High school basketball: Way-too-early NIBC power rankings heading into 2022-23

By Jordan Divens Jun 15, 2022, 10:30am

AZ Compass Prep and Long Island Lutheran set to join high school basketball super conference next season.

The National Interscholastic Basketball Conference (NIBC) presents itself as the highest level of prep hoops, and its hard to argue based on early returns. At the conclusion of the 2021-22 season, seven teams were ranked in the National Top 20 headlined by three-time defending national champion Montverde Academy.

The NIBC also featured MaxPreps National Player of the Year Dariq Whitehead and saw six players earn first or second team MaxPreps All-America honors last season in its inaugural run (due to the pandemic, an abbreviated version existed in 2020-21).

In March, the mega-conference announced an expansion from eight to 10 teams for the 2022-23 season with AZ Compass Prep and Long Island Lutheran joining defending conference champion Sunrise Christian Academy, La Lumiere, IMG Academy, Wasatch Academy, Oak Hill Academy, Bishop Walsh, Legacy Early College and aforementioned Montverde Academy.

In its first official season in 2021-22, the NIBC showcased teams throughout the nation in major events with all games live streaming on ESPN networks to provide unprecedented coverage of a high school basketball conference.



Although it is still early in the off-season, we took a deeper look into each team in the conference headed into next season.

As things currently sit, Montverde Academy, Sunrise Christian Academy and AZ Compass Prep appear to have established themselves as early favorites for the NIBC crown next year, while La Lumiere and IMG Academy also have high hopes.

See a breakdown of each team below.
Five-star Class of 2024 post Derik Queen of Montverde Academy goes up for the layup as a sophomore at the City of Palms Classic.
Five-star Class of 2024 post Derik Queen of Montverde Academy goes up for the layup as a sophomore at the City of Palms Classic.
Photo: Pete Wright
NIBC Power Rankings

2021-22 record: 22-4, No. 1 in final National Top 20
Notable losses: Skyy Clark, Jalen Hood-Schifino, Dillon Mitchell, Malik Reneau, Dariq Whitehead

2021-22 record: 25-2, No. 2 in final National Top 20
Notable returners: Layden Blocker, Scotty Middleton
Key additions: John Bol, Matas Buzelis, Miro Little, T.J. Williams


2021-22 record: 21-5, No. 5 in final National Top 20
Notable returners: Jeremy Fears, Aden Holloway
Key additions: Kaleb Glenn, Zaide Lowery

2021-22 record: 21-5, No. 4 in final National Top 20
Notable returners: Jacoi Hutchinson
Key additions: Blue Cain, Bryson Tucker



2021-22 record: 14-10, No. 12 in final National Top 20
Notable returners: Aiden Sherrell, Anthony Wrzeszcz

2021-22 record: 33-8, No. 9 in final National Top 20
Notable returners: Jordan Marsh
Key additions: A.J. Swinton


2021-22 record: 10-17