FAB 50: The Good & The Bad!

The preseason FAB 50 rankings set the tone for the ensuing season. We put a lot of effort into our preseason rankings because it makes it a lot easier to justify moves as the season wears on.

We won’t give away all our rankings secrets, but two rules we live by are one, we won’t ever drop the No. 1 team if it wins its final game, and two, the No. 1 team can never lose its final game. We’ve been compiling weekly rankings since the fall of 1987 when Miami Senior (Miami, Fla.) opened up as preseason No. 1 in the first National Prep Poll (FAB 50 precursor).

Rankings have come and gone since then or stopped and attempted to restart. We’ve been doing them ever since and obviously, we’re going to keep the FAB 50 going as long as possible. Our preseason No. 1 team has finished No. 1 14 times, so we’re pretty proud of the rankings job we’ve done over the years.

On the flip side, no one is perfect and there are some preseason rankings we wish we had back. We take a look at three of our best moments, and three of the preseason decisions we’d love to take back.

Rankings To Be Proud Of

Montverde Academy (Fla.) at No. 1 in 2012-13

When things go wrong, more things seemingly go bad, and when things are going well in basketball, the breaks seem to go a program’s way for a long time. At the end of the 2011-12 season, it seemed as if things were going right for Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.).

After a miraculous fourth-quarter comeback in the National High School Invitational (now GEICO Nationals) title game led by Arizona recruit Brandon Ashley, it looked like the Pilots would dominate high school hoops in the near future. They had just won their third NHSI title in four years and the program seemingly was in good hands with Mike Peck and Todd Simon.

Had Montverde Academy or Findlay Prep won convincingly it would have had a strong case for No. 1 over Oak Hill Academy of Virginia, which chose not to participate in the event. What was even more obvious watching that game was how good the Eagles were going to be in 2012-13.

Point guard Kasey Hill was dynamic, the team added strongman Devin Williams (West Virginia) and center Dakari Johnson, who sat out the 2011-12 season after earning national freshman of the year honors in 2010-11 at St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.). They were a cinch preseason No. 1 and that’s before the program added Ben Simmons later on during the season.

Montverde went on to capture GEICO Nationals at the end of the season, and the program was preseason No. 1 for the next two seasons and won three consecutive FAB 50 titles. More, importantly the 2012-13 team set the tone for what was to come for the program over the next 10 years, and no other credible rankings service had the Eagles preseason No. 1.

Bishop Montgomery (Torrance, Calif.) at No. 7 in 2016-17

Even though this team was a bit short-handed in its first game, it still didn’t look anything like a preseason No. 1 team from California and a top 10 team after it lost that opener at the NorCal Tip-Off Classic to unranked Bishop O’Dowd (Oakland, Calif.), 79-63. It certainly didn’t look better than preseason No. 9 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) in its early season games.

At least one poll had that team preseason No. 1 in the nation. If anything, the Trailblazers were one of those physically dominant teams, similar to the 2012-13 Montverde Academy team, that we evaluated in recent years. After we witnessed star forwards Marvin Bagley (Duke) and Cody Riley (UCLA) dislodge a backboard, we said to ourselves, “What in the world were we thinking” as Bishop Montgomery had no one taller than 6-foot-5.

We knew the Knights would get better, and the big payoff came in the CIF Southern Section Open semifinals at the Galen Center in Los Angeles, when coach Doug Mitchell’s club took down Sierra Canyon, 70-63, in a memorable contest played in front of 12,000 fans as part of the double-header involving Chino Hills and Mater Dei. Some pollsters still hadn’t learned their lesson, as the next week Mater Dei came into the CIFSS Open final as the higher-ranked team both nationally and locally by everyone expect one poll.

Bishop Montgomery had a memorable fourth-quarter run to pull out a 70-55 win to capture its second CIFSS open crown in three seasons. The Knights went on to beat Chino Hills and Mater Dei a second time en route to their first and only CIF open state crown.

