BENSALEM, Pa. – In one of the final quiet weeks, the Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ basketball rankings remain static.

The most significant games were in Chicago, where No. 16 Simeon (Chicago) won the Chicago Public School Tournament for the seventh time. Along the way, the Wolverines topped Kenwood and neighboring rival Morgan Park. Now the Class 4A playoffs tipoff next week with the Wolverines sent to the Calumet City Regional. No. 19 Morgan Park slid six slots after losing in the Public League semifinals to Simeon.

Expect the CIF-Southern Section Open Division to produce a few surprises as the quarterfinals and semifinals are played this week. In Nevada, keep an eye on the Nevada Division I state tournament, which will crown a championship this weekend. So goes in Florida.

Monday night championship games of the Philadelphia Catholic League and Washington Catholic Athletic Conference were contested. Both will impact the Elite 25 rankings with DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) and St. John’s (Washington, D.C.) duked it out in Washington while Philadelphia archrivals Neumann-Goretti and Roman Catholic played at the Palestra.

In the Dick’s Sporting Goods High School National Tournament, we’ve confirmed Oak Hill Academy, Findlay Prep, Montverde Academy, St. Benedict’s and La Lumiere School are virtual locks for the elite eight-team event that tips on March 31 in New York City. The remaining three will come from state champions in Arizona, Utah, Georgia and Florida, and from the North Carolina and South Carolina—both states’ private school divisions.

The Dick’s Nationals invites go out in early March.

The Elite 25 rankings are back next week on March 1. The girls’ rankings appear on Wednesday. Check back to www.bluestarmedia.org for the latest in basketball news and announcements. Until next week, hope to see you at a game soon. –-Christopher Lawlor

 Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ rankings, Feb. 23, 2016

1. Oak Hill Academy, Mouth of Wilson, Va. (37-1)

Previous: rank 1.

Low-down: It was a busy week for the top-ranked Warriors, who won four games.

That stretch was capped by trouncing Prominence Academy (Durham, N.C.), 101-64, as junior Ty-Shon Alexander dropped in 27 points. Three more home games on tap this week.

2. Chino Hills, Calif. (28-0)

Previous: 2.

Low-down: The Huskies crushed Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita), 100-66, in the CIF-Southern Section Open Division first round. Next is Inglewood in the quarterfinals Tuesday.

3. Montverde (Fla.) Academy (23-1)

Previous: 3.

Low-down: Idle. The Eagles are off until the Dick’s Sporting Goods High School National Tournament starting March 31 in New York.

4. Findlay Prep, Henderson, Nev. (25-1)

Previous: 4.

Low-down: The Pilots hammered Elite 1 Academy (Phoenix), 89-46. Junior P.J. Washington scored 17 points. Three games left in the regular season and then a break before the Dick’s Sporting Goods High School National Tournament, which starts March 31 in New York.

5. Atascocita, Humble, Texas (32-0)

Previous: 5.

Low-down: The Eagles went 12-0 in the district play and put their unbeaten mark on the line on Tuesday in the Class 6A bi-district play game with Klein.

6. St. Anthony, Jersey City, N.J. (23-0)

Previous: 6.

Low-down: In a battle of the unbeatens, Jagan Mosley’s 21-point effort and a 16-9 fourth-quarter run staked the Friars over St. Augustine Prep (Richland), 52-41, in the Shoot Down Cancer Classic. They also hammered Pascack Valley (Hillsdale), 85-36, as R.J. Cole (19 points) and Asante Gist (14) teamed for 33 points. Three games this week close the regular season with the Non-Public B North playoffs to follow.

7. U of D Jesuit, Detroit (17-0)

Previous: 7.

Low-down: Waxed Notre Dame Prep (Pontiac, Mich.), 67-44, in the first round of the Detroit Catholic League A-B tournament. The Cubs played Divine Child (Dearborn) Tuesday and the finals is Sunday.

8. Bishop Montgomery, Torrance, Calif. (25-1)

Previous: 8.

Low-down: David Singleton scored 17 points and Jordan Schakel and Ethan Thompson had 16 apiece and the Knights topped Orange Lutheran, 68-51, in CIF-Southern Section Open Division first round. Next is Damien (LaVerne)  in the quarterfinals Tuesday.

