BENSALEM, Pa. – The last three weeks can be described as topsy-turvy for the Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ basketball rankings. Last week it was five teams exciting and this week it’s four moving in, with two big-city programs re-entering.

Face it high school basketball is a national game with promoters and TV producers lining up to book the hottest prep team but mostly the future NBA lottery picks. With so many national games, team’s play for strength of schedule to stay ranked. Sometimes that backfires or the teams are a victim of the successes of their own league or conference.

Welcome back to No. 20 Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia) and No. 24 Simeon (Chicago). Both teams play in power leagues and schedule aggressively. No. 13 DeSoto (Texas) has been steady and is the state’s second-ranked Class 6A school. In Wisconsin, No. 18 Stevens Point (10-0) is unbeaten and pointed toward a second straight Division I state title. All four are legitimate contenders in their home states to take home postseason hardware.

When the Dr. Martin Luther King weekend rolls around, not only is a great American honored, but also myriad basketball events are played. There are hundreds of events to chosen from but here are the three most impactful ones that will surely affect the Elite 25.

Bass Pro Tournament of Champions: The three-day, eight-team tournament tips off Thursday with four matchups in Springfield, Mo.: Rainier Beach (Seattle)-Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas); Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.)-Bolivar (Mo.); Kickapoo (Springfield, Mo.)-Sierra Canyon School (Chatsworth, Calif.) and Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.)-Chaminade (St. Louis). Three nationally ranked teams are joined by two more from the regions. Oak Hill is the defending champion.

Flyin’ To the Hoop: It starts on Friday with two games and by the time the last one is played on Monday night, a total of 23 action-filled games will be contest at Trent Arena in Kettering, Ohio. The three most intriguing games are La Lumiere School (La Porte, Ind.)-Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.), Friday, 8:15 p.m. ET; Huntington (W.Va.)-Prolific Prep, Saturday, 6:45 p.m. and Advanced Prep (Texas)-IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), Saturday, 6:45 p.m.

Spalding Hoophall Classic: The birthplace of basketball, Springfield College in Massachusetts, is the center of the hoop universe for five days—Saturday, Sunday and Monday are when the bulk of the high-end games will be played. I’ll be at this event and have deemed this handful as games of interest: Roman Catholic (Philadelphia)-Montverde (Fla.) Academy, Saturday, 2 p.m.; Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.)-St. Benedict’s (Newark, N.J.), Sunday, 2:15 p.m.; La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.)-Patrick School (Elizabeth, N.J.), Sunday, 5:45 p.m.; Montverde-Sierra Canyon School (Chatsworth, Calif.), Monday, 3 p.m. and Chino Hills (Calif.)-High Point (N.C.) Christian, Sunday, 5 p.m. Monday’s games are on ESPNU.

The Elite 25 rankings are back next week on January 19. The girls’ rankings appear on Wednesday. Check back to www.bluestarmedia.org for the latest in basketball news and announcements. Until next time I hope to see you at a game soon. –-Christopher Lawlor

Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ basketball rankings, Jan. 12, 2016

1. Findlay Prep, Henderson, Nev. (16-0)
Previous rank: 1.
Low-down: The Pilots easily won twice but move onto their biggest challenges of the season with a pair of high-profile games nationally televised this weekend at the Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Mass.

2. Oak Hill Academy, Mouth of Wilson, Va. (22-1)
Previous: 2.
Low-down: Crushed then-No. 17 Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.), 81-57, at the Winter Classic in Roanoke, Va. Mario Kegler and Matt Coleman scored 18 points apiece. Junior G Lindell Wigginton flipped in 25 points topping five Warriors in double figures to defeat Burlington (N.C.) Positive Day, 104-65. It was the same night the school renamed the floor in the gymnasium in honor of coach Steve Smith. Last month, Smith won his 1,000th game and is a serious candidate for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

3. Chino Hills, Calif. (14-0)
Previous: 3.
Low-down: Triple-double man Lonzo Ball (24 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists) dropped in three free throws in the final 10seconds to lift the Huskies over Foothills Christian (San Diego), 85-83, at the Sierra Canyon Super Showcase in Chatsworth, Calif.

