Montverde Academy: High school's greatest?

This story was written for the March 2020 edition of Basketball Times magazine. The story evaluates the 2020 Montverde Academy men's basketball team among the greatest high school teams of all-time. The story features interviews with Roy Williams, Paul Biancardi, and Cade Cunningham among others.

Cade Cunningham (above) is one of the best players in high school basketball and was the unquestioned leader of the 2020 Montverde Squad.

“They all share the ball, they’re unselfish, they’re extremely gifted, they defend you and they got five, six, seven, eight guys who are going to play major college basketball,” - Roy Williams on the 2020 Montverde team.

By Danny Priest

@dpriest3

Kevin Boyle stands at mid-court, arms crossed, waiting as his team prepares around him.

His team is gathered inside of the tiny Dana Gym on the campus of Springfield College, located in the very same city in which Dr. James Naismith invented the sport of basketball back in 1891.

It’s Friday, day two of the 2020 Spalding Hoophall Classic, and Boyle’s Montverde Academy Eagles are getting ready for their first practice in preparation for their Sunday night showdown with IMG Academy.

It’s the same IMG team that staged an epic 16-point comeback just eight months earlier in the GEICO National Semifinals and knocked off the Eagles en route to winning the title.

But that was last year.

This year, things look a bit different.

As Boyle stands at half-court with his black Montverde sweatshirt zipped all the way up, there is a collection of talent around him perhaps never seen before in high school basketball.

Cade Cunningham, a standout senior and one of the country’s best players, is back from last year’s run. The Eagles have added six-eight senior and one of the country’s most versatile players, Scottie Barnes.

They join ESPN Top 100 players Moses Moody, Day’Ron Sharpe, and Caleb Houstan in perhaps the best starting five in the country.

On top of that, the Eagles boast a bench unit featuring the likes of Zeb Jackson, Langston Love, Dariq Whitehead, and Ryan Nembhard, among others.

The type of guys who -- if they left the program -- could go and be stars elsewhere.

From top to bottom, the Eagles have eight guys who are ranked in the Top 100 in the nation and they are routinely blowing teams out, game after game.

Currently, Montverde is undefeated. They beat DeMatha, ESPN’s No. 2 ranked high school team by 19; they’ve beaten McEachern twice by 51 and 29, respectively; they’ve routinely beat teams by 40 or more points including beating the Scotland Campus team 121-39.

“It’s one of the best high school teams I’ve ever seen, there’s no question,” said Roy Williams during Montverde’s second game at the 2020 Hoophall Classic. Williams is someone who has been watching high school basketball since he got into coaching almost 50 years ago as an assistant coach on Dean Smith’s staff.

“They all share the ball, they’re unselfish, they’re extremely gifted, they defend you and they got five, six, seven, eight guys who are going to play major college basketball,” he added.

The school itself, located in Montverde, Florida right in the heart of the state is not overflowing. The total enrollment at the school is just over 1,200 students, but their team still brims with talent nevertheless.

Williams will welcome big man Day’Ron Sharpe to Chapel Hill next year. Cunningham will be headed to Oklahoma State, Barnes to Florida State, Moody will be at Arkansas. Even bench guys such as Zeb Jackson will be playing high major when he heads to Michigan next fall.

There’s no doubting Montverde is great, but are the Eagles the best high school team ever?

They haven’t won a national championship. Not yet at least.

Is their dominance enough?

“Alright, baseline, stretching, let’s go!” Boyle shouts out to his guys as they get ready to begin practice.

To be the best, you’ve got to put in the work, and that’s what Boyle is doing day-by-day with his group as they try to etch their name among the greatest teams of all-time.

*History’s Greatest*

Throughout the decades, there’s been numerous great high school basketball teams.

Most people would start with the Dunbar Poets teams of the early 1980s. Pick whichever year, from 1982 to 1984, the team never lost a game.

Long-time talent evaluator Tom Konchalski argued that the ‘83 Dunbar team had a case for the greatest ever. He mentioned the progression in the games of future NBA’ers Reggie Williams and Mugsy Bogues made that team so special.

“Plus their sixth man was Reggie Lewis who ended up an NBA All-Star. The other starters were Tim Dawson, who went to Miami...and Keith James, six-five guard who went to UNLV,” Konchalski added.

A team featuring multiple NBA guys and numerous high major college players that never lost a game sounds strikingly similar to today’s Montverde team.

