Go-To 25 Boys’ Basketball Rankings, Jan. 29, 2013

BENSALEM, Pa.— Montverde (Fla.), No. 4 in the Blue Star Media Go-To 25 boys’ basketball rankings, is back in the conscious of prep universe. Last week was a rollercoaster week of emotions for the Eagles. After gagging in the final minutes in a loss to top-ranked Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.), MVA rebounded to win their eight-team tournament over the weekend.

One thing’s for sure—super point guard Kasey Hill—is just that. Hill is a shoo-in for the McDonald’s All-American Game on April 3 in Chicago and once he left the floor with his fifth foul on Monday at the Hoophall Classic, the Eagles sputtered against Findlay. That 12-point lead evaporated over the course of a quarter. Last weekend Hill sank decisive free throws in the tournament semifinals and then he took over in 57-38 win over No. 6 La Lumiere School (La Porte, Ind.) in the final.

MVA is back in the national title race, with No. 2 St. Benedict’s (Newark, N.J.) and No. 3 St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.) just ahead in the Go-To 25 rankings. Coincidentally the New Jersey schools play Friday in the feature game of the Newark National Invitational at the Prudential Center. This is the game hoopheads have craved since St. Benedict’s became a national power under Dan Hurley (now head coach at the University of Rhode Island). But since Bob Hurley never endorsed the game with his youngest son, it never happened. St. Benedict’s and St. Anthony were both on the docket annually for coach Kevin Boyle when he was at recently shuttered St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.).

When Boyle bolted for MVA two years ago, it became a two-horse race for state supremacy. St. Benedict’s does not compete for a New Jersey state championship but will participate at the National High School Invitational in April. So will MVA, Oak Hill, Findlay, La Lumiere and newcomer Prime Prep (Dallas)—all in search of a postseason in lieu of state tournaments.

No teams dropped out of the Go-To 25 rankings but a line has been drawn in the sand. Teams on the cusp of the rankings better step up and win out or get vanquished. No. 19 DeSoto (Texas) lost by two points when a 3-pointer at the buzzer rimmed out against district rival South Grand Prairie. The Eagles plunged seven slots and No. 8 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) dropped four after an upset loss at St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio). Keep on eye on regionally ranked Math, Science & Civics (Philadelphia), which us playing like the best team in Pennsylvania. Also, Hudson Catholic (Jersey City)—mere jump shot from St. Anthony—has cobbled an impressive resume under savvy coach Nick Marinello. The Jersey City schools will play in the state playoffs in the Non-Public B North bracket. Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.) has a busy week ahead with city league rivals Archbishop Molloy, Holy Cross and Fordham Prep (which beat St. Raymond of the Bronx last weekend).

If you’re wondering why No. 25 Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) is still ranked after a loss last Monday? Well, simple: Strength of schedule. The Panthers won the Bass Pro Shops Tournament of Championship over the MLK Weekend in Missouri (they beat MVA in the final) and play in the nation’s best league. Glenn Farello, one of the nation’s elite coaches, has his hands full this week with showdowns against No. 21 Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) Tuesday and Bishop O’Connell (Arlington, Va.) Friday—looking to avenge earlier losses to their Washington Catholic Athletic Conference brethren.

Looking forward to another emblematic week of hoops. The clock is ticking on the regular season in most states; playoffs are on the horizon. I’ll see you in Newark at The Rock for the St. Anthony-St. Benedict’s matchup. The undercard features three games, including two boys’ games and the Go-To 25 ranked Shabazz girls against their crosstown rivals University (Newark) at 3:45 p.m., which tips off the fifth annual event.

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

Varsity Letters 

Player of the Week

Nigel Williams-Goss, 6-4, senior, No. 1 Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.): The Washington recruit was clutch in a 62-59 win over then-No. 7 Montverde (Fla.) Academy at the Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Mass. Williams-Goss nailed a 3-pointer from the top of the key as time expired to lead the Pilots to their 42^nd straight victory. In the game, he scored 26 points (18 in the final quarter) shooting 8 of 12 from the floor and 9 of 10 from the charity stripe, and had five assists and five rebounds. No surprise was named the game’s Most Outstanding Player.

