncanville (Texas), the defending FAB 50 national champion, it knew it might not take part and defend its College Intersholastic League (UIL) Class 6A state title since November, when it opted out of the 2022-23 UIL playoffs. The defending state and nationwide champion Panthers had a terrific season, and their outcomes will have an effect on the ultimate version of the FAB 50 even when it is going to be troublesome for that membership to maneuver up with out the posh of playoffs video games towards the likes of UIL Class 6A front-runners No. 9 Lake Highlands (Dallas, Texas) and No. 16 Beaumont United (Beaumont, Texas).

For No. 10 Camden (N.J.), the abrupt ending was surprising to say the least.

Within the first-ever Camden County Event last between the Panthers (people, faculty nicknames usually are not that authentic or distinctive across the nation) and Eastside (Camden, N.J.), an on-court melee broke out with 4 minutes, 23 seconds remaining within the second quarter when Camden’s Cornelius Robinson, a Bryant recruit, hit Eastside’s Titus Bacon as he was making an attempt to set a display close to the fitting elbow. Bacon then retaliated, which led a number of Panther gamers, together with Mr. Basketball USA candidate D.J. Wagner, to chase after Bacon and Tigers’ gamers. Virtually instantly, the melee introduced gamers from the benches, coaches and followers onto the courtroom.

At that time with Camden main the Tigers, 30-17, recreation officers canceled the rest of the sport. Per NJSIAA bylaws, any varsity crew accumulating three or extra participant or coach disqualifications previous to the beginning of the NJSIAA state event is not going to be permitted to take part in it. Earlier than the NJSIAA might rule on the incident, the Camden Metropolis College District determined to pulled each golf equipment from the state event. Each golf equipment have been defending state champions of their respective division and each seasons are actually over. Camden was the No. 2 seed in South Jersey Group 2 and was the favourite to win a bit and state title.

Much like Duncanville, Camden is now listed with an asterisk (***) subsequent to its won-loss report to point its 2022-23 season is full. The Panthers’ report doesn’t embody the competition with Eastside, as that recreation is mirrored as a default, neither is the forfeit loss to Lindenwold within the opening spherical of the state event. It’s an unlucky incident, and Camden will probably be judged by its on-court report as will the FAB 50 ranked groups it beat and misplaced to (No. 6 Columbus of Florida and No. 8 Centennial of California)

One other newcomer is No. 45 Richmond Heights (Ohio), which knocked off earlier No. 40 St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio), 83-80, to cap off an unbeaten common season. Richmond Heights takes over as Ohio’s prime ranked crew total regardless of its Division IV standing within the OHSAA.

Whereas Sidwell-Associates and Roman Catholic return to the nation’s longest-running weekly nationwide rankings, the best rated newcomer is No. 25 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.). The Braves superior to Saturday’s CIF Southern Part open division championship recreation versus No. 8 Centennial (the crew that handed Camden one in all its two losses).

Whereas Centennial, the two-time defending CIFSS open champs, superior to the title recreation on the Honda Heart by going 3-0 in its pool, St. John Bosco wanted some assist to crack the FAB 50 after dropping its opening pool play recreation to No. 35 West Ranch (Valencia, Calif.). St. John Bosco defeated No. 32 Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.) in its second pool recreation, so West Ranch managed its personal future because it additionally gained its second pool play recreation over St. Bernard (Playa del Rey, Calif.). Harvard-Westlake defeated West Ranch in its last pool play recreation and wanted St. Bernard to defeat St. John Bosco within the third and last pool play recreation. Had that occurred, it might have been Harvard-Westlake advancing to play Centennial due to the head-to-head over the Wildcats, the crew Bosco misplaced to. Since St. John Bosco and Harvard-Westlake each ended up profitable its third recreation, Bosco was the crew to advance with a 2-1 mark.

Bosco’s rating is mirrored in its alternative to beat Centennial in its first journey to the CIFSS open last, however it should stay behind No. 20 West Linn (West Linn, Ore.), a crew the Braves misplaced to throughout a December event in Oregon. Ought to Bosco pull off the minor upset on Saturday, it is going to be ranked accordingly. Ought to it lose, nonetheless, there isn’t a assure it is going to be ranked greater than No. 35 West Ranch in subsequent week’s FAB 50 and when the CIF open regional event begins on March 1 no matter its seeding.