They finished No. 6 in the FAB 50, but more importantly served as a stark reminder that sometimes great high school teams don’t need NBA-type size, or the highest-rated individual recruits, to be considered one of the best in the country. Sometimes great high school teams have great chemistry and great high school players, regardless of what is expected of them at the collegiate or NBA levels.

Glenbard West (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) at No. 29 in 2021-22

We always like it when we’re ahead of the curve on a team without a lot of fanfare that has the potential to be a great team. That was the case with the Hilltoppers, who eventually got the national acclaim they deserved after a 13-1 season shortened by COVID-19 in 2020-21.

Glenbard West captured the IHSA Class 4A state title with a dominant 56-34 win over Whitney Young (Chicago) with a group of seniors that got little to zero national acclaim until it kept winning. We wish we had placed them inside the Top 25 and it would have been even more interesting to see what would have happened had this club finished 38-0 instead of 37-1.

This well-oiled unit led by center Braden Huff and Paxten Warden goes down as one of the best teams in Illinois history, but from a FAB 50 perspective, it couldn’t finish higher than No. 13 in the final rankings. That’s because the Warriors lost to No. 32 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer, while No. 12 Camden (N.J.) defeated the Trailblazers, 66-62. Huff (16.8 ppg, 6 rpg, 3 apg, 1.5 spg and 1.5 bpg) was named the Chicago Sun-Times Player of the Year and earned a scholarship to Gonzaga, while three other teammates were D1 bound. Glenbard West built a national following in three months and its story is what high school basketball is all about.

Rankings We Wish We Had Back

St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.) at No. 1 in 2004-05

By this time, Bob Hurley Sr.’s program at St. Anthony was a perennial contender and had already won two FAB 50 national titles (in 1989 and 1996). This club looked like it had the makings of one that could give the eventual Naismith Hall of Fame coach his third crown, so it was pegged as preseason No. 1 in a close call over Oak Hill Academy of Virginia, the defending FAB 50 national champs.

We knew the Friars might start off slow because of injuries, but we never expected them to finish 21-6. The Friars ventured down to San Diego, Calif., for the Torrey Pines Holiday Classic and were upset in the semifinals by Steve Canyon (Spring Valley, Calif.), 67-65, behind a terrific performance by future San Diego St. guard Richie Williams (24 points).

Hurley’s club never seemed to recover and the injury problems mounted. St. Anthony is the only preseason No. 1 team to finish unranked. Only two other preseason No. 1 teams have even finished outside the top 10, with the lowest being Findlay Prep (28-4) at No. 14 in 2010-11. Oak Hill Academy, led by senior Jamont Gordon (Mississippi St.) and juniors Kevin Durant and Ty Lawson, both future NBA players, was definitely the more talented team and probably should have been No. 1.

The only returning starter from the 2003-04 team, K.C. Rivers (Clemson), missed the entire season and Oak Hill lost two games and finished No. 2. Oak Hill lost to South Gwinnett of Georgia and to Homewood-Flossmorr of Illinois, neither of which won state titles. The FAB 50 No. 1 team that season was Niagara Falls (N.Y.), which began at No. 48 in the preseason.

Flint Hill Prep (Roanoke, Va.) at No. 1 in 1988-89

Just as we had one St. Anthony club too high, we wish we had another higher back in our second year of doing a National Prep Poll. St. Anthony (which is now closed) finished No. 2 in 1987-88 and was the only team to defeat No. 1 St. Nicolas of Tolentine (Bronx, N.Y.).

We tabbed talented Flint Hill Prep (Oakton, Va.) as preseason No. 1 in a close call over the Friars, as coach Stu Vetter had two legitimate McDonald’s All-Americans in Aaron Bain (Villanova) and George Lynch (North Carolina) and came into the season having won 74 of its previous 76 games. Flint Hill Prep finished 23-3 and No. 9, but the Friars were even better than advertised.

That St. Ants unit is considered one of the best in high school basketball history even though Danny Hurley, the top player on the junior varsity team as a freshman who was expected to be the top guard off the bench as a sophomore, shattered his finger and missed the season and 6-foot-7 Sean Rooney, the team’s top rebounder, tore ligaments in his ankle after the season began.