Additionally, Williams-Goss was the MVP of the Iolani Classic in December and recently became the program’s all-time leader in points and assists. With Williams-Goss directing the offense in 90 career starts, the Pilots are 115-7.

Places To Be

One of the nation’s most exciting weekends of hoops will captivate southern California again. That’s because the Nike Extravaganza XVIII rolls out three sessions, with boys and girls’ games, Friday and Saturday at Mater Dei High’s luxurious Meruelo Athletic Center in Santa Ana. For those who have attended a game at this state-of-the-art facility, understand why this is the finest of its type in the nation.

The schedule is chock full of quality teams from California, with the exception of two powerhouse boys’ teams from Las Vegas, Nev.

Friday: Rialto girls vs. Orange Lutheran, 2:20 p.m.; Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) girls vs. St. Mary’s (Albany), 3:45; Saddleback Christian boys vs. Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita), 5; Brethren Christian boys vs. Servite (Anaheim), 6:16; Eisenhower (Rialto) boys vs. No. 4 Mater Dei, 7:30; No. 1 Mater Dei girls vs. Oaks Christian School (Westlake Village), 9.

Saturday morning session (all boys’ games): Upland vs. Los Alamitos, 9 a.m.; Ocean View (Huntington Beach) vs. Durango (Las Vegas, Nev.), 10:30 a.m.; Colony vs. Mission Viejo, noon.

Saturday evening session: Fairfax (Los Angeles), 1:30 p.m.; Orange Lutheran vs. regionally-ranked Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.), 3; De La Salle (Concord) vs. Foothill (Anaheim), 4:30; No. 19 Long Beach Poly vs. St. John Bosco (Bellflower), 6; regionally-ranked Etiwanda vs. Loyola (Los Angeles), 7:30; No. 4 Mater Dei vs. Westchester (Los Angeles), 9.

Staying west of the Mississippi, the Yes! Air Conditioning and Plumbing Las Vegas Hoop Fest is Saturday at Coronado High in Henderson, Nev.

The schedule: Las Vegas High-Clark (Las Vegas), 12:30 p.m. PT; Palo Verde (Las Vegas)-Ribet Academy (Los Angeles), 2; Foothill (Henderson)-White Station (Memphis), 3:30; Impact Academy (Las Vegas)-No. 12 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), 5; Desert Pines (Las Vegas)-No. 1 Findlay Prep (Henderson), 6:30; Coronado (Henderson)-No. 9 Simeon (Chicago), 8.

Blue Star Media Go-To 25 boys’ basketball rankings, Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013

1. Findlay Prep, Henderson, Nev. (23-0)

Previous rank: 1.

Low-down: Dropped then-No. 7 Montverde (Fla.) Academy, 62-59, as Nigel Williams-Goss nailed a 3-pointer as time expired. The Pilots carry their 42-game win streak into Friday’s game against Foothill (Henderson).

2. St. Benedict’s, Newark, N.J. (19-0)

Previous: 2.

Low-down: Downed Germantown Academy (Fort Washington, Pa.), 85-60, at the Hoop Group’s Lehigh Valley Hoop Fest. Syracuse-bound Tyler Ennis hit for 24 points. The long awaited showdown with No. 3 St. Anthony (Jersey City) is Friday at the Newark National Invitational in Newark’s Prudential Center.

3. St. Anthony, Jersey City, N.J. (17-0)

Previous: 6.

Low-down: Won second SNY Invitational, edging Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.), 52-45, for an 81st straight win. Oregon State-bound Hallice Cooke (MVP) pumped in 22 points, sinking six 3-pointers on 6 of 10 shooting. In the semifinals, defeated Boys & Girls (Brooklyn, N.Y.), 43-28, at City College of New York’s Nat Holman Gymnasium.

4. Montverde (Fla.) Academy (22-2)

Previous: 7.

