After all the MLK Monday results are in, there is a new No. 1 team in the country and a newcomer to the Top 5 in this week’s special edition of the FAB 50 National Team Rankings powered by Ballislife.com. The new No. 1 is a new program on the scene with a coach very familiar with the pole position, while the six newcomers are led by No. 42 St. John’s (Washington, D.C.)
By Ronnie Flores
As did many of the nation’s top teams, FAB 50 No. 1 ranked Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.) ventured to the Panini Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Mass., to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and play a Monday showcase game. However, after the Panthers fell in the title game of the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions in Springfield, Mo., on Saturday to then No. 13 Calvary Christian Academy (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.), that result mean there was likely to be a new No. 1 in today’s special MLK edition of the FAB 50 National Team Rankings powered by Ballislife.com.
The only caveat to any change at the top was an ankle injury to Paul VI’s leading player that caused him to miss the final two games of the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions. And it’s not as if this was just any player, as Jordan Smith Jr., a 6-foot-2 senior guard and arguably the best perimeter defender in the country, just might be the best player in the country.
Smith, also one of the country’s top uncommitted prospects, injured his ankle in a Friday morning shoot-around, but even without his services, the Panthers still rolled past then No. 25 Bartlett (Bartlett, Tenn.), 74-51, in the tourney semifinals. The Panthers missed his presence in the championship game vs. Calvary Christian Academy, as the Floridians shot 63 percent from the field and scored 40 paint points (to Paul VI’s 22) in a 78-64 victory.
Highly-regarded junior guard Cayden Daughtry netted 23 points for Calvary Christian Academy, while junior Aden Bolden added 10 points and 10 rebounds for the victors. The outcome avenged the Eagles’ earlier loss to Paul VI and soared them up to No. 5 in this week’s FAB 50. Calvary Christian Academy has not lost to any other team.
Pau VI was able to bounce back on Monday at the Hoophall Classic with Smith back on the floor. The star guard went for 34 points, six rebounds and eight assists in a 75-69 win over St. Mary’s (Phoenix, Ariz.), which received a terrific second half performance from Duke-bound forward Cameron Williams (he finished with 31 points, 4 3-pointers).
We thought long and hard about keeping Paul VI ranked ahead of Calvary Christian Academy, but for now the Eagles have a strong enough resume to be ranked ahead of the Panthers, who drop from No. 1 to No. 7 right behind the Prolific Prep (Southwest Ranches, Fla.) club it lost to in double overtime.
We’ll keep Smith’s injury and the outcome of the second Calvary Christian-Paul VI game in mind down the line as more results come in for top ranked clubs. Paul VI still has a great opportunity to control its own destiny in the rankings since its losses came in overtime and with its best player out. And if the overall results so far are any indication, there is likely to be programs in Paul VI’s range that will take more losses, as five of the top eight clubs belong to the EYBL Scholastic League.
Spire Academy New No. 1
Paul VI’s loss opened the door for Spire Academy (Geneva, Ohio), a team we considered for No. 1 last week after previous No. 1 Link Academy (Branson, Mo.) lost its first game of the season. Spire Academy kicked the door in with two victories at the Hoophall Classic. On Sunday, Spire Academy downed then No. 32 Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.), 57-48, behind 18 points, five assists and three steals from top-notch 2027 (junior) guard King Gibson. The victors also turned 16 turnovers into 15 points.
On Monday, coach Kevin Boyle and his troops had a big game with then No. 4 Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.) and played well in the second half to record a key 60-47 victory that clinched the No. 1 spot in this week’s FAB 50. Once again it was defense and Gibson that keyed the win, as the budding guard scored 20 points, while the defense created 15 turnovers. Spire Academy also out-rebounded Brewster Academy, 26-16.
