While some nationally-ranked teams have yet to play, others already have 10 games under their belt. We take a quick look at some of some of the key wins so far and preview the Chicago Elite Classic set for December 7.
Montverde Academy Holding Fort
Head coach Kevin Boyle stated in the preseason this year’s team would be different in makeup compared to last year’s Student Sports FAB 50 mythical national champion (more perimeter-oriented), but could be just as good. Based on the Eagles’ results so far, they very well may be.
Last Saturday, Montverde Academy crushed defending Florida 3A state champ and preseason No. 25 Providence (Jacksonville, Fla.) 80-54. Montverde Academy (4-0) also owns a 84-47 victory over defending Georgia AAAAAA and No. 30 Norcross (Norcross, Ga.). Now keep in mind the score and the fact Providence and Norcross will likely go on to have fine seasons.
Montverde Academy’s next game is December 6 versus Lakewood (St. Petersburg, Fla.).
White Station Whitewashing
White Station (Memphis) opened up No. 5 in the FAB 50 and so far have looked the part of a top five program. At the inaugural Lighthouse Classic in Corinth, Miss., the Spartans hammered regionally-ranked DeSoto (DeSoto, Texas) 64-33. DeSoto was 33-3 last year and started just outside the FAB 50, so the margin of victory caught our eye.
On Tuesday, White Station routed Ridgeway (Memphis) as guard Nych Smith netted 21 points and had two steals. On Saturday, White Station has a huge test coming up at the Marshall Count Hoopfest in Benton, Ky. versus No. 13 Prime Prep Academy (Fort Worth, Texas), which has been impressive early on with a 6-0 record.
Sunrise Christian Serves Notice
Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.), ranked No. 24 in the preseason, served notice at the recent State Farm Tournament of Champions in East Peoria, Ill. that it is serious contenders for the program’s first ever berth in the National High School Invitational (NHSI).
The Buffaloes are 4-0 so far with a key 68-45 rout of No. 18 La Lumiere (LaPorte, Ind.) at the State Farm TOC. Pont guard Lourawls “Tum Tum” Nairn had a big outing in the win over La Lumiere with 29 points and 5 rebounds.
Chicago Elite Classic Rundown
There are some intriguing matchups at the 2nd annual Chicago Elite Classic set for December 7 at the UIC Pavilion in the Windy City. Of the seven games, four will include Student Sports FAB 50 ranked teams.
Fenwick (Oak Park, Ill.) vs. University (Normal, Ill.) 10am
The only in-state matchup matches up two quality teams. Fenwick is the slight favorite led by Northwestern-bound shooting guard Scott Lindsey.
No. 26 St. Rita (Chicago) vs. No. 48 Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) 11:30 am
St. Rita coach Gary DeCesare really likes his team this year and has a platform to show his team is a top 25 contender. All five of his starters are D1 caliber, but Gonzaga is a battled-tested program. Gonzaga is led by highly-regarded 2015 guard Bryant Crawford and went 18-0 last year in one of the toughest conferences in the country. All the pressure is on St. Rita.
Marian Catholic (Chicago Heights, Ill.) vs. No. 7 Etiwanda (Etiwanda, Calif.) 1pm
Many people outside of California don’t know just how good Etiwanda is. The Eagles don’t venture out of state much, but this will be their chance to shine on a national stage. Of course, this is billed at a point guard matchup between Tyler Ulis of Marian Catholic (Kentucky-bound) and Jordan McLaughlin of Etiwanda (USC-bound). Etiwanda is a lot more than McLaughlin and would be solid favorites if the game wasn’t played on Marian Catholic’s home turf.
Benet Academy (Lisle, Ill.) vs. Redondo Union (Redondo Beach, Calif.) 2:30 pm
It will be great to see Benet center Sean O’Mara (Xavier) bang underneath with rapidly improving center Terrell Carter. The transfer has given Redondo a big lift early and his presence in the post is something the defending CIF Division II state champs lacked last season. Unsigned senior point guard Ian Fox played spectacularly to help Redondo win its own Pac Shores tournament over a field that included No. 15 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) and No. 37 Westchester (Los Angeles), so it will be interesting to see how Fox responds in this hostile environment.
Simeon (Chicago) vs. Hamilton (Memphis) 6pm
Life begins for Simeon without Jabari Parker (Duke), as the Wolverines begin their season as a four-time defending state champion. Simeon is still quite talented, but with an underclass lineup led by 2015s D.J. Williams and Edward Morrow. Hamilton will look for a big game from Memphis recruit K.J. Lawson. His younger brother, Dedric Lawson, is a highly-regarded sophomore in a game that will include more than one talented tenth-grader. Whichever team keeps its composure best will pull out the victory.
Curie (Chicago) vs. No. 9 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) 7:30 pm
Cliff Alexander vs. Stephen Zimmerman. Not much more needs to be said, but the outcome of the game will depend on the supporting cast. Curie will turn to sophomore Devin Gage and junior Josh Stamps for support and hopes to win the backcourt battle. Curie is regionally ranked, but wants to show on a big stage it has the supporting cast around Alexander to be FAB 50-ranked. Gorman’s Chase Jeter could have a big game if Curie pays too much attention to Big Zimm.
No. 3 Whitney Young (Chicago) vs. No. 15 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.)
Of all the teams in the preseason top 15, the Braves are the ones that have struggled the most so far with a 2-2 record. Despite the presence of UConn commit Daniel Hamilton and Tyler Dorsey, the No. 1 prospect in the 2015 class by the Hoop Scoop, St. John Bosco has yet to find an identity and on-court leader. The Braves are in for a big test going up against a powerful frontline led by returning Student Sports National Junior Player of the Year Jahlil Okafor and fellow senior Paul White (Georgetown). It will be up to freshman Billy Preston of Bosco to stay out of foul trouble and contribute underneath. This is a huge test for the visitors from California — so they will either band together and play the way it was envisioned for them in the preseason or struggle mightily against one of the true contenders for the mythical national title.
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