For the second consecutive season, forfeit losses for a nationally-ranked club in the GrassrootsHoops.net FAB 50 shakes up the national rankings picture. Hamilton (Memphis, Tenn.) will forfeit 15 victories, including one to FAB 50 national title contender Oak Hill Academy of Virginia. What does this mean for Hamilton’s ranking? How does it affect Oak Hill Academy? Read our explanation.
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Cliff Alexander Named Mr. Basketball USA
Cliff Alexander named 2014 Student Sports Mr. Basketball USA, Illinois’ first honoree since the 1999-2000 season and the first from Chicago since Kevin Garnett in 1995.
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Final FAB 50 National Rankings
Montverde Academy of Florida captures second consecutive Student Sports FAB 50 title by virtue of winning 27 of 28 games on the court against murderous schedule to edge Mater Dei of California. Montverde Academy, which does not compete for a state title, closed out its season by winning Dick’s Nationals tournament in New York while Mater Dei ties a state record by capturing fourth consecutive state title with program’s first unbeaten state championship club. Read on for explanation of Montverde-Mater Dei debate and check back later this week for expanded FAB 50 rankings with writeups of all 50 teams.
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POY Tracker: Closing The Gap?
Mr. Basketball USA front-runner Cliff Alexander’s high school career at Curie (Chicago) is over, but the race for national player of the year is far from done. We explain the factors that can close the gap between Alexander and the other top candidates and how it can be done.
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Updated Midwest Region Top 20 Rankings
We go 20 deep from five separate regions of the nation. During the season, we rank 100 teams and nobody across the country ranks as many teams as StudentSportsBasketball.com. No. 1 teams are Oak Hill Academy (East), Montverde Academy (Southeast), Chicago Whitney Young (Midwest), Galena North Shore (Southwest) and Rainier Beach (West).
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New FAB 50 National Rankings
Roller coaster ride for Curie of Chicago comes to a close after Condors lose their first round game in Illinois Class 4A state tournament. This is the week we start to see some major movement because of playoff upsets, as three new teams crack the top 10 in additional to six clubs moving into the top 25. Curie’s ouster means a potential No. 1 vs. No. 2 FAB 50 matchup could take place at the Dick’s Sporting Goods National High School Tournament in New York at the conclusion of the season.
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Making Sense Of Curie Mess
It’s been a tumultuous 12 days for Curie (Chicago) with most of the news surrounding its top-rated basketball team away from the court. While Curie’s plight brought national attention to Chicago basketball, the Condors finally returned to the court on Tuesday — and promptly saw their season end in an overtime loss. We examine the situation from the perspective of respected national rankings compilers and examine Cliff Alexander’s national player of the year candidacy.
Updated FAB 50 National Rankings
An eligibility ordeal in Chicago that has drawn national attention did not shake up the Student Sports FAB 50 — at least not this week. Top-ranked Curie of Chicago had all of its regular season wins forfeited, but on Monday the IHSA ruled the Condors can compete in the Illinois Class 4A state tournament. Curie will have a tough road to a state title while the mythical national title hopes of another public school in the Pacific Northwest became much stronger due to another key off-the-court development.
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Updated Midwest Region Top 20 Rankings
We go 20 deep from five separate regions of the nation. During the season, we rank 100 teams and nobody across the country ranks as many teams as StudentSportsBasketball.com. No. 1 teams are Brooklyn Lincoln (East), Montverde Academy (Southeast), Chicago Curie (Midwest), Prime Prep (Southwest) and Rainier Beach (West).
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New FAB 50 National Rankings
Two of the nation’s top four teams need overtime to gut out playoff victories, including top-ranked Curie of Chicago, which had to go to four overtimes to pull out a dramatic victory over No. 8 Whitney Young for the Chicago Public League crown. No. 4 Mater Dei of Santa Ana (Calif.), meanwhile, needs an extra four minutes to win its CIF Southern Section Open Division playoff opener. Neither team drops in the FAB 50, but Curie’s victory is clouded by eligibility issues that could potentially derail a championship season.
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