Final, Expanded 2024-25 FAB 50 Rankings!

All 50 ranked teams written up with explanations for why they were placed in these positions with comparisons to preseason ranking. The FAB 50 National Team Rankings powered by Ballislife.com is the official rankings of the National Sports News Service, which date back to the 1952 season. Columbus of Florida is the 2024-25 mythical national champion, as the program became the first full state association member to start and finish No. 1 in 19 years. The Explorers also became the first non academy-type program to win Chipotle Nationals.

Compiled by Ronnie Flores

(Preseason ranking in parentheses; *Indicates forfeit wins, forfeit losses not included; **Indicates forfeits and defaults not included.)

1. (1) Columbus (Miami, Fla.) 30-3
The Explorers built a roster and played a schedule expected of a unit looking to challenge for the FAB 50 title. Columbus lived up to its billing, becoming the first full state association member that started and finished No. 1 since Greg Oden-led Lawrence North (Indianapolis) in 2005-06. Unlike that club and the 2023-24 Montverde Academy team that went wire-to-wire as No. 1, Columbus dropped from No. 1 following back-to-back losses to No. 4 Long Island Lutheran and No. 14 Link Academy at the Jordan Brand Classic in December. This team also lost its opener to No. 3 Prolific Prep, but bounced back in a major way by avenging the loss to Link Academy with a 70-47 victory and by capturing Chipotle Nationals, a tournament both Long Island Lutheran and Prolific Prep participated in. Columbus defeated No. 8 Wasatch Academy (76-62), then downed No. 2 Brewster Academy in the semifinals, 47-45, on a buzzer-beating jumper by Cayden Boozer before defeating Dynamic Prep (Dallas) in the Chipotle Nationals title game, 67-49. For the event, Cayden Boozer averaged 20 ppg and 5 apg, while Cameron Boozer averaged 17 ppg and 9.3 rpg as Columbus became the first non-academy-type program to win the prestigious event. In all, only 11 games on Columbus’ schedule came against teams that were never FAB 50 ranked. Cayden, who scored 27 points in the title game win over Dynamic Prep, averaged 14.3 ppg, 3.8 rpg, and 7.2 apg and earned All-American acclaim. Cameron, of course, dominated games and closed one of the most honor-filled careers in the annals of high school basketball by averaging 22.1 ppg, 11.8 rpg and 3.2 apg. He was in the running for Mr. Basketball USA honors for three years and led the program to four consecutive Class 7A state titles, one FAB 50 title, and a 117-16 four-year record against plenty of national competition.

2. (17) Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.) 28-5
Coach Jason Smith’s club moved up three spots from the second-to-last rankings after advancing to the semifinals game of Chipotle Nationals, where it fell to No. 1 Columbus, 47-45. Brewster junior forward Sebastian Wilkins (who had 22 points and 14 rebounds in a 70-60 quarterfinal win over No. 6 CIA Bella Vista) nailed a corner 3-pointer with 11.1 seconds remaining to tie the game, only to see Cayden Boozer win it at the buzzer. Brewster joined the EYBL Scholastic Conference in 2023-24 (when it was known as the NIBC) and was preseason FAB 50 ranked for the first time this season as it finished in a three-way time for first place (9-2) in the regular season conference standings with No. 6 CIA Bella Vista and No. 8 Wasatch Academy. The Bobcats defeated CIA Bella Vista, didn’t play Wasatch Academy and the only unranked team it lost to, Veritas Prep of California, it drew a split with. Wilkins made first team EYBL Scholastic All-Conference, while James Madison-bound forward Preston Fowler and Stanford-bound guard Ebuka Okorie were both third team all-conference.

3. (8) Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) 35-6
The Crew moved up six spots from its spot in the second-to-last ranking after knocking off previous No. 3 and Chipotle Nationals No. 3 seed Long Island Lutheran, 81-80, in overtime. Nikola Bundalo a McDonald’s All-American big man, only played five minutes versus Long Island Lutheran because of an injured groin and hip flexor and he didn’t play in the 83-64 semifinal loss to Dynamic Prep (Dallas). Before playing in Chipotle Nationals, The Crew captured The Grind Session World Championships for the third consecutive season with a 77-50 victory over Ft. Erie (Ontario, Canada), a team that upset No. 23 Utah Prep in the semifinals and previously ranked Dream City Christian (Glendale, Ariz.) in the quarterfinals. Prolific Prep defeated preseason No. 1 Columbus in the Explorers’ first game and lost three consecutive games early in the season when McDonald’s All-American Darryn Peterson was out with a foot injury. Bound for Kansas, Peterson had 28 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists and two steals in the win over LuHi and also had a 61-point outing vs. A.J. Dybansta and Utah Prep. For the season, Peterson averaged 30.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 7.0 apg, 2.3 spg, 1.5 bpg while shooting 41 percent from 3-point range and 84 percent from the free throw line for a team that was a serious FAB 50 title contender despite of its injuries.

4. (6) Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, N.Y.) 21-7
The Crusaders opened up preseason FAB 50 ranked for the eighth consecutive season and were serious national title contenders with a talented team with plenty of firepower on the perimeter. The only two teams coach John Buck’s club lost to that were not part of the EYBL Scholastic Conference were regionally-ranked Owasso, Okla., and to No. 3 Prolific Prep in overtime at Chipotle Nationals. LuHi came into the event ranked No. 3 and drop only one spot in the finals rankings because of the nature of that loss and because it captured the Throne National Championships. The Crusaders came in tied for second place in regular season conference play with three other clubs at 7-4, with loses to second place Sunrise Christian and Montverde Academy. They also had a split with No. 2 and first place Brewster Academy and a win over No. 6 and first place CIA Bella Vista. Penn St.-bound Kayden Mingo was a second team EYBL Scholastic All-Conference choice, while his young brother Dylan Mingo was arguably just as spectacular as his older brother. Guard Nigel James was named conference Defensive Player of the Year and wing Kiyan Anthony (along with Kayden Mingo) was the leading scorer despite missing 11 games due to injury.

5. (10) Roosevelt (Eastvale, Calif.) 35-2
The Mustangs were Cal-Hi Sports’ preseason No. 1 team from the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) ranks (every other credible local source pegged regionally-ranked St. John Bosco of Bellflower) and lived up to their advance billing, and then some. Coach Steve Singleton’s club did fall from its state No. 1 perch because of the common opponent factor with No. 12 Harvard-Westlake, but Roosevelt went unbeaten vs. CIF foes and captured CIF section and regional open titles and beat then No. 16 Archbishop Riordan (San Francisco) in the CIF open final, 80-60 behind the spectacular play of All-American Brayden Burries. His 44-point, 12-rebound, 3-block, 2-steal performance will long be remembered as one of the best individual performances in CIF history. Roosevelt dropped a game to No. 29 Brennan after ace defender and outside sniper Issac Williamson got injured running into a baseline camera man at the Thanksgiving Hoopfest and also lost to No. 13 Gonzaga at the Spalding Hoophall Classic. Gonzaga is the team that defeated Harvard-Westlake. Burries and company defeated Harvard-Westlake in the SoCal open semifinals, 71-59, and then defeated No. 10 Notre Dame in the SoCal final, 79-76, after beating that club earlier in the CIFSS open final. Bound for Arizona, Burries averaged 29.6 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 3.3 apg and 2.9 spg and finished with 1,092 points as a senior, becoming the first player in Riverside County history to score over 1,000 points in a season. The floor leadership of Nevada-bound Myles Walker can’t be overlooked and this team received timely contributions from role players such as freshman Cam Anderson, juniors Jackson Haggins and Christian Benjamin, plus senior Dom Copenhagen.

