GEICO Nationals high school basketball tournament rebrands as Chipotle Nationals

The GEICO national high school basketball tournament has a new sponsorship and location. The Chipotle Nationals will be held in Brownsburg, Indiana.

The high school basketball showcase known for nearly two decades as the GEICO Nationals has new sponsorship.

The tournament is rebranding as the Chipotle High School Basketball Nationals, it was announced on Thursday. It will now take place at Brownsburg High School in Brownsburg, Ind., about 20 miles outside of Indianapolis, after being played in Fort Myers, Fla., since 2021.

The 2024 boys and girls basketball showcase will take place from April 4-6. All games will be broadcast on ESPN platforms, whether ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU.

Competing teams will be announced in mid-March.

Last year, Link Academy (Branson, Mo.) took down AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.) to win the boys title and Montverde Academy (Fla.) beat Long Island Lutheran (N.Y.) to win the girls championship. The final tournament under the sponsor of GEICO turned out to be a record-breaking event, as Link’s Elliot Cadeau set the record for assists in the tournament (29) and LoLu’s Kate Koval set a single-game scoring record with 38 points.

Now, the rights are turned to Chipotle, and the hosting honor goes to Indiana, which just had some practice with the 2024 NBA All-Star Game.

As the calendar turns to April, we’ll see some future NBA and WNBA all-stars play in Brownsburg.

UNC commit Elliot Cadeau sets another GEICO Nationals record

UNC basketball commit Elliot Cadeau set another GEICO Nationals record during Link Academy’s National Championship win on Sunday.

UNC basketball commit [autotag]Elliot Cadeau[/autotag] had a phenomenal week at GEICO Nationals last week, which included a trophy and some individual records.

Cadeau and Link Academy (MO) took down AZ Compass Prep, 73-55, to win the National Championship. Link finished the season 27-1 overall.

Cadeau struggled with foul trouble and sat the majority of the fourth quarter but finished with 11 points, three rebounds, five assists and zero turnovers.

His five assists gave him 29 for the tournament, setting a GEICO Nationals record for assists. Earlier this week, Cadeau set the tournament single-game record with 14 assists over Paul VI.

Right now, the five-star point guard is in the class of 2024 — but the option remains open to move to the 2023 recruiting class.

He addressed that possibility with a simple; “As of now, 2024 I’ll see you guys in Chapel Hill.”

North Carolina currently has two commits in the 2023 class while Cadeau is part of a four-man class in 2024. The Tar Heels have the top class in the country in 2024.

If he did join 2023, he would be part of a three-man high school class that includes four-stars Simeon Wilcher and Zayden High. The Tar Heels also received a transfer commitment from Brown wing Paxson Wojcik. 

Cadeau is ranked No. 11 overall player in the 247Sports rankings. He is listed as the No. 2 point guard.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fvdcv0v20j1dne5g player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=]

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Link Academy beats AZ Compass Prep for GEICO Nationals championship

A year after losing the GEICO Nationals title game, Link Academy returned. This time, the Lions went home king of the jungle.

Link Academy boys basketball has arrived at the top. A year after falling in the title game, the Lions took down AZ Compass 73-55 to win the GEICO Nationals championship.

It puts a bow on a 27-1 season behind stars like Ja’Kobe Walter and Elliot Cadeau, the latter of whom broke the GEICO single-tournament assists record by recording 29 over the three games.

On Saturday, though, it wasn’t the Cadeau show. In foul trouble, the five-star North Carolina commit didn’t see a lot of time in the fourth quarter. Though it was the four fouls that required him to go to the bench, the play of sophomore guard Aaron Rowe allowed Link to keep Cadeau out until the final few minutes.

Rowe had eight points, three rebounds and three assists, but even that stat line doesn’t tell the story. He hit a pair of difficult shots late, including a contested mid-range and a finger roll around two defenders that sent the bench into a frenzy.

