All all of the high-powered vacation tournaments are within the books, there’s a new No. 1 within the first FAB 50 Nationwide Crew Rankings powered by Ballislife.com in 2025. For the primary time in program historical past, Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) sits atop the perch of the nation’s greatest groups, however it has loads of work to do to remain there. Greater than ever, there may be motion on the high as groups beat up on one another because of nationwide schedules. In a 12 months of parity, there are 9 newcomers, led by No. 7 CIA Bella Vista (Phoenix, Ariz.), however solely two inside the earlier High 25 drop out. The parity creates pleasure for a number of groups whose fan bases really feel they’ve a shot on the FAB 50 crown.
By Ronnie Flores
Within the 38 years of the FAB 50 Nationwide Crew Rankings powered by Ballislife.com, and the 25 years because it took its present format, there has by no means been so many outcomes which have turned the rankings the other way up since its earlier replace.
That could be a good factor.
Why is it a superb factor you ask? As a result of meaning the nation’s ranked groups are competing in opposition to one another on a weekly foundation and are very aggressive. Within the early years of the FAB 50 (and even earlier than that within the early life of the USA Immediately and Basketball Weekly rankings), many of the high groups had been unbeaten on the finish of the season. It was straightforward to replace the data and groups had been usually ranked excessive based mostly on fame or prior success.
That’s not the case as we enter 2025. There is not a staff within the High 10 in our up to date ballot that hasn’t suffered a loss, as most of the greatest packages have competed in opposition to one another over the previous two months. Greater than ever, a head-to-head end result does not mechanically imply the shedding staff is ranked behind the staff it misplaced to, as a result of this 12 months that staff has additionally misplaced to a 3rd staff that got here into their contest ranked decrease.
Greater than ever, elements apart from head-to-head end result come into play, because the analysis accomplished within the preseason and the circumstances surrounding an enormous sport are extra important than ever. With that in thoughts, it is truly not that troublesome to position Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) at No. 1 within the nation, two spots larger than its place after we final up to date our rankings previous to the massive Christmas-time tournaments, added in with the outcomes of the Nike Match of Champions that includes Hoophall West in Arizona, Jan. 2-4. That is the primary time Prolific Prep, which performs within the Grind Session Energy Convention, has been on this place after fielding many wonderful groups in recent times.
The rational is easy. The Crew took three consecutive shut losses when Mr. Basketball USA candidate Daryn Peterson was out with a foot damage. A sport earlier, Peterson led The Crew to a victory over preseason No. 1 Columbus (Miami, Fla.), 66-54. This week, Columbus is available in at No. 2 after capturing the celebrated Metropolis of Palms Match in Ft. Myers, Fla. Sure, Columbus did undergo back-to-back losses to No. 22 Lengthy Island Lutheran (Glen Head, N.Y.) and No. 21 Hyperlink Academy (Branson, Mo.) on the Madehoops Jordan Vacation Basic after COP, each each these groups have stinker losses on their resume as properly. If it weren’t for the win over the Explorers, Hyperlink Academy could be decrease than No. 20 and Lengthy Island Lutheran would not have been in a position to transfer up on this week’s rankings, because the Crusaders have misplaced to new No. 25 Owasso (Okla.) and No. 39 Dawn Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.).
After Peterson returned to the lineup, Prolific Prep recorded victories over No. 34 Winston-Salem Christian (Winston-Salem, N.C.), 91-70, and No. 8 Utah Prep (Hurricane, Utah), 76-70. Utah Prep lately captured the long-running Iolani Basic in Hawaii with a 45-43 victory over No. 9 Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.), because the Grind Session Energy Convention member rallied from a nine-point deficit to drag out the victory. BYU-bound Mr. Basketball USA candidate A.J. Dybantsa netted 23 factors and was named tourney MVP after tallying 81 factors in 4 victories.
Another excuse Prolific Prep is tabbed No. 1 is due to the groups to personal a victory over Columbus The Crew has the very best resume, plus we will not drop Columbus a lot if in any respect. On high that that, each groups nonetheless have main video games looming within the coming weeks that may take a look at their present 1-2 rating place. Columbus solely drops one spot as a result of it owns a win over No. 6 Gonzaga, handed No. 7 CIA Bella Vista (Phoenix, Ariz.) its solely loss thus far, defeated No. 10 Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) to win Metropolis of Palms, and in addition owns decisive wins over No. 12 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) and No. 14 Grayson (Loganville, Ga.).
It took three overtimes for Columbus to defeat Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.), which falls to No. 6 this week after taking third place on the Hoophall West occasion in Arizona. Gonzaga fell to new No. 5 Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.), 66-63, within the semifinals of a 8-team bracket. The Wolverines’ victory helped the profile of the California Interscholastic Federation’s (CIF) high groups, as seven of them seem within the rankings this week.
