Curie cops Chicago public school crown; Blue Star Media Go-To 25 boys’ basketball rankings

BENSALEM, Pa. – The latest Blue Star Media Go-To 25 boys’ basketball rankings are based on games through Feb. 23.

There are no additions to this week’s Go-To 25 rankings but expect a shakeup as we hit March. No. 25 St. John’s (Washington, D.C.) tumbled 15 slots after back-to-back losses, including one in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference Tournament. The Cadets aren’t done, though. Expect an invite to the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament in March.

The next rankings are March 3. Hope to see you at a game soon. – Christopher Lawlor

Blue Star Media Go-To 25 Boys Basketball Rankings, Feb. 24, 2014

1. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (28-0)

Previous rank: 1.

Low-down: It was a close call but the Monarchs managed to advance, beating Cantwell-Sacred Heart (Montebello), 66-59, in overtime in the CIF-Southern Section Open Division first round. Next up is Mayfair (Lakewood) Friday in the quarterfinals.

2. Curie, Chicago (24-1)

Previous: 2.

Low-down: Downed Whitney Young (Chicago), 69-66, four OTs, in the Chicago Public Schools championship game. Kamar Marshall’s three-pointer beat the buzzer and gave the Condors their first city title. In the semifinals, Kansas-bound Cliff Alexander’s triple-double of 10 points, 10 rebounds and 10 blocks, paved the way in a 58-56 win over Hyde Park (Chicago).

3. Rainier Beach, Seattle (25-0)

Previous: 3.

Low-down: Three easy wins was capped by a 78-38 victory over Eastside Catholic (Sammamish) in the Class 3A regional final. Shaqquan Aaron and David Crisp each flipped in 17 points in the final. A win over Mercer Island in the next round earns a ticket to the state tournament.

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

Previous: 4.

Low-down: Regular season complete. Now the Eagles await an invitational to the Dick’s Sporting Goods High School National Tournament in April.

5. White Station, Memphis, Tenn. (29-1)

Previous: 5.

Low-down: The Spartans pocketed the District 16-AAA title, edging Hamilton (Memphis), 71-68.

6. Northside Christian Academy, Charlotte, N.C. (28-1)

Previous: 6.

Low-down: KeyShawn Woods, a Charlotte recruit, scored 22 points as the Knights captured a third straight North Carolina Independent Schools Class 2A championship, burying First Assembly (Concord), 87-68. An invitation to the Dick’s Sporting Goods High School National Tournament is all but assured. Regular season complete.

7. Converse (Texas) Judson (33-1)

Previous: 7.

Low-down: Senior G Rayshon Winn’s 18 points provided a 62-39 victory over Cibolo Steele in the Class 5A Area playoffs. The Rockets play Tuesday vs. San Antonio Churchill in the regional quarterfinals.

8. La Lumiere School, La Porte, Ind. (21-2)

Previous: 8.

Low-down: The Laker swept three games in the La Lumiere Classic. This weekend two Canadian schools visit to conclude the regular season.

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

Previous: 11.

Low-down: Idle. The Brooklyn Borough champion is top-seeded in the PSAL AA Tournament and play the winner of Tuesday’s Wadleigh (Manhattan) and School of Teaching pairing in the second round.

10. Our Savior New American, Centereach, N.Y. (21-3)

Previous: 12.

Low-down: Four wins propel the Pioneers into this week’s National Association of Christian Athletes in Dayton, Tenn.

11. Arlington Country Day, Jacksonville, Fla. (25-4)

Previous: 10.

Low-down: The Apaches suffered a rare loss, playing without two starters.

12. Huntington (W.Va.) Prep (24-4)

Previous: 13.

Low-down: An offensive explosion produced 137 points in a lopsided win. This weekend has coach Rob Fulford’s team playing three games in four days, starting Thursday.

13. Oak Hill Academy, Mouth of Wilson, Va. (34-3)

Previous: 14.

Low-down: Virginia-bound B.J. Smith dropped and Caleb Martin had 21 points apiece in a 99-54 wipeout of Quality Education Academy (Winston-Salem, N.C.). There are five games left in the regular season.

14. Cardinal Hayes, Bronx, N.Y. (25-1)

Previous: 15.