Unlike in the semifinals game against Sunrise Christian, in which Link Academy let a 20-point lead slip away, the Lions did not take their foot off the pedal on Saturday.

Rowe was key to that effort, as was Tyler McKinley, who made a pair of 3-pointers when Link’s offense started to go stagnant. He finished the game with 17 points, six rebounds and three assists, including an alley-oop to break press defense from Compass Prep.

Baylor commit Ja’Kobe Walter, ranked No. 22 on the 247Sports Composite, was once again a star, finishing with 21 points and three 3-pointers, including one late in the fourth quarter in which he created his shot with the shot clock winding down, released off-balance, and drained it.

Link Academy’s defense, which caused seven turnovers in the first quarter alone, didn’t allow AZ Compass Prep to make a real run at the game. The Dragons never fully figured out how to battle the press defense. The size and switchability of the Lions prevented consistent good looks. They stood tall on both ends of the court and won the GEICO Nationals.

The Lions are the kings of the jungle.

[lawrence-related id=101508492,101508448,101508310,101508205]

Montverde Academy girls basketball wins back-to-back GEICO Nationals

Montverde Academy girls basketball went on a massive second-half comeback led by Sahnya Jah to win back-to-back GEICO Nationals championships.

For the second year in a row, Montverde Academy has proven itself as the best girls basketball team in the country. On Saturday, the Eagles took down Long Island Lutheran 60-54 to win the GEICO Nationals championship.

With the win, the Eagles finish their season with a record of 26-1, dismantling practically every opponent in their path.

This game was not one of those in which Montverde led wire-to-wire. The Eagles trailed by 16 points in the third quarter, needing a massive comeback to get ahead.

That comeback was led by Sahnya Jah, who had 15 points in the second half alone to finish with a game-high 20. The University of South Carolina commit, ranked No. 40 on ESPN’s top 100 list, was a bully in the post during the comeback, and topped it off by picking up the offensive rebound, putting it back up, and getting fouled as the layup dropped:

Cori Allen contributed 15 points during the game, making three 3-pointers.

The Montverde defense also picked up in the second half, allowing Long Island Lutheran to make just six field goals in the final two quarters, according to SportbookLive. LuHi missed all nine 3-point attempts they took in the second half.

With the victory, Montverde caps off a wildly successful run led by their three players on ESPN’s top 100 list: Jah, Baylor commit Letycia Vasconcelos and Mississippi State commit Mjracle Sheppard. Just because those three are heading off to Division I basketball doesn’t mean the Eagles’ cupboard is empty — led by 2024 four-star Vivian Iwuchukwu, Montverde will aim to be right back at the GEICOs next year.

[lawrence-related id=101508477,101508448,101508432]

Elliot Cadeau’s passing highlights Link Academy’s win over Sunrise Christian

Link Academy halted a furious comeback attempt by Sunrise Christian on the back of masterful passing and scoring from Elliot Cadeau.

After No. 8 Sunrise Christian took down top-seeded Montverde in the quarterfinals of the GEICO Nationals, No. 4 Link Academy started the game with a message: That stops now. No more upsets. The Buffaloes would not be a Cinderella team. And with a 22-point lead in the first half, it looked like Link would have no issues.

But then Sunrise Christian carved into that deficit. They cut it down to 15. Then 10. Then suddenly it was just a two-possession game and, finally, the Buffaloes took the lead.

But that lead was short-lived as Link Academy managed to pull back ahead and hang in front over the closing minutes to get the 67-61 win and advance to the championship game.

Throughout the contest, Link was highlighted by five-star point guard Elliot Cadeau.

In the quarterfinals, Cadeau only scored two points but he recorded 14 assists to break the GEICO record, previous held by Andrew Nembhard in 2018. He again played the floor general role in the semifinals, but also took the lead in scoring, recording a double-double with 16 points, four made 3-pointers and 10 assists.

That passing highlighted the game, with several successful alley-oops thrown down:

It wasn’t just working fast in transition and lobbing it to teammates. Cadeau had two late passes that were as good as any of his alley-oops.

