NEW YORK – The final Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ basketball rankings have a new look at the top but a familiar face: Montverde (Fla.) Academy.
After winning their third straight Dick’s Sporting Good High School National Tournament title last weekend, the Eagles are the consensus choice for No. 1. Along the way, the Eagles beat three nationally ranked teams in the tournament, which was played at Madison Square Garden for Saturday’s final and Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.) for the opening two rounds.
Once again the Dick’s Nationals is becoming the event to be seen it and to win. Montverde needed to win the event in order to take home their first-ever Elite 25 National Championship. Coach Kevin Boyle’s team did in flying style.
The final rankings also feature two additions: No. 23 Western (Detroit) and No. 24 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas). Western took home Michigan’s Class A title two weeks ago. Gorman bagged its fourth straight Division I crown and 17th overall, tying it for tops in Nevada state history.
So, how did we do?
Sixteen teams that appeared in the Elite 25 preseason rankings are present and accounted for at the end. That’s an acceptable 60% accuracy. Seventeen schools won state championships, two won national or conference tournament titles and five schools did win anything because are independent and are not eligible for a state title.
Should be another exciting spring with the NCAA open period kicking in later this month and the national travel circuit and camp scene following. We’ll be at the Jordan Brand Game on April 17 at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. Check back at www.bluestarmedia.org for updates. We’ll return with the Blue Star Media Elite 25 preseason football rankings in mid-August. The boys’ basketball rankings will hit the Internet in early November.
Thanks again for building our online community to all-time highs. We’re gaining traction in the busy national scene and are winning respect of coaches, players and fans. We hope to see you at a game soon. – Christopher Lawlor
Blue Star Media Elite 25 Boys Basketball Rankings, April 6, 2015
1. Montverde (Fla.) Academy (31-1)***
Previous rank: 2.
Low down: Won third straight Dick’s High School National Tournament, beating previous top-ranked Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), 71-62, in final. LSU-bound Ben Simmons was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.
2. Oak Hill Academy, Mouth of Wilson, Va. (47-1)**
Previous: 1.
Low down: Lost for second straight year in Dick’s High School National Tournament to then-No. 2 Montverde (Fla.) Academy, 71-62, in final. Junior F Joe Hampton was named to the all-tournament team. Coach Steve Smith was the awarded Naismith High School Coach of the Year accolade.
3. Findlay Prep, Henderson, Nev. (29-3)
Previous: 3.
Low down: Lost in the Dick’s High School National Tournament semifinals. The Pilots bring back plenty of talent and will be in the mix for the preseason No. 1 in November.
4. Huntington (W.Va.) Prep (33-2)
Previous: 14.
Low down: Advanced to the semifinals of the Dick’s Sporting Good High School Invitational Tournament. Indiana-bound PF Thomas Bryant was named to the all-tournament team.
5. Wheeler, Marietta, Ga. (30-3)*
Previous: 4.
Low down: Won Class AAAAAA state championship but lost in the Dick’s High School National Tournament quarterfinals.
6. Plano West, Plano, Texas (33-2)*
Previous: 5.
Low down: Won first-ever Class 6A state championship.
7. Ely, Pompano Beach, Fla. (29-0)*
Previous: 6.
Low down: Won Class 7A state championship and lost in the Dick’s Sporting Good High School Invitational Tournament quarterfinals.
8. Corona del Sol, Tempe, Ariz. (33-1)*
Previous: 7.
Low down: Won fourth straight Division I state championship.
9. Roman Catholic, Philadelphia (29-2)*
Previous: 8.
Low down: Won first-ever Class AAAA state championship. Coach Chris McNesby’s club completed the treble, winning the Philadelphia Catholic League, District 12 and state tournament crowns.
10. Bishop O’Dowd, Oakland, Calif. (28-4)*
Previous: 9.
Low down: Won CIF Open Division state championship, edging then-No. 12 Mater Dei (Santa Ana), 65-64, in the final. All-American Ivan Rabb dropped in a free throw with :00.8 remaining in overtime for the margin of victory. Ivan, who is down to Arizona or nearby Cal as his college choice, had 19 points and 21 rebounds.
11. Neumann-Goretti, Philadelphia (29-2)*
Previous: 10.
Low down: Won fifth Class AAA state championship since 2010. Also annexed the District 12-AAA title. The Saints are one of the great stories this season and will be chock full of talent in 2015-16.