It is a tight trio on the high of the Cal-Hello Sports activities State High 25 rankings (which been round even longer than the FAB 50 going again to the 1979-80 season) with Harvard-Westlake proper on the heels of No. 3 Roosevelt (Eastvale, Calif.) and No. 4 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.). Season-long state No. 1 Roosevelt captured the Tarkanian Basic and beat St. John Bosco in time beyond regulation, 56-55, to win The Basic at Damien with uncommitted senior guard Brayden Burries capturing MVP honors at each occasions. The Mustangs are the primary program ever to win the highest division of each prestigious Vacation Tournaments in the identical 12 months and had been with out New Mexico-bound Issac Williamson for a overwhelming majority of the loss to No. 17 Brennan (San Antonio, Texas) on the Thanksgiving Hoopfest in Dallas.
Sure, there may be tons of motion and a few groups ranked larger than groups they misplaced to, however the nation’s greatest groups have not modified a lot since earlier than the vacations. In actual fact, solely two of the earlier High 25 dropped out, as a overwhelming majority of the newcomers break in on the rear of the FAB 50. That is the place the in-depth preseason analysis comes into play.
There have been a myriad of outcomes, however the backside line is, your staff needs to be proficient, you need to play any individual and this 12 months you in the end should bounce again from a loss if you wish to be thought-about one of many nation’s greatest groups.
RELATED: Preseason 2024-25 Mr. Basketball USA Tracker | “In The Paint” Podcast (Spotify) | “In The Paint” Podcast (YouTube)
Up to date FAB 50 Nationwide Crew Rankings
Powered by Ballislife.com
(third ballot of 2024-25 common season; By way of video games performed on Sunday, January 5; *Signifies forfeit wins, forfeit losses not included; **Signifies forfeits and defaults not included)
| No. | Prev. | Excessive College (Metropolis) | Report |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) | 16-3 |
| 2 | 1 | Columbus (Miami, Fla.) | 13-3 |
| 3 | 9 | Roosevelt (Eastvale, Calif.) | 18-1 |
| 4 | 10 | St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) | 17-1 |
| 5 | 31 | Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.) | 18-1 |
| 6 | 2 | Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) | 12-2 |
| 7 | NR | CIA Bella Vista (Phoenix, Ariz.) | 12-1 |
| 8 | 28 | Utah Prep (Hurricane, Utah) | 15-4 |
| 9 | 7 | Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.) | 12-2 |
| 10 | 8 | Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) | 8-2 |
| 11 | 12 | Perry (Gilbert, Ariz.) | 13-1 |
| 12 | 6 | IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) | 11-2 |
| 13 | 13 | Christ College (Arden, N.C.) | 10-0 |
| 14 | 4 | Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) | 13-1 |
| 15 | 17 | DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) | 10-2 |
| 16 | 15 | St. John’s (Washington, D.C.) | 11-3 |
| 17 | 18 | Brennan (San Antonio, Texas) | 19-2 |
| 18 | 19 | Allen (Allen, Texas) | 20-1 |
| 19 | 21 | John Marshall (Richmond, Va.) | 11-0 |
| 20 | 14 | Wasatch Academy (Mt. Nice, Utah) | 13-4 |
| 21 | 20 | Hyperlink Academy (Branson, Mo.) | 10-4 |
| 22 | 23 | Lengthy Island Lutheran (Glen Head, N.Y.) | 8-5 |
| 23 | 42 | Calvary Christian Academy (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) | 11-0 |
| 24 | 29 | St. Joseph (Santa Maria, Calif.) | 13-1 |
| 25 | NR | Owasso (Owasso, Okla.) | 8-3 |
| 26 | 24 | La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.) | 12-5 |
| 27 | 26 | DME Academy (Daytona Seashore, Fla.) | 13-5 |
| 28 | 27 | Dream Metropolis Christian (Glendale, Ariz.) | 16-3 |
| 29 | 32 | Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) | 15-2 |
| 30 | 37 | Hoover (Hoover, Ala.) | 19-0 |
| 31 | 39 | Fishers (Fishers, Ind.) | 12-0 |
| 32 | 22 | Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) | 13-3 |
| 33 | 33 | Mix Academy (Lincolnton, N.C.) | 19-5 |
