CHRISTMAS IN APRIL: GEICO Nationals rev up this week in Florida with Blue Media Elite 25 boys’ ranked teams in contention; shock results from Maryland, Pennsylvania bring change

BENSALEM, Pa. — If you are a fanatical basketball fan then this is the most wonderful time year. Yeah, we borrowed a phrase from Christmastime but whenever the GEICO High School Nationals is played, well, that’s why it’s so special.

For the last six weeks, there have been state and league tournament championships. March Madness is spinning its magic in Indianapolis and San Antonio but this week nine of the 10 teams from the GEICO Nationals boys bracket are Blue Star Media Elite 25 ranked teams and Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) is in the Far West Region.

The GEICO Nationals also features four teams from the Elite 25 girls rankings in a bracket that tips off Friday morning in Fort Myers. Fla. The boys’ tournament starts Wednesday with a pair of play-in games with some very familiar programs.

Here’s a breakdown of the four-day event that will be shown live on the ESPN family of networks, including the two play-in games streamed on ESPN+.

No fans will be allowed in Suncoast Credit Union Arena so tuning in on ESPN is your only option.

The opening day doubleheader has seventh-seeded Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) facing 10^th-seeded La Lumiere School (La Porte, Ind.) at 6 p.m. EDT and eight-seeded Pace Academy (Atlanta) plays ninth-seeded Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) at 8 p.m.

The quarterfinals are Thursday (all on ESPNU) starting at 12 p.m. with third-seeded IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) and sixth-seeded Milton (Alpharetta, Ga.) followed by second-seeded Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.) facing the winner of Prolific Prep-La Lumiere game at 2 p.m.

The play continues with top-seeded Montverde Academy meeting the Oak Hill-Pace Academy winner at 4 p.m. The final game is fourth-seeded AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.) meeting Wasatch Academy (Mount Pleasant, Utah) at 6 p.m.

The semifinals are Friday at 2:30 and 4:30 p.m., both on ESPN2. The final is Saturday at 12 p.m. on ESPN.

Besides the NCAA Men’s Final Four this weekend in Indianapolis, four Indiana high school boys’ state championships will be contested at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. We are most concerned with No. 17 Carmel and No. 18 Lawrence North (Indianapolis) for the Class 4A title. For the third straight season, the Carmel Greyhounds will play for the 4A championship. The game is an all-Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference battle. Carmel won the regular-season meeting, 63-49.

Two shocking results in championships game saw valued teams drop significantly but not from the Elite 25 rankings. In Hershey, Pa., No. 22 Archbishop Wood (Warminster) dipped 15 slots after falling to Reading, 58-57, in the Class AAAAAA final. No. 21 Reading (26-2) was the lone team added to the Elite 25 boys’ rankings this week.

No. 23 St. Frances Academy (Baltimore) was stunned by unranked John Carroll (Bel Air, Md.), 66-62, in the Baltimore Catholic League Tournament final. SFA (15-1) had cruised through the regular season and opening two rounds of the tournament before losing and dipping 10 places.

We still have state tournaments remaining in Kentucky, Michigan and Minnesota before teams from California, Oregon and Washington start up. New York City schools are still trying to play an abbreviated season but no official word has be handed down.

The Elite 25 boys’ rankings are back on April 6.

Until then keep safe, mask up, practice social distancing, wash your hands regularly, get vaccinated when you get the call and support your local businesses. Here’s to future days!

Hope to see you at a game soon. – Christopher Lawlor

Blue Star Media Elite 25 Boys’ Basketball Rankings, March 30, 2021

1. DeMatha, Hyattsville, Md. (11-0)

Previous rank: 1.

Low-down: Season complete.

2. Montverde (Fla.) Academy (21-1)*

Previous: 2.

Low-down: The top-seeded Eagles await the winner of No. 13 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.)-No. 12 Pace Academy (Atlanta) Thursday in the GEICO Nationals quarterfinals on Thursday.

3. Sunrise Christian Academy, Bel Aire, Kan. (19-3)

Previous: 3.

Low-down: The Buffaloes are off to the GEICO Nationals Thursday in Fort Myers, Fla., and play No. 25 La Lumiere School (La Porte, Ind.) or Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) in the quarterfinals.

4. IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla. (20-2)

Previous: 4.

Low-down: The Ascenders play No. 6 Milton (Alpharetta, Ga.) Thursday in the GEICO Nationals quarterfinals.

5. AZ Compass Prep, Chandler, Ariz. (28-1)*

Previous: 5.

Low-down: The Dragons open the GEICO Nationals on Thursday afternoon against No. ghghgh Wasatch Academy (Mount Pleasant, Utah) in the quarterfinals.

6. Milton, Alpharetta, Ga. (28-2)*

Previous: 6.

Low-down: The Georgia Class AAAAAAA champions tip off the GEICO Nationals on Thursday against No. 4 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) in the quarterfinals.

7. Wasatch Academy, Mount Pleasant, Utah (18-6)

Previous: 8.

Low-down: The Tigers are slated to play No. 5 AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.) Thursday in the GEICO Nationals quarterfinals.

8. Minnehaha Academy, Minneapolis (17-1)

Previous: 9.

Low-down: The Redhawks beat Totino-Grace (Fridley, Minn.), 73-60, in the Minnesota Section 4-AAA final. C Chet Holmgren had 24 points, 16 rebounds and 7 assists to help his team rally from a 15-point deficit in the first half. In the semifinals, they crushed Mahtomedi, 70-33. Up next is Bryon Wednesday in the Class AAA state tournament quarterfinals. The semifinals are April 8 and the final is April 10—both rounds will be contested at the Target Center in Minneapolis.