4. Montverde (Fla.) Academy (16-1)
Previous: 4.
Low-down: Wiped out Deltona, 95-46, but now face nationally ranked Roman Catholic (Philadelphia) Saturday at the Hoophall Classic in Massachusetts.

5. DeMatha, Hyattsville, Md. (13-2)
Previous: 5.
Low-down: Junior G Ryan Allen drained a 3-pointer at the horn to nip then-No. 15 St. John’s College (Washington, D.C.), 59-57, in a Washington Catholic Conference showdown. The Stags are off to the Hoophall Classic, where they face No. 17 Chaminade (St. Louis) on Monday.

6. Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif. (11-1)
Previous: 6.
Low-down: Took out Desert Pines (Las Vegas), 74-59, and Windward (Los Angeles), 103-70. The Trailblazers will participate in the star-studded field at the prestigious Bass Pro Tournament of Champions in Springfield, Mo., tipping on Thursday for games.

7. Atascocita, Humble, Texas (23-0)
Previous: 7.
Low-down: The Eagles clamped down on defensive end and blew out two district rivals.

8. St. Benedict’s, Newark, N.J. (14-0)
Previous: 8.
Low-down: David Beatty’s 22 points shot down St. Joseph’s (Montvale), 62-59. The Gray Bees have national showdown with No. 1 Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) on Sunday at the Hoophall Classic.

9. St. Anthony, Jersey City, N.J. (8-0)
Previous: 9.
Low-down: Blasted Christian Brothers Academy (Lincroft), 65-29, at the Hoop Group Boardwalk Showcase in Long Branch, N.J. Kaleb Bishop and Jagan Mosely scored 11 points apiece. Next Monday the Friars will play in the Hoophall Classic.

10. Bishop Montgomery, Torrance, Calif. (16-0)
Previous: 11.
Low-down: Defeated Poly (Long Beach), 59-47, at the Westchester Challenge in Los Angeles. David Singleton netted 22 points. The countdown begins for the mega matchup with No. 3 Chino Hills on Jan. 30.

11. U of D Jesuit, Detroit (8-0)
Previous: 16.
Low-down: Stopped St. Mary’s Prep (Orchard Lake), 55-33. Cassius Winston, a Michigan State signee, totaled 22 points. The Cubs are headed to Illinois on Sunday for a matchup with powerhouse Bogan (Chicago).

12. Morgan Park, Chicago (12-1)
Previous: 19.
Low-down: After winning the Proviso West Tournament over the holidays, the Mustangs thumped two Chicago Public League Red-South Division opponents with Charlie Moore totaling 50 points and 19 assists. Now it’s the Chicago rivalry known as “The Battle of Vincennes {Avenue],” on Friday vs. Simeon (Chicago). The game will be played at Brook High School because Morgan Park’s gym holds only 200.

13. DeSoto, Texas (21-1)
Previous: Not ranked.
Low-down: The Eagles are Texas’ second-ranked Class 6A team.

14. La Lumiere School, La Porte, Ind. (14-2)
Previous: 8.
Low-down: Upset by Wasatch Academy (Mount Pleasant, Utah), 80-71. The Lakers must split their next two games against ranked teams Patrick School (Elizabeth, N.J.) and Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) to remain in the Elite 25.

15. St. John’s College, Washington, D.C. (14-2)
Previous: 15.
Low-down: It was a topsy-turvy, frenetic week in the rugged Washington Catholic Athletic Conference. To wit, the Cadets fell to DeMatha (Hyattsville, D.), 59-57, at the buzzer. However, they beat then-No. 18 Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.), 75-72, as Maryland-bound PG Anthony Cowan Jr. dropped in 29 points.

16. Patrick School, Elizabeth, N.J. (7-1)
Previous: 22.
Low-down: In one of the state’s great schoolboy hardwood rivalries, the Celtics defeated Linden, 65-46. Jamir Harris scored 11 of his 16 points in the decisive third quarter. The reverse fixture is Jan. 21.

