High school basketball powers IMG Academy, Montverde Academy shine at ARS/Rescue Rooter National Hoopfest

The first of four ARS/Rescue Rooter National Hoopfest events this season did not disappoint with a packed gym, an electric atmosphere and some of the top teams and prospects in the nation on display at DeMatha High School in Hyattsville, Md.

The opening night of the event featured the top-ranked prospect in high school basketball Anthony Edwards, who dazzled with a 41-point, 14-rebound performance.

IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) may have been the most impressive team over the weekend, picking up two convincing wins over strong DMV area foes. In its first game, IMG picked up a 74-53 win over Wilson (Washington, D.C.) in front of a crowd partial to the D.C. squad.

The Ascenders followed that up with a 75-68 win over host No. 6 DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) in a game that the Stags led by 12 after the first period.

Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) also looked the part of the top team in the nation, notching a pair of signature early-season victories. The Eagles blew past Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.), outscoring the No. 7 team in the nation by 22 points in the second half to take home a 68-41 win.

The defending national champions followed that with a gritty 57-50 win over Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.), using a 20-0 run during the second and third quarters to pull away.

Give Paul VI credit for hanging with Montverde and looking the part of a Top 25 team itself despite losing its top two guards for the season with ACL injuries.

Breakout performer Knasir McDaniel led Paul VI to a big win Sunday over Nicolet (Glendale, Wis.) and Jalen Johnson, who was held to just 14 points. Top Performers

The 5-star's motor never stopped over the weekend and neither did his production. The Villanova pledge was the best player for the most dominant team at the event. He had two spectacular outings, finishing with 26 points and 13 rebounds in a win over DeMatha and 22 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks against Wilson.

The junior led the top-ranked team in high school basketball to two massive wins, earning MVP honors. He had 18 points, five rebounds and five assists in a convincing win over Sunrise Christian, while nearly finishing with a triple-double against Paul VI, finishing with eight points, nine assists and 10 rebounds.

Anthony Edwards showed why he is the top rated prospect in the senior class according to 247Sports. The elite guard averaged 34 points and 13 rebounds per game in two impressive outings, showing incredible displays of athleticism and impressive range from deep. Edwards put together the game of the event, heating up for 37 second half points against Archbishop Carroll (Washington, D.C.) in the opening game of the event.

Put on a show against St. John's to finish with 28 points (21 in second half), 15 rebounds and eight assists in a 2 point win.

Provided a pair of hot shooting performances, posting 24 points with six threes against Montverde Academy and dropping 26 points on 6 of 9 from beyond the arc in a tight win over Nicolet.

The playmaking point guard has made the most of his opportunity early in the season. He posted 13 points, 11 assists, six rebounds and three steals in a hard-fought win over Nicolet and kept the Panthers in the game against Montverde Academy.

Jalen Duren, Roman Catholic (Philadelphia, Pa.)

Making his highly-anticipated high school debut at the National Hoopfest, Duren flirted with double-doubles in both outings.