Regardless, this team didn’t miss a beat, capturing the Great Florida Shootout, defeating Flint Hill Prep in the finals of the King Cotton Classic in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, defeating teams from 10 states, and capturing the first state Tournament of Champions title with a 62-55 victory over regionally-ranked Elizabeth to finish 32-0.

The mainstays on the team were point guard Bob Hurley Jr. (Duke), shooting guard Terry DeHere, and power forward Jerry Walker (both Seton Hall), while 6-foot-5 freshman Rodrick Rhodes rounded out the starting lineup. The New Jersey TOC was discontinued after the 2021-22 season.

Montverde Academy (Fla.) at No. 2 in 2019-20

If a defending FAB 50 champ has the ingredients to defend its national title, we almost certainly give it the benefit of the doubt in the preseason pecking order over another talented club. That’s what happened after IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) captured the 2019 GEICO Nationals title.

It was a close call, but we gave it the benefit of the doubt over Montverde Academy, the club it took down in the tournament semifinals, 74-73. Had MVA won that game, it most certainly would have begun No. 1 in 2019-20, and with the late addition of Scottie Barnes (FSU), it probably should have been anyway.

It’s not as if IMG Academy was a bad choice; after all, it finished No. 5 in the FAB 50 at 19-6. It’s a choice we want back because Montverde Academy ended up being the best team since the turn of the century. The Eagles defeated 12 FAB 50 ranked teams en route to one of the largest winning margins (39.0 ppg) among elite high school teams we’ve ever uncovered.

Only one team played coach Kevin Boyle’s team in single digits and that, of course, was IMG Academy in the title game of the City of Palms Classic (63-55). Led by Mr. Basketball USA Cade Cunningham (13.9 ppg), Barnes (11.6 ppg), and a third McDonald’s All-American in Day’Ron Sharpe (12.1 ppg), MVA handed the Ascenders three of their six losses and no other team came within 20 points.

IMG Academy played the Eagles within 20 points (76-64) and 10 so there is always that preseason nod that we’ll have to live with. Two other factors that make that preseason order even more poignant are the fact that MVA didn’t have the luxury of closing out with a GEICO Nationals title, as the event was canceled because of COVID-19, and the fact IMG Academy didn’t have its most talented player, returning All-America Jalen Johnson, on the roster after Thanksgiving.

Had Johnson not been on the club at all, or had MVA not blown that 16-point lead the year before against IMG, it would have been a wire-to-wire No. 1 club similar to its 2017-18 unit. Could IMG have pulled off an upset in one of the games with Johnson in the lineup?

Don't MissLuka Doncic, Mavericks Breeze Past Spurs Up NextSouth Carolina Out to Avoid Missteps vs. Upset-Minded Winthrop