Another school that has an argument is Power Memorial Academy. A team that captured three straight New York City Catholic League titles, lost only two games, and had a 71 game winning streak; all led by Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr., a.k.a. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

There are others too. The St. Anthony’s team in the 1988-1989 season was an exceptional collection of talent and desire to win.

Led by Coach Bob Hurley the team featured his son, Bobby Hurley, as well as fellow future NBA guys Terry Dehere and Rodrick Rhodes. The group also had Jerry Walker who went on to Seton Hall and became the all-time leading scorer in Big East history, a mark that’s since been broken.

A team that didn’t even have their own home gym to play in proceeded to roll over nearly everyone they faced on their way to a 32-0 record on the season.

More recently, teams such as Lawrence North in 2005-2006 that featured Mike Conley and Greg Oden who went 29-0 could be in the conversation. Even the Ball brothers’ Chino Hills’ team in 2016 could make an argument with their 35-0 record.

For Konchalski, he can see the Eagles in the mix.

“I think these guys are in the conversation. I can’t say they’re better because Alcindor was such a force of nature,” he said.

The question likely hinges on what’s more important: star power, or team depth. Every team mentioned can check the resume boxes off: signature wins, standout guys, championships, and more.

Montverde is still filling out their resume, but their collection of talent is second to none.

“I definitely haven't seen a high school team this loaded and deep since I've been doing this. A future #1 overall draft talent in Cade (Cunningham) plus two or three potential lottery picks. Best high school team I can think of from this modern era,” said Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman.

“It depends on your perspective when you’re evaluating that question, but I’m not sure there’s anybody that can really stand too good of a chance of beating them this year,” added ESPN’s Adam Finklestein.

What stands out with the Eagles is not just their supremely gifted starting five, but the special bench they have behind them.

“How many teams out there have ever had eight guys that are top 50 players in the country or better? Zeb Jackson’s a guy we never even mention who’s going to Michigan who’s really, really good...but on this team, he gets lost in the shuffle,” said the HOOP SCOOP’S Clark Francis on Montverde’s level of talent.

“Langston Love is a great example. He’s probably going to be a McDonald’s All-American a year from now and I think he was the second leading scorer in one of their recent games, but more often than not he’s just a role player, just another guy who comes off the bench,” Francis added.

What’s special about Montverde is they won’t beat you with one, two, or three guys; they can do it with 10. It does help though when a team’s two best players, in the Eagles case Cunningham and Barnes, are also extremely willing and able passers.

“I think with that team man, they’ve got two elite players who are more than just really good talents. They’re effective playmakers, they have high basketball IQ’s, they know how to play; and then they’re surrounded by a bunch of guys that are really talented but are willing to buy into their role,” said 24/7 Sports Director of Recruiting Evan Daniels.

“Obviously their roster top to bottom is really gifted and maybe they have more high major players than anybody, but they also play extremely well together,” Daniels added.

The depth that Montverde possess also follows the lead of Cunningham and Barnes with the tone they set on the court.

“It’s kind of like Kentucky with Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd Gilchrist, when your two hardest working players on the team are the two best players and they defend and they have that passion, suddenly everybody else buys in. That effort and toughness is contagious. That’s hard to find in this day and age,” Francis said.

The question likely won’t be answered anytime soon, but depending who you ask, some are ready to declare this the greatest high school team of all time right now.

“I think this is the best high school team, unless somebody beats them, I think they’re on track and again, it’s the depth, the chemistry, the number of weapons they have. There are a lot of teams that have had great one, two, three punches; but having people who’ve had eight guys as great as this team (is rare),” Francis said.

*The Program*

“All right, everyone get a ball, let’s go!”

Kevin Boyle.

He is Max Prep’s coach of the decade for the 2010’s, a two-time Naismith National Coach of the Year (2011 and 2018), and the USA Today Coach of the Year in 2017.

He’s stood on the sidelines for both the USA Junior National team and as the Head Coach for the Jordan Brand Classic.

Boyle has overseen multiple national titles at St. Patrick’s and Montverde, has not lost more than five games in a season since coming to Montverde in 2011, and has coached the likes of Kyrie Irving, Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and more.

At 56 years old, he starts off practicing doing stationary ball-handling drills right along with his players.

“Eyes up! Eyes up!”

“Let’s go! Chest up, you’re stiff!”

Boyle, crouched in a low stance with his back perfectly straight, continues to pound the ball into the ground and yell out instructions with the zeal of a teenager.

The drill lasts about 10 or 15 minutes. Boyle does not take a moment off.

