U-School heading back to GEICO Nationals

University School’s basketball season will continue a little longer.

The Sharks, coming off their second straight Class 5A state title, are one of eight boys basketball teams invited to this year’s GEICO High School Basketball Nationals tournament, which will be held at Christ the King High in New York City from April 4-6.

U-School will play Indiana’s La Lumiere, the No. 1 team in the nation, according to USA Today, in the quarterfinals at 4 p.m. on April 4. The game will be broadcast on ESPNU, and all of the tournament’s games will be on ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU.

La Lumiere (28-0) features five-star center and Washington commit Isaiah Stewart, the No. 6 player in the nation in 247Sports’ composite rankings, and five-star small forward Keion Brooks, the No. 23 player in the nation.

The big question for U-School will be whether fivestar center and Duke commit Vernon Carey Jr. will be healthy enough to play. The Sharks star missed both games in Lakeland due to an ankle sprain he suffered in the regional finals.

U-School still dominated the state playoffs without Carey. Led by five-star junior forward Scott Barnes, the Sharks had another dominant Lakeland appearance, winning their two games by a combined 64 points.

U-School was the runner-up at GEICO Nationals last year, losing to Montverde Academy in the title game. Montverde (No. 3 in the nation) returns this year, along with Bradenton IMG Academy (No. 4), Georgia’s McEachern High (No. 2), Virginia’s Oak Hill Academy (No. 9), Utah’s Wasatch Academy (No. 10) and Kansas’ Sunrise Christian Academy (No. 14).

The Sharks hosted Sunrise Christian in a nationally televised game in January, falling 70-62.