The first clip on this video is maybe his best pass of the game, somehow seeing through two defenders to drop off the pass and get a much-needed basket late in the fourth quarter:

Then, with a three-point lead and the ball being inbounded underneath the basket, Cadeau made a quick inbounds pass to a teammate just a few feet to the left of the rim. Instead of allowing Sunrise Christian to foul and having to clinch the game at the line, the pass allowed his teammate to get an easy finish — and the foul, an and-one that iced the game.

With 24 assists in two games, Cadeau has shown he is an excellent floor general and has elite court vision. The broadcast mentioned the rumor that the junior may reclassify and join North Carolina next year – if the GEICO Nationals have shown anything so far, it’s that his methodical takedown of competition should absolutely translate to the next level.

Link Academy will take on AZ Compass Prep in the championship game on Saturday at 12 p.m. Eastern Time.

[lawrence-related id=101508448,101508432,101508435]

Watch: UNC commit Elliot Cadeau highlights at GEICO Nationals

Highlights of UNC basketball commit Elliot Cadeau setting the GEICO Nationals assist record with 14 in an opening-round win.

The future of the UNC basketball backcourt is in good hands with five-star point guard [autotag]Elliot Cadeau[/autotag].

Cadeau, a class of 2024 commit, has had a terrific season thus far for Link Academy (MO) and earlier this week it got even better.

Cadeau put on a show in Link’s opening-round win over Paul VI in GEICO Nationals on Thursday, setting a tournament record 14 assists. His final stat line was two points, seven rebounds, 14 assists and three steals. Link won 68-65.

Despite sitting in the 2024 class right now, there is a strong possibility that Cadeau moves into the 2023 class. If so, he would be a significant piece to UNC’s roster next year.

North Carolina has a two-man high school class of four-stars Simeon Wilcher and Zayden High. The Tar Heels also received a transfer commitment from Brown wing Paxson Wojcik. 

Currently the Tar Heels have five open scholarships for the 2023-24 season.

One of the best players in the 2024 class, Cadeau is ranked as the No. 11 overall player in the 247Sports rankings. He is listed as the No. 2 point guard.

Cadeau is back in action on Friday at 4:30 pm ET on ESPN2 against Sunrise Christian (KS).

Below are highlights of Cadeau’s first-round game.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

UNC commit Elliot Cadeau breaks GEICO Nationals record

UNC basketball 2024 commit Elliot Cadeau breaks GEICO Nationals assists record.

UNC’s future point guard [autotag]Elliot Cadeau[/autotag] was all smiles Thursday after he broke the assist record in the first game of the GEICO Nationals tournament. 

The three-day tournament invites the best programs in the nation to compete against one another with notable players such as Cole Anthony, Austin Rivers, Ben Simmons, R.J. Barrett, D’Angelo Russell and many more competing in past years’ events. Cadeau, a part of the fourth-seeded Link Academy, took on No. 5 Paul IV, squeezing out the 68-65 victory in large part due to UNC’s 2024 commit. 

Cadeau shinned, putting on a passing clinic to finish with 14 assists, breaking Andrew Nembhard’s GEICO Nationals 13-assist record set in 2018. 

Cadeau finished with two points, 14 assists, seven rebounds, and three steals. The passing clinic was a fresh sight, with struggles this past season in that area.

Cadeau and Link Academy will be in action today to take on No. 8 Sunrise Christian on ESPN 2 at 4:30 ET.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Matas Buzelis leads comeback as Sunrise Christian upsets Montverde in GEICOs

Matas Buzelis had a four-point play in the final minute to help Sunrise Christian upset Montverde Academy in the GEICO Nationals. See highlights here.

The No. 1 team in the GEICO Nationals has been taken out by No. 8. Sunrise Christian pulled off a six-point comeback in the final minute of the game to upset Montverde, ranked in the Super 25 as the No. 2 team in the country, and advance to the second round.

