NBA draft live updates recap: Florida high schools reign supreme thanks to Montverde Academy's 7 draft picks

One of the joys of sports is the competition within the competition.

We ran with that joyfully competitive approach toward the NBA draft Thursday night, posting live updates after each pick to see which state won the race for most high school alumni selected.

Based on just about every mock draft out there, such as this one today from Sports Illustrated, it was going to come down to Florida vs. California. And that's been par for the course the past few NBA drafts.

It proved to be a little more lopsided in Florida's favor, thanks to seven Montverde Academy players being chosen out of the 60 picks.

Pictured above is Mayfair High School (Lakewood, Calif.) and Arizona State alum Josh Christopher, who went No. 24 overall to the Houston Rockets.

Here are the picks from Thursday night's NBA draft, including where the players finished their prep basketball career.

1. Cade Cunningham, 6-8 G

As expected, the Detroit Pistons select the two-season Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) star first. Florida 1, California 0.

2. Jalen Green, 6-5 G

The Houston Rockets take the former Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) and G League Ignite star whom many see as the highest-upside player in the draft. Florida 1, California 1

3. Evan Mobley, 7-0 C

The 7-footer from USC and four-year player for Rancho Christian in Temecula, California, goes to the Cleveland Cavaliers. California 2, Florida 1

4. Scottie Barnes, 6-8 F

The versatile forward from Florida State makes it half of the first four picks being Montverde Academy alumni, going to Toronto. California 2, Florida 2

5. Jalen Suggs, 6-4 G

Mr. Basketball in Minnesota in basketball and football, the Gonzaga star from Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis) becomes the first non-California or Florida product taken, going to Orlando. California 2, Florida 2

6. Josh Giddey, 6-8 G

Oklahoma City becomes the first team to go outside the U.S. taking the slick-passing Australian. California 2, Florida 2

7. Jonathan Kuminga, 6-8 F

Golden State goes with the athlete from G League Ignite and The Patrick School in Hillside, New Jersey. California 2, Florida 2

8. Franz Wagner, 6-9 F

Orlando uses its second lottery pick on the Michigan alum from Germany. California 2, Florida 2 (outside-the-U.S. picks also 2)

9. Davion Mitchell, 6-1 G

The college defensive player of the year from Liberty County High School in Hinesville, Georgia, and Baylor goes to Sacramento. California 2, Florida 2

10. Ziaire Williams, 6-9 F

The Grizzlies spring a lottery surprise by going with the Stanford and Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) alum. California 3, Florida 2

11. James Bouknight, 6-5 G

The prolific scorer from The MacDuffie School in Granby, Massachusetts, and UConn falls a little further than expected to Charlotte. California 3, Florida 2

12. Joshua Primo, 6-5 G

San Antonio opts for the Canadian who played one year at Alabama and was expected to be a late first-rounder. California 3, Florida 2

13. Chris Duarte, 6-6 G

Indiana takes the oldest player in the draft in the Oregon sharpshooter from the Redemption Christian Academy in Troy, New York. California 3, Florida 2

14. Moses Moody, 6-6 G

The Warriors get a player many thought they'd take at 7 in the Arkansas and Montverde Academy product. California 3, Florida 3

15. Corey Kispert, 6-7 F

Arguably the best shooter in the draft, the four-year star for King’s High School in Shoreline, Washington, and then Gonzaga goes to the Washington Wizards. California 3, Florida 3

16. Alperen Sengün, 6-10 F

Oklahoma City trades the pick to Houston, which goes with the Turkish big man with a perceived big upside. California 3, Florida 3

17. Trey Murphy III, 6-9 F

Murphy goes to the Pelicans as part of a Ziaire Williams trade with the Grizzlies. He went to the Cary Academy (North Carolina) and Virginia. California 3, Florida 3

18. Tre Mann, 6-4 G

The Thunder find their Mann, who played his entire high school career for The Villages High School in The Villages, Florida, before playing in college for his hometown Gators. And perhaps less importantly, he helps Florida regain the lead: Florida 4, California 3

19. Kai Jones, 6-11 F/C

The big man out of Texas and Orlando Christian Prep in Florida via the Bahamas becomes a New York Knick. Florida 5, California 3

20. Jalen Johnson, 6-9 F

The athletic Duke and Nicolet (Glendale, Wisc.) alum with excellent passing skills goes to Atlanta. Florida 5, California 3

