Eight teams from Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ rankings to compete for GEICO Nationals title; No. 2 Long Island Lutheran (NY), No. 4 Ben Davis (IN) bag state championships

BENSALEM, Pa. – Now that the state championship season is over nationwide, it’s time for the main course, starting this weekend at the GEICO High School Nationals in Florida and the following week in Washington, D.C.

First, the past weekend where state champions were crowned in Alaska, Minnesota, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Indiana and New York. The latter three state championships helped reshape the bottom portion of the Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ basketball rankings.

In New York, No. 2 Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.) won its ninth State Federation Class AA title in emphatic fashion.

No. 4 Ben Davis (Indianapolis) won the Indiana Class 4A crown, completing a 33-0 season. The Giants became Indiana’s 14th undefeated state champion and goes down as the one with the most wins in a single season.

Kudos to the BD coaches and players!

However, the biggest shakeup to the Elite 25 came courtesy of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, where two teams from the Philadelphia Catholic League dropped title tilts thus opening the door for No. 24 Reading (Pa.) to slide into the Elite 25 after winning its third PIAA title since 2017. Reading captured the Class 6A title in overtime.

With No. 15 Imhotep Institute Charter (Philadelphia) winning the PIAA Class 5A chip and Reading in 6A plus Ben Davis in the Hoosier State, 15 teams have won 16 state or major postseason tournament titles.

Also joining the Elite 25 is No. 21 Vashon (St. Louis) after winning a fourth straight Missouri state title earlier this month in Class 4. The Wolverines were ranked in the Elite 25 preseason but dropped out after a tough 7-7 start against a challenging schedule. They closed on a 17-game win streak to plead their case and thus are back.

Well, done.

GEICO Nationals

Eight teams from the Blue Star Media Elite 25 rankings comprise the field of the 14th annual GEICO High School Basketball Nationals. The elite tournament returns to Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Fort Myers, Fla., Thursday through Saturday.

The three-day event, which features six McDonald’s All-Americans, tips on Thursday afternoon with four quarterfinal boys’ games on ESPNU. The semifinals are Friday at 2:30 and 4:30 p.m., while the championship is Saturday at 12 p.m. on ESPN.

The quarterfinal pairings (All times Eastern):

12 p.m.: St. Paul VI Catholic (Chantilly, Va.) vs. Link Academy (Branson, Mo.)

2 p.m.: IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) vs. Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.)

4 p.m.: AZ Compass Prep (Chandler Ariz.) vs. Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.)

6 p.m.: Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.) vs. Montverde (Fla.) Academy.

 The field is bolstered by newcomers Long Island Lutheran and St. Paul VI while No. 1 Monteverde makes its 11th appearance with six titles, including the last two. It should have three but the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled the event in 2020.

That’s it for another week.

The Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ rankings will return on April 4 and reflect the GEICO Nationals’ results. We’ll be in Fort Myers, Florida for it and have firsthand reports from both the boys’ and girls’ tournaments.

Tune into the GEICO Nationals if you aren’t in the neighborhood and enjoy the NCAA Men’s Final Four from Houston Saturday evening on CBS. If you had the correct Final Four bracket selected, please raise your hand (Florida Atlantic, anyone?). It’s the wackiest last four we’ve seen since first following the NCAAs in the early 1970s.

OK, stay safe.

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

Blue Star Media Elite 25 Boys’ Basketball Rankings, March 28, 2023

1. Montverde (Fla.) Academy (23-2)

Previous rank: 1.

Low-down: Idle. Up next is the GEICO High School Nationals, where the Eagles look to defend their title.

2. Long Island Lutheran, Brookville, N.Y. (23-2)*

Previous: 2.

Low-down: Won New York State Federation Class AA Tournament, defeating Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains), 81-57, in the final. It is the program’s ninth Federation title. In the semifinals, they beat Victor, 81-52. The Crusaders are back at it Thursday against No. 7 AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.) in the GEICO National semifinals in Florida.

3. Link Academy, Branson, Mo. (24-1)

Previous: 3.

Low-down: Idle. Up next is the GEICO Nationals.

4. Ben Davis, Indianapolis (33-0)*

Previous: 4.

Low-down: Won Class 4A state championship and completed a perfect season defeating, Kokomo, 53-41, in the final before 15,533 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Giants became the 14th boys’ team to go undefeated but none with as many as 33 wins. Center Zane Doughty netted a game-high 20 points on 10-for-13 shooting. Sophomore Mark Zackery dropped 16 points, including a trio of 3-pointer and Shaun Arnold added 12 points. Season complete.

5. St. Paul VI Catholic, Chantilly, Va. (31-3)*

Previous: 5.

Low-down: Idle. The Panthers will play in the GEICO High School Nationals beginning Thursday in Fort Myers, Fla.

6. Prolific Prep, Napa, Calif. (35-1)*

Previous: 6.

Low-down: Idle. Won the Grind Session World Championship. Up next is the GEICO Nationals tipping Thursday in Fort Myers, Fla.

7. AZ Compass Prep, Chandler, Ariz. (23-4)

Previous: 7.

