BROWNSBURG, Ind. -- Some of the best high school talent in the nation convened at Brownsburg High School this week for the Chipotle Nationals. Eight of the top 10 boys teams, and six of the top 15 girls teams in the nation were all represented. The week was of course highlighted by Montverde Academy, who came away with the title while completing their undefeated season.
Indiana fans are well aware of who plays for Montverde. Recent de-commit Liam McNeeley and Indiana target Kayden Allen are part of the star-studded team. I spoke briefly with each player after Friday's game, and each player indicated there have been no recent changes or updates in their recruitment. In the three games over the weekend, McNeeley had 11, 14, and six points for an average of 10.3.
The nation's number one prospect Cooper Flagg led the way for Montverde Academy. The Duke commit wowed the Indiana crowd all weekend, averaging 20 points per night while making impressive plays on both ends of the floor.
Derik Queen, who recently chose Maryland over Indiana, also plays for Montverde. His skills were on full display all weekend as well, as the big man had 19 points, six rebounds, and four assists in the title game. He averaged 16.3 points over the three days. Hoosier fans were envisioning a world with both McNeeley and Queen in candy stripes next season, but ultimately ended up missing on both.
Montverde's Head Coach Kevin Boyle commented on his special group after the championship game: "We thought we had as much talent as anybody and as good of a team. We didn't get the job done last year. This year, we thought we had the best players but more than that, it's the closest group I've had in 35 years. From one to 12, I've never had a group that was this close and tight, and they played that way on the court."
Local fans were treated to some elite talent throughout the tournament. In addition to the names already mentioned, Chipotle Nationals also featured Patrick Ngongba (Duke), Darren Harris (Duke), Isaiah Abraham (UCONN), Curtis Givens (LSU), Robert Wright III (Baylor), Asa Newell (Georgia), Garrett Sundra (Notre Dame), Ben Hammond (Rhode Island), and the Boozer brothers (uncommitted).
It's hard to predict what kind of relationship the Indiana program will have with Montverde and other elite programs in the future. With so much talent represented, it's something to keep an eye on for next year and beyond. There was an incredible amount of talent in Brownsburg this week, and fans would love if Indiana was more involved with more of those names and programs. For now, the Hoosiers will continue building out their roster for next year through the transfer portal. As Assistant Coach Brian Walsh told me last week at the IHSAA State Finals, there's "a lot of work to do."
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