10 best high school boys basketball teams of the 21st century
One of the top 2023-24 high school boys basketball storylines all year has been the impressive run by Montverde Academy (Florida).
The top-ranked Eagles, led by projected top NBA Draft pick Cooper Flagg and a bevy of blue-chip recruits, have started the season with 26 straight wins, handling a gauntlet of a schedule with relative ease.
Montverde's dominance begs the question: Are we witnessing one of the best high school basketball teams ever.
With the immense collection of talent and slew of nationally-ranked opponents left in their wake, it's certainly a fair question.
If this season’s Montverde team could go down as one of the best, what are some of the other all-time greats they would be remembered with?
Let’s start by looking at some of the top high school boys basketball teams of the 21st century, based on star power, team success and legacy.
TOP TEAMS OF 21ST CENTURY
Montverde Academy (Florida) (2019-20)
Middle Village, NY, USA; Montverde Academy Eagles guard Cade Cunningham (1) talks with teammates in the fourth quarter during a game against the IMG Academy Ascenders at Christ the King High School.
Photo by Catalina Fragoso, USA TODAY Sports
Record: 25-0
Key players: Cade Cunningham, Scottie Barnes, Dariq Whitehead, Moses Moody, Caleb Houstan, Day’Ron Sharpe, Ryan Nembhard, Zeb Jackson, Langston Love
When it comes to star power, this Montverde team featured quality and quantity. Cade Cunningham was drafted first overall in 2021 by the Detroit Pistons, and Scottie Barnes was taken a few picks later by the Toronto Raptors. Moses Moody also was a lottery pick that year, and a few others from this squad have joined them in the NBA since then. A few are still playing in college at the Division 1 level. The Eagles ran the table in the 2019-20 season but were unable to claim a GEICO Nationals title due to the pandemic.
Minnehaha Academy (Minnesota) (2019-20)
Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs (4) drives on Oklahoma City forward and former Minnehaha High School (Minnesota) teammate Chet Holmgren (7) on Jan. 13.
Photo by Alonzo Adams, USA TODAY Sports
Record: 26-3
Key players: Chet Holmgren, Jalen Suggs
Before Chet Holmgren and Jalen Suggs led Gonzaga to the 2021 NCAA national championship game and went on to become lottery picks by the Oklahoma City Thunder and Orlando Magic, the two played alongside each other for Minnehaha Academy. Coming off back-to-back state titles together, the star duo and the Redhawks couldn’t defend their title when the 2019-20 season was cut short due to COVID. With the senior Suggs and junior Holmgren both becoming McDonald’s All-American and top five picks in the NBA draft, it’s safe to say they would have earned more hardware and added to their legacy at Minnehaha.
Nathan Hale (Washington) (2016-17)
Nathan Hale's Michael Porter Jr (1), now under a max contract with the Denver Nuggets, celebrates a Les Schwab Invitational title win over Sierra Canyon.
Photo by Steve Dykes, USA TODAY Sports
Record: 29-0
Key players: Michael Porter Jr., Jontay Porter, MarJon Beauchamp
Led by National Player of the Year winner Michael Porter Jr. and coached by former NBA star Brandon Roy, the Raiders put together a perfect season which included a state title and No. 1 ranking nationally by USA Today. In terms of talent, Nathan Hale also featured five-star Jontay Porter, the younger brother of Michael Porter Jr., and then-freshman MarJon Beauchamp, who went on to become a first round pick in the 2022 NBA draft. In addition to dominating in-state competition on their way to winning a state championship, the Raiders defeated national powers Sierra Canyon (California) and Oak Hill Academy (Virginia), both top 10 teams in the country.
La Lumiere (Indiana) (2016-17)
La Lumiere School's player Jaren Jackson Jr. (1), Tyger Campbell (5) and Isaiah Coleman Lands (11) battles for rebounding position against Sierra Canyon in 201
Photo by Brian Fluharty, USA Today Network
Record: 28-1
Key players: Jordan Poole, Jaren Jackson Jr., Tyger Campbell, Brian Bowen
La Lumiere opened the season as the No. 1 team in the country, and they finished the season with a championship at GEICO Nationals. The Lakers didn't just have NBA stars Jordan Poole and Jaren Jackson Jr. on this squad, as former five-star recruit Brian Bowen and four-star guard Tyger Campbell, a key player in UCLA’s run to the 2021 Final Four, also played key roles. La Lumiere defeated teams like Findlay Prep (Nevada), Wasatch Academy (Utah) and Montverde Academy (Florida) during their memorable run.
Chino Hills (California) (2015-16)
Chino Hills Huskies guard LaMelo Ball (1) against the Rancho Cucamonga Cougars at Rancho Cucamonga High School.
