NEW FAB 50: Champions Crowned!

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A plethora of states wrapped up their championship tournaments over the weekend and there were some triumphs and upsets that shake up this week’s FAB 50 National Team Rankings powered by Ballislife.com. On a national scale, the EYBL Scholastic Conference Tournament commenced with CIA Bella Vista (Phoenix, Ariz.) capturing the title, which created a new No. 1 for the fifth time this season. Who is No. 1 now? There are seven newcomers this week, led by No. 37 Marist (Chicago, Ill.).  

By Ronnie Flores

As NCAA March Madness brackets were revealed on Sunday, the madness trickled down to the high school level, as several states wrapped up their version of “March Madness”. In fact, that term was originally coined by Henry V. Porter, the assistant executive secretary of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) in a 1939 essay published by The Illinois High School Athlete magazine.

The term has endured and took on a whole new life in recent times and ironically, the IHSA concluded its state championships this past weekend and produced one of the country’s biggest upsets among teams ranked in the FAB 50 National Team Rankings powered by Ballislife.com.

No. 15 Benet Academy (Lisle, Ill.) entered the IHSA Class 4A state title game at State Farm Center with an earlier win over Marist (Chicago, Ill.). This time around, the Redhawks built a an early lead then went to a four corners type offense to play keep-away from Benet Academy. The result was a 44-28 win that produced Marist’s first state title and propelled it into this week’s FAB 50 at No. 37. Benet Academy did not score in the second period and netted only three points in the fourth period. 

Benet scored the fewest points ever in a Class 4A title game and the 72 points was also the lowest combined point total ever for two teams. In the semifinals, Benet Academy downed then No. 29 DePaul College Prep (Chicago, Ill.), 39-38. DePaul College Prep is one of seven teams to drop put of this week’s rankings, but Benet Academy remains in at No. 40.

The stall-ball tactics and unpleasing pace definitely doesn’t appeal to fans of the original March Madness tournament, but that madness will likely cease in 2026-27 when the IHSA adopts a 35-second shot clock. Either way, the FAB 50 is about wins and losses (i.e. results) and Benet Academy coach Gene Heidkamp made no excuses about Marist doing what it had to in order to win.

State Title Roundup

Another team that avenged an earlier loss to wrap up a state title and crack the FAB 50 rankings was Rockford (Rockford, Mich.). The Rams fell to No. 27 East Lansing (East Lansing, Mich.), 80-71, in January but stunned the Trojans in the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) D1 final, 54-50, before 9,359 fans at the Breslin Center.

Rockford held the Trojans to just five points in the fourth period while taking the lead on a lay-up by Eli Wolfe off a pretty feed from sophomore Josh Bascom. Trailing 52-50, East Lansing had a chance to tie the game in the closing seconds, but a mid-range shot by sophomore Tyree Anthony was off the mark. Michigan Mr. Basketball K.J. Torbert led East Lansing, which remains in the rankings at No. 48, with 28 points while Bascom finished with 14 points. Also playing well for new No. 45 Rockford was Bascom’s older brother and star senior Jake Bascom, who finished with 11 points and six assists, while freshman Jace Opoku-Agyeman added 13.    

The highest ranked team to fall out of this week’s FAB 50 was previous No. 19 Lakota West (West Chester, Ohio). Ohio’s season-long top-ranked club fell to unranked and eight-loss Pickerington Central (Pickerington, Ohio) in the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) D1 Region 3 final, 69-60.

Previous No. 50 MacArthur (Decatur, Ill.) fell to East St. Louis (East St. Louis, Ill.) in the IHSA Class 3A quarterfinals and the Flyers went on to capture the 3A title to move into this week’s FAB 50 at No. 44. East St. Louis finished it season with a split with Belleville West (Ill.), and losses to newly crowned University Interscholastic League (UIL) Class 6A D1 state champion North Crowley (Ft. Worth, Texas) and to Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Class 3 champion Principia (St. Louis, Mo.). East St. Louis’ third loss to a FAB 50 ranked club is to No. 13 Oak Cliff Faith Family (Dallas, Texas), which defeated previous No. 12 Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.), 76-71, before falling to then No. 1 AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.) in the quarterfinals of the second annual EYBL Scholastic Conference Tournament in Augusta, Ga.  

The highest ranked team to capture a state title this past weekend was new No. 6 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.), which downed then No. 31 Salesian (Richmond, Calif.), 78-70, in the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Open Division state title game in front of approximately 3,500 fans at the Golden One Center in Sacramento, Calif., even though McDonald’s All-American Maxi Adams went down with an ankle injury during the first quarter and did not return. Sierra Canyon defeated No. 23 Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.) in the SoCal Open final, 63-57 on Tuesday. 

For more on the CIF state championships, visit CalHiSports.com.

