BENSALEM, Pa. – This upcoming weekend might be the final chance, other than the postseason, for teams in the Blue Star Media Elite 25 high school boys’ basketball rankings to make some noise.

Last weekend, Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) was knocked off the No. 1 perch, with Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) ascending to that lofty slot. The big win was recorded by No. 3 Hamilton (Memphis, Tenn.), which moved up 13 spots in the Elite 25 rankings.

The Dr. Martin Luther King Weekend is the final multiple mega-event extravaganza that shakes and stirs the Elite 25 rankings. The pre- and post-Christmas tournaments and shootouts are the first two legs of the national triangle and MLK completes it. There are other events scattered throughout the calendar that will impact the rankings but not as much as those three.

We are only a few weeks away from the district tournaments in Florida, Texas and Pennsylvania. Once the first set of states roll out the postseason, the rest fall in succession. Keep an eye on these three events that annually produce games that will shake down the Elite 25 rankings: Hoophall Classic (Springfield, Mass.), Bass Pro Tournament of Champions (Springfield, Mo.) and Flyin’ to the Hoop Invitational (Kettering, Ohio).

We will be at the Hoophall Classic at the birthplace of the game, getting a close-up look at the teams and players that help shape the rankings.

This week there are two additions to the Elite 25: No. 23 Greensboro (N.C.) Day and No. 25 John Carroll School (Bel Air, Md.). Greensboro Day has two games with No. 11 Wesleyan Christian School (High Point, N.C.). John Carroll still has work left in the regular season and could qualify for the prestigious Dick’s Nationals in New York. That field is starting to take shape with at least three schools on the radar. We will detail that field by early February.

Three national independent teams on a short leash are No. 20 Huntington (W.Va.) Prep, No. 22 La Lumiere School (La Porte, Ind.) and No. 24 Our Savior New American (Centereach, N.Y.). All three are in the mix for the Dick’s Nationals but need to keep winning. OSNA and Huntington Prep play Saturday at the Hoophall in what is essentially an elimination game for the April event postseason national championship event in New York.

The next rankings will appear on Jan. 20. Please support your local high school teams. There are plenty of great stories and players out there. Be sure to alert us if you have a story idea or special player in your community. Hope to see you at a game soon. – Christopher Lawlor

Blue Star Media Elite 25 Boys Basketball Rankings, Jan. 20, 2015

1. Findlay Prep, Henderson, Nev. (16-0)

Previous rank: 2.

Low down: The Pilots buried Westwind Prep (Phoenix), 100-58. Next up is a whirlwind tour with games at the Hoophall Classic against then-No. xx Stevenson (Lincolnshire, Ill.) and at Flyin’ to the Hoop with Wayne (Huber Heights, Ohio).

2. Roselle (N.J.) Catholic (9-0)

Previous: 4.

Low down: Picked up two easy wins, including a 61-39 decision over The Patrick School (Elizabeth) at The Investors Games in Union, N.J. The Lions will battle neighboring rivals Linden on Wednesday.

3. Hamilton, Memphis (11-0)

Previous: 16.

Low down: Knocked off No. 1 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.),  87-76, at Penny Hardaway’s Hoop Fest. K.J. Lawson fired in 26 points and Terrance Baker added 23.

4. Oak Hill Academy, Mouth of Wilson, Va. (22-1)

Previous: 1.

Low down: Upended by then-No. xx Hamilton (Memphis, Tenn.), 87-76. The long layoff must have affected the Warriors who had won 21 straight games to open the campaign. Dwayne Bacon poured in 29 points.

5. Wheeler, Marietta, Ga. (15-1)

Previous: 5.

Low down: Jaylen Brown tossed in 24 points in a 71-30 win over Woodstock, improving to 7-0 in Region 5-AAAAAA. Next challenge is ranked Bishop O’Dowd (Oakland, Calif.) at the Hoophall Classic Monday in Springfield, Mass.

6. Montverde (Fla.) Academy (19-1)

Previous: 6.

Low down: Won three games to capture the Allstate Sugar Bowl National Prep Classic in New Orleans. LSU-bound F Ben Simmons, considered the nation’s top senior recruit, scored a game-high 38 points in the final when the Eagles rocked Riverside Academy (Reserve, La.), 92-75.

7. Bishop O’Dowd, Oakland, Calif. (7-2)

Previous: 7.

Low down: The Dragons are off to the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions starting Thursday in Springfield, Mo.

8. Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif. (11-1)

Previous: 8.

Low down: Crushed Beverly Hills, 79-51, at the Sierra Canyon Super Showcase. The next big challenge is Jan. 31 vs. No. 15 Fairfax (Los Angeles).

9. Cape Henry Collegiate, Virginia Beach, Va. (10-1)

Previous: 9.

Low down: The Dolphins recorded three wins, capped by a 69-54 decision over L.C. Bird (Chesterfield) at the Virginia Preps Classic in Virginia Beach. Chris Clarke cracked the 1,500-career point barrier last week.

10. Stevenson, Lincolnshire, Ill. (14-1)

Previous: 8.

Low down: The Patriots canned 10 3-pointers in a blow out of Zion-Benton, 81-56. Rice-bound G Connor Cashaw dropped in 21 points and snared 15 boards. Now it’s a date with top-ranked Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) at the Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Mass.

11. Wesleyan Christian School, High Point, N.C. (18-2)

Previous: 12.