6. (NR) CIA Bella Vista (Phoenix, Ariz.) 21-6
The season was a huge success for coach Brandon Rosenthal, as the Bears were not ranked in the preseason, but ended up capturing a share of the EYBL Scholastic Conference crown along with No. 2 Brewster Academy and No. 8 Wasatch Academy. After merging with Canyon International Academy, which participated in the conference in 2023-24, CIA Bella Vista was technically a first-time conference member and lost just two conference games to No. 7 Montverde Academy (56-52) and to No. 8 Wasatch Academy (70-66). The Bears lost twice to MVA, but are able to finish ranked ahead of the Eagles by defeating them, 63-60, at the Nike EYBL Scholastic Conference Tournament before losing to No. 4 Long Island Lutheran, 58-52, in the semifinals. Led by first team all-conference point guard Miles Salder (16 ppg in conference play), CIA Bella Vista entered Chipotle Nationals as the No. 5 seed, but lost to No. 4 seed Brewster Academy, 70-60, despite 25 points from Sadler and 22 points from guard Rokiem Green. Rosenthal also had high praise for Pacific-bound forward Jaion Pitt, who had the offense run through him on many occasions and tallied plenty of “hockey” assists.

7. (3) Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 19-8
The Eagles finished with their lowest FAB 50 ranking in fourteen seasons under Kevin Boyle, who announced he was leaving his post as MVA head coach for Spire Academy in Ohio in early March. Yes, MVA suffered more losses this season than any of the previous 13 under Boyle, but it was still a major FAB 50 title contender that really didn’t have a poor loss on its resume. Led by second team EYBL Scholastic All-Conference wing C.J. Ingram, Montverde Academy lost twice to No. 1 Columbus and fell to Dynamic Prep (Dallas) in the play-in game of Chipotle Nationals, 67-52. Dynamic Prep eventually fell to Columbus in the title game. MVA did lose to No. 20 IMG Academy and No. 21 AZ Compass Prep, but also beat No. 6 CIA Bella Vista two of three times, including handing the Bears their first loss in conference play. Illinois-bound Dante Allen and Creighton-bound Hudson Greer made third team all-conference for Boyle, who finished 363-34 in his tenure at the Florida boarding school.

8. (40) Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah) 25-6**
After two consecutive 7-5 seasons in EYBL Scholastic Conference play, the Tigers relied on their excellent backcourt to lead a successful season in which they captured a share of the EYBL Scholastic Conference title alongside No. 2 Brewster Academy and No. 6 CIA Bella Vista. Coach Paul Peterson unit’s losses to No. 31 Archbishop Stepinac, No. 21 AZ Compass Prep and a split with No. 14 Link Academy are offset by a win over No. 6 CIA Bella Vista on the final EYBL Scholastic stop that earned Wasatch Academy a share of the conference title. Wasatch defeated No. 20 IMG Academy, 75-57, in the play-in game at Chipotle Nationals, as five players scored in double-digits before falling to eventual champion Columbus in the quarterfinals, 75-57. All-American Isiah Harwell, bound for Houston, scored 15 points and had four steals in the big win over IMG academy and 17 points in the big win over CIA Bella Vista. For the season, he averaged 17.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 3.1 apg and 1.1 spg for a team that was much better than its preseason forecast.

9. (BB) Calvary Christian Academy (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) 22-1
The Eagles began No. 17 in the Southeast Region, but proved to be better than that, much better, actually, as they put forth a successful season culminated by capturing the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Class 3A state title. It all almost came tumbling down, including their lofty ranking, in the champion game vs. The Villages Charter (Fla.). K.J. Francis’ offensive rebound put back make off a driving field goal attempt by McDonald’s All-American Shon Abaev with under four seconds remaining in a tie game gave his team a 66-64 victory. Abeav, headed to Cincinnati, finished with 20 points and 11 rebounds, but it was Francis’ heroics that will be remembered for years to come. Calvary Christian captured the The Classic at Tennessee High School in Bristol, Tenn., with victories over No. 15 St. Joseph in the semifinals and Central (Phenix City, Ala.) in the title game. The Eagles only loss came versus No. 7 Montverde Academy in the semifinals of the Montverde Academy Invitational (MAIT), where they defeated No. 21 AZ Compass Prep in the first round and came back to defeat No. 23 Utah Prep in the third place game, 64-57. Abaev averaged 20.9 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 3.3 apg and 1.7 spg, while highly-regarded sophomore Cayden Dougherty averaged 16.7 ppg.

10. (42) Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) 28-8
Notre Dame coach Matt Sargeant nearly predicted his team’s exact spot in the preseason rankings, but the unit ended up being much better than advertised even though its eight-man rotation played only eight of 36 games together. The loss count may be high, but the Blue Knights only lost twice to clubs that didn’t end up being ranked, Layton Christian of Utah and Sierra Canyon of California, and were able to split with those clubs. Notre Dame lost twice to No. 12 Harvard-Westlake before beating that club when it mattered in the CIF Southern Section open playoffs behind 25 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists from top-notch junior Tyran Stokes. We thought about moving Harvard-Westlake back up in front of the Blue Knights, but Notre Dame gave No. 5 Roosevelt all it could handle on three occasions, while Harvard-Westlake was beaten by the Mustangs more decisively in the SoCal regional playoffs. Notre Dame had the lead on more than one occasion in the SoCal open final, but two back-breaking threes by Roosevelt’s Brayden Burries, the Mustangs’ free throw advantage and a tough block-charge that fouled out Lino Mark was the difference. Stokes (21.0 ppg), Mark (15.1 ppg), Zach White (12.6 ppg) and NoVarro Bowman Jr. (14 ppg) are all major honors candidates and only the Rutgers-bound Mark graduates.

11. (23) Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.) 27-6
For the first time since 2021-22, the Panthers were not the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) favorites. In the end, however, Paul VI captured WCAC regular season and tournament titles. Paul VI did drop one WCAC game to No. 13 Gonzaga, but did come back to beat that club, 58-54, in the WCAC championship game. All-American Jordan Smith Jr., a junior, netted a game-high 29 points. Later that same week, Paul VI fell to No. 30 Bishop O’Connell in the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association (VISAA) D1 semifinals, 59-57. A case can be made that Gonzaga should finish ranked higher than the Panthers considering it won its state title, but Paul VI gets rankings credit for winning the ultra-tough regular season title and for beating Gonzaga head-to-head when its counted. Paul VI also won the WCAC tourney title for the second consecutive season (both times over Gonzaga) and for the third time in four seasons. Smith averaged 18.9 ppg, 6.4 rpg and 4.0 apg and was first team all-WCAC and all-Met by the Washington Post.

