HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – The latest Blue Star Media Elite 25 boys’ basketball rankings have a holiday theme with several teams off to top-notch tournaments and events to close out the month of December.
Expect the Elite 25 to get a fresh look after these events are played. Tournaments in South Carolina, Florida, Hawaii, Oregon, California and Texas will play major roles in the new order that will be released on Jan. 2, 2018.
I’ll be off to three tournaments during my stay in south Florida.
This week seven teams join the Elite 25 rankings, including two that were added to the top-10. We’ll be back in the first week of January and then for the rest of the season, which concludes in early April.
Until next time have a Merry Christmas and prosperous New Year. Hope to see you at a game soon. – Christopher Lawlor
Blue Star Media Elite 25 Boys Basketball Rankings, Dec. 19, 2017
1. Montverde (Fla.) Academy (11-0)
Previous rank: 1.
Low-down: After winning a tournament in China, the Eagles headed back to the United States with a stop over at the Iolani Classic in Honolulu, Hawaii, where they topped Lahainaluna (Lahaina, Hawaii), 95-27, in the first round. After Christmas coach Kevin Boyle’s crew plays at the Beach Ball Classic in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
2. Oak Hill Academy, Mouth of Wilson, Va. (14-0)
Previous rank: 2.
Low-down: The Warriors close out the calendar year starting this week at the Chick-fil-A Classic in Columbia, S.C., and after Christmas they go to the Les Schwab Invitational in Oregon.
3. East, Memphis, Tenn. (9-0)
Previous rank: 4.
Low-down: The Mustangs will be the favorites to win the City of Palms Classic in Fort Myers, Fla. The opening assignment is Lakewood Ranch (Bradenton, Fla.) on Tuesday. The championship game is Saturday night.
4. IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla. (8-0)
Previous rank: 5.
Low-down: The Ascenders play in the Chick-fil-A Classic National Division this weekend in South Carolina.
5. Simeon, Chicago (6-0)
Previous rank:7.
Low-down: The Wolverines took care of business back home, beating Bogan (Chicago), 77-57, at Messiah Jones posted a double-double, with 22 points and 10 boards. Now it’s off to the Florida sunshine to play in the City of Palms Classic.
6. McEachern, Powder Springs, Ga. (5-0)
Previous rank: 8.
Low-down: Georgia’s top-ranked Class AAAAAAA team will play in the Tournament of Champions in Marietta after Christmas.
7. Denton (Texas) Guyer (18-0)
Previous: Not ranked.
Low-down: Texas’ top-ranked squad will play in the Whataburger Tournament Orange Division against a talented instate field.
8. Gonzaga, Washington, D.C. (6-0)
Previous: Not ranked.
Low-down: The Purple Eagles won the Gonzaga D.C. Classic earlier this month and are off to Slam Dunk to the Beach in Lewes, Del.
9. Archbishop Molloy, Briarwood, N.Y. (2-0)
Previous rank:
Low-down: The Stanners defeated Holy Cross (Flushing), 80-55, in Brooklyn-Queen Class AA matchup and shift the focus to the City of Palms Classic in Florida. The opening assignment is No. 23 University School (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) that should be quite a tournament game.
10. Findlay Prep, Henderson, Nev. (14-1)
Previous rank: 3.
Low-down: The Pilots cruised to a pair of wins over the weekend and will face off this week at the star-studded Chick-fil-A Classic in South Carolina with the opening game against No. 17 Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) on Thursday.
11. La Lumiere School, La Porte, Ind. (8-1)
Previous rank:6.
Low-down: The Lakers will play the Mike Mitchell Classic against Aberdeen (S.D.) on Dec. 30 at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.
12. Hudson Catholic, Jersey City, N.J. (2-0)
Previous rank: 11.
Low-down: Defeated Pope John XXIII (Sparta), 82-55, in the Hoop Group Showcase in Caldwell. Next up is a trip to the prestigious City of Palms Classic in Fort Myers, Fla.
13. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (5-0)
Previous rank 15.
Low-down: The Monarchs will get true tests over the next two weeks at the City of Palms Classic in Florida and Les Schwab Invitational after Christmas in Oregon.