In the EYBL Scholastic League standings, new No. 1 Spire Academy and No. 2 AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.) are the only teams with one league loss. It makes the rankings at the top fairly simple to figure out, as new No. 3 Brewster Academy has lost to both Spire and Compass, while the Dragons of AZ Compass handed Link Academy its second league loss on Sunday at the Hoophall Classic, 64-54. AZ Compass won behind a good brand of defense and 7-of-12 shooting from 3-point range. Quincy Wadley led the Dragons with 15 points.
No. 1 Nothing New For Kevin Boyle
The veteran coach who led Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) to an incredible 363-34 mark and seven FAB 50 national titles in his 13 seasons at MVA, is no stranger to big games at the level the top teams in the FAB 50 play at. His big game experience, along with molding his team defensively, has paid dividends for a new batch of players at his new program.
Boyle was a bit miffed when Spire Academy started out No. 12 in the 2025-26 preseason FAB 50. He felt his resume and reputation for molding teams should have placed his new team a notch higher. We felt had a lesser coach had his preseason lineup on paper, Spire Academy would have started a few notches lower and had Boyle had the rosters, on paper, some of his contemporaries have, a number of those groups would have been closer to No. 1. To be able to climb to No. 1 in the country in his first season at a new program is a testament to his coaching acumen and his coaching formula producing results, regardless of environment.
Spire Academy has proved it where it matters most, on the court, with still many big games to be played down the line. Shout out to Spire Academy’s players for working hard and coming together and to the six newcomers that broke into the nation’s longest-running weekly national rankings this week.
With so much television coverage and streaming access, fans can watch elite teams and players from around the country on almost any given day. With the thousands of programs that lace ’em up each night, it’s easy to forget just how difficult it is to even break into the FAB 50, much less climb to No. 1.
Kudos also go out to those event directors that took a moment during their busy events to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his legacy.
Updated FAB 50 National Team Rankings
Powered by Ballislife.com
(5th poll of 2025-26 regular season; Through games played on Monday, Jan. 19; *Indicates forfeit wins, forfeit losses not included; **Indicates forfeits and defaults not included)
No. Prev. High School (City)Record
12Spire Academy (Geneva, Ohio)18-1
23AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.)14-1
34Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.)18-2
45Link Academy (Branson, Mo.) 15-2
513Calvary Christian Academy (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.)15-1
66Prolific Prep (Southwest Ranches, Fla.) 16-3
71Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.)17-2
87CIA Bella Vista (Phoenix, Ariz.)12-2
99Principia (St. Louis, Mo.)14-2
108Seven Lakes (Katy, Texas) 25-0
1110Fishers (Fishers, Ind.)14-0
1211Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.)18-1
1312Sunnyslope (Phoenix, Ariz.)18-1
1414Redondo Union (Redondo Beach, Calif.)20-3
1517Wisconsin Lutheran (Milwaukee, Wis.)13-0
1616Timpview (Provo, Utah)14-1
1720Oak Cliff Faith Family (Dallas, Texas)19-6
1821Greensboro Day (Greensboro, N.C.)26-2
1922Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah)11-4
2023Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.)9-5
2124Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.)11-4
2226Benet Academy (Lisle, Ill.)21-1
2325Bartlett (Bartlett, Tenn.)17-4
2418Salesian (Richmond, Calif.)17-2
2519Webb (Knoxville, Tenn.)20-2
2638St. John Bosco (North Hollywood, Calif.)21-2
2715Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.)15-5
2831Millennium (Goodyear, Ariz.)17-2
2934Concord Academy (Concord, N.C.)20-2
3040Harvard-Westlake (Bellflower, Calif.)21-2
3139East Lansing (East Lansing, Mich.)13-0
3237Columbus (Miami, Fla.)14-6
3343Santa Margarita (Rancho SM, Calif.) 21-3
3446North Crowley (Ft. Worth, Texas)21-3
3527Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, N.Y.) 5-8
3629IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)13-7
3730Southeastern Prep Academy (Orlando, Fla.) 27-8
3850Gainesville (Gainesville, Ga.)19-0
3928La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.)14-2
4032Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.)9-6
4145Lakota West (West Chester, Ohio)14-1
42NRSt. John’s (Washington, D.C.)15-4
4341Bishop O’Connell (Arlington, Va.)15-4
4442DePaul College Prep (Chicago, Ill.)18-3
45NRSt. Xavier (Louisville, Ky.)14-4
46NRSt. Joseph (Santa Maria, Calif.)21-2
4749Our Lady of Mt. Carmel (Baltimore, Md.)19-5
48NRRainier Beach (Seattle, Wash.)15-1
49NRNorth Broward Prep (Coconut Creek, Fla.)20-1
50NRCrown Point (Crown Point, Ind.)12-0
Dropped Out: No. 33 Dream City Christian (Glendale, Ariz.), No. 35 Bartow (Bartow, Fla.), No. 36 The Villages Charter (The Villages, Fla.), No. 44 Booker T. Washington (Tulsa, Okla.), No. 47 Notre Dame (West Haven, Conn.), No. 48 St. Thomas Aquinas (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.).
