Will Chipotle Nationals be a coronation for Columbus (Miami, Fla.), the No. 1 team in the FAB 50 National Team Rankings, or will another ranked team in the 10-team field gives the Explorers all they can handle and potential shake up the FAB 50? We give a quick breakdown of the matchups and some insight to Chipotle Nationals.
The program at Montverde Academy in Florida has won Chipotle Nationals, the end of-season tournament founded in 2009 when it was known as the ESPN RISE National High School Invitational, a record seven times. The Eagles’ captured the event last season when it finished unbeaten and also went wire-to-wire as the No. 1 team in the FAB 50 National Team Rankings presented by Ballislife.com.
This year, the current No. 1 team in the FAB 50 will once against compete in the field, but for Columbus (Miami, Fla.), its participation is not so much looked at as a coronation as it was for the Cooper Flagg-led Montverde Academy team. Columbus’ three losses are to teams in the field, so literally all 10 teams (there are two play-in games) feel they have as good as shot as anyone.
Will Columbus win this year’s tournament, set for Hamilton Southeastern High School (Fishers, Ind.) and will Cameron Boozer, bound for Duke, be labeled as the most accomplished high school player ever if his team wins the event and finishes No. 1 in the FAB 50? Or will another club win and open up the door for a number of teams to have a shot at No. 1?
Chipotle Nationals April Lineup
April 2Dynamic Prep (10) vs. No. 7 Montverde Academy (7), 6:15 pm ETNo. 8 Wasatch Academy (9) vs. No. 22 IMG Academy (8), 8 pm ET
April 3No. 9 Prolific Prep (6) vs. No. 3 Long Island Lutheran (3), 2 pm ETNo. 2 Link Academy (2) vs. Dynamic Prep-Montverde Academy winner, 4 pm ETNo. 6 CIA Bella Vista (4) vs. No. 4 Brewster Academy (4), 6 pm ETNo. 1 Columbus (1) vs. Wasatch Academy-IMG Academy winner, 8 pm ET
Note: Seeds listed in parenthesis. The 2 pm ET and 4 pm ET quarterfinal games televised on ESPN2. The 6 pm ET and 8 pm ET will be on ESPNU. The semifinals on April 4 will be televised on ESPN2 at 2:30 pm ET and 4:30 pm ET, as will the title game on April 5 (12 pm ET).
Ballislife Team Analysis
Team: Columbus (Miami, Fla.)FAB 50 Ranking: No. 1 (27-3)Tourney History: Second appearanceBallislife Analysis: The Explorers are the slight favorites to win against a balanced field. They are led by Mr. Basketball USA candidate Cameron Boozer and his brother Cayden Boozer and know what it takes to win this event after participating last season and losing in the semifinals to Montverde Academy, 84-70. Columbus had already beaten potential quarterfinal foe IMG Academy earlier this season.
Team: Link Academy (Branson, Mo.)FAB 50 Ranking: No. 2 (20-8)Tourney History: Third appearance (2023 champions)Ballislife Analysis: The Lions got the automatic berth into the tournament by defeating No. 3 Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, N.Y.) in the inaugural EYBL Scholastic Tournament, 74-71. Seven teams from the league made the Chipotle Nationals field. The reason Link was able to move up all the way to No. 2 from No. 17 in the FAB 50 this week was it is one of the teams that has beaten Columbus this year. Link didn’t have the regular season it hoped for, but winning this tournament would more than make up for the early-season woes.
Team: Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, N.Y.)FAB 50 Ranking: No. 3 (21-6)Tourney History: Third appearanceBallislife Analysis: LuHi got hot at the right time during the season, and amassed an 18-game winning streak before falling in the EYBL Scholastic Tourney final to No. 2 Link Academy. LuHi is playing good defense and will need to find a way to slow down Mr. Basketball USA candidate Darryn Peterson, who is capable of big scoring outings. LuHi has lost to No 2 Link Academy twice this season, and getting by Prolific Prep will be no easy task.
