High school basketball rankings: Montverde Academy opens at No. 1 in Preseason MaxPreps National Top 10

The high school basketball landscape has experienced unprecedented change over the past decade with an increasing number of prospective college and pro players gravitating toward programs outside the realm of state governing bodies and prep hoops in a traditional sense. In response to those changes, MaxPreps changed its approach to the national rankings for high school basketball prior to the 2021-22 season, giving independent and academy-based programs their own platform.

Today, we unveil the Preseason National Top 10 with perennial national powerhouse Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) beginning the season as the team to beat after winning its third consecutive national title in 2021-22 and finishing 22-4. The Eagles look to continue their dominance with an unprecedented 10 top 100 prospects on the roster.

Montverde features five top 20 prospects — Duke commit Sean Stewart, Oregon commit Kwame Evans, Asa Newell, Derik Queen and Cooper Flagg; three additional top 50 prospects — Kansas commit Chris Johnson, Liam McNeeley and Bryce Heard; plus three more four-star prospects — Illinois commit Dravyn Gibbs-Lawhorn, Georgetown commit Marvel Allen and Curtis Givens.

Defending NIBC champion Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.) and conference newcomer AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.) appear to be Montverde's biggest challengers for the NIBC crown this season, as both powerhouse programs feature a plethora of top 100 talent.

Joining these programs in the powerful NIBC are nationally-ranked IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.), Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah) and Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) along with bubble program Legacy Early College (Greenville, S.C.). A pair of teams who compete for state titles and are considered for the MaxPreps Top 25 rankings — Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.) and Bishop Walsh (Cumberland, Md.) — round out the 10-team conference.

Two other programs of note this season are Link Academy (Branson, Mo.) and Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.), who both feature rosters that can compete with any team in the nation. Each team looks to continue its upward trajectory under new head coaches as Ryan Bernardi takes over Prolific Prep and Billy Armstrong takes the reigns at Link Academy.

As MaxPreps continues to strive toward making its national rankings as reputable as possible, programs who roster fifth-year players are not eligible for inclusion. Teams who are recognized members of the Overtime Elite League are also no longer considered for the National Top 10.

Read on for a complete look at our MaxPreps Preseason National Top 10. Click on team names for in-depth previews of each team. 1. Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.)

2021-22: 22-4, No. 1 in final National Top 20

Breakdown: Three-time reigning national champions look to continue dominance led by 10 top 100 prospects. Kwame Evans, Derik Queen, Sean Stewart, Cooper Flagg and Dravyn Gibbs-Lawhorn are among numerous players who could emerge as prominent pieces for the Eagles.

2021-22: 25-2, No. 2 in final National Top 20

Breakdown: After capturing the inaugural NIBC regular season title, the Buffaloes have high expectations headed into this season behind top 50 prospects Layden Blocker, John Bol, Mikel Brown, Matas Buzelis, Miro Little and Scotty Middleton.

2021-22: 25-5, No. 8 in final National Top 20

Breakdown: Highly-regarded prospects Mookie Cook, Rayvon Griffith, Zayden High and Vyctorius Miller headline one of the deepest rosters in high school basketball. The Dragons have the pieces to compete for a top spot in the NIBC with eight top 150 prospects.

2021-22: 34-2, No. 3 in final National Top 20

Breakdown: The second-year program looks to establish itself as a mainstay in the national rankings after a successful first season that saw them reach the GEICO Nationals title game. A reloaded roster features four top 20 prospects in Elliot Cadeau, B.J. Davis-Ray, Aaron Rowe and Ja'Kobe Walter.

2021-22: 21-5, No. 4 in final National Top 20

Breakdown: This group has the talent to outplay its preseason ranking with six top 60 prospects — Amier Ali, Amari Allen, Jamier Jones, Jamie Kaiser, Khani Rooths and Bryson Tucker. The Ascenders will be tested early with a showdown against top-ranked Montverde Academy on Dec. 1 to open NIBC play.

2021-22: 26-7, No. 7 in final National Top 20

Breakdown: In search of the program's third consecutive GEICO Nationals berth, the Crew reloaded under a new regime. Projected starters Trey Green, Aden Holloway, Zion Sensley, Yves Missi and Michael Nwoko are backed by strong bench options led by top 50 prospect Paul McNeil.

2021-22: 21-5, No. 5 in final National Top 20

Breakdown: Although the Lakers have an under-the-radar roster with just two top 100 prospects in Kaleb Glenn and Gus Yalden, look for them to compete at a high level in the NIBC this season powered by strong defense and fundamentals. La Lumiere currently sits at nine GEICO Nationals appearances.

2021-22: 14-10, No. 12 in final National Top 20

Breakdown: Third-year head coach Paul Peterson looks to earn an invitational to GEICO Nationals for the first time after going 32-17 during his first two seasons with the program. Top 100 prospects Malick Diallo, Isiah Harwell and R.J. Jones are expected to be the catalysts this season.

2021-22: 33-8, No. 9 in final National Top 20

Breakdown: Plenty of questions surround the program after legendary head coach Steve Smith retired following the 2021-22 season after 37 years at the helm. First-year head coach Yerrick Stoneman looks to make a strong first impression behind a trio of top 150 prospects — Zion Pipkin, Micah Robinson and A.J. Swinton.

2021-22: 23-5, No. 14 in final National Top 20

Breakdown: It is hard to predict who will emerge as the top dog in the challenging SIAA conference. However, the Flame have a strong opportunity to duplicate their success from last season behind a plethora of Division I prospects including Paul Djobet, Gregory Spate and Ibrahima Traore.

On the bubble: Southern California Academy (Castaic, Calif.), St. Benedict's Prep (Newark, N.J.), The Rock (Gainesville, Fla.), DME Academy (Daytona Beach, Fla.), Legacy Early College (Greenville, S.C.)