12. (19) Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.) 31-3
Even though they fell short in their quest for a third consecutive CIF open title after losing on the road to No. 5 Roosevelt, 71-59, in the SoCal open semifinals, the Wolverines have no reason not to hold their heads up high for the season they had. Harvard-Westlake was the only club other than No. 5 Roosevelt to be Cal-Hi Sports’ No. 1 team in the state after it downed No. 16 Perry and No. 13 Gonzaga en route to the Hoophall West title right after New Year’s. Gonzaga went on to beat Roosevelt, but Harvard-Westlake lost its perch after losing to No. 10 Notre Dame (a team it beat twice) in the CIFSS playoffs. The Wolverines were able to finish ranked ahead of No. 15 St. Joseph, which lost at home to No. 10 Notre Dame in its SoCal regional semifinals. That’s where Harvard-Westlake’s two victories over Notre Dame came into play. Duke-bound McDonald’s All-American Nik Khamenia was two-time all-state and the go-to player on both ends, but the shooting of junior Joe Sterling and the improvement of junior Amir Jones (10 ppg) and Isaiah Carroll (9.1 ppg) cannot be understated. Khamenia and Sterling both averaged 18 ppg, while Khamenia also added 8.2 rpg and 7.1 apg.

13. (7) Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) 29-5
The Purple Eagles had yet another terrific campaign, but coach Steve Turner felt his club was snubbed out of a deserving spot at Chipotle Nationals. Gonzaga did fall to No. 11 Paul VI in the WCAC title game for the second consecutive season, but qualified for Chipotle Nationals by defeating No. 36 Sidwell Friends, 67-51, to capture the DCSAA title. Led by its All-American backcourt of Nyk Lewis and Derek Dixon, Gonzaga lost two games in WCAC play, was able to get a split with highly-regarded DeMatha Catholic of Maryland and took No. 1 Columbus to three overtimes before falling, 85-79. Perhaps if Gonzaga would have got that Chipotle Nationals berth, it would have had the opportunity to move in front of the Harvard-Westlake team it lost to in January in Arizona after that team failed to win a state title. On a club with five D1 recruits in its starting lineup, the North Carolina-bound Dixon averaged 14.1 ppg, 3.1 rpg and 2.6 apg, while the VCU-bound Lewis averaged 12.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg and 4.2 apg. Turner finishes his tenure at Gonzaga with a 525-182 mark and is moving on to Montverde Academy in Florida.

14. (2) Link Academy (Branson, Mo.) 20-9
This team, top-to-bottom, was the country’s most talented and at times the Lions played like it. At other times, they struggled with continuity and it’s reflected in their ranking. Under first-year coach Chad Myers, Link Academy began at No. 2 and was one three clubs to hand No. 1 Columbus a loss, although Columbus came back to win the return match, 70-47. That score and the loss count is reflected in Link Academy’s final ranking because there must be a balance of credit for its big wins and the losses. Myers’s club moved up to No. 2 after capturing the inaugural EYBL Scholastic Conference tournament title by defeating four FAB 50 ranked clubs. The Lions won a play-in game vs. No. 21 AZ Compass Prep, 46-39, defeated No. 8 Wasatch Academy in the quarterfinals, 59-51, and No. 18 Sunrise Christian Academy in the semifinals, in overtime, 54-45. In the title game, Link Academy took down No. 4 Long Island Lutheran, 74-71, as big man Chris Cenac Jr. had 22 points (9-of-11 shooting), six rebounds and six blocks. We stated, in real time, it was not going to be easy to come back and capture Chipotle Nationals after gaining the automatic berth, and the season-long inconsistencies came to light once again as the No. 2 seed fell to No. 10 seed Dynamic Prep, an eventual finalist, 74-55. Cenac ended up as the Lions’ most highly-regarded player, earning second team EYBL Scholastic All-Conference honors. He was named conference tourney MVP after averaging 14.5 ppg and 6.8 rpg and went for 12.6 ppg, 8.2 rpg and 1.6 bpg in conference play.

15. (33) St. Joseph (Santa Maria, Calif.) 31-2
As No. 5 Roosevelt was easily dispatching then No. 16 Archbishop Riordan (San Francisco) in the CIF open final, it wasn’t hard to think of what could have been. The CIF decided to place St. Joseph in the South for the open regional playoffs when the Knights could have been placed North and it dramatically altered the scenarios. At the end of the regular season, Baylor-bound All-American Tounde Yessoufou became California’s all-time leading scorer (3,659 career points) and it was easy to conjure images of him doing battle with a player the caliber of Brayden Burries in the state final when it was apparent Burries too much for Riordan to handle. St. Joe’s chances of going to state went down plenty in the South, and it lost at home to No. 10 Notre Dame, 66-64, in the SoCal open semifinals. Sure, a Roosevelt-St. Joseph matchup could have been an all-timer, but the Knights were the No. 2 seed in the South and have to be ranked accordingly. St. Joseph’s only other loss was to No. 9 Calvary Christian Academy in the semifinals of the The Classic in Tennessee and for many weeks the CIF Central Section D1 champs had to be ranked ahead of No. 12 Harvard-Westlake because the Knights own a win over Orem (Utah), a team that twice beat the Timpview (Utah) club that Harvard-Westlake lost to. That changed after Notre Dame’s season ended because Harvard-Westlake defeated Notre Dame twice. Still, it was a terrific season led by Yessoufou and junior guard Julius Price (18.4 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 6.0 apg). Yessoufou, of course, closed out his standout 4-year by giving St. Joe’s a chance it each game, averaging 28.1 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 2.7 apg, 3.4 spg, 1.1 bpg.

 16. (11) Perry (Gilbert, Ariz.) 27-2
It’s pretty easy to break down the season for the Pumas, who only lost two games and went unbeaten against Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) foes. Perry was easy to pencil in as the AIA’s preseason top ranked team and lost a game to No. 1 Columbus, 75-65, at the Spalding Hoophall Classic. Looking back at their ridiculous draw at Hoophall West in Arizona, it has to sting a bit to get No. 12 Harvard-Westlake in the first round. Perry lost a close contest, 57-54. For Perry, Columbus’ success was fruitful and for a while Harvard-Westlake was No. 2 in the FAB 50 so Perry was tracking as perhaps the highest ranked AIA team ever. When Harvard-Westlake failed to 3-peat as CIF open champs, it hurt Perry’s overall ranking but on its end the Pumas took care of business. Arizona-bound Koa Peat and his teammates will be known for a historic 4-“Peat”, as the Pumas won their fourth consecutive state title in the AIA’s highest classification courtesy of a 66-44 victory over Sunnyslope of Phoenix. Incredibly, Perry’s three-time All-American played his last two games with a broken hand. He still made an impact with his mere presence and scored 20 points in the title game. For the season, Peat averaged 18 ppg, 10 rpg and 4.9 apg, and more importantly, the Pumas went 19-0 during the playoffs in his career, including capturing three straight open division state titles. The contributions of forward De’Andre Harrison (Missouri-Kansas City) and talented sophomore Brunch Branch cannot be understated in the title run.

