Week 1 PrepNation National Prep Basketball Poll

WAUKEE, Iowa – For the third consecutive year, Montverde Academy (Fla.) checks in at No. 1 in the first PrepNation National Prep Basketball Poll of the season.

Montverde, which won four of the past seven Prep Poll titles, has once again reloaded its roster with blue-chip talent. Five Montverde seniors are ranked among the nation’s Top 65 prospects in 247Sports’ 2020 composite rankings and three of its underclassmen rank among the Top 20 prospects in the 2021 and 2022 classes.

On the perimeter, Cade Cunningham, a 6-foot-6 senior guard, is the No. 2 overall player in the nation. The Oklahoma State commit averaged 11 points and five assists per game last season for Montverde. Arkansas-bound senior guard Moses Moody is another holdover from last year’s squad. The 6-5 sharp shooter averaged over 15 points per game on the EYBL circuit over the summer. 

Florida State commit Scottie Barnes, a 6-7 senior, averaged 14 points, seven rebounds, and five assists for a University School (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) squad that finished last season ranked No. 9 in the Prep Poll.  

Down low, Montverde will lean on another transfer in 6-10 post Day’Ron Sharpe. The North Carolina commit averaged 17 points, 12 rebounds, and two blocks as a junior for South Central (Wintersville, N.C.), which went 29-1 and was ranked No. 21 in the final Prep Poll.

To make a successful run at its fifth Prep Poll title, Montverde will need to survive the nation’s toughest schedule. The Eagles have stand-alone games against four Top 25 opponents and several more matchups against ranked teams looming at the City of Palms Classic, its own Montverde Academy Invitational, and (most likely) the season-ending GEICO National in New York.  .

Kevin Boyle is an amazing 216-14 with four Prep Poll titles in his eight seasons at Montverde Academy. Before that, he accumulated over 400 wins and won five Tournament of Champions state titles at St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.). Overall, Boyle-coached teams have finished in the National Prep Poll’s final Top 25 each of the last 15 seasons.

The National Prep Basketball Poll is compiled by high school sports experts Jamie DeMoney of XOS Digital and Dr. Jeremy Plowman. The Week 1 national Top 25 and regional Top 10's follow:

NATIONAL TOP 25

1. Montverde Academy (Fla.)  

2. Sierra Canyon HS (Chatsworth, Calif.)

3. IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)

4. Mater Dei HS (Santa Ana, Calif.)

5. Paul VI HS (Fairfax, Va.)

6. Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.)

7. Rancho Christian HS (Temecula, Calif.)

8. DeMatha HS (Hyattsville, Md.)

9. Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.)

10. Duncanville HS (Texas)

11. Roman Catholic HS (Philadelphia)

12. Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis)

13. Huntington-St. Joseph’s Prep (W.Va.)

14. Roselle Catholic HS (N.J.)

15. Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.)

16. Bishop Gorman HS (Las Vegas)  

17. Scotlandville HS (Baton Rouge, La.)

18. McEachern HS (Powder Springs, Ga.)

19. La Lumiere School (La Porte, Ind.)

20. Morgan Park HS (Chicago)

21. Long Island Lutheran HS (Brookville, N.Y.)

22. Wasatch Academy (Mount Pleasant, Utah)

23. Hamilton Heights Christian Academy (Chattanooga, Tenn.)

24. Gonzaga College HS (Washington)

25. Greensboro Day School (N.C.)

NORTHEAST

1. Roman Catholic HS (Philadelphia)

2. Roselle Catholic HS (N.J.)

3. Long Island Lutheran HS (Brookville, N.Y.)

4. Neumann Goretti HS (Philadelphia)

5. Archbishop Stepinac HS (White Plains, N.Y.)

6. Patrick School (Hillside, N.J.)

7. Wildwood Catholic HS (North Wildwood, N.J.)

8. Archbishop Wood HS (Warminster, Pa.)

9. Putnam Science Academy (Conn.)

10. Hudson Catholic HS (Jersey City, N.J.)

EAST COAST

1. Paul VI HS (Fairfax, Va.)

2. Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.)

3. DeMatha HS (Hyattsville, Md.)

4. Huntington-St. Joseph’s Prep (W.Va.)

5. Gonzaga College HS (Washington)

6. Greensboro Day School (N.C.)

7. St. Frances Academy (Baltimore)

8. Dorman HS (Roebuck, S.C.)

9. Legacy Early College (Greenville, S.C.)

10. North Mecklenburg HS (Huntersville, N.C.)

SOUTHEAST

1. Montverde Academy (Fla.)

2. IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)

3. Scotlandville HS (Baton Rouge, La.)

4. McEachern HS (Powder Springs, Ga.)

5. Hamilton Heights Christian Academy (Chattanooga, Tenn.)

6. Grayson HS (Loganville, Ga.)

7. Norcross HS (Ga.)

8. West Oaks Academy (Orlando, Fla.)

9. Briarcrest Christian HS (Eads, Tenn.)

10. Callaway HS (Jackson, Miss.)

MIDWEST

1. La Lumiere HS (LaPorte, Ind.)

2. Morgan Park HS (Chicago)

3. Lincoln HS (Ypsilanti, Mich.)

4. Moeller HS (Cincinnati)

5. Benton Harbor HS (Mich.)

6. La Crosse Central HS (Wis.)

7. Whitney Young HS (Chicago)

8. Lawrence Central HS (Indianapolis)

9. St. Edward HS (Lakewood, Ohio)

10. Male HS (Louisville, Ky.)

MIDLANDS

1. Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis)

2. Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.)