He maintains that low stance, back perfectly straight. He never loses the ball, and he challenges all his guys to do the same.

Boyle jokes that he still likes to fool around with the ball when he can, but on a more serious note, he gets that involved for a reason.

“I also like to see the kids seeing ‘hey, I’m at 56 and some of you guys I’m handling the ball better.’ Why? Just because I practiced more growing up? All of you guys are more athletic than I am, so there’s no reason all your handles and your passing ability wouldn’t be better than me if we’re doing certain drills right now,” Boyle said.

That one statement embodies everything Kevin Boyle and the Montverde Academy program are all about. They challenge their players, and they make sure to get the most out of each and every one of them.

When Boyle made the decision to leave St. Patrick’s prior to the 2011 high school season, a place he had been for 23 years and won over 400 games and five Tournament of Champions titles, it was hard to envision Montverde evolving into what they’ve become.

They were always good, but they’ve reached new heights even for those who had the loftiest of expectations.

“I thought the quickest way to be competitive and to be consistent was to be really good defensively. Really tough, you know, really intense, create a culture of really hard work, no excuses, play harder than the other team, practice hard every day, and to create that culture,” Boyle said of his mindset when he moved to Montverde.

Very quickly, that vision turned into actual results.

Almost immediately after Boyle arrived, the Eagles started pumping out wins and top draft picks with striking consistency.

The key has been the culture established at Montverde: working hard and being accountable.

“The kids are going to be accountable and the coaches are going to be very transparent with my strengths, and with areas that I need to develop. We’re going to tell you things that maybe other people aren’t telling you when you’re a very good young player,” Boyle said.

Each player who attends the school has an NBA assessment done for them. Boyle and the staff seek out a player their guy could comparably measure out to in terms of size and weight and they assess where they need to improve to reach that level.

“He’s not lying about that,” Cunningham said of the assessments. “He does that with everybody. Even whenever they first walk in, just off of seeing them. He’d never saw me play before I got to the school, but after a couple open runs he evaluated my game and got back to me with what I needed to work on, what I’m good at, he gave me a position and everything.”

Boyle doesn’t hold back either. Even for his most talented players, guys such as Scottie Barnes, he’s not afraid to give them “two’s” and “three’s” in a certain area on a 1-5 scale.

“Just being honest, to be a really good pro, you’ve got to get better at A, B, C, D,” Boyle said of the evaluations.

Barnes is a good example. In high school, he’s a physical freak who can get by just on his athletic ability alone, but according to Barnes, Boyle’s challenging him to improve in other areas of his game.

Footwork and coming off screens are going to be important for Barnes at the next levels. That’s something Boyle tries to do with all his guys.

“You’re not there yet, you’re really good at this age, but if those don’t develop, you could end up not reaching your expectations. But to the same point, you could end up being an All-Star if you keep developing and keep working,” Boyle said of how he treats his guys and motivates them.

For Boyle, he envisioned Montverde as a place where he could succeed in the future. Between the beauty of the campus, the facilities, and the vision he shared with Headmaster Kasey Kesserling, the fit made sense.

Boyle found a home where he could inject his own personality into his teams. Boyle likes to go hard, he likes to push high guys in practice, and he likes to make sure they’re developing on the court and off it.

“First, be a good person, and everything that you can control, make sure you take care of those things in your development as a student, as a person, as a player. That’s probably the biggest message,” Boyle said of what he tells his guys.

That’s important because between the lines, everything is real.

“I love practice, more than the game. You know, teaching kids and instructing and hopefully over time they get a much better understanding of basketball and I think that’s something that we take a lot of pride in. Teaching them the game and the nuances of the game,” Boyle said.

According to Boyle, he values practice so highly and wants his guys to go hard because it’s the best for them to learn to play with one another.

Take Zeb Jackson for example. Jackson, a senior guard, is committed to play basketball for Michigan next year, and he is a consensus top 100 player in the nation. For the Eagles, he comes off the bench and has sporadic minutes. Still he wouldn’t change a thing.

“I don’t start, I don’t get to play as much as I would want to most of the time, but for me I feel like this is just a stepping stone for me to be ready when I go to college versus having to go through this when I get there my first year and having to adjust. I feel like this is kind of my adjustment year. I feel like I’ll be way more prepared,” Jackson said.

Having a roster filled with talent breeds competition. That competition means sometimes guys are going to have to sacrifice, but that’s half the battle that Boyle faces.