17. (20) John Marshall (Richmond, Va.) 24-2
The Justices were the preseason No. 1 team in the Virginia High School League (VHSL) by a sizable margin and once again proved to be its best team by a long shot. John Marshall downed Graham, 107-81, to officially capture its fourth consecutive VHSL D2 state crown while becoming the first team to score over 100 points in a state title game. VHSL D2 Player of the Year Latrell Allmond led the way with 27 points, while Richmond-bound point guard Aiden Argabright added 24 points on the court (Siegel Center) where he will play his collegiate home games. John Marshall lost to No. 4 Long Island Lutheran by only three points (66-63), but is dinged a bit for losing to Woodmere Academy of New York, although it must remain in front of No. 19 Highland because of a head-to-head result. To say the Justices have dominated in-state competition is a huge understatement, as they have now won 30 consecutive VHSL playoff games. Technically, the program has won five consecutive state titles, as the 2020-21 team began No. 24 in the FAB 50 but did not play any sanctioned games because of COVID-19 restrictions. Allmond, a junior, averaged 21.8 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 1.7 spg and 2.3 bpg, while Argabright (19.9 ppg, 4.6 apg, 2.7 spg) and Fordham-bound guard Troy Henderson (13.7 ppg, 6.0 apg) were both named first team all-state.

18. (41) Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.) 16-7
After a down season in 2023-24 when the proud Buffaloes finished 11-12 and 3-9 in EYBL Scholastic Conference play, coach Kyle Linsted’s program bounced back in a big way by finishing in a tie for second place in the regular season conference standings with three other clubs. Those second place teams are No. 4 Long Island Lutheran, No. 7 Montverde Academy and No. 20 IMG Academy. The Buffaloes defeated LuHi and IMG Academy and did not play MVA. Those quality wins are offset by losses to No. 2 Brewster Academy, No. 6 CIA Bella Vista, No. 8 Wasatch Academy and two losses to No. 14 Link Academy means this club can’t be ranked any higher. Led by first team EYBL Scholastic All-Conference performer Chidi Nwigwe (14.1 ppg), a junior, and Jacob Walker (11.8 ppg), the Buffaloes defeated IMG Academy, 64-47, in the EYBL Scholastic Tournament quarterfinals before falling to eventual tourney champion Link Academy in overtime in the semifinals, 54-45. Sunrise Christian did not earn a Chipotle Nationals berth.

19. (NR) Highland (Warrenton, Va.) 39-6
We knew about the Hawks in the preseason, but they were just out of range of the East Region rankings. They turned in a great season, culminated by capturing the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association (VISAA) D1 state title with a 56-51 overtime win over No. 30 Bishop O’Connell. Highland lost to two clubs from the WCAC that O’Connell belongs to in DeMatha Catholic of Maryland and St. John’s of Washington, D.C., plus prep schools Combine Academy of North Carolina, whom it split with, and No. 23 Utah Prep. The Hawks did enough to be ranked ahead of Utah Prep, but must be behind No. 17 John Marshall because of a head-to-head loss. Led by All-American Nate Ament, the Hawks recorded quality victories over No. 35 Bullis and No. 36 Sidwell Friends and needed all of Ament’s special ability to get past O’Connell and win the state crown one game after that club downed No. 11 Paul VI in the semifinals. He went for 24 points and 18 rebounds and the VISAA D1 Player of the Year averaged 19.0 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 2.2 apg and 1.2 bpg. The Hawks won the VISAA D2 state title in 2023 and in 2024 Ament was the VISAA D2 co-Player of the Year before the team moved up to the highest classification in 2024-25.

20. (4) IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) 21-8
The Ascenders took on a strong batch of clubs as they do every season under veteran coach Sean McAloon, and the only two non-EYBL Scholastic clubs IMG Academy lost to were No. 1 Columbus and No. 11 Paul VI. As we stated in the preseason with this unit, there is a thin line between being a legit FAB 50 title contender and falling to the middle of the pack in a competitive 14-team league and the latter is what happened to this club. The Ascenders finished in a four-way tie for second place and were the No. 5 seed in the EYBL Scholastic Tournament, falling to No. 4 seed Sunrise Christian Academy, 64-47. The Ascenders did quality for Chipotle Nationals over Sunrise Christian as the No. 8 seed, but fell to No. 9 seed Wasatch Academy for the second time on the season, 75-57. IMG Academy did beat No. 7 Montverde Academy and No. 14 Link Academy, but the nature of the defeats at the end of the season drop it to this spot. Darius Acuff Jr. led the way and earned conference player of the year honors after leading the Nike EYBL Scholastic Conference in scoring for the second straight year (23.7 ppg). McAloon also singled out the abilities of second team all-conference performer Sadiq White Jr. (12.1 ppg).

21. (5) AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.) 15-7
The Dragons were similar to No. 14 Link Academy in that their talent level was on par with any team in the country, but they didn’t meet expectations despite some quality victories. Coach Pete Kaffey looked for his team to finish at least 8-3 in EYBL Scholastic Conference play, but a 5-6 mark left the Dragons in fourth place. The only club AZ Compass Prep lost to outside the conference was to No. 9 Calvary Christian Academy. Wins over No. 2 Brewster Academy, No. 3 Prolific Prep, No. 7 Montverde Academy and No. 8 Wasatch are offset by losses to No. 18 Sunrise Christian, No. 20 IMG Academy, fifth place finisher Oak Hill Academy and six place finisher La Lumiere of Indiana. Junior guard Kaden House (13.5 ppg), a third team all-conference selection, was the top honors candidate on a team that lost its return match vs. No. 14 Link Academy in the opening game of the EYBL Scholastic Tournament.

22. (24) Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.) 29-3
The Wildcats had a terrific season and used a clutch performance from junior Colben Landrew to end right in the rankings range we predicted in the preseason. More important that its ranking, Landrews’ performance meant Wheeler captured its tenth Georgia High School Association (GHSA) state crown by defeating Newton, 61-56, in the AAAAAA state final. The Wildcats trailed entering the final period and were ahead by just two points (57-55) when Landrew netted the final 10 points to settle matters. He finished with 21 points, while sophomore point guard Kevin Savage added 17 for a program that has now won four state titles since 2019-20. Wheeler finished its campaign on a 21-game winning streak, including a 68-53 victory in the state semifinals over Grayson of Loganville that avenged an earlier loss and snapped Grayson’s 49-game in-state winning steak. Mansur McClain had 18 points and Savage added 14 points, four assists and two steals. The other two losses for coach Larry Thompson’s club was to No. 1 Columbus and No. 2 Brewster Academy.

23. (14) Utah Prep (Hurricane, Utah) 22-12
The Diamondbacks, a re-branded program that participated in the Grind Session’s Power Conference, was in position to challenge some of the nation’s best teams because of the presence of BYU-bound wing A.J. Dybansta. Utah Prep wasn’t quite a FAB 50 title contender, as it had a high loss count and dealt with a mid-season coaching change, but it did record some quality victories and was a tough out for many ranked teams. Its best wins came over No. 2 Brewster Academy, No. 14 Link Academy and No. 19 Highland. This is a natural landing spot because Dybansta and company beat No. 24 Duncanville, 84-70, but lost in the The Grind Session World Championships semifinals to Ft. Erie (Canada). Point guard J.J. Mandaquit and shooting guard Anthony Felesi had moments of brilliance, but it was Dybansta that steered the ship for the Diamondbacks. He averaged 28.6 ppg, 9.5 rpg and 3.6 apg and at times looked like a future NBA starter.