Low-down: Won the CHSAA New York Archdiocesan championship, crushing St. Peter’s (Staten Island), 70-50, for the first title since 1975. Nathan Ekwe’s double-double, 15 points and 16 boards, were the difference. In the semifinals, Shavar Newkirk scored 13 of his 18 points after the break in a 70-64 overtime-victory over Iona Prep (New Rochelle).

15. Arsenal Tech, Indianapolis (19-2)

Previous: 16.

Low-down: Clipped Zionsville, 63-47. Next up is Friday vs. Ben Davis (Indianapolis).

16. Sagemont, Weston, Fla. (31-0)

Previous: 17.

Low-down: The Lions will play for the Class 3A state title starting Tuesday against nationally-ranked Providence Christian (Jacksonville). In the regional final, they stopped Florida Air Academy (Melbourne), 91-79. Jordan Cooper (23 points) and Connecticut-bound Prince Ali (21) combined to score 44 points.

17. Bishop Gorman, Las Vegas (27-4)

Previous: 18.

Low-down: The Gaels captured their sixth straight Class 4A Sunset Regional crown, defeating Centennial (Las Vegas), 78-52. Chase Jeter scored 20 points and Nick Blair tossed in 17.

18. Findlay Prep, Henderson, Nev. (27-4)

Previous: 19.

Low-down: The Pilots are off for Canada this weekend, playing Sunday vs. Bill Crothers Secondary (Unionville, Ontario) at the Air Canada Center in Toronto.

19. Orlando (Fla.) Christian Prep (28-1)

Previous: 21.

Low-down: Adonys Henriquez, a Central Florida recruit, scored 18 points in an 83-41 victory over Land O’Lakes in the Class 2A regional final. Next up is the 2A state semifinals vs. Sarasota Christian.

20. Roman Catholic, Philadelphia (22-3)

Previous: 22.

Low-down: Sophomore PG Tony Carr scored 12 points in a 52-45 win over LaSalle College (Wyncote) in the Philadelphia Catholic League semifinals. The Cahillites led by 17 points in the third quarter. Played regionally-ranked Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia) Monday for the title.

21. Providence Christian, Jacksonville, Fla. (28-4)

Previous: 23.

Low-down: Won the Class 3A Region 1 title, beating North Florida Christian, 88-43. Duke-bound Grayson Allen scored 29 points, draining six 3-pointers.

22. Prime Prep, Dallas (22-5)                                            

Previous: 24.

Low-down: The Truth is closing in on another invite to the postseason national tournament in New York.

23. Etiwanda, Calif. (26-3)

Previous: 25.

Low-down: After escaping with a 55-45 win over Cathedral (Los Angeles) in the opening round, now it’s Chino Hills in the CIF-Open Division quarterfinals Friday.

24. St. John’s, Washington, D.C. (26-3)

Previous: 9.

Low-down: Two losses, including a shocker to Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.), 73-68, in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference tournament quarterfinals, ruined a dream season. The Cadets have qualified for the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament in March.

25. St. Edward, Lakewood, Ohio (20-2)

Previous: 20.

Low-down: The Division I postseason awaits the Eagles.

Dropped: None.

High-Fives by Region

East

1. Neumann-Goretti, Philadelphia (20-4)

2. Mount Vernon, N.Y. (18-1)….th

3. Bishop Loughlin, Brooklyn, N.Y. (20-5)

4. Paul VI, Fairfax, Va. (24-6)

5. Archbishop Carroll, Radnor, Pa.  (20-4)

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 (21-6)

2. Apple Valley, Minn. (25-1)

3. Stevenson, Lincolnshire, Ill. (25-1)

4. Muskegon, Mich. (19-0)

5. Brookfield (Wis.) Central (22-0)

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

South

1. Scotlandville, Baton Rouge, La. (30-1)

2. DeSoto, Texas (28-3)

3. Callaway, Jackson, Miss. (26-1)

4. Wheeler, Marietta, Ga. (24-5)

5. Putnam City West, Oklahoma City (20-2)

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

Far West

1. Corona (Calif.) Centennial (25-2)

2. Corona del Sol, Tempe, Ariz. (30-1)

3. Loyola, Los Angeles (25-2)

4. Redondo Union, Redondo Beach, Calif. (23-4)

5. Bishop O’Dowd, Oakland, 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.