Team: Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.)FAB 50 Ranking: No. 4 (27-4)Tourney History: Third appearanceBallislife Analysis: The Bobcats will be making their first appearance in the event after finishing in a three-way tie for first place in the regular season EYBL Scholastic League standings with Wasatch Academy and CIA Bella Vista. Keep an eye out for junior Sebastian Wilkins, a winner who will do what’s necessary for his team. Brewster lost to Long Island Lutheran, 58-52, during the league tournament.
Team: CIA Bella Vista (Phoenix, Ariz.)FAB 50 Ranking: No. 6 (21-5)Tourney History: First appearanceBallislife Analysis: The Bears, under coach Brandon Rosenthal, won a share of the EYBLS regular season title with a talented team that works hard together. Watch for point guard Miles Sadler; as he goes so do the Bobcats. CIA Bella Vista has only lost to No. 1 Columbus and to other EYBLS teams, including Montverde Academy, which it has beat two out of three.
Team: Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.)FAB 50 Ranking: No. 9 (30-5)Tourney History: Fifth appearanceBallislife Analysis: The Crew is hoping its fifth appearance in the event is the one that will bring them hope the coveted tourney title. Prolific Prep, the No. 6 seed, has its hands full with a Long Island Lutheran team known for its stellar defense. McDonald’s All-American Niko Bundalo will have an opportunity to show the country how talented he is for a team that is awfully tough to beat at full strength. Prolific Prep also owns a win over No. 1 Columbus in that team’s first game.
Team: Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.)FAB 50 Ranking: No. 7 (19-7)Tourney History: 14th appearanceBallislife Analysis: This program has won the event a record seven times (2013-15, 2018, 2021-22, 2024), but the seventh-seeded Eagles have a much tougher road this year as a play-in team. The team has some defections that hurt its continuity, but there is little doubt this is a dangerous club that wants to win in the last-go around for coach Kevin Boyle, who is leaving for SPIRE Academy in Ohio after this season concludes. Someone such as Cornelius Ingram Jr. or Hudson Greer will have to step up for this club to get further than the quarterfinal.
Team: IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)FAB 50 Ranking: No. 22 (21-7)Tourney History: Seventh appearance (2019 champions)Ballislife Analysis: This program lost 64-47 to FAB 50 No. 21 Sunrise Christian Academy in the first round of the EYBLS tourney, so it’s going to have to step it up in Indiana. Arkansas-bound Darius Acuff, Jr. was the EYBLS’ leading scorer and one of the country’s best players. Coach Sean McAloon knows Wasatch Academy will key on him, so someone such as Sadiq White or Felipe Quinones has an opportunity to be the difference-maker.
Team: Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah)FAB 50 Ranking: No. 8 (24-5*)Tourney History: Fifth appearanceBallislife Analysis: Coach: Paul Peterson quietly has a solid team whose FAB 50 ranking is higher than its seeding at No. 9. This program has excellent guards in Isiah Harwell and junior Katrelle Harmon, so the backcourt matchup vs. IMG Academy and who wins it will have the advantage in that play-in game. Wasatch Academy had one of its EYBLS league games count as a forfeit win, and the dangerous team does have wins vs. No. 2 Link Academy and No. 6 CIA Bella Vista.
Dynamic Prep (Dallas, Texas)FAB 50 Ranking: Not rankedTourney History: First appearanceBallislife Analysis: Under Jermaine O’Neal, the former NBA All-Star, Dynamic Prep will look to make a splash in its first appearance in the end-of-season tournament. Dynamic Prep earned an invitation after defeating FAB 50 No. 25 Utah Prep (Hurricane, Utah) in the title game of the Invitational Tournament in North Augusta, S.C., than coincided with the inaugural EYBL Scholastic Tournament. The country knows about Jermaine O’Neal Jr. and big man Jaden Toombs, but will love the dynamic play of sophomore Marcus Spears Jr.
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