 24. (47) Duncanville (Duncanville, Texas) 27-7
We placed the Panthers as the No. 3 team from the University Interscholastic League (UIL) in the preseason behind Brennan and Allen because of their track record under coach David Peavy. There was plenty of quality teams to consider, but considering Duncanville’s recent track record (six consecutive seasons in the preseason FAB 50, 2022 No. 1 ranking) we gave the Panthers the benefit of the doubt even though top scorer B.J. Davis-Ray transferred to JSerra (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.). When all the dust settled, the Panthers emerged as the UIL Class 6A D1 state champs with a thrilling 54-52 win over No. 28 Bellaire. TCU commit Kayden “Bug” Edwards led the Panthers with 23 points and six rebounds. For most of the season, Duncanville played at its preseason level with three losses to unranked teams, but under Peavy has been UIL’s highest ranked team every season between 2019 and 2025, except 2023-24 when it lost in the second round of the Class 6A playoffs. Duncanville beat then No. 4 Allen in the semifinals, 77-74, while Bellaire downed then No. 3 Brennan in its semifinal, which gives the Panthers a nice bump in the final rankings. Edwards was named TABC All-State and sophomore guard Beckham Black earned underclass All-American laurels.

25. (NR) Jeffersonville (Jeffersonville, Ind.) 24-5
The Red Devils’ resume and placement reasoning is similar to No. 24 Duncanville’s. They put together a pedestrian regular season, but the nature of their state championship run forces a Top 25 finish. Fishers (Ind.) was No. 10 in the FAB 50 and riding a 43-game winning streak, but Jeffersonville pulled out a 67-66 overtime victory to capture the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) Class 4A crown. Jeffersonville guard Elijah Cheeks, a junior, scored on a lay-up with 32 seconds left in overtime and it proved to be the difference in the game. The final outcome wasn’t decided until Fishers’ Millen McCartney’s last ditch 3-point effort fell short of the rim at the buzzer, which set off a wild celebration by the Jeffersonville faithful. Northwestern-bound Tre Singleton finished with 26 points, five rebounds and four assists to guide the Red Devils to their first state title since 1993 when Indiana still conducted a single-class state tournament. Ironically, Jeffersonville coach Sherron Wilkerson was the star player and a McDonald’s All-American choice on that ’93 team that finished No. 14 in the National Prep Poll (FAB 50 precursor). Singleton and Wright St.-bound Michael Cooper were both IBCA Supreme 15 all-state choices.

 26. (BB) Fishers (Fishers, Ind.) 30-1
We began Cathedral of Indianapolis as our preseason No. 1 IHSAA team at No. 43, but we should have given more credence to the Tigers, who began No. 13 in the Midwest Region. Cathedral was terrific last summer, but Fishers was coming off 29-1 season in which it finished No. 9 in the FAB 50. The Tigers came within one overtime period of doing the 2023-24 team one better by finishing unbeaten with a repeat IHSAA Class 4A title. Fishers trailed then unranked Jeffersonville, 45-42, entering the final period and when Millen McCartney’s 3-point heave was off at the overtime buzzer, Fishers was denied another state title and suffered its first loss of the season at the same time. The sting of the loss will linger, but the Tigers had a terrific season and still deserved to be FAB 50 ranked. Miami (Ohio) bound Justin Kirby and sophomore guard Jason Gardner Jr. both netted 15 points in the bitter loss and were both IBCA all-state selections. Fishers easily downed Crown Point, 73-48, in the semifinals behind 18 points from Gardner and 16 points from Kirby.

27. (49) Hoover (Hoover, Ala.) 35-0   
The Bucs started out as the final FAB 50 ranked team from the Southeast Region and met expectations, capturing a third consecutive Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) Class 7A state crown. In the state title game, senior point guard Jarrett Fairley converted a key 3-pointer down the stretch and finished with a team-high 21 points, while Tennessee-bound Dwayne Brown dominated once again in his final high school game with 18 points, 16 rebounds and five blocks. The Bucs do deserve credit for an undefeated season, the first by a Class 7A unit since the state went to a seven-class system in 2014, but can’t be any higher since its only overtime win, over Heritage Christian (Northridge, Calif.) at the Alaska Airlines Classic, was against a club that wasn’t ranked in the West Region and did not qualify for its state playoffs. Brown wrapped up his career as one of the most decorated players in Alabama history as Hoover won a third consecutive state title and ended the season on a 45-game winning streak. He was named AHSAA Class 7A tourney MVP for the second consecutive season, was a two-time Alabama Sportswriters Association Class 7A Player of the Year, a three-time Birmingham News Region Player of the Year and three-time all-state choice. As a senior he averaged 15.0 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 2.9 bpg and finished his career with 1,814 points and 1,189 rebounds.

28. (BB) Bellaire (Bellaire, Texas) 26-11
The Cardinals were considered a legit UIL Class 6A D1 contender in the preseason and began No. 14 in the Southwest Region rankings. Still, there were plenty of contenders ahead of Bellaire and it had a nondescript regular season. The Cardinals turned it up in the post-season and got the big win in the UIL Class 6A D1 semifinals, knocking off then state No. 1 and FAB 50 No. 3 Brennan, 65-57. Duke-bound Shelton Henderson came up with perhaps the best performance of his high school career at the right time, finishing with 26 points, 20 rebounds and four assists. The Cardinals came up three points short (54-52) vs. No. 24 Duncanville in a state title game that saw five ties and six lead changes. Henderson gave it all he could, finishing with 25 points, 15 rebounds, three steals and three blocks. Yes, Bellaire lost to No. 5 Roosevelt and No. 29 Brennan beat that club, but Bellaire’s head-to-head trumps that in our rankings equation. Henderson (19.4 ppg, 6.0 rpg) was a cinch all-state choice, while Texas St.-bound Anthony Andrews (14.8 ppg, 6.0 rpg) and Kohlman Dutton (11.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.3 apg) were the team’s other mainstays.

29. (30) Brennan (San Antonio, Texas) 33-3
The results of the Bears’ season had plenty of affect on the final rankings, as Brennan played a national schedule and was the UIL’s top-ranked team going into the post-season with an unblemished in-state record. Brennan’s losses to St. John’s and DeMatha Catholic of the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference meant WCAC teams were as strong as we forecasted in the preseason and would earn high rankings, as long as Brennan kept winning. Brennan also owned a win over No. 5 Roosevelt and as long as that club went on to win a CIF title and Brennan captured a UIL crown it assured the Bears would finish as a Top 5 team in the country. Brennan was building towards this post-season for three years, but came up short in the Class 6A D1 semifinals to No. 28 Bellaire, 65-57, when it was ranked No. 3. It was a bitter pill to swallow but the Bears can’t be ranked below No. 33 Allen even though that club lost to the eventual state champion in the semifinals because Brennan deserves credit for the head-to-head overtime win and for defeating No. 30 Bishop O’Connell. This veteran team was led by underrated All-American Kingston Flemmings, a guard headed to Houston who averaged 20.4 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 6.8 apg, 2.9 spg and shot 82 percent from the charity stripe.