All groups will probably be judged by their outcomes, even Duncanville and Camden. St. John Bosco has a giant alternative this week, whereas Paul VI hopes its alternative comes down the road to maneuver again up within the FAB 50.

RELATED:  Preseason 2022-23 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker | “In The Paint” Podcast (Spotify) |  “In The Paint” Podcast (YouTube) 

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

(tenth ballot of 2022-23 common season; By means of video games performed on Sunday, Feb. 19; *Signifies forfeit wins, forfeit losses not included; **Signifies forfeits and defaults not included; ***Signifies season full)

Dropped Out: Earlier No. 34 Garfield (Seattle, Wash.), No. 40 St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio), No. 44 Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.), No. 47 Bentonville West (Centerton, Ark.).

Bubble Groups:  Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.) 17-8; Bentonville West (Centerton, Ark.) 24-3; Briarcrest Christian (Eads, Tenn.) 30-2**; Bullis (Potomac, Md.) 25-2; Centerville (Centerville, Ohio) 20-3; Chambers (Charlotte, N.C.) 20-6; Nook Canyon (Draper, Utah) 21-2; Curtis (College Place, Wash.) 24-3; Durango (Las Vegas, Nev.) 19-6; Eagle’s Touchdown (McDonough, Ga.) 25-1; East Nashville (Nashville, Tenn.) 24-0; Eastside Catholic (Sammamish, Wash.) 18-8; Edmond North (Edmond, Okla.) 20-2; Ellison (Killeen, Texas) 32-3; Farmville Central (Farmville, N.C.) 24-1; Garfield (Seattle, Wash.) 21-2; Grand Blanc (Grand Blanc, Mich.) 17-2; Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) 21-5; Hammond Central (Hammond, Ind.) 20-1; Hayfield (Alexandria, Va.) 24-1; Heights (Wichita, Kan.) 17-1; Highland Park (Topeka Kan.) 16-0**; Horn Lake (Horn Lake, Miss.) 29-1; Jackson-Reed (Washington, D.C.) 24-6**; Joliet West (Joliet, In poor health.) 25-5; Jonesboro (Jonesboro, Ark.) 25-3; Kell (Marietta, Ga.) 23-2; Kennedy (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) 20-0; Kenwood Academy (Chicago, In poor health.) 24-6; Kimball (Kimball, Texas) 26-2; Liberty (Henderson, Nev.) 20-9; McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) 21-6; Metamora (Metamora, In poor health.) 27-2; Modesto Christian (Modesto, Calif.) 24-6; Muskegon (Muskegon, Mich.) 17-2; Myers Park (Charlotte, N.C.) 22-4; Newton (Covington, Ga.) 17-10; Nixa (Nixa, Mo.) 24-0; Norcross (Norcross, Ga.) 23-4; North Farmington (Farmington Hills, Mich.) 17-1; North Mecklenburg (Huntersville, N.C.) 25-2; Northern Nash (Rocky Mount, N.C.) 25-2; Northside (Roanoke, Va.) 24-0; Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) 22-10; Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 20-13; Oak Park (Kansas Metropolis, Mo.) 23-1; Putnam Metropolis North (Oklahoma Metropolis, Okla.) 22-1; Studying (Studying, Pa.) 24-1; Sacred Coronary heart Griffin (Springfield, In poor health.) 27-3; Scotlandville (Baton Rouge, La.) 30-3; Seven Lakes (Katy, Texas) 31-4; Staley (Kansas Metropolis, Mo.) 23-2; Starkville (Starkville, Miss.) 24-4; St. Augustine (San Diego, Calif.) 25-4; St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio) 18-2; UOD Jesuit (Detroit, Mich.) 16-3; Vashon (St. Louis, Mo.) 17-7; Volcano Vista (Albuquerque, N.M.) 24-1; Wasatch Academy (Mt. Nice, Utah) 13-10.

Word: The FAB 50 powered by Ballislife.com is a continuation of the Nationwide Sports activities Information Service rankings that started in 1952. These have been the primary nationwide highschool rankings and the late Artwork Johlfs of Minnesota compiled them. They have been compiled for a few years by the late Barry Sollenberger of Phoenix, who merged them into the FAB 50 23 years in the past.

Ronnie Flores is the nationwide Grassroots editor of Ballislife.com. He might be reached at [email protected]. Don’t overlook to comply with him on Twitter: @RonMFlores