Preseason MaxPreps Top 25 high school basketball rankings: Players to watch, storylines for No. 1 Montverde Academy

Reloaded Eagles eye repeat as national champions.

Thumbnail image of this articles writer: Jordan Divens
By
Nov 11, 2020, 6:05am
Coming off a historically dominant season, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) appears to have another loaded roster heading into the 2020-21 high school basketball campaign.

Eight Eagles rank No. 64 or higher in their respective class, led by a trio of top 10 prospects in Roman Catholic transfer Jalen Duren and key returners Caleb Houstan and Dariq Whitehead.

Other key additions include DaRon Holmes, the 2019-20 MaxPreps Arizona Player of Year, 4-star forward Malik Reneau, and MaxPreps Sophomore All-Americans Justice Williams and Jalen Hood-Schifino.

Since hiring Kevin Boyle prior to the 2011-2012 season, the Eagles have held a top 10 spot in the national rankings each of the past nine years, winning over 90 percent of their games and four national titles. Montverde Academy went 25-0 and earned MaxPreps national champion honors last year in a coronavirus-shortened season.

Montverde again faces a challenging national schedule competing in the newly formed National Interscholastic Basketball League, which features powerhouse national programs including Hamilton Heights Christian Academy (Chattanooga, Tenn.), La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.), Legacy Early College (Greenville, S.C.), Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.) and Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah).
Forward DaRon Holmes
Forward DaRon Holmes
Photo by David Rosenblum
Players to watch

Height: 6-9 | Class: Junior (2022)
National rank: 2 | Status: Uncommitted

Height: 6-8 | Class: Junior (2022)
National rank: 38 | Status: Committed to Dayton

Height: 6-4 | Class: Junior (2022)
National rank: 25 | Status: Uncommitted

Height: 6-8 | Class: Senior (2021)
National rank: 8 | Status: Committed to Michigan

Height: 6-4 | Class: Senior (2021)
National rank: 31 | Status: Uncommitted

Height: 6-1 | Cass: Senior (2021)
National rank: 111 | Status: Committed to Creighton

F Malik Reneau
Height: 6-7 | Class: Junior (2022)
National rank: 64 | Status: Uncommitted

Height: 6-5 | Class: Junior (2022)
National rank: 7 | Status: Uncommitted

Height: 6-3 | Class: Junior (2022)
National rank: 28 Status: Uncommitted
Center Jalen Duren
Center Jalen Duren
Photo by David Rosenblum
Wing Dariq Whitehead
Wing Dariq Whitehead
Photo by David Rosenblum
Guard Justice Williams
Guard Justice Williams
Photo by David Rosenblum
Head coach Kevin Boyle is surrounded by a wealth of talent.
Head coach Kevin Boyle is surrounded by a wealth of talent.
Photo by David Rosenblum

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