3. Wasatch Academy (Mount Pleasant, Utah)

4. Vashon HS (St. Louis)

5. Overland HS (Aurora, Colo.)

6. Bishop Miege HS (Roeland Park, Kan.)

7. Hopkins HS (Minnetonka, Minn.)

8. Christian Brothers College HS (St. Louis)

9. Wichita Southeast HS (Kan.)

10. Rangeview HS (Aurora, Colo.)

SOUTHWEST

1. Duncanville HS (Texas)

2. Bishop Gorman HS (Las Vegas)

3. Hillcrest Prep (Phoenix)

4. Morton Ranch HS (Katy, Texas)

5. Booker T. Washington HS (Tulsa, Okla.)

6. Coronado HS (Henderson, Nev.)

7. Millennium HS (Goodyear, Ariz.)

8. Lancaster HS (Texas)

9. Yates HS (Houston)

10. Marion HS (Ark.)

WEST COAST

1. Sierra Canyon HS (Chatsworth, Calif.)

2. Mater Dei HS (Santa Ana, Calif.)

3. Rancho Christian HS (Temecula, Calif.)

4. Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.)

5. O’Dea HS (Seattle)

6. Etiwanda HS (Calif.)

7. Fairfax HS (Los Angeles)

8. Sheldon HS (Sacramento, Calif.)

9. Federal Way HS (Wash.)

10. Centennial HS (Corona, Calif.)

All-time National Prep Poll champs, with records and coaches*:

1988--Bronx, N.Y., Tolentine (30-1), John Sarandrea

1989--Jersey City, N.J., St. Anthony (32-0), Bob Hurley

1990--Chicago, King (32-0), Landon Cox

1991--Philadelphia, Simon Gratz (27-1), Bill Ellerbee

1992--Baltimore, Dunbar (29-0), Pete Pompey

1993--Mouth of Wilson, Va., Oak Hill (30-0), Steve Smith

1994--Mouth of Wilson, Va., Oak Hill (30-1), Steve Smith

1995--New Orleans, St. Augustine (37-1), Bernard Griffith

1996--Jersey City, N.J., St. Anthony (31-0), Bob Hurley

1997--Peoria, Ill., Manual (31-1), Wayne McClain

1998--Frederick, Md., St. John's at Prospect Hall (25-0), Stu Vetter

1999--Mouth of Wilson, Va., Oak Hill (31-0), Steve Smith

2000--Compton, Calif., Dominguez (35-2), Russell Otis

2001--Mouth of Wilson, Va., Oak Hill (32-1), Steve Smith

2002--Dallas, Lincoln (40-0), Leonard Bishop

2003--Akron, Ohio, St. Vincent-St. Mary (25-1), Dru Joyce II

2004--Mouth of Wilson, Va., Oak Hill (38-0), Steve Smith

2005--Niagara Falls, N.Y. (28-1), Dan Bazzani

2006--Indianapolis, Lawrence North (29-0), Jack Keefer

2007--Mouth of Wilson, Va., Oak Hill (40-1), Steve Smith

2008--Jersey City, N.J., St. Anthony (32-0), Bob Hurley

2009--Henderson, Nev., Findlay (33-0), Michael Peck

2010--Houston, Yates (34-0), Greg Wise

2011--Jersey City, N.J., St. Anthony (33-0), Bob Hurley

2012--Mouth of Wilson, Va., Oak Hill (44-0), Steve Smith

2013--Montverde, Fla., Montverde Academy (26-2), Kevin Boyle

2014--Montverde, Fla., Montverde Academy (28-0), Kevin Boyle

2015--Montverde, Fla., Montverde Academy (31-1), Kevin Boyle

2016--Chino Hills, Calif. (35-0), Steve Baik

2017--Nathan Hale (Seattle) (29-0), Brandon Roy

2018--Montverde, Fla., Montverde Academy (35-0), Kevin Boyle

2019--Powder Springs, Ga., McEachern (32-0), Mike Thompson

*From 1987-2014, the National Prep Poll was published by World Features Syndicate and distributed to news outlets by the Associated Press.

All content Copyright 2019 Jamie DeMoney/PrepNation.com

About the PrepNation National Prep Poll

The PrepNation National Prep Poll is a continuation of World Feature Syndicate’s National Prep Poll, which was published and distributed to the Associated Press and other news organizations from 1987 to 2015.

The National Prep Poll is second only to the USA Today Super 25 as the longest continually published weekly high school rankings. While a product of World Features Syndicate (1987-2015), the National Prep Poll was the only high school poll distributed to newspapers and websites around the United States by the Associated Press.

Before authoring rankings for Student Sports and ESPN, National High School Sports Hall of Fame journalist Doug Huff compiled the National Prep Poll rankings from 1987 until 1999. Current author Jamie DeMoney has compiled the poll since the start of the 1999 basketball season to the present.

Among the criteria used in the weekly compilation of the National Prep Poll rankings are strength of schedule, the ability to accomplish the ultimate goal on a team's schedule (i.e. winning a championship), impact players and performers, a team's coaching and recent tradition.

About PrepNation.com

PrepNation.com was originally launched August 1, 2001 by Jamie DeMoney for the purpose of creating a permanent online home for the National Prep Poll football and boys basketball rankings.