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In Episode No. 49 of our "In The Paint Show," co-hosts Ronnie Flores and Devin Ugland go hard on some fast-rising players who have emerged from early holiday tournaments and showcases both locally and nationally with two special guests.
Ron dishes on what he knows and saw nationally at Hoophall West in Phoenix and breaks down fast-rising teams such as FAB 50 No. 4 Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) which knocked off No. 1 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) behind its stellar backcourt play, No. 10 Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.), which knocked off No. 3 DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) and No. 11 Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) at the DC Hoopfest, and No. 15 Hamilton Heights Christian Academy (Chattanooga, Tenn.), which was impressive at Hoophall West.
We bring on HHCA head coach Zach Ferrell to break down his program, which finished No. 33 in last year's final FAB 50 and later announced it was shutting down because of financial restraints. Ferrell breaks down how that all went down, how the program has bounced back financially and eyes its first GEICO Nationals berth. We also take a deep dive into the HHCA roster, and in particular Russia wing Samson Ruzhentsev, who is one of this season's early fast-risers alone with Paul VI's junior Trevor Keels and Sunrise Christian Academy junior forward Kendall Brown.
Locally, Dev dishes on what he's recently seen, including FAB 50 No. 24 Etiwanda (Calif.) going down at the Trevor Ariza Westchester Tip-Off Classic and St. Bernard (Playa del Rey, Calif.) emerging as the tourney champs. We bring on St. Bernard head coach Mitch Runco to discuss his team's quick rise up the state rankings. How have the Vikings come together so quickly with two freshmen and two transfers? Why is veteran point guard Nick Bowden still under-recruited?
The fellas also dish on other fast-rising California prospects and break down the 2021 class and the Top 10 of the incoming 2023 class. Why doesn't the 2021 class have the heavy hitters at the top that 2020 does? Will elite prospects emerge? Does 2023 have the making of a special class?
To learn more about our hosts, Ronnie Flores and Devin Ugland, and to get more information about what "In The Paint" is all about, check out our intro below!