30. (NR) Bishop O’Connell (Arlington, Va.) 23-10
The Knights were outside the preseason East Region Top 20, but it’s not as if we didn’t know they were talented and capable of competing against some of the nation’s best teams. Playing in the WCAC also paid dividends, as coach Joe Wootten’s club finished in a tie for third place with DeMatha Catholic of Maryland behind No. 11 Paul VI and No. 13 Gonzaga. O’Connell lost to the Stags and split with Paul VI, beating the WCAC champs in the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association (VISAA) D1 semifinals, 59-57. It then took No. 19 Highland overtime, 56-51, to knock off the Knights in the title game. Led by junior Darius Bivins (11.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 3.8 apg, 2,0 spg) and senior Shane Lincoln (10.3 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.4 apg, 2.2 spg), O’Connell defeated No. 24 Duncanville and No. 36 Sidwell Friends (46-45). The reason O’Connell is not closer to Highland in the rankings is a 84-58 loss to No. 29 Brennan in its first game and five losses to unranked teams, including one in three games to the St. John’s club Brennan lost to.

31. (18) Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.) 26-4
The Crusaders were highly-regarded in the preseason but had to work to climb back up in the rankings because it took three losses to unranked teams, although St. Frances Prep of Baltimore came in at No. 20 in the final East Region rankings. Stepinac’s other loss was to No. 1 Columbus. Ironically, coach Patrick Massaroni’s club ended up with an identical won-loss record as the 2023-24 season and captured its third straight New York State Catholic High School Athletic Association (CHSAA) “AA” state crown. That came courtesy of a 63-61 overtime victory over St. Raymond (Bronx N.Y.), as junior Jasiah Jervis (16.3 ppg) netted 17 points and senior Hassan Koureissi (10.8 ppg) added 13 points and eight rebounds. To close out the season, Stepinac took on No. 45 Thomas Jefferson (Brooklyn, N.Y.) in the CHSAA vs. PSAL Challenge and downed Jefferson, 69-67. Jeff made a late push, but the Crusaders hit their free throws down the stretch. Koureissi made eight free throws in the fourth period and went 9-of-9 for the game, while all-state guard Danny Carbuccia (11.5 ppg) closed his career strong with 15 points and seven assists.

32. (NR) Oak Park (Kansas City, Mo.) 31-1
The Northmen were ranked behind Chaminade of St. Louis in our preseason Missouri forecast (Chaminade was No. 10 in our preseason Southwest Region Top 20), but at the end of the day Oak Park was clearly the Show Me State’s top team. Oak Park capped its season by capturing the Missouri High School State Athletic Association (MSHSAA) Class 6 state title with a 68-60 win over Chaminade. For a program that was 4-21 ten years ago, it was able to capture its first state title behind the scoring of senior Zeek Brown and the clutch shooting of senior Corbin Allen. Brown finished with a team-high 18 points and after Oak Park trailed early, Brown hit two big 3-pointers in the fourth period and finished with nine points and seven rebounds. The big regular season win for Oak Park, coach by 2006 McDonald’s All-American Sherron Collins, came over No. 47 Vashon with its only loss to North Crowley (Ft. Worth, Texas), in its second game of the season. Allen and senior Caleb Estes both averaged 16.3 ppg and were all-state choices, while Allen also averaged 8.7 rpg, 2.6 apg and 2.5 spg and was named MOBCA Class 6 Player of the Year.

33. (27) Allen (Allen, Texas) 34-2
The Eagles opened up as the University Interscholastic League’s (UIL) top-ranked team and came up two games short of finishing No. 1, falling to No. 24 Duncanville in the Class 6A D1 state semifinals, 77-74, when it was No. 4 in the FAB 50. Allen trailed by 10 points entering the final period, but senior Antoine Shannon gave Eagles’ fans a glimmer of hope by canning two 3-pointers to give his team the lead, but a costly turnover that led to a bucket was a back-breaker and Allen’s desperation corner 3-pointer was off the mark. Shannon (14.0 ppg) scored 28 points in a losing effort while senior guard Trent Pane (11.6 ppg) was named TABC Class 6A All-State. Yes, Allen didn’t have big-name recruits, but it was terrific unit that has to be behind No. 29 and fellow Class 6A semifinalist Brennan because of a head-to-head 71-66 overtime loss. Allen also doesn’t have a key out-out-state win to judge its resume by.

34. (NR) Webb (Knoxville, Tenn.) 34-2
The Spartans shot the ball incredibly well in their 54-45 victory over Briarcrest Christian of Eads in the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) Division II Class AA state title game. Webb made 11-of-22 3-pointers, including four makes in five attempts in the final six minutes when it closed the championship game on a 16-7 run. Junior guard Owen Lentz led the way, making 4-of-7 3-pointers to finish with 14 points. Junior forward Cam Swearengen made 3-of-4 3-pointers, finished with 11 points and was named tourney MVP. Senior point guard Jaylen Pompey added eight assists and was named all-tournament for Webb coach Ricky Norris’ club. Lentz and Pompey were chosen TSWA D2-AA all-state. Webb, which lost to Moravian Prep of North Carolina (not FAB 50 eligible) and to No. 9 Calvary Christian Academy, won its second state crown, with the first coming in 2019.

35. (31) Bullis (Potomac, Md.) 23-7
A year about losing in the Maryland Private School State Basketball Tournament title game, Bullis came back to capture the 2025 MDPSSBT crown with a 52-37 victory over Clinton Grace Christian. McDonald’s All-American Eric Reibe came off the bench to lead Bullis with 23 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks, Hawaii-bound Jeremiah Johnson added 10 points while highly-regarded freshman Xavier Skipworth added eight. Bullis defeated DeMatha Catholic of Hyattsville in the semifinals, 69-54, as Marquette-bound Adrien Stevens had 19 points, Johnson had 18 and Skipworth 10. Skipworth led the way with 14 points in the 68-47 first round win over Georgetown Prep, the team Bullis beat, 55-53, to win its third consecutive Interstate Athletic Conference (IAC) crown. Bullis did beat No. 36 Sidwell Friends, while losing to ranked clubs Columbus (No. 1), Link Academy (No. 14), Highland (No. 19) and Archbishop Stepinac (No. 31), plus a setback to Chipotle Nationals finalist Dynamic Prep of Dallas.

36. (16) Sidwell Friends (Washington, D.C.) 24-6
The Quakers were not quite the club we projected in the preseason, but an injury to 2024 Ballislife Underclass All-American point guard Acaden Lewis that forced him to miss all but the first six games was a big factor in that. Sidwell Friends was gunning for its fourth consecutive District of Columbia Schools Athletic Association (DCSAA) Class AA title, but came up one game short, falling, 67-51, to No. 13 Gonzaga. Coach Eric Singletary’s club defeated WCAC club St. John’s of Washington, D.C. in the semifinals (55-45), but did lose to No. 30 Bishop O’Connell. Sidwell Friends lost to No. 19 Highland and to No. 35 Bullis, but also own a win over No. 11 Paul VI. Jalyn Collingwood, a junior, averaged 13.9 ppg and 4.9 rpg and sophomore Ian Condon averaged 12.9 ppg and 5.9 rpg.