Imani Smith

High School Sports
Section 7: Millennium & Owyhee Make History
For the first time in the five-year history of the Section 7 Team Camp, an Arizona club won one of the top two divisions, as Millennium (Goodyear, Ariz.) went 4-0 during the prestigious June Scholastic Live Period event. Owyhee (Meridian, Idaho) also makes history capturing a team championship at the 2024 edition of the event held over the weekend at State Farm Arena in Glendale, Ariz.
The Section 7 Team Camp is a staple on the NCAA’s June Scholastic Live Period calendar and sets the bar for how June live period events should be executed. When it comes to setting the bar for individual play, Cameron Boozer of Columbus (Miami, Fla.) set the bar extremely high in 2023 when he put on a virtuoso performance in leading his team to a major division title at the event and further cementing his status as one of the most productive high school players to come down the pike in recent memory.
The 2024 edition of the must stop June event for college coaches, national scouts and high school teams in the West Region was a more wide open affair without a dominant top five type player leading a prohibitive favorite. With 160 teams from 12 states and well over 500 prospects who could garner some NCAA or NAIA interest at State Farm Stadium for the event put on by the Arizona Basketball Coaches Association, somebody was bound to step up and lead his team and help his recruiting stock in the process.
The player who foot the bill in those areas was 6-foot-7 2025 (rising senior) Kingston Tosi of Millennium (Goodyear, Ariz.), who turned in a spectacular performance in leading the Tigers to a 69-58 victory over Archbishop Riordan (San Francisco, Calif.) in the title game of the Legacy Foundation Bracket. Tosi, who helped the Tigers reach the 2024 Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) open division title game, netted 31 points on 12-of-15 shooting from the field against a talented Riordan team. The talented scoring wing who excels with a variety of mid-range shots in Millennium’s offense, had 19 points at halftime as the Tigers held a 42-31 lead.
Riordan cut its deficit to six points (56-50) when Tosi went to the bench with foul trouble, but Millennium quickly re-gained its form when he re-entered the game. Riordan, which defeated Redondo Union (Redondo Beach, Calif.) in its semifinal contest, 69-57, and defeated Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.), 68-52, earlier in its Saturday quarterfinal game, started hunting jump shots down the stretch to get back in the game and they didn’t fall, as Millennium maintained their lead.
Jasir Rencher, a 6-foot-6 2025 wing with a mature game who helped his stock immensely at this event, led three Riordan players in double figures with 16 points. Riordan finished the game 1-of-15 from 3-point range, while Millennium went through its offense and got its main players good looks from the field.
“We work on our offense alot and work to get each other open,” said Tosi, who averaged 26.8 ppg and was credited with 12 blocks in four Section 7 games. Not only did Tosi average 26.8 ppg, he might have been the most efficient offensive player in the event in terms of taking quality shots.
“With shooters like Cam (Holmes) and Quincy (Everson), it opens up looks for me and with the guys giving me confidence, it feels like no one can guard me. We’ll see if my phone blows up (with schools calling me.)”
Tosi definitely will see an uptick in his recruitment after his Section 7 performance and for his teammate Cameron Holmes, the 6-foot-6 2026 (rising junior) who was an underclass All-American for a 25-6 club in 2023-24, this event solidified his status as one of the best 2026 wing prospects in the national junior class. He finished the title game with 22 points, including 2-of-3 3-pointers, and shined in high profile matchups earlier in the event.
Holmes finished with 28 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a 75-65 quarterfinal victory over Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) and its highly-regarded 2026 wing Brannon Martinsen. In the semifinals, the Tigers downed Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.), a program that won major Section 7 division titles in both 2019 and 2022, 83-57, as Tosi made 7-of-12 field goals and 8-of-10 free throws en route to 23 points. Holmes and 6-foot-1 2025 Quincy Everson, finished with 18 and 15 points, respectively. Tosi got Millennium’s successful weekend off on the right foot on Friday when he made 15-of-21 shots from the field in a 38-point performance, as the Tigers downed St. Joseph (Santa Maria, Calif.), 84-79, in their first round matchup. Holmes finished with 18 points, eight rebounds, four assists, four blocks and four steals in his showdown with probable 2025 McDonald’s All-American Tounde Yessoufou
