BIG DOINGS: Mega boys’ high school basketball event this weekend in Virginia features six teams from the Blue Star Media Elite 25 rankings

HOLLYWOOD BEACH, Fla. — The first two months of high school basketball can be best termed as “fluid.” Everyday there seems to be a change, pause, cancellations, postponements but mostly hope.

We’re just hoping to get through the current season and turn the page.

The nation is placing their trust in medical and government officials to lead us through the COVID-19 coronavirus. When the calendar flipped to January 2021 less than half the states are playing basketball and that means the Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ basketball rankings still have several teams that have not played, practiced or scrimmage. Being placed on hold brings uncertainty but there are states that will tipoff their seasons this week, most notably Kentucky, Minnesota and North Carolina.

The rollout will continue for the remainder of the states each week and others such as New Mexico, California and Oregon won’t go until the spring. It was reported last week, Oregon won’t conclude its season until late June. Hey, that’s life during a pandemic.

There are four changes in the Elite 25 rankings. As expected multiple teams dropped out after the previous rankings in November. We specifically did not release rankings during December because few teams had played and nearly all the national tournaments, with the exception of the Beach Ball Classic of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, was played. National events give evaluators a true barometer of the national scene. It was painstaking but No. 10 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) was dropped from the Elite 25 because Clark County, Nevada cancelled all winter sports. The Gaels were the favorite to annex another state title. Coach Grant Rice’s team will regroup for the 2021-22 season.

The four additions have a Midlands flavor—two teams from Indiana and another from Nebraska. Additionally, there’s another from North Carolina that is playing an over-the-top independent schedule and deserving of national attention.

The rankings are based on game through Jan. 2.

The doom and gloom will give way to normalcy this weekend when National Interscholastic Basketball Conference begins play this weekend in Springfield, Virginia. Six teams from the Elite 25 rankings will participate in national series throughout January and February at various sites. Scheduled to play this weekend (Friday-Sunday) are powerhouses Montverde Academy (Fla.), Oak Hill Academy (Va.), La Lumiere School (Ind.), Legacy Early College (S.C.), Sunrise Christian (Kan.) and Wasatch Academy (Utah). Obviously the Elite 25 will have a fresh look especially in the Top-10.

Four teams from the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference have been cleared to play this week. That’s good news for Elite 25 teams No. 6 Paul VI (Va.) and No. 8 DeMatha (Md.) plus St. Mary Ryken (Md.) and Bishop McNamara (Md.). Expect the balance of the league to follow in the coming weeks.

The Elite 25 boys’ rankings are back Jan. 12 and every Tuesday throughout the season.

One quick note, the Final Elite 25 Fall high school football rankings will go live on Jan. 24 following the Michigan state championships. That’s a full month later than normal and then the Winter/Spring rankings go live in February.

In the meantime, stay safe, mask up, practice social distancing, wash your hands regularly and support your local small businesses that have taken major hits since last March.

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

Blue Star Media Elite 25 Boys’ Basketball Rankings, Jan. 5, 2021

1. Montverde (Fla.) Academy (10-0)

Previous rank: 1.

Low-down: The Eagles carry a 35-game win streak, spanning two seasons, into January with a rigorous national schedule on tp.

2. IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla. (6-0)

Previous: 2.

Low-down: Defeated Lake Highland Prep (Orlando), 81-52, last weekend.

3. Wasatch Academy, Mount Pleasant, Utah (11-0)

Previous: 3.

Low-down: So far so good for first-year coach Paul Peterson’s team. The schedule picks up this week.

4. Sunrise Christian Academy, Bel Aire, Kan. (5-0)

Previous: 4.

Low-down: Coach Luke Barnwell’s team recorded quality wins over Elite 25 teams Legacy Early College (Greenville, S.C.) and Lake Norman Christian (Huntersville, N.C.) in December.

5. La Lumiere School, La Porte, Ind. (0-0)

Previous: 5.

Low-down: The Lakers had a delayed start to the season but get cranking this weekend in Virginia.

6. Paul VI, Chantilly, Va. (0-0)

Previous: 6.

Low-down: Idle. The Panthers are one of four Washington Catholic Athletic Conference teams to start play this weekend against Centreville (Va.) Friday and at St. Mary Ryken (Leonardtown, Md.) Saturday.

7. Oak Hill Academy, Mouth of Wilson, Va. (7-0)

Previous: 7.

Low-down: The high-scoring Warriors have surpassed 100 point in five of six games with a high of 121 points. Coach Steve Smith’s club has not played since Thanksgiving and is back at it this weekend with No. ghghgh Legacy Early College (Greenville, S.C.) at the St. James Invitational.

8. DeMatha, Hyattsville, Md. (0-0)

Previous: 8.

Low-down: Idle. The Stags open with John Marshall (Richmond, Va.) on Jan. 16.

9. Duncanville, Texas (13-0)

Previous: 17.