Bubble Teams: Appleton North (Appleton, Wis.) 12-2; Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.) 10-5; Atascocita (Humble, Texas) 17-6; Bartow (Bartów, Fla.) 18-2; Bearden (Knoxville, Tenn.) 22-1; Booker T. Washington (Tulsa, Okla.) 13-1; Brennan (San Antonio, Texas) 20-3; Bryant (Bryant, Ark.) 18-3; Cathedral Prep (Erie, Pa.) 16-1; Cedar Falls (Cedar Fallas, Iowa) 13-0; Chaparral (Parker, Col.) 11-2; Curie (Chicago, Ill.) 18-1; DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) 14-5; DME Academy (Daytona Beach, Fla.) 15-5; Dream City Christian (Glendale, Ariz.) 14-6; East Kentwood (Kentwood, Mich.) 10-1; East St. Louis (East St. Louis, Ill.) 15-2*; Fairfax Christian (Dulles, Va.) 20-1; Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) 16-1; Houston (Germantown, Tenn.) 12-5; Kankakee (Kankakee, Ill.) 15-1; La Mirada (La Mirada, Calif.) 17-6; Lawrence North (Indianapolis, Ind.) 14-1; Layton Christian (Layton, Utah) 15-2; Little Elm (Little Elm, Texas) 22-2; Lutheran East (Cleveland Heights, Ohio) 10-0; Male (Louisville, Ky.) 13-4; Millwood (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.) 15-2; Mt. Vernon (Fortville, Ind.) 12-2; Muskegon (Muskegon, Mich.) 9-0; Forsyth Country Day (Lewisville, N.C.) 21-2; Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia, Pa.) 12-2; Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) 15-6; Pembroke Pines (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) 14-4; Petersburg (Petersburg, Va.) 10-4; Pike (Indianapolis, Ind.) 11-3; Plainfield (Plainfield, N.J.) 12-1; Ralston Valley (Arvada, Col.) 12-0; Rangeview (Aurora, Col.) 9-3; Riviera Prep (Miami, Fla.) 10-8; Rockford (Rockford, Mich.) 10-2; Sidwell Friends (Washington, D.C.) 11-4; South (Shawnee Mission, Kan.) 8-0; Starkville (Starkville, Miss.) 19-1; St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.) 23-4; St. Ignatius (Chicago, Ill.) 19-2; St. John’s (Washington, D.C.) 15-4; St. Thomas Aquinas (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) 18-4; Tartan (Oakdale, Minn.) 11-0; The Rock (Gainesville, Fla.) 16-6; The Villages Charter (The Villages, Fla.) 13-6; Veritas Prep (Chino Hills, Calif.) 12-2; Warren Township (Gurnee, Ill.) 16-1; Waukee Northwest (Waukee, Iowa) 11-1; West Allis Central (West Allis, Wis.) 12-1.
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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