California Cool: No. 25 Etiwanda enters Blue Star Media Go-To 25 boys’ basketball rankings

BENSALEM, Pa. – The latest Blue Star Media Go-To 25 boys’ basketball rankings is based on games through Feb. 16.

There are few changes; only No. 25 Etiwanda (Calif.) joins the Blue Star Media Go-To 25 rankings. With the season wrapping up this week, especially in the Midwest Region, the rankings will need to withstand a heavy playoff push.

Additionally, teams such as Oak Hill Academy, Findlay Prep, La Lumiere School, Montverde Academy and Northside Christian Academy are near locks for the Dick’s Sporting Goods High School National Tournament—formerly the National High School Invitational—with three more bids in the making.

The next rankings will be presented Feb. 24. Hope to see you at a game soon. – Christopher Lawlor

Blue Star Media Go-To 25 Boys Basketball Rankings, Feb. 17, 2014

1. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (27-0)

Previous rank: 1.

Low-down: The Monarchs closed out the Trinity League title, going 10-0, with a pair of easy victories. They open the newly formatted CIF-Southern Section Open Division Tournament Friday against Cantwell-Sacred Heart (Montebello).

2. Curie, Chicago (22-1)

Previous: 2.

Low-down: Stopped Simeon (Chicago), 71-64, in the quarterfinals of the Chicago Public Schools Tournament. Up next is Hyde Park (Chicago) in the semifinals on Wednesday.

3. Rainier Beach, Seattle (22-0)

Previous: 3.

Low-down: Won the Metro League tournament championship, beating Eastside Catholic (Sammamish), 68-65.

4. Montverde (Fla.) Academy (24-1)

Previous: 4.

Low-down: Popped St. Joseph (Metuchen, N.J.), 79-70, and Roselle (N.J. Catholic, 82-65, at the Metro Classic in Union, N.J. Against St. Joseph, the Eagles rattled off 14 straight points to open the fourth period. D’Angelo Russell and Ben Simmons each netted 24 points.

5. White Station, Memphis, Tenn. (26-1)

Previous: 5.

Low-down: Idle.

6. Northside Christian Academy, Charlotte, N.C. (25-1)

Previous: 6.

Low-down: Crushed Gastonia Christian, 98-34. Next are the North Carolina Independent Class 2A quarterfinals on Thursday.

7. Converse (Texas) Judson (31-1)

Previous: 7.

Low-down: The Rockets open the postseason Tuesday vs. San Antonio Johnson in the Class 5A bi-district playoff game.

8. La Lumiere School, La Porte, Ind. (18-2)

Previous: 8.

Low-down: The Lakers were snowed out last Saturday. Will play three games this weekend in the La Lumiere Classic.

9. St. John’s, Washington, D.C. (26-1)

Previous: 9.

Low-down: The Cadets peeled off their 24^th straight victory, beating Bishop O’Connell (Arlington, Va.), 66-63. The regular season ends Wednesday against DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.).

10. Arlington Country Day, Jacksonville, Fla. (22-3)

Previous: 11.

Low-down: The Apaches won twice, capped by a high-octane 110-80 victory over Life Christian (Kissimmee). This is a busy week with four games, including back-to-back road games at Oldsmar Christian and West Oaks Academy (Orlando).

11. Lincoln, Brooklyn, N.Y. (24-3)

Previous: 12.

Low-down: Won a second-straight PSAL Brooklyn Boro AA championship, beating Jefferson, 90-71. In the semifinals, they beat Brooklyn Collegiate, 82-67.

12. Our Savior New American, Centereach, N.Y. (17-3)

Previous: 13.

Low-down: The Pioneers used a third-quarter surge to put away St. Peter’s Prep (Jersey City, N.J.), 72-56, at the Metro Classic in Union, N.J.

13. Huntington (W.Va.) Prep (22-4)

Previous: 14.

Low-down: Coach Rob Fulford’s club had both games cancelled by heavy snowfall.

14. Oak Hill Academy, Mouth of Wilson, Va. (31-3)

Previous: 15.

Low-down: The Warriors played once, beating Mount Zion Academy (Durham, N.C.), 87-55, but had two snowed out.