With its 4-0 mark, Millennium became the first AIA club to capture a Section 7 championship in one of the two major divisions. Before this year, those divisions have been dominated by Bishop Gorman and Southern Section powers from the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF).
Millennium being the first AIA program to be in the Section 7 spotlight is a fact Holmes did not sell short.
“Oh my God, to go 4-0 it means alot,” said Holmes. “It means alot to have Section 7 here in this stadium, with all the college coaches and everything that is going on.”
Millennium was not the only school to break through and earn a major Section 7 title. Owyhee (Meridian, Idaho) used terrific teamwork and outside shooting to capture the Legacy Foundation Bracket with a 83-64 victory over Oak Ridge (Orlando, Fla.). The visitors from Florida were the same program that lost to Columbus (Miami, Fla.) in the 2024 FHSAA Class 7A state title game and were impressive in making it to Sunday’s title game versus a school that has only been open for four years.
The talent-laden Oak Ridge club carried only seven players, but impressed in its 75-71 semifinal victory over Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.), the defending CIF open champs and a team that lost to Columbus in the 2023 Section 7 top division title game. Perhaps the Pioneers were a bit weary playing their fourth game in three days with a limited bench, but Owyhee being a veteran, cohesive and talent-laden cub in its own right was probably the biggest factor in the outcome.
The Legacy Foundation title tilt went back-and-fourth early and the team from Southwest Idaho that has been around a shorter period of time that Section 7 itself took a 38-33 halftime lead. Eventually, its crisp passing that led to open 3-pointers and bullish shots around the paint from 6-foot-7 2025 power forward Jackson Rasmussen led to Owyhee taking control of the game in the second half.
Owyhee took a 44-33 lead on a conventional 3-point play by the Idaho-bound Rasmussen and never looked back from there. Rasmussen, who covers ground with the ball, has good defensive instincts and broad shoulders and can finish over both of them, had more than one conventional 3-point play and Owyhee was able to get to the spots around the key that is usually the prime real estate for success. Rasmussen finished with 24 points, six rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals for the Storm.
While Rasmussen already has made a verbal commit to Idaho and is a terrific pick-up for the Vandals, Owyhee coach Andy Herrington is a bit perplexed (to put it mildly) 6-foot-3 2025 combo guard Boden Howell is not receiving more college interest. Herrington coins Howell a legitimate D1 basketball player and based on his performance in Arizona we whole-heartedly agree. He reports an offer from Portland, but his recruitment should pick up tremendously after Section 7 weekend.
Howell, whose confidence permeates in all his movements on the floor and excels on corner 3-pointers and pull-ups, finished with 21 points, including 3-of-7 from 3-point range, and chipped in three assists versus Oak Ridge. Owyhee also got a big game from Logan Haustveit, a 5-foot-10 2026 guard who also excels on the gridiron. Haustveit, a terrific southpaw shooter, netted 18 points, including 4-of-9 3-pointers.
As a team, Owyhee made 11-of-27 from 3-point range, while Oak Ridge only connected on 2-of-11. This was Owyhee’s fourth trip to Section 7 and to get the opportunity to win a championship in a top division was meaningful for its players and program. Incredibly, Owyhee traveled to Arizona for the first time for the event before the school even opened in the fall of 2021.
“We play terrific team defense,” Howell said. “We definitely came here to let people know Owyhee can play some basketball and to prove we can play with anybody.”
Oak Ridge was led by Providence-bound 6-foot-5 win Jamier Jones with 19 points. Speaking of Grid-Hoopers, C.J. Ingram, a 6-foot-5 2025 specimen who plays quarterback and will likely play another skill position at any college of his choice, might be the nation’s best. He showed at the recent Pangos All-American Camp and at Section 7 he could be a major contributor at a P5 school in hoops if he chose to. He was the most explosive athlete around the rim at this event, even hurdling an opponent for a dunk in its 60-55 quarterfinal win over Damien (La Verne, Calif.). Ingram, who led Hawthorne (Fla.) to state titles in both sports as a junior, finished with 13 points and eight rebounds for Oak Ridge.