12. Stevenson, Lincolnshire, Ill. (30-3)*
Previous: 11.
Low down: Won first ever Class 4A state championship.
13. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (29-5)
Previous: 12.
Low down: The CIF Southern Regional Open Division champions advanced to the state final but lost by one point to No. 10 Bishop O’Dowd (Oakland), 65-64, in overtime.
14. DeMatha, Hyattsville, Md. (33-4)*
Previous: 18.
Low down: Won the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament, Maryland Private Schools Tournament and Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championships.
15. Providence School, Jacksonville, Fla. (31-1)*
Previous: 19.
Low down: Won Class 3A state championship.
16. Bishop Montgomery, Torrance, Calif. (31-2)
Previous: 20.
Low down: Won CIF-Southern Section Open Division championship. Additionally advanced to the Southern California Region Open Division final.
17. Roselle (N.J.) Catholic (28-4)*
Previous: 21.
Low down: Won second New Jersey State Tournament of Champions in three years. Also took home the Non-Public B state championship.
18. Fairfax, Los Angeles (32-3)
Previous: 22.
Low down: Won CIF-City Section Open Division championship. Also went to the Southern California Region Open Division final.
19. Greensboro (N.C.) Day (33-3)*
Previous: 16.
Low down: Won the NCISAA 3A state championship and lost in the Dick’s Nationals quarterfinals.
20. La Lumiere School, La Porte, Ind. (24-3)
Previous: 13.
Low down: The Lakers do not compete for a state championship.
21. Cardinal Gibbons, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (32-1)*
Previous: 23.
Low down: Won Class 5A state championship.
22. Western, Detroit (26-0)*
Previous: Not ranked.
Low down: Won first-ever Class A state championship, defeating Arthur Hill (Saginaw), 62-59. Detroit Mercy recruits Josh McFolley (19 points) and Gerald Blacksheer (16) teamed for 35 points. A 20-9 run in the third quarter rallied the Cowboys from a 25-21 halftime deficit.
23. Jonesboro, Ga. (32-1)*
Previous: 24.
Low down: Won second straight Class AAAA state championship.
24. Bishop Gorman, Las Vegas (27-6)*
Previous: Not ranked.
Low down: Won fourth straight Division I state championship and 17th overall.
25. Wesleyan Christian School, High Point, N.C. (30-5)
Previous: 25.
Low down: Finished runner-up in the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association 3A tournament.
Dropped out: No. 7 St. Vincent-St. Mary, Akron, Ohio; and No. 19 Simeon, Chicago.
High-Fives by Region
East
- Sacred Heart, Waterbury, Conn. (28-0)*
- Wings Academy, Bronx, N.Y. (29-3)*
- Christ the King, Middle Village, N.Y. (26-5)*
- St. Anthony, Jersey City, N.J. (27-2)
- St. Benedict’s, Newark, N.J. (31-6)*
Geography: Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia.
Midlands
- Wayne, Huber Heights, Ohio (26-4)*
- St. Rita, Chicago (26-4)
- Villa Angela-St. Joseph, Cleveland (23-4)*
- Homestead, Fort Wayne, Ind. (29-2)*
- Apple Valley, Minn. (30-2)*
Geography: Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
South
- Callaway, Jackson, Miss. (31-3)*
- Lancaster, Texas (34-4)*
- Owensboro, Ky. (32-4)*
- Prestonwood Christian, Plano, Texas (31-4)*
- Johnson, Huntsville, Ala. (32-4)*
Geography: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
Far West
- Damien, La Verne, Calif. (29-5)*
- West Linn, Ore. (25-4)*
- Garfield, Seattle (27-2)*
- Rainier Beach, Seattle (25-3)
- La Mirada, Calif. (31-5)*
Geography: Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
* Won state, national or conference postseason tournament championship
** Includes forfeit victory
*** Won Dick’s Sporting Good High School National Tournament
About: The Blue Star Media Elite 25 High School Boys’ Basketball Rankings are released weekly from December 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. Teams with fifth-year or post-graduate players are not eligible. 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 6, 2015. Follow him on Twitter: @clawlor
Senior Writer and national analyst for Blue Media and compiles the Blue Star Elite 25 national boys and girls high school basketball and football rankings during the season. Lawlor, an award-winning writer, is a voting committee member and advisor for several national high school events, including the McDonald’s All-American Games. He previously wrote for USA TODAY and ESPN.com, where he was the national preps writer, while compiling the national rankings in four sports.
