Nov 18, 2020 - Sports
The state of high school basketball
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High schoolers haven't been able to jump straight to the NBA since 2005, though that could change in 2022.
- For now, the focus is on what the coming season will look like for the nearly one million boys and girls playing high school hoops nationwide.
The state of play: Seven states have already begun their seasons, 31 plan to start before the end of the year, nine will begin play in 2021 and four are still TBD.
- Already started: Alabama, Mississippi (Nov. 5); Arkansas (Nov. 9); Texas (Nov. 13); Louisiana, South Carolina (Nov. 16); Utah (Nov. 17)
- Later this month: Oklahoma (Nov. 19); Georgia, Indiana (Nov. 20); North Dakota, Tennessee, Florida, Kentucky (Nov. 23); Ohio (Nov. 25); Idaho, Pennsylvania (Nov. 28); Arizona, Iowa, Massachusetts, Missouri (Nov. 30).
- December: Wisconsin (Dec. 1); Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska (Dec. 3); Delaware, Maryland, Montana (Dec. 4); Michigan (Dec. 7); West Virginia (Dec. 8); South Dakota, Wyoming (Dec. 10); Maine, New Hampshire (Dec. 11); Alaska, Connecticut (Dec. 17); New Jersey (Dec. 18); Virginia (Dec. 28).
- January: North Carolina, New Mexico, New York, Washington, D.C. (Jan. 4); Washington (Jan. 10); Oregon (11); Nevada (Jan. 15); Colorado (Jan. 19).
- March: California (Mar. 12).
- TBD: Hawaii, Illinois, Rhode Island, Vermont.
Top 5 teams: The Montverde Academy Eagles sit atop the rankings after going 25-0 last season and capturing their fourth national title in eight years. At No. 5 is a California school that won't play games until mid-March. Full Top 25.
- Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.)
- IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)
- Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.)
- Ypsi Prep Academy (Ypsilanti, Mich.)
- Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.)
ICYMI ... Chet Holmgren (No. 2 recruit in 2021) and Emoni Bates (No. 1 recruit in 2022) went head-to-head in an exhibition game last week.
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