CIA Bella Vista Wins EYBL Scholastic Conference Tournament    

Some of the nation’s best team, 12 to be exact and 11 FAB 50 ranked, looked to capture the second annual EYBL Scholastic Conference Tournament. When the dust settled it was then No. 14 CIA Bella Vista (Phoenix, Ariz.) knocking off four ranked clubs to win the championship. The finals was an all-Arizona affair, as CIA Bella Vista took on then No. 1 AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.) in Sunday’s final and emerged victorious with a 69-65 victory. 

West Virginia-bound point guard Miles Sadler was the catalyst for CIA Bella Vista, scoring 24 points, including 4-of-6 from 3-point range, along with seven rebounds, seven assists and two steals. Sadler, the 2026 EYBL Scholastic Conference Player of the Year, averaged 21.5 ppg in CIA Bella Vista’s four victories. In the semifinals, the Bears defeated then No. 7 Spire Academy (Geneva, Ohio), 70-53, and Sadler had a 34-point performance in a 69-65 quarterfinal victory over then No. 3 Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.). In the opening round, the Bears downed bubble club Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, N.Y.), 65-51.

New FAB 50 No. 1 

CIA Bella Vista’s impressive weekend run created a new FAB 50 pecking order at the top of the rankings and a new No. 1 for the fifth time this season. Moving up three spots to No. 1 is Prolific Prep (Southwest Ranches, Fla.), which advanced to the semifinals of the Grind Session World Championships next weekend at Owensboro Sportscenter (Owensboro, Ky.), where The Crew will face bubble club DME Academy (Daytona Beach, Fla.). The other semifinal on March 21 will put No. 27 Southeastern Prep Academy (Orlando, Fla.) vs. bubble club Academy of Central Florida (Kissimmee, Fla.). 

Prolific Prep owns a victory over CIA Bella Vista, which moves up 12 spots to No. 2 this week. Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.) moves up to No. 3, as the Panthers lost to Prolific Prep in double overtime and suffered a second loss to No. 10 Calvary Christian Academy (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) in a game in which Mr. Basketball USA candidate Jordan Smith Jr. did not play because of an ankle injury. AZ Compass Prep, which actually defeated Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah), 67-58 in a FAB 50 No. 1 vs. No. 2 semifinal showdown, falls to No. 4. AZ Compass Prep has beaten Wasatch Academy twice this season. 

This is the fifth time a new No. 1 has been crowned during the 2025-26 season. No. 16 Link Academy (Branson, Mo.), Paul VI, Spire Academy, AZ Compass Prep and now Prolific Prep, which ironically was the preseason No. 1 team in the FAB 50.  

The EYBL Scholastic Conference Tournament served as a min-preview of sorts for Chipotle Nationals, set for April 1-4 in Indianapolis The end-of-the season tournament will feature 10 teams, including two play-in games for seeds 7-10 on April 1, the day after the 2026 McDonald’s All-American Game in Phoenix. 

If Prolific Prep captures the Grind Session World Championships, will it hold on to No. 1 by taking on all comers at Chipotle Nationals? 

Madness indeed. 

Updated FAB 50 National Team RankingsPowered by Ballislife.com

(13th poll of 2025-26 regular season; Through games played on Sunday, March 15; *Indicates forfeit wins, forfeit losses not included; **Indicates forfeits and defaults not included; ***Indicates season complete)

No. Prev. High School (City)Record

14Prolific Prep (Southwest Ranches, Fla.) 36-3

214CIA Bella Vista (Phoenix, Ariz.)23-4

35Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.)33-2

41AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.) 24-2**

52Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah)33-2

68Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.)30-1***

73Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.)21-6

87Spire Academy (Geneva, Ohio)28-4

96La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.)22-5

109Calvary Christian Academy (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.)24-1