Ingram had 12 points, five rebound and three steals versus Damien, while contributing 13 points, six rebounds and three assists in the semifinal win over Harvard-Westlake. Jones and 6-foot 2025 guard Jalen Reece, the son of Oak Ridge head coach Steve Reece, each scored 18 points against Harvard-Westlake.
Owyhee defeated Salesian (Richmond, Calif.), 58-48, in its semifinal contest as Howell led the way with 26 points. That result set up a third place game in the Legacy Foundation bracket that was a rematch of the 2024 CIF open division state title game in California. Some of the cast of characters were different, but it was still a meaningful “rematch”. Havard-Westlake had a 57-51 lead late, but Salesian’s Isaiah Davis, a 5-foot-10 2026 point guard, hit a clutch 3-pointer to tie the game with 10 seconds remaining. Harvard-Westlake’s Dominique Bentho, a 6-foot-8 2026 forward known for his work around the basket, then banked in a 14-footer from straightaway just before the buzzer sounded to give the Wolverines a 61-59 victory.
In other Section 7 title games, St. Piux-St. Matthias (Downey, Calif.) defeated Mojave (North Las Vegas, Nev.), 83-74, in the Coco 5 Bracket. In the AZ Family Bracket, St. Anthony (Long Beach, Calif.) downed Clovis North (Clovis, Calif.), 53-51, as 6-foot 2026 guard Jayshawn Kibble nailed a 16-footer from the right wing right before time expired. In the Willeng Construction Bracket, Rolling Hills Prep (San Pedro, Calif.) defeated Campbell Hall (North Hollywood, Calif.), 67-50. In the Mayo Clinic Bracket, Crespi (Encino, Calif.) defeated Canyon (Anaheim, Calif.), 65-56.
Continue Reading
High School Sports
NBPA Top 100: Teamwork Makes Dream Work!
The 30th annual NBPA Top 100 Camp closed out on Wednesday and a talented and unselfish Houston Rockets team closed out the four-day camp 9-0 after beating a talented New York Knicks team twice, including in the championship game. Camp is loaded with big men and 6-foot-10 Chris Cenac of Newman (New Orleans, La.) is named MVP among 110 campers.
The purpose of the NBPA Top 100 Camp is to help in the development of the world’s elite high school-aged basketball players and give them a taste of what it is like to play in the NBA. The NBA is an exclusive group (there has been less than 5,000 NBA players all-time since the league’s inception) and this exclusive camp, held annual at the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla., has featured some of the biggest names in basketball over the past 30 years, from the likes of Kevin Durant, Anthony Edwards, Jaylen Brunson, Kyrie Irving and James Harden, plus a plethora of other future pros.
There is no doubt plenty from the 2024 crop of 110 campers will one day play in the NBA, but for now it was all about competing, learning and getting better, not to mention performing well in front of scouting representatives of every NBA team and hundreds of college coaches.
There was roughly 11 players on each of the camp’s 10 teams coached by current or just retired NBA players going through a coaching mentorship program put on by the NBPA. The four-day camp was also one of attrition, as the participants play NBA regulation length games with NBA rules and on the last two days of the camp, each team played three games in a seven-hour period.
When the dust settled, the Houston Rockets team used balance and teamwork to post a 9-0 record, the last one a 120-119 championship game victory over a New York Knicks team that came into the contest 6-2. It was actually the Rockets’ second victory over the Knicks, as they beat that team to start off the camp’s final day, 106-101, in a competitive game. Even though the Rockets were no stranger to the attrition themselves, they did a good job of taking quality shots, hitting their free throws in seven of nine games, and making timely 3-pointers, particularly by 6-foot-5 2025 (rising senior) point guard Brayden Burries of Roosevelt (Eastvale, Calif.) and 6-foot-8 2025 wing Shon Abaev of Calvary Christian Academy (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.).
The Rockets played the first contest versus the Knicks without Burries, who was arguably the top guard in attendance with his strong frame, powerful drives, timely passing, clutch shot-making and presence. Rockets coach Terrance Mann of the L.A. Clippers had others step up in his absence, as five players scored in double figures with two more on the 10-man roster going for nine points. Mike Williams, a 6-foot-1 2025 guard from Jackson Academy (Miss.) and the son of former NBA guard and Jackson State coach Mo Williams, particularly stepped up with 16 points, including 2-of-5 3-pointers and 6-of-6 free throws, to go along with six rebounds and four assists. Williams’ rebounding from the guard position, his instincts on defense and change of pace on offense was a huge lift for Mann all week at camp.