Photo by Mark J. Rebilas, USA TODAY Sports
Record: 35-0
Key players: Lonzo Ball, LaMelo Ball, Liangelo Ball, Onyeka Okongwu
The Ball brothers — Lonzo, LiAngelo and LaMelo — became international celebrities while thrusting Chino Hills into the spotlight with a dominant 2015-16 campaign. The Huskies went undefeated, taking down Montverde Academy, Sierra Canyon and Bishop Gorman (Nevada) during the season and capturing a CIF Open Division state championship. Joining the Ball brothers in the starting lineup was freshman Onyeka Okongwu, who went on to be drafted sixth overall by the Atlanta Hawks in 2020, giving them three players who went to be top-six picks in the NBA draft.
Ames (Iowa) (2009-10)
The 2009-10 Ames High boys basketball team includes Doug McDermott, James Kohler, Michael Weber, Riley Stuve and Harrison Barnes, from left.
Photo by Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune, USA TODAY NETWORK
Record: 27-0
Key players: Harrison Barnes, Doug McDermott
Home to Iowa State University, the city of Ames also produced one of the most talented and successful high school basketball teams in recent history. Leading the way for the Little Cyclones were a pair of future college and NBA standouts in Harrison Barnes and Doug McDermott. The duo of Barnes and McDermott led Ames to 53 consecutive wins and back-to-back state championships in 2009 and 2010 before heading to North Carolina and Creighton, respectively. Both became lottery picks and have had successful careers in the NBA, with Barnes currently playing for the Sacramento Kings and McDermott playing for the Indiana Pacers.
2008-09 Findlay Prep (Nevada)
Veteran NBA center Tristan Thompson (13) won an NBA title with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016. He's one of three Findlay Prep teammates to go on to play in the NBA.
Photo by Ken Blaze, USA TODAY Sports
Record: 33-0
Key players: Tristan Thompson, Avery Bradley, Cory Joseph
Now defunct, Findlay Prep established itself as a national powerhouse with the help of future NBA standouts Tristan Thompson, Avery Bradley and Cory Joseph. The star-studded trio led the Pilots to a perfect season and national title, including a championship at the first edition of the tournament that went on to become GEICO Nationals. All three played college basketball at Texas, and all three went on to become first-round draft picks, with Thompson going the highest at No. 4 overall in 2011.
Lawrence North (Indiana) (2005-06)
Lawrence North's Mike Conley drives by by Carmel's Brett Finkelmeier.
Matt Kryger/ Indianapolis Star via Imagn Content Services, LLC
Record: 29-0
Key players: Mike Conley, Greg Oden
With the superstar duo of Greg Oden and Mike Conley at the helm, Lawrence North went undefeated on the way to winning a state championship and finishing No. 1 in national polls in the 2005-06 season. Oden and Conley stuck together to play college basketball at Ohio State for one year before both were drafted in the top four of the 2007 NBA draft, with Oden going first overall to the Portland Trailblazers and Conley fourth overall to the Memphis Grizzlies. In a state with a rich history of high school basketball, this Lawrence North team is considered by many to be the best ever.
Oak Hill Academy (Virginia) (2003-04)
Los Angeles Lakers guard Rajon Rondo (9) holds the trophy as he celebrates with teammates after game six of the 2020 NBA Finals. The Oak Hill
Photo by Kim Klement, USA TODAY Sports
Record: 38-0
Key players: Rajon Rondo, Josh Smith
Widely regarded as one of the best high school basketball teams ever, this Oak Hill squad boasted a pair of future NBA stars in Rajon Rondo and Josh Smith. The legendary coach Steve Smith-led Warriors were deeper than that, with Division 1 bound players Brian Johnson, Dayshwan Wright, K.C. Rivers and more also in the fold. Compiling a perfect record of 38-0, including multiple tournament titles, this team had plenty of the success and talent required to be remembered as an all-time great.
St. Vincent-St. Mary (Ohio) (2002-03)
LeBron James is introduced before his team faced Buchtel High School in 2001 at Rhodes Arena at the University of Akron Campus.
Photo by Akron Beacon Journal, USA TODAY NETWORK
Record: 25-1
Key players: LeBron James, Dru Joyce III, Sian Cotton, Romeo Travis, Willie McGee
With LeBron James front and center, St. Vincent-St. Mary became one of the most followed high school teams ever. Playing a national schedule with multiple televised games, the Fighting Irish went undefeated with a state championship and national title in James’ senior year, just months before he was drafted first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers right out of high school. Documentaries and movies have been made about LeBron and his teammates at the Akron school, ensuring their legacy will live on forever.
Honorable Mentions
-- Zach Shugan | zshugan@gmail.com | @SBLiveSports