15. Cardinal Hayes, Bronx, N.Y. (23-1)

Previous: 10.

Low-down: The Cardinals lost to St. Peter’s (Staten Island), 72-70, on a three-point heave at the buzzer. Joe Lods was named CHSAA AA Coach of the Year and Saint Joseph’s-bound PG Shavar Newkirk was tabbed first team all-league.

16. Arsenal Tech, Indianapolis (18-2)

Previous: 16.

Low-down: Idle. The Titans are off until Friday against Zionsville,

17. Sagemont, Weston, Fla. (29-0)

Previous: 17.

Low-down: The Lions aim for their 30^th win Tuesday in the regional semifinals against Westwood Christian (Miami).

18. Bishop Gorman, Las Vegas (24-4)

Previous: 18.

Low-down: The Gaels take a 15-game win streak into the postseason.

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

Previous: 19.

Low-down: Idle. The big news in Southern Nevada was Rashad Vaughn’s verbal commitment to nearby UNLV over Iowa State, Kentucky, North Carolina and Kansas. Vaughn, a Minnesota native, is averaging 20 points and 4.7 assists for the Pilots, who were back in action Monday after an eight-day layoff. Vaughn will play in the McDonald’s All-American Game in Chicago in April.

20. St. Edward, Lakewood, Ohio (17-1)

Previous: 20.

Low-down: The Eagles needed a fourth-quarter rally to hold off Central Catholic (Cleveland), 68-64. Kipper Nichols and Malcolm Walters each contributed 18 points.

21. Orlando (Fla.) Christian Prep (25-1)

Previous: 21.

Low-down: The Warriors posted a 41-point win in their first regional assignment. They play again Tuesday vs. Faith Christian (Orlando) in the semifinals.

22. Roman Catholic, Philadelphia (21-3)

Previous: 22.

Low-down: Routed Bishop McDevitt (Wyncote), 84-56, in the Philadelphia Catholic League quarterfinals. Next up is La Salle College (Wyncote) in the semifinals at the Palestra in Philadelphia. Seniors Shep Garner and Rashann London were named first team all-league and Chris McNesby was tabbed coach of the year.

23. Providence Christian, Jacksonville, Fla. (23-4)

Previous: 23.

Low-down: Next up is University Christian (Jacksonville) in the Class 3A regional semifinals on Tuesday night.

24. Prime Prep, Dallas (21-5)                                            

Previous: 24.

Low-down: SMU-bound G Emmanuel Mudiay hit a double-pump, long 3-pointer at the horn in a 58-57 win over Kimball (Dallas).

25. Etiwanda, Calif. (25-3)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: The Baseline League champions will play Cathedral (xx) Friday in the first round of the CIF-Southern Section Open Division Tournament.

Dropped: No. 25 Loyola, Los Angeles.

High-Fives by Region

East

1. Neumann-Goretti, Philadelphia (18-4)

2. Archbishop Carroll, Radnor, Pa.  (20-3)

3. Christ the King, Middle Village, N.Y. (20-5)

4. Mount Vernon, N.Y. (17-1)

5. Bishop Loughlin, Brooklyn, N.Y. (18-5)

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

Midlands

1. Whitney Young, Chicago (20-5)

2. Apple Valley, Minn. (23-1)

3. Stevenson, Lincolnshire, Ill. (23-1)

4. Muskegon, Mich. (17-0)

5. Brookfield (Wis.) Central (20-0)

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

South

1. Scotlandville, Baton Rouge, La. (29-1)

2. DeSoto, Texas (26-3)

3. Callaway, Jackson, Miss. (25-1)

4. Wheeler, Marietta, Ga. (21-5)

5. Putnam City West, Oklahoma City (18-2)

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

Far West

1. Corona (Calif.) Centennial (24-2)

2. Corona del Sol, Tempe, Ariz. (29-1)

3. Loyola, Los Angeles (24-2)

4, Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif. (25-2)

5. Redondo Union, Redondo Beach, Calif. (22-4)

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

About: The Blue Star Media Go-To 25 Boys High School Rankings are released weekly from September 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 7, 2014. Follow him on Twitter at #clawlor.