Seven-foot-1 2025 center Malachi Moreno of Great Crossing (Georgetown, Ky.) matched up with all-star selection, 7-foot 2025 Eric Reibe of Bullis School (Washington, D.C.), and came up with a double-double of 16 points and 12 rebounds. The left-handed Reibe was the most effective player on the court with 25 points, including 3-of-6 3-pointers, and added six rebounds and two assists. Reibe has a terrific feel and plays a style similar to former Kansas great Raef LaFrentz but with more shooting range and more ground covering. Six-foot-8, 250-pound 2025 Zymicah Wilkins of Christ School (Arden, N.C.) had a great impact in both games versus the Rockets with his power game, motor and relentlessness in crunch time. Wilkins finished the first contest with 17 points.
Burries returned for the eighth game, one in which Houston jumped out to a 29-10 lead over the Indian Pacers and never looked back in a 106-96 victory. He finished with 17 points, five rebounds and five assists. Moreno led seven in double figures with 19 points and eight rebounds. The center made all five of his free throws, but the rest of the Rockets were 8-of-18 in that second to last game.
After shooting so well from the charity stripe in its first seven games, that performance was an omen for the final game, as weary free throw legs and the never-say-die attitude of the Knicks kept them in the championship contest in the second half after trialing by as many as 19 points early. The Rockets were without Elijah Williams, a 6-foot-6 2026 (rising junior) wing out of Brother Rice (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) and the son of Detroit Pistons head coach Monty Williams, for the final two games and without Mike Williams in the championship rematch, but gutted out the one-point victory after building a 64-50 halftime lead by coming up with a defensive stop after Burries missed a free throw (worth two points) with under five seconds remaining in the game.
Reibe hurt the Rockets, in the first contest, but was neutralized more in the rematch, finishing with 14 points and five rebounds while not attempting a shot from 3-point range. Moreno matched him with 11 points and 10 rebounds, as he finished the camp with three triple doubles while missing another by just one rebound. Moreno is a team-oriented player with a great pace and understanding of the game and once he gets into his offensive move and makes his decisions on the block quicker, he’s going to be an excellent college player. While Reibe was kept in check, the Rockets simply had no answer for Wilkins in the rematch, as he kept his team in it with relentless offensive rebounding, tough shot making on the move and even hit a key 3-pointer while the Knicks were making their second half run. He finished with 29 points and 14 rebounds and impressed college coaches and the NBPA Top 100 selection committee with his inspired play.
Burries finished the title game with 24 points, including 4-of-6 3-pointers, despite missing six of 10 free throws. As a team, the fatigued Rockets made 14-of-32 free throws, but dug deep to make 10-of-20 3-pointers. The leading scorer for the victors was 6-foot-1 2025 point guard Acaden Lewis of Sidwell Friends (Washington, D.C.), who made 4-of-7 3-pointers and finished the title game with 25 points, five rebounds and eight assists. Lewis impressed college coaches with his crafty offensive package, ability to finish in either direction and dominate in the half court, particularly in pick-n-roll sets. The Rockets don’t go unbeaten without Lewis’ efforts, particularly his 26-point effort in a 117-112 win over a L.A. Lakers team that might have been the camp’s second most talented one. He made 4-of-9 3-pointers in that contest and was dominant enough to over the final two days to be selected to the camp’s 10-man all-star team.
It’s hard to envision the Rockets going unbeaten without the contributions of 6-foot-9 power 2025 forward Sebastian Williams-Adams of St. John’s (Houston, Texas) as well. In the win over the L.A. Lakers, he had an incredible 11 offensive rebounds in a 18-point, 12-rebound performance and sealed the win a pass interception and close-out dunk. Twice he came up with a defensive play, steal and dunk to seal a win for his team and joined Burries and Lewis as Rockets players on the camp all-star team. Williams-Adams literally didn’t take a bad shot all week and had 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting in the championship game win. Williams-Adams is also a complete defender and for the week shot 61-of-94 (.648) from the field in nine camp games.
