MaxPreps Preseason High School Basketball Top 25: No. 1 Montverde Academy

Video: Preseason Top 25 basketball rankings
Breaking down the national contenders heading into the 2019-20 season.

Head Coach: Kevin Boyle

Last Season: No. 4 in final Top 100, 22-3 (GEICO Nationals semifinalist)

Scottie Barnes (6-foot-8, Sr., W) — Committed to Florida State

Cade Cunningham (6-6, Sr., G) — Committed to Oklahoma State

Caleb Houstan (6-8, So., F)

Langston Love (6-4, Jr., G)

Moses Moody (6-5, Sr., G) — Committed to Arkansas

Ryan Nembhard (6-1, Jr., G)

Day'Ron Sharpe (6-10, Sr., C) — Committed to North Carolina

Dariq Whitehead (6-5, So., G) Key Games/Events:

Nov. 29 at Duncanville (Texas) — Thanksgiving Hoopfest

Nov. 30 Yates (Houston) — Thanksgiving Hoopfest

Dec. 12 vs. DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.)

Dec. 18-23 vs. Sanford (Hockessin, Del.) (first round) — City of Palms Classic

Dec. 27-30 vs. TBD — John Wall Invitational

Jan. 4 vs. Wooddale (Memphis, Tenn.) — ARS National Hoopfest (Memphis)

Jan. 10 vs. Gill St. Bernard's (Gladstone, N.J.) — Metro Classic

Jan. 19 vs. IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) — Spalding Hoophall Classic

Jan. 20 vs. McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) — Spalding Hoophall Classic

Jan. 23-25 vs. TBD — Montverde Academy Invitational Tournament

Jan. 30-Feb. 1 vs. TBD — St. James Invitational Season Preview:

Already owners of a record four GEICO Nationals' championships, the Eagles enter 2019-20 as the favorite to win a fifth, which would solidify their reputation as the nation's premiere basketball academy.

Last year, the Eagles fell short of reaching the GEICO Nationals title game — falling to eventual champion IMG Academy after losing a 16-point fourth-quarter lead.

An opportunity to avenge that season-ending loss could come in mid-December at the City of Palms Classic as the preseason No. 1 might face preseason No. 2 for a potential monster championship-game showdown.

Along with its trip to City of Palms, the Sunshine State juggernaut takes on No. 6 DeMatha, No. 12 McEachern, Duncanville and take trips to the John Wall Invitational, St. James Inviational and host the Montverde Academy Invitational.

This group will again be led by the No. 2 prospect in the senior class, Cunningham, who will be joined by incoming 5-star prospects Barnes, Sharpe and Love.

Moody is also expected to return to the starting lineup this season, while Houstan, Jackson, Whitehead and Nemhard make up what is likely the nation's best second.