37. (BB) DME Academy (Daytona Beach, Fla.) 24-12
It’s always difficult to rank teams from the Sunshine Independent Athletic Association (SIAA) because the teams are full of college-bound talent and tend to beat up on each other. At its best, we feel DME Academy was the best of the lot. Central Pointe Christian Academy captured the SIAA title, but it was DME that beat the White Tigers twice. DME Academy took on a national schedule and took losses to teams such No. 1 Columbus, No. 20 IMG Academy and Chipotle Nationals finalist Dynamic Prep of Dallas. Led by McDonald’s All-American Mikel Brown, DME split with No. 43 Winston-Salem Christian and showed its depth at the Grind Session World Championships. Even without Brown, who was named SIAA MVP and averaged over 25 ppg, the team still advanced to the semifinals, where it fell for the second time this season to No. 3 Prolific Prep, 78-72, after avenging a loss to Iowa United in the quarterfinals.

38. (NR) Our Lady of Mt. Carmel (Baltimore, Md.) 34-4
It was an ultra successful season for the Cougars, which won both the regular season and tournament title in the competitive Baltimore Catholic League (BCL). The Cougars beat second place finishers Archbishop Spalding and St. Frances Academy two out of three times and also lost to WCAC power DeMatha Catholic of Maryland. The rubber match with St. Frances, which owned wins over No. 21 Archbishop Stepinac and No. 39 St. Thomas Aquinas, was especially sweet because the 55-50 victory resulted in the program’s first Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) “A” conference title. Junior forward Ralph Rudusans led the way with 17 options, while sophomore Junior Mancho added 11 points, seven rebounds and three steals. The Cougars had never won the BCL crown before, but closed the season on a 10-game winning streak, which culminated in a 53-38 BCL title game win over Mt. St. Joseph of Baltimore, as Mario Tatum was named title game MVP. Coach Tony Martin, who guided John Carroll School in Maryland to national prominence and also coached at Cape Fear Academy in North Carolina, was named Baltimore Sun Coach of the Year. Spark plug point guard Rodney Scott and Tatum were named first team Baltimore Sun All-Metro, while junior Gage Howard was named second team.

39. (NR) St. Thomas Aquinas (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) 30-2
We sound like a broken record, but we’d love for the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) to adopt a tournament of champions or some form of an open division so all its great teams could compete against each other in the post-season. Florida’s governing body is reportedly considering it and based on recent seasons, it would quickly be one of the best state tournaments in the country. For the Raiders, they showed their rankings worth by capturing the Class 6A state crown with a 71-63 win over Evans of Orlando. Evans was seeking its first state title in 50 years, since the late prep-to-pro Darryl Dawkins was in the lineup, and things looked good as it led by 14 points early in the second half. The Raiders stormed back behind the play of Dwayne Wimbley Jr. (16. 3 ppg), as the Florida St. commit finished with 22 points, 11 rebounds and three blocked shots. St. Thomas Aquinas outscored Evans, 22-7, in the fourth period to win its first state crown since 2001 when its finished 29-2 and No. 34 in the FAB 50. The Raiders, which lost to St. Frances Academy of Baltimore and North Broward Prep, also got 15 points from sophomore Clarence Westbrook Jr. (17.3 ppg) and 13 points from sophomore K.J. Sandi (11.2 ppg).

40. (NR) North Mecklenburg (Huntersville, N.C.) 30-3
The Vikings are about as easy to rank of any team in this year’s final FAB 50, as two of their losses are to No. 38 Our Lady of Mt. Carmel (71-59) and to No. 39 St. Thomas Aquinas (60-51). North Meck took care of its own business by capturing the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) Class 4A state crown for the second straight year with a 59-56 victory over New Hanover of Wilmington. The Vikings defeated Chambers, 64-56, in the state semifinals and beat that club twice in three games. Chambers handed No. 41 Christ School one of its three losses. North Meck’s Chadlyn Traylor (College of Charleston) was named first team all-state by the North Carolina Basketball Coaches Association.

41. (25) Christ School (Arden, N.C.) 28-3
The Greenies were the team to beat in the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association (NCISAA) Class 4A ranks and they got the job done, winning the state crown with a 73-50 victory over Carmel Christian. Leading player Zymichah Wilkins, bound for N.C. State, scored 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the Greenies to their third consecutive state crown. Junior Dacen Petty and freshman Mason Collins netted 18 points each for Christ School, which captured its ninth overall state crown. Coach Joshua Coley’s club lost to No. 11 Paul VI, lost to Chambers (which No. 40 North Mecklenburg beat twice) and to No. 23 Utah Prep. The Greenies fell to A.J. Dybansta and company in the semifinals of the Nike Invitational Postseason Tournament when it was attempting to qualify for Chipotle Nationals.

42. (46) Reidsville (Reidsville, N.C.) 31-0
We started the Rams in the range they finish after capturing the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) Class 2A state crown for the second consecutive season. The Rams will begin 2025-26 riding a 60-game winning streak after downing Northwood, 71-54, as Grid-Hoop extraordinaire Kendre Harrison, a junior, had 16 points, 11 rebounds, six blocks shots and three steals. The Rams took control of the game in the third period, as junior Dionte Neal had 24 points and four assists while senior Johnniyus Sharpe Jr. also had a big game with 18 points. Teams gunned for the Rams all season, but it proved hard for them to move up in the FAB 50 because of their lack of a national schedule. Neal (22.9 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 9.3 apg, 7.1 spg) was named State Player of the Year by the North Carolina Basketball Coaches Association, while Harrison (15.7 ppg, 13.2 rpg) was a first team choice, with Sharpe (20.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 3.4 apg) a second teamer.

43. (34) Winston-Salem Christian (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 35-7
The Lions played an independent national schedule with quality results, although the overall loss count means they have to finish rank a shade below the level expected of them in the preseason. Coach Antonio Lowe’s club advanced to the Grind Session World Championship quarterfinals, where it fell to No. 23 Utah Prep, 80-75. No. 37 DME Academy, a club W-S C split with, defeated Iowa United in its quarterfinal game and that was a club that beat the Lions. Winston-Salem Christian owns a win over No. 46 Patrick School, with losses to No. 6 CIA Bella Vista, and eventual Grind Session champ and No. 3 Prolific Prep. The Lions’ top players were USF-bound guard Adriel Norah (15 ppg) and junior wing Bradley Floyd (14 ppg).