Jerry Easter II, a 6-foot-4 2025 shooting guard from La Lumiere who was our top rated performer at the recent Pangos All-American Camp, had 12 points, eight rebounds and four assists for the Rockets in the title game. Easter also contributed key defense and steady ball-handling and didn’t force it much when the shots weren’t dropping. Six-foot-8 2026 forward Sebastian Wilkins also provided quality defense and good finishing around the rim for Mann’s team, 6-foot-10 2025 power forward Trent Steinour of Lake Norman (N.C.) showed potential as a rim-runner and flashes of pop around the rim, while 6-foot-9 2026 center Moustapha Diop of the Walker School (Powder Springs, Ga.) is oozing with potential as a shot blocker and long term impact college player with a bit more seasoning.
“It was a great opportunity to be able to coach these guys that are eventually going to be playing against me in a couple years,” said Mann. “It was dope to see the high level of competition, and I was amazed by their skill and intelligence. These kids are special and the game is getting better and better.”
The camp had talent at all positions, but was dominated by its interior play, as teams made it a point to get its pivots involved in its offensive sets. There was some terrific individual battles, as 46 campers were listed as being 6-foot-8 and taller. When it was completed, 6-foot-10 2025 Chris Cenac of Newman (New Orleans, La.) was named NBPA Top 100 Camp Most Valuable Player. Cenac’s combination of fluidity, versatility, size and length made him stand out from a group of highly-regarded campers.
Cenac led the camp in rebounds (11.4) and finished third in blocks (1.6). All-star selection Meleek Thomas of Lincoln Park (Midland, Pa.), the recent Pangos All-American Camp MOP, was third in scoring (22.6) and first in assists (7.3). After winning two state title in Pennsylvania, Thomas recently accounted he’ll be spending his senior campaign with Overtime Elite.
The scoring leaders in front of Thomas were 6-foot-5 wing Tounde Yessoufou of St. Joseph (Santa Maria, Calif.) at 23.1 and 6-foot-4 2025 wing Kiyon Anthony of Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, N.Y.) at 28.5. Anthony is the son of future NBA Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony.
NBPA Top 100 Camp Top 5 Stock Risers
Phillip Davis Fogle, AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.) 6-8 SF 2025
Acaden Lewis, Sidwell Friends (Washington, D.C.) 6-1 PG 2025
Deron Rippey Jr., Blair Academy (Blairstown, N.J.) 6-1 PG 2026
Zymicah Wilkins, Christ School (Arden, N.C.) 6-8 PF 2025
Mike Williams, Jackson Academy (Jackson, Miss.) 6-1 CG 2025
NBPA Top 100 Top 5 Rising Juniors
Tajh Ariza, Westchester (Los Angeles, Calif.) 6-8 SF 2026
Aliou Dioum, Accelerated Schools (Denver, Col.) 6-10 C 2026
Caleb Holt, Buckhorn (New Market, Ala.) 6-4 PG 2026
Jordan Smith, Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.) 6-3 SG 2026
Qayden Samuels, Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.) 6-6 SF 2026
2024 NBPA Top 100 Camp All-Star Team
MVP: Chris Cenac, Newman (New Orleans, La.) 6-10 PF 2025
Darius Adams, La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.) 6-4 SG 2025
Kiyon Anthony, Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, N.Y.) 6-4 SG 2025
Brayden Burries, Roosevelt (Eastvale, Calif.) 6-5 PG 2025
Oswin Erhunmwunse, Putnam Science Academy (Putnam, Conn.) 6-10 C 2025
Acaden Lewis, Sidwell Friends (Washington, D.C.) 6-1 PG 2025
Eric Reibe, Bullis School (Washington, D.C.) 7-0 C 2025
Qayden Samuels, Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.) 6-6 SF 2026
Meleek Thomas, Lincoln Park (Midland, Pa.) 6-4 SG 2025*
Sebastian Williams-Adams, St. John’s (Houston, Texas) 6-9 PF 2025
Tounde Yessoufou, St. Joseph (Santa Maria, Calif.) 6-5 SG 2025
*Meleek Thomas recently announced he will play at Overtime Elite in Atlanta for his senior season.
Continue Reading
High School Sports
Kiyan Anthony Shines at NBPA Top 100 Camp, Captivating NBA Scouts and Melo!
Kiyan Anthony IMPRESSED NBA Scouts & Melo At NBPA Top100 Camp
Kiyan Anthony is certainly catching attention at the NBPA Top100 Camp, showcasing his skills with a standout performance. In one remarkable outing, he scored an impressive 34 points, leaving a lasting impression on both onlookers and NBA scouts, as well as his father.
As we look forward to more from Kiyan, it’s clear that he is making his mark in the basketball community.
Continue Reading