9. St. Benedict’s, Newark, N.J. (28-1)*

Previous: 16.

Low-down: Won a second consecutive State Prep A championship, defeating Blair Academy (Blairstown, N.J.), 64-52. In the semifinals, the Grays Bees recorded their highest offensive output of the season in a 99-60 rout of Lawrenceville Prep. David Beatty finished with 19 points and tallied his 1,000th career point after draining a 3-pointer in the second half.

10. Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif. (24-3)

Previous: 11.

Low-down: The Trailblazers took care of business in the opening round of the CIF-Southern Section Open Division Tournament, thrashing Los Alamitos, 85-40. In the quarterfinals, they play Redondo Union (Redondo Beach) on Tuesday.

11. La Lumiere School, La Porte, Ind. (24-3)

Previous: 10.

Low-down: DePaul-bund Brandon Cyrus netted 20 points and junior Jeremiah Tilmon recorded a double-double with 19 points and 16 rebounds to defeat St. Louis (Mo.) Christian, 65-42. The Lakers wrap up the regular season with games versus East Chicago Central on Wednesday and Westside (Gary) on Friday. After that an invite to the Dick’s Sporting Goods High School National Tournament should follow.

12. Neumann-Goretti, Philadelphia (22-2)

Previous: 12.

Low-down: The Saints advance to the Philadelphia Catholic League final on Monday, where they played archrival Roman Catholic (Philadelphia) at The Palestra. In the semifinals, they dumped Archbishop Ryan (Philadelphia), 89-55, as Quade Green had monster effort with 31 points fueled by 6-of-9 shooting from downtown, 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals.

13. St. John’s College, Washington, D.C. (27-3)

Previous: 14.

Low-down: Anthony Cowan Jr. scored 19 points and the Cadets used a 15-0 run in the fourth period to eliminate Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.), 63-56, in the semifinals of the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference Tournament. The Cadets played No. 15 DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) in the final on Monday night. In the quarterfinals, they stopped St. Mary’s Ryken (Leonardtown, Md.), 77-55.

14. Stevens Point, Wis. (21-0)

Previous: 15.

Low-down: Trev Anderson and Joey Hauser bucketed a game-high 20 points apiece to turn back D.C. Everest (Schofield), 74-45, improving to 11-0 in the Wisconsin Valley Conference. The regular season concludes Thursday at Wausau East.

15. DeMatha, Hyattsville, Md. (26-4)

Previous: 16.

Low-down: The Stags eliminated archrival Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.), 79-66, in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference semifinals, avenging last year’s championship game loss. In the quarterfinals, the Stags drilled 13 3-pointers to down Good Counsel (Olney, Md.), 95-53. They faced No. 13 St. John’s College (Washington, D.C.) on Monday night for the title.

16. Simeon, Chicago (24-3)

Previous: 17.

Low-down: It was a huge weekend for coach Robert Smith’s team. Most notably, Zach Norvell produced 18 points and 7 rebounds and junior Evan Gilyard scored 14 points in the fourth quarter and the Wolverines defeated Kenwood, 54-49, in the Chicago Public League championship game. It was Simeon’s seventh overall title and first since 2012. In the semifinals, unheralded senior F Ben Coupet flipped in a season-high 24 points, draining 4-of-6 shots from beyond the arc, and cleared 7 rebounds to help subdue then-No. 12 Morgan Park (Chicago), 74-72. Additionally the Wolverines received 16 points from the Gonzaga-bound Norvell to hold off Evanston, 55-43, at the City-Suburban Showdown.

17. Wayne, Huber Heights, Ohio (23-0)

Previous: 18.

Low-down: The Warriors coasted past West Carrollton, 101-24, in the Division I Wright State 2 District first round. Next up is Stebbins (Riverside) in the quarterfinals Tuesday in Centerville.

18. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (26-3)

Previous: 19.

Low-down: The Monarchs are always a threat in the playoffs and opening night was no different during a 56-42 win over Cantwell-Sacred Heart (Montebello) in the CIF-Southern Section Open Division. The quarterfinals are Tuesday vs. Centennial (Corona).

19. Morgan Park, Chicago (22-3)

Previous: 13.