Low-down: After dropping two straight games, the Eagles won their Montverde Academy Invitational Tournament tipping then-No. 4 La Lumiere Schools (La Porte, Ind.), 57-38, in final. Kentucky-bound C Dakari Johnson had 15 points. Regular season is complete. Up next is the NHSI in April.

5. Lone Peak, Highland, Utah (17-1)

Previous: 8.

Low-down: After annihilating Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.), 81-46, at Hoophall Classic, the Knights came home for two easy wins in region play.

6. La Lumiere School, La Porte, Ind. (23-2)

Previous: 3.

Low-down: Lost then to-No. 7 Montverde (Fla.) Academy, 57-38, in the championship game of the Montverde Academy Invitational Tournament.

7. Huntington (W.Va.) Prep (22-2)

Previous: 10.

Low-down: The Express swept two games at the Dunk-4-Diabetes Shootout in North Canton, Ohio, beating Benedictine (Cleveland), 82-40, and Mentor (Ohio), 61-59. Coach Rob Fulford’s club plays in the Tri-State Classic against Oldsmar (Fla.) Christian on Friday.

8. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (21-1)

Previous: 4.

Low-down: Crushed Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita), 93-53. The Monarchs suffered an upset loss to St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio), 58-44. Junior Stanley Johnson totaled 51 points in two games.

9. Simeon, Chicago (18-2)

Previous: 13.

Low-down: Upended then-No. 9 Whitney Young (Chicago), 44-41. Illinois-bound G Jaylon Tate flipped in 12 points. Coach Robert Smith was suspended for four games after a fight broke out at a recent game, where a teenager was fatally shot during the post-game insanity.

10. Whitney Young, Chicago (18-2)

Previous: 9.

Low-down: Upset by No. 13 Simeon (Chicago), 44-41. Expect the rivals to meet again two more times this season.

11. Prime Prep Academy, Dallas (19-0)

Previous: 11.

Low-down: Defeated Wayne (Huber Heights, Ohio), 77-61. Up next is Methodist Children’s Home (Waco) Thursday.

12. Oak Hill Academy, Mouth of Wilson, Va. (21-3)

Previous: 5.

Low-down: The Warriors rebounded from an 81-68 loss to No. 13 Simeon (Chicago) at the Hoophall Classic to drill Christian Faith Center (Creedmoor, N.C.), 95-64. The game against The Miller School (Charlottesville, Va.) was cancelled by heavy snowfall. The Warriors play Montrose Christian (Rockville, Md.) on Wednesday at the Mountain State Coal Classic in Beckley, W.Va.

13. Morgan Park, Chicago (19-2)

Previous: 14.

Low-down: Xavier Taylor hit for 13 points in a 96-36 pounding of Carver (Chicago).

14. Bishop Montgomery, Torrance, Calif. (23-0)

Previous: 15.

Low-down: The Knights clipped St. Bernard (Playa del Rey), 86-29, and Bishop Amat (La Puente), 65-25. Also stopped Lincoln (San Diego), 79-34, at the Fairfax State Review in Los Angeles.

15. Arlington Country Day, Jacksonville, Fla. (21-2)

Previous: 16.

Low-down: Coach Rex Morgan was notified the Apaches received a forfeit win from North Florida Prep (Jacksonville) for the use of a fifth-year player. Up next is a crosstown rivalry against Providence School Saturday at Florida State College at Jacksonville, 7:30 p.m.

16. Lake Oswego, Ore. (18-0)

Previous: 17.

Low-down: Cory Coombe had 11 points and five assists in a 64-30 win over Oregon City. The Lakers were without Calvin Hermanson (ankle injury), the reigning Class 6A player of the year, who is expected back this week for a rivalry game against crosstown Lakeridge.

17. Blanch Ely, Pompano Beach, Fla. (17-1)

Previous: 18.

Low-down: The Tigers defeated local rivals Northeast (Oakland Park), 76-30, as 6-3 junior G Richard Lee clicked for 20 points. Up next is the traditional season-ending BCCA Big 8 Tournament, which tips Wednesday at Fort Lauderdale High. The district tournament follows on Feb. 6.

