After initially accepting an invitation to play in the GEICO Nationals, Georgia powerhouse McEachern has backed out of the field and will be replaced by Bishop Gorman (NV).
This new development stems from an earlier report that stated several McEachern players, that included Sharife Cooper and Isaac Okoro, would skip the trip to New York City.
The updated GEICO Nationals field is as follows:
#1 La Lumiere (IN)
#2 Montverde Academy (FL)
#3 IMG Academy (FL)
#4 Oak Hill Academy (VA)
#5 Wasatch Academy (UT)
#6 Sunrise Christian Academy (KS)
#7 University School (FL)
#8 Bishop Gorman (NV)
McEachern would have been the No. 2 seed in the GEICO Nationals.
With the addition of Bishop Gorman, every team (except La Lumiere) moved up one spot to create several new intriguing matchups. Most notably, La Lumiere and Bishop Gorman will play in the first round. The two schools actually met earlier in the season at the Cancer Research Classic in West Virginia. La Lumiere got past Bishop Gorman, winning by a score of 67-54.
Another notable first round game comes in the form of a national championship rematch:
Montverde and University School battled in last year’s finals at the GEICO Nationals. R.J. Barrett walked away with MVP honors as the Eagles raced past University School by a score of 76-58.
University School could be without the services of Vernon Carey Jr. this time around. Carey is still recovering from an ankle injury that he suffered in the Florida playoffs.
Photo: Chelsea Bowman, Blueprint Pro
Final Thoughts on Bishop Gorman:
Bishop Gorman is a formidable addition to the GEICO Nationals field. The Gaels recently won their eighth consecutive Nevada 4A championship and they feature several nationally ranked players (via 247Sports):
Isaiah Cotrell: 6-foot-8 Power Forward | No. 56 in the Class of 2020
Zaon Collins: 6-foot-1 Point Guard | No. 46 in the Class of 2021
Noah Taitz: 6-foot-3 Shooting Guard | No. 151 in the Class of 2020
Will McClendon: 6-foot-3 Shooting Guard | Unranked but holds offers from Texas Tech, Washington and others
This is a fairly young team, but still extremely battle tested.
In addition to winning a Nevada state title, the Gaels also got signature victories over Rancho Christian (CA) and the Washington Class 4A Champions in Gonzaga Prep.
Michael McLamb is the High School Hoops Editor at Mars Reel
