PVI Girls Basketball Heading to GEICO Nationals Tournament
- Boys Tournament Expands to Ten Teams – Including The Top Four Ranked Teams in the Country and Nine Top 25 Ranked Teams
- Girls Tournament Includes Three of the Top Four Ranked Teams
- All 12 Games to Air on ESPN Networks (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU & ESPN3)
The GEICO High School Basketball Nationals will be held at Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Ft. Myers, Fla., March 31-April 3. The 13th annual event expands the boys’ field to ten teams, featuring five of the top 10 ranked teams in the country, and nine of the top 25. The girls’ field includes three of the top four ranked teams in the country, with all four sitting in the top 15. All twelve games of the single-elimination tournament will be available on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU or ESPN3.
The boys’ tournament will showcase 31 ESPN ranked players, while the girls’ tournament features nine espnW ranked players. Also participating are seven McDonald’s All-Americans: Nate Bittlle (Prolific Prep), Kendall Brown (Sunrise Christian), Kennedy Chandler (Sunrise Christian), Nolan Hickman (Wasatch Academy), Moussa Diabate (IMG Academy), Caleb Houstan (Montverde Academy) and Raven Johnson (Westlake High School).
The four-day tournament begins Wednesday, March 31 with two first round games starting at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN3. The action continues Thursday, April 1, with boys’ quarterfinals starting at noon on ESPNU. The girls’ semifinals begin Friday, April 2, at 10:30 a.m. on ESPNU and the boys’ semifinals begin at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN2. The tournament culminates on Saturday, April 3 with the girls’ championship at 10 a.m. on ESPN2 and the boys’ championship at noon on ESPN. Ted Emrich and Paul Biancardi will call the boys’ tournament and Matt Schick and Aja Ellison will call the girls’ tournament.
“GEICO Nationals has become the nation’s premier high school basketball event, and by expanding the field to 10 teams, it will elevate the intensity needed to win a championship,” said Paul Biancardi, ESPN analyst and national recruiting director. “With more nationally-ranked teams than ever before and more than 30 ESPN-ranked prospects going head to head, this year’s participants comprise the deepest field in history. The talent competing in this year’s event is elite and spread out among all classes, including the top-ranked point guard in the senior class, Kennedy Chandler, and the No. 2 overall prospect in the junior class, Jalen Duren.”
2021 GEICO High School Basketball Nationals Schedule
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup/Commentators | Network |
| Wed, Mar 31 | 6 p.m. | La Lumiere (Ind.) vs. No. 18 Prolific Prep (Ca.) | ESPN3 |
| 8 p.m. | No. 21 Oak Hill (Va.) vs. No. 15 Pace Academy (Ga.) | ESPN3 | |
| Thu, Apr 1 | Noon | No. 12 Milton (Ga.) vs. No. 3 IMG Academy (Fla.) | ESPNU |
| 2 p.m. | Game 1 Winner vs. No. 2 Sunrise Christian (Kan.) | ESPNU | |
| 4 p.m. | Game 2 Winner vs. No. 1 Montverde Academy (Fla.) | ESPNU | |
| 6 p.m. | No. 10 Wasatch Academy vs. No. 4 AZ Compass Prep | ESPNU | |
| Fri, Apr 2 | 10:30 a.m. | No. 4 Paul VI (Va.) vs. No. 3 Lake Highland Prep (Fla.) | ESPNU |
| 12:30 p.m. | No. 15 Fremont (Utah) vs. No. 2 Westlake (Ga.) | ESPNU | |
| 2:30 p.m. | Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Winner | ESPN2 | |
| 4:30 p.m. | Game 5 vs. Game 6 Winner | ESPN2 | |
