Nobody has ever dominated the high school basketball landscape quite like
Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.). The program finished No. 1 during a 2019-20 campaign abbreviated by the pandemic, capturing its fourth national title in eight seasons. The Eagles of a year ago went 25-0 and won by an average margin of nearly 40 points per contest.
The Orlando-area powerhouse tops our preseason MaxPreps Top 25 high school basketball rankings behind a roster featuring seven players ranked in the top 40 of their respective classes.
Since hiring head coach Kevin Boyle in 2011, Montverde Academy has held a top 10 spot in the final national rankings each
of the past nine seasons, winning over 90 percent of the time it takes the floor.
Perhaps no program is more illustrative of the ever-changing face of the high school game than
Ypsi Prep Academy (Ypsilanti, Mich.), which could be a contender in its first season of existence behind top prospect Emoni Bates. Fellow preseason top 10 team Prolific Prep is a relative newcomer as well, hitting the floor for the first time in 2014.
We can't overlook the black cloud hanging over the 2020-21 season. The biggest storyline of all will undoubtedly be the ongoing pandemic and how teams deal with limited scheduling options, state health department restrictions, staggered starts and an almost complete void of annual national tournaments and showcase events.
It's certainly made things messy from a rankings standpoint. We've made every team eligible for our preseason and final MaxPreps Top 25. However, states that do not begin until January or later will not be featured in our weekly rankings until their respective seasons begin.
Head coach: Kevin Boyle | 2019-20: 25-0, No. 1 in final MaxPreps Top 25
Breakdown: The defending national champions feature eight players ranked No. 64 or higher in their
respective class, led by a trio of top 10 prospects in
Jalen Duren,
Caleb Houstan and
Dariq Whitehead. Montverde has won 81 of its last 85 games dating back to 2017.
Head coach: Sean McAloon | 2019-20: 19-6, No. 19 in final MaxPreps Top 25
Breakdown: One season removed from capturing the program's first national title, the Ascenders have all the talent to challenge for the throne once again in 2020-21. IMG is led by six top 50 players, including five-star prospects
Moussa Diabate,
Jarace Walker and
Jaden Bradley.
Head coach: Luke Barnwell | 2019-20: 22-3, No. 4 in final MaxPreps Top 25
Breakdown: Following a 22-3 campaign, the Buffaloes appear to have all the pieces for a
run at their first GEICO Nationals title. Sunrise Christian Academy features plenty of size with four
projected starters who stand 6-foot-7 or taller as high-major prospects
Kenny Pohto,
Zach Clemence,
Gradey Dick,
Kendall Brown and
Kennedy Chandler make up a formidable starting five.
Head coach: Corey Tucker | 2019-20: N/A
Breakdown: This first-year program has an abundance of talent. Preseason MaxPreps National Player of the Year favorite
Emoni Bates – regarded by some as the game’s top amateur prospect in the world – leads the way flanked by backcourt stars in
Jaden Akins and
Dillon Hunter.
Head coach: Mark Phelps | 2019-20: 31-3, No. 7 in final MaxPreps Top 25
Breakdown: Prep expects to feature a starting five taller than many
NBA lineups with
Mouhamed Gueye (7-0),
Nathan Bittle (6-11),
Adem Bona (6-9),
Kamari Lands (6-8)
and
Isael Silva (6-3). Bona made his way to California from Turkey in recent months and was immediately installed as a top 10 prospect by 247Sports.
Head coach: Grant Rice | 2019-20: 29-3, No. 14 in final MaxPreps Top 25
Breakdown: The Gaels hope to break a national record by winning their 10th consecutive state championship. Gorman features one of the game's top backcourt duos as
Zaon Collins and
Will McClendon both earned MaxPreps Junior All-American honors last
season. A number of talented transfers are expected to compete for starting frontcourt spots.
7. Coronado (Henderson, Nev.)Head coach: Jeff Kaufman |
2019-20: 20-8
Breakdown: Coronado and first team MaxPreps Junior All-American
Jaden Hardy received an influx of offseason talent headlined by high-major
commits
Frankie Collins and
Legend Geeter. The Nevada power had a strong showing at last month's Top Flight Invite playing as "Air Nado." The Cougars beat No. 17
Minnehaha Academy and No. 5 Prolific Prep before losing to No. 2 IMG Academy in a competitive championship game.
Head coach: Glenn Farello | 2019-20: 27-8
Breakdown: Trevor Keels
is expected to be the go-to scorer this season while
Knasir McDaniel will
again orchestrate the offense from the point. Newcomers
DeShawn Harris-Smith and
Kris Mickens provide depth for a program looking for its first Washington Catholic Athletic Conference crown since 2013-14.
Head coach: Mike Jones | 2019-20: 30-3, No. 5 in final MaxPreps Top 25
Head coach: John Mosco | 2019-20: 22-5
Breakdown: The Vikings enter with
lofty expectations behind a senior-filled roster that returns virtually all of its production from last season. The
guard-oriented lineup features four Division I prospects with returning
Philadelphia Catholic League MVP
Rahsool Diggins,
Marcus Randolph,
Daeshon Shepherd and
Jaylen Stinson leading the charge.
Head coach: Kenny Gillion | 2019-20: 28-7
Breakdown: A program on the rise, Gillion's team notched wins over Oak Hill Academy (Mouth Of Wilson, Va.) and Prolific Prep last season. Top
returner
A.J. Neal is joined by elite twin sophomore forwards
Matt and
Ryan Bewley, along with top 100 senior prospect
Wesley Cardet.
Head coach: B.J. Jackson | 2019-20: 22-10
Breakdown: Returners
Ike Cornish,
TyRek Priestley,
Perry Smith Jr. and
Jacobi Wright all are expected to see increased
roles after the Lions graduated three of their top six scorers. The addition of five-star guard
Bryce McGowens could put this team over the top with a much-needed scoring punch. The Lions are expected to compete in the newly-formed National Interscholastic Basketball League, which features six ranked teams.
Head coach: Lance Johnson | 2019-20: 25-3, No. 13 in final MaxPreps Top 25
22. Milton (Ga.)Head coach: Allen Whitehart | 2019-20: 26-5
Breakdown: The Eagles return seven of their top eight contributors from a team that advanced to the Class AAAAAAA state semifinals. Returning MaxPreps Sophomore All-American
Bruce Thornton and MaxPreps Freshman All-American
Kanaan Carlyle guide a
talented backcourt. Milton welcomed West Forsyth transfer
Broc Bidwell and four-star Meadowcreek transfer
Kendall Campbell over the summer.
25. Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.)Head coach: Larry Thompson | 2019-20: 24-7, No. 24 in final MaxPreps Top 25
Breakdown: Defending Class AAAAAAA state champions will be favored to make it two in a row after dropping down a class this year. After missing much of last season due to injury, five-star
Isaiah Collier leads the way for a team that returns key contributors
Jahiem Hudson,
Max Harris and
Jamill Giles and adds four-star transfer
Kaleb Washington.
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