Media Contacts:
Emilio Giler, Sports Information Director
Phone: 407.469.2561 X6101 Cell: 352.348.7283
emilio.giler@montverde.org
Andrea Colby, Director of Communications
Phone: 407.469.2561 x6005 Cell: 407.782.8344
andrea.colby@montverde.org
MONTVERDE ACADEMY BOYS' VARSITY TEAM INVITED TO GEICO HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL NATIONALS
Eagles return for eighth consecutive year to pursue fifth championship title.
March 12, 2019 (Montverde, FL) – Montverde Academy is proud to have received its tenth consecutive invitation to the GEICO National Championship Tournament, hosted in New York on April 4-6, 2019. The Eagles are one of eight teams invited to the National High School Invitational (NHSI), which was launched in 2009 at Georgetown Prep in Bethesda, Maryland. The event was created to provide a platform for top, nationally-ranked high school basketball teams to compete against one another in a season-ending tournament.
Montverde Academy received its first invitation to the National Tournament in 2010 and earned a second place finish with Kevin Sutton as head coach. Kevin Boyle joined MVA in 2011 from St. Patrick's High School in Elizabeth, New Jersey. While at St. Patrick's, he led the basketball program to sectional and state titles, and five New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Tournament of Champions titles. With Coach Boyle, the team earned invitations in 2011 and 2012, placing second in 2012. Finally, in 2013, the Eagles won their first National Championship title and held the title in 2014 and 2015 as well, with players that included Ben Simmons ('15) and D'Angelo Russell ('14), who are both currently playing for NBA teams.
The 2018 team, which featured class of 2018 players R.J. Barrett (Duke University), Andrew Nembhard (University of Florida), Mike Devoe (Georgia Tech), and Filip Petrusev (Gonzaga University), dominated the Tournament with a resounding win. In the 2017-18 season, MVA was undefeated, winning seven games against opponents ranked in the Super 25 with 35 victories, and beating teams by an average of 31.6 points per game. R.J. Barrett also surpassed Ben Simmons as the all-time leading scorer at the GEICO National Championship with 177 career points.
The 2018-19 season has been another outstanding performance with a record of 21-2 going into GEICO Nationals. The Eagles have faced four ranked opponents in its final five contests, outscoring Top 25 challengers by 26.8 points per game and earning a record of 7-2 against currently ranked teams. With the only returning starter from the 2018 GEICO National Championship team Balsa Koprivica (Florida State University commit) who is accompanied by varsity teammates Omar Payne (University of Florida commit), Precious Achiuwa, Harlond Beverly, and Cade Cunningham, the Eagles are favored to win the 2019 GEICO High School National Tournament.
"This is my eighth year at Montverde Academy and we're excited to be selected again to the National Tournament," said Coach Boyle. "This year's field is terrific and any of these eight teams has a legitimate chance to win the tournament and be the No. 1 team in the nation. Montverde Academy has had the great fortune of winning four titles out of the last six National Championships, and we're looking forward to see if we're as good as everybody else this year."
The GEICO National Championship Tournament takes place on April 4-6 at Christ the King High School in Middle Village, New York. Tickets can be purchased here.
About Montverde Academy:
Montverde Academy is an international, independent college preparatory school for grades Pre-K3 through post-graduate studies, with a boarding program serving grades 7-12. Our mission is to inspire students to become knowledgeable leaders with global vision and passion for learning, in a disciplined and diverse community that nurtures character development. For more information about MVA, visit us online at Montverde.org, and follow us on FaceBook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter.