1110 Principia (St. Louis, Mo.)29-2***

1211Wisconsin Lutheran (Milwaukee, Wis.)28-0

1324Oak Cliff Faith Family (Dallas, Texas)27-11

1412Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.)30-6

1517Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.)25-4

1613Link Academy (Branson, Mo.)23-4

1718Bartlett (Bartlett, Tenn.)30-4**

1816 Greensboro Day (Greensboro, N.C.) 36-2

1920Sunnyslope (Phoenix, Ariz.)28-2

2021Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.)28-5**

2122Rainier Beach (Seattle, Wash.)29-1

2225North Crowley (Ft. Worth, Texas)35-3***

2323Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.)27-7***

2428IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)21-8

2526St. Joseph (Santa Maria, Calif.)31-3***

2633Columbus (Miami, Fla.) 26-6

2734Southeastern Prep Academy (Orlando, Fla.) 41-8

2832Richland (Richland, Wash.)28-0***

2940Silver Creek (Sellersburg, Ind.) 28-1

3030Forsyth Country Day (Lewisville, N.C.)29-3***

3139Ridgeview (Columbia, S.C.)27-3***

3243Crown Point (Crown Point, Ind.) 23-1

3336St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.)36-7***

3437Our Lady of Mt. Carmel (Baltimore, Md.)30-11***

3545St. John’s (Washington, D.C.)27-8***

3646Heritage (Frisco, Texas) 34-2***

37NRMarist (Chicago, Ill.)33-5

3838Dream City Christian (Glendale, Ariz.) 18-10

3947Little Elm (Little Elm, Texas)37-2***

4015Benet Academy (Lisle, Ill.)36-2***

4144Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.)16-11

4248Olympus (Salt Lake City, Utah25-2***

4331Salesian (Richmond, Calif.)29-4***

44NREast St. Louis (East St. Louis, Ill.)33-4***

45NRRockford (Rockford, Mich.)25-3***

46NRSt. Thomas Aquinas (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.)28-4***

47NRBearden (Knoxville, Tenn.)36-1

4827East Lansing (East Lansing, Mich.)27-2***

49NRBergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.)29-3***

50NRPetersburg (Petersburg, Va.)22-4***

Dropped Out: Previous No. 19 Lakota West (West Chester, Ohio), No. 29 DePaul College Prep (Chicago, Ill.), No. 35 Archbishop Riordan (San Francisco, Calif.), No. 41 Atascocita (Humble, Texas), No. 42 Seven Lakes (Katy, Texas), No. 49 St. Joseph (Metuchen, N.J.), No. 50 MacArthur (Decatur, Ill.).

Bubble Teams:  Academy of Central Florida (Kissimmee, Fla.) 30-7; Alexander (Douglasville, Ga.) 30-2***; Andrew Jackson (Jacksonville, Fla.) 28-2***; Archbishop Riordan (San Francisco, Calif.) 26-2**; Ashland-Greenwood (Ashland, Neb.) 28-1***; Atascocita (Humble, Texas) 30-7***; Bishop O’Connell (Arlington, Va.) 23-10***; Booker T. Washington (Tulsa, Okla.) 24-2***; Brennan (San Antonio, Texas) 33-4***; Bryant (Bryant, Ark.) 29-4***; Carl Albert (Midwest City, Okla.) 29-5***; Cedar Falls (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 25-0***; Concord Academy (Concord, N.C.) 29-3***; Covington Catholic (Park Hills, Ky.) 31-2; Curie (Chicago, Ill.) 28-2**; DePaul College Prep (Chicago, Ill.) 33-4***; DME Academy (Daytona Beach, Fla.) 23-9***; Father Judge (Philadelphia, Pa.) 18-11; Fishers (Fishers, Ind.) 24-1***; Gainesville (Gainesville, Ga.) 30-1***; Imhotep Charter (Philadelphia, Pa.) 24-6; La Mirada (La Mirada, Calif.) 24-9***; Layton Christian (Layton, Utah) 21-6***; Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, N.Y.) 12-12***; MacArthur (Decatur, Ill.) 34-2***; Millennium (Goodyear, Ariz.) 24-4***; Millwood (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.) 24-2*; Mt. St. Joseph (Baltimore, Md.) 31-7***; Mt. Vernon (Fortville, Ind.) 25-3; Newcastle (Newcastle, Okla.) 29-2***; Norman (Norman, Okla.) 26-4***; Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) 22-8***; Ogallala (Ogallala, Neb.) 27-1***; Olathe North (Olathe, Kan.) 24-4***; Princeton (Cincinnati, Ohio) 23-3; Providence (Jacksonville, Fla.) 29-3***; Ralston Valley (Arvada, Col.) 25-2***; Rangeview (Aurora, Col.) 23-4***; Redondo Union (Redondo Beach, Calif.) 27-5***; Rock Canyon (Highland Ranch, Col.) 25-3***; Santa Margarita (Rancho SM, Calif.) 28-6***; Seven Lakes (Katy, Texas) 35-1***; Sidwell Friends (Washington, D.C.) 22-7***; South (Shawnee Mission, Kan.) 22-2***; Southern School of Energy & Sustainability (Durham, N.C.) 28-3***; St. Mary’s (Phoenix, Ariz.) 23-7***; Tartan (Oakdale, Minn.) 28-0; The Rock (Gainesville, Fla.) 24-10***; The Villages Charter (The Villages, Fla.) 24-8***; Timpview (Provo, Utah) 21-3***; Wayzata (Plymouth, Minn.) 24-3; Westlake (Saratoga Springs, Utah) 24-3***; Woodward Academy (College Park, Ga.) 25-7***.

Note: The FAB 50 powered by Ballislife.com is a continuation of the National Sports News Service ratings that began in 1952. These were the first national high school rankings and the late Art Johlfs of Minnesota compiled them. They were compiled for many years by the late Barry Sollenberger of Phoenix, who merged them into the FAB 50 26 years ago.

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of Ballislife.com. He can be reached at ronnie@ballislife.com. Don’t forget to follow him on Twitter: @RonMFlores

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