FINALLY: No. 1 Montverde (FL) Academy holds onto to top spot in Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ rankings; No. 11 Etiwanda (CA) wins first-ever CIF-Southern Regional title

BENSALEM, Pa. — The basketball season to end all seasons concluded last weekend. What started with preseason workouts in the fall finally ended when tournaments in Washington and Oregon were played out.

A season that normally finishes up in April with the GEICO High School Nationals was stretched an extra three months. Think of it, everyone squeezed in season when no season appeared to be played. California showed its power with four teams from the California Interscholastic Federation-Southern Section earning places in the Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ basketball rankings.

The lone addition this week is No. 11 Etiwanda (Calif.) after annexing the program’s first-ever regional championship. The Eagles built an 18-point lead in the first half in the regional final and defeated No. 12 Torrey Pines (San Diego), 68-65. Torrey Pines had won a sectional title and carried a 30-game win streak into the final. The Eagles needed to win that crown on the road in a pumped up gym in San Diego.

No. 1 Montverde (Fla.) Academy is the Blue Star Media Elite 25 National Champions for a second straight year. The Eagles won the GEICO Nationals in impressive fashion and are already reloading for the 2021-22 season as players are starting to declare their desire to transfer to the central Florida private school.

Congratulations to coach Kevin Boyle and his team for a great season. From all indications, Montverde will be the No. 1 team in the preseason rankings that will be released in November.

Quick hitters

► It’s official, the 12-member 2021 USA Basketball Men’s U19 World Cup Team roster was announced late last week, and it features six players from the high school Class of 2021.

The team trained in Fort Worth, Texas on the Texas Christian University campus through June 28, before boarding a plane bound for Riga, Latvia for the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup that will be played July 3-11.

Featuring U19 teams from 16 nations, the FIBA U19 World Cup, including the USA and host Latvia, the remaining field is Argentina, Australia, Canada, China, France, Japan, Lithuania, Mali, Puerto Rico, Senegal, Serbia, South Korea, Spain and Turkey.

Recently graduated high school players include Patrick Baldwin Jr. of Hamilton (Sussex, Wis.); Kennedy Chandler of Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.); Caleb Furst of Blackhawk Christian (Fort Wayne, Ind.); Chet Holmgren of Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis); Harrison Ingram of St. Mark’s (Dallas); School (Dallas) and Peyton Watson of Poly (Long Beach, Calif.).

► In Portland, Oregon, junior Lamar Washington (32 points) sank a pair of free throws late and Jefferson (Portland) defeated Clackamas, 67-62, in the Blue Bracket of the culminating tournament. The Blue Bracket represented the top Class 6A teams from Oregon and replicated a state tournament in a year the state did not start playing until May. Jefferson finished 14-3. Senior Ryan Lewis pumped in 21 points for Clackamas.

Well not much else is shaking.

Okay, that’ll do it for this season.

The summertime circuit is in full swing with several events and showcases planned for the next two months. After the 2021-22 academic year begins, it’s open gyms throughout September and October. We’ll have updates all summer here and on social media.

The Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ basketball preseason rankings for the 2021-22 season will be revealed in early November. That’s just over four months away. We will give you a heads up when the preseason rankings are post.

Remember, the Blue Star Media Elite 25 preseason football rankings go live the first week of August. The top-5 teams will have a very familiar look.

Until then keep safe and Happy Fourth of July.

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

Blue Star Media Elite 25 Boys’ Basketball Final Rankings, June 29, 2021

1. Montverde (Fla.) Academy (24-1)* ! @

Previous rank: 1.

Low-down: Coach Kevin Boyle’s team are Blue Star Media Elite 25 National Champions!

2. DeMatha, Hyattsville, Md. (11-0)

Previous: 2.

Low-down: The Stags completed an unbeaten season and spent nearly two months atop the Elite 25. Pete Strickland was named interim coach this spring after Mike Jones left for Virginia Tech.

3. Sunrise Christian Academy, Bel Aire, Kan. (21-4)

Previous: 3.

Low-down: Advanced to the GEICO Nationals final. Three losses were to No. 1 Montverde Academy.

4. IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla. (21-3)

Previous: 4.

Low-down: Advanced to GEICO Nationals semifinals.

5. AZ Compass Prep, Chandler, Ariz. (29-2)*

Previous: 5.

Low-down: Advanced to GEICO Nationals semifinals and won the Grind Session World Championship.

6. Minnehaha Academy, Minneapolis (20-1)*

Previous: 6.

Low-down: Won Minnesota Class AAA state championship. Gonzaga-bound Chet Holmgren was named Gatorade’s national player of the year.

7. Duncanville, Texas (29-1)*

Previous: 7.

Low-down: Won the Class 6A state championship.

8. Milton, Alpharetta, Ga. (28-3)*

Previous: 8.

Low-down: Won Georgia Class AAAAAAA state championship and played in the GEICO Nationals.

9. Camden, N.J. (13-0)

Previous: 9.

