MaxPreps 2014-15 Preseason Top 25 Basketball Countdown: No. 1 Montverde Academy

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Though seven Montverde Academy (Fla.) seniors from the 2013-14 season are now playing Division I college basketball, the narrative surrounding the Eagles isn't about how much talent has departed.

Instead, the focus is on returning senior Ben Simmons, the 6-foot-9 Australian forward who is among the most polished high school stars to come along in recent years.

Simmons was the centerpiece of last year's Montverde Academy team, averaging 18.5 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game en route to MaxPreps National Junior of the Year and second team All-American honors. Over the summer, he solidified his reputation as the top teenage hoops prospect in the country – and arguably the entire world – and owns the No. 1 spot in the 2015 247Sports Composite Rankings.



See the entire preseason national Top 25

Headed to LSU, Simmons narrowly missed a roster spot on Australia's World Cup team, which was populated by NBA veterans and former college stars.

Simmons might get a feel for what it would have been like to play on that team this season at Montverde Academy. That's because head coach Kevin Boyle has surrounded him with a pro-sized lineup.

Expected to be in the Eagle rotation will be 7-4 Jean Marc Christ Koumadje (headed to Florida State), 7-0 Doral Moore (Wake Forest), 6-8, 260-pound Noah Dickerson (Georgetown), 6-8 Ifeanyi Umezurike, 6-7 Marquez Letcher-Ellis and 6-9 freshman phenom E.J. Montgomery.

That size could push Simmons to the perimeter more. He will be more than comfortable there operating alongside Martez Cameron, Howard Washington and Poland national team representative Marcel Ponitka.

View gallery of Montverde Academy preseason photo shoot



Montverde Academy has been crowned the national champ by at least one media outlet each of the past two seasons (though MaxPreps opted for California state champ Mater Dei in 2013-14). The Eagles begin their quest for a three-peat over the weekend with a pair of games against Georgia state title contenders Berkmar (Lilburn) and Jonesboro.

Montverde Academy's last five years:
2013-14 – 28-0, No. 2 final national ranking
2012-13 – 25-2, MaxPreps national champions
2011-12 – 23-4, No. 4 final national ranking
2010-11 – 21-5
2009-10 – 23-5{PAGEBREAK}

State Association:
Montverde Academy is an international, coeducational, independent college prep school. Though the basketball program does not compete in the state playoffs, the school is a member of the Florida High School Athletic Association.

Enrollment:
998

Head coach:
Kevin Boyle

Career record:
588-138, fourth year as head coach at Montverde Academy, 26th year overall

Former Eagles in college/pro basketball:
- Solomon Alabi, playing professionally in Taiwan
- James Bell, playing professionally in Italy
- Justin Bibbs, Virginia Tech freshman guard
- Jordan Caroline, Southern Illinois freshman forward
- Miguel Cartagena, College of Central Florida sophomore guard
- Chris Davenport, North Florida sophomore forward
- Chris Egi, Harvard freshman forward
- Michael Frazier, Florida junior guard
- Kasey Hill, Florida sophomore guard
- Dakari Johnson, Kentucky sophomore center
- Makinde London, Xavier freshman forward
- Steve Moundou-Missi, Harvard senior forward
- Landry Nnoko, Clemson junior center
- D'Angelo Russell, Ohio State freshman guard
- Devin Williams, West Virginia sophomore forward{PAGEBREAK}

Kevin Cham (6-0, Jr., G)



Jean Marc Christ Koumadje (7-4, Sr., C)
Florida State verbal commit

Tahj Malone (6-4, Sr., G)

Ben Simmons (6-9, Sr., F)
LSU verbal commit, No. 1-ranked 2015 prospect in 247Sports Composite.

Ifeanyi Umezurike (6-8, Sr., F)

Impact newcomers:

Martez Cameron (5-9, Sr., G)

Maddox Daniels (6-5, Jr., G/F)

Mason Daniels (6-5, Jr., G/F)

Noah Dickerson (6-8, Sr., F/C)
Florida verbal commit, No. 55 in 2015 247Sports Composite rankings.

Marquez Letcher-Ellis (6-7, Sr., F)

E.J. Montgomery (6-10, Fr., F)
Played varsity high school basketball in Florida as an eighth-grader last season.

Doral Moore (7-0, Sr., C)
Wake Forest verbal commit, No. 60 in 2015 247Sports Composite rankings.



Marcel Ponitka (6-3, Jr., G)

Howard Washington (6-2, Jr., G)
No. 79 in 2016 247Sports Composite rankings.
{PAGEBREAK}

Circle the date: Keep an eye on a key stretch in December where the Eagles take on a pair of teams capable of springing an upset. On Dec. 6 in West Virginia, Montverde Academy will take on No. 11 Plano West (Texas) then returns home to face Ivan Rabb and Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland, Calif.) six days later.

There are plenty of other landmines on the schedule, including meetings with No. 7 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), No. 8 Roselle Catholic (N.J.) and Top 25 hopeful St. Benedict's Prep (Newark, N.J.).

Tournament time: It's no secret that many high school coaches shy away from national mega-tournaments, fearing a bad stretch will send them home with multiple losses in the span of a few days.

Boyle doesn't operate with that fear. The Eagles will take on a daunting tournament schedule in 2014-15, making appearances in the City of Palms Classic in Florida, the Les Schwab Invitational in Oregon, the Bourbon Street Classic in Louisiana and hosting their own Montverde Academy Invitational.

The City of Palms – the nation's toughest high school basketball tournament – will be of particular interest, as Montverde will be aiming for an unprecedented three-peat.



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