Low-down: Idle. The Dragons are headed to the GEICO Nationals, tipping on Thursday.

8. Duncanville, Texas (28-1)

Previous: 8.

Low-down: Season complete.

9. Harvard-Westlake, Studio City, Calif. (33-2)*

Previous: 9.

Low-down: Won CIF Open Division state championship. Season complete.

10. Sunrise Christian School, Bel Aire, Kan. (19-8)

Previous: 10.

Low-down: Idle. Up next is a date in the GEICO Nationals Thursday in Florida.

11. John Marshall, Richmond, Va. (27-0)*

Previous: 11.

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

12. Roselle (N.J.) Catholic (22-5)*

Previous: 12.

Low-down: Won the Non-Public B state championship but the Lions will play in the State Champions Invitational running April 6-8, in Washington, D.C. Regular season complete.

13. Centennial, Corona, Calif. (30-4)

Previous: 13.

Low-down: Season complete.

14. Camden, N.J. (23-2)

Previous: 14.

Low-down: Season complete.

15. Imhotep Institute Charter, Philadelphia (30-3)**

Previous: 15.

Low-down: Won the PIAA Class 5A state championship, beating Exeter, 78-40, in the final. Kentucky-bound center Justin Edwards flipped in 19 points and both Rahmir Burno and Ahmad Nowell added 12 apiece. The Panthers annexed Philadelphia Public League, district and state titles for the second straight season. It was coach Andre Noble’s fifth team to repeat as champions, joining teams in 2011-13 and 2017-19 that won three in a row. In the semifinals, they defeated Archbishop Ryan (Philadelphia), 72-50. Season complete.

16. Columbus, Miami (26-4)*

Previous: 16.

Low-down: Won second straight FHSAA Class 7A state championship. Season complete.

17. IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla. (17-7)

Previous: 19.

Low-down: Idle. The Ascenders are preparing for the GEICO Nationals next week in nearby Fort Myers.

18. Lake Highlands, Dallas (34-3)*

Previous: 22.

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

19. Wheeler, Marietta, Ga. (26-6)*

Previous: 20.

Low-down: Won Class 7A state championship. The Wildcats are the top seed in the upcoming State Champions Invitational from April 6-8 in Washington, D.C. Regular season complete.

20. Metamora, Ill. (34-2)*

Previous: 21.

Low-down: Won Class 3A state championship. Season complete.

21. Vashon, St. Louis (24-7)*

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: The Wolverines return to the Elite 25 rankings after procuring a fourth straight Missouri state championship, defeating Park Hills Central, 64-37, in the Class 4 title game. Sophomore Trey Williams and Dierre Hill Jr. both tossed in 12 points apiece. It was Vashon’s 14th overall state title. The Wolverines had a rough start with a national schedule going 7-7 but finished with a 17-game win streak. Season complete.

22. Simeon, Chicago (32-4)*

Previous: 23.

Low-down: Advanced to Class 3A state final and won the Chicago Public School City Championship. Season complete.

23. St. John’s College, Washington, D.C. (32-4)*

Previous: 24.

Low-down: Won the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference Tournament. Season complete.

24. Reading, Pa. (32-1)*

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: Won PIAA Class 6A state championship, beating Roman Catholic (Philadelphia), 63-56, in overtime in the final. Aris Rodriguez scored a team-high 16 points and Rider-bound Ruben Rodriguez had 8 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 steals, ending with 2,008 career points. It was the program’s third state title since 2017. Season complete.

25. St. John Bosco, Bellflower, Calif. (26-7)

Previous: 25.

Low-down: Season complete.

Dropped: No. 17 Roman Catholic (Philadelphia) and No. 18. Ss. Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia).

High-Fives by Region

East

1. Archbishop Stepinac, White Plains, N.Y. (22-10)*
2. Lincoln Park, Midland, Pa. (30-1)*
3. Roman Catholic, Philadelphia (27-4)*
4. Mount St. Joseph, Baltimore (38-4)*
5. Christ the King, Middle Village, N.Y. (23-5)

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

Midwest

1. Cass Tech, Detroit (27-1)*
2. Moline, Ill. (35-3)*
3. De Pere, Wis. (30-0)*
4. Wayzata, Plymouth, Minn. (27-4)*
5. Archbishop Hoban, Akron, Ohio (26-3)*

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

Southland

1. Warren Central, Bowling Green, Ky. (36-1)*
2. Myers Park, Charlotte, N.C. (28-4)*
3. Kimball, Dallas (33-2)*
4. Greensboro (N.C.) Day School (30-5)*
5. Brentwood (Tenn.) Academy (29-3)*

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

Far West

1. Notre Dame, Sherman Oaks, Calif. (27-10)*
2. Garfield, Seattle (25-2)*
3. Perry, Gilbert, Ariz. (30-1)*
4. Durango, Las Vegas (21-6)*
5. Bishop Montgomery, Torrance, Calif. (28-5)

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

Records through Sunday’s games

 * Won state, national or conference postseason tournament championship

[Editor’s note: Each asterisk represents a separate postseason title]

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 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 and prep sports writers. Follow him on Twitter at @clawlor.