44. (BB) DePaul College Prep (Chicago, Ill.) 33-4
We started the Rams No. 11 in the Midwest Region and they ended up being the top-ranked team among Illinois High School Association (IHSA) clubs. It wasn’t easy, but they accomplished this by capturing the Class 3A state crown with a thrilling 55-52 double overtime victory over Brother Rice (Chicago) to win their third consecutive IHSA state title. DePaul College Prep trailed by nine in the fourth period, but came roaring back to tie the game at 40-40 when Rykan Woo was fouled on a 3-point attempt and made all three shots from the line. Both teams scored three points in the first overtime, but the Rams took control in the second extra period by scoring the first four points. Makai Kvamme finished with 16 points, nine rebounds and four assists, while Rashaun Porter 14 points and 11 rebound with both players logging all 40 minutes. With the victory, DePaul College Prep avenged an earlier loss to Brother Rice and the Rams also split two games with IHSA Class 4A champ and regionally ranked Benet Academy of Lisle. Kenwood, which won its first Chicago Public League title and got to No. 27 in the FAB 50, also beat DePaul College Prep, but were shocked in a Class 4A Super Sectional final in overtime by state semifinalist Rich Township of Olympia Fields.

45. (NR) Thomas Jefferson (Brooklyn, N.Y.) 30-2
The Orange Wave were just outside the preseason East Region rankings, but showed they belong by capturing the New York City Public School Athletic League (PSAL) Class 4A title with a thrilling 56-55 victory over Eagle Academy. Jah’da Swann did it all for Jeff in the title game with 26 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists, six blocks and six steals and Jeff needed every ounce of that effort to pull off the win. Swann, the New York Sportswriters’ Player of the Year who averaged 29.4 ppg 14.1 rpg and 7.1 apg in PSAL games, had a 37-point effort in an easy semifinal win over Thurgood Marshall. The only regular season loss for the Orange Wave came against a talented club from Stranahan, Fla., that captured the FHSAA Class 4A state crown. Ten days after beating Eagle Academy, Jefferson took on No. 31 Archbishop Stepinac in the CHSAA vs. PSAL Challenge and lost by two points, 69-67. Coach Lawrence Pollard’s club was hampered by Swann’s foul trouble. Swann finished with 12 points while Connor Sprattley, a senior guard and first team all-stater who averaged 20.5 ppg, finished with 17 points.

 46. (BB) Patrick School (Hackettstown, N.J.) 29-7
The Celtics are the 13th and final team in the FAB 50 from the East Region, ahead of teams such as DeMatha Catholic of Maryland, Plainfield of New Jersey and Notre Dame of Connecticut. Patrick School opened No. 16 in the East Region Top 20 and was a tough out for many independent clubs. The Celtics dropped games to No. 43 Winston-Salem Christian and twice against No. 23 Utah Prep. The second loss was a 86-81 setback in the first round of the Nike Invitational Postseason Tournament when the Celtics was attempting to qualify for Chipotle Nationals. The Celtics did bounce back to win tourney games vs. SoCal Academy and Dream City Christian of Arizona. Seniors Brandon Lee (22.0 ppg), Jaysean Williams (15.2 ppg) and Kuai Deng (14.6 ppg) were the top individual standouts.

47. (NR) Vashon (St. Louis, Mo.) 27-2
It’s easy to pencil in the Wolverines as the No. 2 Missouri High School State Athletic Association (MSHSAA) club after it captured the Class 4 state title with a 81-45 victory over Benton of St. Joseph. Vashon is No. 2 in the state behind FAB No. 32 and Class 6 champ Oak Park, which beat the Wolverines, 71-62. Vashon’s other loss was to No. 44 DePaul College Prep, 68-54. Missouri St.-bound Trey Williams and Jimmy McKinney III led a team that won its four state playoff games by an average of 37 ppg. Vashon won its 16th overall state title and its sixth straight dating back to 2019. It could very well be seven consecutive, but the 2020 MSHSAA playoffs were not completed because of the outbreak of COVID-19. This is the first state title under first year coach Jimmy McKinney II, the son of the team’s highly-regarded sophomore. McKinney II also was a standout on Vashon’s 2002 state title-winning team that finished No. 5 in the FAB 50 and only lost to LeBron James’ team at. St. Vincent-St. Mary’s (Akron, Ohio).

48. (BB) Olentangy Orange (Lewis Center, Ohio) 26-2
The Pioneers began the season No. 10 in the Midwest Region Top 20, one spot in front of No. 44 DePaul College Prep, as Ohio’s No. 3 team behind Richmond Heights and St. Ignatius of Cleveland. When the dust settled, Olentangy Orange emerged as Ohio’s best team after downing Reynoldsburg, 56-41, in the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) D1 title game before 7,545 fans at UD Arena. The third quarter was decisive, as the Pioneers outscored Reynoldsburg, 30-12, after leading 17-14 at halftime. Olentangy Orange didn’t score more than nine points in any other quarter. Ellis Appiah netted 20 points and Treyton Schroeder made four three-pointers and finished with 12 points for the victors. Olentangy Orange’s only losses came against Cathedral of Indiana (Midwest Region preseason No. 4 club) and FAB 50 No. 6 CIA Bella Vista.

49. (35) Great Crossing (Georgetown, Ky.) 35-4
Coming in as the No. 5 team from the Midwest Region are the Warhawks, which only lost one game in-state versus a strong schedule that included a loss to No. 1 Columbus. Only Delaware and Kentucky still use a one-class system for its state tournament and it was Great Crossing that played up to expectations by winning the UK Healthcare Sweet 16 title with a 71-61 win over Bowling Green. The Warhawks, which lost in the state semifinals in 2023-24, had to win four games in a three-day span to capture the Sweet 16 and easily dispatched Montgomery County of Mt. Sterling, 70-49, in the state semifinal earlier in the day before beating Bowling Green. Kentucky Mr. Basketball and future Kentucky Wildcat Malachi Moreno was the team’s ringleader and in the state title game he went for 24 points, 15 rebounds and three blocked shots while only missing one shot from the field. Morehead St.-bound Vince Dawson added 15 points for Great Crossing, which won its first state crown and closed its season on a 27-game winning streak. Its other two losses were to St. John’s of Washington, D.C. and Westminster Academy of Florida. Moreno went for a double-double in 37 of 39 games and averaged 21.5 ppg, 14.9 rpg, 3.5 apg and 3.6 bpg.

50. (BB) East Lansing (East Lansing, Mich.) 27-1**
The sixth and final team from the Midwest Region takes the final spot in the FAB 50 over such clubs as Wisconsin Lutheran (Midwest), St. Michael’s of Texas (Southwest), St. John Bosco of California and Dream City Christian of Arizona (West). East Lansing, which opened up at No. 17 in the Midwest Region, got the nod for this spot after capturing the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) D1 title with a 66-46 victory over Wayne Memorial, which ironically finishes as the No. 17 team in the Midwest Region. The Trojans took care of business behind 20 points from St. Louis-bound Cam Hutson. Sophomore Kingston Thomas added 19 points and junior K.J. Torbert netted 16 points for a club that won its first state title since 1958. Its closest game in the state tourney was its 51-44 semifinal victory over perennial MHSAA power and defending champ St. Mary Prep (Orchard Lake, Mich.), which was the preseason state No. 1 and No. 2 team from the Midwest Region.

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of Ballislife.com. He can be reached at [email protected]. Don’t forget to follow him on Twitter: @RonMFlores

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