Top 10 toughest high school basketball schedules

Montverde Academy, IMG Academy and Sierra Canyon headline teams with the toughest slate of games.

Thumbnail image of this articles writer: Jordan Divens
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Nov 27, 2019, 11:00am
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Our final piece of preseason basketball content features the 10 teams who play the most difficult schedules in 2019-20.

Teams are frequently accused of ducking top competition and placing "cupcake" opponents on their schedule to rack up easy wins. These programs haven't avoided any big-time matchups this season and each has a chance to bolster its national resume throughout the year.

With Strength of Schedule weighing heavily into the Top 25 rankings each week, here are 10 teams with an opportunity to prove the most this season.

Top 10 toughest high school basketball schedules
Montverde Academy is the No. 1 team in the country and also has the most difficult schedule in the land.
Montverde Academy is the No. 1 team in the country and also has the most difficult schedule in the land.
Photo by David Rosenblum
10. Vashon (St. Louis)
The Wolverines travel to the loaded City of Palms Classic and Bass Pro Tournament of Champions. They  also take on Curie (Chicago), East St. Louis (Ill.), Simeon (Chicago), Sheldon (Sacramento, Calif.), Whitney Young (Chicago) and Mehlville (St. Louis), among others.

The Catholic League is loaded with talented teams this season as Top 100 programs Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia), Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.) and Bishop McDevitt (Wyncote, Pa.) should challenge the Cahillites for conference supremacy. Roman Catholic also faces No. 10 La Lumiere (LaPorte, Ind.) and No. 15 Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah) at the Cancer Research Classic in addition to a trip to the City of Palms Classic.

This program is looking to return to GEICO Nationals for the first time in five years, but will need to perform well against a daunting national slate of games that includes No. 2 IMG Academy, No. 4 Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.), No. 7 Patrick School, No. 12 Roselle Catholic (Roselle, N.J.), No. 20 Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.) and a trip to the Chick-fil-A Classic.

Though CIF teams aren't able to play teams that do not play for a state championship, the Trailblazers still pieced together a loaded national schedule that includes games against No. 7 Patrick School, No. 8 Paul VI, No. 13 Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.), No. 14 Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis, Minn.) and No. 19 Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.).
The Stags have matchups against No. 1 Montverde Academy, No. 18 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) and No. 19 Rancho Christian along with WCAC foes No. 8 Paul VI and No. 16 Gonzaga, twice each. DeMatha also faces preseason Top 100 opponents St. Frances Academy (Baltimore) and Simeon (Chicago).

An experienced group travels to the City of Palms Classic and takes on No. 10 La Lumiere, No. 19 Rancho Christian and Sunrise Christian Academy. They also host the Gonzaga D.C. Classic and draw on No. 6 DeMatha and No. 8 Paul VI twice each in WCAC play.

This talented group faces No. 2 IMG Academy, No. 3 Sierra Canyon, No. 5 Huntington Prep (Huntington, W. Va.), No. 11 McEachern, No. 12 Roselle Catholic (twice) and No. 13 Long Island Lutheran. The Celtics also travel to the John Wall Invitational where they could meet No. 1 Montverde Academy.

Aside from a grueling WCAC slate that includes a pair of showdowns with No. 6 DeMatha and No. 17 Gonzaga, the Panthers take on No. 2 IMG Academy, No. 3 Sierra Canyon, No. 15 Wasatch Academy along with a trip to the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions.

The defending national champions have a daunting national schedule with showdowns against No. 1 Montverde Academy, No. 5 Huntington Prep, No. 7 Patrick School, No. 8 Paul VI and No. 20 Sunrise Christian Academy along with trips to the City of Palms Classic and St. James Invitational.

The top-ranked Eagles also play the most difficult schedule in high school hoops, headlined by showdowns with No. 2 IMG Academy, No. 6 DeMatha and No. 11 McEachern. They also participate in the City of Palms Classic, John Wall Invitational, Montverde Academy Invitational and St. James Invitational.

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