Montverde Academy basketball continually produces one of the best products in all of high school basketball.
With a chance to bring in talent from around the world, many athletes flock to the prep school for a direct path not just to the NCAA, but the NBA. The academy creates more exposure than some Division I college basketball teams, and many of the academy’s players are doing great things in the NBA today, including all-star Ben Simmons.
With five five-star prospects on the roster for the season, led by potential future No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham, the question isn’t if Montverde is the best of the year, but if they are the best of all time.
In terms of talent, Montverde has been the best for some time now. Not only Simmons, but he and D’Angelo Russell created one of the best high school basketball teams in the country just five years ago. They are just some of the talents who have come out of Montverde in years past.
But this year, Montverde may have the most talent, and best team, the program has ever put together. I mentioned Cunningham, the terrific combo guard who looks like the next great NBA point guard. He has the ability to attack you with size, strength, and ability, with great ball handling and an improving jump shot.
He runs alongside Scottie Barnes, whose 6-foot-8-inch frame and long arms make him the most athletic player in the country. The pairing makes Montverde one of only two teams in the country with two top-10 rated recruits, and the pair fit together perfectly.
The Eagles completed a perfect season by beating IMG Academy on Feb. 1 by a score of 67-46. This is the team’s third time beating IMG, whom many believe to be the second best team in the country. Montverde has made easy work of every team in their path, which is one of the toughest schedules in the country.
So where do they stand among the best? After beating the likes of IMG and McEachern and dominating at the Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Massachusetts, it’s easy to say that they might be the best ever. But much of that will be determined at the GEICO National Tournament in April.
But with an elite group of talent and size, it’s easy to say that this may be the most talented high school basketball team ever.