Low-down: The Panthers are Texas’ top-ranked Class 6A team and are 2-0 in District 11-6A play. Saturday’s game with Waxahachie is considered an early season district showdown.

10. Legacy Early College, Greenville, S.C. (8-1)

Previous: 13.

Low-down: The Lions absorbed a four-point loss to No. 4 Sunrise Christian (Bel Aire, Kan.) but shift their attention to the National Hoopfest this weekend in Virginia.

11. Lawrence North, Indianapolis (8-0)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: Veteran coach Jack Keefer has the Wildcats playing like Indiana’s top team and already beat Elite 25-ranked Moeller (Cincinnati), 58-57, in overtime. The schedule resumes Friday hosting Warren Central (Indianapolis) and next week is the Marion County Tournament. The title game is Jan. 16.

12. Archbishop Wood, Warminster, Pa. (0-0)

Previous: 12.

Low-down: The Philadelphia Catholic League favorites will get underway in February.

13. Carmel, Ind. (8-0)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: The Greyhounds play sticky defense allowing 41 points per game. Next up is a road game at Center Grove (Greenwood) Friday in Metropolitan Conference play.

14. Minnehaha Academy, Minneapolis, Minn. (0-0)

Previous: 14.

Low-down: At 7-1 Chet Holmgren is considered the nation’s top-rated senior and finally gets a chance to prove it with the opener on Friday versus St. Louis Park.

15. Milton, Alpharetta, Ga. (12-2)

Previous: 21.

Low-down: Won the Beach Ball Classic in Myrtle Beach, S.C., topping Calvary Christian Academy (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), 70-57, in the final. Bruce Thornton had 22 points, six rebounds and five assists in the title game.

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

Previous: 16.

Low-down: Looks like New York’s top-ranked team will wait until February for a season but no state championships will be played.

17. Millard North, Omaha, Neb. (10-0)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: Won Metro Conference Holiday Tournament championship, edging Bellevue West, 94-91, in two overtimes. Saint Thomas dropped in a tournament-record 48 points for the unbeaten Mustangs, who are Nebraska’s unquestioned top-ranked team.

18. West Oaks Academy, Orlando, Fla. (9-3)

Previous: 15.

Low-down: The Flame remains in the Elite 25 after capturing the Beach Ball Classic Winter Jam bracket, beating Combine Academy (Lincolnton, N.C.), 69-65, for the title. Sophomore Matthew Bewley (20 points) and Justin Neely (18) teamed for 38 points in the final.

19. St. Frances Academy, Baltimore (0-0)

Previous: 18.

Low-down: Idle. The Baltimore Catholic League is on pause but the Panthers open on Jan. 16.

20. Combine Academy, Lincolnton, N.C. (14-2)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: The Goats have played an aggressive schedule and finished runners-up at the Beach Ball Classic Winter Jam bracket in South Carolina.

21. Archbishop Stepinac, White Plains, N.Y. (0-0)

Previous: 22.

Low-down: Idle. No games scheduled until early February.

22. Simeon, Chicago (0-0)

Previous: 23.

Low-down: Idle. The state of Illinois is on pause.

23. Camden, N.J.. (0-0)

Previous: 24.

Low-down: Idle. There’s no regular season games until late January.

24. The Patrick School, Hillside, N.J. (0-0)

Previous: 25.

Low-down: The Celtics, like the rest of New Jersey, are on pause until Jan. 26 but practice can commence on Jan. 11.

25. Moeller, Cincinnati (8-2)

Previous: 19.

Low-down: Won the fifth-place game at the Beach Ball Classic in South Carolina. The Crusaders are back at it Friday with La Salle (Cincinnati) in a GCL South contest.

Dropped: No. 9 Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.); No. 10 Ypsi Prep Academy (Ypsilanti, Mich.); 11 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) and No. 20 Lake Norman Christian (Huntersville, N.C.).

High-Fives by Region

East

1. Gonzaga, Washington, D.C. (0-0)
2. John Marshall, Richmond, Va. (3-0)
3. St. Raymond, Bronx, N.Y. (0-0)
4. Roselle (N.J.) Catholic (0-0)
5. Polytechnic Institute, Baltimore (0-0)

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 (4-0)
2. Waukee, Iowa (1-0)
3. Blackhawk, Fort Wayne, Ind. (8-0)
4. Wauwatosa (Wis.) East (7-0)
5. Homestead, Fort Wayne, Ind. (11-0)

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

Southland

1. Pace Academy, Atlanta (10-1)
2. Atascocita, Humble, Texas (10-0)
3. Male, Louisville, Ky. (0-0)
4. Pebblebrook, Mableton, Ga. (13-2)
5. Camel Christian, Matthews, N.C. (13-1)

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. O’Dea, Seattle (0-0)
4. Mountain Pointe, Phoenix (0-0)
5. Skyridge, Lehi, Utah (8-1)

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

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.