21. Keon Johnson, 6-5 G

The Knicks use their second selection of the past three picks on dynamic dunker Keon Johnson, a product of Tennessee and The Webb School in Bell Buckle, Tennessee, where he played all four years of high school. The Knicks traded him to the Clippers. Florida 5, California 3

22. Isaiah Jackson, 6-10 F

The Waterford Mott High (Michigan) and Kentucky alum takes his mad rebounding skills to Indiana. Florida 5, California 3

23. Usman Garuba, 6-8 F

Houston selects the defensive ace from Spain who excels in transition. Florida 5, California 3

24. Josh Christopher, 6-5 guard

The Rockets continue their prolific picking by going with the former Mayfair High School (Lakewood, Calif.) and Arizona State guard. Florida 5, California 4

25. Quentin Grimes, 6-5 guard

The natural scorer from College Park High School in The Woodlands, Texas, and Houston goes to the Knicks via the Clippers. Florida 5, California 4

26. Bones Hyland, 6-3 guard

Denver adds the 6-foot-9 wingspanned Hyland, who prepped at St. Georges Technical High School in Middletown, Delaware, before going to VCU. Florida 5, California 4

27. Cameron Thomas, 6-4 guard

Brooklyn adds an offensive force to its high-scoring bunch in the Oak Hill Academy (Virginia) and LSU alum. Florida 5, California 4

28. Jaden Springer, 6-4 guard

The 76ers take a break from worrying about Ben Simmons' shooting by selecting the Rocky River High School (Mint Hill, N.C.) and Tennessee product. Florida 5, California 4

29. Day’Ron Sharpe, 6-11 C

Phoenix goes big with the fourth Montverde Academy pick of the night. Sharpe played one season of college ball for North Carolina. Florida 6, California 4

30. Santi Aldama, 6-11 F

Utah trades the pick to Memphis, which takes the lanky sharpshooter from Spain who played at Loyola-Maryland. Florida 6, California 4

Second round

31. Isaiah Todd

Word of God Christian Academy (Raleigh, N.C.). Florida 6, California 4

32. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl

Bishop Miege High School in Roeland Park, Kansas. Florida 6, California 4

33. Jason Preston

Boone High School (Orlando, Fla.). Florida 7, California 4

34. Rokas Jokubaitis

Lithuania. Florida 7, California 4

35. Herbert Jones

Sunshine High School (Newbern, Ala.). Florida 7, California 4

36. Miles McBride

Moeller High School (Cincinnati, Ohio). Florida 7, California 4

37. J.T. Thor

Norcross High School (Norcross, Ga.). Florida 7, California 4

38. Ayo Dosunmu

Morgan Park High School (Chicago, Ill.). Florida 7, California 4

39. Neemias Queta

Portugal. Florida 7, California 4

40. Jared Butler

Riverside Academy (Reserve, La.). Florida 7, California 4

41. Joe Wieskamp

Muscatine High School (Muscatine, Iowa). Florida 7, California 4

42. Isaiah Livers

Kalamazoo Central High School (Kalamazoo, Mich.). Florida 7, California 4

43. Greg Brown III

Vandegrift High School (Austin, Texas). Florida 7, California 4

44. Kessler Edwards

Etiwanda High School (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.). Florida 7, California 5

45. Juhann Begarin

France. Florida 7, California 5

46. Dalano Banton

Redemption Christian Academy (Northfield, Mass.). Florida 7, California 5

47. David Johnson

Trinity High School (Louisville, Ky.). Florida 7, California 5

48. Sharife Cooper

McEachern High School (Powder Springs, Ga.). Florida 7, California 5

49. Marcus Zegarowski

Tilton School (Tilton, N.H.). Florida 7, California 5

50. Filip Petrusev

Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.). Florida 8, California 5

51. Brandon Boston Jr.

Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.). Florida 8, California 6

52. Luka Garza

Maret School (Washington, DC). Florida 8, California 6

53. Charles Bassey

DeSales High School (Louisville, Ky.). Florida 8, California 6

54. Sandro Mamukelashvili

Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.). Florida 9, California 6

55. Aaron Wiggins

Wesleyan Christian Academy (High Point, N.C.). Florida 9, California 6

56. Scottie Lewis

Ranney School (Tinton Falls, N.J.). Florida 9, California 6

57. Balša Koprivica

Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.). Florida 10, California 6

58. Jericho Sims

Cristo Rey Jesuit (Minneapolis, Minn.). Florida 10, California 6

59. RaiQuan Gray

Dillard High School (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.). Florida 11, California 6

60. Georgios Kalaitzakis

Greece. Florida 11, California 6