Low-down: There were no New Jersey state playoffs but the Panthers were the state’s top-ranked team.

10. Corona (Calif.) Centennial (21-2)^

Previous: 11.

Low-down: Won CIF-Southern Section Open Division championship. The Huskies opted out of the CIF-Southern Regional playoffs.

11. Etiwanda, Calif. (14-2)^*

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: Won the CIF-Southern Region Open Division championship, defeating then-No. 10 Torrey Pines (San Diego), 68-65. It was the first-ever regional title for the program. Tennessee-bound Jahmai Mashack scored 21 points and Marcus Green added 22.In the semifinals, the Eagles knocked off then-No. thghg Sierra Canyon School (Chatsworth), 82-76.

12. Torrey Pines, San Diego (30-1)^

Previous: 10.

Low-down: Lost in CIF-Southern Region Open Division final to Etiwanda, 68-65. Nick Herrmann led all scorers with 24 points. The Falcons became San Diego’s first team to reach the Region Open Division final after beating Damien (La Vern), 63-42, in the semifinals.

In the semifinals, the Falcons beat Damien (La Verne), 63-42. Otto Landrum threw in 16 points and Herrmann added a double-double with 14 points and 15 rebounds.

13. Wasatch Academy, Mount Pleasant, Utah (18-7)

Previous: 13.

Low-down: Earned an invitation to the GEICO Nationals.

14. Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif. (16-2)^

Previous: 12.

Low-down: Advanced to the CIF-Southern Region Open Division semifinals, losing to Etiwanda, 82-76. In the quarterfinals, UCLA-bound Amari Bailey pumped in 28 points in a 94-74 victory over Birmingham (Lake Balboa). The Trailblazers closed the season losing two of three games playoff games and no titles. They did win the Gold Coast League regular-season crown.

15. Orlando (Fla.) Christian Prep (27-0)*

Previous: 14.

Low-down: Won FHSAA Class 2A state championship.

16. Oak Hill Academy, Mouth of Wilson, Va. (21-9)

Previous: 15.

Low-down: Coach Steve Smith is one win short of 1,200 career victories.

17. Carmel, Ind. (26-2)*

Previous: 16.

Low-down: Won Class 4A state championship.

18. Pace Academy, Atlanta (30-2)*

Previous: 17.

Low-down: Won Georgia Class AA state championship and earned an invite to the GEICO Nationals. Sharman White is the head coach for the USA Basketball Men’s U16 National Team.

19. The Patrick School, Hillside, N.J. (14-1)

Previous: 19.

Low-down: The Celtics were upended once and will be stronger in 2021-22.

20. Long Island Lutheran, Brookville, N.Y. (3-0)

Previous: 18.

Low-down: New York did not hold Federation State championships.

21. Prolific Prep, Napa, Calif. (31-4)

Previous: 20.

Low-down: Advanced to the GEICO Nationals quarterfinals.

22. Reading, Pa. (26-2)*

Previous: 23.

Low-down: Won PIAA Class AAAAAA state championship.

23. Archbishop Wood, Warminster, Pa. (20-1)

Previous: 24.

Low-down: Won the Philadelphia Catholic League and District XII titles but lost in Class AAAAAA final.

24. DePaul Prep, Chicago (14-2)

Previous: 21.

Low-down: In a season when Illinois canceled state tournaments, the Rams won the Chipotle Clash of Champions, a tournament featuring Chicago’s top teams.

25. Simeon, Chicago (12-1)

Previous: 22.

Low-down: The Wolverines went unbeaten against Chicago Public League rivals.

Dropped: No. 25 Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.).

High-Fives by Region

East

1. Paul VI, Chantilly, Va. (7-4)
2. Cardinal Hayes, Bronx, N.Y. (6-1)^*
3. St. Frances Academy, Baltimore (15-1)
4. Archbishop Stepinac, White Plains, N.Y. (9-3)^
5. Roselle (N.J.) Catholic (12-3)

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

Midwest

1. Catholic Central, Grand Rapids, Mich. (20-0)*
2. La Lumiere School, La Porte, Ind. (6-9)
3. Vashon, St. Louis (16-1)*
4. St. Vincent-St. Mary, Akron, Ohio (25-2)*
5. Millard North, Omaha, Neb. (27-2)*

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

Southland

1. Millbrook, Raleigh, N.C. (19-0)*
2. Beaumont (Texas) United (31-0)*
3. Highlands, Fort Thomas, Ky. (30-4)*
4. Westlake, Austin, Texas (30-2)
5. Richardson, Texas (26-2)

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

Far West

1. St, John Bosco, Bellflower, Calif. (23-4)^*
2. Damien, La Verne, Calif. (29-4)^
3. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (27-4)^
4. St. Mary’s, Phoenix (20-1)*
5. Archbishop Mitty, San Jose, Calif. (17-1)^

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

@ Blue Star Media Elite 25 National Champion

! GEICO High School Nationals champion

* Won state championship or major postseason tournament title

^ Completed a spring season

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.