Matas Buzelis, a five-star, 6-foot-9 small forward, led Sunrise Christian with 17 points in the 46-45 win. His biggest basket came when the team was about to see their chance slip away. With 53 seconds to play, Buzelis got a four-point play after being fouled on a 3-point show to close the gap from 45-39 to just a two-point game.

Four-star forward Scotty Middleton hit a 3-pointer with about 23 seconds remaining to give Sunrise Christian the lead.

Five-star Montverde center Derik Queen got a final attempt, driving the ball to the rim, but his tightly contested layup was off. Montverde missed the putback at the final second and Sunrise Christian escaped.

See the ending here:

Sunrise Christian had a solid but unspectacular regular season, with a 20-7 record entering the GEICO Nationals. The Buffaloes had lost to Montverde twice already during the season, and were at risk of losing all three when matched against the Eagles in the tournament.

But Buzelis, a five-star, 6-foot-9 small forward, led the way for the Buffaloes, helping them stay in the game long enough that they could clinch a spot in the semifinals.

The Buffaloes will take on Link Academy on Friday. Link Academy, ranked No. 4 in the tournament and No. 7 in the Super 25, beat Sunrise Christian in the regular season — but as was proven on Thursday, that doesn’t mean anything to the Buffaloes.

[lawrence-related id=101508407]

Stream high school sports all season on the NFHS Network

Highlights: All 4 GEICO Nationals games were decided on the final possession

In the opening round of the GEICO Nationals boys basketball tournament, all four games were decided in the final moments.

The 2023 GEICO Nationals started the way every basketball whose only rooting interest is chaos will love — all four games in the quarterfinals came down to the final possession.

It was No. 7 AZ Compass Prep knocking off No. 2 Long Island Lutheran, with four-star small forward Rayvon Griffith hitting the game-winner with about 10 seconds remaining. It was No. 6 IMG Academy upsetting No. 3 Prolific Prep with a ridiculous Blue Cain shot from the logo. It was No. 4 Link Academy getting the best of No. 5 Paul VI with a final defensive stand.

Finally, it was No. 8 Sunrise Christian toppling No. 1 Montverde Academy with a four-point play and a go-ahead 3-pointer in the final minute.
See the highlights below. This tournament is only just getting started.

IMG Academy’s buzzer-beater dramatics top Prolific Prep in GEICO Nationals quarterfinal

Upset City at the 2023 GEICO Nationals!

Move over MLB Opening Day, we’ve got a half-court bank shot for an upset win at the GEICO Nationals — courtesy of IMG Academy’s Blue Cain.

The 4-star recruit’s turnaround 3-pointer gave the attending crowd at Suncoast Credit Union Arena one of the top shots of the season, a buzzer-beater for the win over highly touted Prolific Prep (Calif.).

Watch the wild shot as the clock ticked down from seven seconds…

While IMG is undoubtedly one of the top squads on the hardwood in 2023, few would argue that Prolific Prep didn’t hold a slight—if not favorable—edge, so we can certainly cast this one as a Classic Upset.

And this is just the beginning of the GEICO Nationals—opening night!

[lawrence-related id=101508157,101508130]

Cain finished the game with 21 points, complemented by fellow 4-star prospect Khani Rooths with 13 points and 3-star combo guard Jacoi Hutchinson’s 11 points.

From the other side, McDonald’s All-American and Auburn commit Aden Holloway had 21 points while freshman star Tyran Stokes added 16.

Next up for the Ascenders is a matchup between either Long Island Lutheran (N.Y.) or AZ Compass Prep (Ariz.), with that game set for Friday at 2:30 p.m. ET.

See the IMG-Prolific Prep game photos from News-Press.

Blue Cain of the IMG Academy is mobbed by teammates and coaches after hitting the game winning shot against Prolific Prep in GEICO High School Nationals quarterfinal game ay Suncoast Credit Union Arena on Thursday.