| Sat, Apr 3 | 10 a.m. | Girls Final | ESPN2 |
| Noon | Boys Final | ESPN |
2021 GEICO High School Basketball Nationals Participating Boys Teams:
Boys team rankings are per ESPN High School Top 25
Boys player rankings are per the ESPN 100 (class of 2021), ESPN 60 (class of 2022) and ESPN 25 (class of 2023)
No. 1 Montverde Academy (Fla.) 20-1
Tournament History: 10th appearance: Champion in 2013, 2014, 2015 & 2018 (Runner-up in 2010, 2012 & 2017)
Coach: Kevin Boyle
ESPN Ranked Players: No. 7 Caleb Houstan (Michigan), No. 23 Langston Love (Baylor); No. 2 Jr. Jalen Duran, No. 6 Jr. Dariq Whitehead, No. 22 Jr. Jalen Hood-Schifino, No. 38 Jr. Justice Williams, No. 50 Jr. Malik Reneau; No. 20 So. Sam Walters
No. 2 Sunrise Christian Academy (Kan.) 19-2
Tournament History: Second appearance
Coach: Luke Barnwell
ESPN Ranked Players: No. 10 Kennedy Chandler (Tennessee), No. 20 Kendall Brown (Baylor), No. 31 Zach Clemence (Kansas), No. 63 Jaden Akins (Michigan State); No. 21 Jr. Gradey Dick
No. 3 IMG Academy (Fla.) 20-2
Tournament History: Third appearance, Champion in 2019
Coach: Sean McAloon
ESPN Ranked Players: No. 8 Moussa Diabate (Michigan), No. 53 Tamar Bates (Texas); No. 8 Jr. Jaden Bradley, No. 9 Jr. Jarace Walker, No. 31 Jr. Eric Dailey Jr., No. 36 Jr. Jett Howard
No. 4 AZ Compass Prep (Ariz.) 27-1
Tournament History: First appearance
Coach: Ed Gibson
ESPN Ranked Players: No. 34 TyTy Washington; No. 17 Jr. Sadraque Nganga
No. 10 Wasatch Academy (Utah) 18-6
Tournament History: Fourth appearance
Coach: Paul Peterson
ESPN Ranked Players: No. 28 Nolan Hickman (Kentucky); No. 33 Jr. Rickie Isaacs
No. 12 Milton High School (Ga.) 27-2
Tournament History: First Appearance
Coach: Allen Whitehart
ESPN Ranked Players: No. 24 So. Kanaan Carlyle
No 15 Pace Academy (Ga.) 27-1
Tournament History: First Appearance
Coach: Sharman White
ESPN Ranked Players: No. 30 Matt Cleveland (FSU)
No. 18 Prolific Prep (Calif.) 30-3
Tournament History: First appearance
Coach: Mark Phelps
ESPN Ranked Players: No. 9 Nate Bittle (Oregon); No. 19 Jr. Kamari Lands, No. Jr. 24 Adem Bona
No. 21 Oak Hill Academy (Va.) 15-8
Tournament History: 11th appearance: Champion in 2016 (Runner-up in 2009, 2011, 2014 & 2015)
Coach: Steve Smith
ESPN Ranked Players: No. 10 Jr. M.J. Rice
La Lumiere School (Ind.) 6-8
Tournament History: Eighth appearance: Champion in 2017 (Runner-up in 2016 & 2019)
Coach: Patrick Holmes
ESPN Ranked Players: No. 29 Jr. Vincent Iwuchukwu, No. 59 Jr. J.J. Starling
2021 GEICO High School Basketball Nationals Participating Girls Teams:
Girls team rankings are per the ESPNW 25 Power Rankings
Girls player rankings are per the ESPNW 100 (class of 2021), ESPNW 60 (class of 2022), ESPNW 25 (class of 2023) and espnW Watchlist (class of 2024)
No. 2 Westlake High School (Ga.) 21-0
Tournament History: Second appearance
Head coach: Hilda Hankerson
espnW Ranked Players: No. 2 Raven Johnson (South Carolina), No. 61 Brianna Turnage (Virginia Tech); No. 39 Jr. Ta’Niya Latson
No. 3 Lake Highland Prep (Fla.) 19-0
Tournament History: First appearance
Head coach: Al Honor
espnW Ranked Players: No. 75 Kayla Blackshear (Alabama): No. 11 Jr. Nyla Harris; Fr. Alexandra Blue
No. 4 Paul VI High School (Va.) 10-0
Tournament History: First appearance
Head coach: Scott Allen
Key Players: Lee Volker (Duke), Isabella Perkins
No. 15 Fremont High School (Utah) 26-0
Tournament History: Second appearance, Runner-up in 2014
Head coach: Lisa Dalebout
espnW Ranked Players: No. 74 Emma Calvert (BYU); No. 4 Jr. Timea Gardiner; No. 21 So. Maggie Mendelson
