(4-6-21) This past weekend the 2021 GEICO National Championships were held in Ft. Myers, Florida. After missing last year due to the pandemic, the tournament which started in 2009, was back with both a boys and girls tournament.

Game Program – 2021 GEICO HS National Basketball Championships

The boys tournament features a wide-range of the most talented players in the US, Canada and even some from around the world. The majority of the boys teams are not your typical high school teams, most players have left their schools and homes to play for these teams with the hopes of enhancing their college opportunities. You might call most of these schools ‘basketball schools’…it is the new future in high school sports.

This year two Georgia High School Association (GHSA) schools and state champions competed, Milton and Pace Academy.

The Georgia High School Association (GHSA) is one of the state associations to allow their teams to compete in the GEICO Nationals. A Georgia team played for the first time in 2015 after the GHSA granted an exception and ultimately changed its bylaws.

This year’s GEICO champion Montverde and IMG Academy are Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) member schools but do not participate in the state playoffs in an agreement with the association.

Last year the South Carolina High School League (SCHSL) unanimously approved an appeal by Dorman (Roebuck, S.C.) to participate in the event (which was cancelled because of COVID 19).

Also chools from Arizona, Hawaii, Nevada, Utah and Washington permit member schools to participate. Additionally, independent schools from North Carolina and programs from the Baltimore Catholic League and District of Columbia State Athletic Association are eligible.

For the majority of the these teams they do not participate in state championships, most are not members of a state association….with the GEICO Nationals their opportunity to compete in a season-ending event.

RELATED – Flyin’ To The Hoop Event

The girls tournament features schools that are typical ‘neighborhood’ schools, this years GEICO winner was 4-time Georgia Class 6A state champion Westlake.

The Lions completed the season 22-0 and went 112-4 during their four-year championship run.

One advantage the GEICO Nationals has is lots of national media coverage…including games being broadcast on ESPN and covered by USA Today.

How it all started….

The National High School Invitational (NHSI) launched in 2009 at Georgetown Prep in Bethesda, Md. The event was created by Paragon Marketing Group to provide a platform for the top, nationally ranked high school basketball teams to compete against one another in a season-ending tournament. In 2014, the event moved to New York City and was named the DICK’S Sporting Goods High School Nationals. In 2018, the event became the GEICO High School Basketball Nationals. The event was cancelled in 2020 at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic; and in 2021 the event moved to Ft. Myers, FL.

Past Champions
(boys team followed by girls team):

  • 2009 – Findlay Prep, NV & Seton Keough, MD
  • 2010 – Findlay Prep, NV & Peddie School, NJ
  • 2011 – Montrose Christian, MD & Dr. Phillips, FL
  • 2012 – Findlay Prep, NV & Riverdale Baptist, MD
  • 2013 – Montverde, FL & Dr. Phillips, FL
  • 2014 – Montverde, FL & Riverdale Baptist, MD
  • 2015 – Montverde, FL & Miami Country Day, FL
  • 2016 – Oak Hill Academy, VA & Ribault, FL
  • 2017 – La Lumiere, IN & Miami Country Day, FL
  • 2018 – Montverde, FL & Central Valley, WA
  • 2019 – IMG Academy (FL) & New Hope Academy (MD)
  • 2020 – cancelled due to Pandemic
  • 2021 – Montverde, FL & Westlake, GA