“We’re a lot of those guys who were averaging 17 when they played in high school and came here and they had to take a step back to take two steps forward. They had to learn how to play, they had to learn how to play hard, they had to learn how to play with others. They had to learn how to share, and that’s the big thing,” Boyle said.

“When you move, it’s not going to be just about you, it’s going to be how you interact with teammates. Are you coachable? Can you be good when you’re the best guy? Can you be good as a starter? Can you be good if you’re the tenth guy? A lot of guys, did you learn how to compete? Do you quit if it’s not going your way or do you learn to run through? A lot of those are teaching points as well as just you know, basketball,” he added.

In a modern day where 15 to 18 year old high schoolers are superstars, Boyle remains brutally honest with his talented young players.

“Coach Boyle, he talks about the NBA a lot and he doesn’t sugar coat anything and he doesn’t tell us how good we are, he always keeps it real with us,” Cunningham said. “He constantly reminds us of big time players in high school that we don’t know where they’re at right now. Just having that in our ear all the time, I think it’s helped me a lot and it’s made me want to work harder.”

Boyle has seen what it takes for guys to reach the next level and succeed. At Montverde, each player has instilled in them.

“It’s the psychological part of being a competitor and being an athlete. Sometimes, the maturity of you know what, you’re not the best guy, there’s other people better than you and understand that’s part of life,” Boyle said.

“Our society is giving everybody trophies, it often isn’t good. You have to learn to deal with adversity, you have to learn to deal with loss, you have to learn to deal with getting cut from the team or being successful and figure it out.”

“It’s extremely difficult to coach talented high school players that sometimes have individual agendas such as scholarships, or rankings, or NBA aspirations. It’s a collective situation to make them play for the good of the team and that’s what he does so well,” said ESPN’s Paul Biancardi of Boyle.

Not only has Boyle prepped his guys to succeed on and off the court, but he has allowed the group to have fun and be themselves too.

*Personality*

From the outside, a team that has a bunch of super talented guys all fighting for playing time and trying to get noticed might not get along. That is not the case for the Eagles.

The team gets along well and despite always being in the spotlight, they’re calm under pressure and not afraid of the moment.

“This is one of the goofier teams I’ve played for,” said Cade Cunningham.

“Every single day we get to see each other’s faces,” Scottie Barnes said of his teammates. “At a boarding school, that’s basically like they’re your brothers and your family, so we get to connect with each other like that.”

Montverde is calm and relaxed. The team knows when to have fun and when to flip the switch. During that Friday afternoon practice during Hoophall, the team did a 2-on-2 drill to work on transition defense.

On one play, senior shooting guard Moses Moody was dribbling down the floor and at the three-point line he got a step on big man Day’Ron Sharpe.

The slight step was all Moody needed as in an instant he rose up well over the rim and threw down a hard right handed jam over the out stretched hand of Sharpe.

The rim-rattling dunk sent the gym into a frenzy.

The players burst out with screams and laughs of excitement, the coaching staff chuckled at Sharpe’s misfortune, and Moody stared down the big with a mean mug worthy of being on ESPN Top 10 plays.

Everyone reveled in the moment, then a few seconds later, it was back to work. That’s the key, and that’s why Montverde is staking their case as the greatest high school team ever.

“You know big games and stuff like that, it’s good because we know when to turn it on and turn it off. When it’s a tough game or a big-time game, you don’t really see a whole lot of smiles and laughing around, it’s all business,” Cunningham said. “We really love each other and care for each other and we have a good time together for sure.”

In Boyle’s mind, this group is great, but until they reach their ultimate goal of a championship, they haven’t done enough yet.

“This team has the potential to be up there with the greatest teams that ever played. You have to obviously finish each game, each quarter before you can have the right to talk about that or as a team be in the history of high school basketball,” he said.

By the time the final buzzer sounded on Montverde’s Sunday night ESPN showdown with IMG, the Eagles had won by 12 points, the second time already betting the group this season.

Since then, the team scored a 21-point victory over IMG making them 3-0 against them on the season, a sweet form of revenge after what happened last year.

All that’s left to do of course is one thing. Keep on winning.

“If we’re not focused we could end up losing a few games and people say it was a bunch of hype, so we have to take care of business,” Boyle said.

Business as usual. Something Boyle’s done in the past, continues to do in the present, and will have his teams doing for years to come.

Whether they’re the best is not is up for debate, but the evidence is going to be there in their favor.

This story originally published in the March 2020 edition of Basketball Times magazine.