Low-down: Lost to then-No. 16 Simeon (Chicago), 74-72, in Chicago Public League semifinals. Charlie Moore scored 26 points as the Mustangs dropped two of three to their archrivals in the regular season. However, the Mustangs rebounded the next day to beat Riverside-Brookfield, 88-79, in overtime at the City-Suburban Showdown. Moore threw in 15 of game-high 31 points late in regulation and in the extra session.

20. Patrick School, Elizabeth, N.J. (19-5)

Previous: 20.

Low-down: The top-seeded Celtics easily defeated Plainfield, 91-64, in the Union County Tournament quarterfinals. The semifinals are Tuesday against Union Catholic (Scotch Plains) and the final is Saturday at Kean University in Union.

21. DeSoto, Texas (29-2)

Previous: 21.

Low-down: The Eagles are District 8-6A champions after clinching the crown following a 73-60 win over Duncanville. Tristen Wallace, an Oregon football recruit, flipped in 22 points. The Class 6A bi-district playoffs are next.

22. Chaminade, St. Louis (21-5)

Previous: 22.

Low-down: Duke-bound Jayson Tatum scored 27 points, making 11 of 21 shots, and snared 18 rebounds as the Red Devils trounced Hazelwood East (St. Louis), 79-55. The Reds are back in action on March 3 in the Class 5 District 6 semifinals against McCluer North (Florissant, Mo.) or Ritenour (St. Louis) in St. Louis. The final is March 5.

23. Peabody, Alexandria, La. (31-1)

Previous: 23.

Low-down: In the Hall of Fame Game, the Warhorses beat Tioga, 68-60.

Coach Charles Smith’s team will be among the favorites to bag the Class 3A state championship, whose tournament starts later this week.

24. Garfield, Seattle (23-2)

Previous: 24.

Low-down: Crushed Bellevue, 87-57, in the Sea-King 3A District 2 final.

The Bulldogs also ripped Cleveland (Seattle), 75-63, in the semifinals and Seattle Prep, 73-51, in the quarterfinals. The 3A regionals are Friday and Saturday.

25. Hopkins, Minnetonka, Minn. (25-1)

Previous: 25.

Low-down: Ismael El Amin netted 14 points and the Royals dropped Eden Prairie, 74-51, in the regular season finale to annex the Lake Conference title. They also beat Minnetonka, 111-85, as El Amin and Amir Coffey scored 19 points apiece to pace six players in double figures

Dropped out: None.

High-Fives by Region

East

1. Roman Catholic, Philadelphia (22-4)
2. H.D Woodson, Washington, D.C. (28-0)
3. Long Island Lutheran, Brookville, N.Y. (22-3)
4. Cardozo, Oakland Gardens, N.Y. (26-2)
5. Archbishop Carroll, Radnor, Pa. (21-3)

Geography: Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia.

Midwest

1. Apple Valley, Minn. (25-1)
2. Fenwick, Oak Park, Ill. (24-2)
3. Althoff Catholic, Belleville, Ill. (24-2)
4. New Albany, Ind. (20-1)
5. Merrillville, Ind. (20-1)

Geography: Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Southland

1. Miller Grove, Lithonia, Ga. (27-2)
2. Hamilton Heights Christian Academy, Chattanooga, Tenn. (24-3)
3. Christian Brothers, Memphis, Tenn. (27-1)
4. Scotlandville, Baton Rouge, La. (30-2)
5. Greenforest Christian Academy, Decatur, Ga. (26-2)

Geography: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.

Far West

1. Foothills Christian, El Cajon, Calif. (21-4)
2. Wasatch Academy, Mount Pleasant, Utah (27-3)
3. West Linn, Ore. (20-3)
4. Modesto (Calif.) Christian (26-1)
5. Redondo Union, Redondo Beach, Calif. (23-4)

Geography: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

* Won state, national or conference postseason tournament championship

 About: The Blue Star Media Elite 25 High School Boys Basketball Rankings are released weekly from November until the conclusion of the high school season in early April. Criteria considered are the quality of the team and its players, strength of schedule, tradition, and quality of the team’s league, conference, region or district. The rankings are compiled by Blue Star Media’s Christopher Lawlor, who consults with a national network of coaches, talent evaluators, administrators and prep sports writers. Follow him on Twitter at #clawlor.