14. Clarkston, Mich. (4-0)
Previous rank: 16.
Low-down: Crushed Stevenson (Sterling Heights), 88-37, for a 17th straight win dating back to last season.
15. Shadow Mountain, Phoenix (10-0)
Previous rank: 17.
Low-down: The up-tempo Matadors average 95 points per game with five games of more than 100 points.
16. Imhotep Charter, Philadelphia (3-0)
Previous rank: 20.
Low-down: The Panthers recorded an impressive 56-53 win over Roselle (N.J.) Catholic.
17. Paul VI, Fairfax, Va. (3-1)
Previous rank: 14.
Low-down: The Panthers tuned for a national tournament with a 116-30 win over The Heights (Potomac, Md.). Next up is the Chick-fil-A Classic this week in Columbia, S.C.
18. Bishop Montgomery, Torrance, Calif. (7-0)
Previous rank: Not ranked.
Low-down: The Knights haven’t missed a beat by opening the term winning the Westchester Tip-Off Class in Los Angeles.
19. Greensboro (N.C.) Country Day (13-1)
Previous rank: 18.
Low-down: Coach Freddy Johnson’s team is competing this week at the Iolani Classic.
20. Jefferson, Portland, Ore. (3-0)
Previous rank: 22.
Low-down: The Democrats won first two games at the Iolani Classic in Honolulu.
21. Sunrise Christian, Bel Aire, Kan. (7-2)
Previous: Not ranked.
Low-down: The Buffalos split two games in Texas and have events in Chicago and Memphis on the docket.
22. Wesleyan Christian Academy, High Point, N.C. (11-2)
Previous rank: 12.
Low-down: Overwhelmed High Point Christian, 87-43, before heading off to the City of Palms Classic in Florida.
23. University School, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (7-0)
Previous: Not ranked.
Low-down: The Sharks from Broward County head over to the City of Palms Classic in Fort Myers this week.
24. South Garland, Garland, Texas (16-2)
Previous: Not ranked.
Low-down: The Colonels are one of Texas’ top Class 6A teams and might get another crack at nationally ranked Denton (Texas) Guyer at the Whataburger Tournament Orange Division in nearby Fort Worth.
25. DeMatha, Hyattsville, Md. (5-0)
Previous rank: Not ranked.
Low-down: The Stags are unbeaten in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference and play rivals Bishop O’Connell (Arlington, Va.) on Friday.
Dropped: No. 10. Webster Groves, Mo.; No. 13 Cypress Falls, Houston; No. 19 Westlake, Austin, Texas; No. 21 Morgan Park, Chicago; No. 23 The Patrick School, Hillside, N.J.; No. 24 Prolific Prep, Napa, Calif. (0-0); and No. 25 First Love Christian Academy, Washington, Pa.
High-Fives by Region
East
- Roselle (N.J.) Catholic (1-1)
- Roman Catholic, Philadelphia (2-1)
- Long Island Lutheran, Brookville, N.Y. (3-0)
- Don Bosco Prep. Ramsey, N.J. (2-0)
- Cardinal Hayes, Bronx, N.Y. (4-1)
Geography: Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia.
Midwest
- Huntington (W.Va.) Prep (10-1)
- Whitney Young, Chicago (10-1)
- Curie, Chicago (6-1)
- North, Oshkosh, Wis. (6-0)
- Moeller, Cincinnati (4-1)
Geography: Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
Southland
- Cox Mill, Concord, N.C. (7-0)
- Covington Catholic, Park Hills, Ky. (5-0)
- Trinity, Louisville, Ky. (5-0)
- Oak Ridge, Orlando, Fla. (8-1)
- Westlake, Austin, Texas (16-2)
Geography: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
Far West
- Wasatch Academy, Mount Pleasant, Utah (9-1)
- Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif. (5-1)
- Clark, Las Vegas (7-0)
- Garfield, Seattle (5-0)
- Rancho Christian, Temecula, Calif. (6-0)
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. 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 players cannot be ranked. 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 in April. Follow him on Twitter at #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.