| 34 | 34 | Winston-Salem Christian (Winston-Salem, N.C.) | 18-4 |
| 35 | NR | Bishop O’Connell (Arlington, Va.) | 12-3 |
| 36 | 30 | Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.) | 11-3 |
| 37 | 16 | Sidwell Pals (Washington, D.C.) | 7-3 |
| 38 | 5 | Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.) | 8-3 |
| 39 | 35 | Dawn Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.) | 7-2 |
| 40 | 36 | AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.) | 6-4 |
| 41 | 38 | Reidsville (Reidsville, N.C.) | 10-0 |
| 42 | 44 | U of D Jesuit (Detroit, Mich.) | 8-0 |
| 43 | 40 | Huntsville (Huntsville, Ala.) | 20-1 |
| 44 | NR | JSerra (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) | 15-3 |
| 45 | NR | St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.) | 11-1 |
| 46 | NR | St. Thomas Aquinas (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) | 12-1 |
| 47 | 49 | De La Salle (Harmony, Calif.) | 14-1 |
| 48 | NR | Lawrence North (Indianapolis, Ind.) | 8-1 |
| 49 | NR | Reynoldsburg (Reynoldsburg, Ohio) | 9-0 |
| 50 | NR | DePaul School Prep (Chicago, Sick.) | 15-1 |
Dropped Out: Earlier No. 11 Oak Ridge (Orlando, Fla.), No. 25 Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.), No. 41 Archbishop Riordan (San Francisco, Calif.), No. 43 Kenwood (Chicago, Sick.), No. 45 St. Xavier (Louisville, Ky.), No. 46 Nice Crossing (Georgetown, Ky.), No. 47 Father Choose (Philadelphia, Pa.), No. 48 Orem (Provo, Utah), No. 50 Olentangy Orange (Lewis Middle, Ohio).
Bubble Groups: Annie Wright (Tacoma, Wash.) 10-1; Archbishop Riordan (San Francisco, Calif.) 9-1; Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.) 6-3; Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.) 5-2; Bolingbrook (Bolingbrook, Sick.) 15-2; Brother Rice (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) 9-1; Cathedral (Indianapolis, Ind.) 9-2; Chaminade (St. Louis, Mo.) 6-4; Cretin-Derham Corridor (St. Paul, Minn.) 9-0; De Pere (De Pere, Wis.) 7-1; DeSmet (St. Louis, Mo.) 10-1; East Lansing (East Lansing, Mich.) 6-1**; Father Choose (Philadelphia, Pa.) 7-3; Ft. Bend Marshall (Missouri Metropolis, Texas) 22-2; Gibbs (St. Petersburg, Fla.) 10-4; Hopkins (Minnetonka, Minn.) 10-0; Imhotep Constitution (Philadelphia, Pa.) 8-4; Jordan (Fulshear, Texas) 21-2; Kenwood (Chicago, Sick.) 14-1; Lake Norman (Mooresville, N.C.) 11-1; Lake Ridge (Mansfield, Texas) 22-2; Lawrence North (Indianapolis, Ind.) 8-1; Milton (Milton, Ga.) 9-3; Montgomery (San Diego, Calif.) 16-1; Muskegon (Muskegon, Mich.) 6-0; Northwest (Shawnee Mission, Kan.) 5-1; Notre Dame (West Haven, Conn.) 6-1; Oak Park (Kansas Metropolis, Mo.) 9-1; Oak Ridge (Orlando, Fla.) 7-5; Olentangy Orange (Lewis Middle, Ohio); Patrick College (Hackettstown, N.J.) 11-2; Reynoldsburg (Reynoldsburg, Ohio) 9-0; Richland (Richland, Wash.) 8-0; Rockford (Rockford, Mich.) 7-1; Roman Catholic (Philadelphia, Pa.) 8-2; Salesian (Richmond, Calif.) 12-1; St. Ignatius (Cleveland, Ohio) 9-3; St. Mary Prep (Orchard Lake, Mich.) 6-3; St. Peter’s Prep (Jersey Metropolis, N.J.) 7-2; St. Raymond (Bronx, N.Y.) 7-4; Timpview (Provo, Utah) 9-3; Vashon (St. Louis, Mo.) 12-1; Veterans Memorial (Corpus Christi, Texas) 25-0; Waubonsie Valley (Aurora, Sick.) 14-0; Webb (Knoxville, Tenn.) 17-2; Wisconsin Lutheran (Milwaukee, Wis.) 9-0; Woodward Academy (School Park, Ga.) 10-3.
Notice: The FAB 50 powered by Ballislife.com is a continuation of the Nationwide Sports activities Information Service scores that started in 1952. These had been the primary nationwide highschool rankings and the late Artwork Johlfs of Minnesota compiled them. They had been compiled for a few years by the late Barry Sollenberger of Phoenix, who merged them into the FAB 50 25 years in the past.
Ronnie Flores is the nationwide Grassroots editor of Ballislife.com. He may be reached at ronnie@ballislife.com. Remember to observe him on Twitter: @RonMFlores
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