MVA BREAKS RECORD WITH SEVEN NBA DRAFT PICKS

July 30, 2021 (Montverde, FL) – Last night, Montverde Academy made basketball history by breaking the record for most NBA draft picks in a single year with seven. Previously, the University of Kentucky held the record with six. Even better, four picks came in the first round and from the same 2020 National Championship winning high school team.

To nobody's surprise, Cade Cunningham ('20) was the No. 1 overall pick, and will take the court with the Detroit Pistons next season. The 6'8" guard won the 2020 National Championship while at Montverde Academy, and led what many regard as the best high school team of all time to the national title in 2020.

"Cade Cunningham is as a good of a player as we've ever had here," said Montverde Academy Head Boys Basketball Coach Kevin Boyle. "Cade has an incredible work ethic, is really tough and a great leader. He's like the CEO of a company that gets it, and understands he's got to treat everybody fairly. That may mean being firm to one player, and putting his arm around another player to get what they all need out of that guy for the team to win."

Scottie Barnes ('20) went fourth overall to the Toronto Raptors, even higher than he had be previously projected. 

"Scottie is Mr. Personality, a happy, energetic guy that motivates you, but can get under your skin if he wants to," said Boyle. "He's a master of getting in the opponent's head. He gets the crowd involved, and you hate playing against him for that reason."

Moses Moody ('20) went at No. 14 to the Golden State Warriors. 

"Moses is just a flat out sniper, a great shooter, and if you leave him open its going in," said Boyle. "He's a great one-on-one defender in that he'll stick with you and won't leave you all night. He'll find you, stay home with you, and he can really change an offensive player's shot with his length." 

Day'Ron Sharpe ('20) was chosen late in the first round, going to the Phoenix Suns with the No. 29 overall pick. 

"Day'Ron had a really good year at UNC," said Boyle. "He's capable of guarding ball screens, switching it up on a talented guard and moving his feet, and I think that's something that people are going to be a little surprised at. He's going to have a really great professional career."

Three other players were predicted as fringe picks in the second round, and they all found NBA teams before the night was over, giving the Academy the title of most picks in a single year.

Filip Petrusev ('18) was the first MVA pick in the second round, going at the No. 50 overall selection to the Philadelphia 76ers. Petrusev was named West Coast Conference Player of the Year in 2020, then signed a pro contract with Mega Soccerbet in Serbia to further develop. He will join two other Academy alumni at the 76ers in Ben Simmons and Joel Embid.

"The work Filip put in here helped him make the jump from Hartford to Gonzaga," said Boyle. "He already had great versatility when he arrived, and was able to develop his confidence here that would help our team go 35-0 and go No. 1." 

Sandro Mamukelashvili ('17), who earned Big East Player of the Year honors this season at Seton Hall, was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks with the No. 54 overall pick.

"I was doing basketball clinics in Italy when I met Sandro," said Boyle. "We knew at that point that he had a chance to be an NBA player. He had a good feel for the game and good mechanics. The game in America was a bit fast for him at first, but he blossomed as a player at Seton Hall."

Balsa Koprivica was a teammate to Petrusev on the team that won the 2018 National Championship at MVA. Koprivica went with the No. 57 pick to the Charlotte Hornets.

In addition to the storied varsity program at the Academy, Kevin Boyle and his staff lead the prestigious Center for Basketball Development (CBD), which trains players all the way from sixth grade through post grad. In the 2020-21 season, CBD sent three players to NCAA Division I schools, with two others earning time on the varsity squad. J'aVier Francis is going to the University of Houston, Jaylen Haynes will play at Virginia Tech, and Quentin Eboyo developed his fundamentals and skillwork enough to earn a spot at the University of Tennessee.

"We're so grateful we could be a part of the development of these guys, to reach their goals to exceed their expectations. The culture that the school has developed both in our basketball program, but also in our school, and the maturity of the student body, and the direction that Dr. Kesselring has helped in leading the school in that way has all played a big part in helping these guys have great success," said Boyle. 

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, representing 90+ nationalities. 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.

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