NO. 1 MONTVERDE ACADEMY
Location: Montverde, Florida
Preseason Rank: 1
2018-19 record: 22-3
Final 2018-19 Super 25 ranking: 4
Montverde blew a 16-point lead in the second half of the GEICO Nationals semifinals and fell to eventual champion IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) on a last second run-out dunk. To say that left a bad taste in the Eagles’ mouths would be severely understating it.
Montverde certainly has the star power to get there starting with the top player in the country running the show in Cade Cunningham and sharpshooter Moses Moody joining him to form one of the country’s deadliest backcourts.
Cunningham took his game to the next level this past summer, demolishing the competition on the Nike EYBL in route to earning league MVP hardware. He was the best player on any circuit this summer and is the key to why the Eagles are soaring at No. 1.
They also added all-everything forward Scottie Barnes, a Florida State commit who is ranked No. 10 in the Chosen 25, forward Day’Ron Sharpe, a North Carolina commit who is ranked No. 25 in the Chosen 25, and shooting guard Langston Love, who is ranked No. 25 in the Chosen 25 for 2021.
The Eagles also have steady junior point guard Ryan Nembhard and a pair of sophomore five-stars in shooting guard Dariq Whitehead and wing Caleb Houstan; that gives the Eagles four Chosen 25 players and six five-star players. Good luck stopping that.