18. Poly, Long Beach, Calif. (19-2)

Previous: 19.

Low-down: The Jackrabbits disposed of two Moore League opponents but now have a huge test Saturday against St. John Bosco (Bellflower) at the Nike Extravaganza in Santa Ana.

19. DeSoto, Texas (25-2)

Previous: 12.

Low-down: Duke-bound Matt Jones flipped in 13 points but it wasn’t enough in a loss to ranked South Grand Prairie, 47-45. The teams are tied at 8-1 in the District 7-5A standings.

20. Omaha (Neb.) Central (16-3)

Previous: 20.

Low-down: Defeated Millard North (Omaha), 69-54. Four players scored in double-digits, led by Tre’Shawn Thurman’s 14 points. Louisville-bound PF Akoy Agau recorded 11 points and 11 rebounds. It appears senior G Tra-Deon Hollins (high ankle sprain) will be out another week. Lost to Papillion-LaVista, 67-58.

21. Gonzaga, Washington, D.C. (16-3)

Previous: 21.

Low-down: Villanova-bound F Kris Jenkins posted a double-double, 17 points and 14 boards during an 81-57 shellacking of Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.). Thirteen players entered the scorebook in 69-48 win over Bishop Ireton (Alexandria, Va.). The Purple Eagles face ranked Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) Tuesday.

22. Pershing, Detroit (14-0)

Previous: 22.

Low-down: Martez Walker (28 points), a 6-5 senior G, and Lorenzo Collier (20) combined for 48 points in a 75-64 win over Osborn (Detroit).

23. Salesian, Richmond, Calif. (18-3)

Previous: 23.

Low-down: The Pride swept past three opponents, including traditional power De La Salle (Concord), 47-43. Up next is regionally ranked Sheldon (Sacramento) Saturday.

24. Theodore Roosevelt, Washington, D.C. (16-0)

Previous: 24.

Low-down: The Rough Riders capped a 3-0 week trouncing Bell (Washington), 94-61, as Jarrell Allen scored 20 points, sinking a trio of 3-pointers. Up next is Dunbar (Washington) Friday.

25. Paul VI, Fairfax, Va. (15-5)

Previous: 25.

Low-down: The Panthers chalked up two wins in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference last week in preparation for Tuesday’s showdown at No. 21 Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.). They also host Bishop O’Connell (Arlington, Va.) Friday. Judgment week is here!

Dropped out: None.

High-Fives by Region

East

1. Hudson Catholic, Jersey City, N.J. (18-1)

2. Long Island Lutheran, Brookville, N.Y. (16-2)

3. Christ the King, Middle Village, N.Y. (14-2)

4. Chester, Pa. (14-3)
5. Math, Civics & Sciences, Philadelphia (19-0)

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

Midlands

1. Proviso East, Maywood, Ill. (16-3)

2. Germantown, Wis. (16-0)

3. North Chicago, Ill. (22-1)

4. West, Iowa City, Iowa (15-0)

5. Munster, Ind. (17-0)

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

South

1. South Grand Prairie, Grand Prairie, Texas (28-2)

2. Christ Presbyterian, Nashville, Tenn. (21-2)

3. Scotlandville, Baton Rouge, La. (24-2)

4. Brandeis, San Antonio (27-2)

5. Carver, Montgomery, Ala. (17-1)

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

Far West

1. Bishop Gorman, Las Vegas (19-3)

2. Sheldon, Sacramento, Calif. (16-4)

3. Etiwanda, Calif. (17-2)

4. Jesuit, Portland, Ore. (15-2)

5. Corona (Calif.) Centennial (22-1)

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

Records are through Sunday.

About: The Blue Star Media Go-To 25 Boys’ Basketball Rankings are released weekly 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 league, conference, region or district. The rankings are compiled by Blue Star Media’s senior writer/evaluator Christopher Lawlor, who consults with a national network of coaches, evaluators and prep sports writers.