Low down: The Trojans have a key Piedmont Conference matchup with undefeated Greensboro (N.C.) Country Day on Jan. 20.

12. Roman Catholic, Philadelphia (12-0)

Previous: 13.

Low down: The Cahillites recorded a huge win, beating regionally ranked Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia), 71-68. Tony Carr flipped in 16 points, cleared 11 rebounds and handed out eight assists. Next up is a Sunday league matchup vs. LaSalle College (Wyndmoor).

13. DeMatha, Hyattsville, Md. (13-1)

Previous: 14.

Low down: Markelle Fultz tossed in 17 points keeping the Stags unbeaten at 6-0 in Washington Catholic Athletic Conference play, topping Bishop O’Connell (Arlington, Va.), 54-48. Tuesday’s showdown with Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.) is another test.

14. Villa Angela-St. Joseph, Cleveland (8-0)

Previous: 17.

Low down: Toppled Mentor, 72-59. Senior post Carlton Bragg scored a career-high 31 points. It capped a big week for Bragg, who announced last Thursday that he’d be signing with Kansas over Illinois and Kentucky. The Vikings face their biggest challenge on Monday against nationally ranked Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.) at the Hoophall Classic.

15. Fairfax, Los Angeles (14-0)

Previous: 19.

Low down: The Lions bagged four more wins this week to win the Huntington Park tournament before heading to the Snowball Classic Tournament for three games in British Columbia, Canada this weekend.

16. Parkview, Little Rock, Ark. (8-1)

Previous: 20.

Low down: The Patriots final 13 regular season games are played in-state.

17. St. Anthony, Jersey City, N.J. (6-1)

Previous: 21.

Low down: Taurean Thompson’s 13 points paced eight players on the score sheet for the Friars during a 60-35 win over pesky Christian Brothers Academy (Lincroft) at the Boardwalk Hoop Group Showcase in Asbury Park.

18. Corona del Sol, Tempe, Ariz. (15-1)

Previous: 25.

Low down: The Aztecs buried two foes and 6-10 freshman C Marvin Bagley is becoming a national name at a young age. Many believe he is the top frosh from Arizona since Richard Jefferson.

19. Plano West, Plano, Texas (17-2)

Previous: 24.

Low down: Soso Jamabo, a blue chip football recruit and lockdown defender on the hardwood, is back in lineup for the Wolves, who are ranked No. 1 in Texas’ Class 6A.

20. Huntington (W.Va.) Prep (16-2)

Previous: 3.

Low down: Lost twice at Mustang Madness Invitational in Paducah, Ky. Redemption is this weekend at the Hoophall Classic.

21. Muskegon, Mich. (5-1)

Previous: 22.

Low down: The Big Red cruised by Grand Haven, 68-28. They have a busy weekend with back-to-back games, including Romulus on Saturday.

22. La Lumiere School, La Porte, Ind. (12-2)

Previous: 23.

Low down: Rebounded from a loss by defeating Wasatch Academy (Mount Pleasant, Utah), 71-54. The Lakers are headed to Ohio for two competitive games in Flyn’ to the Hoop.

23. Greensboro (N.C.) Day (22-0)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low down: The Bengals still have two regular season meetings with No. 11 Wesleyan Christian School (High Point, N.C.).

24. Our Savior New American, Centereach, N.Y. (12-4)

Previous: 11.

Low down: Defeated Faith Baptist Christian (Ludowici, Ga.), 86-57, and was upset by Prime Prep (Dallas), 74-72, at Mustang Madness in Paducah, Ky. The Pioneers picked transfer 6-8 sophomore Billy Preston from Redondo Union ) Redondo Beach, Calif.).

25. John Carroll School, Bel Air, Md. (18-1)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low down: Coach Tony Martin’s club has won seven straight since an upset loss prior to Christmas. The Baltimore Catholic League schedule is still one of the nation’s toughest loops.

Dropped out: No. 15 Sunrise Christian Academy, Bel Aire, Kan.; and No. 18 St. Benedict’s, Newark, N.J.

High-Fives by Region

East

1. Long Island Lutheran, Brookville, N.Y. (11-1)

2. Christ the King, Middle Village, N.Y. (10-2)

3. Neumann-Goretti, Philadelphia (11-1)

4. Montrose Christian, Rockville, Md. (11-2)

5. Jefferson, Brooklyn, N.Y. (15-2)

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

Midlands

1. St. Rita, Chicago (11-2)

2. St. Vincent-St. Mary, Akron, Ohio (10-0)

3. Champlin Park, Champlin, Minn. (14-0)

4. Southport, Indianapolis (10-0)

5. Simeon, Chicago (13-1)

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

South

1. Providence School, Jacksonville, Fla. (20-1)

2. Callaway, Jackson, Miss. (16-3)

3. Atascocita, Humble, Texas (21-1)

4. Jonesboro, Ga. (15-1)

5. Ballard, Louisville, Ky. (13-2)

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

Far West

1. Bishop Montgomery, Torrance, Calif. (14-1)

2. Rainier Beach, Seattle (12-1)

3. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (13-3)

4. Desert Vista, Phoenix (14-1)

5. Bishop Gorman, Las Vegas (14-4)

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

Records are though Sunday.

 About: The Blue Star Media Elite 25 High School Boys’ Basketball Rankings are released weekly from December until the conclusion of the high school season. 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 and prep sports writers. The final rankings will be released April 6, 2015. Follow him on Twitter: @clawlor.