CBB: 10 Takeaways from Montverde's historic tournament run

1. Dariq Whitehead headlines Duke's top ranked class: Whitehead will join fellow 5-star recruits Derrick Lively, Kyle Filipowski and Mark Mitchell at Duke in the fall as Jon Scheyer brings in the top ranked class. The 6'6 guard averaged 15.7 points in the recent tournament run including a 21-point performance in the semifinals triumph over rival IMG Academy. Whitehead also became the 4th player from Montverde to win Naismith Player of the Year.

2. Dillon Mitchell leads Montverde to second straight championship: The most dominant program in the country clinched a record-breaking sixth national title as Montverde took down Link Academy 60-49 in the Geico Nationals championship game on Saturday afternoon. Mitchell racked up 17 points and 11 rebounds on 8/12 shooting from the field in the win. The 6'7 forward is the 7th ranked prospect per ESPN 100 and has next level athleticism.

3. Houston welcomes ultratalented forward Jarace Walker: Kelvin Sampson has turned Houston into a consistent contender with a dominant defense and extreme toughness. Walker will certainly fit right in and could help the Cougars reach a third consecutive Elite Eight appearance next year. The 9th ranked recruit struggled in the semifinals loss but scored a game-high 23 points, seven rebounds and five assists as IMG Academy eliminated La Lumiere.

4. Keyonte George keeps showing major potential: Even though George couldn't push his team past Montverde, the 6'4 shooting guard continues to flash impressive isolation and shot-making ability. He committed to Baylor in early November and is the second highest ranked player in school history. George looks like a potential top-5 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft if he continues to build and improve during his freshman season with Scott Drew.

5. Gradey Dick needs to become more versatile: Dick will also play in the Big 12 next year after committing to his dream school to play for Bill Self. The 6'7 forward is ranked 8th in the nation according to ESPN and headlines a trio of 5-stars headed to Kansas alongside MJ Rice and Ernest Udeh. Despite winning Gatorade Player of the Year, Dick couldn't find a rhythm as top seed Sunrise Christian Academy was upset by Prolific Prep in the quarterfinals.

6. Arkansas brings in record-breaking recruiting class: Eric Musselman has done a fantastic job since being hired in 2019 and the Razorbacks are in line to compete for another SEC championship next year. Arkansas is adding three of the highest rated recruits in school history in 5-stars Jordan Walsh, Nick Smith and Anthony Black. Walsh is a physically imposing slasher that helped lead Link Academy to a successful showing at nationals.

7. Scotty Middleton's rise will continue during senior season: The 4-star junior guard from Sunrise Christian Academy finished with a team-high 15 points in the quarterfinals loss and will return as a senior with an eye on winning a national title. Middleton talked to me about his recruiting process a few months ago: “My mindset during the recruiting process is really to just stay humble and work. I know any day all of this can be taken from me so I just keep my head straight and grind."

8. Julian Phillips, Malik Reneau remain uncommitted: The two highest ranked uncommitted seniors participated in the championship game as Reneau scored 13 points in the first half to help Montverde jump out to an early lead. Phillips is an extremely smooth and skilled scorer that decommitted from LSU following Will Wade's recent firing. Reneau was originally committed to Florida. Both are receiving interest from Florida State, Indiana and others.

9. Pac-12 adds a pair of Prolific Prep scorers: Prolific Prep found a way to beat top ranked Sunrise Christian in the quarterfinals as Tre White and Jordan Pope carried the offensive load with multiple starters out. Pope scored a game-high 23 points on 5/12 from 3-point range in the upset. The 6'0 guard committed to Oregon State last week and has an ability to hit difficult shots. White will also bring a shot-first mindset to USC going forward.

10. Keep an eye on Arizona commit Kylan Boswell in 2023: Arizona Compass was absolutely stacked with talent this season but fell short in a 72-63 loss against Montverde on Thursday. With a couple seniors in Chance Westry and Dylan Andrews heading to play at the next level, the team will lean on Boswell next year. The 6'1 point guard is an elite ball handler, decision maker and passer that committed to Arizona in late February.

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Photo Credit: MaxPreps.