9. Duncanville, Texas (29-1)*

Previous: 10.

Low-down: Won the Class 6A state championship. Season complete,

10. Camden, N.J. (13-0)

Previous: 11.

Low-down: Last week, super sophomore D.J. Wagner was named new Jersey’s player of the year. Season complete.

11. Orlando (Fla.) Christian Prep (27-0)*

Previous: 12.

Low-down: Won FHSAA Class 2A state championship. Season complete.

12. Pace Academy, Atlanta (30-1)*

Previous: 16.

Low-down: The Knights will open the GEICO Nationals with a play-in game vs. No. 13 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) Wednesday in Fort Myers, Fla.

13. Oak Hill Academy, Mouth of Wilson, Va. (20-8)

Previous: 17.

Low-down: The Warriors play No. 12 Pace Academy (Atlanta) Wednesday in a play-in game at the GEICO Nationals. The winner gets No. 2 Montverde (Fla.) Academy in the quarterfinals on Thursday.

14. Long Island Lutheran, Brookville, N.Y. (3-0)

Previous: 14.

Low-down: The Crusaders swept then-No. 15 Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains), 66-39, and 47-46. The latter game saw LuHi nail a shot with 1.2 seconds to erase a one-point deficit. The shortened season is now complete.

15. St. Mary’s Prep, Orchard Lake, Mich. (12-0)

Previous: 19.

Low-down: Won the Division 1, District 6 championship, topping Mott (Waterford), 76-60, in the final. Also beat Avondale (Auburn Hills), 66-20, in the semifinals. Up next the Eaglets play Clarkston, one of Michigan’s most storied programs, Tuesday in the Regional 2 semifinals. The winner gets Howell or Walled Lake Northern in the Division 1 state quarterfinals.

16. The Patrick School, Hillside, N.J. (14-1)

Previous: 18.

Low-down: Season complete.

17. Carmel, Ind. (25-2)

Previous: 20.

Low-down: Idle. It’s down to one game. The Greyhounds face No. 18 Lawrence North (Indianapolis) for the Class 4A state championship Saturday.

18. Lawrence North, Indianapolis (28-2)

Previous: 21.

Low-down: Idle. The Wildcats face Metropolitan Conference rivals No. 17 Carmel in the Class 4A final Saturday in Indianapolis.

19. DePaul Prep, Chicago (14-2)

Previous: 23.

Low-down: Season complete.

20. Simeon, Chicago (12-1)

Previous: 24.

Low-down: The Wolverines went unbeaten against Chicago Public League rivals. Season complete.

21. Reading, Pa. (26-2)*

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: Won PIAA Class AAAAAA state championship, upsetting then-No. 7 Archbishop Wood (Warminster), 58-57. It was the program’s second state title. Daniel Alcantara sank two free throws with 12 seconds left for a 58-55 lead. With 3.9 seconds left, the Red Knights clamped down on defense when Wood was going for the win with a steal off an inbounds play. Moro Osumanu topped the winners with 21 points. Season complete.

22. Archbishop Wood, Warminster, Pa. (20-1)

Previous: 7.

Low-down: Upset in Class AAAAAA state championship by Reading, 58-57. Rahsool Diggins, who signed with Connecticut, closed out a brilliant All-American career with a game-high 26 points. In the semifinals, the Vikings beat Lower Merion (Ardmore), 72-68. Marcus Randolph, a Richmond recruit, tossed in a game-high 24 points. Season complete.

23. St. Frances Academy, Baltimore (15-1)

Previous: 13.

Low-down: The Panthers were upset in the Baltimore Catholic League Tournament final by John Carroll (Bel Air, Md.), 66-62. Season complete.

24. Paul VI, Chantilly, Va. (7-4)

Previous: 24.

Low-down: Season complete.

25. La Lumiere School, La Porte, Ind. (6-8)

Previous: 25.

Low-down: The Lakers face Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) Wednesday at the GEICO Nationals play-in game.

Dropped: No. 15 Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.).

High-Fives by Region

East

1. Archbishop Stepinac, White Plains, N.Y. (4-2)
2. St. Raymond, Bronx, N.Y. (0-0)
3. Roselle (N.J.) Catholic (12-3)
4. Stone Bridge, Ashburn, Va. (16-1)*
5. Bristol (Conn.) Central (15-0)

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

Midwest

1. Vashon, St. Louis (16-1)*
2. St. Vincent-St. Mary, Akron, Ohio (25-2)*
3. Whitney Young, Chicago (15-1)
4. Millard North, Omaha, Neb. (27-2)*
5. St. Catherine’s, Racine, Wis. (28-1)*

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

Southland

1. Millbrook, Raleigh, N.C. (19-0)*
2. Beaumont (Texas) United (31-0)*
3. Ballard, Louisville, Ky. (19-2)
4. Westlake, Austin, Texas (30-2)
5. Richardson, Texas (26-2)

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

Far West

1. Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif. (0-0)
2. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (0-0)
3. Prolific Prep, Napa, Calif. (30-3)
4. St. Mary’s, Phoenix (20-1)*
5. Sunnyslope, Phoenix (21-1)*

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

* Won state championship or major postseason tournament title

Records are through Sunday

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. 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. Follow him on Twitter at @clawlor.