17. Chaminade, St. Louis (13-3)
Previous: 20.
Low-down: The Red Devils beat Althoff Catholic (Bellevue, Ill.), 81-66, before 3,000 at the Highland Shootout. F Jayson Tatum, who signed with Duke and was named to the McDonald’s All-American Game, had 32 points and 13 rebounds and was named the game’s Most Valuable Player.

18. Stevens Point, Wis. (10-0)
Previous: Not ranked.
Low-down: The defending Division I state champions are rolling, including last week’s 92-42 dismantling of Wisconsin Rapids. F Sam Hauser (Marquette signee) and Trev Anderson (UW-Green Bay) are the star players.

19. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (15-2)
Previous: 21.
Low-down: The Monarchs opened the Trinity League portion of their schedule, beating Servite (Anaheim),-40, and Orange Lutheran, 71-62. Coach Gary McKnight’s team will fly across country for a game at the Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Mass.

20. Neumann-Goretti, Philadelphia (8-2)
Previous: Not ranked.
Low-down: The Saints are back in the Elite 25 after knocking off the-No. 12 Roman Catholic (Philadelphia), 85-69, in a key league game. Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree had a double-double, with 22 points and 14 rebounds, Towson-bound Zane Martin added 19 points and 5 dimes and Rasheed Browne chipped in with 15 points and 7 boards. Also topped Wings Academy (Bronx, N.Y.), 80-64.

21. High Point (N.C.) Christian (14-3)
Previous: 14.
Low-down: Lost on a last second shot to Greensboro (N.C.) Day, 60-59. The strong national schedule keeps the Cougars ranked but for how long?

22. Gonzaga, Washington, D.C. (11-2)
Previous: 18.
Low-down: Coach Steve Turner’s team is one resilient bunch after turning back feisty Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.), 84-50, following a three-point loss to the-No. 15 St. John’s College (Washington, D.C.) in WCAC play. The Purple Eagles two games before back-to-back encounters with powerhouse league programs DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) and Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) later this month.

23. Garfield, Seattle (10-1)
Previous: 23.
Low-down: The Bulldogs are 6-0 in the Metro Valley Division after a sluggish win last Friday.

24. Simeon, Chicago (12-2)
Previous: Not ranked.
Low-down: The Wolverines won four games last week to re-enter the Elite 25 rankings. Gonzaga-bound Zack Norvell had 16 points and 10 rebounds in a 67-60 win at Westview (Martin, Tenn.).

25. Peabody, Alexandria, La. (18-1)
Previous: 25.
Low-down: The Warhorses crushed two district rivals, averaging 98 points in the games.

Dropped out: No. 12 Roman Catholic, Philadelphia; No. 13 Overland, Aurora, Colo.; No. 17 Paul VI, Fairfax, Va.; No. 24 Prolific Prep, Napa, Calif.

High-Fives by Region

East
1. Sacred Heart, Waterbury, Conn. (6-0)
2. Roman Catholic, Philadelphia (9-3)
3. Cardozo, Oakland Gardens, N.Y. (13-0)
4. Bishop Loughlin, Brooklyn, N.Y. (9-3)
5. Archbishop Carroll, Radnor, Pa. (12-1)
Geography: Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia.

Midwest
1. Hopkins, Minnetonka, Minn. (15-0)
2. Curie, Chicago (12-2)
3. North Central, Indianapolis (10-0)
4. Kenwood, Chicago (11-1)
5. Apple Valley, Minn. (13-1)
Geography: Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Southland
1. Miller Grove, Lithonia, Ga. (15-2)
2. Hamilton Heights Christian Academy, Chattanooga, Tenn. (14-2)
3. Christian Brothers, Memphis, Tenn. (17-0)
4. Hammond, Columbia, S.C. (14-0)
5. Greenforest Christian Academy, Decatur, Ga. (15-1)
Geography: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.

Far West
1. Prolific Prep, Napa, Calif. (15-4)
2. Foothills Christian, El Cajon, Calif. (9-3)
3. West Linn, Ore. (7-3)
4. Rainier Beach, Seattle (8-1)
5. Bishop Gorman, Las Vegas (11-4)
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 in early April. 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, administrators and prep sports writers. Follow him on Twitter at #clawlor.